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hague <tsp> ( cnn ) -- natalee holloway 's family may soon learn whether a jawbone found on an aruban beach last week belongs to the 18-year-old teen , who disappeared five years ago . investigators are first trying to determine whether the bone is that of an animal or human . if the bone is human , authorities will then attempt to find out through dna testing whether it belongs to holloway , who was last seen on the island in 2005 . the results of the testing , which is being carried out by the netherlands forensic institute in the hague , netherlands , may be available friday . holloway 's dental records were sent to the forensic institute on wednesday , the fbi said . we provided her dental records to the dutch authorities . they were sent electronically , ' said fbi spokesman paul daymond . the information-sharing is what we do , nothing out of the ordinary , ' he said . the holloway family had told hln 's nancy grace ' that the records were sent to the hague . the length of testing can vary , but normally takes about a week , according to a representative of the institute . the findings will be sent back to the prosecutor 's office in aruba , which will decide whether to make the results public . part of a jawbone with a tooth was found a week ago by an american tourist near the phoenix hotel , a large resort on the western side of the island , aruban prosecutor peter blanken said . contacted by cnn , the hotel referred questions to local authorities . the prosecutor said the bone was initially examined by a forensic expert in aruba , who determined the bone was from a young woman . but blanken cautioned the final determination would be made by the forensic institute in the netherlands . holloway was 18 when she was last seen in the early hours of may 30 , 2005 , leaving an oranjestad , aruba , nightclub with joran van der sloot and two other men . she was visiting the island with about 100 classmates to celebrate their graduation from mountain brook high school in suburban birmingham , alabama . van der sloot was detained twice in connection with holloway 's disappearance but never charged . he is now awaiting trial in lima , peru , on a murder charge in the death of peruvian student stephany flores . her body was found in may in a hotel room registered to van der sloot . the two were seen entering the room on a surveillance camera . van der sloot , 23 , is also charged with wire fraud and extortion in alabama for allegedly attempting to extort more than $ 250,000 from holloway 's family in return for disclosing the location of her body . hln 's rupa mikkilineni , cnn 's susan candiotti , laura perez maestro , brian walker and cnn radio 's ninette sosa contributed to this report . | natalee holloway 's dental records are sent to the hague this week |
iran <tsp> at the outset of his term , the new president of iran , hassan rouhani , will confront a thicket of national and international challenges . rouhani 's presidential term starts at a particularly challenging time ; the islamic republic of iran is facing an unprecedented level of regional and international isolation . one of the most crucial foreign policy objectives which will take precedence in rouhani 's agenda is the syrian conflict , which has now entered its third year . the election result raises vital questions regarding whether iran 's foreign policy towards assad 's sect-based and police regime will be altered or whether iranian-syrian alliance will evolve into a new phase . will the presidency of the centrist rouhani influence iran 's diplomatic ties with damascus and its unconditional support for assad ? will tehran change its political , military , intelligence and advisory assistance to syria 's state apparatuses , army , security forces , and mukhabart ? while there is a significant amount of high expectations and enthusiasm among some western political leaders and scholars that the election of the centrist rouhani might influence iran 's support of assad , it is crucial to be realistic about iran 's centrist and moderate camp 's ideology , the power of the presidential office , iran 's political structure , and tehran 's foreign policy objectives . first of all , it is necessary to note that the iranian centrists and moderates'political spectrum analyze syria from the realms of balance of power as well as from a religious and geopolitical paradigm rather than from a human rights one . although rouhani argues for constructive interactions with other countries and although he supports applying a softer political tone -- as opposed to the combative , controversial and provocative language that mahmoud ahmadinejad or other hardliners utilize -- when dealing with the international community and regional state actors in regards to syria , rouhani has not called for an overall sweeping shift in iran 's foreign policy . for instance , rouhani has neither asked assad to step down from power nor pressed to halt the islamic republic of iran 's military , intelligence , financial , and advisory support to damascus . from the perspective of the centrists , including rouhani , withdrawing support to damascus equates to undermining tehran 's geopolitical leverage and balance of power in the region , which ultimately endangers their own power . this becomes particularly more significant to the iranian leaders who argue that they are surrounded by what they perceive as existential and strategic enemies ; the united states'military bases , for instance , are located throughout iran 's borders and in the gulf arab states ( qatar , saudi arabia , bahrain , etc ) . more fundamentally , because of the role the supreme leader plays in iran 's foreign policy objectives , it would be unrealistic to argue that rouhani would alter iran 's current political status quo towards assad 's regime . rouhani does not completely control the country 's foreign relations with syria ; iran 's policy towards damascus is closely guided by supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei , the high generals of iran 's revolutionary guard corps , and etela'at -- iran 's intelligence . however , rouhani does have the ability to set the tone in regional and international circles for the supreme leader . in addition , the supreme leader has been very clear about his political stance on syria , stating that assad 's regime is targeted by israeli and u.s.-backed groups , foreign conspirators and terrorists . lastly , religiously and ideologically speaking , one of the major pillars of iran 's foreign policy has been that it has proclaimed itself as the safe-guarder of islamic -- particularly shiite -- values . the alawite sect-based state of syria serves as a crucial instrument for advancing , empowering , and achieving this ideological foreign policy objective . iran under rouhani 's presidency is unlikely to change the current status quo , push for regime change in syria , ask assad to step aside as many western and arab gulf states did , or halt any political , military , intelligence and advisory assistance to assad 's ruling alawite and socialist bath party , due to the belief that they will be ideologically and religiously weakening their own regional influence and foreign policy leverage . if the alawites lose power , the next government would likely be constituted from the current oppositional groups and the sunni majority in syria , who comprise roughly 74 % of the population . as in egypt and tunisia , where the islamic sunni parties were the ones who won the elections , in damascus , the sunni oppositional groups are more likely to win most of the parliamentary seats in the situation of a new government forming after assad . this will be regarded as a considerable shift in regional and international balance of power against iran and in favor of the arab gulf states , particularly saudi arabia . considering the aforementioned factors : the president 's limited control over directing foreign policy compared to the supreme leader 's more powerful role , the centrist and moderate ideologies , as well as the geopolitical , and ideological elements surrounding the issue , it is more likely that iran will continue implementing its current strategies towards syria to preserve iran 's regional and international balance of power , its political and economic national interests , and the survival of the ruling clerics . join us on facebook/cnnopinion . | he says : iran under rouhani 's presidency is unlikely to change the current status quo ' |
iran <tsp> at the outset of his term , the new president of iran , hassan rouhani , will confront a thicket of national and international challenges . rouhani 's presidential term starts at a particularly challenging time ; the islamic republic of iran is facing an unprecedented level of regional and international isolation . one of the most crucial foreign policy objectives which will take precedence in rouhani 's agenda is the syrian conflict , which has now entered its third year . the election result raises vital questions regarding whether iran 's foreign policy towards assad 's sect-based and police regime will be altered or whether iranian-syrian alliance will evolve into a new phase . will the presidency of the centrist rouhani influence iran 's diplomatic ties with damascus and its unconditional support for assad ? will tehran change its political , military , intelligence and advisory assistance to syria 's state apparatuses , army , security forces , and mukhabart ? while there is a significant amount of high expectations and enthusiasm among some western political leaders and scholars that the election of the centrist rouhani might influence iran 's support of assad , it is crucial to be realistic about iran 's centrist and moderate camp 's ideology , the power of the presidential office , iran 's political structure , and tehran 's foreign policy objectives . first of all , it is necessary to note that the iranian centrists and moderates'political spectrum analyze syria from the realms of balance of power as well as from a religious and geopolitical paradigm rather than from a human rights one . although rouhani argues for constructive interactions with other countries and although he supports applying a softer political tone -- as opposed to the combative , controversial and provocative language that mahmoud ahmadinejad or other hardliners utilize -- when dealing with the international community and regional state actors in regards to syria , rouhani has not called for an overall sweeping shift in iran 's foreign policy . for instance , rouhani has neither asked assad to step down from power nor pressed to halt the islamic republic of iran 's military , intelligence , financial , and advisory support to damascus . from the perspective of the centrists , including rouhani , withdrawing support to damascus equates to undermining tehran 's geopolitical leverage and balance of power in the region , which ultimately endangers their own power . this becomes particularly more significant to the iranian leaders who argue that they are surrounded by what they perceive as existential and strategic enemies ; the united states'military bases , for instance , are located throughout iran 's borders and in the gulf arab states ( qatar , saudi arabia , bahrain , etc ) . more fundamentally , because of the role the supreme leader plays in iran 's foreign policy objectives , it would be unrealistic to argue that rouhani would alter iran 's current political status quo towards assad 's regime . rouhani does not completely control the country 's foreign relations with syria ; iran 's policy towards damascus is closely guided by supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei , the high generals of iran 's revolutionary guard corps , and etela'at -- iran 's intelligence . however , rouhani does have the ability to set the tone in regional and international circles for the supreme leader . in addition , the supreme leader has been very clear about his political stance on syria , stating that assad 's regime is targeted by israeli and u.s.-backed groups , foreign conspirators and terrorists . lastly , religiously and ideologically speaking , one of the major pillars of iran 's foreign policy has been that it has proclaimed itself as the safe-guarder of islamic -- particularly shiite -- values . the alawite sect-based state of syria serves as a crucial instrument for advancing , empowering , and achieving this ideological foreign policy objective . iran under rouhani 's presidency is unlikely to change the current status quo , push for regime change in syria , ask assad to step aside as many western and arab gulf states did , or halt any political , military , intelligence and advisory assistance to assad 's ruling alawite and socialist bath party , due to the belief that they will be ideologically and religiously weakening their own regional influence and foreign policy leverage . if the alawites lose power , the next government would likely be constituted from the current oppositional groups and the sunni majority in syria , who comprise roughly 74 % of the population . as in egypt and tunisia , where the islamic sunni parties were the ones who won the elections , in damascus , the sunni oppositional groups are more likely to win most of the parliamentary seats in the situation of a new government forming after assad . this will be regarded as a considerable shift in regional and international balance of power against iran and in favor of the arab gulf states , particularly saudi arabia . considering the aforementioned factors : the president 's limited control over directing foreign policy compared to the supreme leader 's more powerful role , the centrist and moderate ideologies , as well as the geopolitical , and ideological elements surrounding the issue , it is more likely that iran will continue implementing its current strategies towards syria to preserve iran 's regional and international balance of power , its political and economic national interests , and the survival of the ruling clerics . join us on facebook/cnnopinion . | syria conflict key issue for rouhani as he takes iran presidency |
iran <tsp> at the outset of his term , the new president of iran , hassan rouhani , will confront a thicket of national and international challenges . rouhani 's presidential term starts at a particularly challenging time ; the islamic republic of iran is facing an unprecedented level of regional and international isolation . one of the most crucial foreign policy objectives which will take precedence in rouhani 's agenda is the syrian conflict , which has now entered its third year . the election result raises vital questions regarding whether iran 's foreign policy towards assad 's sect-based and police regime will be altered or whether iranian-syrian alliance will evolve into a new phase . will the presidency of the centrist rouhani influence iran 's diplomatic ties with damascus and its unconditional support for assad ? will tehran change its political , military , intelligence and advisory assistance to syria 's state apparatuses , army , security forces , and mukhabart ? while there is a significant amount of high expectations and enthusiasm among some western political leaders and scholars that the election of the centrist rouhani might influence iran 's support of assad , it is crucial to be realistic about iran 's centrist and moderate camp 's ideology , the power of the presidential office , iran 's political structure , and tehran 's foreign policy objectives . first of all , it is necessary to note that the iranian centrists and moderates'political spectrum analyze syria from the realms of balance of power as well as from a religious and geopolitical paradigm rather than from a human rights one . although rouhani argues for constructive interactions with other countries and although he supports applying a softer political tone -- as opposed to the combative , controversial and provocative language that mahmoud ahmadinejad or other hardliners utilize -- when dealing with the international community and regional state actors in regards to syria , rouhani has not called for an overall sweeping shift in iran 's foreign policy . for instance , rouhani has neither asked assad to step down from power nor pressed to halt the islamic republic of iran 's military , intelligence , financial , and advisory support to damascus . from the perspective of the centrists , including rouhani , withdrawing support to damascus equates to undermining tehran 's geopolitical leverage and balance of power in the region , which ultimately endangers their own power . this becomes particularly more significant to the iranian leaders who argue that they are surrounded by what they perceive as existential and strategic enemies ; the united states'military bases , for instance , are located throughout iran 's borders and in the gulf arab states ( qatar , saudi arabia , bahrain , etc ) . more fundamentally , because of the role the supreme leader plays in iran 's foreign policy objectives , it would be unrealistic to argue that rouhani would alter iran 's current political status quo towards assad 's regime . rouhani does not completely control the country 's foreign relations with syria ; iran 's policy towards damascus is closely guided by supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei , the high generals of iran 's revolutionary guard corps , and etela'at -- iran 's intelligence . however , rouhani does have the ability to set the tone in regional and international circles for the supreme leader . in addition , the supreme leader has been very clear about his political stance on syria , stating that assad 's regime is targeted by israeli and u.s.-backed groups , foreign conspirators and terrorists . lastly , religiously and ideologically speaking , one of the major pillars of iran 's foreign policy has been that it has proclaimed itself as the safe-guarder of islamic -- particularly shiite -- values . the alawite sect-based state of syria serves as a crucial instrument for advancing , empowering , and achieving this ideological foreign policy objective . iran under rouhani 's presidency is unlikely to change the current status quo , push for regime change in syria , ask assad to step aside as many western and arab gulf states did , or halt any political , military , intelligence and advisory assistance to assad 's ruling alawite and socialist bath party , due to the belief that they will be ideologically and religiously weakening their own regional influence and foreign policy leverage . if the alawites lose power , the next government would likely be constituted from the current oppositional groups and the sunni majority in syria , who comprise roughly 74 % of the population . as in egypt and tunisia , where the islamic sunni parties were the ones who won the elections , in damascus , the sunni oppositional groups are more likely to win most of the parliamentary seats in the situation of a new government forming after assad . this will be regarded as a considerable shift in regional and international balance of power against iran and in favor of the arab gulf states , particularly saudi arabia . considering the aforementioned factors : the president 's limited control over directing foreign policy compared to the supreme leader 's more powerful role , the centrist and moderate ideologies , as well as the geopolitical , and ideological elements surrounding the issue , it is more likely that iran will continue implementing its current strategies towards syria to preserve iran 's regional and international balance of power , its political and economic national interests , and the survival of the ruling clerics . join us on facebook/cnnopinion . | rafizadeh says rouhani has not called for sweeping shift in iran 's foreign policy |
iran <tsp> at the outset of his term , the new president of iran , hassan rouhani , will confront a thicket of national and international challenges . rouhani 's presidential term starts at a particularly challenging time ; the islamic republic of iran is facing an unprecedented level of regional and international isolation . one of the most crucial foreign policy objectives which will take precedence in rouhani 's agenda is the syrian conflict , which has now entered its third year . the election result raises vital questions regarding whether iran 's foreign policy towards assad 's sect-based and police regime will be altered or whether iranian-syrian alliance will evolve into a new phase . will the presidency of the centrist rouhani influence iran 's diplomatic ties with damascus and its unconditional support for assad ? will tehran change its political , military , intelligence and advisory assistance to syria 's state apparatuses , army , security forces , and mukhabart ? while there is a significant amount of high expectations and enthusiasm among some western political leaders and scholars that the election of the centrist rouhani might influence iran 's support of assad , it is crucial to be realistic about iran 's centrist and moderate camp 's ideology , the power of the presidential office , iran 's political structure , and tehran 's foreign policy objectives . first of all , it is necessary to note that the iranian centrists and moderates'political spectrum analyze syria from the realms of balance of power as well as from a religious and geopolitical paradigm rather than from a human rights one . although rouhani argues for constructive interactions with other countries and although he supports applying a softer political tone -- as opposed to the combative , controversial and provocative language that mahmoud ahmadinejad or other hardliners utilize -- when dealing with the international community and regional state actors in regards to syria , rouhani has not called for an overall sweeping shift in iran 's foreign policy . for instance , rouhani has neither asked assad to step down from power nor pressed to halt the islamic republic of iran 's military , intelligence , financial , and advisory support to damascus . from the perspective of the centrists , including rouhani , withdrawing support to damascus equates to undermining tehran 's geopolitical leverage and balance of power in the region , which ultimately endangers their own power . this becomes particularly more significant to the iranian leaders who argue that they are surrounded by what they perceive as existential and strategic enemies ; the united states'military bases , for instance , are located throughout iran 's borders and in the gulf arab states ( qatar , saudi arabia , bahrain , etc ) . more fundamentally , because of the role the supreme leader plays in iran 's foreign policy objectives , it would be unrealistic to argue that rouhani would alter iran 's current political status quo towards assad 's regime . rouhani does not completely control the country 's foreign relations with syria ; iran 's policy towards damascus is closely guided by supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei , the high generals of iran 's revolutionary guard corps , and etela'at -- iran 's intelligence . however , rouhani does have the ability to set the tone in regional and international circles for the supreme leader . in addition , the supreme leader has been very clear about his political stance on syria , stating that assad 's regime is targeted by israeli and u.s.-backed groups , foreign conspirators and terrorists . lastly , religiously and ideologically speaking , one of the major pillars of iran 's foreign policy has been that it has proclaimed itself as the safe-guarder of islamic -- particularly shiite -- values . the alawite sect-based state of syria serves as a crucial instrument for advancing , empowering , and achieving this ideological foreign policy objective . iran under rouhani 's presidency is unlikely to change the current status quo , push for regime change in syria , ask assad to step aside as many western and arab gulf states did , or halt any political , military , intelligence and advisory assistance to assad 's ruling alawite and socialist bath party , due to the belief that they will be ideologically and religiously weakening their own regional influence and foreign policy leverage . if the alawites lose power , the next government would likely be constituted from the current oppositional groups and the sunni majority in syria , who comprise roughly 74 % of the population . as in egypt and tunisia , where the islamic sunni parties were the ones who won the elections , in damascus , the sunni oppositional groups are more likely to win most of the parliamentary seats in the situation of a new government forming after assad . this will be regarded as a considerable shift in regional and international balance of power against iran and in favor of the arab gulf states , particularly saudi arabia . considering the aforementioned factors : the president 's limited control over directing foreign policy compared to the supreme leader 's more powerful role , the centrist and moderate ideologies , as well as the geopolitical , and ideological elements surrounding the issue , it is more likely that iran will continue implementing its current strategies towards syria to preserve iran 's regional and international balance of power , its political and economic national interests , and the survival of the ruling clerics . join us on facebook/cnnopinion . | will the centrist president withdraw iran 's unconditional support for assad ? |
al qaeda <tsp> nairobi , kenya ( cnn ) -- islamic militants have moved fighters to the somali border town of afmado in an effort to combat kenyan forces who have entered somalia , the militant group al-shabaab said tuesday . the group said it viewed the kenyan forces crossing of the joint border as an affront to somalia 's territorial sovereignty . ' this move of fighters , which started monday , comes after the militant group had threatened to come into kenya ' if kenyan forces did not leave somalia . kenyan troops have entered 100 kilometers into somalia , and their planes are bombarding and killing residents , ' sheikh ali mahmud ragi , spokesman for al-shabaab , said in an online message posted on a jihadist website this week . we shall come into kenya if you do not go back . ' in response , the kenyan and somali governments issued a joint communique declaring al-shabaab a common enemy to both countries . ' they pledged to work together to stabilize somalia and cooperate in security and military operations . kenyan forces crossed into somalia to pursue al-shabaab fighters after the recent abductions of tourists and aid workers in kenya heightened tensions in east africa . kenya invoked the u.n. charter allowing military action in self-defense against its largely lawless neighbor . the abductions are part of a recent spate of blatant attacks ' that are part of a changed strategy by al-shabaab calculated to terrorize civilians , ' the communique said . if you are attacked by an enemy , you have to pursue that enemy through hot pursuit and to try ( to ) hit wherever that enemy is , ' said kenyan defense minister yusuf haji in a news conference that aired sunday on cnn affiliate ntv . al-shabaab , which is linked to al qaeda , has been fighting to impose its interpretation of islamic law , or sharia , on somalia . the group issued a statement tuesday , however , denying responsibility for the abductions . these are mere suppositions unfounded in any solid evidence , ' the statement said . kenyan authorities have been seeking justification for an aggressive incursion on to somali territory . ' on september 11 , armed bandits broke into a beachfront cottage where britons judith and david tebbutt , both in their 50s , were staying . david tebbutt was shot dead while trying to resist the attack . his wife was grabbed and spirited away on a speedboat , and is believed to have been taken into somalia . on october 1 , pirates made another cross-border raid , this time snatching a french woman in her 60s from a holiday home on manda island where she lived part of the year . earlier this month , gunmen abducted two spanish workers from the medical charity doctors without borders from the dadaab refugee complex , about 80 kilometers ( about 50 miles ) from the somali border . kenya announced its new tactics days after african union forces claimed victory against al-shabaab in the somali capital of mogadishu . the military said last week it had taken the remaining al-shabaab strongholds in the far northeast of the city . the challenge is now to protect civilians from the sort of terror attack we saw last week , as they attempt to rebuild their lives , ' said lt. col. paddy ankunda , spokesman for the african union mission in somalia . he was referring to a suicide truck bombing in mogadishu this month that left dozens dead . al-shabaab claimed responsibility . other al-shabaab attacks that week led to the deaths of at least 10 civilians . federal and african union forces have battled al-shabaab in the impoverished and chaotic nation for years . many analysts believe the military push has severely affected al-shabaab , along with targeted strikes against organization members and the weakening of al qaeda . al-shabaab said in august it was withdrawing from mogadishu , and somalia 's transitional federal government , backed by african union peacekeepers , now controls most districts of the capital , the u.n. office has said . however , the group still poses a threat , ankunda has said . | new : al-shabaab , which is linked to al qaeda , denies role in recent abductions |
rick scott <tsp> a new florida law restricts police use of drones within the state 's borders . florida gov . rick scott signed the measure thursday , saying it will protect the state 's residents from unwarranted surveillance . ' before local or state law enforcement agencies can use surveillance drones , the freedom from unwarranted surveillance act requires a judge to approve in nearly all cases . the legislation makes exceptions in cases involving imminent danger to life or serious damage to property ' and when credible intelligence ' from the federal department of homeland security points to a high risk of a terrorist attack . ' the bill that state lawmakers passed unanimously earlier this year , scott said , maintains a balance between the need for law enforcement to protect our citizens against credible threats and imminent danger while ensuring that the privacy of florida families is protected . ' the measure was backed by both the american civil liberties union and by conservative republicans . in florida , the miami-dade police department and the orange county sheriff 's office each have two drones . miami-dade 's roughly backpack-size honeywell t-hawks have been used only in training exercises so far , detective roy rutland said earlier this year . to some , the idea of an unmanned aircraft hovering over u.s. homes seems like a scenario out of a science fiction novel . but the use of drones has become controversial in recent years as unmanned aerial vehicles have become cheaper and more advanced . the concerns range from moral questions over their use in warfare overseas to worries about their impact on air traffic in the united states . other states are also weighing measures to restrict domestic drone use , the aclu said . last month , drones both dazzled and worried senators at a hearing about their use within the united states . lawmakers and experts said that new legislation may be needed to protect the privacy and safety of citizens . senate judiciary committee chairman patrick leahy , d-vermont , held and studied a small plane weighing just 2 pounds before beginning the hearing . i am convinced that the domestic use of drones to conduct surveillance and collect other information will have a broad and significant impact on the everyday lives of millions of americans , ' he said . the small aircraft can be fitted with lightweight cameras . and sen. charles grassley of iowa , the ranking republican on the panel , said the technology may require lawmakers to develop a new definition of an unreasonable search , which is banned under the constitution 's fourth amendment . the thought of government drones buzzing overhead monitoring the activities of law-abiding citizens , ' he said , runs contrary to the notion of what it means to live in a free society . ' | gov . rick scott says the measure protects residents from unwarranted surveillance ' |
cher <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a virus is forcing cher to postpone the opening of the second leg of her dressed to kill ' tour this week . cher was diagnosed over the weekend with what doctors termed an'acute viral infection'and has been required to be on full bed rest for several days , ' according to an announcement on the ticket sales website . cher 's show thursday in albany , new york , and saturday in manchester , new hampshire , have been rescheduled for october 6 and 7 , respectively , the site said . she is expected to return to the stage in allentown , pennsylvania , on monday night . cher , 68 , launched her current tour in march , selling out all 49 shows in the first leg ending in july , according to billboard magazine . those shows grossed nearly $ 55 million from 610,000 fans . another 30 shows across the united states are on the calendar over the next two months . the singer 's representatives did not immediately respond to cnn requests for comment on cher 's illness . the next leg of her shows should really live up to the dressed to kill ' billing as she adds new costumes designed by bob mackie . cher does n't really think sonny is burning in hell cher on her new tour ,'sloppy'miley and leather jackets | cher 's next shows in albany , new york , and manchester , new hampshire , are delayed |
cher <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a virus is forcing cher to postpone the opening of the second leg of her dressed to kill ' tour this week . cher was diagnosed over the weekend with what doctors termed an'acute viral infection'and has been required to be on full bed rest for several days , ' according to an announcement on the ticket sales website . cher 's show thursday in albany , new york , and saturday in manchester , new hampshire , have been rescheduled for october 6 and 7 , respectively , the site said . she is expected to return to the stage in allentown , pennsylvania , on monday night . cher , 68 , launched her current tour in march , selling out all 49 shows in the first leg ending in july , according to billboard magazine . those shows grossed nearly $ 55 million from 610,000 fans . another 30 shows across the united states are on the calendar over the next two months . the singer 's representatives did not immediately respond to cnn requests for comment on cher 's illness . the next leg of her shows should really live up to the dressed to kill ' billing as she adds new costumes designed by bob mackie . cher does n't really think sonny is burning in hell cher on her new tour ,'sloppy'miley and leather jackets | doctors ordered cher to bed rest for an acute viral infection |
foreign office <tsp> ( cnn ) -- pirates off somalia have hijacked two more vessels in the gulf of aden , the european union naval force said saturday -- the third and fourth vessels they have captured this week . the british-flagged asian glory was seized off somalia late friday , the naval force said . the nationality of the pirates was unclear , because the hijacking happened outside of the force 's operations area , it said . the british foreign office would not confirm the hijacking , but said no british nationals were aboard . also friday , somali pirates seized the singaporean-flagged chemical tanker m/v pramoni , also in the gulf of aden , the naval force said . the 20,000-ton chemical tanker was carrying a crew of 24 and was heading to kandla , india , when attacked , the naval force said . the crew consists of 17 indonesians , five chinese , one nigerian and one vietnamese , the naval force said . the ship 's master reported all the crew were well after the hijacking , the naval force said . the ship was heading toward somalia after the hijacking , the naval force said . the asian glory is owned by london-based zodiac maritime agencies , according to lloyd 's register of ships . zodiac also owns another vessel that was hijacked in the gulf of aden , the british-flagged chemical tanker st. james park , according to the company 's web site . the st. james park has a crew of 26 , consisting of bulgarians , filipinos , georgians , indians , poles , romanians , russians , turks and ukrainians , the eu naval force said . the vessel had arrived at the somali port of hobyo , a pirate stronghold , the naval force said saturday . monday , pirates also hijacked the greek-owned carrier navios apollon , the naval force said . it had been heading for thailand , but was on its way to the somali coast after the hijacking , it said . cnn 's per nyberg in london , england , contributed to this report . | uk foreign office : no british nationals aboard british-flagged asian glory |
british <tsp> ( cnn ) -- pirates off somalia have hijacked two more vessels in the gulf of aden , the european union naval force said saturday -- the third and fourth vessels they have captured this week . the british-flagged asian glory was seized off somalia late friday , the naval force said . the nationality of the pirates was unclear , because the hijacking happened outside of the force 's operations area , it said . the british foreign office would not confirm the hijacking , but said no british nationals were aboard . also friday , somali pirates seized the singaporean-flagged chemical tanker m/v pramoni , also in the gulf of aden , the naval force said . the 20,000-ton chemical tanker was carrying a crew of 24 and was heading to kandla , india , when attacked , the naval force said . the crew consists of 17 indonesians , five chinese , one nigerian and one vietnamese , the naval force said . the ship 's master reported all the crew were well after the hijacking , the naval force said . the ship was heading toward somalia after the hijacking , the naval force said . the asian glory is owned by london-based zodiac maritime agencies , according to lloyd 's register of ships . zodiac also owns another vessel that was hijacked in the gulf of aden , the british-flagged chemical tanker st. james park , according to the company 's web site . the st. james park has a crew of 26 , consisting of bulgarians , filipinos , georgians , indians , poles , romanians , russians , turks and ukrainians , the eu naval force said . the vessel had arrived at the somali port of hobyo , a pirate stronghold , the naval force said saturday . monday , pirates also hijacked the greek-owned carrier navios apollon , the naval force said . it had been heading for thailand , but was on its way to the somali coast after the hijacking , it said . cnn 's per nyberg in london , england , contributed to this report . | uk foreign office : no british nationals aboard british-flagged asian glory |
zuriel oduwole <tsp> ( cnn ) most kids want to go out and play when they finish their homework early . but zuriel oduwole is n't most kids . ' when she gets ahead of her work , she packs her camera and microphones , jumps on a plane and interviews presidents instead . born in california to a nigerian father and a mauritian mother , oduwole is often described as the world 's youngest filmmaker . ' aged 12 , she already has four documentaries under her belt -- all of which focus on african issues . it all started three years ago when oduwole decided to enter a school documentary-making competition with a film about the ghana revolution . jerry john rawlings ( ghana ) john kufour ( ghana ) joyce banda ( malawi ) jakaya kikwete ( tanzania ) rajkeswur purryag ( mauritius ) uhuru kenyatta ( kenya ) goodluck johnathan ( nigeria ) salva kirr mayardit ( south sudan ) ellen johnson sirleaf ( liberia ) jorge fonseco ( cape verde ) portia simpson miller ( jamaica ) thomas thabane ( lesotho ) ralph gonsalves ( st vincent & grenadines ) denzil douglas ( st kitts & nevis ) after this first foray into filmmaking , oduwole was bitten by the director 's bug and quickly wanted to make more movies . she turned to the web to find the tools she needed and got involved in the entire filmmaking process . as i edit , produce , set up and write the scripts for my documentaries , i have to learn a lot of things , ' says oduwole , who is self-taught and uses online editing and voice software . her second outing , educating and healing africa out of poverty , ' looked at the creation of the african union in 1963 . she followed it up in 2014 with her movie technology in educational development . ' but it was her most recent project that catapulted her to international recognition . released late last year , a promising africa ' ( watch trailer below ) is the first in an ongoing series which will profile five african nations , starting with her father 's homeland of nigeria . i 've interviewed 14 heads of state and a few of those include the president of tanzania , liberia , kenya , south sudan , nigeria and cape verde , to name a few , ' says oduwole . i 've also been able to interview business leaders like my friend mr aliko dangote . ' to date , a promising africa ' has received a limited-release on the big screen in five countries -- nigeria , ghana , south africa , uk and japan . the young trailblazer , who was named by business insider as one of world 's 100 most powerful individuals last year , delightedly recalls seeing her film on the big screen and walking the red carpet in lagos . i 'm hoping that when people see these documentaries they will see africa is full of positive things -- not just the things that are on the news like war , famine , disease , ' she says . i want to show them there is a lot more to africa than what we see on the news -- there 's dancing , music , great culture and more . ' although she 's just 12 , oduwole , who is home-schooled through an online californian system , is already a 9th grader -- two years ahead of the rest of the kids her age . her mother , patricia , has a full-time job as a computer engineer , whilst her father , ademola , has taken time off his work in the tourism sector to help organize a lot of what zuriel and her three other siblings are doing . there really is a lot happening in our household but somehow we make it work , ' says patricia oduwole . in addition to her documentary work , oduwole has also become something of an education advocate . she travels to different african countries and the diaspora on a regular basis to talk to students about the importance of education . so far , through her side project dream up , speak up , stand up ' she says she 's had the opportunity to talk to 21,000 children in nine countries . girl 's education is important because on the african continent , where there are not as many resources , the boys are the first [ to get an education ] , ' says oduwole . the boys go to school and get an education while the girls stay at home . and those girls are n't educated and have fewer options in life when they get older . ' more from african voices | zuriel oduwole is a 12-year-old filmmaker |
2012 olympics <tsp> ( cnn ) -- adrien niyonshuti is unlikely to win an olympic medal , and he will do well to even finish his event , but his story is surely one of the most inspirational in the history of the games . in april 1994 , when he was just seven , niyonshuti 's family became victims of the brutal genocide in rwanda which left nearly 800,000 people slaughtered . he fled the hutu killers who came to his village , but six of his brothers were murdered and up to 60 of his wider family perished . he miraculously escaped with his mother and father , living off scraps in the countryside , almost starving to death before aid came in the form of the rebel tutsi army from neighboring uganda . the memory of the genocide is a really hard time for me and for a lot of people in rwanda , ' he told cnn 's human to hero series . cycling gives me the opportunity to keep my past time away and really focus on what i want to do . ' read more : rwanda 's wooden bike riders not only did he survive one of the worst atrocities in modern history , but niyonshuti has overcome the odds to carry his country 's flag at london 2012 . he will have to wait until the final day of the games before he can actually compete , but the fact that the 25-year-old from the small east african country has qualified for the men 's mountain bike final is an achievement in itself . a way forward black african competitors are few and far between in this highly technical discipline , which is dominated by riders from the traditional powerhouses of cycling in europe . lack of specialist equipment and top-class competition are almost insurmountable barriers to even the most physically gifted athlete such as niyonshuti , but by finishing fourth in last year 's african mountain bike championships he booked his place on the starting line at hadleigh farm . as he grew up , initially encouraged by his uncle emmanuel , who lent him an old steel bike , niyonshuti used cycling as an escape from the realities of his past . but youthful enthusiasm can only take you so far in any sport , particularly from a war-ravaged country with little competitive structure . niyonshuti 's life changed when he was noticed by a trio of top international riders who came to rwanda to help with a local race : jonathan jock ' boyer , the the first u.s. cyclist to compete in the tour de france in 1981 ; fellow international competitor tom ritchey ; and swiss mountain bike legend thomas frischknecht . they all spotted niyonshuti 's raw talent and set about giving him the chance to achieve his potential . see also : from war child to u.s. olympic star team rwanda boyer returned , having secured some funding in the united states and backing from cycling 's world governing body , the uci . his goal was to set up team rwanda and , based in ruhengeri , in the north east of the country , he tested young prospects for their physical capabilities . as boyer remembers , niyonshuti stood out from the rest . he tested higher than than anyone , but his whole demeanor was different , really dedicated to what he wanted to do , ' boyer told cnn . the veteran retired pro and young hopeful even raced together in the 2007 cape epic -- the tour de france of mountain bike racing -- and finished a creditable 33rd overall and top rwandan pair . yet niyonshuti and his teammates were concerned that boyer and other helpers would eventually leave them. ''how long is this going to last ?'they asked me . in a country like rwanda they were well used to aid projects which lasted for about six months and then departed . ' but boyer stayed , helping niyonshuti to achieve his potential in a professional team . professional contract he contacted douglas ryder , the boss of south africa 's mtn-qhubeka and after a trial niyonshuti was signed in 2008 . what followed has been the stuff of dreams , and in 2009 niyonshuti became the first black african to compete in a professional peloton when the team raced in the tour of ireland . not only that , he was introduced to seven-time tour de france champion lance armstrong , who was also in the stage race that year as he returned from his first retirement . niyonshuti quickly realized that although armstrong was a legend , the american was still flesh and blood like everyone else . when i saw him on the news , i thought armstrong was a big , big man ! ' he recalled . but when i saw him face to face , he was quite small ! ' niyonshuti has excelled in road racing and individual time trialing against the clock , but cross-country mountain biking offered him the best chance of olympic qualification . after gaining his spot , he has been honing his skills with frischknecht in switzerland , staying at the former world champion 's home . his technical skills were poor but he was very strong , ' said frischknecht . at the olympics , seeded riders start in the front rank , giving them a massive advantage on the narrow and highly technical course . olympic goal for riders like niyonshuti , who will be starting towards the back , the aim of the game is to avoid being lapped and therefore eliminated , which is no easy task . we have one big goal : to actually finish the race , ' frischknecht confided . he can only afford to be about 10 minutes behind the leader , but i have some hope he can actually do it . he has developed his skills a lot . ' so no olympic glory , just survival , but niyonshuti 's life has been all about just that and his efforts will hopefully inspire a generation of cyclists from his country . boyer has no doubt of that . each country always has a hero and adrien for rwanda is the ignition point , the spark that is going to get kids into cycling , ' he said . longer term , boyer believes niyonshuti can prosper in the professional peloton and one day ride the tour de france with mtn , which wants to acquire a higher uci pro continental team status next year . they have a two-year plan to achieve it , ' boyer said . flag bearer mtn has signed 20-year-old ethiopian tsgabu grmay , as well as two eritrean riders , meron russom and jani tewelde , so it is not inconceivable there could be sizable african representation in the greatest cycling race in the world . given niyonshuti 's tragic past , it would complete a remarkable journey for him -- and if sheer determination was the only factor , he will surely take his place . i will never give up , i will try my best , ' is niyonshuti 's racing philosophy . he will be putting it to the test against the best mountain bikers in the world as the london olympics come to a climax on sunday . having already carried rwanda 's flag at the opening ceremony , niyonshuti knows that the hopes and dreams of his nation rest on his slim shoulders -- and he will surely not let them down . | adrien niyonshuti carried rwandan flag at opening ceremony of 2012 olympics |
wall street <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- rachel gold and anthony barberio do n't have much in common . rachel gold has applied for more than 650 jobs online but has had fewer than a dozen interviews . gold is 28 years old and worked in recruiting after graduating from college . barberio is 46 and never went to college but made his way on wall street for 20 years . despite their differences , they have one thing in common : both were laid off last year and still are looking for jobs . gold was laid off in november from a recruiting firm . i definitely did n't think that i 'd be sitting here nine months later without employment , ' she says . she has focused her job search on social networking web sites , making contacts with recruiters that could someday lead to a job . each week , she sets up meetings with potential future employers even though there may not be jobs open at the time . gold also has applied for more than 650 jobs online but has had fewer than a dozen interviews from those inquiries . barberio has spent most of his effort since his august 2008 layoff with online searches , applying for hundreds of jobs with little result . i send my résumé , and then you do n't hear nothing back , ' he says . when you do n't hear back from anybody , whether it 's a yes or a no , or we received your résumé , you wonder where it goes . ' watch barberio and gold describe their efforts to find work » barberio has enlisted the help of several employment agencies with the hopes they 'll be able to find a job for him in a brokerage firm . but he worries that when his unemployment benefits run out , he 'll have to take any job he can get . i 'm gon na put a deadline as to when i 'm going to have to seriously look for something , ' he says , whether it be a department store or something like that . ' until a job comes along , gold has started a blog , kickedforward.com . it 's based on the kay yow quote , when life kicks you , let it kick you forward . ' she discusses free and inexpensive activities she 's found to do in new york while she has some extra time . it 's difficult , but i 'm just trying to be as optimistic as possible that i 'll find a position soon , ' gold says . the national unemployment rate is 9.7 percent , and more than 6 million people are filing for unemployment benefits . despite the grim job market , both gold and barberio are seeing reasons to hope . gold says she 's gotten a few more interviews recently . barberio says he 's seen more job openings in his industry , and he thinks one of them may be the perfect fit for him . i 'm anxious to get back to work , ' he says . almost a year in a house can drive anybody crazy . ' cnnmoney.com anchor poppy harlow contributed to this report | rachel gold , 28 , worked in recruiting ; anthony barberio , 46 , worked on wall street |
anthony barberio <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- rachel gold and anthony barberio do n't have much in common . rachel gold has applied for more than 650 jobs online but has had fewer than a dozen interviews . gold is 28 years old and worked in recruiting after graduating from college . barberio is 46 and never went to college but made his way on wall street for 20 years . despite their differences , they have one thing in common : both were laid off last year and still are looking for jobs . gold was laid off in november from a recruiting firm . i definitely did n't think that i 'd be sitting here nine months later without employment , ' she says . she has focused her job search on social networking web sites , making contacts with recruiters that could someday lead to a job . each week , she sets up meetings with potential future employers even though there may not be jobs open at the time . gold also has applied for more than 650 jobs online but has had fewer than a dozen interviews from those inquiries . barberio has spent most of his effort since his august 2008 layoff with online searches , applying for hundreds of jobs with little result . i send my résumé , and then you do n't hear nothing back , ' he says . when you do n't hear back from anybody , whether it 's a yes or a no , or we received your résumé , you wonder where it goes . ' watch barberio and gold describe their efforts to find work » barberio has enlisted the help of several employment agencies with the hopes they 'll be able to find a job for him in a brokerage firm . but he worries that when his unemployment benefits run out , he 'll have to take any job he can get . i 'm gon na put a deadline as to when i 'm going to have to seriously look for something , ' he says , whether it be a department store or something like that . ' until a job comes along , gold has started a blog , kickedforward.com . it 's based on the kay yow quote , when life kicks you , let it kick you forward . ' she discusses free and inexpensive activities she 's found to do in new york while she has some extra time . it 's difficult , but i 'm just trying to be as optimistic as possible that i 'll find a position soon , ' gold says . the national unemployment rate is 9.7 percent , and more than 6 million people are filing for unemployment benefits . despite the grim job market , both gold and barberio are seeing reasons to hope . gold says she 's gotten a few more interviews recently . barberio says he 's seen more job openings in his industry , and he thinks one of them may be the perfect fit for him . i 'm anxious to get back to work , ' he says . almost a year in a house can drive anybody crazy . ' cnnmoney.com anchor poppy harlow contributed to this report | rachel gold , 28 , worked in recruiting ; anthony barberio , 46 , worked on wall street |
jersey shore <tsp> ( cnn ) -- new jersey towns could soon get help paying the extra costs of having drunken reality show stars wandering their streets . the proposed snookiville law ' would let townships license reality show productions and levy fees on them to pay for additional police to control the cast members and the crowds drawn by the shows'cameras , new jersey assemblyman ronald dancer said . the legislation is named for nicole snooki ' polizzi , star of mtv 's jersey shore , ' who was arrested for disorderly conduct in seaside , new jersey , two years ago , dancer said . while jersey shore ' is in its last season of taping , snooki and co-star jwoww ( jennifer farley ) have been producing a spinoff show in manchester , which is near dancer 's central new jersey district . this bill will permit local officials to make sure taxpayers do n't get'snook'-ered or public safety is compromised when reality stars such as snooki or jwoww come to town , ' dancer said . the law would not prevent drunken reality stars from stumbling down the streets , dancer said . i ca n't go as far as to say that would not happen . ' dancer , a republican , said he is not trying to discourage reality tv shows from taping in new jersey , because production can bring money to a community . but it also may cost taxpayers money by requiring additional services when cameras are rolling in town , ' he said . political campaigns' snooki factor' snooki spins off 6-pound baby cnn 's jack hannah contributed to this report . | the legislation is named for jersey shore ' star nicole snooki ' polizzi |
nyc <tsp> ( cnn ) robert bates , 73 , shot and killed a man while playing cops and robbers with real police . bates was a reserve deputy sheriff , which allowed him to work full time jobs in the community and volunteer ... time in a myriad of events such as the special olympics and tulsa state fair , ' according to the tulsa county sheriff office 's website . but bates was n't limited to crowd control at sporting events for the disabled . he had taken part in more than 100 operations with the violent crimes task force , according to his lawyer . on april 2 , bates thought he was going to use a taser on eric harris , who deputies had just tackled after he sold an undercover officer a lugar pistol and then took off running . but bates was n't holding a taser . he was holding his gun . he fired one shot and killed harris . from a policing perspective , there was n't even good reason to use a taser against harris . cops were on scene . harris was n't getting the upper hand . he was n't going anywhere . and despite what bates would later claim , harris was not running like a man with a gun . in fact , harris was running fast and his arms were pumping very much like a man who is not protecting a gun in his waistband . what was bates , an insurance company ceo , doing there in the first place ? it certainly looks like bates was given special access to real ' policing . harris had given $ 2,500 to sheriff stanley glanz 's re-election campaign . he donated cars to the department . he gave equipment . so it would be noteworthy if bates ends up being convicted based on evidence provided by sunglass cameras ' that he may have purchased for the department . a tulsa police official said the agency has 130 reserve deputies , many of them wealthy people who make donations to the police . that 's not unusual at all , ' he told the tulsa world . maybe bates could have been a reserve deputy without donating anything . but i doubt there are many volunteer septuagenarians working with the violent crimes task force . he was too old to be policing the streets . tulsa police said that bates had served a year in 1964 as a police officer . most police departments have mandatory retirement ages . federal law-enforcement officers , for instance , retire at 57 . how easy is it to confuse a gun for a taser ? police officers generally look with a skeptical eye toward volunteers . for one thing , it makes it tougher to push for a pay raise when people are offering to do your job for free . but departments also know that you get what you pay for . what is the point of background checks , psychological tests and the professional training police undergo if a person can donate a few grand and go out on patrol ? some people are a little too eager to be police officers . these people perhaps buy a police-like car for their personal car . maybe they put in a police light or two . some have actually made car stops . police departments hate cop impersonators ( it 's illegal , by the way ) and try and weed them during the hiring process . you want workers who like the job , but not too much ; there 's a fine line between passion and fanaticism . that said , there are good volunteer police officers . new york city , for example , has auxiliary police . these officers received more limited training and they help with neighborhood events and other nonenforcement activities . they wear an nypd uniform but do not carry a gun . auxiliary police and similar programs reinforce the notion that the police are the public and the public are the police . volunteers remind us all that policing is a noble public calling , and most police work does not have to be done by overly militarized swat officers . an auxiliary program also allows young recruits a way to dip their foot into the police world before taking the plunge . it can be a great benefit to everybody when potential officers discover the job is n't for them before they are locked into a 20-year commitment . what happened in tulsa county is a disgrace to police professionalism , and the fallout from this disaster may push police departments to end these kinds of programs . that would be a mistake . police departments should encourage more productive interactions between police and the public . but a line does need to be drawn . | moskos : right approach is unarmed auxiliary cops , like in nyc , volunteering as a way to connect public to police |
hanford <tsp> hanford nuclear site , washington ( cnn ) -- the federal government has set aside nearly $ 2 billion in stimulus funds to clean up washington state 's decommissioned hanford nuclear site , once the center of the country 's cold war plutonium production . that is more stimulus funding than some entire states have received , which has triggered a debate as to whether the money is being properly spent . the facility sprawls across approximately 600 square miles of south-central washington , an area roughly half the size of rhode island . it was built in the 1940s as part of the manhattan project ' to develop the first atomic weapon during world war ii . millions of dollars and thousands of jobs poured into the remote area about 75 miles east of yakima where nine nuclear reactors were eventually built . during the cold war , hanford became a main source of plutonium production for the nation 's nuclear weapons program . decades of improper radioactive waste disposal earned hanford the notorious distinction of being one of the most contaminated nuclear sites in the western hemisphere . today , the hanford site is a virtual ghost town , and those involved in the cleanup say they will need every dollar of the federal stimulus funds . there are still millions of gallons of untreated contaminated groundwater , hundreds of buildings used for plutonium enrichment that need to be torn down and underground tanks that are full of radioactive sludge . the stimulus money will reduce the cleanup time by years , according to jon peschong , who oversees the federal project at hanford . it was perfect work , ready to go for the stimulus package , ' peschong said . each day that passes the conditions worsen [ and ] the receipt of the federal stimulus money allows us to reduce the costs and also allows us to reduce the cleanup footprint much sooner , years sooner . ' the money has also created jobs for about 1,400 people at hanford , including joe gill who manages a team that is tearing down equipment that is heavily contaminated by radiation . despite the dangers of his job , gill said it came just at the right time . i had managed a production warehouse facility for one of the largest companies in the world , [ i ] thought i 'd be there for 20 years , ' gill said . we laid off 8,000 people in three months and they closed down our plant , [ and ] those jobs are n't jobs you just read the paper and get . ' hanford wo n't be decontaminated quickly . the workers have to suit up three to four times a day in protective gear . they break down contaminated equipment through a glove box , ' allowing them to disassemble the equipment a room away through lead-lined gloves . each time a worker removes the gloves , a colleague must check for radiation exposure . the large scale of the project and years of cost overruns have led critics to complain that stimulus money is being misdirected at hanford . a report by sens . john mccain , r-arizona , and tom coburn , r-oklahoma , listed hanford as one of 100 sites where stimulus money may have been wasted . the hanford cleanup has been plagued by massive cost and schedule problems - and almost no progress , ' according to the report . gerry pollet , who runs a hanford watchdog organization , says he supports using stimulus money to rid the nuclear site of its radioactive waste . but he questions whether the funds are going where they are most needed . you are not seeing the value that we should be seeing for the cleanup and the environment , ' said pollet , who heads heart of america northwest . they are picking the low-hanging fruit , the easy projects that give very nice photo opportunities . but that does n't cost $ 2 billion . hanford is getting more money than many states in stimulus funds , and you would expect to see real progress for cleanup [ to ] happen with those dollars . ' while debate continues over whether and how stimulus dollars should be used , the tri-cities area that surrounds the hanford site -- which includes richland , kennewick and pasco -- is reaping the benefits of the cleanup boom . hanford began receiving stimulus dollars in march 2009 , which helped the surrounding cities and towns avoid the catastrophe that has plagued other communities impacted by the recent economic downturn . the tri-cities area has one of the lowest unemployment rates in washington , and the housing market has barely been affected by the recent economic downturn , according to the tri-cities industrial development council . ken brutzman , who owns a local office furniture store , said his business was at a standstill ' last year before the orders from hanford contractors started pouring in . brutzman had to hire six temporary workers , two of which he may keep on full time , to deal with the boom in business . we are on track to have the best year ever , ' brutzman said . his business has been in his family for three generations and will likely stay profitable since the hanford cleanup project is expected to take another 40 years . it has my manufacturers raising their eyebrows saying ,'wow how does that guy do that ?'' | $ 2 billion in stimulus funds set aside to clean up washington 's hanford nuclear site |
hanford <tsp> hanford nuclear site , washington ( cnn ) -- the federal government has set aside nearly $ 2 billion in stimulus funds to clean up washington state 's decommissioned hanford nuclear site , once the center of the country 's cold war plutonium production . that is more stimulus funding than some entire states have received , which has triggered a debate as to whether the money is being properly spent . the facility sprawls across approximately 600 square miles of south-central washington , an area roughly half the size of rhode island . it was built in the 1940s as part of the manhattan project ' to develop the first atomic weapon during world war ii . millions of dollars and thousands of jobs poured into the remote area about 75 miles east of yakima where nine nuclear reactors were eventually built . during the cold war , hanford became a main source of plutonium production for the nation 's nuclear weapons program . decades of improper radioactive waste disposal earned hanford the notorious distinction of being one of the most contaminated nuclear sites in the western hemisphere . today , the hanford site is a virtual ghost town , and those involved in the cleanup say they will need every dollar of the federal stimulus funds . there are still millions of gallons of untreated contaminated groundwater , hundreds of buildings used for plutonium enrichment that need to be torn down and underground tanks that are full of radioactive sludge . the stimulus money will reduce the cleanup time by years , according to jon peschong , who oversees the federal project at hanford . it was perfect work , ready to go for the stimulus package , ' peschong said . each day that passes the conditions worsen [ and ] the receipt of the federal stimulus money allows us to reduce the costs and also allows us to reduce the cleanup footprint much sooner , years sooner . ' the money has also created jobs for about 1,400 people at hanford , including joe gill who manages a team that is tearing down equipment that is heavily contaminated by radiation . despite the dangers of his job , gill said it came just at the right time . i had managed a production warehouse facility for one of the largest companies in the world , [ i ] thought i 'd be there for 20 years , ' gill said . we laid off 8,000 people in three months and they closed down our plant , [ and ] those jobs are n't jobs you just read the paper and get . ' hanford wo n't be decontaminated quickly . the workers have to suit up three to four times a day in protective gear . they break down contaminated equipment through a glove box , ' allowing them to disassemble the equipment a room away through lead-lined gloves . each time a worker removes the gloves , a colleague must check for radiation exposure . the large scale of the project and years of cost overruns have led critics to complain that stimulus money is being misdirected at hanford . a report by sens . john mccain , r-arizona , and tom coburn , r-oklahoma , listed hanford as one of 100 sites where stimulus money may have been wasted . the hanford cleanup has been plagued by massive cost and schedule problems - and almost no progress , ' according to the report . gerry pollet , who runs a hanford watchdog organization , says he supports using stimulus money to rid the nuclear site of its radioactive waste . but he questions whether the funds are going where they are most needed . you are not seeing the value that we should be seeing for the cleanup and the environment , ' said pollet , who heads heart of america northwest . they are picking the low-hanging fruit , the easy projects that give very nice photo opportunities . but that does n't cost $ 2 billion . hanford is getting more money than many states in stimulus funds , and you would expect to see real progress for cleanup [ to ] happen with those dollars . ' while debate continues over whether and how stimulus dollars should be used , the tri-cities area that surrounds the hanford site -- which includes richland , kennewick and pasco -- is reaping the benefits of the cleanup boom . hanford began receiving stimulus dollars in march 2009 , which helped the surrounding cities and towns avoid the catastrophe that has plagued other communities impacted by the recent economic downturn . the tri-cities area has one of the lowest unemployment rates in washington , and the housing market has barely been affected by the recent economic downturn , according to the tri-cities industrial development council . ken brutzman , who owns a local office furniture store , said his business was at a standstill ' last year before the orders from hanford contractors started pouring in . brutzman had to hire six temporary workers , two of which he may keep on full time , to deal with the boom in business . we are on track to have the best year ever , ' brutzman said . his business has been in his family for three generations and will likely stay profitable since the hanford cleanup project is expected to take another 40 years . it has my manufacturers raising their eyebrows saying ,'wow how does that guy do that ?'' | critics say funds are being misdirected , wasted at hanford |
range life <tsp> ( rollingstone.com ) -- sing it if you know it , ' pavement 's stephen malkmus told the crowd sunday night in brooklyn , on the williamsburg waterfront , as the band prepared to play stop breathing . ' then he added , i tell myself that before every song .'sing it like you know it ! be the ball ! be the snare , steve !'' he did n't need to worry . in the group 's first new york gig since 1999 , malkmus not only remembered all the words to the old pavement songs , he and the rest of the band brought new flair to them . the 90s indie princes buzzed through their insanely fat songbook , 27 brilliant tunes in 90 minutes , without letting the energy level dip , lurching into each song with all their boyish enthusiasm . it was like a mix tape of the livelier moments from their 90s shows , except more so . all year long , on their first tour since they fell apart in 1999 , pavement have shown other bands how you do the reunion thing right : no new songs , no pompous gestures , just a celebration of the catalog that made them the great guitar band of the 90s . the audience on sunday night was surprisingly young , and unsurprisingly baked , but they were there to celebrate the 90s as well . malkmus got one of the night 's biggest cheers when he looked around at the brooklyn waterfront and mused , we saw a bikini kill show around here . ' rolling stone : see vintage shots of stephen malkmus and more nineties rockers pavement hopped from songs everybody likes ( gold soundz , ' summer babe ' ) to songs hardly anybody ever notices ( no more absolutes , ' starlings in the slipstream ' ) , dipping into psychedelic jams like grounded ' between sing-along raves like silence kid ' and unfair . ' malkmus and scott spiral stairs ' kannberg traded guitar leads in the countryfied ballad father to a sister of thought , ' giving it a whole new flavor . drummer steve west and bassist mark ibold were nimbler than ever , while percussionist/hype man bob nastanovich banged the tambourine , sang back-up , blew harmonica , and played a mean slide whistle solo on fight this generation . ' he also slow-danced with a lucky lady as malkmus crooned we dance . ' rolling stone : pavement 's album guide by rob sheffield that song was a reminder of how much musical ground pavement covered . they were the band who could do it all , mixing up new york noise with california stoner vibes , euro art-punk with suburban american hardcore , yet make it all flow like rock & roll , and make it all seem like a breeze . they combined the elements of indie rock that fans were used to getting in half-assed dribbles and drabs . so loretta 's scars ' was the best dinosaur jr. song ever , just as zurich is stained ' was the best nikki sudden song ever -- yet these were just another couple of great pavement songs . sunday night they blasted through silence kid , ' with a melody swiped from buddy holly ( everyday , ' to be exact ) , plus a throwaway guitar hook swiped from jimi hendrix ( bold as love , ' to be exact ) , and made it crest and surge for three wildly emotional minutes of punk rock . who else wrote songs like this ? everybody tried to . but only pavement pulled it off . wily bastards , these guys . the show ended on a high note with range life , ' a wittily poignant ballad about the passing of youth . as he walked offstage after range life , ' malkmus indulged in his only cornball rock-star gesture of the night -- he tried to toss a guitar pick into the crowd . but it missed , and plopped pitifully onto the stage . malkmus shrugged , laughed , and kept walking . set list : cut your hair date with ikea rattled by the rush elevate me later grounded frontwards shady lane unfair perfum-v fight this generation silence kid box elder stop breathing two states father to a sister of thought heckler spray in the mouth a desert we dance summer babe no more absolutes ( fin ) stereo encore : spit on a stranger trigger cut starlings in the slipstream gold soundz kennel district range life copyright © 2010 rolling stone . | the show ended with range life , ' a wittily poignant ballad about the passing of youth |
cairo <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a plume of black smoke rose over cairo early friday after a powerful explosion hit the city 's police headquarters , killing at least four people and wounding more than 50 others , egyptian authorities said . the blast struck a key symbol of authority in a country that has been shaken by political turmoil and violent unrest in recent years . it was followed by two smaller explosions near police stations in the cairo area , one of which killed one person . and later , a fourth explosion outside a movie theater in giza city , near cairo , killed one person and injured seven others , state television said . the blasts took place at a time of high tension -- the day before the third anniversary of the 2011 revolution that eventually brought down authoritarian leader hosni mubarak . and they come amid the instability ushered in by the military 's overthrow last year of the democratically elected former president , mohamed morsy , and the ensuing crackdown by security forces on the islamist movement that supported him , the muslim brotherhood . suicide bomber suspected the first blast appeared to have been caused by a suicide attacker who tried to drive a vehicle laden with explosives into the police headquarters , said maj. gen. hany abdel latif , a spokesman for the interior ministry , citing preliminary reports . guards stationed in front of the headquarters in the abdeen district of cairo opened fire at the vehicle , and the explosion went off in the building 's vicinity rather than inside , he told state news agency egynews . the blast destroyed the front of the first and second floors of the eight-story building , he said , and damaged the third floor . most of the building 's windows appeared to have been blown out . air-conditioning units dangled by cables from the shattered facade . at least 51 people were wounded in the explosion , state-run broadcaster masriya tv reported , citing the health ministry . visiting the ruined building , egyptian interior minister mohamed ibrahim condemned the bombing . these are nothing but desperate attacks in an attempt to create chaos , but the citizens here will remain resilient , ' he told masriya tv . ibrahim said security forces will ensure that egyptians will be able to celebrate the anniversary of the revolution saturday as if nothing happened today . ' a powerful blast cnn 's reza sayah said the blast appeared to be the most powerful bomb attack that we 've seen here in central cairo in recent memory . ' speaking from near the scene of the blast , he said the attack will probably intensify the fight between egypt 's military-backed government and the groups that oppose it . it was n't immediately clear who was behind that bombing . friday is a holiday in egypt , so the police headquarters is unlikely to have been as busy as it would have been on a weekday . the blast happened around 6:30 a.m. , according to state media . hundreds of people -- some stunned , some angry -- gathered around the scene , sayah said . many of those in the crowd were quick to blame the muslim brotherhood , despite no official word on who might be to blame . the muslim brotherhood denied responsibility for the bombing and issued a statement condemning it . the muslim brotherhood condemns any acts of violence or killing , regardless of who are the perpetrators , and the ( muslim brotherhood ) emphasizes that the revolution that has continued for seven months is a peaceful revolution and it will insist to remain peaceful . ' separately , the muslim brotherhood called for protests and sit-ins across multiple sites in and out of cairo in a show of defiance . the group said security forces fired live ammunition on demonstrators in beni suef on friday ; surrounded and mistreated worshippers at a mosque in suez on friday ; and thugs attacked a funeral in alexandria on thursday , among other grievances . police arrested 111 protesters across the country , the interior ministry said . egypt 's armed forces condemned the bombings , as did the u.s. government . it should be clear to all ... egyptians that violence has not and will not move egypt 's political transition forward , ' white house spokesman jay carney said . ongoing unrest and cycles of violence surrounding protests hurt egypt 's prospects for political and economic stability . ' a u.s. state department official said that washington is aware of reports ' that one of its citizens has been detained in egypt . ' but the official said the u.s. government would n't comment any more than that . fears of more turmoil friday 's second explosion was much smaller and went off near a police station in dokki , a residential area of cairo , wounding several people , authorities said . and in the al-haram district of giza city , a small bomb was thrown at a moving police vehicle near a police station , killing one person , deputy giza security chief mahmoud farouk told state tv . this new wave of violence follows a referendum earlier this month in which egyptian voters overwhelmingly approved a new constitution proposed by the military-backed government , according to the country 's electoral commission . but supporters of the now-banned muslim brotherhood had boycotted the vote in response to a continuing government crackdown . rights groups have expressed concern about what they call an increasingly repressive environment in egypt , where more than 2,200 people have been killed since morsy 's ouster . some anti-government groups have resorted to violence . bomb attacks and shootings against the security apparatus have taken place across the country in recent months -- a situation described by some as a low-level insurgency . the government has blamed the muslim brotherhood for many of the attacks , even though the movement has condemned them . the bombing of the cairo police headquarters suggested the violence is taking on a more serious , high-profile form . the fear is there 's a very difficult and tumultuous phase ahead for this country , ' sayah said . democracy : egypt 's beautiful dream in the wrong hands egypt passes a new constitution cnn 's jamie crawford and journalist ian lee contributed to this report . | smaller blasts follow in other areas of cairo , wounding several people |
cairo <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a plume of black smoke rose over cairo early friday after a powerful explosion hit the city 's police headquarters , killing at least four people and wounding more than 50 others , egyptian authorities said . the blast struck a key symbol of authority in a country that has been shaken by political turmoil and violent unrest in recent years . it was followed by two smaller explosions near police stations in the cairo area , one of which killed one person . and later , a fourth explosion outside a movie theater in giza city , near cairo , killed one person and injured seven others , state television said . the blasts took place at a time of high tension -- the day before the third anniversary of the 2011 revolution that eventually brought down authoritarian leader hosni mubarak . and they come amid the instability ushered in by the military 's overthrow last year of the democratically elected former president , mohamed morsy , and the ensuing crackdown by security forces on the islamist movement that supported him , the muslim brotherhood . suicide bomber suspected the first blast appeared to have been caused by a suicide attacker who tried to drive a vehicle laden with explosives into the police headquarters , said maj. gen. hany abdel latif , a spokesman for the interior ministry , citing preliminary reports . guards stationed in front of the headquarters in the abdeen district of cairo opened fire at the vehicle , and the explosion went off in the building 's vicinity rather than inside , he told state news agency egynews . the blast destroyed the front of the first and second floors of the eight-story building , he said , and damaged the third floor . most of the building 's windows appeared to have been blown out . air-conditioning units dangled by cables from the shattered facade . at least 51 people were wounded in the explosion , state-run broadcaster masriya tv reported , citing the health ministry . visiting the ruined building , egyptian interior minister mohamed ibrahim condemned the bombing . these are nothing but desperate attacks in an attempt to create chaos , but the citizens here will remain resilient , ' he told masriya tv . ibrahim said security forces will ensure that egyptians will be able to celebrate the anniversary of the revolution saturday as if nothing happened today . ' a powerful blast cnn 's reza sayah said the blast appeared to be the most powerful bomb attack that we 've seen here in central cairo in recent memory . ' speaking from near the scene of the blast , he said the attack will probably intensify the fight between egypt 's military-backed government and the groups that oppose it . it was n't immediately clear who was behind that bombing . friday is a holiday in egypt , so the police headquarters is unlikely to have been as busy as it would have been on a weekday . the blast happened around 6:30 a.m. , according to state media . hundreds of people -- some stunned , some angry -- gathered around the scene , sayah said . many of those in the crowd were quick to blame the muslim brotherhood , despite no official word on who might be to blame . the muslim brotherhood denied responsibility for the bombing and issued a statement condemning it . the muslim brotherhood condemns any acts of violence or killing , regardless of who are the perpetrators , and the ( muslim brotherhood ) emphasizes that the revolution that has continued for seven months is a peaceful revolution and it will insist to remain peaceful . ' separately , the muslim brotherhood called for protests and sit-ins across multiple sites in and out of cairo in a show of defiance . the group said security forces fired live ammunition on demonstrators in beni suef on friday ; surrounded and mistreated worshippers at a mosque in suez on friday ; and thugs attacked a funeral in alexandria on thursday , among other grievances . police arrested 111 protesters across the country , the interior ministry said . egypt 's armed forces condemned the bombings , as did the u.s. government . it should be clear to all ... egyptians that violence has not and will not move egypt 's political transition forward , ' white house spokesman jay carney said . ongoing unrest and cycles of violence surrounding protests hurt egypt 's prospects for political and economic stability . ' a u.s. state department official said that washington is aware of reports ' that one of its citizens has been detained in egypt . ' but the official said the u.s. government would n't comment any more than that . fears of more turmoil friday 's second explosion was much smaller and went off near a police station in dokki , a residential area of cairo , wounding several people , authorities said . and in the al-haram district of giza city , a small bomb was thrown at a moving police vehicle near a police station , killing one person , deputy giza security chief mahmoud farouk told state tv . this new wave of violence follows a referendum earlier this month in which egyptian voters overwhelmingly approved a new constitution proposed by the military-backed government , according to the country 's electoral commission . but supporters of the now-banned muslim brotherhood had boycotted the vote in response to a continuing government crackdown . rights groups have expressed concern about what they call an increasingly repressive environment in egypt , where more than 2,200 people have been killed since morsy 's ouster . some anti-government groups have resorted to violence . bomb attacks and shootings against the security apparatus have taken place across the country in recent months -- a situation described by some as a low-level insurgency . the government has blamed the muslim brotherhood for many of the attacks , even though the movement has condemned them . the bombing of the cairo police headquarters suggested the violence is taking on a more serious , high-profile form . the fear is there 's a very difficult and tumultuous phase ahead for this country , ' sayah said . democracy : egypt 's beautiful dream in the wrong hands egypt passes a new constitution cnn 's jamie crawford and journalist ian lee contributed to this report . | a huge explosion strikes cairo 's police headquarters , damaging several floors |
ronnie smith <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a widow says she forgives the attackers in libya who gunned down her husband earlier this month as he went for a morning jog outside his home in benghazi . ronnie smith , 33 , was a chemistry teacher from austin , texas , who was working for more than a year in the international school benghazi when four unidentified assailants in a black jeep fatally shot him december 5 . i just envision the black jeep driving up to him and i do n't know their faces . i just want them to know that god loves them and can forgive them for this , ' anita smith tells cnn 's anderson cooper in an interview . emotion broke her voice as she spoke . i do n't know them . that 's how i honestly feel . it may sound crazy . it 's god 's spirit that 's putting this inside me , ' she added . smith said she did n't feel any anger or want any revenge against the killers of her husband . i just really want them to know that i do love them and i forgive them , and ronnie would want this , and i hope and pray that our son , hosea , would believe this , ' she said . yeah , they took away my husband . i loved my husband . but it 's got to be god 's spirit that 's pushing me to show them that this is what god wants them to see , ' she said . smith also wrote an open letter to the libyan people . she and her husband traveled to libya because we saw the suffering of the libyan people , but we also saw your hope , and we wanted to partner with you to build a better future , ' she wrote . to the attackers , she wrote : i love you and i forgive you . ' to the libyan people , she said , we came to bless you , but you have blessed us much more . thank you . ' benghazi was the cradle of libya 's 2011 revolution that ousted leader moammar gadhafi 's regime but since then , the new government is struggling to control armed groups in the country . libya 's second-largest city , benghazi also is where militants attacked a u.s. diplomatic mission in september 2012 , killing four americans , including ambassador chris stevens . the united states blames the islamist militant group ansar al-sharia for the attack . i hear people speaking with hate , anger and blame over ronnie 's death , but that 's not what ronnie would want , ' smith wrote of her husband . i want all of you -- all of the people of libya -- to know i am praying for the peace and prosperity of libya . may ronnie 's blood , shed on libyan soil , encourage peace and reconciliation between the libyan people and god . ' cnn 's chuck hadad contributed to this report . watch anderson cooper 360° weeknights 8pm et . for the latest from ac360° click here . | teacher ronnie smith , 33 , was gunned down while jogging in benghazi this month |
australian <tsp> ( cnn ) -- three al jazeera english journalists were convicted in egypt on monday of aiding the muslim brotherhood in a ruling that immediately outraged journalists and activists around the world . peter greste , mohamed fahmy and baher mohamed had been imprisoned in cairo since december on charges that included conspiring with the brotherhood , spreading false news and endangering national security . the three men have steadfastly denied the charges , as has al jazeera , and the prosecution put forth no evidence to support the allegations . prosecutors were criticized for presenting evidence that was purportedly made up or irrelevant to the case , like videos of greste 's old news reports from other countries . a judge sentenced greste , a native of australia and a former bbc correspondent , and fahmy , a journalist formerly employed by cnn , to seven years behind bars . mohamed was sentenced to a decade -- seven years for one charge and three years for a second . fahmy has dual nationality , with egyptian-canadian citizenship . on monday , canadian minister of state lynne yelich said in a statement that canada is very disappointed with the verdict . ' after the verdict , fahmy 's mother , wafaa basiouny , wept inside the courtroom . why seven years ? ' she said . what did he do ? who did he kill ? ' three other international journalists -- sue turton and dominic kane of al jazeera and rena netjes , a correspondent for dutch newspaper parool -- were sentenced in absentia to 10 years , reports said , adding that the journalists are expected to appeal , according to the nonprofit committee to protect journalists , which advocates for media freedom worldwide . watch an earlier interview with turton on cnn sherif mansour , cpj 's middle east and north africa program coordinator , called the convictions shocking ' and an extremely disturbing sign for the future of the egyptian press . ' amid that international condemnation , the egyptian foreign ministry defended itself on monday , saying it strongly rejects any comment from a foreign party that casts doubt on the independence of the egyptian judiciary and the justice of its verdicts . ''silencing the truth' cnn has firmly supported the journalists throughout the trial . because al jazeera has no staff operating in egypt , cnn and other international broadcasters have been contributing reporting to its television coverage . all at cnn are dismayed at today 's unjust sentencing of the al jazeera journalists in egypt , ' the network said in a statement . freedom of the media must be protected , and journalists must be free to carry out their legitimate work without fear of imprisonment . we stand alongside the journalistic community in calling for the immediate release of these journalists . ' throughout the trial , a who 's who of internationally known journalists , including cnn 's christiane amanpour , repeatedly called for the release of greste , fahmy and mohamed . amanpour held up a sign on her cnn international show that said # freeajstaff ' and joined a campaign meant to call attention to their plight . see amanpour , on her cnn show , confront powerful egyptian about journalists'jailing amanpour spoke on cnn 's reliable sources ' in february about the chilling effect of imprisoning journalists . if you try to be objective in your coverage , you are deemed a terrorist , ' she said . i mean , it is terrible what 's happening there . it is silencing the truth . ' in an interview on al jazeera shortly after the verdicts were read , amnesty international director steve crawshaw deplored what he called an outrageous ruling ' and called the convictions an absolute affront to justice . ' in a televised interview , mostefa souag , the acting director general of al jazeera , called the verdict shocking . ' i do n't think it has anything to do with justice , ' he said , calling it another step in egypt 's campaign of terrorizing people and terrorizing the media . ' al jazeera english managing director al anstey said in a statement that the sentencing defies logic , sense , and any semblance of justice . ' there is only one sensible outcome now , ' anstey added . for the verdict to be overturned , and justice to be recognized by egypt . we must keep our voice loud to call for an end to their detention . ' cnn correspondent ian lee , stationed outside the court in cairo , said that through an appeals process , there 's a high likelihood that a judge could either reduce the sentence or acquit them later on . ' pawns in a geopolitical dispute ? the egyptian embassy in london released a statement monday , saying that the sentences were the result of a judicial process during which the court has examined this case over several sessions in the last six months ' and that the defense and prosecution were given full opportunity ' to present their cases . the embassy said it does n't comment on the content of court rulings , but it added that freedom of expression and thought are basic and unalienable rights ' that are protected in egypt 's new constitution . read more about egypt 's new constitution the prosecution , which has argued that channels like al jazeera brought down iraq and were planning to do the same in egypt , has been widely condemned by international correspondents , media organizations and foreign governments . we 're obviously shocked , dismayed , really bewildered by the decision of the court in egypt , ' said australian prime minister tony abbott . we understand the need of the egyptian government to maintain internal order and to crackdown on extremism including the muslim brotherhood , but it is important that there be due process , it is important that decisions be made on a fair and just basis , ' he added . amnesty international has said that greste , fahmy and mohamed are pawns in a geopolitical dispute between egypt and qatar , the tiny middle eastern country that finances al jazeera . qatar has long been perceived as a supporter of the muslim brotherhood , a religious and political group banned in egypt and labeled a terrorist organization after president mohamed morsy 's ouster last year . that declaration came just days before the al jazeera journalists were arrested at the cairo hotel where they were working . egyptian state-run media said they were charged with broadcasting false information ' to harm the country 's national security and being members of an illegal organization , the muslim brotherhood . a number of other defendants , with no affiliation to al jazeera , were also convicted monday of similar charges . canadian minister of state yelich said in the statement that canada is concerned that the judicial process that led to his ( fahmy 's ) verdict is inconsistent with egypt 's democratic aspirations . a fair and transparent legal system is a critical pillar of a future stable and democratic egypt . ' canada wants the egyptian government to protect the rights of all individuals , including journalists , ' the statement said .'just doing their job' the three al jazeera employees are first-class journalists , ' anstey said in a statement after the journalists had been detained for three months . they were just doing their job covering and challenging all sides of the story in egypt . ' in an interview for cnn 's reliable sources , ' greste 's parents , juris and lois , said they could not understand why peter was still behind bars . peter had no reason , no motive for doing anything like the allegations against him , ' lois greste said . he would have reported the same story , be it for cnn , bbc , reuters or anybody else . ' juris greste said it was not unreasonable to characterize his son as a political prisoner . ' it looks like a kidnapping by the state , as it were , ' he said , even as he emphasized that he and his wife bear no ill will against egypt or its people . ' after the verdict against their son , greste 's parents spoke to reporters in australia . we are not usually a family of superlatives , but i have to say this morning my vocabulary fails to convey just how shattered we are , ' said juris greste said . you can never prepare yourself for something as painful as this . ' he held up a picture of his son and said : this man ... is an award-winning journalist . he 's not a criminal . ' on sunday , u.s. secretary of state john kerry said he spoke specifically about al jazeera journalists ' during a meeting with the new egyptian president , abdel fattah el-sisi . while kerry did not elaborate on the outcome , he said generally that they discussed the essential role of a vibrant civil society , a free press , and rule of law , and due process in a democracy . ' on monday , kerry said the chilling , draconian sentences ' were a deeply disturbing setback to egypt 's transition . ' he said el-sisi should consider all available remedies , including pardons , ' for the journalists and all of the political sentences and verdicts pronounced during the last few years . ' reading a statement at a media briefing monday , white house spokesman josh earnest said the obama administration strongly condemns ' the journalists'sentencing . the verdict , earnest said , flouts the most basic standards of media freedom , ' and he added that the white house is calling on the egyptian government to pardon the journalists . journalists in jail there are 167 journalists imprisoned around the world , including the three al jazeera journalists sentenced monday , according to reporters without borders . china has the largest number of journalists behind bars , with 32 , followed by eritrea ( 28 ) and syria ( 16 ) , the media freedom organization says . twenty-eight journalists have been killed doing their jobs this year , the group says . reporters without borders ranks egypt 159 out of 180 countries for media freedom . according to the committee to project journalists , at least 14 journalists are imprisoned in egypt and more than 65 journalists have been detained since morsy was ousted in july . most , the group said , have been freed . cnn 's ian lee and sarah el sirgany contributed to this report from cairo , richard allen greene contributed from london , and kevin liptak contributed from washington . | we 're obviously shocked , dismayed , really bewildered , ' says australian pm |
top 5 <tsp> ( ew.com ) -- this weekend , the croods proved that cave people have more pop culture appeal than just geico commercials . the $ 135 million film , which features vocal performances by nicolas cage , emma stone , and ryan reynolds , bashed up a strong $ 44.7 million in its first three days — the second best debut of 2013 behind oz 's $ 79.1 million bow . the colorful family film was produced by dreamworks animation , whose last film , rise of the guardians , severely underperformed and forced the company to take an $ 87 million write-down . thus , the croods'success ( for reference , rise opened with just $ 23.7 million on its way to a $ 103.2 million domestic finish ) is vindicating for the jeffrey-katzenberg-owned studio . for distributor fox , who inked a five-year distribution deal with dreamworks animation last year , the croods is poised to become a massive success . the film opened in the same range as 2012′s ice age : continental drift ( $ 46.7 million ) and higher than the studio 's 2011 release , rio , which began its flight with $ 39.2 million . with an a ' cinemascore and easter/spring break ahead for many young school-goers — plus the fact that there are literally no family or animated films hitting theaters until epic on may 24 — the croods could evolve into a box office mammoth . a $ 200 million domestic finish would n't surprise me one bit . internationally , the croods proved equally appealing , bowing with $ 63.3 million for a sizzling $ 108 million global total after its first three days . in second , filmdistrict 's white house thriller olympus has fallen scored an impressive $ 30.5 million from 3,098 theaters , making its debut the best action start of 2013 — ahead of a good day to die hard , which took in only $ 24.8 million in its first weekend . olympus , which stars gerard butler , aaron eckhart , and morgan freeman , cost millennium films $ 70 million to produce , but with an a- ' cinemascore , the presidential thriller may enjoy better-than-expected legs . interestingly , olympus is n't the only white house action movie hitting theaters in 2013 . sony 's channing tatum/jamie foxx vehicle white house down is currently slated for a june 28 release . olympus arrives on the heels of numerous older-male-targeting action flops like bullet to the head , parker , and the last stand , which makes its success all the more impressive . filmdistrict did manage to reach men , who made up 53 percent of the opening weekend audience , with television ads on spike , history , espn , comedy central , discovery , the walking dead , ncaa tournament coverage , and fox 's sunday animation block , but it 's also telling that women comprised 47 percent of the audience . according to exit polling , crowds were 73 percent above the age of 25 . the film also marks a return-to-form for leading man butler , whose last three wide releases , chasing mavericks ( $ 6 million total ) , playing for keeps ( $ 13.1 million ) , and movie 43 ( $ 8.8 million ) , have all badly flopped . olympus has fallen 's strong opening weekend is butler 's career second-best behind his breakout 300 , which bowed with $ 70.9 million in 2007 . down two spots to third place , disney 's $ 215 million sam raimi-directed adventure oz the great and powerful fell 47 percent to $ 22 million in its third weekend , lifting its total to $ 177.6 million overall . worldwide , the film has earned $ 356.4 million , though international receipts ( $ 178.8 million ) have n't been as robust as most were expecting . halle berry 's schlocky thriller the call dropped 49 percent in its second weekend to $ 8.7 million , giving it a respectable $ 30.9 million ten-day total . the $ 13 million production , distributed by sony 's division tristar , has now earned more than the last film starring berry in a leading role , cloud atlas , which tanked with only $ 27.8 million against a $ 100 million budget . rounding out the top 5 was the tina fey/paul rudd comedy admission , which only earned $ 6.4 million from 2,160 theaters in its first weekend . audiences rejected the focus features film , which fortunately cost just $ 13 million to produce . admission marks the first real bomb for fey , who previously found success with mean girls ( $ 86.1 million ) , baby mama ( $ 60.5 million ) , and date night ( $ 98.7 million ) — all sharper , edgier comedies than this . for rudd , on the other hand , admission is the fourth bomb out of his five last releases . though the actor 's previous film , this is 40 , quietly blossomed into a mid-level hit at the holiday box office with $ 67.5 million , his other recent efforts all began in the same sad range as admission . 2010′s how do you know ( $ 7.5 million debut , $ 30.2 million finish ) , 2011′s our idiot brother ( $ 7 million debut , $ 24.8 million finsh ) , and 2012′s wanderlust ( $ 6.5 million debut , $ 17.5 million finish ) each hurt his box office credibility . rudd tends to fare better in dude-movies like role models , i love you man , and dinner for shmucks , which each earned about $ 70 million domestically . 1 . the croods -- $ 44.6 million 2 . olympus has fallen -- $ 30.5 million 3 . oz the great and powerful -- $ 22 million 4 . the call -- $ 8.7 million 5 . admission -- $ 6.4 million 6 . spring breakers -- $ 5 million in sixth place , the disney-girls-gone-bad film spring breakers found $ 5 million from 1,102 theaters . the a24 release has garnered massive publicity thanks to the allure of seeing onetime disney starlets like selena gomez and vanessa hudgens ( who , granted , did n't have a squeaky clean reputation ) traipsing about in bikinis while wielding guns , but the deeply strange r-rated art piece , which also stars james franco , confounded many young moviegoers this weekend , and word-of-mouth is destined to squash spring breakers'hopes of mainstream success . still , the film cost only $ 2 million to produce , and it should ultimately become a profitable venture for the fledgling studio . way , way further down the chart , lindsay lohan 's latest , inappropriate comedy , which was directed by shamwow shiller vince offer , had one of the worst debuts of the year . i thought it deserved its own post . see the original story at ew.com . click here to try 2 risk free issues of entertainment weekly © 2011 entertainment weekly and time inc. all rights reserved . | rounding out the top 5 was the tina fey/paul rudd comedy admission ' |
muslims <tsp> ( cnn ) -- muslims in europe face discrimination in education , employment and religious freedom , an amnesty international report said . muslim women are being denied jobs and girls prevented from attending regular classes just because they wear traditional forms of dress , such as the headscarf . men can be dismissed for wearing beards associated with islam , ' said marco perolini , amnesty international 's expert on discrimination . rather than countering these prejudices , political parties and public officials are all too often pandering to them in their quest for votes . ' the report , titled choice and prejudice : discrimination against muslims in europe ' and issued on monday , details the problem , with a focus on belgium , france , the netherlands , spain and switzerland . amnesty international raised the issue , as it has done before , of restrictions on the establishment of places of worship and prohibitions on full-face veils . ' the report said employers have been permitted to discriminate on the grounds that religious or cultural symbols will jar with clients or colleagues or that a clash exists with a company 's corporate image or its'neutrality .' wearing religious and cultural symbols and dress is part of the right of freedom of expression . it is part of the right to freedom of religion or belief -- and these rights must be enjoyed by all faiths equally . ' perolini said . while everyone has the right to express their cultural , traditional or religious background by wearing a specific form of dress , no one should be pressurized or coerced to do so , ' he said . general bans on particular forms of dress that violate the rights of those freely choosing to dress in a particular way are not the way to do this . ' there is legislation prohibiting employment discrimination in belgium , france and the netherlands , but it has not been appropriately implemented , ' the report says . european union legislation prohibiting discrimination on the ground of religion or belief in the area of employment seems to be toothless across europe , as we observe a higher rate of unemployment among muslims , and especially muslim women of foreign origin , ' perolini said . the report said pupils have n't been allowed to wear the headscarf or other religious and traditional dress at school in many countries including spain , france , belgium , switzerland and the netherlands . ' any restriction on the wearing of religious and cultural symbols and dress in schools must be based on assessment of the needs in each individual case . general bans risk adversely ( affecting ) muslims girls'access to education and violating their rights to freedom of expression and to manifest their beliefs . ' perolini said . the right to establish places of worship is being restricted in some european countries , despite state obligations to protect , respect and fulfill this right , ' amnesty international said . for example , the swiss constitution has specifically targeted muslims with the prohibition of the construction of minarets , ' it said . muslims in the catalonian region of spain must pray outdoors because existing prayer rooms are too small to accommodate all the worshippers and requests to build mosques are being disputed as incompatible with the respect of catalan traditions and culture . ' there is a groundswell of opinion in many european countries that islam is all right and muslims are ok so long as they are not too visible . this attitude is generating human rights violations and needs to be challenged , ' perolini said . muslims from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds have migrated to or sought asylum in europe over the decades and have often acquired the citizenship of the country to which they or their relatives have migrated . ' negative and stereotypical attitudes have emerged over what has been seen as the unwillingness by muslims to integrate ' or the intention to impose values at odds with european identity , ' amnesty said . at times , public opinion and political parties do not distinguish between practices clearly violating human rights , such as forced marriage , and other practices relating to the exercise of freedom of expression and religion or belief , such as the choice to wear a headscarf or others forms of religious and cultural symbols and dress . ' the report said . after the september 11 , 2001 , attacks on the united states , perceptions worsened ' and a rising level of hostility ' unfolded . but the report said there also had been negative views ' before the attacks . citing 2010 statistics , the report said muslims made up less than 10 per cent of the population in any western and northern european country : 6 percent in belgium , 7.5 percent in france , 5.5 percent in the netherlands , 2.3 percent in spain , 5.7 percent in switzerland , 5 percent in germany and 4.6 percent in the united kingdom . ' almost half of the muslim population in france and 55 percent of the muslim population in belgium hold national citizenship . in contrast , less than 1 percent in switzerland hold swiss citizenship . the report says the study does not imply that discrimination on grounds of religion or belief exclusively affects muslims . ' it said christian evangelicals in catalonia also cited barriers in establishing places of worship . ' and , it said , jews are also still discriminated against in europe and violent attacks perpetrated with an anti-semitic bias remain a matter of concern . ' | the september 11 , 2001 , attacks have contributed to hostility against muslims |
muslims <tsp> ( cnn ) -- muslims in europe face discrimination in education , employment and religious freedom , an amnesty international report said . muslim women are being denied jobs and girls prevented from attending regular classes just because they wear traditional forms of dress , such as the headscarf . men can be dismissed for wearing beards associated with islam , ' said marco perolini , amnesty international 's expert on discrimination . rather than countering these prejudices , political parties and public officials are all too often pandering to them in their quest for votes . ' the report , titled choice and prejudice : discrimination against muslims in europe ' and issued on monday , details the problem , with a focus on belgium , france , the netherlands , spain and switzerland . amnesty international raised the issue , as it has done before , of restrictions on the establishment of places of worship and prohibitions on full-face veils . ' the report said employers have been permitted to discriminate on the grounds that religious or cultural symbols will jar with clients or colleagues or that a clash exists with a company 's corporate image or its'neutrality .' wearing religious and cultural symbols and dress is part of the right of freedom of expression . it is part of the right to freedom of religion or belief -- and these rights must be enjoyed by all faiths equally . ' perolini said . while everyone has the right to express their cultural , traditional or religious background by wearing a specific form of dress , no one should be pressurized or coerced to do so , ' he said . general bans on particular forms of dress that violate the rights of those freely choosing to dress in a particular way are not the way to do this . ' there is legislation prohibiting employment discrimination in belgium , france and the netherlands , but it has not been appropriately implemented , ' the report says . european union legislation prohibiting discrimination on the ground of religion or belief in the area of employment seems to be toothless across europe , as we observe a higher rate of unemployment among muslims , and especially muslim women of foreign origin , ' perolini said . the report said pupils have n't been allowed to wear the headscarf or other religious and traditional dress at school in many countries including spain , france , belgium , switzerland and the netherlands . ' any restriction on the wearing of religious and cultural symbols and dress in schools must be based on assessment of the needs in each individual case . general bans risk adversely ( affecting ) muslims girls'access to education and violating their rights to freedom of expression and to manifest their beliefs . ' perolini said . the right to establish places of worship is being restricted in some european countries , despite state obligations to protect , respect and fulfill this right , ' amnesty international said . for example , the swiss constitution has specifically targeted muslims with the prohibition of the construction of minarets , ' it said . muslims in the catalonian region of spain must pray outdoors because existing prayer rooms are too small to accommodate all the worshippers and requests to build mosques are being disputed as incompatible with the respect of catalan traditions and culture . ' there is a groundswell of opinion in many european countries that islam is all right and muslims are ok so long as they are not too visible . this attitude is generating human rights violations and needs to be challenged , ' perolini said . muslims from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds have migrated to or sought asylum in europe over the decades and have often acquired the citizenship of the country to which they or their relatives have migrated . ' negative and stereotypical attitudes have emerged over what has been seen as the unwillingness by muslims to integrate ' or the intention to impose values at odds with european identity , ' amnesty said . at times , public opinion and political parties do not distinguish between practices clearly violating human rights , such as forced marriage , and other practices relating to the exercise of freedom of expression and religion or belief , such as the choice to wear a headscarf or others forms of religious and cultural symbols and dress . ' the report said . after the september 11 , 2001 , attacks on the united states , perceptions worsened ' and a rising level of hostility ' unfolded . but the report said there also had been negative views ' before the attacks . citing 2010 statistics , the report said muslims made up less than 10 per cent of the population in any western and northern european country : 6 percent in belgium , 7.5 percent in france , 5.5 percent in the netherlands , 2.3 percent in spain , 5.7 percent in switzerland , 5 percent in germany and 4.6 percent in the united kingdom . ' almost half of the muslim population in france and 55 percent of the muslim population in belgium hold national citizenship . in contrast , less than 1 percent in switzerland hold swiss citizenship . the report says the study does not imply that discrimination on grounds of religion or belief exclusively affects muslims . ' it said christian evangelicals in catalonia also cited barriers in establishing places of worship . ' and , it said , jews are also still discriminated against in europe and violent attacks perpetrated with an anti-semitic bias remain a matter of concern . ' | muslims make up less than 10 percent of the population in european countries |
europe <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a blast of harsh winter weather socked europe friday , causing travel chaos and sending temperatures into the deep-freeze . from northern ireland to bulgaria , blizzard conditions left airports with heavy delays or shut them entirely . in belgium , truck drivers were forced to spend a freezing night in their cabs when authorities banned trucks over seven tons from travelling on icy roads . at london 's heathrow airport , snow caused the cancellation of many short-haul flights . these cancellations sparked a domino-effect that left passenger aircraft unable to get to the gates , prompting further delays . hundreds of passengers who did manage to land were still unable to claim their luggage after baggage-handlers ended their shifts . meteorologists say the cold weather is caused by a negative phase of the arctic oscillation , which means that cold arctic air is flowing into southern latitudes that are normally much warmer . forecasters do n't expect conditions to change anytime soon . the next wave of snowy weather is expected to bring up to 20 centimeters to some parts of the u.k. , with london expected to receive 5-10 centimeters of snow . the weather system will move across france and germany on saturday night and sunday . below-normal temperatures are expected to continue in northern europe into the beginning of next week . | travel chaos reigns across northern europe amid harsh winter weather |
ortega <tsp> ( cnn ) -- venezuela has promised to give nicaragua $ 50 million to replace money that the united states said this week it would withhold from the central american country , nicaraguan president daniel ortega saavedra said saturday . nicaragua president daniel ortega expressed disappointment in u.s. president barack obama 's decision . venezuelan president hugo chavez promised the aid after ortega learned that the united states was canceling $ 62 million of aid that was to have come from the millennium challenge corporation , a u.s.-government-funded anti-poverty fund set up by former president george w. bush . ortega expressed disappointment in president barack obama for the decision . he expresses good will , but in practice , he has the same policies as president reagan , ' ortega told a crowd of supporters in managua 's plaza of the revolution . in 1982 , then-president reagan supported funding the contras , the forces opposed to ortega and his socialist sandinista party , which had come to power after overthrowing the u.s.-backed anastasio somoza in 1979 . ortega called this week 's decision not to follow through on the payment disrespectful . ' the united states had given its word to the people of nicaragua and in particular to the people of the cities involved in the program , ' he said . wednesday 's decision to cut the funds altogether came after the united states announced last november that it was suspending aid to managua in the wake of what it said were fraudulent municipal elections . ortega , whose party members won most of the mayoralties , disputed that . and he warned his u.s. counterpart that the world has changed since the united states funded the contras . he is the first to know that the united states of today is not the united states of 20 , 30 , 40 years ago , ' ortega said . today , the united states can not do whatever it wants in the world . it does n't have the moral force , even though it may have the material force to do it . they have even lost the support of the u.s . people . ' still chafing over his loss to violeta chamorro , who replaced him as president in 1990 , ortega said those were the elections that were fraudulent . he said president george h. w. bush affected the outcome by telling the nicaraguans , if you vote for the [ sandinista ] front , the war is going to continue ; if you vote for the enemies of the front , go in peace .'that was the promise that bush made . ' he described that pact as a big lie , since the peace was already coming . we , the nicaraguans , were making peace . ' what bush then wanted , ortega said , was war throughout central america . he fed the war in guatemala , he fed the war in el salvador , he fed the war in nicaragua , ' ortega said . ortega described the three u.s.-backed governments that ruled nicaragua from 1990 until 2007 -- when he reclaimed power -- as anti-democratic . they robbed the people of the right to health , the right to education , the right to decent housing , ' he said . they privatized energy industry , the telecommunications industry , the businesses of the workers -- those were nothing more than acts of corruption . ' and he said that the $ 62 million would have been used to build 12 highways , not to support his government . but work that has begun on two of the roads will be completed , said rodney bent , deputy ceo for the millennium challenge corporation in an interview friday with cnn en espanol . he denied any suggestion that the money was being used for political ends rather than simply to alleviate poverty . that 's totally false , ' bent said , adding that his corporation 's funds are doled out regardless of a government 's leftist , centrist or conservative policies . we want a clean government , ' he said , adding that because the elections were not clean , we had to act . ' | ortega called the decision not to follow through on the payment'disrespectful ' |
ortega <tsp> ( cnn ) -- venezuela has promised to give nicaragua $ 50 million to replace money that the united states said this week it would withhold from the central american country , nicaraguan president daniel ortega saavedra said saturday . nicaragua president daniel ortega expressed disappointment in u.s. president barack obama 's decision . venezuelan president hugo chavez promised the aid after ortega learned that the united states was canceling $ 62 million of aid that was to have come from the millennium challenge corporation , a u.s.-government-funded anti-poverty fund set up by former president george w. bush . ortega expressed disappointment in president barack obama for the decision . he expresses good will , but in practice , he has the same policies as president reagan , ' ortega told a crowd of supporters in managua 's plaza of the revolution . in 1982 , then-president reagan supported funding the contras , the forces opposed to ortega and his socialist sandinista party , which had come to power after overthrowing the u.s.-backed anastasio somoza in 1979 . ortega called this week 's decision not to follow through on the payment disrespectful . ' the united states had given its word to the people of nicaragua and in particular to the people of the cities involved in the program , ' he said . wednesday 's decision to cut the funds altogether came after the united states announced last november that it was suspending aid to managua in the wake of what it said were fraudulent municipal elections . ortega , whose party members won most of the mayoralties , disputed that . and he warned his u.s. counterpart that the world has changed since the united states funded the contras . he is the first to know that the united states of today is not the united states of 20 , 30 , 40 years ago , ' ortega said . today , the united states can not do whatever it wants in the world . it does n't have the moral force , even though it may have the material force to do it . they have even lost the support of the u.s . people . ' still chafing over his loss to violeta chamorro , who replaced him as president in 1990 , ortega said those were the elections that were fraudulent . he said president george h. w. bush affected the outcome by telling the nicaraguans , if you vote for the [ sandinista ] front , the war is going to continue ; if you vote for the enemies of the front , go in peace .'that was the promise that bush made . ' he described that pact as a big lie , since the peace was already coming . we , the nicaraguans , were making peace . ' what bush then wanted , ortega said , was war throughout central america . he fed the war in guatemala , he fed the war in el salvador , he fed the war in nicaragua , ' ortega said . ortega described the three u.s.-backed governments that ruled nicaragua from 1990 until 2007 -- when he reclaimed power -- as anti-democratic . they robbed the people of the right to health , the right to education , the right to decent housing , ' he said . they privatized energy industry , the telecommunications industry , the businesses of the workers -- those were nothing more than acts of corruption . ' and he said that the $ 62 million would have been used to build 12 highways , not to support his government . but work that has begun on two of the roads will be completed , said rodney bent , deputy ceo for the millennium challenge corporation in an interview friday with cnn en espanol . he denied any suggestion that the money was being used for political ends rather than simply to alleviate poverty . that 's totally false , ' bent said , adding that his corporation 's funds are doled out regardless of a government 's leftist , centrist or conservative policies . we want a clean government , ' he said , adding that because the elections were not clean , we had to act . ' | ortega :'obama expresses good will , but ... has same policies as reagan ' |
district court <tsp> louisville , kentucky ( cnn ) -- old-fashioned detective work has unraveled a complicated but flawed scheme to extort an australian family by strapping a fake bomb to an 18-year-old woman , court documents reveal . the documents were filed in u.s. district court in louisville , kentucky , because the suspect was arrested near there monday after allegedly leaving australia last week . arrest in baffling collar-bomb case surveillance video , a memory stick and internet records helped officials track down paul douglas peters , 50 , according to the complaint for provisional arrest . australian police plan to seek charges against peters that include kidnapping , aggravated breaking and entering with intent to commit a serious indictable offense , and demanding property by force with intent to steal , according to the complaint . they are expected to ask for his extradition . authorities in australia and the united states linked peters to the case through files in a usb thumb drive that was attached to the fake bomb placed around the neck of the 18-year-old daughter of the targeted family , according to the complaint filed on behalf of australian authorities . on august 3 , peters allegedly broke into a home in mosman , australia , wearing a mask and carrying a baseball bat that he purchased using his own credit card , the complaint says . he allegedly looped a black box around the young woman 's neck , claiming in an accompanying note that it contained powerful new technology plastic explosives , ' according to the complaint . he instructed the family to contact an e-mail address for further instructions . authorities were able to determine the e-mail account was created may 30 at a chicago airport , when peters was traveling there . it was accessed only three times , all in the hours following the break-in , police said . one access occurred at a library in kincumber , australia ; the other two were at a business in avoca beach , australia . each of the log-ins coincides with the video-recorded arrival of a man resembling peters at the library and near a video store where the account was accessed , according to the complaint . the usb drive draped around the victim 's neck also contained a file that had been created on a computer named paul p , ' according to the complaint . analysis of the memory stick showed an undeleted pdf file that contained an exact replica of the demand letter that was left ' with the young woman , it said . deleted files included letters of demand and references to explosive devices and demands for money , the complaint alleges . the documents were signed off with the suspect e-mail account . video showed a silver range rover parked near the library at the time of the incident . police learned it was made between 1996 and 2001 , according to the complaint . a search of ranger rovers on record in the area led police to peters'address , according to the complaint . the investment banker left the country august 8 for chicago and subsequently traveled to louisville the next day , the complaint states . on thursday , an fbi agent spotted peters in the back yard of his former wife 's residence in buckner , kentucky , and arrest warrants were issued by australian authorities on friday and saturday . the complaint says that police have obtained information that paul douglas peters was formerly employed by a company with which the victim 's family has links . ' | u.s. district court documents reveal new details in collar-bomb case |
paul douglas peters <tsp> louisville , kentucky ( cnn ) -- old-fashioned detective work has unraveled a complicated but flawed scheme to extort an australian family by strapping a fake bomb to an 18-year-old woman , court documents reveal . the documents were filed in u.s. district court in louisville , kentucky , because the suspect was arrested near there monday after allegedly leaving australia last week . arrest in baffling collar-bomb case surveillance video , a memory stick and internet records helped officials track down paul douglas peters , 50 , according to the complaint for provisional arrest . australian police plan to seek charges against peters that include kidnapping , aggravated breaking and entering with intent to commit a serious indictable offense , and demanding property by force with intent to steal , according to the complaint . they are expected to ask for his extradition . authorities in australia and the united states linked peters to the case through files in a usb thumb drive that was attached to the fake bomb placed around the neck of the 18-year-old daughter of the targeted family , according to the complaint filed on behalf of australian authorities . on august 3 , peters allegedly broke into a home in mosman , australia , wearing a mask and carrying a baseball bat that he purchased using his own credit card , the complaint says . he allegedly looped a black box around the young woman 's neck , claiming in an accompanying note that it contained powerful new technology plastic explosives , ' according to the complaint . he instructed the family to contact an e-mail address for further instructions . authorities were able to determine the e-mail account was created may 30 at a chicago airport , when peters was traveling there . it was accessed only three times , all in the hours following the break-in , police said . one access occurred at a library in kincumber , australia ; the other two were at a business in avoca beach , australia . each of the log-ins coincides with the video-recorded arrival of a man resembling peters at the library and near a video store where the account was accessed , according to the complaint . the usb drive draped around the victim 's neck also contained a file that had been created on a computer named paul p , ' according to the complaint . analysis of the memory stick showed an undeleted pdf file that contained an exact replica of the demand letter that was left ' with the young woman , it said . deleted files included letters of demand and references to explosive devices and demands for money , the complaint alleges . the documents were signed off with the suspect e-mail account . video showed a silver range rover parked near the library at the time of the incident . police learned it was made between 1996 and 2001 , according to the complaint . a search of ranger rovers on record in the area led police to peters'address , according to the complaint . the investment banker left the country august 8 for chicago and subsequently traveled to louisville the next day , the complaint states . on thursday , an fbi agent spotted peters in the back yard of his former wife 's residence in buckner , kentucky , and arrest warrants were issued by australian authorities on friday and saturday . the complaint says that police have obtained information that paul douglas peters was formerly employed by a company with which the victim 's family has links . ' | police used video and internet records to link paul douglas peters to case |
nairobi <tsp> ( cnn ) -- most success-hungry entrepreneurs would tell you there 's not enough hours in the day -- try saying that to buken makokha . hailing from the impoverished slum of gatina on the western outskirts of nairobi , the 23-year-old 's daily tasks include running a delivery service company , owning a barbershop and selling energy efficient stoves -- all the while putting himself through university . makokha 's typical day starts when everyone else is still deep in their sleep . by 3am , he 's already up , studying and preparing his school assignments for later in the evening ; by 7am , he enters the green doors of clean touch , ' the barbershop he set up three years ago at the heart of his local community . by 8am , he leaves the shop to an employee to start running his skyhighswiss courier service -- jumping on his motorbike , makokha spends most of his day making personal deliveries all across the bustling kenyan capital , whilst checking every now and then his facebook page for any orders for his latest business venture : selling ecozoom clean burning cook stoves . by 4.30pm , makokha parks his motorbike , only to head to the maasai mara university where he is a first-year student of community development . lectures last from 5.30pm to 8.30pm and by 10pm he 's usually at bed -- only to wake up at 3am again the next day to do it all over again . exhausting , no ? it 's a matter of determination and being focused , ' explains the enterprising businessman . it 's only the passion that i have to work in the community , ' he adds , when asked how he juggles time to manage it all . risk-taker growing up in gatina , makokha became a multitasking entrepreneur out of necessity to pull himself out of poverty . one of the biggest challenges , he says , was feeling alone . we youth in the slums are not supported , ' says makokha . so you have to struggle with everything , ' he continues . you do n't have a mentor , you have no place to run for help -- that is what is making me work every day very hard . ' read more from inspiring african entrepreneurs makokha says he always wanted to become an entrepreneur and a risk-taker . ' determined to make it , he started clean touch ' to earn money by shaving his clients and allowing them to charge their phones . then , about a year ago he got a driver 's license and launched skyhighswiss . the courier is different than the barbershop , ' says makokha , who employs one staff member for each business . because the barber i target the people i live around with and the courier i target people outside because they are busy , ' he adds . it 's people from the whole town , people who are much more richer , they do n't have time to do shopping or run for errands -- i took advantage of their busyness to make my business , so i deliver parcels , i deliver food , i deliver drinks . ''i want to inspire' thanks to his hard work and determination , makokha can now afford to pay for his own living space and also attend university . but the self-made entrepreneur wants to better the lives of people in his community too . on weekends , he spends most of his time with children in gatina , putting his community development skills into practice by mentoring young people and helping them put on theater performances . after my studies i want to start a project to help people where i am living , ' says the spirited entrepreneur . to identify their needs , to realize their potential and help them achieve their goals , ' he continues ' my biggest dream in this world is to have a social business enterprise to help fight the poverty level -- i want to inspire young people like me . ' read this : luxury shoes put sparkle in your step read this : tips to make you rich | he runs a delivery service , owns a barbershop and sells stoves in nairobi |
jenkins <tsp> ( cnn ) -- tiger woods is back on the prowl -- and this time he 's after a journalist who has had the temerity to poke fun at him . it was clearly defined as a parody interview , but woods'angry reaction to a piece by dan jenkins in golf digest has raised questions over whether the golf star was correct to respond -- and whether the journalist was right to write the spoof in the first place . jenkins , who said he had had a request for an interview with woods turned down by the player 's agent mark steinberg because we do n't see what we 'd have to gain , ' goes to town poking fun at his target . he highlights woods'title drought -- he has n't won a major since the 2008 u.s. open -- mentions'woods'habit of firing people ( it gives me something to do when i 'm not shaping my shots ' ) and , oh , adds that he 's a bad tipper . jenkins'parody also has'woods'responding to a question about the new york post headlines generated by his affairs by saying the moral of his story is do n't get caught . ' the fake interview also quotes the golfer as saying he thought about renaming his yacht serenity , but that pretty much went out the door when the nine-iron hit the window of the escalade , ' a reference to an incident in 2009 that sparked a media storm around woods'private life . the golfer was divorced from elin nordegren in 2010 . headlined'my ( fake ) interview with tiger * ,'the parody 's sub-heading is :'* or how it plays out in my mind .'but woods'angry response , in which he said jenkins had created some jerk ... to pretend he was talking to me , ' has elevated its status from that of a story near the back of the magazine 's december issue into front page news . the 38-year-old american chose the players'tribune website -- created by former new york yankees baseball star derek jeter -- as his forum to lambast the 84-year-old writer for a grudge-fuelled piece of character assassination . ' describing jenkins'work as invented fiction ' and saying it fails as parody , ' woods angrily asks : journalistically and ethically , can you sink any lower ? ' he writes : i like to think i have a good sense of humor , and that i 'm more than willing to laugh at myself . this concocted article was below the belt . good-natured satire is one thing , but no fair-minded writer would put someone in the position of having to publicly deny that he mistreats his friends , takes pleasure in firing people and stiffs on tips -- and a lot of other slurs , too . ' steinberg , who is repeatedly referred to in the spoof , has written to the magazine to call for an apology . but jenkins was in no mood to say sorry , tweeting that he had given woods an easy ride . james corrigan , the golf correspondent of british newspaper the daily telegraph , defended the spoof and said woods'reaction was pathetic -- the self-pitying cries of an arrogant and yes , ignorant billionaire . you could n't have made it up , even if you tried . ' corrigan added : warning for any easily offended sporting superstar out there : if you really do not want everyone to read a negative article , then do not tell everyone not to read it . because , erm , everyone will then go and read it . parodies imitate with the intention to lampoon . the target is not supposed to find them amusing . other people are . and many other people are doing exactly that in huge numbers , thanks to woods'intervention . ' writing in usa today , christine brennan opined : i think we can be assured it 's a complete success as parody , because tiger is so upset about it . ' | golf digest published spoof interview about tiger woods by journalist dan jenkins |
jenkins <tsp> ( cnn ) -- tiger woods is back on the prowl -- and this time he 's after a journalist who has had the temerity to poke fun at him . it was clearly defined as a parody interview , but woods'angry reaction to a piece by dan jenkins in golf digest has raised questions over whether the golf star was correct to respond -- and whether the journalist was right to write the spoof in the first place . jenkins , who said he had had a request for an interview with woods turned down by the player 's agent mark steinberg because we do n't see what we 'd have to gain , ' goes to town poking fun at his target . he highlights woods'title drought -- he has n't won a major since the 2008 u.s. open -- mentions'woods'habit of firing people ( it gives me something to do when i 'm not shaping my shots ' ) and , oh , adds that he 's a bad tipper . jenkins'parody also has'woods'responding to a question about the new york post headlines generated by his affairs by saying the moral of his story is do n't get caught . ' the fake interview also quotes the golfer as saying he thought about renaming his yacht serenity , but that pretty much went out the door when the nine-iron hit the window of the escalade , ' a reference to an incident in 2009 that sparked a media storm around woods'private life . the golfer was divorced from elin nordegren in 2010 . headlined'my ( fake ) interview with tiger * ,'the parody 's sub-heading is :'* or how it plays out in my mind .'but woods'angry response , in which he said jenkins had created some jerk ... to pretend he was talking to me , ' has elevated its status from that of a story near the back of the magazine 's december issue into front page news . the 38-year-old american chose the players'tribune website -- created by former new york yankees baseball star derek jeter -- as his forum to lambast the 84-year-old writer for a grudge-fuelled piece of character assassination . ' describing jenkins'work as invented fiction ' and saying it fails as parody , ' woods angrily asks : journalistically and ethically , can you sink any lower ? ' he writes : i like to think i have a good sense of humor , and that i 'm more than willing to laugh at myself . this concocted article was below the belt . good-natured satire is one thing , but no fair-minded writer would put someone in the position of having to publicly deny that he mistreats his friends , takes pleasure in firing people and stiffs on tips -- and a lot of other slurs , too . ' steinberg , who is repeatedly referred to in the spoof , has written to the magazine to call for an apology . but jenkins was in no mood to say sorry , tweeting that he had given woods an easy ride . james corrigan , the golf correspondent of british newspaper the daily telegraph , defended the spoof and said woods'reaction was pathetic -- the self-pitying cries of an arrogant and yes , ignorant billionaire . you could n't have made it up , even if you tried . ' corrigan added : warning for any easily offended sporting superstar out there : if you really do not want everyone to read a negative article , then do not tell everyone not to read it . because , erm , everyone will then go and read it . parodies imitate with the intention to lampoon . the target is not supposed to find them amusing . other people are . and many other people are doing exactly that in huge numbers , thanks to woods'intervention . ' writing in usa today , christine brennan opined : i think we can be assured it 's a complete success as parody , because tiger is so upset about it . ' | other journalists jump to jenkins'defence |
f1 <tsp> ( cnn ) -- organizers for the controversial bahrain grand prix have been given a boost after several formula one teams , including world champions red bull , told cnn they will not unilaterally pull out of the race . following reports this week that some teams were planning on canceling their appearance at the grand prix , which is due to take place april 22 at the bahrain international circuit on the persian gulf island , cnn contacted all 12 constructors . nine declined to comment but red bull , whose driver sebastian vettel won the drivers'championship and who also clinched the 2011 constructors'title , told cnn that the decision on whether the bahrain grand prix goes ahead is a matter for motorsport 's governing body the federation internationale de l'automobile [ fia ] and not individual teams . teams wo n't pull out ' it 's up to the fia , ' a red bull spokesperson said . we take part in the f1 championship and if that calendar includes a race in bahrain then we will be racing in bahrain . it 's not up to the teams to pick and choose which races we take part in . the fia are the ones monitoring the situation . they are the ones who make a decision based on what is happening on the ground and we take their guidance . ' bernie ecclestone , the driving force behind formula one , had earlier stated that it is up to the individual teams to decide whether they would race in bahrain . we 've no way we can force people to go there , ' he told the uk press association . we ca n't say'you 've got to go'-- although they would be in breach of their agreement with us if they did n't go -- but it does n't help . commercially they have to go , but whether they decide to or not is up to them . i 've had no one say anything other than'we 're going to be racing in bahrain'. ' by not racing in bahrain , any formula one team would be breaking the concorde agreement -- a commercial contract between fia , ecclestone 's formula one administration and the teams -- and would be liable to potentially ruinous multi-million-dollar censure . teams are unable to cancel grands prix , ' replied the formula one team association ( fota ) . we race in an international series called the fia formula one world championship , and it is therefore for the fia to offer the teams guidance on these issues . ' a year of protests controversy has raged over the bahrain grand prix ever since an uprising against the ruling al khalifa royal family rocked the kingdom just over a year ago . pro-democracy protests were crushed , with dozens killed in the ensuing violence . last year 's race was canceled as a result but protests have continued in the run up to this year 's race . local human rights groups claim that abuses have continued despite government assurances to the contrary . if formula one go ahead with the race it will give the impression that everything is back to normal when everything is not back to normal . people are dying on a daily basis , ' nabeel rajab , head of the bahrain center for human rights , told cnn . i say think of the human rights , think of things other than just your profit and your interest . human rights have to come first , ' he added . we will welcome you back when everything is back to normal , when the killing and arrests have stopped in the streets . ' however , zayed al zayani , chairman of the bahrain international circuit ( bic ) where the f1 race will be staged , insisted that safety would not be a problem and blamed the crisis on press scaremongering . ' what has been happening is that armchair observers -- who have not been sufficiently interested or committed to investigate the situation for themselves -- have been driving this debate , at the expense of those neutral parties who have taken the trouble to investigate the situation at first hand , ' zayani said in a statement released to cnn . this , combined with the scaremongering tactics of certain small extremist groups on social networking sites , has created huge misconceptions about the current situation . ' negative publicity such has been the negative publicity surrounding the race , bic released a statement on monday quoting british parliamentary mp ben wallace , the british ambassador to bahrain iain lindsay and the lotus f1 team as saying that bahrain was safe and the race should go ahead . but that move backfired when the lotus f1 team criticized bic for using their quotes without permission . these quotes were part of a full internal and confidential working document , that was also sent on a confidential basis to all f1 team managers last week , ' lotus f1 said in their statement . lotus f1 team is one of 12 contestants of the formula one world championship and we would never try to substitute ourselves for the fã©dã©ration internationale de l'automobile ( fia ) , which is the only party entitled to determine if a grand prix should go ahead or not . ' the situation has been further exacerbated by the condition of human rights activist abdulhadi al khawaja , who has been on hunger strike for close to two months after being jailed for life charged with plotting to overthrow the state . international rights organizations , including amnesty international , have called for his release . according to the british newspaper the independent , ecclestone reportedly phoned a leading writer and activist in bahrain to check on al khawaja 's condition and even offered to host a press conference with opposition figures . ( mr ecclestone ) said he was very concerned about what is going on , ' dr. ala'a shehabi told the independent . he said the crown prince ( salman bin hamad al khalifa ) told him that al khawaja was doing fine , but i said that i am hearing very different reports . ' decision sunday ? this weekend will see the shanghai grand prix take center stage . as it stands we 're due to fly there ( bahrain ) straight from shanghai so a decision on whether the race takes place could be taken as late as sunday morning , ' a spokesman for the toro rosso team told cnn . clearly it 's a situation that we would like to see resolved as soon as possible . i certainly do n't think it will be a case of some teams going and some not going . it will be everybody or nobody . the team bosses will have a meeting in china ... bernie ecclestone will of course be there and i 'm sure they will thrash something out . ' although several former drivers , like the british 1996 world champion damon hill , have voiced concerns over the bahrain grand prix , the current crop has been largely silent on whether the race should be won . if we go , it 's a good decision to make , ' two-time world champion vettel told cnn wednesday . if we do n't go , we do n't go . ' | leading f1 teams tell cnn they wo n't pull out of bahrain gp |
copts <tsp> cairo , egypt ( cnn ) -- thousands of christian copts in cairo protested outside the offices of the egyptian state broadcaster , witnesses said on friday . it was the seventh day of protests over what they 're calling the marginalization and lack of representation ' of their concerns in state media . there have been longstanding tensions between muslims and copts in egypt , and 13 copts were killed in sectarian clashes last tuesday . that erupted after a family dispute between christians and muslims resulted in a church burning south of cairo . | there have been longstanding tensions between muslims and copts |
ballack <tsp> ( cnn ) -- germany captain michael ballack has suffered a fractured left knee cap following a heavy challenge while playing for bayer leverkusen against hanover on saturday . the 33-year-old former chelsea and bayern munich midfielder limped off after 30 minutes of the bundesliga clash and is expected to be out of action for up to two months . the injury means ballack has already been ruled out of the euro 2012 qualifiers against turkey and kazakhstan . it is a further blow to ballack , who missed the world cup finals with an ankle injury and was subsequently left out of the germany squad for this month 's ties against belgium and azerbaijan . germany national coach joachim loew released a statement saying : i feel sorry for michael that he must accept a new health setback . of course i wish him a quick and speedy recovery . ' meanwhile , mainz joined hoffenheim at the top of the bundesliga table with a 2-1 home victory over kaiserslautern on sunday . the visitors went into the interval with the lead courtesy of a well-taken goal from croatian striker srdjan lakic . but niko bungert levelled after 71 minutes and mainz collected all three points with a deflected strike from teenager andre schuerrle . the result means mainz have won all their three opening matches and they stand on nine points , trailing hoffenheim at the top only on goal difference . | ballack is ruled out of the euro 2012 qualifiers against turkey and kazakhstan |
ballack <tsp> ( cnn ) -- germany captain michael ballack has suffered a fractured left knee cap following a heavy challenge while playing for bayer leverkusen against hanover on saturday . the 33-year-old former chelsea and bayern munich midfielder limped off after 30 minutes of the bundesliga clash and is expected to be out of action for up to two months . the injury means ballack has already been ruled out of the euro 2012 qualifiers against turkey and kazakhstan . it is a further blow to ballack , who missed the world cup finals with an ankle injury and was subsequently left out of the germany squad for this month 's ties against belgium and azerbaijan . germany national coach joachim loew released a statement saying : i feel sorry for michael that he must accept a new health setback . of course i wish him a quick and speedy recovery . ' meanwhile , mainz joined hoffenheim at the top of the bundesliga table with a 2-1 home victory over kaiserslautern on sunday . the visitors went into the interval with the lead courtesy of a well-taken goal from croatian striker srdjan lakic . but niko bungert levelled after 71 minutes and mainz collected all three points with a deflected strike from teenager andre schuerrle . the result means mainz have won all their three opening matches and they stand on nine points , trailing hoffenheim at the top only on goal difference . | germany captain michael ballack has suffered a fractured left knee cap |
ballack <tsp> ( cnn ) -- germany captain michael ballack has suffered a fractured left knee cap following a heavy challenge while playing for bayer leverkusen against hanover on saturday . the 33-year-old former chelsea and bayern munich midfielder limped off after 30 minutes of the bundesliga clash and is expected to be out of action for up to two months . the injury means ballack has already been ruled out of the euro 2012 qualifiers against turkey and kazakhstan . it is a further blow to ballack , who missed the world cup finals with an ankle injury and was subsequently left out of the germany squad for this month 's ties against belgium and azerbaijan . germany national coach joachim loew released a statement saying : i feel sorry for michael that he must accept a new health setback . of course i wish him a quick and speedy recovery . ' meanwhile , mainz joined hoffenheim at the top of the bundesliga table with a 2-1 home victory over kaiserslautern on sunday . the visitors went into the interval with the lead courtesy of a well-taken goal from croatian striker srdjan lakic . but niko bungert levelled after 71 minutes and mainz collected all three points with a deflected strike from teenager andre schuerrle . the result means mainz have won all their three opening matches and they stand on nine points , trailing hoffenheim at the top only on goal difference . | ballack sustained the injury while playing for bayer leverkusen against hanover |
germany <tsp> ( cnn ) -- germany captain michael ballack has suffered a fractured left knee cap following a heavy challenge while playing for bayer leverkusen against hanover on saturday . the 33-year-old former chelsea and bayern munich midfielder limped off after 30 minutes of the bundesliga clash and is expected to be out of action for up to two months . the injury means ballack has already been ruled out of the euro 2012 qualifiers against turkey and kazakhstan . it is a further blow to ballack , who missed the world cup finals with an ankle injury and was subsequently left out of the germany squad for this month 's ties against belgium and azerbaijan . germany national coach joachim loew released a statement saying : i feel sorry for michael that he must accept a new health setback . of course i wish him a quick and speedy recovery . ' meanwhile , mainz joined hoffenheim at the top of the bundesliga table with a 2-1 home victory over kaiserslautern on sunday . the visitors went into the interval with the lead courtesy of a well-taken goal from croatian striker srdjan lakic . but niko bungert levelled after 71 minutes and mainz collected all three points with a deflected strike from teenager andre schuerrle . the result means mainz have won all their three opening matches and they stand on nine points , trailing hoffenheim at the top only on goal difference . | germany captain michael ballack has suffered a fractured left knee cap |
venezuelans <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the picture has created an uproar in venezuela . it shows venezuelan lawmaker adel el zabayar , holding an assault rifle and posing with two armed soldiers . what makes the photo particularly striking is that the 49-year-old legislator is in syria supporting president bashar al-assad . el zabayar was born in venezuela , but his parents are from syria . the lawmaker , who was little known before his trip to syria , says he 's willing to fight for the country of his forebears if the united states attacks the arab nation . in another picture , el zabayar appears in the middle of a group of apparent military men . like most of the others , he 's holding an assault rifle . in a recent phone interview with cnn en espaã±ol from damascus , where he 's visiting his ailing mother , el zabayar called the u.s. government hypocritical . it has a double standard when it comes to al qaeda , ' he said . we need to think about that . the world has to start a debate about international terrorism . ' el zabayar is a member of the united socialist party of venezuela . he accompanied the late president hugo chavez when he met with al-assad in syria in 2009 . the venezuelan national assembly granted el zabayar a leave of absence to travel to syria , and president nicolas maduro praises him as a hero . he has decided to give his life for his land , the land of his grandparents , for the peace and dignity of the syrian people . well done , mr. legislator . you have followed your conscience , ' maduro said on venezuelan national television this week . venezuela has a sizable population of ethnic arabs who have significant clout and political power . tareck el aissami , who has syrian and lebanese parents , is the governor of aragua state and former minister of the interior and justice . favored by chavez , he has remained powerful under the new administration . just like el aissami , a large portion of the arab community in venezuela has aligned itself with the socialist government . members of the arab-venezuelan union and the sheik ibrahim mosque in caracas marched last september to support chavez 's re-election . a group of venezuelans of arab origin protested outside the u.s. embassy in caracas this week . they chanted long live syria ! ' and down with the empire ! ' they were waiving syrian flags , and one demonstrator displayed a picture of chavez and al-assad holding hands up in a sign of victory . hindu anderi , one of the protest organizers , suggested the united states has ulterior motives on syria . enough of wars motivated by oil and energy resources . we do n't believe the fairy tale of chemical weapons used against the civilian population in syria by the government of bashar al-assad , ' anderi said . maduro also shares that point of view . in a recently published open letter to president barack obama , the venezuelan leader called a possible attack against syria unfair , disastrous and terrifying . ' the rhetoric from caracas , consistently anti-american for more than a decade , may heat up even more if the united states takes action on syria . el zabayar , the syrian-venezuelan lawmaker , has a rather rosy view of the current situation in syria , where a popular uprising spiraled into a civil war in 2011 . everything is great , ' he said . people are out in the street doing their normal things . you have to remember that before being invaded by foreign mercenaries from saudi arabia and qatar , syria used to be known as one of the safest countries in the world . ' journalist osmary hernandez in caracas , venezuela , contributed to this report . | some venezuelans of arab origin protested outside u.s. embassy in caracas this week |
houston <tsp> ( cnn ) -- houston rockets team physician tom clanton has said the foot injury currently sidelining chinese center yao ming could threaten the seven-foot-six-inch player 's career . yao ming 's entire basketball future could be in danger due to his persistent foot injury . at this point , the injury has the potential for him missing this next season and could be career-threatening , ' clanton told the houston chronicle regional newspaper . one of the things we are trying to get is a consensus opinion on that , to make certain there is no option we are overlooking that would provide an earlier return or would be an option for treatment that he would prefer rather than doing additional surgery , ' he added . yao fractured his left foot last month during a semifinal match against the los angeles lakers in the nba western conference semifinals and has been visiting specialists ahead of treatment since then . clanton continued : at this stage , he is having no symptoms or physical signs , he has no tenderness , no swelling , no redness . when he came back in , he was feeling like everything was perfect , and he would start rehabilitation and get ready to play . the findings on the ct were shocking for him and for us . you do n't treat a ct scan ; you treat a patient . we are looking for every reason to treat this on clinical findings but do n't want to put him at risk for a greater fracture , ' he added . the diagnosis raises doubt over the playing future of one of the biggest stars in the national basketball association ( nba ) and one of the most famous celebrities to hail from china . yao is a national hero in his homeland , and the news has prompted a frenzy of postings on the internet , arguing about the why 's and wherefore 's of his injury . he is really tired , ' says one netizen posting on sina.com . he needs to rest , we can not let the giant fall ! ' i wish everything will work out well for yao ming , ' says another teenage basketball fan . there is always a way to deal with injuries . we should not give up . ' some yao supporters think he should take a long break -- even for the whole season -- and make a comeback later . i think his injury is very bad , ' opines ma jian , a tv commentator who played for the chinese national team . with all the weight training the team have put him through in the past seven years , yao has gained about 20 kilos in his upper body . but his lower body , especially his feet , did not gain much strength to hold his large frame . ' the 28-year-old yao has been a perennial pick for the nba all-star teams since moving from the shanghai sharks to the rockets in 2002 . yao also captained the chinese team as hosts at the 2008 beijing games , as well as taking the role of flag-bearer in the opening ceremony . yao was awarded the honor of model worker ' in 2005 by china 's ruling communist party . however , despite his popularity , yao still has his share of detractors . known as yao hei ' -- they are people who are out to smear the player . he is a man made of glass , ' says one posting on sina.com . should we call him yao the glass or yao the porcelain ? ' asks one rhetorically . yao is now a multi-millionaire , earning millions of dollars yearly , not just from his nba team but from lucrative commercial endorsements . admirers say yao has done more for improving china 's image overseas than any modern-day politician or diplomat . next to the giant panda , yao is perhaps china 's best known and much loved , icon , in part because exudes a wholesome , feel-good image . he is such an affable , likeable guy , ' recalls colin pine , who used to serve as his personal translator during his years as an nba rookie in houston . his demeanor on and off the court has endeared him to the media and multitude of basketball fans overseas , who admire his modesty and maturity . his loyal fans hope yao will get an extension of his already long and successful career . | yao fractured his left foot playing for houston against the l.a. lakers in may |
houston <tsp> ( cnn ) -- houston rockets team physician tom clanton has said the foot injury currently sidelining chinese center yao ming could threaten the seven-foot-six-inch player 's career . yao ming 's entire basketball future could be in danger due to his persistent foot injury . at this point , the injury has the potential for him missing this next season and could be career-threatening , ' clanton told the houston chronicle regional newspaper . one of the things we are trying to get is a consensus opinion on that , to make certain there is no option we are overlooking that would provide an earlier return or would be an option for treatment that he would prefer rather than doing additional surgery , ' he added . yao fractured his left foot last month during a semifinal match against the los angeles lakers in the nba western conference semifinals and has been visiting specialists ahead of treatment since then . clanton continued : at this stage , he is having no symptoms or physical signs , he has no tenderness , no swelling , no redness . when he came back in , he was feeling like everything was perfect , and he would start rehabilitation and get ready to play . the findings on the ct were shocking for him and for us . you do n't treat a ct scan ; you treat a patient . we are looking for every reason to treat this on clinical findings but do n't want to put him at risk for a greater fracture , ' he added . the diagnosis raises doubt over the playing future of one of the biggest stars in the national basketball association ( nba ) and one of the most famous celebrities to hail from china . yao is a national hero in his homeland , and the news has prompted a frenzy of postings on the internet , arguing about the why 's and wherefore 's of his injury . he is really tired , ' says one netizen posting on sina.com . he needs to rest , we can not let the giant fall ! ' i wish everything will work out well for yao ming , ' says another teenage basketball fan . there is always a way to deal with injuries . we should not give up . ' some yao supporters think he should take a long break -- even for the whole season -- and make a comeback later . i think his injury is very bad , ' opines ma jian , a tv commentator who played for the chinese national team . with all the weight training the team have put him through in the past seven years , yao has gained about 20 kilos in his upper body . but his lower body , especially his feet , did not gain much strength to hold his large frame . ' the 28-year-old yao has been a perennial pick for the nba all-star teams since moving from the shanghai sharks to the rockets in 2002 . yao also captained the chinese team as hosts at the 2008 beijing games , as well as taking the role of flag-bearer in the opening ceremony . yao was awarded the honor of model worker ' in 2005 by china 's ruling communist party . however , despite his popularity , yao still has his share of detractors . known as yao hei ' -- they are people who are out to smear the player . he is a man made of glass , ' says one posting on sina.com . should we call him yao the glass or yao the porcelain ? ' asks one rhetorically . yao is now a multi-millionaire , earning millions of dollars yearly , not just from his nba team but from lucrative commercial endorsements . admirers say yao has done more for improving china 's image overseas than any modern-day politician or diplomat . next to the giant panda , yao is perhaps china 's best known and much loved , icon , in part because exudes a wholesome , feel-good image . he is such an affable , likeable guy , ' recalls colin pine , who used to serve as his personal translator during his years as an nba rookie in houston . his demeanor on and off the court has endeared him to the media and multitude of basketball fans overseas , who admire his modesty and maturity . his loyal fans hope yao will get an extension of his already long and successful career . | houston rockets physician says yao ming injury could threaten his career ' |
bp <tsp> fairhope , alabama ( cnn ) -- mark castlow and jimbo meador have a solution for saving the oil-covered birds in the gulf of mexico . however , they also have a problem . i saw the solution firsthand during a quick ride through a gulf inlet , near meador 's home of fairhope , alabama , about a 20-minute drive outside mobile . the two co-owners of florida-based dragonfly boatworks have been working at a breakneck pace for weeks to modify the design of their shallow draft fishing boats , turning them into mobile triage units for pelicans , seagulls , and pretty much any kind of critter caught in the catastrophe . their concern on the 65th day of the underwater gusher is deep rooted . castlow , who says he has salt water in his blood , ' grew up surfing off miami and the keys . meador , a former shrimper , was raised along alabama 's gulf shores . they 're keenly aware that each day adds to the death toll of birds and other animals dying in pockets of oil that invade their natural habitat . we have to do everything we can to take care of them , ' said meador , who said he has a serious interest in the birding world . ' we want to do try to do what 's right to help them because they ca n't help themselves . ' oil-soaked birds : rescue or kill ? unlike more traditional boats , which have deep keels that bog down when they push into shallow marshlands , the custom dragonfly boats can operate in less than a foot of water . their broad hulls create very little wake that might further alarm wildlife ; and they 've even been painted a light green color to blend better with their surroundings . on board , castlow and meador have added a whole set of tools to help wildlife rescuers : a large , skid-proof worktable for crews to handle animals , an adjustable shade canopy which can be easily lowered to slip beneath bayou tree branches , fine mist nozzles to cool the scorching summer temperatures for workers and critters . the oil wo n't hamper the boat 's engines , thanks to a special cleaning solution . the men consulted wildlife biologists and other scientists as they rushed to make the improvements , and they 've found big donors , like florida musician jimmy buffett , who are willing to help them make the boats available to rescuers free of charge . the vessels will be outfitted with wireless internet access , and plans are in the works to team up with google earth to enable anyone to track the boats online in real time . onboard web cameras donated by a group in houston , texas , will allow classrooms or anyone else to watch rescuers in action . so far , buffett has funded construction of one prototype boat , according to the duo . the plan is to produce a new boat every seven days from here on out . after the cleanup , the animal rescue groups will be allowed to keep the boats for use in research projects . clean up crews trample pelican nests no one will make money off of the deal , but the animals could benefit immensely , including brown pelicans , a species native to the eastern gulf which has fallen victim to the oil . brown pelicans spent almost 40 years on the endangered species list until last year . salvaging just a few of the birds is so vital to the survival of the species , said lee hollingsworth , a wildlife adviser with the royal society for the protection of birds in wales . something has got to be done , and of course , it 's worth saving the bird . ' brown pelican : symbol of survival every day adds to the death toll of the region 's birds and other animals . according to a june 22 report from the u.s . fish and wildlife service , rescue officials have collected 1,746 birds along the coastline from louisiana to florida . of those , 749 were alive and visibly oiled . ' another 997 were found dead , and 265 of those were visibly oiled . birds that were found alive and then euthanized numbered 143 . the report states bp 's deepwater horizon spill is not responsible for all dead birds . how much is a pelican worth ? although the vessels have been praised by wildlife experts , including marine biologists at the university of southern mississippi , castlow and meador say they 've run into dead ends trying to get their boats into the hands of animal rescuers . they 've called federal authorities and bp too , but they say no one seems able to willing to tell them how and when the boats might be put to work . castlow and meador call their support network the dea , the dragonfly environmental army , which is made up of those who have extended a helping hand , which include suppliers , donors and volunteers . they 're hoping the combined forces of their group can break through the bureaucracy and get their boats in the hands of animal rescuers . it is frustrating to both men , but they say they 've been so encouraged by wildlife experts who have universally praised their innovation , that they 're pressing on , convinced that no less than the lives of thousands of birds are at stake , and the future of their beloved gulf too . and we 're going to get all of these people , and we are going to break that ceiling , ' said castlow . and we will go through it -- because it 's our livelihood . ' cnn 's katie ross and eliott c. mclaughlin contributed to this report . | wildlife experts praise their idea , but men say feds and bp have n't responded |
watson <tsp> if you thought golf was the stuffy reserve of mild-mannered gentlemen in polo shirts , think again . from santa claus outfits to leaping into jacuzzis and even smashing lettuce heads to smithereens , there 's no antic too crazy for new masters champion bubba watson . the 33-year-old born-again christian 's bizarre internet home videos have attracted a cult following that could change the face of golf forever . wacky watson , ' as he 's come to be known , has harnessed social media in a way no golf pro has done before . the american 's slapstick-style youtube clips see him using wooden clubs to pound pumpkins and eggplants , drawing more than a million hits as of tuesday . similarly , bubba 's facebook page has more than 65,000 likes , while his twitter followers number almost half a million -- ballooning by more than 150,000 since sunday 's miraculous win at augusta . he still has some way to go to catch tiger woods , who has more than two million followers on both networking websites , but it could herald a brave new social media era for golf stars -- one which experts say may open the sport 's doors to a previously ignored younger generation . golf has always been seen as a safe game . it 's not overly flamboyant and i think it 's still largely viewed as an elitist sport , ' christian d'ippolito , group head of international sales at uk-based social video advertising company unruly media , told cnn . the fact that there is this guy who is quite an eccentric individual -- everything from his name , his dress sense , his pink driver -- certainly sets him apart from the crowd . it 's great because much like snooker , golf desperately needs that attention from a younger audience . and social media is an effective way of getting it . every sport should have its personality , and football has been very good at that . i think bubba is golf 's answer to that personality . ' there 's no denying bubba 's intriguing character . the devout christian tweeted to god be the glory ! ' in response to his masters win and bawled on his mother 's shoulder after hitting an astonishing shot from the woods onto the green to take the title . watson , who with wife angie adopted a son , caleb , two weeks ago , also boasts of never having a golf lesson . last year he left more people scratching their heads when he and fellow pga tour players ben crane , rickie fowler and hunter mahan launched boy band golf boys . kitted out in nothing but a pair of overalls , watson recorded the song oh oh oh ' to help raise money for charity . but it 's bubba 's dedication to social media which has given fans a special insight into his unconventional life . incredibly , he replies to every single tweet , which no doubt helped to swell his legion of followers from 306,000 after his win on sunday to more than 460,000 less than a day later . his facebook page features albums of family vacations and home videos from fans'children practicing their best bubba-style shots . watson is quick to comment on every post from the public . he 's very engaged with social media . his music video had four million views and all these things help make bubba a likeable character , ' d'ippolito said . they give him mass appeal , not like the seriousness you have with a traditional golfer . ' it also helps raise his profile among sponsors . though as d'ippolito admitted : on the flipside , it does potentially make things difficult if things go wrong , as we saw with tiger 's romantic profile recently . five years ago it was inconceivable that a sporting personality would have an entire global audience at his fingertips . it opens up a whole new debate on how much sponsors can control their stars . it could work both ways -- some sponsors might be put off by his level of eccentricity . ' | masters champ bubba watson 's wacky youtube videos are internet sensation |
watson <tsp> if you thought golf was the stuffy reserve of mild-mannered gentlemen in polo shirts , think again . from santa claus outfits to leaping into jacuzzis and even smashing lettuce heads to smithereens , there 's no antic too crazy for new masters champion bubba watson . the 33-year-old born-again christian 's bizarre internet home videos have attracted a cult following that could change the face of golf forever . wacky watson , ' as he 's come to be known , has harnessed social media in a way no golf pro has done before . the american 's slapstick-style youtube clips see him using wooden clubs to pound pumpkins and eggplants , drawing more than a million hits as of tuesday . similarly , bubba 's facebook page has more than 65,000 likes , while his twitter followers number almost half a million -- ballooning by more than 150,000 since sunday 's miraculous win at augusta . he still has some way to go to catch tiger woods , who has more than two million followers on both networking websites , but it could herald a brave new social media era for golf stars -- one which experts say may open the sport 's doors to a previously ignored younger generation . golf has always been seen as a safe game . it 's not overly flamboyant and i think it 's still largely viewed as an elitist sport , ' christian d'ippolito , group head of international sales at uk-based social video advertising company unruly media , told cnn . the fact that there is this guy who is quite an eccentric individual -- everything from his name , his dress sense , his pink driver -- certainly sets him apart from the crowd . it 's great because much like snooker , golf desperately needs that attention from a younger audience . and social media is an effective way of getting it . every sport should have its personality , and football has been very good at that . i think bubba is golf 's answer to that personality . ' there 's no denying bubba 's intriguing character . the devout christian tweeted to god be the glory ! ' in response to his masters win and bawled on his mother 's shoulder after hitting an astonishing shot from the woods onto the green to take the title . watson , who with wife angie adopted a son , caleb , two weeks ago , also boasts of never having a golf lesson . last year he left more people scratching their heads when he and fellow pga tour players ben crane , rickie fowler and hunter mahan launched boy band golf boys . kitted out in nothing but a pair of overalls , watson recorded the song oh oh oh ' to help raise money for charity . but it 's bubba 's dedication to social media which has given fans a special insight into his unconventional life . incredibly , he replies to every single tweet , which no doubt helped to swell his legion of followers from 306,000 after his win on sunday to more than 460,000 less than a day later . his facebook page features albums of family vacations and home videos from fans'children practicing their best bubba-style shots . watson is quick to comment on every post from the public . he 's very engaged with social media . his music video had four million views and all these things help make bubba a likeable character , ' d'ippolito said . they give him mass appeal , not like the seriousness you have with a traditional golfer . ' it also helps raise his profile among sponsors . though as d'ippolito admitted : on the flipside , it does potentially make things difficult if things go wrong , as we saw with tiger 's romantic profile recently . five years ago it was inconceivable that a sporting personality would have an entire global audience at his fingertips . it opens up a whole new debate on how much sponsors can control their stars . it could work both ways -- some sponsors might be put off by his level of eccentricity . ' | watson attracts more than 480,000 twitter followers , replying to every single post |
texas <tsp> south padre island , texas ( cnn ) -- heavy rains pelting northeastern mexico left at least one person dead and thousands more in shelters as hurricane alex moved inland , mexican emergency officials said early thursday . a contractor in monterrey died when a wall fell on him as a result of the rain , carlos eduardo aguilar of nuevo leon 's civil protection agency said . cnn-affiliate televisa reported that at least three other people died when a wall collapsed on them in acapulco , on the country 's pacific coast . alex made landfall along the northeast mexican coastline late wednesday as a category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of about 100 mph , the national hurricane center reported . forecasters downgraded the storm to a category 1 hurricane early thursday morning and said it would continue to weaken as it moved inland . the center reported at 5 a.m . et that alex was weakening , but still a category 1 hurricane , moving west at 12 mph with 80 mph maximum sustained winds . residents on both sides of the border braced for additional flooding and tornadoes . rivers and creeks were already well above their normal levels wednesday . rescuers saved a young man from rushing waters , nuevo leon state officials said . officials closed schools across the state thursday as they braced for floods . heavy rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mud slides , especially in areas with mountainous terrain , the national hurricane center said . are you affected by alex ? send photos , video power outages were reported throughout the mexican state of tamaulipas , where shelters were housing more than 5,200 people thursday morning , salvador treviño salinas of the state 's civil protection agency said . at least 1,500 people were in shelters in the city of matamoros -- located across the border from brownsville , texas -- where flash floods inundated at least 48 neighborhoods after more than 14 inches of rain fell in 24 hours , he said . the storm also affected other mexican states wednesday . in guadalajara , jalisco , the water reached more than three feet in some streets , televisa reported . heavy rains from alex were also expected to hit the mexican states of veracruz , nuevo leon , coahuila , san luis potosi and zacatecas thursday . in brownsville , texas , about 40 streets had flooded by early thursday morning , assistant city manager jeff johnston said . officials predict that the city could see up to 12 inches of rain from the storm , he said -- a significant amount , but less than originally feared . we 're keeping a very close eye on the rain , ' he said . brownsville is a very flat city ... when we get a significat amount of rain in a short period of time , it 's very difficult to move that water out of the city fast . ' at least 1,000 people in southern texas were taking shelter in evacuation centers as alex 's winds and heavy rain squalls bore down on the coastline , officials in cameron and hidalgo counties reported . brownsville appeared to be taking the brunt of alex 's outer bands wednesday after as many as six tornadoes were reported in the area and about 4,000 customers lost power , officials said . but by thursday morning , all but 60 customers were back on the grid , johnston said . in harlingen , just 30 miles north of brownsville , wind gusts of up to 65 mph were reported hours before the storm 's expected landfall . no injuries were immediately reported from the twisters near brownsville , but some damage was reported , including downed trees and power lines , weather and emergency management officials said . carol rumsey was riding the storm out in her los fresnos , texas , home , not far from brownsville and about a half hour from the coast . she told cnn radio on wednesday night that her house had an eerie feel as the storm approached . you board up your windows and it 's like living in a dungeon , ' she said . you ca n't hear anything , you ca n't see anything . ' she said she had considered evacuating as the region was being pummeled by heavy rain and occasional gusts of wind , but said this is the price you pay for living in paradise . ' meanwhile , authorities in south padre island closed the queen isabella memorial bridge -- which crosses to the popular vacation spot -- as a precaution ahead of the approaching alex . tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 205 miles from the center of the storm and hurricane force winds extend outward up to 35 miles , according to the hurricane center . heavy rain and thunderstorms associated with the outer bands of alex were affecting the entire gulf coast from texas to louisiana to the florida panhandle . brownsville received more than 4 inches of rain by wednesday afternoon , the weather service said . harlingen assistant fire chief cirilo rodriguez said his region was expecting 7-10 inches of rain . coastal flood advisories have been issued for louisiana and mississippi . minor coastal flooding is expected along the shore due to a prolonged strong southeasterly wind caused by the large counterclockwise circulation of the hurricane . texas gov . rick perry said wednesday that the state was prepared for the storm . the state operations center was fully activated , he said , and texas was working with federal and local authorities to track the hurricane and the bp gulf oil disaster . president barack obama issued a federal emergency declaration for texas ahead of alex 's expected arrival , the white house said tuesday night . after the hurricane made landfall around 9 p.m. ct ( 10 p.m . et ) , forecasters from the national hurricane center changed the hurricane warning to a tropical storm warning for the coast of texas south of baffin bay to the mouth of the rio grande . a tropical storm warning issued earlier remained in place along the texas coast from baffin bay to port o'connor . a hurricane warning was in place for the coast of mexico from the mouth of the rio grande to la cruza , mexico . the storm continued to move away from the massive bp oil catastrophe near the louisiana coast in the northern gulf of mexico , but it already was complicating cleanup efforts . residual effects from the storm will last for at least four days , cnn meteorologist chad myers said , and could prohibit skimming and burning of oil in the gulf at least until saturday or sunday . the storm created 12-foot waves tuesday and oil-skimming ships were sent to shore from louisiana to the florida panhandle . the rough seas may force crews to replace and reorganize booms meant to deter the oil from reaching shore , reported cnn 's ed lavandera . florida gov . charlie crist said that even though florida may dodge any problems with this storm , the atlantic hurricane season is just beginning . in florida , we 've had a lot of hurricanes a number of years ago , but we handled them very well , ' he told cnn 's campbell brown . the difference and the distinction that we face now is that we have a gulf of mexico that 's full of oil . so our hope and our prayer is that we do n't have a mixture of hurricanes with oil that could potentially damage the beautiful beaches of florida . but if we do , we 're prepared for it . ' pat ahumada , the mayor of brownsville , said the city was expecting to distribute 60,000 sandbags and provide shelter for roughly 2,000 families . utility crews were on standby to handle outages . at the same time , the state government provided 90 buses in case an evacuation is needed . i expect about 10 percent of residents to evacuate voluntarily , which already started yesterday , ' ahumada said tuesday . i see a steady flow of people going out , but no bottlenecks -- which is good . we 're not taking it lightly , ' he said . we 're ready for a worst-case scenario . ' cnn meteorologist chad myers and cnn 's dave alsup , matt cherry , sarah aarthun , gustavo valdes , richard beltran , brian walker and catherine e. shoichet contributed to this report . | thousands in shelters in mexico , texas |
rogers <tsp> ( mental floss ) -- here are 15 things everyone should know about fred rogers : every one of mr. roger 's cardigan sweaters was hand-knitted by fred rogers'mother . 1 . even koko the gorilla loved him . most people have heard of koko , the stanford-educated gorilla who could speak about 1000 words in american sign language , and understand about 2000 in english . what most people do n't know , however , is that koko was an avid mister rogers'neighborhood fan . as esquire reported , when fred rogers took a trip out to meet koko for his show , not only did she immediately wrap her arms around him and embrace him , she did what she 'd always seen him do onscreen : she proceeded to take his shoes off ! 2 . he made thieves think twice . according to a tv guide piece on him , fred rogers drove a plain old impala for years . one day , however , the car was stolen from the street near the tv station . when rogers filed a police report , the story was picked up by every newspaper , radio and media outlet around town . amazingly , within 48 hours the car was left in the exact spot where it was taken from , with an apology on the dashboard . it read , if we 'd known it was yours , we never would have taken it . ' mental floss : memorable commencement speakers 3 . he watched his figure to the pound . in covering rogers'daily routine ( waking up at 5 a.m. ; praying for a few hours for all of his friends and family ; studying ; writing , making calls and reaching out to every fan who took the time to write him ; going for a morning swim ; getting on a scale ; then really starting his day ) , writer tom junod explained that mr. rogers weighed in at exactly 143 pounds every day for the last 30 years of his life . he did n't smoke , did n't drink , did n't eat the flesh of any animals , and was extremely disciplined in his daily routine . and while i 'm not sure if any of that was because he 'd mostly grown up a chubby , single child , junod points out that rogers found beauty in the number 143 . according to the piece , rogers came to see that number as a gift ... because , as he says , the number 143 means'i love you .'it takes one letter to say'i'and four letters to say'love'and three letters to say'you .'one hundred and forty-three . ' 4 . he saved both public television and the vcr . strange but true . when the government wanted to cut public television funds in 1969 , the relatively unknown mister rogers went to washington . almost straight out of a frank capra film , his 5-6 minute testimony on how tv had the potential to give kids hope and create more productive citizens was so simple but passionate that even the most gruff politicians were charmed . while the budget should have been cut , the funding instead jumped from $ 9 to $ 22 million . rogers also spoke to congress , and swayed senators into voting to allow vcr 's to record television shows from the home . it was a cantankerous debate at the time , but his argument was that recording a program like his allowed working parents to sit down with their children and watch shows as a family . mental floss : forgotten kids shows sure to give you nightmares 5 . he might have been the most tolerant american ever . mister rogers seems to have been almost exactly the same off-screen as he was onscreen . as an ordained presbyterian minister , and a man of tremendous faith , mister rogers preached tolerance first . whenever he was asked to castigate non-christians or gays for their differing beliefs , he would instead face them and say , with sincerity , god loves you just the way you are . ' often this provoked ire from fundamentalists . 6 . he was genuinely curious about others . mister rogers was known as one of the toughest interviews because he 'd often befriend reporters , asking them tons of questions , taking pictures of them , compiling an album for them at the end of their time together , and calling them after to check in on them and hear about their families . he was n't concerned with himself , and genuinely loved hearing the life stories of others . and it was n't just with reporters . once , on a fancy trip up to a pbs exec 's house , he heard the limo driver was going to wait outside for 2 hours , so he insisted the driver come in and join them ( which flustered the host ) . on the way back , rogers sat up front , and when he learned that they were passing the driver 's home on the way , he asked if they could stop in to meet his family . according to the driver , it was one of the best nights of his life the house supposedly lit up when rogers arrived , and he played jazz piano and bantered with them late into the night . further , like with the reporters , rogers sent him notes and kept in touch with the driver for the rest of his life . 7 . he was color-blind . literally . he could n't see the color blue . of course , he was also figuratively color-blind , as you probably guessed . as were his parents , who took in a black foster child when rogers was growing up . mental floss : praise for the blind genius who invented cruise control 8 . he could make a subway car full of strangers sing . once while rushing to a new york meeting , there were no cabs available , so rogers and one of his colleagues hopped on the subway . esquire reported that the car was filled with people , and they assumed they would n't be noticed . but when the crowd spotted rogers , they all simultaneously burst into song , chanting it 's a beautiful day in the neighborhood . ' the result made rogers smile wide . 9 . he got into tv because he hated tv . the first time he turned one on , he saw people angrily throwing pies in each other 's faces . he immediately vowed to use the medium for better than that . over the years he covered topics as varied as why kids should n't be scared of a haircut , or the bathroom drain ( because you wo n't fit ! ) , to divorce and war . 10 . he was an ivy league dropout . rogers moved from dartmouth to rollins college to pursue his studies in music . 11 . he composed all the songs on the show , and over 200 tunes . 12 . he was a perfectionist , and disliked ad libbing . he felt he owed it to children to make sure every word on his show was thought out . 13 . michael keaton got his start on the show as an assistant . he helped puppeteer and operate the trolley . 14 . several characters on the show are named for his family . queen sara is named after rogers'wife , and the postman mr. mcfeely is named for his maternal grandfather who always talked to him like an adult , and reminded young fred that he made every day special just by being himself . sound familiar ? it was the same way mister rogers closed every show . 15 . the sweaters . every one of the cardigans he wore on the show had been hand-knit by his mother . for more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com entire contents of this article copyright , mental floss llc . all rights reserved . | rogers weighed exactly 143 pounds every day for the last 30 years of his life |
rogers <tsp> ( mental floss ) -- here are 15 things everyone should know about fred rogers : every one of mr. roger 's cardigan sweaters was hand-knitted by fred rogers'mother . 1 . even koko the gorilla loved him . most people have heard of koko , the stanford-educated gorilla who could speak about 1000 words in american sign language , and understand about 2000 in english . what most people do n't know , however , is that koko was an avid mister rogers'neighborhood fan . as esquire reported , when fred rogers took a trip out to meet koko for his show , not only did she immediately wrap her arms around him and embrace him , she did what she 'd always seen him do onscreen : she proceeded to take his shoes off ! 2 . he made thieves think twice . according to a tv guide piece on him , fred rogers drove a plain old impala for years . one day , however , the car was stolen from the street near the tv station . when rogers filed a police report , the story was picked up by every newspaper , radio and media outlet around town . amazingly , within 48 hours the car was left in the exact spot where it was taken from , with an apology on the dashboard . it read , if we 'd known it was yours , we never would have taken it . ' mental floss : memorable commencement speakers 3 . he watched his figure to the pound . in covering rogers'daily routine ( waking up at 5 a.m. ; praying for a few hours for all of his friends and family ; studying ; writing , making calls and reaching out to every fan who took the time to write him ; going for a morning swim ; getting on a scale ; then really starting his day ) , writer tom junod explained that mr. rogers weighed in at exactly 143 pounds every day for the last 30 years of his life . he did n't smoke , did n't drink , did n't eat the flesh of any animals , and was extremely disciplined in his daily routine . and while i 'm not sure if any of that was because he 'd mostly grown up a chubby , single child , junod points out that rogers found beauty in the number 143 . according to the piece , rogers came to see that number as a gift ... because , as he says , the number 143 means'i love you .'it takes one letter to say'i'and four letters to say'love'and three letters to say'you .'one hundred and forty-three . ' 4 . he saved both public television and the vcr . strange but true . when the government wanted to cut public television funds in 1969 , the relatively unknown mister rogers went to washington . almost straight out of a frank capra film , his 5-6 minute testimony on how tv had the potential to give kids hope and create more productive citizens was so simple but passionate that even the most gruff politicians were charmed . while the budget should have been cut , the funding instead jumped from $ 9 to $ 22 million . rogers also spoke to congress , and swayed senators into voting to allow vcr 's to record television shows from the home . it was a cantankerous debate at the time , but his argument was that recording a program like his allowed working parents to sit down with their children and watch shows as a family . mental floss : forgotten kids shows sure to give you nightmares 5 . he might have been the most tolerant american ever . mister rogers seems to have been almost exactly the same off-screen as he was onscreen . as an ordained presbyterian minister , and a man of tremendous faith , mister rogers preached tolerance first . whenever he was asked to castigate non-christians or gays for their differing beliefs , he would instead face them and say , with sincerity , god loves you just the way you are . ' often this provoked ire from fundamentalists . 6 . he was genuinely curious about others . mister rogers was known as one of the toughest interviews because he 'd often befriend reporters , asking them tons of questions , taking pictures of them , compiling an album for them at the end of their time together , and calling them after to check in on them and hear about their families . he was n't concerned with himself , and genuinely loved hearing the life stories of others . and it was n't just with reporters . once , on a fancy trip up to a pbs exec 's house , he heard the limo driver was going to wait outside for 2 hours , so he insisted the driver come in and join them ( which flustered the host ) . on the way back , rogers sat up front , and when he learned that they were passing the driver 's home on the way , he asked if they could stop in to meet his family . according to the driver , it was one of the best nights of his life the house supposedly lit up when rogers arrived , and he played jazz piano and bantered with them late into the night . further , like with the reporters , rogers sent him notes and kept in touch with the driver for the rest of his life . 7 . he was color-blind . literally . he could n't see the color blue . of course , he was also figuratively color-blind , as you probably guessed . as were his parents , who took in a black foster child when rogers was growing up . mental floss : praise for the blind genius who invented cruise control 8 . he could make a subway car full of strangers sing . once while rushing to a new york meeting , there were no cabs available , so rogers and one of his colleagues hopped on the subway . esquire reported that the car was filled with people , and they assumed they would n't be noticed . but when the crowd spotted rogers , they all simultaneously burst into song , chanting it 's a beautiful day in the neighborhood . ' the result made rogers smile wide . 9 . he got into tv because he hated tv . the first time he turned one on , he saw people angrily throwing pies in each other 's faces . he immediately vowed to use the medium for better than that . over the years he covered topics as varied as why kids should n't be scared of a haircut , or the bathroom drain ( because you wo n't fit ! ) , to divorce and war . 10 . he was an ivy league dropout . rogers moved from dartmouth to rollins college to pursue his studies in music . 11 . he composed all the songs on the show , and over 200 tunes . 12 . he was a perfectionist , and disliked ad libbing . he felt he owed it to children to make sure every word on his show was thought out . 13 . michael keaton got his start on the show as an assistant . he helped puppeteer and operate the trolley . 14 . several characters on the show are named for his family . queen sara is named after rogers'wife , and the postman mr. mcfeely is named for his maternal grandfather who always talked to him like an adult , and reminded young fred that he made every day special just by being himself . sound familiar ? it was the same way mister rogers closed every show . 15 . the sweaters . every one of the cardigans he wore on the show had been hand-knit by his mother . for more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com entire contents of this article copyright , mental floss llc . all rights reserved . | fred rogers'stolen car was returned in 48 hours with an apology note |
congress <tsp> ( mental floss ) -- here are 15 things everyone should know about fred rogers : every one of mr. roger 's cardigan sweaters was hand-knitted by fred rogers'mother . 1 . even koko the gorilla loved him . most people have heard of koko , the stanford-educated gorilla who could speak about 1000 words in american sign language , and understand about 2000 in english . what most people do n't know , however , is that koko was an avid mister rogers'neighborhood fan . as esquire reported , when fred rogers took a trip out to meet koko for his show , not only did she immediately wrap her arms around him and embrace him , she did what she 'd always seen him do onscreen : she proceeded to take his shoes off ! 2 . he made thieves think twice . according to a tv guide piece on him , fred rogers drove a plain old impala for years . one day , however , the car was stolen from the street near the tv station . when rogers filed a police report , the story was picked up by every newspaper , radio and media outlet around town . amazingly , within 48 hours the car was left in the exact spot where it was taken from , with an apology on the dashboard . it read , if we 'd known it was yours , we never would have taken it . ' mental floss : memorable commencement speakers 3 . he watched his figure to the pound . in covering rogers'daily routine ( waking up at 5 a.m. ; praying for a few hours for all of his friends and family ; studying ; writing , making calls and reaching out to every fan who took the time to write him ; going for a morning swim ; getting on a scale ; then really starting his day ) , writer tom junod explained that mr. rogers weighed in at exactly 143 pounds every day for the last 30 years of his life . he did n't smoke , did n't drink , did n't eat the flesh of any animals , and was extremely disciplined in his daily routine . and while i 'm not sure if any of that was because he 'd mostly grown up a chubby , single child , junod points out that rogers found beauty in the number 143 . according to the piece , rogers came to see that number as a gift ... because , as he says , the number 143 means'i love you .'it takes one letter to say'i'and four letters to say'love'and three letters to say'you .'one hundred and forty-three . ' 4 . he saved both public television and the vcr . strange but true . when the government wanted to cut public television funds in 1969 , the relatively unknown mister rogers went to washington . almost straight out of a frank capra film , his 5-6 minute testimony on how tv had the potential to give kids hope and create more productive citizens was so simple but passionate that even the most gruff politicians were charmed . while the budget should have been cut , the funding instead jumped from $ 9 to $ 22 million . rogers also spoke to congress , and swayed senators into voting to allow vcr 's to record television shows from the home . it was a cantankerous debate at the time , but his argument was that recording a program like his allowed working parents to sit down with their children and watch shows as a family . mental floss : forgotten kids shows sure to give you nightmares 5 . he might have been the most tolerant american ever . mister rogers seems to have been almost exactly the same off-screen as he was onscreen . as an ordained presbyterian minister , and a man of tremendous faith , mister rogers preached tolerance first . whenever he was asked to castigate non-christians or gays for their differing beliefs , he would instead face them and say , with sincerity , god loves you just the way you are . ' often this provoked ire from fundamentalists . 6 . he was genuinely curious about others . mister rogers was known as one of the toughest interviews because he 'd often befriend reporters , asking them tons of questions , taking pictures of them , compiling an album for them at the end of their time together , and calling them after to check in on them and hear about their families . he was n't concerned with himself , and genuinely loved hearing the life stories of others . and it was n't just with reporters . once , on a fancy trip up to a pbs exec 's house , he heard the limo driver was going to wait outside for 2 hours , so he insisted the driver come in and join them ( which flustered the host ) . on the way back , rogers sat up front , and when he learned that they were passing the driver 's home on the way , he asked if they could stop in to meet his family . according to the driver , it was one of the best nights of his life the house supposedly lit up when rogers arrived , and he played jazz piano and bantered with them late into the night . further , like with the reporters , rogers sent him notes and kept in touch with the driver for the rest of his life . 7 . he was color-blind . literally . he could n't see the color blue . of course , he was also figuratively color-blind , as you probably guessed . as were his parents , who took in a black foster child when rogers was growing up . mental floss : praise for the blind genius who invented cruise control 8 . he could make a subway car full of strangers sing . once while rushing to a new york meeting , there were no cabs available , so rogers and one of his colleagues hopped on the subway . esquire reported that the car was filled with people , and they assumed they would n't be noticed . but when the crowd spotted rogers , they all simultaneously burst into song , chanting it 's a beautiful day in the neighborhood . ' the result made rogers smile wide . 9 . he got into tv because he hated tv . the first time he turned one on , he saw people angrily throwing pies in each other 's faces . he immediately vowed to use the medium for better than that . over the years he covered topics as varied as why kids should n't be scared of a haircut , or the bathroom drain ( because you wo n't fit ! ) , to divorce and war . 10 . he was an ivy league dropout . rogers moved from dartmouth to rollins college to pursue his studies in music . 11 . he composed all the songs on the show , and over 200 tunes . 12 . he was a perfectionist , and disliked ad libbing . he felt he owed it to children to make sure every word on his show was thought out . 13 . michael keaton got his start on the show as an assistant . he helped puppeteer and operate the trolley . 14 . several characters on the show are named for his family . queen sara is named after rogers'wife , and the postman mr. mcfeely is named for his maternal grandfather who always talked to him like an adult , and reminded young fred that he made every day special just by being himself . sound familiar ? it was the same way mister rogers closed every show . 15 . the sweaters . every one of the cardigans he wore on the show had been hand-knit by his mother . for more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com entire contents of this article copyright , mental floss llc . all rights reserved . | the star saved both public television and vcr by testifying before congress |
youtube <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the los angeles regional food bank needed a way to tell the world about its work . shawn ahmed wanted to continue the video storytelling he 'd begun on behalf of the poor in bangladesh . youtube wanted to bring them together . the result , youtube 's video volunteers page , pairs deserving but underfunded charities with creative video producers willing to help them . the page has brought hundreds of sometimes-offbeat fundraising and promotional videos to the same site that launched such web celebrities as singer susan boyle and the leave britney alone ' guy . there are all these really big , sexy parts of youtube , but we need people to know about this [ project ] because it actually matters , ' said youtube spokesman aaron zamost , invoking pop star justin timberlake . the nonprofits are n't that sexy -- but we 're trying to bring sexy back a little bit to the nonprofits . ' the video volunteers page lets nonprofits post descriptions of projects for which they need videos produced . video artists , in turn , can scroll the offerings and pick a cause they 'd like to help . since october , the site has featured a particular issue each month . february 's issue is health . the best videos get featured on youtube 's main page , giving massive exposure to both the charity and the video artist . we would love to think users just do it out of the kindness of their own hearts , ' said ramya raghavan , the nonprofits and activism manager at youtube , who said she thinks that 's usually the case . but i think the incentive piece does help a lot . ' on average , about 75 new volunteer videos appear on the page each month . during animal welfare month ' in october , 120 new videos were created , raghavan said . last year , ahmed , who had already visited bangladesh to video blog and raise funds for poverty relief there through his personal project , uncultured , was looking for a way to address the issue closer to home . he found out about the los angeles , california , food bank through youtube and the charity 's parent organization , feeding america . it was just really serendipity , ' said ahmed , who lives in toronto , canada . i wanted to do something charitable at home and youtube had made a relationship with feeding america . this actually made things really , really easy for me . ' the food bank is one of the nation 's largest and distributes about 1 million pounds of food a week . its staffers were thrilled at the prospect . spokeswoman julie flynn said the staff recognized the value of an online video presence , but never had the time or money to seriously pursue it . we 're just trying to maintain our own web site , ' she said . it was really nice to have someone volunteer , and a cool way for [ ahmed ] to get involved . it was a perfect blend of his passion , his skills and our need . ' the resulting video shows ahmed touring the bank 's distribution center on a forklift , interviewing clients and , ultimately , showing the 10,000 pounds of food he was able to provide with a $ 2,000 donation he 'd raised online . it appeared on youtube 's main page on thanksgiving day , and had gotten more than 400,000 page views as of this week . the key to success on youtube , ahmed said , is realizing that the site 's viewers are different than a television audience and that traditional public-service announcements are n't going to cut it . when people watch videos on youtube , they do n't approach it the same way as when they watch cnn or'heroes ,' he said . it 's very personal interaction for them . i just wanted to take a personal approach ... i thought if i do it this way , people would get more involved . ' many of the clips are quirky , unconventional and self-referencing -- taking their cues from some of the most viral videos on the site . one video titled the world sucks : make it suck less ' promotes the launch of video volunteers while name-dropping some of the most viral web videos ever . how about we put a squirrel on water skis and we tie a banner to its neck with all the stuff that you want to say about charity ? ' says a guy having a video chat about the page . or , we take a 7-year-old kid to the dentist , we get him all hopped up on pain medications and then we have him talk about charity . ' in the end , raghavan said , the project is about giving charities -- which often struggle to make ends meet in tough economic times -- a chance to make their case to the masses . if you 're a pet shelter in kansas , you do n't have the money , you do n't have the staff and , frankly , you do n't have bono , ' she said , referring to the u2 singer 's worldwide one campaign . it 's very hard to get your message out . ' | project averages 75 videos a month ; the best are featured on youtube 's main page |
youtube <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the los angeles regional food bank needed a way to tell the world about its work . shawn ahmed wanted to continue the video storytelling he 'd begun on behalf of the poor in bangladesh . youtube wanted to bring them together . the result , youtube 's video volunteers page , pairs deserving but underfunded charities with creative video producers willing to help them . the page has brought hundreds of sometimes-offbeat fundraising and promotional videos to the same site that launched such web celebrities as singer susan boyle and the leave britney alone ' guy . there are all these really big , sexy parts of youtube , but we need people to know about this [ project ] because it actually matters , ' said youtube spokesman aaron zamost , invoking pop star justin timberlake . the nonprofits are n't that sexy -- but we 're trying to bring sexy back a little bit to the nonprofits . ' the video volunteers page lets nonprofits post descriptions of projects for which they need videos produced . video artists , in turn , can scroll the offerings and pick a cause they 'd like to help . since october , the site has featured a particular issue each month . february 's issue is health . the best videos get featured on youtube 's main page , giving massive exposure to both the charity and the video artist . we would love to think users just do it out of the kindness of their own hearts , ' said ramya raghavan , the nonprofits and activism manager at youtube , who said she thinks that 's usually the case . but i think the incentive piece does help a lot . ' on average , about 75 new volunteer videos appear on the page each month . during animal welfare month ' in october , 120 new videos were created , raghavan said . last year , ahmed , who had already visited bangladesh to video blog and raise funds for poverty relief there through his personal project , uncultured , was looking for a way to address the issue closer to home . he found out about the los angeles , california , food bank through youtube and the charity 's parent organization , feeding america . it was just really serendipity , ' said ahmed , who lives in toronto , canada . i wanted to do something charitable at home and youtube had made a relationship with feeding america . this actually made things really , really easy for me . ' the food bank is one of the nation 's largest and distributes about 1 million pounds of food a week . its staffers were thrilled at the prospect . spokeswoman julie flynn said the staff recognized the value of an online video presence , but never had the time or money to seriously pursue it . we 're just trying to maintain our own web site , ' she said . it was really nice to have someone volunteer , and a cool way for [ ahmed ] to get involved . it was a perfect blend of his passion , his skills and our need . ' the resulting video shows ahmed touring the bank 's distribution center on a forklift , interviewing clients and , ultimately , showing the 10,000 pounds of food he was able to provide with a $ 2,000 donation he 'd raised online . it appeared on youtube 's main page on thanksgiving day , and had gotten more than 400,000 page views as of this week . the key to success on youtube , ahmed said , is realizing that the site 's viewers are different than a television audience and that traditional public-service announcements are n't going to cut it . when people watch videos on youtube , they do n't approach it the same way as when they watch cnn or'heroes ,' he said . it 's very personal interaction for them . i just wanted to take a personal approach ... i thought if i do it this way , people would get more involved . ' many of the clips are quirky , unconventional and self-referencing -- taking their cues from some of the most viral videos on the site . one video titled the world sucks : make it suck less ' promotes the launch of video volunteers while name-dropping some of the most viral web videos ever . how about we put a squirrel on water skis and we tie a banner to its neck with all the stuff that you want to say about charity ? ' says a guy having a video chat about the page . or , we take a 7-year-old kid to the dentist , we get him all hopped up on pain medications and then we have him talk about charity . ' in the end , raghavan said , the project is about giving charities -- which often struggle to make ends meet in tough economic times -- a chance to make their case to the masses . if you 're a pet shelter in kansas , you do n't have the money , you do n't have the staff and , frankly , you do n't have bono , ' she said , referring to the u2 singer 's worldwide one campaign . it 's very hard to get your message out . ' | youtube 's video volunteers page aims to bring sexy back ' to charitable fundraising |
yankovic <tsp> ( cnn ) -- will the super bowl dare to be stupid ' ? if an internet petition has its way , yes . weird al ' yankovic , the king of the song parody , has been nominated to perform at the next super bowl halftime show on a change.org petition -- and close to 60,000 people have signed on their approval as of thursday morning . ed ball , who created the petition , told the hollywood reporter that he was inspired by a suggestion that justin bieber headline the extravaganza , which has featured such names as u2 , the rolling stones , prince and beyonce ( and , to be fair , elvis impersonators and up with people ) . i thought ,'man , this is so crappy ,' he told the publication . the time is certainly right for yankovic , who is riding perhaps the biggest wave of his career . his new album , mandatory fun , ' debuted at no . 1 , and the series of eight videos he made to promote it -- including parodies of royals ' ( foil ' ) , blurred lines ' ( word crimes ' ) and happy ' ( tacky ' ) -- quickly became some of the most-viewed on youtube . weird al 's ' best song ever ? in the petition , ball observes that some of the artists parodied could join yankovic on stage , and the result would be most entertaining . the theatrics alone would be hilarious and a welcoming change , and draw a wider audience of fans that typically would not tune into the championship game or half-time show , ' he writes . next year 's super bowl -- that would be super bowl xlix , for the roman numeral-inclined -- will be held february 1 in glendale , arizona . ball told the hollywood reporter that yankovic would be by far the best choice the nfl could make . in all honesty , would you rather have justin bieber or miley cyrus perform the super bowl or something different ? ' he said . the man has a point . | halftime show could feature both yankovic and artists he parodies , petition says |
yankovic <tsp> ( cnn ) -- will the super bowl dare to be stupid ' ? if an internet petition has its way , yes . weird al ' yankovic , the king of the song parody , has been nominated to perform at the next super bowl halftime show on a change.org petition -- and close to 60,000 people have signed on their approval as of thursday morning . ed ball , who created the petition , told the hollywood reporter that he was inspired by a suggestion that justin bieber headline the extravaganza , which has featured such names as u2 , the rolling stones , prince and beyonce ( and , to be fair , elvis impersonators and up with people ) . i thought ,'man , this is so crappy ,' he told the publication . the time is certainly right for yankovic , who is riding perhaps the biggest wave of his career . his new album , mandatory fun , ' debuted at no . 1 , and the series of eight videos he made to promote it -- including parodies of royals ' ( foil ' ) , blurred lines ' ( word crimes ' ) and happy ' ( tacky ' ) -- quickly became some of the most-viewed on youtube . weird al 's ' best song ever ? in the petition , ball observes that some of the artists parodied could join yankovic on stage , and the result would be most entertaining . the theatrics alone would be hilarious and a welcoming change , and draw a wider audience of fans that typically would not tune into the championship game or half-time show , ' he writes . next year 's super bowl -- that would be super bowl xlix , for the roman numeral-inclined -- will be held february 1 in glendale , arizona . ball told the hollywood reporter that yankovic would be by far the best choice the nfl could make . in all honesty , would you rather have justin bieber or miley cyrus perform the super bowl or something different ? ' he said . the man has a point . | change.org petition : hire weird al ' yankovic for super bowl halftime |
yankovic <tsp> ( cnn ) -- will the super bowl dare to be stupid ' ? if an internet petition has its way , yes . weird al ' yankovic , the king of the song parody , has been nominated to perform at the next super bowl halftime show on a change.org petition -- and close to 60,000 people have signed on their approval as of thursday morning . ed ball , who created the petition , told the hollywood reporter that he was inspired by a suggestion that justin bieber headline the extravaganza , which has featured such names as u2 , the rolling stones , prince and beyonce ( and , to be fair , elvis impersonators and up with people ) . i thought ,'man , this is so crappy ,' he told the publication . the time is certainly right for yankovic , who is riding perhaps the biggest wave of his career . his new album , mandatory fun , ' debuted at no . 1 , and the series of eight videos he made to promote it -- including parodies of royals ' ( foil ' ) , blurred lines ' ( word crimes ' ) and happy ' ( tacky ' ) -- quickly became some of the most-viewed on youtube . weird al 's ' best song ever ? in the petition , ball observes that some of the artists parodied could join yankovic on stage , and the result would be most entertaining . the theatrics alone would be hilarious and a welcoming change , and draw a wider audience of fans that typically would not tune into the championship game or half-time show , ' he writes . next year 's super bowl -- that would be super bowl xlix , for the roman numeral-inclined -- will be held february 1 in glendale , arizona . ball told the hollywood reporter that yankovic would be by far the best choice the nfl could make . in all honesty , would you rather have justin bieber or miley cyrus perform the super bowl or something different ? ' he said . the man has a point . | yankovic is enjoying career high right now |
michael adebowale <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- a 22-year-old man appeared in court thursday after he was charged with murder in the death of british soldier lee rigby in london last week . flanked by two police officers , michael adebowale spoke to confirm his name , his address and that he was aware of the charges against him . adebowale is also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm , a dutch revolver , the metropolitan police said wednesday . his hands were cuffed in front of him and he wore a gray long-sleeved shirt and white trousers for the brief appearance at westminster magistrates'court . addressing adebowale , chief magistrate howard riddle said that he could sit rather than stand because he was injured . adebowale appeared to walk uncomfortably and his right hand was wrapped in what could have been a medical dressing . he was discharged from a hospital tuesday and has been held in custody since at a police station . the magistrate referred adebowale 's case to a higher court -- the old bailey in london , also known as the central criminal court -- where he will have a bail hearing june 3 and a further preliminary hearing june 28 . there is sufficient evidence to prosecute michael adebowale and it is in the public interest to do so , ' said sue hemming , head of the crown prosecution service 's special crime and counter-terrorism division . a 28-year-old suspect remains under arrest at a london hospital . he has been identified by family , friends and acquaintances as michael adebolajo . in all , 10 people have been arrested in connection with the killing . two were released without charges , while six others have been freed on bail -- the most recent a 50-year-old man arrested monday night on suspicion of conspiracy to murder . the brutal killing of rigby , who had served as an infantryman in afghanistan and cyprus , in the southeast london district of woolwich shocked people across the united kingdom . he was run over by a car and then stabbed in a daylight attack near the barracks where he was based . a post mortem examination found that the soldier 's cause of death was from multiple incised wounds , ' police said wednesday . an inquest into his death is due to open friday . two men were shot and injured after armed police were called to the scene may 22 . rigby was married and had a 2-year-old son . his wife , rebecca rigby , said last week that he had been planning to visit them so they could discuss their future . meanwhile , another woman who said she was rigby 's fiancã©e told britain 's press association that she 's extremely proud ' of him and devastated ' by his death . aimee west 's comments came in a statement to the news service issued through the metropolitan police . while police did n't relay that statement to cnn , they confirmed that they 'd passed on west 's remarks to the press association . i am moved by all the flowers and tributes , and that he has been remembered by the nation as the great man she was , ' west said . | michael adebowale will have a bail hearing monday , the court says |
washington <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- more than 33,000 items of old denim -- jeans , hats and jackets -- were sent to washington in a recycling effort that will benefit disaster-struck homes , officials said . erek hansen donated five pairs of his own outgrown jeans to the cause and collected almost 1,700 pairs . national geographic kids magazine encouraged readers to donate their old denim instead of throwing it away . the resulting 33,088 pieces of denim clothing set a world record , verified wednesday by a representative from guinness world records , according to the magazine 's blog . the thousands of pairs of jeans , which are on display at union station for two weeks , will be turned into housing insulation for homes affected by natural disasters . according to the magazine , there will be enough material to provide insulation for 60 houses . the jeans will be turned over to cotton inc. , which collects used denim for natural fiber insulation made without carcinogens or chemical irritants . paula rosario , vice president of consumer marketing for the company , said that the new record certainly attests to the civic-mindedness of today 's children . ' the ceremony unveiling the denim display also honored 9-year-old erek hansen , who collected nearly 1,700 jeans . the elementary school student from curtice , ohio , said that his friends and classmates were happy to help the environment . ' hansen donated five pairs of his own outgrown jeans . the display also includes a pair from actor ben stiller . | more than 33,000 items of old denim -- jeans , hats and jackets -- sent to washington |
cnn <tsp> dalat , vietnam ( cnn ) -- dalat nuclear research institute stands on a mountaintop in vietnam 's southern highlands . the nuclear reactor is not what most vietnamese think of when they think of dalat . the town , nestled in pine woods , is vietnam 's favorite honeymoon spot . highly enriched uranium rods are laid out on a table at the research institute in dalat , vietnam . the institute is not a romantic place . located in a cylindrical , concrete building , it contains a 500-kilowatt , pool-type reactor that had only recently been loaded with soviet wwr-m2 fuel assemblies . built in 1963 with u.s. help , it originally contained highly enriched uranium from the united states . in 1975 , at the end of the vietnam war , the reactor was closed , then reconstructed by the soviet union . in 1983 , it reopened , this time using soviet highly enriched uranium -- a cold war marriage made in heaven . the institute created medical isotopes and carried out research , but few people if any , in those days thought about the possibility that terrorists might take an interest in the uranium . watch experts remove nuclear fuel and show how easily terrorists could hide it » as i was soon to see for myself , fresh , highly enriched uranium is easy to smuggle . when clad with aluminum , its radiation is detectable only by specialized sensors . approximately 25 kilograms are all that is needed to make a crude nuclear device . i had never heard of dalat when , sitting at my desk in washington last july , i got a call from a contact at the u.s. department of energy 's national nuclear security administration . a dream i had had several years ago , when i was working in moscow as cnn 's bureau chief was about to come true : cnn was given the green light to be the only television network invited to shoot a secret joint u.s./russian mission to remove the heu fuel from the dalat reactor . the vietnamese government , once a u.s. enemy , had agreed to give up its heu in exchange for converting the reactor to low-enriched uranium that can not be used for a bomb . my contact gave few details over the phone . i went to the department of energy for a closed-door briefing . cnn cameraman charlie miller and i would travel to ho chi minh city , where we would meet the department of energy staff , then fly to dalat and drive to the reactor . according to doe ground rules , we would be able to share only a few details of the operation with our senior editors . the timing of the actual transfer of the heu was classified . we would learn it only after we had arrived in vietnam . we would not be able to broadcast our report until the nuclear material was back in russia . after our arrival in ho chi minh city september 11 , we , along with a u.s. and a japanese newspaper reporter , met the other members of the team : two russian nuclear experts and a representative from the international atomic energy agency -- the nuclear watchdog of the united nations -- who were to certify completion of the transfer . after a short flight to dalat , we loaded into a van and set out on the serpentine road toward the research institute , passing ribbons of vietnamese on motor scooters , the primary mode of transportation here . at the gate , a color poster of ho chi minh greets us . inside , we don yellow lab coats , cover our shoes with blue throw-away slippers and enter the cavernous room where the reactor stands , towering over us like something out of dr . strangelove . ' the heu fuel rods have been removed from the reactor and are stored in a large metal case . a vietnamese scientist fumbles with the keys , then opens the top and begins handing the rods to the russian experts , who lay them out on a table . the experts are wearing dosimeters to measure the radiation , but only one person wears gloves -- simple , rough cotton ones . they hand me a fuel rod and i hold it in my bare hands . now i understand just how easy it would be for a terrorist to disguise the fact that he or she was carrying highly enriched uranium . the fuel rod looks for all the world like an aluminum leg to a small table . the experts lead us up steep metal stairs to the top of the reactor . i peer down into the pool of water into which a technician is lowering new fuel rods made of low-enriched uranium . unlike highly enriched uranium , this fuel can not be used to make a bomb . the vietnamese are willing to cooperate , but they also want to verify that this new fuel will work as well as the heu did . in the control room , they huddle in front of a wall of electronic gauges , waiting until the reactor reaches criticality . ' as a blue gauge hits the mark , the room fills with applause . professor vuong huu tan , chairman of the vietnam atomic energy commission , tells me the most important part of the reactor is training our people in nuclear energy . ' this is the other part of the equation : by complying with the u.s./russian effort to remove vulnerable nuclear materials , vietnam assures it will get international support for its quest to build nuclear power plants to generate energy . both u.s. and russian companies are eyeing vietnam as a potential market . the russians wrap the fuel rods in plastic , then insert them into two large , steel cylinders . the iaea expert seals them . if they 're tampered with , it will be obvious . the next day , a flatbed military truck backs into the reactor room . a crane lifts the cylinders and gently lays them on the truck 's wooden bed as a vietnamese military officer , in olive drab , looks on . the final and most vulnerable phase of the operation begins . the truck drives through the reactor gates and joins a convoy guarded by armed soldiers . sirens blaring , we set out in a slow procession , weaving down the mountain road , traffic police on motorcycles waving riders on motor scooters out of the way . at dalat 's airport , the truck wheels onto the tarmac and stops near a vietnamese military helicopter . a forklift lowers the cylinders to the ground and six soldiers heave them in slings to the helicopter . from there , they are flown to the military base at ho chi minh city airport , where they are put onto a russian transport plane . until the last moment , it is unclear whether the vietnamese military will allow journalists onto the base . as one soldier tells a member of the nuclear team , the last time americans were here was when you bombed us . ' but they do let us in . no pictures outside . just inside the plane . ' we climb the stairs into the belly of the ilyushin 76 and see the two baby-blue cylinders filled with highly enriched uranium , nestled side by side , like two children of the cold war , ready for a trip back to where they came from : russia . at 2 p.m. , right on schedule , the engines roar and the plane lumbers down the runway , off to its ultimate destination in the ural mountains . there , the heu will be blended into a form that can not be used for bomb-making . my instincts tell me to grab a phone and call cnn headquarters in atlanta to report that the plane has taken off , but the embargo is strict : no broadcast until the heu is safely back on russian soil . on the sweltering tarmac at a military base in ho chi minh city , as the plane rises in the sky , the team of nuclear experts , the vietnamese soldiers and even we reporters break into applause . three countries : russia , the united states and vietnam , intertwined in a complex page of history , brought together in a mission to make the world more secure . this is the 13th such mission carried out by the united states and russia . altogether , a total of 442 kilograms of fresh heu from 11 countries , enough to build more than 17 crude nuclear devices , have been removed . but there is more to be done . the two countries still are only halfway there in securing vulnerable nuclear materials around the world . e-mail to a friend | cnn 's jill dougherty gets exclusive access to removal of nuclear material |
app.net <tsp> ( cnn ) -- sure , lots of folks might be excited about a twitter-like social network with no ads or annoying promoted tweets . ' but would they pay for it ? the founders of app.net think so , and so far they 've found more than 10,000 people who agree with them . the startup promises a real-time feed ' that will never be supported by ads . instead , they 'll charge a fee that , at least for now , looks to be about $ 50 . that 's how much it took to support a kickstarter-like fundraising campaign that has netted more than $ 670,000 and wraps up monday . founder and ceo dalton caldwell says he 's been disappointed by the advertising models of sites like twitter and facebook and thinks users will be willing to plunk down money for an alternative . if we 're selling a service , our customers are our users and our job is to make our users happy , ' he said in a video promoting the service . if we have a free , ad-supported service , our customers are our advertisers and our job is to make our advertisers happy . i think that a lot of the friction we 're seeing from these disappointing services are just a reflection that all the financial incentive has to do with pleasing advertisers and not the user base . ' the logic contains plenty of not-so-veiled swipes at both twitter and facebook . after gaining widespread popularity with no real means of making money , twitter has begun selling promoted tweets , promoted trends and promoted accounts . but it 's also kept a firm grip on its ecosystem by not allowing much leeway for outside developers to tinker . caldwell promises to do the opposite . the multibillion-dollar profits of facebook come primarly from advertising , leading to a commonly repeated line that caldwell appears to echo : if you 're not paying for a service , you 're not the customer -- you 're the product . ' ( if that was n't clear enough , there 's also the bristly open letter caldwell wrote to facebook ceo mark zuckerberg earlier this month , in which he pledges to never write another line of code for rotten-to-the-core'platforms'like facebook or twitter . ' ) but the question remains : will users be willing to pay to use a social network ? it would be a model that 's never been successful before . michael gartenberg , a tech-industry analyst with research firm gartner inc. , sees some potential . avoiding ads and opening the service up to developers could offer a glimpse at what twitter could have become if its creators took a different path , he said . i think people are getting hung up on the $ 50 thing right now , ' said gartenberg , who predicts that a membership fee for app.net will ultimately be less than that . it was about ,'are people serious enough about this as an idea to put $ 50 on the line to help try to create the kind of service they want ? ' the success of their fundraiser shows there 's definitely a demand , ' he said . according to the fundraiser , $ 50 amounts to pre-paying a full year of'member'tier service . ' developers pay $ 100 , and big spenders who pony up $ 1,000 -- as of monday morning , 60 folks had pledged that much -- get developer access , phone support and a meeting with caldwell in san francisco . this is n't dalton 's first crack at social media . in 2003 , he co-founded imeem , a social site on which users shared music and videos , and in 2010 launched picplz , a mobile photo app that allowed users to add visual effects . imeem was acquired by myspace and , in june , picplz announced it was shutting down as facebook-aligned instagram continued to dominate the photo-sharing space . is app.net bound for the same fate ? other efforts that generated initial buzz have faded . most notably , diaspora became one of kickstarter 's first success stories , raising $ 200,000 in 2010 to launch a privacy-aware , ' open-source alternative to facebook . but it took months to actually launch and , two years later , remains a relatively tiny network that 's home only to the most dedicated techies . app.net is a really interesting experiment , ' gartenberg said . time will tell if there 's a business here . but when twitter started , i do n't think anyone knew there was a business there either . it was a way to tell people what you had for lunch . ' app.net is currently open in an early alpha ' version for donors . caldwell emphasizes that a great deal of work needs to be done before the platform is finished . but he wanted to provide something to show backers that the service is on its way . along these lines , there are still a great many questions that need to be answered before app.net should be thought of as an operating service , rather than just an alpha prototype , ' he wrote . | app.net plans to offer an ad-free alternative to twitter , but users will have to pay |
naomi campbell <tsp> cairo , egypt ( cnn ) -- azza famy is used to breaking new ground . 18ct gold and sapphire earrings from azza fahmy 's exclusive ' collection in the 60s , she was the first woman to apprentice in egypt 's jewelry district . today , she is heads up azza fahmy jewelries . ' a family business that has evolved into the first egyptian designer brand and gained global recognition . her blends of islamic motifs , modern design and gold , silver and precious stones are worn by the likes of naomi campbell and queen rania of jordan . in 2007 , fahmy collaborated with british fashion designer , julien macdonald , to provide jewelry for his catwalk collection at london fashion week . they worked together again in 2008 . cnn 's alphonso van marsh ( am ) sits down with azza fahmy ( af ) and begins by asking her what makes her products so special . ( af ) : we take a lot of research before we do our collections . we use a lot of cultural elements and items , using the great philosopher , saz . great motifs . we turned a great motif to a modern motif . each collectin takes a lot of time before you produce it . i think this makes the collection and the products very personal and very special . ( am ) : tell me about your collaboration with british fashion designer julien macdonald . ( af ) : i think we met up when julien saw our work and he liked it and came to meet me . i have something in common with julien -- i think the flow of understanding . he showed me the collection and the colours of his work and we fantastically understand each other . ( am ) : will the designs be different for clients in the west ? ( af ) : maybe they will not understand the verses and not understand the words . for europe we are planning is taking motifs from various civilisations like islamic and turning them into modern jewelry which people will understand . ( am ) : why did you look towards europe in order to build your brand ? ( af ) : maybe because we do n't have a lot of arab names , so all the rich people are buying foreign brands . maybe we have to make a name and then go back . ( am ) : but you did go west ? ( af ) : i do go west because i see my work is very strong and it has to be the west . i am very proud to take and egyptian brand and an arab brand and market it internationally . not because i want to take it back to the arab world but because i am proud of what i produce and i want foreign people to wear an egyptian brand . ( am ) : now you have become this global name , you have started to target gulf arab countries . why ? ( af ) : as a family brand , i think we decided to expand and the nearest countries we had a good name in were in the gulf . we have expanded in dubai , qatar , bahrain and we are working in saudi arabia because they are the nearest markets in which we have a very good name . ( am ) : is it a challeng when it can be perceived in these countries that only european names can offer high-end products ? ( af ) : of course , to have a product which stands beside [ brands like ] cartier . it 's a challenge but we are very sure of ourselves because we are presenting something special . something which is different from these brands . ( am ) : why is there a tendency for consumers to buy silver and gold , not for their design but for their weight ? ( af ) : when you talk about the masses of people in egypt and the arab world , gold for them is their investment . people do n't put their money in banks , they put their money in the hands of their wives and the ears of their daughters . they do n't want to invest in added workmanship . it 's a simple , fabricated jewelry which if he sells after five years he will more money than he paid before . ( am ) : tell me about the exclusive collection ( af ) : very few pieces are produced in this line - maximum 10 to 12 pieces based on precious metals , precious stones and handmade jewelry using techniques from our masters in the workshop . we do n't repeat it . we can do pieces for a client if she has a stone or would like something unique . ( am ) : as the industry is dominated by men , was there a glass ceiling for you ? ( af ) : yes , it is a very dominant business . most of the big names in jewelry design are men and there are not a lot of women working in this business . ( am ) : does it bother you when people call it designer'bling'? ( af ) : it is quite a deep and nice collection not bling bling . i hate bling bling collections ! | her designs are worn by naomi campbell and queen rania of jordan |
alphonso van marsh <tsp> cairo , egypt ( cnn ) -- azza famy is used to breaking new ground . 18ct gold and sapphire earrings from azza fahmy 's exclusive ' collection in the 60s , she was the first woman to apprentice in egypt 's jewelry district . today , she is heads up azza fahmy jewelries . ' a family business that has evolved into the first egyptian designer brand and gained global recognition . her blends of islamic motifs , modern design and gold , silver and precious stones are worn by the likes of naomi campbell and queen rania of jordan . in 2007 , fahmy collaborated with british fashion designer , julien macdonald , to provide jewelry for his catwalk collection at london fashion week . they worked together again in 2008 . cnn 's alphonso van marsh ( am ) sits down with azza fahmy ( af ) and begins by asking her what makes her products so special . ( af ) : we take a lot of research before we do our collections . we use a lot of cultural elements and items , using the great philosopher , saz . great motifs . we turned a great motif to a modern motif . each collectin takes a lot of time before you produce it . i think this makes the collection and the products very personal and very special . ( am ) : tell me about your collaboration with british fashion designer julien macdonald . ( af ) : i think we met up when julien saw our work and he liked it and came to meet me . i have something in common with julien -- i think the flow of understanding . he showed me the collection and the colours of his work and we fantastically understand each other . ( am ) : will the designs be different for clients in the west ? ( af ) : maybe they will not understand the verses and not understand the words . for europe we are planning is taking motifs from various civilisations like islamic and turning them into modern jewelry which people will understand . ( am ) : why did you look towards europe in order to build your brand ? ( af ) : maybe because we do n't have a lot of arab names , so all the rich people are buying foreign brands . maybe we have to make a name and then go back . ( am ) : but you did go west ? ( af ) : i do go west because i see my work is very strong and it has to be the west . i am very proud to take and egyptian brand and an arab brand and market it internationally . not because i want to take it back to the arab world but because i am proud of what i produce and i want foreign people to wear an egyptian brand . ( am ) : now you have become this global name , you have started to target gulf arab countries . why ? ( af ) : as a family brand , i think we decided to expand and the nearest countries we had a good name in were in the gulf . we have expanded in dubai , qatar , bahrain and we are working in saudi arabia because they are the nearest markets in which we have a very good name . ( am ) : is it a challeng when it can be perceived in these countries that only european names can offer high-end products ? ( af ) : of course , to have a product which stands beside [ brands like ] cartier . it 's a challenge but we are very sure of ourselves because we are presenting something special . something which is different from these brands . ( am ) : why is there a tendency for consumers to buy silver and gold , not for their design but for their weight ? ( af ) : when you talk about the masses of people in egypt and the arab world , gold for them is their investment . people do n't put their money in banks , they put their money in the hands of their wives and the ears of their daughters . they do n't want to invest in added workmanship . it 's a simple , fabricated jewelry which if he sells after five years he will more money than he paid before . ( am ) : tell me about the exclusive collection ( af ) : very few pieces are produced in this line - maximum 10 to 12 pieces based on precious metals , precious stones and handmade jewelry using techniques from our masters in the workshop . we do n't repeat it . we can do pieces for a client if she has a stone or would like something unique . ( am ) : as the industry is dominated by men , was there a glass ceiling for you ? ( af ) : yes , it is a very dominant business . most of the big names in jewelry design are men and there are not a lot of women working in this business . ( am ) : does it bother you when people call it designer'bling'? ( af ) : it is quite a deep and nice collection not bling bling . i hate bling bling collections ! | she tells cnn 's alphonso van marsh what it takes to make it in the luxury market |
azza fahmy jewelries <tsp> cairo , egypt ( cnn ) -- azza famy is used to breaking new ground . 18ct gold and sapphire earrings from azza fahmy 's exclusive ' collection in the 60s , she was the first woman to apprentice in egypt 's jewelry district . today , she is heads up azza fahmy jewelries . ' a family business that has evolved into the first egyptian designer brand and gained global recognition . her blends of islamic motifs , modern design and gold , silver and precious stones are worn by the likes of naomi campbell and queen rania of jordan . in 2007 , fahmy collaborated with british fashion designer , julien macdonald , to provide jewelry for his catwalk collection at london fashion week . they worked together again in 2008 . cnn 's alphonso van marsh ( am ) sits down with azza fahmy ( af ) and begins by asking her what makes her products so special . ( af ) : we take a lot of research before we do our collections . we use a lot of cultural elements and items , using the great philosopher , saz . great motifs . we turned a great motif to a modern motif . each collectin takes a lot of time before you produce it . i think this makes the collection and the products very personal and very special . ( am ) : tell me about your collaboration with british fashion designer julien macdonald . ( af ) : i think we met up when julien saw our work and he liked it and came to meet me . i have something in common with julien -- i think the flow of understanding . he showed me the collection and the colours of his work and we fantastically understand each other . ( am ) : will the designs be different for clients in the west ? ( af ) : maybe they will not understand the verses and not understand the words . for europe we are planning is taking motifs from various civilisations like islamic and turning them into modern jewelry which people will understand . ( am ) : why did you look towards europe in order to build your brand ? ( af ) : maybe because we do n't have a lot of arab names , so all the rich people are buying foreign brands . maybe we have to make a name and then go back . ( am ) : but you did go west ? ( af ) : i do go west because i see my work is very strong and it has to be the west . i am very proud to take and egyptian brand and an arab brand and market it internationally . not because i want to take it back to the arab world but because i am proud of what i produce and i want foreign people to wear an egyptian brand . ( am ) : now you have become this global name , you have started to target gulf arab countries . why ? ( af ) : as a family brand , i think we decided to expand and the nearest countries we had a good name in were in the gulf . we have expanded in dubai , qatar , bahrain and we are working in saudi arabia because they are the nearest markets in which we have a very good name . ( am ) : is it a challeng when it can be perceived in these countries that only european names can offer high-end products ? ( af ) : of course , to have a product which stands beside [ brands like ] cartier . it 's a challenge but we are very sure of ourselves because we are presenting something special . something which is different from these brands . ( am ) : why is there a tendency for consumers to buy silver and gold , not for their design but for their weight ? ( af ) : when you talk about the masses of people in egypt and the arab world , gold for them is their investment . people do n't put their money in banks , they put their money in the hands of their wives and the ears of their daughters . they do n't want to invest in added workmanship . it 's a simple , fabricated jewelry which if he sells after five years he will more money than he paid before . ( am ) : tell me about the exclusive collection ( af ) : very few pieces are produced in this line - maximum 10 to 12 pieces based on precious metals , precious stones and handmade jewelry using techniques from our masters in the workshop . we do n't repeat it . we can do pieces for a client if she has a stone or would like something unique . ( am ) : as the industry is dominated by men , was there a glass ceiling for you ? ( af ) : yes , it is a very dominant business . most of the big names in jewelry design are men and there are not a lot of women working in this business . ( am ) : does it bother you when people call it designer'bling'? ( af ) : it is quite a deep and nice collection not bling bling . i hate bling bling collections ! | today she heads up international luxury brand , azza fahmy jewelries ' |
cnn <tsp> cairo , egypt ( cnn ) -- azza famy is used to breaking new ground . 18ct gold and sapphire earrings from azza fahmy 's exclusive ' collection in the 60s , she was the first woman to apprentice in egypt 's jewelry district . today , she is heads up azza fahmy jewelries . ' a family business that has evolved into the first egyptian designer brand and gained global recognition . her blends of islamic motifs , modern design and gold , silver and precious stones are worn by the likes of naomi campbell and queen rania of jordan . in 2007 , fahmy collaborated with british fashion designer , julien macdonald , to provide jewelry for his catwalk collection at london fashion week . they worked together again in 2008 . cnn 's alphonso van marsh ( am ) sits down with azza fahmy ( af ) and begins by asking her what makes her products so special . ( af ) : we take a lot of research before we do our collections . we use a lot of cultural elements and items , using the great philosopher , saz . great motifs . we turned a great motif to a modern motif . each collectin takes a lot of time before you produce it . i think this makes the collection and the products very personal and very special . ( am ) : tell me about your collaboration with british fashion designer julien macdonald . ( af ) : i think we met up when julien saw our work and he liked it and came to meet me . i have something in common with julien -- i think the flow of understanding . he showed me the collection and the colours of his work and we fantastically understand each other . ( am ) : will the designs be different for clients in the west ? ( af ) : maybe they will not understand the verses and not understand the words . for europe we are planning is taking motifs from various civilisations like islamic and turning them into modern jewelry which people will understand . ( am ) : why did you look towards europe in order to build your brand ? ( af ) : maybe because we do n't have a lot of arab names , so all the rich people are buying foreign brands . maybe we have to make a name and then go back . ( am ) : but you did go west ? ( af ) : i do go west because i see my work is very strong and it has to be the west . i am very proud to take and egyptian brand and an arab brand and market it internationally . not because i want to take it back to the arab world but because i am proud of what i produce and i want foreign people to wear an egyptian brand . ( am ) : now you have become this global name , you have started to target gulf arab countries . why ? ( af ) : as a family brand , i think we decided to expand and the nearest countries we had a good name in were in the gulf . we have expanded in dubai , qatar , bahrain and we are working in saudi arabia because they are the nearest markets in which we have a very good name . ( am ) : is it a challeng when it can be perceived in these countries that only european names can offer high-end products ? ( af ) : of course , to have a product which stands beside [ brands like ] cartier . it 's a challenge but we are very sure of ourselves because we are presenting something special . something which is different from these brands . ( am ) : why is there a tendency for consumers to buy silver and gold , not for their design but for their weight ? ( af ) : when you talk about the masses of people in egypt and the arab world , gold for them is their investment . people do n't put their money in banks , they put their money in the hands of their wives and the ears of their daughters . they do n't want to invest in added workmanship . it 's a simple , fabricated jewelry which if he sells after five years he will more money than he paid before . ( am ) : tell me about the exclusive collection ( af ) : very few pieces are produced in this line - maximum 10 to 12 pieces based on precious metals , precious stones and handmade jewelry using techniques from our masters in the workshop . we do n't repeat it . we can do pieces for a client if she has a stone or would like something unique . ( am ) : as the industry is dominated by men , was there a glass ceiling for you ? ( af ) : yes , it is a very dominant business . most of the big names in jewelry design are men and there are not a lot of women working in this business . ( am ) : does it bother you when people call it designer'bling'? ( af ) : it is quite a deep and nice collection not bling bling . i hate bling bling collections ! | she tells cnn 's alphonso van marsh what it takes to make it in the luxury market |
berlin wall <tsp> ( cnn ) when he brought his camera to shoot the shrinking german city of hoyerswerda , you could say american photographer demetrius freeman took a few risks . one : i do n't speak german . and two : there 's a heavy neo-nazi population in the area , ' freeman told cnn over the phone last week . i 'm black , so traveling to that part of germany was , well , very intimidating , ' he said with a chuckle . a generation ago when it was part of the former east germany , hoyerswerda was held up as an example of a communist utopia . but when the berlin wall fell in 1989 and germany reunited a year later , economic reform began choking the city of 72,000 . first , jobs began disappearing -- then so did the residents . many left town looking for better opportunities . in 1991 , gangs attacked the homes of hundreds of immigrant workers there , including vietnamese and africans , the new york times reported . authorities were forced to evacuate the terrified laborers to a military base . by the time freeman arrived last year , its population had withered to just 35,000 . he wanted to document the residents'painful economic struggle to survive . initially , he thought he 'd tell the story through the eyes of one displaced family . but when i got there , i found the issue was much bigger , ' freeman said . everyone was going through it . ' so freeman widened his editorial lens and painted a photographic landscape of a larger issue . it was n't simply residents'survival at stake . the very existence of the town itself was clearly in jeopardy . several residents were moved out of their homes to make room for a coal mining operation . one of freeman 's favorite photos shows an odd cardboard cutout in a window , showing happy residents smiling inside their doomed homes . it promoted this perfect couple and a perfect world , when it really was n't perfect , ' freeman said . the town felt eerie , ' he said , like i was in some sort of horror film . ' almost always , freeman and his german guide traveled around the city on bicycles . at one point they found themselves accosted by a group of men at a campsite . they stepped in front of us and did the whole ,'heil hitler ,'putting their hands up and talking in german , ' freeman recalled . his guide stepped in and began speaking with the men . there was an argument , and they told us to get out of their way , ' freeman said . there was a lot of yelling . finally they moved and continued yelling things as we biked away . ' thinking back , it 's like , how did i do that ? ' he laughed . freeman first fell in love with photography during his high-school days in atlanta , after his best friend 's father loaned him a small point-and-shoot camera . social media follow @ cnnphotos on twitter to join the conversation about photography . once he started playing with it , he could n't put it down . freeman 's fascination with creating images led to a question , which later became a goal : how can i make a living as a photographer ? a college degree and internships at the new york times led to his current position as a photographer for new york mayor bill de blasio . it 's really cool ... i feel like the job presents different challenges that do n't exist in newspaper and other forms , ' freeman said . you have to find a way to make photographing someone at a podium interesting . ' one day , he hopes to have a freelance photo/video company , where he can focus on his true passion : portraits . that 's really what i love to do -- just capturing someone 's character in one frame , ' freeman said . i find it very character-revealing . it 's very subtle . and l love that . ' demetrius freeman is an american photographer based in new york city . you can follow him on facebook , twitter , tumblr and instagram . | hoyerswerda , germany , has lost many residents since the berlin wall fell |
apple <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the capitol hill hearing on the irs scandal this week upstaged another senate investigation into how u.s. technology companies shelter earnings from domestic taxes . that was just as well , since the real culprit here is n't tax-dodging corporations ; it 's america 's absurd corporate tax code . the senate permanent subcommittee on investigations had hoped to make a media splash by landing a big fish rarely seen in washington : apple ceo tim cook . it released a 40-page report on the eve of the hearing , excoriating apple 's use of gimmicks ' to avoid paying u.s. taxes on $ 44 billion in offshore income between 2009 and 2012 . chaired by sen. carl levin , d-michigan , the subcommittee has been investigating the tax avoidance strategies of major u.s. tech firms . last year , microsoft and hewlett-packard were in the dock ; tuesday , it was apple 's turn . apple was n't satisfied with shifting its profits to a low-tax offshore tax haven , ' levin told the new york times . it has created offshore entities holding tens of billions of dollars while claiming to be tax resident nowhere . ' at issue are foreign subsidiaries that u.s. multinationals use to manage their overseas operations . the subcommittee report says that tech companies can shuffle their intellectual property as well as earnings among such entities to shield them from america 's steep corporate tax rates . cook , however , denied that apple funnels any of its u.s. profits into offshore tax havens . the company has amassed more than $ 100 billion in foreign earnings , he said , because international sales of iphones and other products account for 61 % of its revenues . apple pays taxes in the countries where its products are sold , he told the panel , adding that it is probably also america 's largest corporate taxpayer , with expected 2013 liabilities of $ 7 billion . the senate inquisitors are n't accusing the tech companies of doing anything illegal but of cleverly exploiting loopholes in u.s. tax laws that allow them to shelter income overseas . lawmakers want the firms to repatriate ' their overseas profits so that they can be taxed here . but the companies say that would be tantamount to taxing them twice , putting them at a disadvantage with foreign competitors who pay taxes only where their products are sold . at a time when america urgently needs to rebuild its revenue base and continue unwinding its public debts , it 's little wonder that lawmakers cast a covetous eye on the overseas profits of u.s. firms . but while grilling ceos may make for good political theater , it does n't get to the heart of the problem : america 's outdated and dysfunctional corporate tax code . how flawed is it ? let us count the ways . first , it subjects u.s.-based corporations to a top marginal rate of 35 % , among the highest in the world . designed at a time when u.s. companies competed mainly with each other , the code now hobbles them in global competition . second , the code is riddled with special tax deductions , credits and exemptions , which make it both fiendishly complicated and economically inefficient . as economist robert shapiro noted in a recent progressive policy institute study , these provisions entail significant administrative and compliance costs and , more damagingly from the standpoint of economic growth , undercut markets'ability to allocate capital to its most productive uses . they also make the code highly inequitable as some companies get breaks while others do n't with little rhyme or reason other than how effective their lobbyists are . third , the united states is one of the few remaining countries ( pdf ) that has a worldwide ' tax system , meaning that we apply the 35 % top rate to the worldwide profits of u.s-based companies : that is , on the profits made by foreign subsidiaries as well . almost every other major economy has a territorial tax system , which taxes only the business profits earned in that country . while u.s. companies get a credit for the taxes they pay overseas , they are still liable for the difference between what they pay abroad and the higher u.s. marginal tax rate . these glaring defects have engendered a rare bipartisan consensus in washington for sweeping reform of the corporate tax code . the basic idea , endorsed by the obama administration and house ways and means chairman dave camp , is to radically simplify the code by phasing out special preferences and using some or all of the revenues to cut the tax rate . ( progress toward reform is snagged , however , on a dispute over whether any of those revenues should be used for deficit reduction . ) more controversial is adopting a territorial system . some progressives are leery of this approach , since it would put the foreign earnings of u.s.-based companies forever beyond washington 's reach . but as progressive policy institute economist michael mandel notes , those foreign profits are already taxed by the countries in which the money is earned . in today 's increasingly globalized economy , it makes sense to move toward a simpler system that is easier to enforce . unlike apple , u.s. lawmakers have the power to fix our broken corporate tax system . that 's probably a better use of their time than villainizing america 's most innovative and successful companies . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of will marshall . | will marshall : do n't make apple the scapegoat for a flawed corporate tax code |
apple <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the capitol hill hearing on the irs scandal this week upstaged another senate investigation into how u.s. technology companies shelter earnings from domestic taxes . that was just as well , since the real culprit here is n't tax-dodging corporations ; it 's america 's absurd corporate tax code . the senate permanent subcommittee on investigations had hoped to make a media splash by landing a big fish rarely seen in washington : apple ceo tim cook . it released a 40-page report on the eve of the hearing , excoriating apple 's use of gimmicks ' to avoid paying u.s. taxes on $ 44 billion in offshore income between 2009 and 2012 . chaired by sen. carl levin , d-michigan , the subcommittee has been investigating the tax avoidance strategies of major u.s. tech firms . last year , microsoft and hewlett-packard were in the dock ; tuesday , it was apple 's turn . apple was n't satisfied with shifting its profits to a low-tax offshore tax haven , ' levin told the new york times . it has created offshore entities holding tens of billions of dollars while claiming to be tax resident nowhere . ' at issue are foreign subsidiaries that u.s. multinationals use to manage their overseas operations . the subcommittee report says that tech companies can shuffle their intellectual property as well as earnings among such entities to shield them from america 's steep corporate tax rates . cook , however , denied that apple funnels any of its u.s. profits into offshore tax havens . the company has amassed more than $ 100 billion in foreign earnings , he said , because international sales of iphones and other products account for 61 % of its revenues . apple pays taxes in the countries where its products are sold , he told the panel , adding that it is probably also america 's largest corporate taxpayer , with expected 2013 liabilities of $ 7 billion . the senate inquisitors are n't accusing the tech companies of doing anything illegal but of cleverly exploiting loopholes in u.s. tax laws that allow them to shelter income overseas . lawmakers want the firms to repatriate ' their overseas profits so that they can be taxed here . but the companies say that would be tantamount to taxing them twice , putting them at a disadvantage with foreign competitors who pay taxes only where their products are sold . at a time when america urgently needs to rebuild its revenue base and continue unwinding its public debts , it 's little wonder that lawmakers cast a covetous eye on the overseas profits of u.s. firms . but while grilling ceos may make for good political theater , it does n't get to the heart of the problem : america 's outdated and dysfunctional corporate tax code . how flawed is it ? let us count the ways . first , it subjects u.s.-based corporations to a top marginal rate of 35 % , among the highest in the world . designed at a time when u.s. companies competed mainly with each other , the code now hobbles them in global competition . second , the code is riddled with special tax deductions , credits and exemptions , which make it both fiendishly complicated and economically inefficient . as economist robert shapiro noted in a recent progressive policy institute study , these provisions entail significant administrative and compliance costs and , more damagingly from the standpoint of economic growth , undercut markets'ability to allocate capital to its most productive uses . they also make the code highly inequitable as some companies get breaks while others do n't with little rhyme or reason other than how effective their lobbyists are . third , the united states is one of the few remaining countries ( pdf ) that has a worldwide ' tax system , meaning that we apply the 35 % top rate to the worldwide profits of u.s-based companies : that is , on the profits made by foreign subsidiaries as well . almost every other major economy has a territorial tax system , which taxes only the business profits earned in that country . while u.s. companies get a credit for the taxes they pay overseas , they are still liable for the difference between what they pay abroad and the higher u.s. marginal tax rate . these glaring defects have engendered a rare bipartisan consensus in washington for sweeping reform of the corporate tax code . the basic idea , endorsed by the obama administration and house ways and means chairman dave camp , is to radically simplify the code by phasing out special preferences and using some or all of the revenues to cut the tax rate . ( progress toward reform is snagged , however , on a dispute over whether any of those revenues should be used for deficit reduction . ) more controversial is adopting a territorial system . some progressives are leery of this approach , since it would put the foreign earnings of u.s.-based companies forever beyond washington 's reach . but as progressive policy institute economist michael mandel notes , those foreign profits are already taxed by the countries in which the money is earned . in today 's increasingly globalized economy , it makes sense to move toward a simpler system that is easier to enforce . unlike apple , u.s. lawmakers have the power to fix our broken corporate tax system . that 's probably a better use of their time than villainizing america 's most innovative and successful companies . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of will marshall . | congressional committee strongly criticized apple 's handling of taxes |
somalia <tsp> mogadishu , somalia ( cnn ) -- bashir osman moves hurriedly along a white sandy beachfront , giving instructions to a driver operating a bulldozer . near them , a large truck is ferrying away piles of rocks , clearing a sun-soaked beach lapped by the azure blue waters of the indian ocean . work here is well underway as osman presses ahead with his new multi-million dollar project : to build a luxury beach resort in mogadishu , the capital of war-torn somalia . i knew one day that mogadishu will become peace and we 'll get stability , ' says osman , who already owns two hotels in the city . that is why i started to buy that land . ' after more than 20 years of violence , somalia moved a step closer to stability last september after picking its first president elected on home soil in decades . and now , hope is gradually returning to parts of the east african country . read this : peace concert rocks mogadishu although security is still an issue , mogadishu has been experiencing an economic renaissance in recent months , boosted by members of the diaspora returning home to rebuild the country , as well as the efforts of local businessmen who never left . osman , who stayed in somalia throughout its conflict , hopes his new development will attract holidaymakers from abroad . he says that he 's already had american and british visitors staying in his hotels . more than 20 tourists they came , ' he says . some of them they came with their family to show somalia , especially mogadishu , ' adds osman . and really when they went back , they were so excited when they saw how mogadishu looks like , how beautiful city we have , how beautiful beach we have and that is what we want to show them again and again . ' osman 's ambitious new projects are part of a growing building activity that is reshaping many of the neighborhoods of bullet-ridden mogadishu . if you go to mogadishu the construction is very , very booming , ' says osman . that is the sign of peace , ' he adds . especially the people who came back from america and europe , they start to open the new businesses . ' mogadishu 's growing economy is manifested not just in real estate and the hotel sector . telecommunications is also on the rise , while the aviation industry is spreading its wings too , with about 15 daily domestic and international flights . we have six different routes and basically next we 'll be eight , ' says osman abdullahi , a young somali entrepreneur who set up the oday express airline . there is a lot of airlines that are planning to ( come to ) this country and hoping to ( have ) a hub over here . ' abdullahi admits that leaving the united states in 2010 to return home and start his business was a 100 % huge risk . ' he says that when moved back back to somalia , it was too dangerous to even drive in mogadishu . that picture is already gone . it 's a different picture today , ' he says . this new picture can also be witnessed at mogadishu 's seaport -- somalia 's key national asset -- where creaking cranes lift goods from the commercial ships and boats lining the harbor . the wide array of imported construction materials , household goods and food are then loaded onto rows of waiting trucks . read this : somali women defy danger to write history the customs revenue collected from here has increased exponentially in recent times . and while the system is far from perfect , the income is crucial to the newly formed government in rebuilding the city , whose basic infrastructure has been shattered by war . currently , somalia 's economy is largely supported by aid from donor governments , while the relatively peaceful business environment is propped up by the african union mission in somalia african ( amisom ) . the security forces squeezed the al qaeda-linked islamist militant group al-shabaab out of mogadishu , but the insurgents still lurk and periodically launch terror attacks . read this : the global cost of somali piracy brigadier michael ondoga , of amisom , told cnn recently that although al-shabaab was largely defeated ' in mogadishu , there were still issues with its members melting into the population ' and taking advantage of the city 's large size to hide . but somali security forces have succeeded in pre-empting many suicide attacks and have arrested some of the al-shabaab operatives hiding among the capital 's population . the situation is generally good at the moment -- the security forces are controlling it very well , ' ondoga said . here in the city now , the big guns are quiet , the streets are lit , many ( in the ) diaspora are coming back , new construction is going on , business is booming , ' he said . and despite the long list of challenges , mogadishu businessmen like osman are hopeful of a brighter future . for me i was here ( during the conflict ) and the situation i see now is a situation i have never seen before . so the situation now is getting better , ' he says . | mogadishu , the capital of war-torn somalia , is experiencing an economic renaissance |
serbia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a leading anti-racism group has applauded uefa 's decision to appeal against sanctions handed out to the serbian football association for improper conduct ' following allegations of racist chanting . the european governing body has confirmed it will appeal against all punishments following the under-21 qualifying game between serbia and england in krusevac on october 16 . while uefa president michel platini had hinted at seeking tougher sanctions , the news of an appeal came following a statement in which the uefa disciplinary inspector felt it necessary to immediately confirm his intention to appeal on uefa 's behalf . ' fare -- a network of anti-discrimination and inclusion groups which tackles racism , xenophobia and homophobia across european football , says the latest developments are hugely encouraging ' uefa 's decision to appeal is very welcome , ' executive director piara powar told the english press association . we had been lobbying for it and like a lot of other people within uefa felt this was the right thing to do . ' serbia was ordered to play one under-21 match behind closed doors was fined $ 105,000 . the team 's assistant coach predrag katic and fitness coach andreja milunovic were also banned from football for two years . in addition , four serbia players were suspended with goran causic banned for four games , ognjen mudrinski and filip malbasic for three and nikola ninkovic for two . uefa will also challenge the decision to hand england duo steven caulker and tom ince two and one-match bans . the pair were caught up in a brawl during the playoff game , which was sparked following allegations of racist abuse directed at england 's danny rose . uefa 's serbia fine heavily criticized critics of uefa have accused accusing the organization of failing to find a suitable punishment . during the 2012 european championship finals , denmark 's nicklas bendtner was fined $ 125,800 for exposing boxer shorts with the logo of an online betting company earlier this year , manchester city officials were infuriated after the club was fined $ 40,000 by uefa for taking to the pitch late for a europa league game -- which was $ 13,000 more than fc porto 's sanction for fans'racist abuse during a game against the english team . powar added : uefa now have an opportunity to send out a message and it takes a lot of honesty and self-reflection to admit that one arm of the organisation got it wrong . it 's a good lead for other national associations to follow if they issue a sanction that on reflection does n't get the right message across , such as the ( english ) fa in a certain case earlier this year . ' racism row shines light on serbian football tottenham 's rose , who is currently on loan at sunderland , was shown a red card after the final whistle for kicking the ball away in anger after complaining he had been subjected to monkey chants throughout the contest . as per the uefa disciplinary regulations , the uefa disciplinary inspector has the right to open disciplinary investigations and to lodge appeals against decisions taken by the control and disciplinary body , ' read a statement on uefa 's website . having reviewed the motivated decisions for the sanctions imposed in this specific case , which have also been provided to all parties , the uefa disciplinary inspector felt it necessary to immediately confirm his intention to appeal on uefa 's behalf . ' | serbia was ordered to pay $ 105,000 after being found guilty of'improper conduct ' |
gulf <tsp> crystal river , florida ( cnn ) -- with the utmost care and a healthy dose of respect , monica ross brought the pontoon boat to a crawl , shut its engine down , and asked for quiet . she was careful not to disturb the small antenna , which floated on the surface of the crystal river marking the location of coral , an 800 pound manatee . she is in a nice , quiet cove . perfect spot to be resting , ' said ross , a marine biologist with sea to shore alliance . nice and protected ... for now , ' she said . for now . these are uncertain days on the crystal river , where boat tours take folks out to see the sea creatures , and where people can swim with them . knowing where these endangered manatees are will help marine biologists , if deepwater horizon oil makes its way into these waters where about 1,000 manatees reside . we do know that the oil is toxic and depending on how weathered it is , it can have a lot of harmful effects if manatees come in contact with it , ' said patrick rose , executive director of save the manatee club . everything from coating their skin to getting in their eyes , to being ingested ... we do n't know specifically because it 's not been documented ... never happened as far as i know , ' he said . is there oil near you ? share your story in winter , the gentle creatures -- sometimes called sea cows ' because of their underwater bucolic nature but actually more closely related to elephants -- congregate in the warm waters of the rivers , estuaries and springs along the florida gulf coast . but in summer , manatees frequently leave the close confines of their winter spas and spread out along the gulf coast to alabama , mississippi and louisiana and around the florida keys up the atlantic coast . with the population more widespread , would-be rescuers face a difficult task . long the victims of accidental boat strikes and careless boaters , the west indian manatee population in the gulf of mexico stands at about 5,000 , experts believe . this past winter 's extended cold wiped out almost 10 percent of their number . and while everyone is hoping for the best , federal and state officials as well as environmental groups are planning for the worst . the u.s . fish and wildlife service is the lead agency protecting manatees and other wildlife from the oil . we do n't know how detrimental it will be if they inhale it , if they ingest it , if they 're foraging in areas where sea grass has been oiled , ' said nicole adimey , the manatee oil spill response coordinator with the u.s . fish and wildlife service . we have no idea how that 's going to impact them , ' she said . the fish and wildlife service says that as its staff monitors the flow of the black crude across the gulf , they will use aerial flights to monitor manatees and other wildlife . they hope to have about 72 hours to respond to save manatees unknowingly swimming in the path of the oil -- including physically moving these mammals , which can reach 10 feet long and weigh 1,200 pounds . rescue teams are staging gear and will be ready to move in if necessary to try and capture manatees in distress . but rescuing large numbers of manatees has never been done before . is it realistic to capture large numbers of the sometimes uncooperative mammal ? i do n't know the answer to that question but we 're going to move as many as we possibly can , ' said adimeyr . if we had to move dozens , and it was a situation where we needed to move dozens , then i think we 've been assured that we can get the resources , the extra hands that we need to do that , ' she said . adimey said that if manatees come into contact with oil , they will be cleaned with dish soap to break it up and to clean the surface of their bodies . they will be transported to one of two de-oiling stations -- the audubon aquarium of the americas in new orleans , louisiana , and the institute for marine mammals studies , in gulfport , mississippi . additional facilities in florida include the homosassa springs state wildlife park , lowry park zoo in tampa and the miami seaquarium . once medically cleared , the animal will be transported to a long-term holding facility at homosassa springs state wildlife park just south of the crystal river preserve , where many manatees have found a haven . according to the federal plan , no manatees will be released back into the wild until the threat of oil contamination is over . and even then , experts hope the seagrass beds and vegetation that manatees eat are n't destroyed by the oil . experts say they have a large network of people working together in partnerships , but accounting for every situation , and every scenario is doubtful . capturing , rescuing hundreds of manatees , it 's never been done , ' said patrick rose of save the manatee . we would lose manatees , i believe , if those kinds of numbers of manatees are involved . ' | experts estimate manatee population in gulf at about 5,000 |
congress <tsp> editor 's note : campbell brown anchors cnn 's campbell brown : no bias , no bull ' at 8 p.m . et mondays through fridays . she delivered this commentary during the cutting through the bull ' segment of monday night 's broadcast . cnn 's campbell brown says nonemergency legislation needs time to be read by the public and congress . ( cnn ) -- whether by omission or commission , both the white house and congress get a dose of blame for not living up to the new era of transparency promised by president obama . the president 's old campaign web site still has this commitment there for all to see : ' as president , obama will not sign any nonemergency bill without giving the american public an opportunity to review and comment on the white house web site for five days . ' well , the president broke that promise barely a week after taking office when he signed the lilly ledbetter bill dealing with equal pay for men and women . a good bill , and certainly one that could have survived a five-day comment period . so , maybe the white house folks just forgot ? but then there is congress and the stimulus bill . how fast could you get through it ? according to the nonpartisan sunlight foundation , lawmakers had just 13 hours to read 1,100 pages of material that would cost the american taxpayer $ 787 billion . that 's less than a minute and a half per page , with no time for bathroom breaks . no wonder so many of our lawmakers did n't seem to notice that last-minute exemption clearing the way for bailed-out companies like aig to pay out big bonuses . so , the house tried to clean up the mess last week by rushing through another bill -- a tax on aig bonuses . that bill was just 11 hours old before it went on the floor to be argued and then quickly approved . and the list goes on well before the president took office . the bank bailout got all of 29 hours , the rescue of fannie and freddie was only available for 19 hours . this is how bills could literally become , to borrow a phrase , too big to fail -- and too fast to stop . the sunlight foundation is calling on congress to allow the american people three days , 72 hours , to read a nonemergency bill online before debate begins . we strongly agree . and yes lawmakers , you can have three days to read it over , too , before taking a stand . as for president obama 's promise of a five-day public review once a bill leaves capitol hill headed for his desk , it would be nice if he kept his word on this going forward . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of campbell brown . | congress also should take more time to study bills , she says |
project healing waters fly fishing <tsp> madison county , virginia ( cnn ) -- amidst the tranquility of a fishing trip at the rose river farm in madison county , a wounded warrior says he almost feels semi-normal again . ' retired navy capt . ed nicholson 's project healing waters fly fishing helps rehabilitate wounded servicemembers . the amputee is one of about 1,000 servicemen and veterans who have reaped the benefits of the therapeutic art of fly-fishing , with the help of retired navy capt . ed nicholson . the demons of war , you just do n't set them aside , ' says nicholson , 67 . but once you get out on the river , the serenity is incredibly healing . ' while recovering from cancer surgery at walter reed army medical center in 2004 , nicholson witnessed wounded and disabled men and women -- many of them amputees -- struggling with their injuries . other than being in vietnam and seeing people in the process of getting hurt , i never really had a full appreciation for the recovery part and what happened after they came home . my recovery was nothing compared to what they were facing . it planted the seed that maybe there 's something i could do , ' nicholson says . the solution was obvious to nicholson , who says being an outdoorsman is in his blood : get them out of the hospital and into nature . through free classes and outings , nicholson 's organization , project healing waters fly fishing , helps rehabilitate injured and disabled servicemembers and veterans . we would run these classes that would better prepare them to be fishermen when the weather got nice and we could move outside , start casting lessons and go fishing , ' he says . nicholson and ty flying instructor john colburn saw that the discipline of tying flies , which requires patience and training , benefited veterans recovering from injuries . and it helped them relax . you have a guy who lost a leg and we get him out there wading in a stream -- he gets a boost . or a guy who lost an arm , we start him casting . he has a chance to use his new arm and actually do something that 's enjoyable , ' says nicholson . do you know someone who should be a cnn hero ? nominations are open at cnn.com/heroes ' ed [ is ] showing us that if you have the will , they will find a way , ' says army staff sgt . brian mancini , who lost his right eye after being hit by an explosive device in iraq in july 2007 . it shows you that life 's not over , it 's only beginning . ' watch mancini describe how nicholson 's program helped his healing process » one soldier with a brain injury says tying flies , building fly rods and casting have helped him with his motor skills . others on the catch-and-release outing describe feeling normal for the first time in a long time . watch wounded servicemen discuss the role of project healing waters fly fishing in their recovery » ' between the pain , the medication , the realization that their life has been changed , they 're doing something that gives them a great deal of pleasure and that they can look forward to , ' nicholson says . watch nicholson as he helps wounded soldiers through fly-fishing » first lt. ferris butler , an active participant in project healing waters , agrees . if you compound losing body parts with losing friends , just getting in the water is a release , ' he says , adding that fishing gave him enhanced dexterity because it helped him learn to walk on prosthetics in the water . since 2005 , nicholson 's program has grown to more than 50 locations nationwide with more to come , ' he says . with support from the federation of fly fishers and trout unlimited , the group is establishing long-term relationships with hospital and military staff , participants and volunteers . participants across the country can attend outings during the spring , summer and fall . an indoor component focuses on classroom activities . nicholson , who rises early and spends the better part of his day running operations for his organization , once thought he 'd spend his golden years enjoying his favorite pastimes : fishing and hunting . but he says he welcomes the direction his life has taken . i 'm doing something that gives me as much satisfaction and gratification of anything that i 've really done . i loved serving my country . i was proud to serve for 30 years . but i 'm incredibly satisfied with what i 'm doing now . ' want to get involved ? check out project healing waters fly fishing and see how to help . | project healing waters fly fishing aids the physical , emotional healing processes |
nicholson <tsp> madison county , virginia ( cnn ) -- amidst the tranquility of a fishing trip at the rose river farm in madison county , a wounded warrior says he almost feels semi-normal again . ' retired navy capt . ed nicholson 's project healing waters fly fishing helps rehabilitate wounded servicemembers . the amputee is one of about 1,000 servicemen and veterans who have reaped the benefits of the therapeutic art of fly-fishing , with the help of retired navy capt . ed nicholson . the demons of war , you just do n't set them aside , ' says nicholson , 67 . but once you get out on the river , the serenity is incredibly healing . ' while recovering from cancer surgery at walter reed army medical center in 2004 , nicholson witnessed wounded and disabled men and women -- many of them amputees -- struggling with their injuries . other than being in vietnam and seeing people in the process of getting hurt , i never really had a full appreciation for the recovery part and what happened after they came home . my recovery was nothing compared to what they were facing . it planted the seed that maybe there 's something i could do , ' nicholson says . the solution was obvious to nicholson , who says being an outdoorsman is in his blood : get them out of the hospital and into nature . through free classes and outings , nicholson 's organization , project healing waters fly fishing , helps rehabilitate injured and disabled servicemembers and veterans . we would run these classes that would better prepare them to be fishermen when the weather got nice and we could move outside , start casting lessons and go fishing , ' he says . nicholson and ty flying instructor john colburn saw that the discipline of tying flies , which requires patience and training , benefited veterans recovering from injuries . and it helped them relax . you have a guy who lost a leg and we get him out there wading in a stream -- he gets a boost . or a guy who lost an arm , we start him casting . he has a chance to use his new arm and actually do something that 's enjoyable , ' says nicholson . do you know someone who should be a cnn hero ? nominations are open at cnn.com/heroes ' ed [ is ] showing us that if you have the will , they will find a way , ' says army staff sgt . brian mancini , who lost his right eye after being hit by an explosive device in iraq in july 2007 . it shows you that life 's not over , it 's only beginning . ' watch mancini describe how nicholson 's program helped his healing process » one soldier with a brain injury says tying flies , building fly rods and casting have helped him with his motor skills . others on the catch-and-release outing describe feeling normal for the first time in a long time . watch wounded servicemen discuss the role of project healing waters fly fishing in their recovery » ' between the pain , the medication , the realization that their life has been changed , they 're doing something that gives them a great deal of pleasure and that they can look forward to , ' nicholson says . watch nicholson as he helps wounded soldiers through fly-fishing » first lt. ferris butler , an active participant in project healing waters , agrees . if you compound losing body parts with losing friends , just getting in the water is a release , ' he says , adding that fishing gave him enhanced dexterity because it helped him learn to walk on prosthetics in the water . since 2005 , nicholson 's program has grown to more than 50 locations nationwide with more to come , ' he says . with support from the federation of fly fishers and trout unlimited , the group is establishing long-term relationships with hospital and military staff , participants and volunteers . participants across the country can attend outings during the spring , summer and fall . an indoor component focuses on classroom activities . nicholson , who rises early and spends the better part of his day running operations for his organization , once thought he 'd spend his golden years enjoying his favorite pastimes : fishing and hunting . but he says he welcomes the direction his life has taken . i 'm doing something that gives me as much satisfaction and gratification of anything that i 've really done . i loved serving my country . i was proud to serve for 30 years . but i 'm incredibly satisfied with what i 'm doing now . ' want to get involved ? check out project healing waters fly fishing and see how to help . | retired navy capt . ed nicholson helps wounded servicemembers through fly-fishing |
nicholson <tsp> madison county , virginia ( cnn ) -- amidst the tranquility of a fishing trip at the rose river farm in madison county , a wounded warrior says he almost feels semi-normal again . ' retired navy capt . ed nicholson 's project healing waters fly fishing helps rehabilitate wounded servicemembers . the amputee is one of about 1,000 servicemen and veterans who have reaped the benefits of the therapeutic art of fly-fishing , with the help of retired navy capt . ed nicholson . the demons of war , you just do n't set them aside , ' says nicholson , 67 . but once you get out on the river , the serenity is incredibly healing . ' while recovering from cancer surgery at walter reed army medical center in 2004 , nicholson witnessed wounded and disabled men and women -- many of them amputees -- struggling with their injuries . other than being in vietnam and seeing people in the process of getting hurt , i never really had a full appreciation for the recovery part and what happened after they came home . my recovery was nothing compared to what they were facing . it planted the seed that maybe there 's something i could do , ' nicholson says . the solution was obvious to nicholson , who says being an outdoorsman is in his blood : get them out of the hospital and into nature . through free classes and outings , nicholson 's organization , project healing waters fly fishing , helps rehabilitate injured and disabled servicemembers and veterans . we would run these classes that would better prepare them to be fishermen when the weather got nice and we could move outside , start casting lessons and go fishing , ' he says . nicholson and ty flying instructor john colburn saw that the discipline of tying flies , which requires patience and training , benefited veterans recovering from injuries . and it helped them relax . you have a guy who lost a leg and we get him out there wading in a stream -- he gets a boost . or a guy who lost an arm , we start him casting . he has a chance to use his new arm and actually do something that 's enjoyable , ' says nicholson . do you know someone who should be a cnn hero ? nominations are open at cnn.com/heroes ' ed [ is ] showing us that if you have the will , they will find a way , ' says army staff sgt . brian mancini , who lost his right eye after being hit by an explosive device in iraq in july 2007 . it shows you that life 's not over , it 's only beginning . ' watch mancini describe how nicholson 's program helped his healing process » one soldier with a brain injury says tying flies , building fly rods and casting have helped him with his motor skills . others on the catch-and-release outing describe feeling normal for the first time in a long time . watch wounded servicemen discuss the role of project healing waters fly fishing in their recovery » ' between the pain , the medication , the realization that their life has been changed , they 're doing something that gives them a great deal of pleasure and that they can look forward to , ' nicholson says . watch nicholson as he helps wounded soldiers through fly-fishing » first lt. ferris butler , an active participant in project healing waters , agrees . if you compound losing body parts with losing friends , just getting in the water is a release , ' he says , adding that fishing gave him enhanced dexterity because it helped him learn to walk on prosthetics in the water . since 2005 , nicholson 's program has grown to more than 50 locations nationwide with more to come , ' he says . with support from the federation of fly fishers and trout unlimited , the group is establishing long-term relationships with hospital and military staff , participants and volunteers . participants across the country can attend outings during the spring , summer and fall . an indoor component focuses on classroom activities . nicholson , who rises early and spends the better part of his day running operations for his organization , once thought he 'd spend his golden years enjoying his favorite pastimes : fishing and hunting . but he says he welcomes the direction his life has taken . i 'm doing something that gives me as much satisfaction and gratification of anything that i 've really done . i loved serving my country . i was proud to serve for 30 years . but i 'm incredibly satisfied with what i 'm doing now . ' want to get involved ? check out project healing waters fly fishing and see how to help . | since 2005 , nicholson 's program has grown to more than 50 locations nationwide |
syria <tsp> ( cnn ) -- syria is heading to an intolerable situation ' according to turkey 's hyperactive foreign minister ahmet davutoglu , whose country is at the forefront of global efforts to engineer the downfall of the bashar al-assad leadership . less than two years ago , relations were diametrically different . turkish prime minister recep tayyip erdogan considered assad a close friend and paraded syria as the epitome of its much vaunted but now defunct zero problems with the neighbors ' policy to encourage rapprochement with middle eastern nations . trade across their 850-kilometer border blossomed tenfold , security cooperation against the kurdistan workers'party -- a militant kurdish group conducting a violent separatist campaign in turkey -- flourished and mutual visa restrictions were lifted . this transformation in ties should not be surprising in retrospect . for turkey and syria never enjoyed a strategic relationship as much as a convergence of interests triggered by the iraq war in 2003 to stymie an independent kurdistan in northern iraq . similarly , both leaderships found common cause against israel . their relationship was merely tactical and psychological bereft of common values . then the eruption of the arab awakening upended the stability in tunisia , egypt , yemen and eventually syria thereby unleashing long simmering sectarian tensions to the surface . assad 's security and intelligence forces dominated by fellow minority alawites ( a syncretic and mystical offshoot of shia islam ) confronted a largely sunni popular revolt . erdogan , a devout sunni muslim , did not hesitate to side with the anti-assad masses . gone are the days where turkey defended iranian nuclear endeavors and cooperated closely with it on iraq . in its stead , turkey patched once frosty relations with washington jointly calling on assad to resign , solidified the partnership with gulf arab countries and adopted a more muscular and robust approach towards iran . washington 's cooperation with regional players such as turkey is a good example of what u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton coined smart power ' in play to avoid committing scarce resources in money and soldiers as it disengages from afghanistan and iraq . turkey 's anti-assad inclination stems from its sectarian sympathies with the syrian protesters , its desire to project turkish influence in the middle east and to restrain the regional ambitions of rival iran . on the other hand , the u.s. seeks to degrade the iranian nuclear program and to guarantee the security of israel and the gulf arab states . despite the toughening rhetoric against damascus , there is no hiding the fact that turkey 's choices are severely limited . russia and china will thwart further u.n. initiatives , the arab league looks exhausted , and the positions of the pro-assad and anti-assad alliances are entrenched . at the heart of stalemate is the future of the assad dynasty . turkey and its friends strongly favor regime change while assad and his allies demand regime stability . how to square this conundrum is testing the limits of turkish diplomacy . one possibility -- which is most favored by turkey -- is a negotiated solution . ankara proposed on wednesday an international conference to end the violence in syria . yet , it seems highly unlikely that procedural fixes will paper over clashing objectives . negotiations require an abundance of goodwill and a willingness to compromise , two commodities in short supply . that leaves the most risky option of a slippery slope to further escalation on the ground . turkey is already hosting the syrian national council and the free syrian army of breakaway syrian military personnel . further measures could include unifying the hopelessly fragmented syrian opposition and providing additional logistical and other support to syrian armed groups . most perilous of all is turkey unilaterally establishing a security zone or a safe haven on syrian territory with the backing of the u.s. , european powers and the gulf arabs but outside the u.n. purview . this would drag turkey ever deeper into the syrian quagmire that is descending into a sectarian civil war . after all , the turmoil in syria can easily spill over into an ethnically and religiously diverse turkey . direct military intervention will also pit turkey against an angry russia and a hostile iran supplying collectively two-thirds of turkey 's energy needs . tehran is seething after ankara agreed to host in september last year a sophisticated us early warning radar system under the nato umbrella to neutralize the threat of long-range iranian missiles . turkey is undoubtedly in a precarious and unenviable spot at the mercy of unpredictable and deteriorating regional circumstances . it is not in control of events but is being controlled by events . what the ultimate outcome will be is anyone 's guess . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of fadi hakura | he says the change in position is unsurprising , given turkey 's lack of strategic links to syria |
syria <tsp> ( cnn ) -- syria is heading to an intolerable situation ' according to turkey 's hyperactive foreign minister ahmet davutoglu , whose country is at the forefront of global efforts to engineer the downfall of the bashar al-assad leadership . less than two years ago , relations were diametrically different . turkish prime minister recep tayyip erdogan considered assad a close friend and paraded syria as the epitome of its much vaunted but now defunct zero problems with the neighbors ' policy to encourage rapprochement with middle eastern nations . trade across their 850-kilometer border blossomed tenfold , security cooperation against the kurdistan workers'party -- a militant kurdish group conducting a violent separatist campaign in turkey -- flourished and mutual visa restrictions were lifted . this transformation in ties should not be surprising in retrospect . for turkey and syria never enjoyed a strategic relationship as much as a convergence of interests triggered by the iraq war in 2003 to stymie an independent kurdistan in northern iraq . similarly , both leaderships found common cause against israel . their relationship was merely tactical and psychological bereft of common values . then the eruption of the arab awakening upended the stability in tunisia , egypt , yemen and eventually syria thereby unleashing long simmering sectarian tensions to the surface . assad 's security and intelligence forces dominated by fellow minority alawites ( a syncretic and mystical offshoot of shia islam ) confronted a largely sunni popular revolt . erdogan , a devout sunni muslim , did not hesitate to side with the anti-assad masses . gone are the days where turkey defended iranian nuclear endeavors and cooperated closely with it on iraq . in its stead , turkey patched once frosty relations with washington jointly calling on assad to resign , solidified the partnership with gulf arab countries and adopted a more muscular and robust approach towards iran . washington 's cooperation with regional players such as turkey is a good example of what u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton coined smart power ' in play to avoid committing scarce resources in money and soldiers as it disengages from afghanistan and iraq . turkey 's anti-assad inclination stems from its sectarian sympathies with the syrian protesters , its desire to project turkish influence in the middle east and to restrain the regional ambitions of rival iran . on the other hand , the u.s. seeks to degrade the iranian nuclear program and to guarantee the security of israel and the gulf arab states . despite the toughening rhetoric against damascus , there is no hiding the fact that turkey 's choices are severely limited . russia and china will thwart further u.n. initiatives , the arab league looks exhausted , and the positions of the pro-assad and anti-assad alliances are entrenched . at the heart of stalemate is the future of the assad dynasty . turkey and its friends strongly favor regime change while assad and his allies demand regime stability . how to square this conundrum is testing the limits of turkish diplomacy . one possibility -- which is most favored by turkey -- is a negotiated solution . ankara proposed on wednesday an international conference to end the violence in syria . yet , it seems highly unlikely that procedural fixes will paper over clashing objectives . negotiations require an abundance of goodwill and a willingness to compromise , two commodities in short supply . that leaves the most risky option of a slippery slope to further escalation on the ground . turkey is already hosting the syrian national council and the free syrian army of breakaway syrian military personnel . further measures could include unifying the hopelessly fragmented syrian opposition and providing additional logistical and other support to syrian armed groups . most perilous of all is turkey unilaterally establishing a security zone or a safe haven on syrian territory with the backing of the u.s. , european powers and the gulf arabs but outside the u.n. purview . this would drag turkey ever deeper into the syrian quagmire that is descending into a sectarian civil war . after all , the turmoil in syria can easily spill over into an ethnically and religiously diverse turkey . direct military intervention will also pit turkey against an angry russia and a hostile iran supplying collectively two-thirds of turkey 's energy needs . tehran is seething after ankara agreed to host in september last year a sophisticated us early warning radar system under the nato umbrella to neutralize the threat of long-range iranian missiles . turkey is undoubtedly in a precarious and unenviable spot at the mercy of unpredictable and deteriorating regional circumstances . it is not in control of events but is being controlled by events . what the ultimate outcome will be is anyone 's guess . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of fadi hakura | he says turkey 's prime minister erdogan lost no time in siding with syria 's anti-assad masses |
syria <tsp> ( cnn ) -- syria is heading to an intolerable situation ' according to turkey 's hyperactive foreign minister ahmet davutoglu , whose country is at the forefront of global efforts to engineer the downfall of the bashar al-assad leadership . less than two years ago , relations were diametrically different . turkish prime minister recep tayyip erdogan considered assad a close friend and paraded syria as the epitome of its much vaunted but now defunct zero problems with the neighbors ' policy to encourage rapprochement with middle eastern nations . trade across their 850-kilometer border blossomed tenfold , security cooperation against the kurdistan workers'party -- a militant kurdish group conducting a violent separatist campaign in turkey -- flourished and mutual visa restrictions were lifted . this transformation in ties should not be surprising in retrospect . for turkey and syria never enjoyed a strategic relationship as much as a convergence of interests triggered by the iraq war in 2003 to stymie an independent kurdistan in northern iraq . similarly , both leaderships found common cause against israel . their relationship was merely tactical and psychological bereft of common values . then the eruption of the arab awakening upended the stability in tunisia , egypt , yemen and eventually syria thereby unleashing long simmering sectarian tensions to the surface . assad 's security and intelligence forces dominated by fellow minority alawites ( a syncretic and mystical offshoot of shia islam ) confronted a largely sunni popular revolt . erdogan , a devout sunni muslim , did not hesitate to side with the anti-assad masses . gone are the days where turkey defended iranian nuclear endeavors and cooperated closely with it on iraq . in its stead , turkey patched once frosty relations with washington jointly calling on assad to resign , solidified the partnership with gulf arab countries and adopted a more muscular and robust approach towards iran . washington 's cooperation with regional players such as turkey is a good example of what u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton coined smart power ' in play to avoid committing scarce resources in money and soldiers as it disengages from afghanistan and iraq . turkey 's anti-assad inclination stems from its sectarian sympathies with the syrian protesters , its desire to project turkish influence in the middle east and to restrain the regional ambitions of rival iran . on the other hand , the u.s. seeks to degrade the iranian nuclear program and to guarantee the security of israel and the gulf arab states . despite the toughening rhetoric against damascus , there is no hiding the fact that turkey 's choices are severely limited . russia and china will thwart further u.n. initiatives , the arab league looks exhausted , and the positions of the pro-assad and anti-assad alliances are entrenched . at the heart of stalemate is the future of the assad dynasty . turkey and its friends strongly favor regime change while assad and his allies demand regime stability . how to square this conundrum is testing the limits of turkish diplomacy . one possibility -- which is most favored by turkey -- is a negotiated solution . ankara proposed on wednesday an international conference to end the violence in syria . yet , it seems highly unlikely that procedural fixes will paper over clashing objectives . negotiations require an abundance of goodwill and a willingness to compromise , two commodities in short supply . that leaves the most risky option of a slippery slope to further escalation on the ground . turkey is already hosting the syrian national council and the free syrian army of breakaway syrian military personnel . further measures could include unifying the hopelessly fragmented syrian opposition and providing additional logistical and other support to syrian armed groups . most perilous of all is turkey unilaterally establishing a security zone or a safe haven on syrian territory with the backing of the u.s. , european powers and the gulf arabs but outside the u.n. purview . this would drag turkey ever deeper into the syrian quagmire that is descending into a sectarian civil war . after all , the turmoil in syria can easily spill over into an ethnically and religiously diverse turkey . direct military intervention will also pit turkey against an angry russia and a hostile iran supplying collectively two-thirds of turkey 's energy needs . tehran is seething after ankara agreed to host in september last year a sophisticated us early warning radar system under the nato umbrella to neutralize the threat of long-range iranian missiles . turkey is undoubtedly in a precarious and unenviable spot at the mercy of unpredictable and deteriorating regional circumstances . it is not in control of events but is being controlled by events . what the ultimate outcome will be is anyone 's guess . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of fadi hakura | fadi hakura says turkey has abandoned its friendship with syria in wake of violence |
europe <tsp> tripoli , libya ( cnn ) smugglers lure arab and african migrants by offering discounts to get onto overcrowded ships if people bring more potential passengers , a cnn investigation has revealed . a smuggler in the libyan capital of tripoli laid bare the system for loading boats with poor and desperate refugees , during a conversation that a cnn producer secretly filmed . the conversation , recorded using a mobile phone , exposes the prices and incentives used to gather as many migrants as possible onto ships . an estimated 1,600 migrants have died so far this year on the dangerous mediterranean crossing , but still more wait to try to reach europe . cnn 's producer was introduced to a senegalese and malian smuggler by an intermediary in tripoli , who mistakenly thought she was a syrian looking to bring other syrian refugees with her onto boats to italy . why i fled : migrants share their stories the smuggler took her to an unfinished building on the outskirts of tripoli near the city 's many ports , where the migrants they have already found are kept until the crossing is ready . the building could only be reached by walking down a trash-littered alleyway , and featured a series of packed rooms , separated by curtains , where dozens sat -- well over the 80 migrants she was promised would be in her boat . the smuggler explained that the final price ' for syrians -- often thought to be richer than their african migrant counterparts -- was $ 1,000 . he added that for each syrian she brought with her , the producer would get a $ 100 discount . so if she brought 10 , she could travel free . he explained how the discount ' was well known , ' suggesting perhaps it was part of the unwritten rules that govern the trade and why so many migrants come to each boat . any fears about the crossing were supposed to be allayed by the smuggler insisting the boats they used had new motors , and that the senegalese pilot would have a satellite telephone and gps to assist the crossing . he also assured cnn 's producer , when asked , that if the people became too many , they would use two boats . pregnant women among migrants trying to cross | 10 % discount offered for every referral of another paying migrant , desperate to reach europe |
cnn <tsp> tripoli , libya ( cnn ) smugglers lure arab and african migrants by offering discounts to get onto overcrowded ships if people bring more potential passengers , a cnn investigation has revealed . a smuggler in the libyan capital of tripoli laid bare the system for loading boats with poor and desperate refugees , during a conversation that a cnn producer secretly filmed . the conversation , recorded using a mobile phone , exposes the prices and incentives used to gather as many migrants as possible onto ships . an estimated 1,600 migrants have died so far this year on the dangerous mediterranean crossing , but still more wait to try to reach europe . cnn 's producer was introduced to a senegalese and malian smuggler by an intermediary in tripoli , who mistakenly thought she was a syrian looking to bring other syrian refugees with her onto boats to italy . why i fled : migrants share their stories the smuggler took her to an unfinished building on the outskirts of tripoli near the city 's many ports , where the migrants they have already found are kept until the crossing is ready . the building could only be reached by walking down a trash-littered alleyway , and featured a series of packed rooms , separated by curtains , where dozens sat -- well over the 80 migrants she was promised would be in her boat . the smuggler explained that the final price ' for syrians -- often thought to be richer than their african migrant counterparts -- was $ 1,000 . he added that for each syrian she brought with her , the producer would get a $ 100 discount . so if she brought 10 , she could travel free . he explained how the discount ' was well known , ' suggesting perhaps it was part of the unwritten rules that govern the trade and why so many migrants come to each boat . any fears about the crossing were supposed to be allayed by the smuggler insisting the boats they used had new motors , and that the senegalese pilot would have a satellite telephone and gps to assist the crossing . he also assured cnn 's producer , when asked , that if the people became too many , they would use two boats . pregnant women among migrants trying to cross | cnn investigation uncovers the business inside a human smuggling ring |
pga tour <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when arnold palmer drove up magnolia lane on the eve of the 1962 masters , he was in a confident mood . he 'd already won it twice , as well as the u.s. and british opens , but this was to be his annus mirabilis ' -- the year he cemented his reputation as a global sporting superstar . i was having some of my best times on the golf course , ' he told cnn , in trademark understated fashion , ahead of this week 's masters . i felt confident about myself and the way i was playing , and it worked out very well . ' as the first major tournament of the golf year , the masters is a springboard to some of the most magical moments in the sport 's history . victory at the prestigious and highly exclusive augusta national golf club would be a career highlight for most players , but for a select few it is often just one jewel in an era-defining crown . palmer had been determined to erase memories of the 1961 masters , where he double-bogeyed the final hole to hand victory to south african rival gary player , the first international golfer to claim the coveted green jacket . the following year palmer led going into the final round , but needed two late birdies to go into a playoff with dow finsterwald and player -- two of my very best friends in golf . ' he started badly in the 18-hole contest on monday but staged a remarkable late surge . fifty years on , palmer 's memories of his eventual triumph are still sharp . i had a pretty good back nine , that was the reason for my victory . ' for pretty good ' read stunning ' -- palmer conjured up birdies at 10 , 12 , 13 , 14 and 16 for a 68 to better player by three shots and don the famous green jacket for the third time -- he would again wear it in 1964 . palmer 's caddy , nathaniel iron man ' avery , summed it up perfectly . he just jerks at his glove , tugs at his trouser belt and starts walking fast , ' he told reporters after the round . when mr. arnold does that , everybody better watch out . he 's going to stampede anything in his way . ' that year palmer went on to claim his second british open title at royal troon -- certainly one of my best opens ' -- as he finished 12 under par on the seaside links to win by six from kel nagle . his only setback came at the u.s. open at oakmont , in his home state of pennsylvania , despite going into the tournament as a heavy favorite . an eventual loss in an 18-hole play off to the 22-year-old jack nicklaus was very disappointing , ' said palmer -- who three-putted 10 times in five days to undermine his fine play from tee to green . but victories in six other pga tour events , as well as winning the vardon trophy ( named after the famous english golfer harry vardon ) for the u.s. circuit 's low scoring average , rounded off an incredible year . golf 's greatest years by dominating golf as he did that season , palmer continued a trend started by vardon in the first year of the 20th century -- following in the footsteps of golf legends such as bobby jones and blazing a trail for the likes of jack nicklaus and tiger woods . vardon , known as mr . golf , ' set the ball rolling . born in the british isle of jersey , he left an indelible mark on the game by inventing the vardon grip -- the overlapping of the small finger over the other when holding a club -- which is used by the majority of the top players in the world today . in 1900 he crossed the atlantic and became the first player to win both the u.s. open and the british open . overall , he captured a record six majors in his homeland . in 1920 , at the age of 50 and having suffered from tuberculosis , he still managed second place in the u.s. open -- a true measure of his greatness . paving the way for professionals that decade , another golfing superstar emerged in the form of walter hagen , who like palmer helped to popularize the sport with his attacking play and flamboyant lifestyle . the american was the first golfer to win $ 1 million in his career , claiming 11 major titles plus five victories at the western open -- which in his era was one of golf 's leading events . in 1924 , hagen was at the peak of his powers and won the british open as well as the u.s. pga championship ( then a matchplay tournament ) . he also won three other pga tour events plus the belgian open . while hagen helped the acceptance of professional players in a sport that had been mainly amateur , in 1930 another man became a worldwide name despite refusing to accept a cent for his many triumphs . father of the masters when the world 's elite play at augusta this week , they owe their participation to the foresight and vision of bobby jones , who co-designed the course with alister mackenzie and co-founded the masters tournament with clifford roberts . competing on an equal footing with hagen and the top professionals , jones had already won three u.s . opens and two british opens plus four u.s . amateur crowns . but his feats of 1930 will surely remain unmatched . he claimed his own grand slam of the two pro and two unpaid majors on both sides of the atlantic before promptly retiring at the tender age of 28 to practice law at the georgia bar . lord byron the second world war brought an end to international competition , but that era saw the emergence of one of palmer 's heroes -- the great byron nelson . i watched him and admired him very much . he was one of the greatest players of all time , ' palmer told cnn as he recalled the texan 's feats . nelson 's greatest year was 1945 , near the end of the war , when he set a record on the pga tour which will surely remain unbroken . the texan won 11 successive tournaments , beating the likes of ben hogan and sam snead . his 18 victories out of 35 starts included the pga championship , and his scoring average of 68.33 stood until it was broken by woods in 2000 . nelson retired the following year aged 34 to become a rancher but was the host of a pga event which bore his name until his death in 2006 . hogan the hero as the u.s. economy started booming in the post-war years , golf 's profile was further boosted by the exploits of a player who bounced back from life-threatening adversity . ben hogan took determination and will to win to new levels in 1953 when he won all three majors he was able to contest , and five of six tournaments overall . badly injured in a car crash in 1949 which nearly claimed his life , hogan had to limit his schedule to prevent strain on his body . h won the masters by five shots and was six clear in the u.s. open at oakmont , while he conquered the field at carnoustie in the british open by four strokes to be the only man under par on the tough scottish links . hogan was unable to play in the pga championships because it overlapped the british open , but he would have chosen not to compete because he was unable to cope with the 36 holes per day expected of the players in the match play format . the golden bear ' a decade after palmer 's great year , one of his arch-rivals bestrode the game like a giant . nicklaus , who had denied palmer victory at the 1962 u.s. open , was at the peak of his powers . it was easy to see that jack would become a great player , ' said palmer . nicklaus won two majors in 1972 , the masters and the u.s. open , and was second to lee trevino at the british open . seven victories came on the pga tour and , like palmer in'62 , he won the money list and the vardon trophy . nicklaus would eventually set an all-time record of 18 majors , the final triumph coming at the masters in 1986 with a famous final-round charge . champions duel the golden bear ' would next be challenged by tom watson , nine years his junior . watson 's win in their famous'' duel in the sun'' at turnberry in 1977 will go down in golf history , but five years later his emergence was complete . watson denied nicklaus victory again at the 1982 u.s. open at pebble beach with a miracle chip from the rough on the short 17th hole . the pair were tied for the lead with watson looking certain to drop a shot when his effort hit the flag and went in for the most unlikely of birdies . it helped seal a two-shot victory , which the american followed up by winning his fourth british open title at troon before being named the pga tour 's player of the year for the fifth of six times overall . ice-cool englishman the balance of power in world golf shifted away from the united states in the 1990s , with england 's nick faldo taking over as the no.1 as the decade started . with an attention to detail and competitive edge modeled on hogan , faldo claimed the masters for the second time in 1990 after a playoff with raymond floyd . at the home of golf st. andrews , he dominated the british open from the start to win by five shots with a record 18-under aggregate . faldo also finished tied for third , one shot back , in the u.s. open at medinah and was named golfer of the year on both sides of the atlantic . tiger on the prowl however , golf had to wait another decade before the astonishing feats of a player who has become one of the most recognizable athletes on the planet , and certainly one of the richest . tiger woods could manage only fifth place at the 2000 masters at augusta , but it was to prove just about his only disappointment in a record-breaking year . his 15-stroke victory in the u.s open at pebble beach was the greatest performance in golf history ' according sports illustrated magazine . the american broke faldo 's british open record with an eight-shot win at st. andrews and made it three majors for the year by beating bob may in a playoff at the pga championship . woods won nine of 20 pga tour events that year , with the lowest scoring average in history . he then won the 2001 masters to hold all four of golf 's major titles -- the first player to do so in the modern era . palmer believes the 36-year-old , who won his invitational tournament at bay hill last month to end a pga tour title drought dating back to 2009 , can return to his best ' in 2012 . the world of golf is waiting to see . | tiger woods won three majors in 2000 and nine pga tour events |
obama <tsp> ( cnn ) -- president obama is not shy about showing off his jump shot on the basketball court , but on tuesday night , it was his baseball skills that were put to the test . president obama throws out the first pitch at the 2009 all-star game ontuesday in st louis , missouri . obama , clad in a chicago white sox jacket and blue jeans , threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the major league baseball all-star game in st. louis , missouri . his low pitch barely reached home plate and the mitt of st. louis cardinals star albert pujols . obama became the fifth president to throw out the first pitch at an all-star game , but the first in 33 years . he is following in the footsteps of franklin d. roosevelt , john f. kennedy , richard nixon , and gerald ford . asked about plans to practice before the game , obama said tuesday , i want to loosen up my arm a little bit . ' the last time i threw a pitch was at the american league championship series , and i just wanted to keep it high , ' the president said of his opening pitch at the 2005 chicago white sox-anaheim angels game . aiming high is a good strategy , says st. louis cardinals scout matt blood , but it takes more than on-point aim to make the perfect pitch . throw it with some force , do n't lob it in there . try to get a good downhill plane . try to keep it in the strike zone , ' said blood , who will be at the game tuesday . hln sports anchor larry smith , who has thrown out a few first pitches , says obama has to be careful to not try to overpower it . ' there 's no speed gun on this . just make it a nice solid throw to the catcher , ' smith said . the one thing he does n't want to do is bounce it home . mr. obama is pretty athletic , so i think he 'll ace this . ' overpowering it should n't be an issue for the president , who joked tuesday that he 'd be surprised if his 2005 pitch exceeded 30 miles per hour . the president also needs to make sure he uses his whole arm , blood said . you 'll see a lot of people throw kind of out front . their elbow will start out front and they 'll never get their arm back behind their body , and wo n't get a full arm swing . it will be real short , and not very rhythmic , ' he said . former major league baseball pitcher jim bouton said obama 's at the top of his game , and he can afford to take a few chances . ' he should toss it a little further to the left . the righties are down by 15 runs in the ninth , they 've got no team leadership . they 're fighting with each other in the opposing dugout , ' he joked . all kidding aside , obama should just go with his instincts , like any good athlete , ' bouton said . you do n't want to throw the ball into the ground or behind you , that 's for sure . ' obama also does n't want to do what cincinnati mayor mark mallory did in his opening pitch for the reds 2007 season . he missed home plate by 30 feet . video of the democratic mayor 's embarrassing throw has been viewed nearly 2 million times on youtube . but the opening pitch is n't always a light-hearted moment . president bush described his opening pitch at yankees stadium during the 2001 world series as the most nervous moment ' of his presidency so far . the game came less than two months after the september 11 terrorists attacks . bush wore an fdny jacket to pay tribute to the new york city fire department . he stepped onto the pitchers mound , and before a cheering crowd of nearly 60,000 , he threw a strike . the crowded erupted in chants of u-s-a , u-s-a . ' before the game tuesday night , obama and all of the living former presidents will appear in a community service video . after the video is shown , obama will take the field at busch stadium and greet the six st. louis cardinal hall of fame players . he then will throw his pitch to cardinals'all-star first baseman albert pujols . major league baseball said the president will wear a specially made glove for his appearance , with a script obama 44 and an american flag on it . the glove will then be sent to the baseball hall of fame in cooperstown , new york . if obama has butterflies about his pitch , blood says the president should use the nervous energy to his advantage . for obama , i 'm sure he 's dealt with much more pressure than throwing out the first pitch at a baseball game , but i would -- instead of seeing it as pressure -- i would think of it as an exciting opportunity and turn the nervousness into positive adrenaline , ' he said . cnn 's steve brusk contributed to this report . | obama should turn the nervousness into positive adrenaline , ' scout advises |
obama <tsp> ( cnn ) -- president obama is not shy about showing off his jump shot on the basketball court , but on tuesday night , it was his baseball skills that were put to the test . president obama throws out the first pitch at the 2009 all-star game ontuesday in st louis , missouri . obama , clad in a chicago white sox jacket and blue jeans , threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the major league baseball all-star game in st. louis , missouri . his low pitch barely reached home plate and the mitt of st. louis cardinals star albert pujols . obama became the fifth president to throw out the first pitch at an all-star game , but the first in 33 years . he is following in the footsteps of franklin d. roosevelt , john f. kennedy , richard nixon , and gerald ford . asked about plans to practice before the game , obama said tuesday , i want to loosen up my arm a little bit . ' the last time i threw a pitch was at the american league championship series , and i just wanted to keep it high , ' the president said of his opening pitch at the 2005 chicago white sox-anaheim angels game . aiming high is a good strategy , says st. louis cardinals scout matt blood , but it takes more than on-point aim to make the perfect pitch . throw it with some force , do n't lob it in there . try to get a good downhill plane . try to keep it in the strike zone , ' said blood , who will be at the game tuesday . hln sports anchor larry smith , who has thrown out a few first pitches , says obama has to be careful to not try to overpower it . ' there 's no speed gun on this . just make it a nice solid throw to the catcher , ' smith said . the one thing he does n't want to do is bounce it home . mr. obama is pretty athletic , so i think he 'll ace this . ' overpowering it should n't be an issue for the president , who joked tuesday that he 'd be surprised if his 2005 pitch exceeded 30 miles per hour . the president also needs to make sure he uses his whole arm , blood said . you 'll see a lot of people throw kind of out front . their elbow will start out front and they 'll never get their arm back behind their body , and wo n't get a full arm swing . it will be real short , and not very rhythmic , ' he said . former major league baseball pitcher jim bouton said obama 's at the top of his game , and he can afford to take a few chances . ' he should toss it a little further to the left . the righties are down by 15 runs in the ninth , they 've got no team leadership . they 're fighting with each other in the opposing dugout , ' he joked . all kidding aside , obama should just go with his instincts , like any good athlete , ' bouton said . you do n't want to throw the ball into the ground or behind you , that 's for sure . ' obama also does n't want to do what cincinnati mayor mark mallory did in his opening pitch for the reds 2007 season . he missed home plate by 30 feet . video of the democratic mayor 's embarrassing throw has been viewed nearly 2 million times on youtube . but the opening pitch is n't always a light-hearted moment . president bush described his opening pitch at yankees stadium during the 2001 world series as the most nervous moment ' of his presidency so far . the game came less than two months after the september 11 terrorists attacks . bush wore an fdny jacket to pay tribute to the new york city fire department . he stepped onto the pitchers mound , and before a cheering crowd of nearly 60,000 , he threw a strike . the crowded erupted in chants of u-s-a , u-s-a . ' before the game tuesday night , obama and all of the living former presidents will appear in a community service video . after the video is shown , obama will take the field at busch stadium and greet the six st. louis cardinal hall of fame players . he then will throw his pitch to cardinals'all-star first baseman albert pujols . major league baseball said the president will wear a specially made glove for his appearance , with a script obama 44 and an american flag on it . the glove will then be sent to the baseball hall of fame in cooperstown , new york . if obama has butterflies about his pitch , blood says the president should use the nervous energy to his advantage . for obama , i 'm sure he 's dealt with much more pressure than throwing out the first pitch at a baseball game , but i would -- instead of seeing it as pressure -- i would think of it as an exciting opportunity and turn the nervousness into positive adrenaline , ' he said . cnn 's steve brusk contributed to this report . | president obama throws opening pitch at all-stars game tuesday |
mass <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a woman jumped a barrier at the start of christmas eve mass at st. peter 's basilica and knocked down the pope , briefly disrupting ceremonies . screams erupted from onlooking worshippers when the woman ran toward pope benedict xvi and grabbed onto his vestments as he walked down the main aisle of the church , video footage showed . he was quickly helped to his feet by his aides -- prompting cheers from the crowd -- and the service was resumed , vatican spokesman federico lombardi told cnn . the woman was removed by vatican guards , lombardi said . john allen , senior vatican analyst for cnn , said such security breaches are n't uncommon . as compared to say , the president of the united states , the security membrane around the pope is pretty thin and fairly permeable , ' he said , citing similar past incidents , including one that happened last christmas eve . allen said that generally , these disruptions are caused by people who are n't seeking real harm , but who want to be close to the pope . benedict began what has traditionally been a midnight mass at the vatican at 10 p.m. as officials sought to keep the 82-year-old pontiff from a late night . celebrants in bethlehem , the traditional birthplace of jesus in the west bank , however , joined the latin patriarch fouad twal for a midnight mass attended by palestinian authority president mahmoud abbas and other palestinian officials . outside the church of the nativity , erected over the site christian tradition says was the place of jesus'birth , the faithful gathered under the watchful eyes of heavily armed palestinian police . but palestinian shopkeeper nadia hazboun said the security situation in the west bank has improved in the time since the militant hamas group took over gaza and abbas'fatah movement abandoned the narrow strip of land between israel and the mediterranean for the west bank . it was bad , now it is good , ' he told voice of america radio . i told you , before anybody take the law in his [ own ] hands . but now the law [ is ] with the police . we have security , we have calm , we have now the best situation in bethlehem . were you there ? share pictures , video christmas eve in bethlehem is a popular destination for american christians , including iowan paul edelman . just the festivities , the idea that this is the birthplace of christ , and you get to see all the historic places and share it with people from around the world ; it 's a very nice experience , ' he told voice of america radio . | woman tried to reach pope at start of midnight mass |
mass <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a woman jumped a barrier at the start of christmas eve mass at st. peter 's basilica and knocked down the pope , briefly disrupting ceremonies . screams erupted from onlooking worshippers when the woman ran toward pope benedict xvi and grabbed onto his vestments as he walked down the main aisle of the church , video footage showed . he was quickly helped to his feet by his aides -- prompting cheers from the crowd -- and the service was resumed , vatican spokesman federico lombardi told cnn . the woman was removed by vatican guards , lombardi said . john allen , senior vatican analyst for cnn , said such security breaches are n't uncommon . as compared to say , the president of the united states , the security membrane around the pope is pretty thin and fairly permeable , ' he said , citing similar past incidents , including one that happened last christmas eve . allen said that generally , these disruptions are caused by people who are n't seeking real harm , but who want to be close to the pope . benedict began what has traditionally been a midnight mass at the vatican at 10 p.m. as officials sought to keep the 82-year-old pontiff from a late night . celebrants in bethlehem , the traditional birthplace of jesus in the west bank , however , joined the latin patriarch fouad twal for a midnight mass attended by palestinian authority president mahmoud abbas and other palestinian officials . outside the church of the nativity , erected over the site christian tradition says was the place of jesus'birth , the faithful gathered under the watchful eyes of heavily armed palestinian police . but palestinian shopkeeper nadia hazboun said the security situation in the west bank has improved in the time since the militant hamas group took over gaza and abbas'fatah movement abandoned the narrow strip of land between israel and the mediterranean for the west bank . it was bad , now it is good , ' he told voice of america radio . i told you , before anybody take the law in his [ own ] hands . but now the law [ is ] with the police . we have security , we have calm , we have now the best situation in bethlehem . were you there ? share pictures , video christmas eve in bethlehem is a popular destination for american christians , including iowan paul edelman . just the festivities , the idea that this is the birthplace of christ , and you get to see all the historic places and share it with people from around the world ; it 's a very nice experience , ' he told voice of america radio . | celebrants in bethlehem joined the latin patriarch fouad twal for a midnight mass |
mass <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a woman jumped a barrier at the start of christmas eve mass at st. peter 's basilica and knocked down the pope , briefly disrupting ceremonies . screams erupted from onlooking worshippers when the woman ran toward pope benedict xvi and grabbed onto his vestments as he walked down the main aisle of the church , video footage showed . he was quickly helped to his feet by his aides -- prompting cheers from the crowd -- and the service was resumed , vatican spokesman federico lombardi told cnn . the woman was removed by vatican guards , lombardi said . john allen , senior vatican analyst for cnn , said such security breaches are n't uncommon . as compared to say , the president of the united states , the security membrane around the pope is pretty thin and fairly permeable , ' he said , citing similar past incidents , including one that happened last christmas eve . allen said that generally , these disruptions are caused by people who are n't seeking real harm , but who want to be close to the pope . benedict began what has traditionally been a midnight mass at the vatican at 10 p.m. as officials sought to keep the 82-year-old pontiff from a late night . celebrants in bethlehem , the traditional birthplace of jesus in the west bank , however , joined the latin patriarch fouad twal for a midnight mass attended by palestinian authority president mahmoud abbas and other palestinian officials . outside the church of the nativity , erected over the site christian tradition says was the place of jesus'birth , the faithful gathered under the watchful eyes of heavily armed palestinian police . but palestinian shopkeeper nadia hazboun said the security situation in the west bank has improved in the time since the militant hamas group took over gaza and abbas'fatah movement abandoned the narrow strip of land between israel and the mediterranean for the west bank . it was bad , now it is good , ' he told voice of america radio . i told you , before anybody take the law in his [ own ] hands . but now the law [ is ] with the police . we have security , we have calm , we have now the best situation in bethlehem . were you there ? share pictures , video christmas eve in bethlehem is a popular destination for american christians , including iowan paul edelman . just the festivities , the idea that this is the birthplace of christ , and you get to see all the historic places and share it with people from around the world ; it 's a very nice experience , ' he told voice of america radio . | christmas midnight mass held at 10 p.m. ; some say because of health concerns for pope |
arnie quinones <tsp> ( cnn ) -- mourners gathered saturday to remember two california firefighters who died last month battling the largest fire in the history of los angeles county . capt . ted hall and firefighter specialist arnie quinones died while seeking an escape route for their crew . we were all blessed by these two men , and we will continue to be blessed by their example and their spirit . their deeds and their names live on , ' gov . arnold schwarzenegger told the crowd at dodger stadium . ted hall and arnie quinones , you are giants in my eyes and in the eyes of all californians . ' hall , a captain , and quinones , a firefighter specialist , were killed on august 30 when their vehicle slid down a steep embankment in angeles national forest . schwarzenegger said the two men were searching for an escape route for their crew , which included 55 inmates . the governor said hall and quinones had sheltered the crew in a cinder block dining hall . everyone reached safety , except ted and arnie , ' he said . we are humbled by their courage . ' firefighters are still fighting the blaze , which is 84 percent contained . los angeles county fire capt . frank garrido said officials expected 15,000 uniformed firefighters and , including members of the public , as many as 40,000 people , cnn affiliate ktla reported . no official attendance figures were immediately available ' ted , trusty veteran , widely respected , hardcore firefighter ; he was immersed in the fire service , ' said dave gillotte , of los angeles county fire fighters , local 1014 . arnie , he knew no strangers , ' gillotte said . what a smile , what a family . ' vice president joe biden also spoke at the memorial , saying there was very little that we can do today that is going to bring genuine solace to the empty void that the families are feeling . ' hall is survived by his wife , katherine , and two sons , randall , 21 , and steven , 20 , as well as his parents . quinones is survived by his wife , loressa -- who is expecting the couple 's first child within the next several weeks -- his mother , his brother and numerous nieces and nephews , according to the los angeles county fire department . biden said the men 's wives knew every time their husbands walked out the door to report for duty , they knew every time that it was a risk . ... but they supported their husbands'doing that job they loved . ' he added , it 's above and beyond the call of duty when two fathers seeking to save a building full of people leave their own families behind , that 's real courage . the only thing we can do for certain , is to promise and keep the promise , we will give the teds and the arnies all the support they need , the equipment they need , the capacity they need , for we owe you . ' | capt . ted hall and firefighter specialist arnie quinones died on august 30 |
sanford <tsp> ( cnn ) -- answers remain in short supply as to why an unarmed teenager was shot and killed two weeks ago . trayvon martin , 17 , was walking toward the home of his father 's fiancee in a gated community in sanford , florida , around sunset on february 26 . the neighborhood watch captain , 28-year-old george zimmerman , saw the teen on the property and called 911 . according to cnn affiliate wftv , zimmerman , who is white , described martin to a dispatcher as a suspicious black man . sanford police chief bill lee said the 911 dispatcher told zimmerman not to confront martin , but by the time police arrived , the teenager lay dead with a gunshot wound in the chest . he was carrying a small amount of cash , some candy and an iced tea . zimmerman told police he shot martin in self-defense , but that does n't sit well with martin 's parents . when you add it up , it just does n't even make sense , ' said ben crump , the martin family 's attorney . trayvon martin , a kid , has a bag of skittles . ( zimmerman ) had a 9 mm gun . trayvon martin did n't approach george zimmerman , george zimmerman approached trayvon martin . so how can he now assert self-defense ? ' police say a gunshot can be heard on the 911 calls recorded that night . sanford police said monday the calls will not be made public until the investigation is complete , but the martin family is pushing for the tapes to be released sooner . it will tell us why ( zimmerman ) just disregarded , just ignored the police instructions when they tell him to stay put , they 'll be there in a few minutes . on those 911 tapes is going to tell you why he said he 's not going to follow their instructions . and most importantly , it 's going to tell us his mentality when he confronted this 17-year-old kid , ' crump said . numerous attempts to contact zimmerman by cnn were unsuccessful , and it is unclear whether zimmerman has retained an attorney . under intense pressure from the community , city officials in sanford held a press conference on monday . we are going to complete a thorough and fair investigation and present all the information to the state attorney 's office so justice can be rendered , ' lee said . police said they have not charged zimmerman because there are no grounds to disprove his story of what happened . the evidence and testimony we have so far does not establish that mr. zimmerman did not act in self-defense . we do n't have anything to dispute his claim of self-defense , at this point , with the evidence and testimony that we have , ' lee said . lee said the directions the 911 dispatcher gave zimmerman to not accost martin when the incident arose were not mandatory instructions . that is a call taker making a recommendation to him . he 's not under a legal obligation to do that , so that is not something we can charge him with . but it would have been a good outcome ... if trayvon martin and george zimmerman never came in contact with one another . ' tensions are swelling in the black community over why zimmerman is free . you 've got a little dead black boy , and the community sees you protecting the shooter , ' one man said . an outraged woman said , i 'm sure you 've heard the phrase , taking candy from a baby ? but this person , i 'm talking about every child , not just trayvon martin , whether he 's black , white , blue , yellow or green , it is easy to take a candy from a baby . it 's been said over and over and over again , but this person did n't take the candy , he took the life and left the child . ' sanford city manager norton bonaparte said he had personally extended condolences to the martin family . we see this as a tragedy . we are doing a full and thorough investigation , and certainly the guilty parties ... will be punished . ' | some sanford , florida , residents say they think there is more to the story |
peru <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck off the coast of central peru on wednesday evening , killing 15 people and leaving 70 hurt , president alan garcia said on national television . pedestrians try to make calls on their cell phones in lima , peru , after a strong earthquake wednesday . peru 's panamericana tv put the death toll at 17 . it showed footage of traffic lights in the capital , lima , swaying with the quake . after everything stopped shaking , medics were seen tending to a woman . the video also showed chunks of plaster that had fallen from buildings . some lima residents were sobbing after the temblor , while others appeared to be praying . this has been the most terrifying experience we 've had , ' gladys tarnawiecki told cnn from her home in lima . it was extremely long ... never in my life had i experienced this long an earthquake , ' she said . see the lima resident describe how people were'shouting and praying'» many people were outside in the streets , she said , as the radio warned them that aftershocks could follow the quake . tarnawiecki said she was waiting in her car , afraid to go back inside . it was chaos , ' said fernando calderon , an american visiting peru . everybody started crying -- kids , everybody . everybody started running toward any empty space . everybody was afraid the buildings were going to collapse . ' it 's an awful experience , because there 's no warning , ' he said . the quake shook inland towns , as well as cities near the coast and the mountains . there were power outages in lima , reuters reported , and people ran into the streets in panic as the tremor shook office buildings . many stayed outside , afraid to go back indoors after the warnings of possible aftershocks . meanwhile , tsunami warnings and watches issued after the quake for several central and south american countries were canceled wednesday night , as was a tsunami advisory for hawaii . peru , and most of the south american pacific coast , are on border of two tectonic plates : the south american plate , which includes most of the continent , and the nazca plate , which extends across the pacific along most of the coast . see a map of where the quake struck » the quake was felt for two minutes , according to peruvian media . broken windows were reported in lima , and mobile phone service was interrupted . the coastal town of pisco , about 160 miles ( 257 kilometers ) south of lima , appears to be the hardest-hit , and electricity was out in the town , gen. luis palomino , head of peru 's national civil defense institute , told cnn international . he said he could not confirm any deaths . the quake struck at 6:41 p.m. ( 7:41 p.m . et ) and was centered 25 miles ( 61 kilometers ) west-northwest of chincha alta , peru , and 90 miles ( 161 kilometers ) south-southeast of lima , according to the u.s. geological survey . the epicenter was 25 miles ( 47 kilometers ) below the earth 's surface . more tremors followed . a magnitude 5.8 quake occurred at 7:02 p.m. ( 8:02 p.m . et ) . it was farther inland , centered 70 miles ( 113 kilometers ) northeast of chincha alta and 111 miles ( 179 kilometers ) east-southeast of lima . and at 7:19 p.m. , another smaller quake of 5.9 magnitude occurred , centered 30 miles ( 48 kilometers ) south-southwest of ica , peru , and 180 miles ( 290 kilometers ) south-southeast of lima . e-mail to a friend reuters contributed to this report . | broken windows , power outages reported in lima , peru 's capital |
kuala lumpur <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the underwater search for the missing malaysia airlines plane will effectively be put on hold this week , and may not resume until august at the very earliest , according to australia 's top transport safety official . the new timeline means that once bluefin-21 , the american underwater drone operated by a team on board the australian defense vessel ocean shield , wraps up its work in a couple of days , it will be up to two months , if not longer , until new underwater vehicles are contracted and deployed in the hunt for mh370 . according to martin dolan , chief commissioner of the australian transport safety bureau , the australian government will post its request for tenders for the next phase of the search in the next week or so . the aim would be to have to negotiate and agree to contract with a successful tender within two months of the release of the tender documentation , ' dolan said . the atsb chief would not comment on what role his malaysian and chinese counterparts have played in the process so far . australian officials had previously suggested that new underwater assets could be in place in the southern indian ocean much earlier . air chief marshall angus houston , who heads up the umbrella organization coordinating the search for mh370 , told sky news australia in early may that he hoped that new equipment be starting its work in the search zone off western australia sometime in june . bluefin finishing up its search the current phase of the underwater search will officially wrap up on wednesday , when the bluefin-21 is expected to finish its last of more than 20 missions , some 1,600 kilometers off western australia , in waters than can exceed depths of 4,500 meters . dolan says the atsb expects that the bluefin will have finished searching the areas around the four pings detected by the ocean shield on april 5 and april 8 . the acoustic signals are believed to have been from at least one of mh370 's black boxes , but to date , no trace of the missing boeing 777 has been found . officials have publicly said they would prefer the next phase of the underwater search , which could take up to a year , to be led by a single private contractor who will operate several underwater assets in the search zone . appearing alongside chinese and malaysian officials at a news conference in canberra on may 5 , australia 's deputy prime minister warren truss said search coordinators were specifically looking at side-scan sonar equipment that would be towed by a ship . some towed sonar devices , such as the u.s. navy 's orion , can transmit data to the surface in real-time . they also have the capability of scanning a larger area than the bluefin , which has been limited to some 40 square kilometers during each mission . australia has estimated that the next phase of the underwater search will cost some $ 60 million . the breakdown of who pays for what still has n't been made public , but malaysia and china are both expected to make significant contributions . mapping the ocean floor meanwhile , the chinese survey ship , zhu kezhen , arrived in the search area on saturday and has started its bathymetric survey , or underwater mapping of the ocean floor , according to australia 's joint agency coordination committee . the ship will work toward mapping some 60,000 square kilometers , roughly the area where authorities believe mh370 may have gone down . the atsb says it will be joined by a contracted commercial survey vessel in early june . the data will be transferred once a week to fremantle by another chinese ship , the haixun 01 , and then flown to canberra for processing by geoscience australia , a government agency . the atsb estimates it will take about three months to map the area in question . but search authorities are still considering the possibility that the mh370 search area could shift or be further refined in coming weeks , as it has several times since the flight vanished more than 11 weeks ago . review of satellite data according to the atsb 's martin dolan , the international group of experts continues to review satellite communications data from inmarsat to determine the most likely area where the boeing 777-200er may have entered the water . dolan said he expects the team , which is now meeting via teleconference , wo n't finish their review for at least another two to three weeks . it 's important for us to be sure that we have correctly defined the search area for this phase of the search , and it takes time to be sure , ' he said . analysis of a series of handshakes ' between mh370 and an inmarsat satellite combined with analysis of aircraft performance led search teams to their current location in the southern indian ocean . family members of those on board the missing malaysia airlines flight have been pushing for the raw inmarsat satellite data to be made public , so that it can be subject to independent review . many do not believe authorities are searching in the correct place . malaysian authorities have indicated they will make that data public on tuesday , along with an explanation of how the team of experts arrived at its conclusion . malaysia 's acting transport minister said monday he is still confident in the team 's analysis . mh370 departed kuala lumpur for beijing early on the morning of march 8 , carrying 239 passengers and crew . on march 24 , malaysian prime minister najib razak announced that the flight had ended in the southern indian ocean . read more : mh370 : raw satellite data to be released read more : movie-maker 's plan for mh370 thriller read more : three ways to prevent planes from vanishing cnn 's saima mohsin & mitra mobasherat contributed to this report | mh370 , with 239 on board , disappeared on way from kuala lumpur to beijing on march 8 |
yang <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the doha climate change conference this year was the most significant in nearly 20 years of gatherings under the u.n . framework convention process aimed at staving off future global warming disaster . since carbon dioxide emission limits agreed to under the 1997 kyoto protocol were to expire at the stroke of midnight on december 31 , 2012 , it was critical that the international community agreed to extend those obligations and to continue talks about future emission cuts . but the outcome fell far short of what will be necessary to keep the world 's average temperature from rising more than 2 degrees celsius in the foreseeable future . under the doha arrangement , 17 of the 25 biggest carbon emitting countries ( including china , the united states , russia and india ) did not commit to any legally binding emission limits . the countries that did agree to extend and deepen their kyoto emission reductions , including the european union , australia and eastern europe , make up only about 15 % of the world 's emissions . that seems like a rather meager return on the investment of time and effort over the past years . but there is one silver lining . the world 's top 20 carbon emitters together make up about 77 % of emission and account for about 4.3 billion people , which is about 62 % of the global population . the remaining 170 or so countries account for just over 20 % of emissions . as often is the case , these negotiations over climate have come to symbolize epic david and goliath struggles pitting poor developing countries against recalcitrant government officials from rich countries . lobbying efforts , shaming tactics , and staging public demonstrations have been the slingshots of choice . one result is that more people are paying attention to environmental issues . nonetheless , it is time to abandon the myth that a consensus solution is necessarily the best approach . the unfortunate reality is that little can get done right now . it 's like having hundreds of cooks with hundreds of different recipes attempting to prepare one meal in the same small kitchen . after two decades of hard work , it is time to consider reducing the number of cooks . a better alternative to a united nations-style conference would be for the 25 major emitters to come to an agreement just among themselves about their mutual commitments to deal with climate change effectively . in other words , get the 25 cooks to work together on the main meal . the hundreds of other cooks ought to step out of the kitchen . some smaller , focused discussions have already started , such as in the major economies forum . imagine what kind of deals on cutting emissions would be possible just among china , india and the united states -- the top three emitters in the world respectively . imagine a deal involving emission sources in china , which has some of the world 's most polluting coal-fired power plants , and california , which is on a course to become one of the most stringently controlled states in carbon emissions . of course , there are no guarantees for success . but discussions within such a smaller group would allow government leaders to confront the realities of climate change and engage in direct horse-trading without the static of thousands of other voices desiring to load their issues into the deal . let 's face it -- we are way beyond the time for finding an ideal solution . every year the world waits to take further concrete steps to cut emissions , the atmosphere will be loaded with millions of tons more carbon dioxide that will stay for a century . and the job of limiting global warming to 2 degrees celsius will be more out of reach . at the best , gatherings like the one in doha dangle a tantalizing mirage of achieving a sustainable future . at the worst , they give cover to governments that would rather avoid the hard choices they ultimately will have to make . after one more expensive and time-consuming round of talks , it 's time to be honest with what can really be accomplished in these u.n.-style gatherings . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of tseming yang . | yang : it 's time to abandon the myth that a consensus solution is the best approach |
yang <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the doha climate change conference this year was the most significant in nearly 20 years of gatherings under the u.n . framework convention process aimed at staving off future global warming disaster . since carbon dioxide emission limits agreed to under the 1997 kyoto protocol were to expire at the stroke of midnight on december 31 , 2012 , it was critical that the international community agreed to extend those obligations and to continue talks about future emission cuts . but the outcome fell far short of what will be necessary to keep the world 's average temperature from rising more than 2 degrees celsius in the foreseeable future . under the doha arrangement , 17 of the 25 biggest carbon emitting countries ( including china , the united states , russia and india ) did not commit to any legally binding emission limits . the countries that did agree to extend and deepen their kyoto emission reductions , including the european union , australia and eastern europe , make up only about 15 % of the world 's emissions . that seems like a rather meager return on the investment of time and effort over the past years . but there is one silver lining . the world 's top 20 carbon emitters together make up about 77 % of emission and account for about 4.3 billion people , which is about 62 % of the global population . the remaining 170 or so countries account for just over 20 % of emissions . as often is the case , these negotiations over climate have come to symbolize epic david and goliath struggles pitting poor developing countries against recalcitrant government officials from rich countries . lobbying efforts , shaming tactics , and staging public demonstrations have been the slingshots of choice . one result is that more people are paying attention to environmental issues . nonetheless , it is time to abandon the myth that a consensus solution is necessarily the best approach . the unfortunate reality is that little can get done right now . it 's like having hundreds of cooks with hundreds of different recipes attempting to prepare one meal in the same small kitchen . after two decades of hard work , it is time to consider reducing the number of cooks . a better alternative to a united nations-style conference would be for the 25 major emitters to come to an agreement just among themselves about their mutual commitments to deal with climate change effectively . in other words , get the 25 cooks to work together on the main meal . the hundreds of other cooks ought to step out of the kitchen . some smaller , focused discussions have already started , such as in the major economies forum . imagine what kind of deals on cutting emissions would be possible just among china , india and the united states -- the top three emitters in the world respectively . imagine a deal involving emission sources in china , which has some of the world 's most polluting coal-fired power plants , and california , which is on a course to become one of the most stringently controlled states in carbon emissions . of course , there are no guarantees for success . but discussions within such a smaller group would allow government leaders to confront the realities of climate change and engage in direct horse-trading without the static of thousands of other voices desiring to load their issues into the deal . let 's face it -- we are way beyond the time for finding an ideal solution . every year the world waits to take further concrete steps to cut emissions , the atmosphere will be loaded with millions of tons more carbon dioxide that will stay for a century . and the job of limiting global warming to 2 degrees celsius will be more out of reach . at the best , gatherings like the one in doha dangle a tantalizing mirage of achieving a sustainable future . at the worst , they give cover to governments that would rather avoid the hard choices they ultimately will have to make . after one more expensive and time-consuming round of talks , it 's time to be honest with what can really be accomplished in these u.n.-style gatherings . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of tseming yang . | yang : smaller , focused discussions may be better than large , u.n.-style gatherings |
yang <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the doha climate change conference this year was the most significant in nearly 20 years of gatherings under the u.n . framework convention process aimed at staving off future global warming disaster . since carbon dioxide emission limits agreed to under the 1997 kyoto protocol were to expire at the stroke of midnight on december 31 , 2012 , it was critical that the international community agreed to extend those obligations and to continue talks about future emission cuts . but the outcome fell far short of what will be necessary to keep the world 's average temperature from rising more than 2 degrees celsius in the foreseeable future . under the doha arrangement , 17 of the 25 biggest carbon emitting countries ( including china , the united states , russia and india ) did not commit to any legally binding emission limits . the countries that did agree to extend and deepen their kyoto emission reductions , including the european union , australia and eastern europe , make up only about 15 % of the world 's emissions . that seems like a rather meager return on the investment of time and effort over the past years . but there is one silver lining . the world 's top 20 carbon emitters together make up about 77 % of emission and account for about 4.3 billion people , which is about 62 % of the global population . the remaining 170 or so countries account for just over 20 % of emissions . as often is the case , these negotiations over climate have come to symbolize epic david and goliath struggles pitting poor developing countries against recalcitrant government officials from rich countries . lobbying efforts , shaming tactics , and staging public demonstrations have been the slingshots of choice . one result is that more people are paying attention to environmental issues . nonetheless , it is time to abandon the myth that a consensus solution is necessarily the best approach . the unfortunate reality is that little can get done right now . it 's like having hundreds of cooks with hundreds of different recipes attempting to prepare one meal in the same small kitchen . after two decades of hard work , it is time to consider reducing the number of cooks . a better alternative to a united nations-style conference would be for the 25 major emitters to come to an agreement just among themselves about their mutual commitments to deal with climate change effectively . in other words , get the 25 cooks to work together on the main meal . the hundreds of other cooks ought to step out of the kitchen . some smaller , focused discussions have already started , such as in the major economies forum . imagine what kind of deals on cutting emissions would be possible just among china , india and the united states -- the top three emitters in the world respectively . imagine a deal involving emission sources in china , which has some of the world 's most polluting coal-fired power plants , and california , which is on a course to become one of the most stringently controlled states in carbon emissions . of course , there are no guarantees for success . but discussions within such a smaller group would allow government leaders to confront the realities of climate change and engage in direct horse-trading without the static of thousands of other voices desiring to load their issues into the deal . let 's face it -- we are way beyond the time for finding an ideal solution . every year the world waits to take further concrete steps to cut emissions , the atmosphere will be loaded with millions of tons more carbon dioxide that will stay for a century . and the job of limiting global warming to 2 degrees celsius will be more out of reach . at the best , gatherings like the one in doha dangle a tantalizing mirage of achieving a sustainable future . at the worst , they give cover to governments that would rather avoid the hard choices they ultimately will have to make . after one more expensive and time-consuming round of talks , it 's time to be honest with what can really be accomplished in these u.n.-style gatherings . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of tseming yang . | tseming yang : result of doha climate change conference less than desirable |
australian <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a four-minute video lampooning your image as an international statesman is not the ideal start to a foreign tour . but this week , australia 's increasingly unpopular prime minister tony abbott will put an unflattering viral video behind him as he embarks on a 10-day trip to indonesia , france , canada and the u.s. as the clip , from john oliver 's last week tonight , ' spread through social media , the show tweeted : australia is a continent divided ! after last night 's episode , they are unable to decide between hashtags # tonydumbdumb and # tonydumdum . ' the most recent opinion polls back up the sentiment . according to newspoll surveys commissioned by the australian newspaper , abbott 's approval rating has slipped to 33 % , down from his highest ever rating of 45 % in november last year . mending ties with indonesia abbott 's foreign tour starts in indonesia wednesday when he meets president susilo bambang yudhoyono on the indonesian island of batam . it will be their face-to-face meeting in six months , following a period of frosty relations between the two countries . relations soured last november amid allegations that australian intelligence agencies phone-tapped indonesia 's leader , his wife and close allies . indonesia immediately recalled its ambassador , who has only recently returned to his post . the clear indication from susilo bambang yudhoyono is that he wants this thing to end on good terms as he completes his presidency of 10 years , ' ross tapsell , a lecturer in asian studies at the australian national university told cnn . yudohoyono will step down after two terms in office , when the country votes for a new leader in july . he 's clearly been known to be a friend of australia ... and he 's prided himself on his international statesman image . certainly as he comes to the end of his reign that will be how he will be wanting his legacy to be reflected , because domestically he 's been rating very poorly in the polls , ' tapsell said . abbott has made it clear too he wants to mend ties , on tuesday brushing aside revelations that indonesian journalists were in the room listening to an ostensibly private phone conversation between abbott and yudhoyono last month . asked by the australian broadcasting corporation 's chris ulhmann whether he knew journalists were listening , abbott said , the important thing is the quality of the conversation . ' describing the call as very genial , ' abbott said there is no doubt that president yudhoyono is and will always be , i think , a great friend of australia . ' a transcript of the phone call was published on an indonesian website in early may . a partial transcript published by the abc on tuesday revealed a seemingly innocuous conversation about when they 'd next meet . voter discontent abbott 's problems at home center on a deeply unpopular budget the government has been struggling to sell since it was announced two weeks ago . described as the worst-received federal budget in more than 20 years , it raised taxes , cut benefits , increased university fees and imposed a new fee for medical visits . abbott maintains the budget is a painful but necessary remedy to years of overspending by the former labor government . however , critics accuse him of breaking pre-election promises and imposing spending cuts that unfairly target the poor . tough asylum policy one of abbott 's main pre-election policies was a tougher stance on asylum seekers who arrive in australian waters by boat . as well as a continuation of offshore processing , the liberal leader advocated a turn-back ' policy ; approval for the australian navy to force boats in australian waters to turn around when it is safe to do so . ' the policy rankled indonesia , especially after a joint review by australian authorities found australian vessels inadvertently ' strayed into indonesian waters six times between december 2013 and january 2014 . the indonesia government has i think quite fairly been arguing for some time that there needs to be regional cooperation on the issue of asylum seekers and indeed the stop the boats policy was seen as a unilateral action , ' tapsell said . during the eight months it has been in power , abbott 's government has succeeded in drastically reducing the number of boats arriving in australia . the prime minister told the abc the government 's policies had removed a source of friction ' with indonesia -- because none of them are making it to australia , very few of them are leaving indonesian shores . the whole point of leaving indonesia is to get to australia and if you never get to australia , why bother leaving indonesia ? ' after the phone tapping controversy , indonesia called for a code of conduct ' to be agreed before relations return to normal . however it 's unlikely it will be announced this week as the document is still being drafted . beyond indonesia after indonesia , abbott is due to attend the official d-day commemorations in france on june 6 , before traveling to canada for talks with prime minister stephen harper , then the u.s. where he 'll meet president barack obama . trade will dominate talks there as abbott attempts to attract foreign investment with the mantra that australia is once again open for business . ' abbott has acknowledged his government faces a very , very big job ' at home convincing voters that the measures announced in the budget will eventually pay off . the upcoming series of high-profile meetings is abbott 's opportunity to redefine early perceptions of his premiership , and deflect the conversation away from a choice of unflattering hashtags . | australian , indonesian leaders to meet for first time in six months wednesday |
australian <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a four-minute video lampooning your image as an international statesman is not the ideal start to a foreign tour . but this week , australia 's increasingly unpopular prime minister tony abbott will put an unflattering viral video behind him as he embarks on a 10-day trip to indonesia , france , canada and the u.s. as the clip , from john oliver 's last week tonight , ' spread through social media , the show tweeted : australia is a continent divided ! after last night 's episode , they are unable to decide between hashtags # tonydumbdumb and # tonydumdum . ' the most recent opinion polls back up the sentiment . according to newspoll surveys commissioned by the australian newspaper , abbott 's approval rating has slipped to 33 % , down from his highest ever rating of 45 % in november last year . mending ties with indonesia abbott 's foreign tour starts in indonesia wednesday when he meets president susilo bambang yudhoyono on the indonesian island of batam . it will be their face-to-face meeting in six months , following a period of frosty relations between the two countries . relations soured last november amid allegations that australian intelligence agencies phone-tapped indonesia 's leader , his wife and close allies . indonesia immediately recalled its ambassador , who has only recently returned to his post . the clear indication from susilo bambang yudhoyono is that he wants this thing to end on good terms as he completes his presidency of 10 years , ' ross tapsell , a lecturer in asian studies at the australian national university told cnn . yudohoyono will step down after two terms in office , when the country votes for a new leader in july . he 's clearly been known to be a friend of australia ... and he 's prided himself on his international statesman image . certainly as he comes to the end of his reign that will be how he will be wanting his legacy to be reflected , because domestically he 's been rating very poorly in the polls , ' tapsell said . abbott has made it clear too he wants to mend ties , on tuesday brushing aside revelations that indonesian journalists were in the room listening to an ostensibly private phone conversation between abbott and yudhoyono last month . asked by the australian broadcasting corporation 's chris ulhmann whether he knew journalists were listening , abbott said , the important thing is the quality of the conversation . ' describing the call as very genial , ' abbott said there is no doubt that president yudhoyono is and will always be , i think , a great friend of australia . ' a transcript of the phone call was published on an indonesian website in early may . a partial transcript published by the abc on tuesday revealed a seemingly innocuous conversation about when they 'd next meet . voter discontent abbott 's problems at home center on a deeply unpopular budget the government has been struggling to sell since it was announced two weeks ago . described as the worst-received federal budget in more than 20 years , it raised taxes , cut benefits , increased university fees and imposed a new fee for medical visits . abbott maintains the budget is a painful but necessary remedy to years of overspending by the former labor government . however , critics accuse him of breaking pre-election promises and imposing spending cuts that unfairly target the poor . tough asylum policy one of abbott 's main pre-election policies was a tougher stance on asylum seekers who arrive in australian waters by boat . as well as a continuation of offshore processing , the liberal leader advocated a turn-back ' policy ; approval for the australian navy to force boats in australian waters to turn around when it is safe to do so . ' the policy rankled indonesia , especially after a joint review by australian authorities found australian vessels inadvertently ' strayed into indonesian waters six times between december 2013 and january 2014 . the indonesia government has i think quite fairly been arguing for some time that there needs to be regional cooperation on the issue of asylum seekers and indeed the stop the boats policy was seen as a unilateral action , ' tapsell said . during the eight months it has been in power , abbott 's government has succeeded in drastically reducing the number of boats arriving in australia . the prime minister told the abc the government 's policies had removed a source of friction ' with indonesia -- because none of them are making it to australia , very few of them are leaving indonesian shores . the whole point of leaving indonesia is to get to australia and if you never get to australia , why bother leaving indonesia ? ' after the phone tapping controversy , indonesia called for a code of conduct ' to be agreed before relations return to normal . however it 's unlikely it will be announced this week as the document is still being drafted . beyond indonesia after indonesia , abbott is due to attend the official d-day commemorations in france on june 6 , before traveling to canada for talks with prime minister stephen harper , then the u.s. where he 'll meet president barack obama . trade will dominate talks there as abbott attempts to attract foreign investment with the mantra that australia is once again open for business . ' abbott has acknowledged his government faces a very , very big job ' at home convincing voters that the measures announced in the budget will eventually pay off . the upcoming series of high-profile meetings is abbott 's opportunity to redefine early perceptions of his premiership , and deflect the conversation away from a choice of unflattering hashtags . | australian pm is struggling in opinion polls after delivering painful budget |
english fa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the english football association has confirmed that england national manager fabio capello has resigned from his post with immediate effect . the decision comes following wednesday 's hour-long meeting between capello and english football association chairman david bernstein at wembley stadium . the meeting came after capello openly criticized on italian tv the english fa 's decision to remove john terry as england captain . why is the england football team always in a crisis ? chelsea defender terry is due to stand trial in july , after the euro 2012 finals finish , on allegations of using racist language against qpr player anton ferdinand . in a statement on the fa 's official website , bernstein said : i would like to stress that during today 's meeting and throughout his time as england manager , fabio has conducted himself in an extremely professional manner . we have accepted fabio 's resignation , agreeing this is the right decision . we would like to thank fabio for his work with the england team and wish him every success in the future . ' capello had already decided to leave the position after the euro 2012 finals in poland and ukraine this june . however , england are now searching for a new manager ahead of the tournament , with harry redknapp the strong favorite to replace the 65-year-old italian . in a bizarre twist of fate , the news came on the same day that tottenham hotspur manager redknapp was acquitted of all charges of alleged tax evasion . arsenal midfielder jack wilshere , who made his first england appearance under capello , wrote on twitter : shocked about the news on fabio capello . he had shown great belief and trust in me , so i can only thank him . he was a massive influence on my career so far and i am sad to see him go . ' and england striker wayne rooney also tweeted about the news , saying : gutted capello has quit . good guy and top coach . got to be english to replace him . harry redknapp for me . ' england 's next match is a friendly international against the netherlands at wembley on february 29 . capello 's assistant stuart pearce , who also coaches the under-21 side and will lead the great britain olympic team at london 2012 , is expected to take charge on a caretaker basis . | the news comes following a meeting with english fa chairman david bernstein |
ministry of justice <tsp> baghdad ( cnn ) -- a human rights group expressed alarm thursday at the pace of executions in iraq and called for iraqi authorities to abolish the practice . in a statement , human rights watch noted that iraq has executed at least 65 prisoners since the year began 40 days ago . fifty-one of the executions occurred in january and 14 so far this month , it said . the iraqi government seems to have given state executioners the green light to execute at will , ' said joe stork , deputy middle east director at human rights watch . the government needs to declare an immediate moratorium on all executions and begin an overhaul of its flawed criminal justice system . ' the organization said it was particularly concerned that iraqi courts use coerced confessions as evidence . the government should disclose the identities , locations , and status of all prisoners on death row , the crimes for which they have been convicted , court records for their being charged , tried , and sentenced , and details of any impending executions , ' human rights watch said . the u.n. high commissioner for human rights navi pillay expressed shock late last month over reports that 34 individuals , including two women , had been executed in iraq on january 19 following their convictions for crimes . even if the most scrupulous fair trial standards were observed , this would be a terrifying number of executions to take place in a single day , ' pillay said . given the lack of transparency in court proceedings , major concerns about due process and fairness of trials , and the very wide range of offenses for which the death penalty can be imposed in iraq , it is a truly shocking figure . ' more than 1,200 people are believed to have been sentenced to death since 2004 , though the number executed is not known , she said . the death penalty can be imposed for some four dozen crimes , including damage to public property under certain circumstances , she said . she called on the iraqi government to institute a moratorium on instituting the death penalty . ministry of justice officials in baghdad did not answer their telephones on thursday . early this month , justice minister hassan al-shummari responded to the u.n. 's critique , saying , the implementation of fair punishment against terrorists and murderers comes in accord with the law of the state . ' in a statement on the ministry 's website , he said , questioning the credibility of the iraqi judiciary system by the u.n. high commissioner is ( a ) strange thing and the high commissioner should also ( be ) aware of the size of the challenges that iraq is facing by terrorist groups who had committed heinous crimes and mass executions against innocent people ' human rights watch says it opposes capital punishment because of its inhumane nature and its finality . ' in its statement , the group says that criminal trials in iraq often violate standards of fairness , right to defense counsel , right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty and not to be compelled to confess . many defendants are unable to pursue a meaningful defense or to challenge evidence against them , and lengthy pretrial detention without judicial review is common , ' the group says . | iraq 's ministry of justice calls it fair punishment against terrorists and murderers ' |
mormon <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a mormon bishop was shot and killed in visalia , california , on sunday , police said . the suspected gunman was killed later in the day in a gunfight with police , visalia california police chief colleen mestas told cnn . bishop clay sannar , 42 , was shot dead in an office at visalia 's church of jesus christ of latter-day saints , mestas said . about 20 minutes after the shooting , police got a call from the suspect , who told them where he was heading , mestas said . officers intercepted the suspect and a gunfight ensued , during which the suspect was killed . church members tell police the gunman was a stranger who had n't been seen at the church before . i 've got a dozen investigators trying to sort this out right now , ' mestas said . we 've got to get some answers for his [ sannar ] family . ' unlike in some religious traditions , mormon bishops lead individual churches , not regions or groups of churches . | unlike in some religious traditions , mormon bishops lead individual churches |
filipinos <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a philippine clan leader 's bizarre attempt to revive the territorial claims of a defunct islamic sultanate on the island of borneo appears to be falling apart . with his followers engaged in a deadly game of cat and mouse with malaysian security forces in the villages and palm oil plantations of northeastern borneo , the self-proclaimed sultan of sulu is calling for a cease-fire after the u.n. secretary-general urged an end to the violence . but malaysia promptly rejected the proposal and said its security forces had killed more than 30 of the filipino fighters on thursday . between 100 and 300 men from the southern philippines came ashore in the area , in the malaysian state of sabah , about three weeks ago , claiming to be the royal army of the sultanate of sulu , a former kingdom in the region whose power has faded . jamalul kiram iii , one of the clan leaders claiming to be the rightful sultan , says he sent the men , some of whom are armed , to sabah to reassert the sultanate 's sovereignty over the area . but their arrival in the coastal district of lahad datu caused alarm and embarrassment in malaysia , which still pays a token fee each year to the sultanate for the lease of sabah . while scrambling to explain how so many armed intruders had managed to slip through the maritime border that separates sabah from the nearby southern philippine islands , malaysian security forces tried to persuade the clansmen to return home peacefully . but those efforts -- supported by the philippine government , which is pursuing a peace initiative with muslim rebels in its restive southern islands -- failed as clashes in sabah late last week left about 28 people dead , including several malaysian police officers . a malaysian offensive malaysian authorities responded by launching an offensive using fighter jets , mortar shells and ground troops on tuesday . they followed that up with what they called a mopping up ' operation , going house to house in the area , searching for the filipino fighters . but kiram 's spokesman , abraham idjirani , said wednesday that the malaysian attack had missed its target , striking an area that the filipino clansmen had already vacated . he claimed the group had n't suffered casualties . a day later , idjirani made the call for a cease-fire on behalf of kiram , saying the clan was responding to u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon 's plea for the fighting to stop . but malaysian prime minister najib razak said kuala lumpur wo n't consider any request for a cease-fire as long as the armed intruders in sabah refuse to lay down weapons unconditionally , the official news agency bernama reported thursday . later on , ismail omar , the head of the malaysian police , said security forces had killed 32 militants ' in sabah on thursday , including one they believed had the rank of general , according to bernama . the task of the malaysian security forces in hunting down the clan members has been made more complicated by the strong ethnic ties between many of the people in sabah and the southern philippines . many of the sultanate 's followers are believed to have friends and family living in the area . malaysian police have admitted that the filipinos are blending in with the local population . in a statement wednesday , ban 's office said the u.n. secretary-general urges an end to the violence and encourages dialogue among all the parties for a peaceful resolution of the situation . ' ban also expressed concern about the effects of the fighting on the civilian population in the area , including migrants . people and goods regularly go back and forth across the porous sea border between sabah and the southern philippines . eroded power established in the 15th century , the sultanate of sulu became an islamic power center in the southern philippines that at one point claimed sovereignty over sabah . but the encroachment of western colonial powers , followed by the emergence of the philippines and malaysia as independent nation states , steadily eroded the sultanate 's influence . sulu is now a province within the republic of the philippines . but the historical connection still fuels tensions between malaysia and the philippines , with manila retaining a dormant claim ' to sabah through the sultanate of sulu , according to the cia world factbook . the philippines claims much of the eastern part of sabah , which was leased to the british north borneo company in 1878 by the sultanate of sulu . in 1963 , britain transferred sabah to malaysia , a move that the sultanate claimed was a breach of the 1878 deal . cnn 's karen smith contributed to this report . | between 100 and 300 filipinos arrived by boat on the malaysian coast in february |
washington <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in 1961 , my senior year in a rural central pennsylvania high school , i competed in the oratorical contest with a speech titled , the plight of the american negro . ' my teacher informed me if i wanted to win , i had chosen a wrong and contentious topic . while i was raised in the north , attitudes about negroes were similar to those in the south . from a relatively inactive movement in early 1960 , dramatic events for racial equality captured national attention between 1961 and 1963 -- freedom rides , interstate commerce commission 's desegregation order , voting education project , integration of the university of mississippi , gov . george wallace 's intervention against desegregating the university of alabama , dr. king 's letter from birmingham jail , national awareness of white citizens council and ku klux klan brutality . when i arrived in the capital as a college student to take summer classes in 1963 , i heard about a national demonstration planned at the lincoln memorial for late august . washington was not only below the mason dixon line , but it was then in many ways a outhern city . few blacks attended washington 's white colleges and universities . black collegians attended howard university . at my college , there were two black undergraduates , one of whom was from africa . job opportunities for non-college educated blacks were mostly in servile roles . college educated blacks were principally offered positions as teachers in colored public schools and ministers in colored churches . the kennedy administration , fearing unrest , discouraged the demonstration . lead organizers a. philip randolph and openly gay bayard rustin were not deterred . on wednesday , august 28 , 1963 , i joined an estimated 250,000 black and some white americans at the lincoln memorial for the march on washington for jobs and freedom . for me , it was important that i attend . being a jewish-american , the holocaust was a recent and painful reminder of unfettered prejudice . negro lynchings without arrests reminded me of the horror of the pogroms that jews experienced in europe , while authorities looked the other way . the march was a magical moment . ordinary folks , mostly dressed as if they were going to church arrived from rural towns and large cities . despite the repression exercised by authorities in the south , they were not intimidated . the magnitude of the largest crowd ever assembled on the national mall inspired everyone . the statue of the great emancipator symbolized the long sought aspirations for a better life , equality and equal justice . it was a hot day with lots of speeches . while dr. king is recognized today as america 's preeminent civil rights leader , his numerous co-organizers also spoke that day . one was rabbi joachim prinz , president of the american jewish congress . jews were among the early white supporters of civil rights . rabbi prinz was a german jew who emigrated to the u.s. to escape nazi persecution . his speech lived up to his honored placement between mahalia jackson 's spirituals and dr. king 's speech . when dr. king began i have a dream , ' i was struck as if by lightning . it was akin to hearing moses speak to the heavens . his speech was a defining moment for those assembled and for americans watching television in living rooms across the nation . the march led to a civil rights act of 1964 and a voting rights act of 1965 . in the late 1980s , i came out as a gay man and became increasingly involved in lgbt civil rights . i met barbara gittings and frank kameny , the mother and father of the lgbt civil rights movement . they helped organize the annual reminders at independence hall and liberty bell each july 4 from 1965 to 1969 . the annual reminders , the first organized demonstrations for gay equality , laid the groundwork for the stonewall riots in 1969 . while working on gay pioneers , ' a documentary to chronicle this history , i learned that the march on washington had empowered early gay activists . they followed dr. king 's protocol of non-violence , decorum and picketing . it informed me of the march 's pivotal impact on gay activism . gay pioneer jack nichols stated , we had marched with martin luther king , seven of us from the mattachine society of washington in 1963 , and from that time on , we 'd always had our dream about a ( gay ) march of similar proportions . ' the first annual reminder on july 4 , 1965 , in philadelphia had 40 participants . it was the largest demonstration for gay equality in the history of the world . by the 1969 annual reminder , the number swelled to 160 picketers . from 1979 to 1993 , a series of national marches on washington for lesbian and gay rights drew , at first , tens of thousands and later hundreds of thousands of people -- culminating in the april 1993 march on washington for lesbian , gay and bi equal rights and liberation that attracted an estimated 1 million demonstrators . in the years between the 1963 march on washington and 1993 , the aids epidemic and societal changes propelled by the african-american and women 's civil rights movements helped launch lgbt from nascent to engaged activism . for me , the march 50 years ago was a transcendent moment in a lifelong engagement for everyone 's civil rights . on august 28 , 1963 , dr. king ascended a mount sinai . his biblical dream forever changed institutional oppression , our nation and the world . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of malcolm lazin . | he says the march on washington was a magical moment ' |
israel <tsp> holon , israel ( cnn ) -- she never displayed the boundless energy of other children -- all she seemed to do was cry . her mother could n't figure out why until a doctor examined her baby girl and broke the news . she had a heart condition that would eventually kill her if left untreated . doctors said surgery should be done when she turned one but there was no one able to do it in her home town . the family did not have the money to go elsewhere . it was torture . the longer she waited , the worse her daughter would get . then something happened that changed everything . war broke out in syria and eventually spread to their town . they tried to wait it out but it raged on with non-stop ferocity . escape from ruins then six months ago , the girl and her mother escaped what was left of their home . but they could not escape their child 's medical problems . the girl had turned four and her condition was getting worse -- as doctors predicted . she could not play or walk or talk . she would get tired . she could not indulge in anything , ' her mother said . she could only eat very little . ' the child 's mother asked us to keep their identity secret because of what happened after they left syria . their journey eventually landed them in israel , which is technically still at war with syria and has been for decades . the family worries they will be seen as traitors or spies when they return to their homeland if their neighbors find out they 've been inside the enemy state . ' but the family acknowledge their journey to israel saved the girl 's life . oxygen starved their perilous journey from syria first landed them in a refugee camp with hundreds of thousands of others . desperate and dirty , the camp was no place for a sickly child whose heart condition was slowly but surely starving her of oxygen . we all have in the heart two pumps but she has only one that is working , ' explained dr. sion houri , the head of the pediatric intensive care unit at the wolfson medical center in holon , israel . we have two tubes in our body -- one going to the lung , one going to the body . the one going to the lung was severely narrowed . ' dr. houri is from an organization called save a child 's heart . ' founded in israel in 1995 by another surgeon at the wolfson , the non-profit organization 's mission is to provide heart surgery to children wherever they are . so far they have treated 3,200 children from 44 nations . last week they added another nation to their list , syria . the civil war across the border sent them a child in need they would probably never been able to help due to the breakdown in relations between the two neighbors . when save a child 's heart heard about the little girl 's plight , they jumped through all the necessary security hoops to get her the treatment she badly needed . bridge stereotypes ' we hope that we can contribute in our small way first and foremost to the medical care to the children in our neighborhood . we also believe that this has the ability to bring people closer together to bridge stereotypes , ' said simon fisher , the executive director of save a child 's heart . while the treatment is free for the patients , the organization relies on donations to pay the bills that invariably need to be settled . a team of doctors and nurses at the wolfson performed open-heart surgery on the girl . though it was a major operation , doctors say it is a relatively simple procedure that often produces amazingly fast results . you can see differences that are absolutely crazy . kids that were thought to be retarded all of a sudden start talking and walking , all they needed was a little bit of oxygen , ' dr. houri added . healthy child we met the little girl three days after surgery . her curly hair , big brown eyes and huge smile captivated everyone around her . she was playing with bright colored plastic toys strewn alongside her bed . though still hooked up to a machine , she acted like any typical four-year old , rather than the sickly , constantly exhausted child she was until very recently . thank god , thank god , my daughter has recovered . she is so much better than before , ' her mother explained . she is incredibly relieved . she had been worried about how she would be treated -- like so many others who have come to the hospital from far afield . at the moment there are young heart patients being treated from the west bank , ethiopia , sudan , china and tanzania . as for the little syrian girl who has survived a war and now open-heart surgery , she will need one more operation in about a year 's time as her body grows . as she sits on the bed recovering from surgery , the little girl begins to sing a lullaby asking god to protect her baby brother . it turns out she was the one who needed protection the most . the mere fact the wide-eyed infant is able to sing easily without losing her breath is evidence enough to give her mother a sense of hope she has n't felt since before her country was plunged into war . | she eventually found a hospital willing to perform surgery in neighboring israel |
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