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palestinian <tsp> ( cnn ) -- palestinian authority president mahmoud abbas said he will pursue a full united nations membership bid during a speech friday that was likely meant to both make the case for membership and manage domestic expectations . we are going to the united nations to attain full membership ' from the u.n. security council , abbas told an audience in ramallah , tempering his rhetoric by adding that we are not going to bring independence . let 's not exaggerate . we will continue to negotiate , ' he said . abbas says he wants the palestinian territories to be represented in its natural borders , ' calling disputed territories inhabited by israeli settlers illegal . ' we want a seat at the united nations , and we do n't want anything more , ' abbas said . he says palestinian leadership does not seek to isolate the state of israel , but rather isolate the policies of israel , ' saying he will head to the united nations headquarters in new york carrying an olive branch with us . ' israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu , who is also expected to speak next friday at the united nations , has said the move could complicate the peace process and further destabilize the region . we have been calling all along for the palestinians to return to negotiations , ' said israeli government spokesman mark regev . regev called the issue of settlements a red herring ' that he says palestinian leaders have used to avoid talks with israel , deciding to grandstand on the international stage instead of re-engaging in peace negotiations . hamas , the palestinian organization that holds sway in gaza , also was critical of abbas on friday , saying he is showing a willingness to negotiate and acknowledgement of israel , which would deprive the palestinian people from their right to come back to their homeland . ' we are warning him not to go , ' said senior hamas official mahmoud al-zahar . this is going to make more division inside the palestinian people . ' as regional pressure mounts over the prospective bid next week , u.s. diplomats have been scrambling to head off the burgeoning controversy , though some analysts suggest the decision to take the vote to the security council could reflect a political posturing by the palestinian leader . abbas concluded his speech friday by acknowledging other options , ' presumably referring to his government 's ability to weigh a host of decisions at the u.n. general assembly next week , which may or may not include the full membership bid . as for the other options , we have not taken a decision , ' he said . while the united states has vowed to veto a full membership application , should it actually come before the u.n. security council next friday , the palestinian government could also go to the general assembly , where only a majority vote would be needed to gain a lesser status , that of a permanent observer state , similar to the position that the vatican currently holds . a vote in its favor would be all but assured . the palestinians currently hold the status of a permanent observer entity . as an observer , the delegation can speak in the general assembly but not vote . a successful vote in either body will not lead to an established state ' with defined borders , but would afford the palestinian government an upgraded international status allowing them to pursue legal actions against israel . abbas is expected to personally submit the request for full membership . cnn 's kevin flower contributed to this report . | israel is calling on palestinian leaders to return to peace talks , a spokesman says |
palestinian <tsp> ( cnn ) -- palestinian authority president mahmoud abbas said he will pursue a full united nations membership bid during a speech friday that was likely meant to both make the case for membership and manage domestic expectations . we are going to the united nations to attain full membership ' from the u.n. security council , abbas told an audience in ramallah , tempering his rhetoric by adding that we are not going to bring independence . let 's not exaggerate . we will continue to negotiate , ' he said . abbas says he wants the palestinian territories to be represented in its natural borders , ' calling disputed territories inhabited by israeli settlers illegal . ' we want a seat at the united nations , and we do n't want anything more , ' abbas said . he says palestinian leadership does not seek to isolate the state of israel , but rather isolate the policies of israel , ' saying he will head to the united nations headquarters in new york carrying an olive branch with us . ' israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu , who is also expected to speak next friday at the united nations , has said the move could complicate the peace process and further destabilize the region . we have been calling all along for the palestinians to return to negotiations , ' said israeli government spokesman mark regev . regev called the issue of settlements a red herring ' that he says palestinian leaders have used to avoid talks with israel , deciding to grandstand on the international stage instead of re-engaging in peace negotiations . hamas , the palestinian organization that holds sway in gaza , also was critical of abbas on friday , saying he is showing a willingness to negotiate and acknowledgement of israel , which would deprive the palestinian people from their right to come back to their homeland . ' we are warning him not to go , ' said senior hamas official mahmoud al-zahar . this is going to make more division inside the palestinian people . ' as regional pressure mounts over the prospective bid next week , u.s. diplomats have been scrambling to head off the burgeoning controversy , though some analysts suggest the decision to take the vote to the security council could reflect a political posturing by the palestinian leader . abbas concluded his speech friday by acknowledging other options , ' presumably referring to his government 's ability to weigh a host of decisions at the u.n. general assembly next week , which may or may not include the full membership bid . as for the other options , we have not taken a decision , ' he said . while the united states has vowed to veto a full membership application , should it actually come before the u.n. security council next friday , the palestinian government could also go to the general assembly , where only a majority vote would be needed to gain a lesser status , that of a permanent observer state , similar to the position that the vatican currently holds . a vote in its favor would be all but assured . the palestinians currently hold the status of a permanent observer entity . as an observer , the delegation can speak in the general assembly but not vote . a successful vote in either body will not lead to an established state ' with defined borders , but would afford the palestinian government an upgraded international status allowing them to pursue legal actions against israel . abbas is expected to personally submit the request for full membership . cnn 's kevin flower contributed to this report . | palestinian president mahmoud abbas presses for full u.n. membership |
ukraine <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the killing of 298 innocent people on board malaysia airlines flight 17 was a crime , a consequence of the war against ukraine that vladimir putin started , and which he supplies , directs and controls . the russian president bears full responsibility for this war , including the downing of the malaysian airliner . the main problem with our reaction to russian aggression is not even the mildness of our sanctions , but the lack of clarity of their purpose . our message to putin is very confused . do we want him completely out of ukraine , or do we want his help in dealing with that country ? they are two very different requests . despite putin 's offenses , western leaders apparently still want him to play an active role in securing peace and stability . according to the white house , on july 17 , president obama called on president putin to take concrete steps to de-escalate the situation , including pressing separatists to agree to a cease-fire . ' after the malaysian airliner was shot down , german chancellor angela merkel urged putin to use his influence with the rebels to ensure a cease-fire . in recent appearances on several tv shows , u.s. secretary of state john kerry asked putin to take immediate and clear action to reduce tensions in ukraine , ' to step up and make a difference , ' and to use all his influence . ' despite their harsh words for putin , leaders of the west still want his help . british prime minister david cameron summed it up best when he said : we sometimes behave as if we need russia more than russia needs us . ' putin is only too glad to put on sheep 's clothing and assume the role of peacemaker that he has pretended to be throughout the war that he himself started . according to him , annexing crimea , shooting down airplanes and supporting separatists has only one purpose : to protect the ukrainian people from alleged right-wing extremists . if you want putin 's help , beware of what you are asking . he would be glad to broker a diplomatic solution ' with the separatists , thus legitimizing his terrorists and entrenching them on ukrainian territory . if that option does n't work , we can imagine the following completely different scenario : russian tanks roll over donetsk . instead of supporting the separatists , putin arrests leaders of the donetsk republic and persecutes them for terrorizing the local population . blaming the ukrainian government for its inability to protect people from the terrorists , he establishes full control over the territory , and leaves russian troops there to secure law , order and tranquility . how would the world react to such a peacekeeping mission ' ? would the ukrainian army fight russian troops ? would western political leaders accept this as a plausible option ? i do not know . but what is more important , putin does n't know either . we should make very clear that we would not accept putin as a peacekeeper and we want him out of ukraine . western governments should not implicitly accept the aggressive doctrine called the russian world , ' which was endorsed by putin , and which gives him the right to intervene into the affairs of virtually any sovereign nation , as he did in ukraine , using the pretext of protecting russian-speaking citizens . the major concern of western leaders is that by taking a strong stand against putin , we may lose him as a useful partner in the world arena . we should n't worry about that . history clearly demonstrates that in all major international trouble spots in which we accepted putin as our partner , russia has always taken the side of the west 's enemy . such has been the case with iraq , north korea , syria and iran . it was only natural for putin to use any invitation on our part as an opportunity to damage us . one should not expect anything different from a person with the background of a kgb officer , for whom america always has been enemy no . 1 , and for whom anti-americanism is a pillar of his power . if america is russia 's enemy , putin 's russia can not be our ally . whether we like it or not , such relations are reciprocal . and from an enemy we do not need help . we need only check its aggression . for that purpose we should take the following steps : 1 . publicly recognize that putin is not our ally or partner , but rather our foe , and make this position clear to him and to the rest of the world . 2 . ensure that our demands to russia be absolutely clear . stop supporting separatists in ukraine . we do not need putin as a broker or peacemaker . putin must completely get out of ukrainian territory and ukrainian politics . 3 . make clear that putin 's help is not needed in any other part of the world . exclude russia as our partner or as a mediator from any international arrangements and negotiations . 4 . reiterate our position of not accepting the annexation of crimea . demand that it be returned to ukraine . 5 . stop propagating putin 's propaganda . instead , counter it with all the power of america 's media . expand broadcasts by radio liberty and other radio stations . 6 . make it clear that we consider the russian world ' policy a threat to world peace and stability . insist that russia officially renounce that doctrine and repeal supporting legislation as necessary conditions for russia 's readmission to the community of civilized nations . 7 . to stop aggression against ukraine and to prevent aggressions against other countries , make russia pay a high price by introducing sector and other serious economic sanctions . be ready to accept the cost of those sanctions . 8 . take immediate steps to reduce that cost and any dependence on russia . develop new energy sources and transportation systems in america and europe . 9 . provide help , including military assistance , to those who are under immediate attack or potential aggression by russia . 10 . revisit communism , an ideology that remains important in russia as well as other countries . educate new generations about its atrocities and bankrupt ideology . opponents of strong action against an aggressor wrongly equate political confrontation with war . they believe that admitting that the second largest nuclear power is our enemy would usher in another cold war and make the situation much more dangerous . history teaches us , however , that to ignore reality and appease our enemy is a more dangerous approach than to clearly articulate our principles and disagreements . when in 1983 the soviets shot down korean air lines flight 007 , ronald reagan denounced them as enemies of the united states and the entire world . reagan 's strong stand against the soviet communism that threatened us for decades with nuclear war helped stop its expansion and eventually led to its complete capitulation . if we could stand against the mighty soviet union , we can manage putin 's much weaker russia . in february 2000 , only two months into his presidency , vladimir putin presented one of his first state awards to air force gen. anatoly kornukov . in 1983 , kornukov was commander of sokol airbase in sakhalin . his order to the fighter pilot was : destroy the target ! ' the target was korean air lines flight 007 . join us on facebook.com/cnnopinion . | yuri yarim-agaev : the west 's response to putin 's ukraine policy has been murky |
ukraine <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the killing of 298 innocent people on board malaysia airlines flight 17 was a crime , a consequence of the war against ukraine that vladimir putin started , and which he supplies , directs and controls . the russian president bears full responsibility for this war , including the downing of the malaysian airliner . the main problem with our reaction to russian aggression is not even the mildness of our sanctions , but the lack of clarity of their purpose . our message to putin is very confused . do we want him completely out of ukraine , or do we want his help in dealing with that country ? they are two very different requests . despite putin 's offenses , western leaders apparently still want him to play an active role in securing peace and stability . according to the white house , on july 17 , president obama called on president putin to take concrete steps to de-escalate the situation , including pressing separatists to agree to a cease-fire . ' after the malaysian airliner was shot down , german chancellor angela merkel urged putin to use his influence with the rebels to ensure a cease-fire . in recent appearances on several tv shows , u.s. secretary of state john kerry asked putin to take immediate and clear action to reduce tensions in ukraine , ' to step up and make a difference , ' and to use all his influence . ' despite their harsh words for putin , leaders of the west still want his help . british prime minister david cameron summed it up best when he said : we sometimes behave as if we need russia more than russia needs us . ' putin is only too glad to put on sheep 's clothing and assume the role of peacemaker that he has pretended to be throughout the war that he himself started . according to him , annexing crimea , shooting down airplanes and supporting separatists has only one purpose : to protect the ukrainian people from alleged right-wing extremists . if you want putin 's help , beware of what you are asking . he would be glad to broker a diplomatic solution ' with the separatists , thus legitimizing his terrorists and entrenching them on ukrainian territory . if that option does n't work , we can imagine the following completely different scenario : russian tanks roll over donetsk . instead of supporting the separatists , putin arrests leaders of the donetsk republic and persecutes them for terrorizing the local population . blaming the ukrainian government for its inability to protect people from the terrorists , he establishes full control over the territory , and leaves russian troops there to secure law , order and tranquility . how would the world react to such a peacekeeping mission ' ? would the ukrainian army fight russian troops ? would western political leaders accept this as a plausible option ? i do not know . but what is more important , putin does n't know either . we should make very clear that we would not accept putin as a peacekeeper and we want him out of ukraine . western governments should not implicitly accept the aggressive doctrine called the russian world , ' which was endorsed by putin , and which gives him the right to intervene into the affairs of virtually any sovereign nation , as he did in ukraine , using the pretext of protecting russian-speaking citizens . the major concern of western leaders is that by taking a strong stand against putin , we may lose him as a useful partner in the world arena . we should n't worry about that . history clearly demonstrates that in all major international trouble spots in which we accepted putin as our partner , russia has always taken the side of the west 's enemy . such has been the case with iraq , north korea , syria and iran . it was only natural for putin to use any invitation on our part as an opportunity to damage us . one should not expect anything different from a person with the background of a kgb officer , for whom america always has been enemy no . 1 , and for whom anti-americanism is a pillar of his power . if america is russia 's enemy , putin 's russia can not be our ally . whether we like it or not , such relations are reciprocal . and from an enemy we do not need help . we need only check its aggression . for that purpose we should take the following steps : 1 . publicly recognize that putin is not our ally or partner , but rather our foe , and make this position clear to him and to the rest of the world . 2 . ensure that our demands to russia be absolutely clear . stop supporting separatists in ukraine . we do not need putin as a broker or peacemaker . putin must completely get out of ukrainian territory and ukrainian politics . 3 . make clear that putin 's help is not needed in any other part of the world . exclude russia as our partner or as a mediator from any international arrangements and negotiations . 4 . reiterate our position of not accepting the annexation of crimea . demand that it be returned to ukraine . 5 . stop propagating putin 's propaganda . instead , counter it with all the power of america 's media . expand broadcasts by radio liberty and other radio stations . 6 . make it clear that we consider the russian world ' policy a threat to world peace and stability . insist that russia officially renounce that doctrine and repeal supporting legislation as necessary conditions for russia 's readmission to the community of civilized nations . 7 . to stop aggression against ukraine and to prevent aggressions against other countries , make russia pay a high price by introducing sector and other serious economic sanctions . be ready to accept the cost of those sanctions . 8 . take immediate steps to reduce that cost and any dependence on russia . develop new energy sources and transportation systems in america and europe . 9 . provide help , including military assistance , to those who are under immediate attack or potential aggression by russia . 10 . revisit communism , an ideology that remains important in russia as well as other countries . educate new generations about its atrocities and bankrupt ideology . opponents of strong action against an aggressor wrongly equate political confrontation with war . they believe that admitting that the second largest nuclear power is our enemy would usher in another cold war and make the situation much more dangerous . history teaches us , however , that to ignore reality and appease our enemy is a more dangerous approach than to clearly articulate our principles and disagreements . when in 1983 the soviets shot down korean air lines flight 007 , ronald reagan denounced them as enemies of the united states and the entire world . reagan 's strong stand against the soviet communism that threatened us for decades with nuclear war helped stop its expansion and eventually led to its complete capitulation . if we could stand against the mighty soviet union , we can manage putin 's much weaker russia . in february 2000 , only two months into his presidency , vladimir putin presented one of his first state awards to air force gen. anatoly kornukov . in 1983 , kornukov was commander of sokol airbase in sakhalin . his order to the fighter pilot was : destroy the target ! ' the target was korean air lines flight 007 . join us on facebook.com/cnnopinion . | author : putin is the cause of the ukraine conflict and should be treated that way |
ukraine <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the killing of 298 innocent people on board malaysia airlines flight 17 was a crime , a consequence of the war against ukraine that vladimir putin started , and which he supplies , directs and controls . the russian president bears full responsibility for this war , including the downing of the malaysian airliner . the main problem with our reaction to russian aggression is not even the mildness of our sanctions , but the lack of clarity of their purpose . our message to putin is very confused . do we want him completely out of ukraine , or do we want his help in dealing with that country ? they are two very different requests . despite putin 's offenses , western leaders apparently still want him to play an active role in securing peace and stability . according to the white house , on july 17 , president obama called on president putin to take concrete steps to de-escalate the situation , including pressing separatists to agree to a cease-fire . ' after the malaysian airliner was shot down , german chancellor angela merkel urged putin to use his influence with the rebels to ensure a cease-fire . in recent appearances on several tv shows , u.s. secretary of state john kerry asked putin to take immediate and clear action to reduce tensions in ukraine , ' to step up and make a difference , ' and to use all his influence . ' despite their harsh words for putin , leaders of the west still want his help . british prime minister david cameron summed it up best when he said : we sometimes behave as if we need russia more than russia needs us . ' putin is only too glad to put on sheep 's clothing and assume the role of peacemaker that he has pretended to be throughout the war that he himself started . according to him , annexing crimea , shooting down airplanes and supporting separatists has only one purpose : to protect the ukrainian people from alleged right-wing extremists . if you want putin 's help , beware of what you are asking . he would be glad to broker a diplomatic solution ' with the separatists , thus legitimizing his terrorists and entrenching them on ukrainian territory . if that option does n't work , we can imagine the following completely different scenario : russian tanks roll over donetsk . instead of supporting the separatists , putin arrests leaders of the donetsk republic and persecutes them for terrorizing the local population . blaming the ukrainian government for its inability to protect people from the terrorists , he establishes full control over the territory , and leaves russian troops there to secure law , order and tranquility . how would the world react to such a peacekeeping mission ' ? would the ukrainian army fight russian troops ? would western political leaders accept this as a plausible option ? i do not know . but what is more important , putin does n't know either . we should make very clear that we would not accept putin as a peacekeeper and we want him out of ukraine . western governments should not implicitly accept the aggressive doctrine called the russian world , ' which was endorsed by putin , and which gives him the right to intervene into the affairs of virtually any sovereign nation , as he did in ukraine , using the pretext of protecting russian-speaking citizens . the major concern of western leaders is that by taking a strong stand against putin , we may lose him as a useful partner in the world arena . we should n't worry about that . history clearly demonstrates that in all major international trouble spots in which we accepted putin as our partner , russia has always taken the side of the west 's enemy . such has been the case with iraq , north korea , syria and iran . it was only natural for putin to use any invitation on our part as an opportunity to damage us . one should not expect anything different from a person with the background of a kgb officer , for whom america always has been enemy no . 1 , and for whom anti-americanism is a pillar of his power . if america is russia 's enemy , putin 's russia can not be our ally . whether we like it or not , such relations are reciprocal . and from an enemy we do not need help . we need only check its aggression . for that purpose we should take the following steps : 1 . publicly recognize that putin is not our ally or partner , but rather our foe , and make this position clear to him and to the rest of the world . 2 . ensure that our demands to russia be absolutely clear . stop supporting separatists in ukraine . we do not need putin as a broker or peacemaker . putin must completely get out of ukrainian territory and ukrainian politics . 3 . make clear that putin 's help is not needed in any other part of the world . exclude russia as our partner or as a mediator from any international arrangements and negotiations . 4 . reiterate our position of not accepting the annexation of crimea . demand that it be returned to ukraine . 5 . stop propagating putin 's propaganda . instead , counter it with all the power of america 's media . expand broadcasts by radio liberty and other radio stations . 6 . make it clear that we consider the russian world ' policy a threat to world peace and stability . insist that russia officially renounce that doctrine and repeal supporting legislation as necessary conditions for russia 's readmission to the community of civilized nations . 7 . to stop aggression against ukraine and to prevent aggressions against other countries , make russia pay a high price by introducing sector and other serious economic sanctions . be ready to accept the cost of those sanctions . 8 . take immediate steps to reduce that cost and any dependence on russia . develop new energy sources and transportation systems in america and europe . 9 . provide help , including military assistance , to those who are under immediate attack or potential aggression by russia . 10 . revisit communism , an ideology that remains important in russia as well as other countries . educate new generations about its atrocities and bankrupt ideology . opponents of strong action against an aggressor wrongly equate political confrontation with war . they believe that admitting that the second largest nuclear power is our enemy would usher in another cold war and make the situation much more dangerous . history teaches us , however , that to ignore reality and appease our enemy is a more dangerous approach than to clearly articulate our principles and disagreements . when in 1983 the soviets shot down korean air lines flight 007 , ronald reagan denounced them as enemies of the united states and the entire world . reagan 's strong stand against the soviet communism that threatened us for decades with nuclear war helped stop its expansion and eventually led to its complete capitulation . if we could stand against the mighty soviet union , we can manage putin 's much weaker russia . in february 2000 , only two months into his presidency , vladimir putin presented one of his first state awards to air force gen. anatoly kornukov . in 1983 , kornukov was commander of sokol airbase in sakhalin . his order to the fighter pilot was : destroy the target ! ' the target was korean air lines flight 007 . join us on facebook.com/cnnopinion . | he says some are looking to putin as a potential peacemaker in ukraine battle |
benghazi <tsp> tripoli , libya ( cnn ) -- heavy fighting continued monday in benghazi between libyan army forces and an islamist militant group the united states blames for the attack last year on its diplomatic mission that killed four americans , including ambassador christopher stevens . lana , libya 's state news agency , reported that at least six soldiers and one civilian were killed and 39 people were injured , most of them soldiers , in the clashes sunday between the military and the group ansar al-sharia . on monday , the libyan government said that at least nine people were killed and 49 injured . a senior libyan military official in the city , speaking to cnn on condition of anonymity for security reasons , said heavy fighting continued monday morning as troops engaged members of the group in different parts of benghazi . at midday , residents and state media reported a tense calm in the city . schools in benghazi were closed , and security forces , through alerts on state media , asked residents to remain indoors monday morning as troops worked to secure the city . the fighting was not a planned operation but a reaction ' to an attack on the army by members of the group sunday night , the official said . he said members of a military special forces group called thunderbolt , with support from local residents , responded with raids on ansar al-sharia locations in benghazi . the official said the fighting monday morning was intense , with ansar al-sharia fighters using mortars , rocket-propelled grenades and heavy weapons . he described the situation as very tense after reports that ansar al-sharia might be receiving reinforcements from the eastern city of derna , where jihadist groups are active . libyan state media reported that military forces were securing all main roads and entrances to the city . a benghazi resident told cnn that heavy clashes broke out sunday night , and gunfire and explosions intensified monday morning across the city . this is really the heaviest fighting i have heard in benghazi since the revolution ' he said ansar al-sharia versus the army , this has been a long time coming . ' militant group returns after the assault on the u.s. consulate last year , benghazi residents attacked the headquarters of islamist militias in the city , including ansar al-sharia 's base . the group left the base but later returned . during a visit to benghazi this year , a cnn team confirmed that ansar al-sharia was back at its base and the group had a checkpoint at a western entrance to the city . the government has been struggling to control the hundreds of militia groups that operate freely across the country , including some radical militant groups with ties to al qaeda in eastern libya . libyan militias hand over tripoli bases to government over the past year , there has been a significant deterioration in the security situation in benghazi , which is libya 's second-largest city and the cradle of the 2011 revolution . after an uptick in violence in the city , most notably in an assassination campaign that has primarily targeted security force members , most of whom held positions under the former regime , the government announced a security plan to secure the city . this month , benghazi residents reported an increased libyan army presence , most notably the thunderbolt forces working to secure the city . bombings and shootings have targeted army checkpoints and patrols , and a senior military official escaped an assassination attempt when a bomb targeted his car in benghazi this month . the violence is blamed on islamist extremist groups in the city . commander : u.s. to help train libyan forces yousif bassil contributed to this report from atlanta . | new : clashes that erupted sunday night in eastern benghazi continue into monday |
missouri <tsp> ( cnn ) -- an suv slammed into a cadillac , sending it through the front wall of a kansas city day care center tuesday , seriously injuring three children in the building , officials in the western missouri city said . the three children and an adult -- identified by police as the driver of the suv -- were taken to hospitals with serious but non-life-threatening injuries , city communications director danny rotert said . the crash left a gaping hole in the front of christian academy child care , where about 40 children were when the cadillac punched through around 1 p.m. ( 2 p.m. ct ) , kansas city police capt . tye grant said . the driver of the cadillac , which for a time trapped two children in the building , ran from the scene , grant said . however , james garrett , with the kansas city fire department , later said that the cadillac was unoccupied . it was parked , he said . the incident started , police say , with the suv rear-ending the car outside the child care center on 27th street in central kansas city . the cadillac was propelled into the gray one-story building , coming to rest inside , grant said . aerial video from cnn affiliate kmbc showed the suv , its front crumpled , just outside the front of the building , along with a huge hole and debris scattered on the sidewalk . workers on tuesday afternoon were trying to shore up the front of the building to ensure it would n't collapse , rotert said . they then planned to take the cadillac out of the facility . officials believed that all children have been accounted for , but we are still searching , ' grant said tuesday afternoon . cnn 's janet digiacomo and carma hassan contributed to this report . | police : rear-ended vehicle smashed into daycare center in kansas city , missouri |
fema <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- a short-term spending measure to fund the federal government into next week won approval thursday from the u.s. house and now goes to president barack obama 's desk . the measure was part of a bipartisan agreement intended to end a dispute over disaster relief spending that threatened to cause a partial shutdown of the government when the current fiscal year ends at midnight friday . congressional approval of the measure keeps the government funded through october 4 . the house will then have to consider a more comprehensive measure that would keep the government funded through november 18 . with most house members away from washington on a one-week recess , thursday 's approval took place at a pro forma ' session involving just three house members using a procedure known as unanimous consent . ' republican reps. andy harris of maryland and john culberson of texas conducted the house business , including the request for the chamber 's unanimous consent of the spending plan , while democratic rep. chris van hollen of maryland kept an eye on the proceedings . the senate approved both measures monday . together , they would fund the federal government for the first seven weeks of the new fiscal year . the spending proposals contain an additional $ 2.65 billion in disaster relief needed by the federal emergency management agency to replenish coffers depleted partly by the federal response to hurricane irene , tropical storm lee , and a series of tornadoes and wildfires this year . the new emergency disaster funding will kick in saturday . democrats and republicans had been at odds over a gop demand to cut spending elsewhere to offset increased disaster relief funding in the current fiscal year . fema ended that standoff monday when it indicated that it has enough money to get through the final few days of the current fiscal year . if congress had failed to reach a new spending agreement , a partial government shutdown would have occurred with the onset of the new fiscal year on saturday . government shutdowns were also threatened during budget talks in the spring and the debt ceiling debate over the summer . the short-term funding measures were necessary because congress has failed to complete its full budget appropriations process in recent years due to a sharp partisan divide over government spending issues . the november 18 extension expected to win final approval next week was intended to provide time to debate and pass appropriations bills for the remainder of fiscal year 2012 . however , it 's been more than 15 years since both chambers of congress passed the full range of appropriations bills . instead , they have relied on other ways to extend spending authority , such as continuing resolutions or omnibus measures that bundle together multiple appropriations bills . cnn 's tom cohen and deirdre walsh contributed to this report . | a bipartisan agreement includes an additional $ 2.65 billion in disaster relief needed by fema |
open championship <tsp> ( cnn ) -- you 'd be hard-pressed to find a major sporting event these days without its own dedicated smartphone app . no longer is it enough to simply watch the action , devoted fans are now demanding a blow-by-blow account , interactive maps and player profiles all in the palm of their hands . for young fans especially , such apps have become the must-have accessories -- and british golfing bosses have finally caught on . for the first time in six years , spectators will be able to use their mobile phones at the open championship this summer after organizers lifted a ban on monday . mobiles had been barred at the golf season 's third of four major tournaments -- this year to be held at royal lytham & st. annes -- since 2006 after players complained about distracting ringtones . but ruling body the r & a has now relaxed the ban for the july 15-22 event , and fans will be able to make calls in designated areas -- though photography and video recording is still banned . and to coincide with this , the tournament now offers its own mobile experience . we are offering spectators access to an enhanced range of apps for android , iphone and ipad that will offer live video of play and other attractions at the open and will keep them up to date with essential championship information including scoring , tee times , news and an interactive course guide , ' r & a chief executive peter dawson said on the r & a website . there is no denying the attachment people feel to their mobile phones both in terms of gathering information and staying in touch with family and friends . we understand this and allowing their use at the championship will enrich the open experience . ' the decision follows a pga tour announcement in february last year that ithe u.s. circuit would finally be lifting its phone ban . after allowing mobiles at five test events , chief of operations andy pazder said at the time : allowing mobile devices on-site at tour events was a tremendous fan enhancement , and did not affect the integrity of the competition . ' however , the phone rules only apply to pga tour events , not the other three majors -- the masters , u.s. open or pga championship . the r & a said it will continue to monitor the decision . we understand there will be concerns over this change in policy but we will be liaising with spectators at the championship to ensure calls are not taking place near play , ' dawson said . our spectators are very knowledgeable and understand golf , and so we are confident they will respect the players . ' | r & a bosses hope new phone rules will increase uptake of open championship apps |
obeidallah <tsp> ( cnn ) -- does our government trust us ? if our government trusts us , why does it take people like edward snowden and bradley manning to reveal the actions our government is taking in our name ? government should be able to withhold information in certain situations if disclosure truly compromises ongoing intelligence operations or clearly risks lives . but that exception must be narrowly construed , and the burden should rest on the government to prove that the information at issue should be kept secret from americans . recently , two seemingly unrelated events show our government 's continuing efforts to keep information from us . in the first instance , the government released hundreds of hours of tapes that richard nixon had secretly recorded of white house conversations between april 9 , 1973 and july 2 , 1973 . while political pundits had a field day combing through these tapes , lost in all this were two things . one , the content of these tapes has been kept secret from us for more than 40 years . two , the government still wo n't release more than 700 hours of additional tapes , citing national security and privacy concerns . could there really be information in these 40-plus-year-old tapes that threatens our nation 's security or invades someone 's privacy ? and even if there is , should n't our government be called upon to provide us more reasons to justify its secrecy ? in the case of bradley manning , who was sentenced to 35 years in prison for providing wikileaks with 700,000 classified files , we became aware of a wide range of actions taken by our military , state department and intelligence community . we learned , for example , that the u.s. military had been keeping detailed data about the number of iraqi civilians killed by our forces . before this leak , our government had denied it kept such figures . we learned that our government was spying on u.n. officials in violation of international law and our state department had been encouraging foreign governments to not investigate our torture of prisoners who had been subject to rendition . manning also released the infamous video of a u.s. apache helicopter attack in baghdad in which civilians and a reporter were killed . reuters had previously requested this exact video under the freedom of information act but the government had denied access . not only does it appear that our government does n't trust us , but it also seems that some agencies within our government do n't even trust each other . a few months ago , james clapper , the director of national intelligence , was asked by congress whether the national security agency was collecting data on americans . clapper answered under oath , no . ' of course , a short time later , snowden revealed that clapper was not being truthful . when you look at our nation 's declaration of independence , one of the clauses that has always stuck with me is , governments are instituted among men , deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed . ... ' but how can we consent to our government 's actions if we are not told what it 's doing ? conversely , how can we object to our government 's conduct if it is n't revealed to us ? shockingly , even some members of congress seem to be in the dark about our government 's activities , even though the administration has provided information in a restricted fashion . on sunday 's morning tv , sen. bob corker , the senior republican on the senate foreign relations committee , commented that he and others in congress are n't sure of the full extent of the nsa 's surveillance programs that were leaked by snowden . corker said , and that 's why i wrote a letter to the president this week to ask that the head of this organization ( nsa ) come in and brief folks from top to bottom . ' keep in mind this is months after snowden 's leaks . this begs the question : does anyone actually know the full scope of what our government is doing ? just this week , our government finally released former president gerald ford 's testimony recorded more than 30 years ago during the criminal trial of lynette squeaky ' fromme , the woman convicted of trying to assassinate ford . did the government release this information on its own ? nope , it took a federal lawsuit by the eastern district historical society to pry it free . if our government continues to hide information from us , the edward snowdens and bradley mannings of the world will not stay silent despite threats of imprisonment . more americans will take matters into their own hands when they see our government engaging in policies and programs that violate our constitution , laws and principles . it is truly our government 's choice . trust us and be more transparent , or inspire more snowdens and mannings . i hope our government chooses to trust us . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of dean obeidallah . | obeidallah : programs that violate our constitution , laws and principles break down society |
obeidallah <tsp> ( cnn ) -- does our government trust us ? if our government trusts us , why does it take people like edward snowden and bradley manning to reveal the actions our government is taking in our name ? government should be able to withhold information in certain situations if disclosure truly compromises ongoing intelligence operations or clearly risks lives . but that exception must be narrowly construed , and the burden should rest on the government to prove that the information at issue should be kept secret from americans . recently , two seemingly unrelated events show our government 's continuing efforts to keep information from us . in the first instance , the government released hundreds of hours of tapes that richard nixon had secretly recorded of white house conversations between april 9 , 1973 and july 2 , 1973 . while political pundits had a field day combing through these tapes , lost in all this were two things . one , the content of these tapes has been kept secret from us for more than 40 years . two , the government still wo n't release more than 700 hours of additional tapes , citing national security and privacy concerns . could there really be information in these 40-plus-year-old tapes that threatens our nation 's security or invades someone 's privacy ? and even if there is , should n't our government be called upon to provide us more reasons to justify its secrecy ? in the case of bradley manning , who was sentenced to 35 years in prison for providing wikileaks with 700,000 classified files , we became aware of a wide range of actions taken by our military , state department and intelligence community . we learned , for example , that the u.s. military had been keeping detailed data about the number of iraqi civilians killed by our forces . before this leak , our government had denied it kept such figures . we learned that our government was spying on u.n. officials in violation of international law and our state department had been encouraging foreign governments to not investigate our torture of prisoners who had been subject to rendition . manning also released the infamous video of a u.s. apache helicopter attack in baghdad in which civilians and a reporter were killed . reuters had previously requested this exact video under the freedom of information act but the government had denied access . not only does it appear that our government does n't trust us , but it also seems that some agencies within our government do n't even trust each other . a few months ago , james clapper , the director of national intelligence , was asked by congress whether the national security agency was collecting data on americans . clapper answered under oath , no . ' of course , a short time later , snowden revealed that clapper was not being truthful . when you look at our nation 's declaration of independence , one of the clauses that has always stuck with me is , governments are instituted among men , deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed . ... ' but how can we consent to our government 's actions if we are not told what it 's doing ? conversely , how can we object to our government 's conduct if it is n't revealed to us ? shockingly , even some members of congress seem to be in the dark about our government 's activities , even though the administration has provided information in a restricted fashion . on sunday 's morning tv , sen. bob corker , the senior republican on the senate foreign relations committee , commented that he and others in congress are n't sure of the full extent of the nsa 's surveillance programs that were leaked by snowden . corker said , and that 's why i wrote a letter to the president this week to ask that the head of this organization ( nsa ) come in and brief folks from top to bottom . ' keep in mind this is months after snowden 's leaks . this begs the question : does anyone actually know the full scope of what our government is doing ? just this week , our government finally released former president gerald ford 's testimony recorded more than 30 years ago during the criminal trial of lynette squeaky ' fromme , the woman convicted of trying to assassinate ford . did the government release this information on its own ? nope , it took a federal lawsuit by the eastern district historical society to pry it free . if our government continues to hide information from us , the edward snowdens and bradley mannings of the world will not stay silent despite threats of imprisonment . more americans will take matters into their own hands when they see our government engaging in policies and programs that violate our constitution , laws and principles . it is truly our government 's choice . trust us and be more transparent , or inspire more snowdens and mannings . i hope our government chooses to trust us . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of dean obeidallah . | dean obeidallah : why does it take edward snowden to reveal actions of our government ? |
obeidallah <tsp> ( cnn ) -- does our government trust us ? if our government trusts us , why does it take people like edward snowden and bradley manning to reveal the actions our government is taking in our name ? government should be able to withhold information in certain situations if disclosure truly compromises ongoing intelligence operations or clearly risks lives . but that exception must be narrowly construed , and the burden should rest on the government to prove that the information at issue should be kept secret from americans . recently , two seemingly unrelated events show our government 's continuing efforts to keep information from us . in the first instance , the government released hundreds of hours of tapes that richard nixon had secretly recorded of white house conversations between april 9 , 1973 and july 2 , 1973 . while political pundits had a field day combing through these tapes , lost in all this were two things . one , the content of these tapes has been kept secret from us for more than 40 years . two , the government still wo n't release more than 700 hours of additional tapes , citing national security and privacy concerns . could there really be information in these 40-plus-year-old tapes that threatens our nation 's security or invades someone 's privacy ? and even if there is , should n't our government be called upon to provide us more reasons to justify its secrecy ? in the case of bradley manning , who was sentenced to 35 years in prison for providing wikileaks with 700,000 classified files , we became aware of a wide range of actions taken by our military , state department and intelligence community . we learned , for example , that the u.s. military had been keeping detailed data about the number of iraqi civilians killed by our forces . before this leak , our government had denied it kept such figures . we learned that our government was spying on u.n. officials in violation of international law and our state department had been encouraging foreign governments to not investigate our torture of prisoners who had been subject to rendition . manning also released the infamous video of a u.s. apache helicopter attack in baghdad in which civilians and a reporter were killed . reuters had previously requested this exact video under the freedom of information act but the government had denied access . not only does it appear that our government does n't trust us , but it also seems that some agencies within our government do n't even trust each other . a few months ago , james clapper , the director of national intelligence , was asked by congress whether the national security agency was collecting data on americans . clapper answered under oath , no . ' of course , a short time later , snowden revealed that clapper was not being truthful . when you look at our nation 's declaration of independence , one of the clauses that has always stuck with me is , governments are instituted among men , deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed . ... ' but how can we consent to our government 's actions if we are not told what it 's doing ? conversely , how can we object to our government 's conduct if it is n't revealed to us ? shockingly , even some members of congress seem to be in the dark about our government 's activities , even though the administration has provided information in a restricted fashion . on sunday 's morning tv , sen. bob corker , the senior republican on the senate foreign relations committee , commented that he and others in congress are n't sure of the full extent of the nsa 's surveillance programs that were leaked by snowden . corker said , and that 's why i wrote a letter to the president this week to ask that the head of this organization ( nsa ) come in and brief folks from top to bottom . ' keep in mind this is months after snowden 's leaks . this begs the question : does anyone actually know the full scope of what our government is doing ? just this week , our government finally released former president gerald ford 's testimony recorded more than 30 years ago during the criminal trial of lynette squeaky ' fromme , the woman convicted of trying to assassinate ford . did the government release this information on its own ? nope , it took a federal lawsuit by the eastern district historical society to pry it free . if our government continues to hide information from us , the edward snowdens and bradley mannings of the world will not stay silent despite threats of imprisonment . more americans will take matters into their own hands when they see our government engaging in policies and programs that violate our constitution , laws and principles . it is truly our government 's choice . trust us and be more transparent , or inspire more snowdens and mannings . i hope our government chooses to trust us . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of dean obeidallah . | obeidallah : trust us and be more transparent , or inspire more snowdens and mannings |
milford <tsp> ( cnn ) -- for some , a twix bar is the delicious chocolate-caramel candy with a cookie crunch . but for robert mckevitt , a twix cost him his job and , he says , his house and girlfriend . on october 22 , mckevitt , a veteran , was working his shift as a forklift operator at polaris industries'plant in milford , iowa . it was a temp job that he had secured thanks , in part , to a government program that gives companies tax credits for hiring veterans . mckevitt , 27 , toured kosovo and afghanistan as part of the army national guard . it was about halfway into my shift and i had a few extra minutes . i was going to the restroom and the vending machine was next to it , ' mckevitt told cnn by phone from his brother 's home in spirit lake , iowa . i was going to grab a candy bar and then go to the restroom . ' mckevitt said thursday he was riding his forklift and as he approached the restroom he noticed the vending machine was a few feet from the wall . i thought it was a safety hazard , ' he said . i do n't know why i decided i wanted a candy bar , but i did . so i put in a dollar and it spun like it was going to give out the candy bar , but it did n't . it got hung up on the spiral thing that ejects the candy bar . ' what happened next is a matter of debate between mckevitt , polaris industries and a judge . according to a legal decision filed by an administrative judge with iowa workforce development , mckevitt was involved in misconduct . ' the document , the result of an unemployment claim appeal filed by mckevitt , contains a statement from a polaris representative saying that mckevitt was observed by a supervisor lifting a candy machine about one to two feet off the ground with a forklift and then dropping the machine to the ground , which he repeated fix or six times . ' when confronted , ' it reads , he had gotten about three candy bars out of the machine , and he claimed he had only shaken the machine to get out the candy bars that he had paid for that had not dropped on their own . as a result of this conduct , the employer discharged the claimant . ' though he was fired in october , and the judge denied his unemployment claim in december , the des moines register covered mckevitt 's story wednesday , pushing it into national headlines . mckevitt told cnn his version of what happened after the twix got stuck . i tried shaking it by hand , but it did n't do anything . then i tried putting in another dollar and nothing happened . i could see the candy bar dangling and i was already having a rough day . my girlfriend was nine months'pregnant and it was rough , ' recalled mckevitt . i shook the machine and the candy bar dropped so i was happy about that . but then i was upset that i had spent two dollars on a 90-cent candy bar , ' he said . then i took it upon myself to move the machine back with the forklift . ' at this point , mckevitt said , a supervisor showed up and assumed the worst . it may have looked like i was stealing candy bars , but the machine stole money from me , ' he said . the next day , according to mckevitt , he met with human resources and his supervisors to discuss the incident and a day later he was suspended , pending an investigation . i was fired two days after my daughter ... was born , ' he said . after he was fired , the financial stress proved too much for mckevitt . his relationship with the mother of his daughter ended and , unable to make rent payments , mckevitt moved out of his house and in with his brother . mckevitt filed for unemployment , which polaris denied . at that point i realized no one was going to hear my part of the story , ' said mckevitt , who filed an appeal with iowa workforce development , including a 17-page letter detailing his side of the story . but , as bad luck would have it , mckevitt says he never got the notice for his hearing , so he skipped it . only after his benefits were denied in appeal did he realize he had missed his chance to set the record straight . i had to take a job at walmart making about half of what i was making at polaris . i 'm making just under $ 9 an hour and before i was making about $ 16 an hour , ' mckevitt said . this issue was blown way out of proportion . ' | robert mckevitt , 27 , was fired from polaris industries'plant in milford |
somali <tsp> nairobi , kenya ( cnn ) -- two kenyan police officers were injured in dadaab refugee camp in northern kenya when their vehicle struck a land mine on tuesday , according to a senior official . the police car was traveling from hagadera camp to the dadaab police station , ' said dadaab district commissioner ndambuki muthike . muthike said that the rear of the vehicle struck the land mine and two policemen at the back of the vehicle sustained injuries . they are in a stable condition in dadaab , ' said muthike , adding that the injuries were not life-threatening . less than two weeks ago another police vehicle struck a land mine on the same road without detonating it . kenyan troops are battling the islamic extremist group al-shabaab in neighboring somalia . with the fighting in somalia , ' muthike said , we now have some of the terrorist here in dadaab . but this is an isolated incident . ' the increasing danger caused by the escalating conflict in somalia is a concern especially for children , the united nations children 's fund said in a statement . somali children 's lives are being put more and more in grave danger with the increasing conflict , ' said unicef representative sikander khan . according to the u.n. 's monitoring and reporting mechanism , 24 children have been killed in the conflict in october -- nearly double the number of child killings confirmed in every other month this year . another 58 children sustained serious injuries last month , the largest number of children injured as a result of the armed conflict in somalia in any month this year . the u.n. has confirmed nearly 300 children seriously injured and over 100 children killed in the ongoing conflict this year . though the death rate is already high , khan believes it could be even greater , because many deaths go unreported . increasing numbers of children and civilians are being caught in attacks and cross-fire across the south and centre of somalia , ' said khan . the recruitment and use of children for armed services and sexual violence against children and women are other concerns for unicef . khan has called for an end to the violence by all parties involved in the somalia conflict . all children must immediately be assured of safety and protection from hostile acts , ' the statement said . the escalating violence also threatens the delivery of humanitarian assistance to people in the region who need help . many of the hundreds of thousands of children already facing a situation of life and death due to famine and disease are now facing the risk of having life-saving assistance cut off to them . ' since the abduction of two foreign workers of doctors without borders , u.n. and charity groups have significantly scaled back their humanitarian work at the world 's largest refugee camp . | u.n. : 24 somali children killed , 58 injured in october |
isaf <tsp> kabul , afghanistan ( cnn ) -- part of the u.s. embassy annex in kabul came under attack early monday , a u.s. official and an official from the international security assistance force said . the attack was believed to be largely over by about 4 a.m. , the u.s. official said . at that point , there was not yet any word on casualties . isaf maj. jason waggoner said it was a single incident , not several attacks . the u.s. official described the situation as fluid at the targeted facility , which is used by u.s. government personnel in the afghan capital . the area is known as a place where personnel both live and work , some in intelligence operations . a cia spokeswoman declined to comment on the attack . police have heard gunshots in the area , ' said siddiq siddiqi , the spokesman for the afghan interior ministry . the gunshots continued for three or four minutes . ' afghanistan has been site of several high-profile attacks of late , including strikes at the nato headquarters and the u.s. embassy in kabul and the assassination of former afghan president burhanuddin rabbani . rabbani had been leading efforts for reconciliation talks . u.s. secretary of defense leon panetta contended last thursday that such attacks represent a strategy shift by the taliban , the conservative and militant group that has been waging a years-long fight in the war-torn nation . we judge this change in tactics to be a result of a shift in momentum in our favor and a sign of weakness in the insurgency , ' panetta said in a senate armed service committee hearing . he added that the insurgency has been turned back in much of the country , including its heartland in the south , and afghan national security forces are increasingly strong and capable . ' mike mullen , the outgoing chairman of the joint chiefs of staff , testified then that he felt pakistan is exporting ' violence to afghanistan . he described the haqqani terrorist network as a veritable arm of pakistan 's intelligence ' -- an assertion that pakistani officials later strongly denied , even as it admitted the country does have contacts with the group . august was the deadliest month for u.s. forces in afghanistan since the conflict began . seventy-one american troops died that month , including 30 killed when insurgents shot down a helicopter august 6 in the eastern central province of wardak . the surge in u.s. deaths comes as nato is drawing down and handing over security control to national forces . some 10,000 u.s. troops are scheduled to depart by year 's end , with all u.s. military personnel out of afghanistan by the end of 2014 . cnn 's barbara starr and claudia dominguez contributed to this report . | an isaf official describes it as a single incident |
dioguardi <tsp> ( entertainment weekly ) -- kara dioguardi is ensconced in the black velvet cocoon of a small home-recording studio , laying down a demo track while warmed by the glow of spice-scented candles . kara dioguardi is joining the american idol ' judges for the show 's eighth season . she 's crooning a song she co-wrote -- an encapsulation of falling in love that involves shooting stars and dancing shadows -- in a powerhouse pop voice that lies somewhere between natasha bedingfield and sara bareilles . somewhere good , that is . she kills it every time she sings , ' raves her writing partner , jason reeves . he 's one of the greatest melody writers i 've ever worked with , ' dioguardi returns . sweet , right ? so sweet , in fact , that we 're starting to worry for dioguardi , a heretofore behind-the-scenes songwriter-producer who 's about to take on the most-watched , most-dissected job in pop music : when american idol ' returns to fox on january 13 , she 'll become a fourth judge to randy , paula , and simon . it 's a job that requires a distinct dearth of sweetness , and a certain amount of , for lack of a better term , simon cowell-ness . oh , i 'm not gon na be this nice on the show , ' dioguardi assures us . in case we were n't convinced , she drops this rant when the subject of idol ' auditions comes up : a lot of times people will sing a big song that they do n't have the voice for instead of bringing out the uniqueness in their tone , ' she says . another thing is , do n't cheese me out . it 's not a wedding band . and emote . make me feel like you mean it . do n't just sing the way the song was written . that was mariah 's interpretation . now what are you gon na do ? ' ok , we 're worried again -- but this time for the contestants . that 's exactly what idol 's ' producers are counting on . heading into season 8 , they 're hoping viewers will be as rapt with how dioguardi shakes up idol 's ' dawg ' / ' beautiful ' / ' dreadful ' judging dynamic as they are with which singer takes the big prize . and though the show has constantly worked to stay fresh -- allowing contestants to play instruments last year , for instance -- dioguardi 's new energy comes at a critical time , after last season 's ratings took an 8 percent dip from 29.8 million viewers to 27.3 million . idol ' actually tried adding a fourth judge once before in season 2 , with new york radio personality angie martinez , but she quit just a few days in , saying it was uncomfortable for me to tell someone else to give up on their dream . ' producers expect no such trouble with dioguardi , who regularly evaluates new talent as a vp of a & r at warner bros. and co-owner of music production and publishing house arthouse entertainment . she 's the kind of 38-year-old who can rock a black leather jacket with leggings and write hits for everyone from pink to ashlee simpson to the jonas brothers . she 's very strong-willed , and we needed that with simon around , ' explains exec producer ken warwick . i do n't want anybody too benign on that panel . kara tells it as it is . ' the feisty spirit that landed dioguardi on america 's most-judged panel of judges goes back to her italian upbringing in scarsdale , new york . my grandfather was a guy who came through ellis island and started a grocery store , ' she says . so my father had incredible balls . he had this i'm- gon na -do-whatever-i-want-to-do-and-you-can't-stop-me thing that i got . ' that drive spurred her to college at duke , where she started out in the opera program but did n't quite fit in with the classical crowd -- so instead she went pre-law . i always wanted to be a trial attorney , ' she says . i love to argue . ' after graduation in 1993 , dioguardi was living at home and fronting a garage band called gramma trips -- covering songs , not writing my own ' -- when a friend snagged her an interview for a job as the assistant to the editor in chief and publisher at billboard magazine , where she ended up spending five years . while mastering the business side of the music industry during her workday , dioguardi spent her downtime learning to craft songs , which she now describes as the worst things i 've ever heard in my life . my first song was called'show me love ,'about a girl who wants the guy to open up his heart . it was like , honey , he 's just not that into you . ' eventually , though , she pulled together a respectable demo that she gave to none other than a pre- ' idol ' paula abdul in 1998 by simply walking up to the pop star in new york and dropping the name of a billboard connection . i asked her if she was any good , ' abdul recalls . she said ,'yeah , i 'm really good .'and i believed her . ' luckily , the demo delivered on dioguardi 's chutzpah : abdul liked dioguardi 's work so much that she flew her out to stay at her los angeles home for six weeks of intensive collaboration . the results : a song called spinning around ' that became kylie minogue 's 2000 comeback single -- and a genial relationship with abdul that both women hope will help squelch those intra-panel rivalry rumors . we were the best roommates , ' says abdul . adds dioguardi , we did n't have one argument . we lived very well together -- it was the strangest thing . ' the following year dioguardi scored with enrique iglesias'multiplatinum album escape , ' on which she co-wrote seven songs . the title track in particular revealed her knack for irresistible pop hooks , which led to a stunning roll on those charts published by her former employer . with 168 of her songs appearing on multiplatinum albums , you can thank ( or curse ) her for simpson 's pieces of me , ' celine dion 's taking chances , ' gwen stefani 's rich girl , ' hilary duff 's come clean , ' christina aguilera 's ai n't no other man , ' and pink 's sober . ' she 's also penned cuts for several products of the idol ' machine , including kelly clarkson , david archuleta , david cook , and katherine mcphee . industry insiders attribute dioguardi 's prolific portfolio to her no-nonsense work ethic . if you 're in a jam and need something done , she 's a great closer , ' says jimmy iovine , whose interscope records includes dioguardi collaborators the pussycat dolls and will.i.am . i 'd use her for anything . ' music mogul tommy mottola -- who paired her with dion , marc anthony , and jessica simpson , among others -- agrees : she 's one of the best i 've ever encountered . in pop music , where things can be sort of crap and mundane , she finds new twists lyrically , and her melodies are extraordinary . ' another plus , as far as her idol ' credentials go : she 's got vocal chops . the truth is she can sing like there 's no tomorrow , ' warwick says . so whereas in the past when the kid would say ,'aw , you could n't sing any better'and none of the judges even tried , she does , and she can . ' but the question remains : can she hold her own as a tv star ? sure , she appeared on abc 's 2006 idol ' rip-off the one , ' but it was canceled after only four episodes . and crashing randy , paula , and simon 's party is something else altogether . they 're like brothers and sisters at this point , ' she says , having already wrapped the brutal preliminary auditions as well as the hollywood round . and i 'm like the long-lost cousin who they 're not sure they wanted to see , but now they 're like , okay , you can stay for dinner . ' she has what sounds like randy jackson 's unequivocal -- and ever-so-randyesque -- endorsement : i think people will look at me first and say , if the dawg is feeling her , then i should feel her too . ' for the record , she 'll sit between randy and paula . they tried [ putting ] me between her and simon , ' explains dioguardi , but they kept trying to communicate and i did n't want to be in the middle of that . ' and , yes , both she and abdul will be keeping their seats ; producers insist dioguardi is n't being groomed as her former mentor 's replacement . that 's just cheeky journalistic hype , ' warwick says . adds dioguardi , paula and i have a good vibe . i have respect for paula . i 'm not of the thinking that women should drag each other down . ' abdul says she is n't worrying about her job security ( i was never told that she was coming in to take my place ' ) -- and , in fact , only feels more confident with dioguardi around : when i heard she was going to be the fourth judge , i thought , ha ha , hee hee , simon has no idea i have an ally now . ' that 's a relief to dioguardi , who says her biggest challenge will be being aware of when to shut up . ' but could her penchant for telling it like it is end up rankling a nation of rabid idol ' fans ? in between singing the praises of a new love on her demo and waxing rhapsodic about writing partner reeves , dioguardi muses repeatedly , and without prompting , about whether america will think she 's just too darn mean . i know who i am , but what are people going to perceive me as ? ' she wonders . they may think my intensity and my boldness are bitchy . i hope not . i do n't think i 'm bitchy . do you think i 'm bitchy ? ' no , but fortunately for idol , ' we think she has a lot of potential . click here to try 2 risk free issues of entertainment weekly copyright 2009 entertainment weekly and time inc. all rights reserved . ew 's adam b . vary contributed to this article . | dioguardi is successful songwriter , has written for pink , gwen stefani |
dioguardi <tsp> ( entertainment weekly ) -- kara dioguardi is ensconced in the black velvet cocoon of a small home-recording studio , laying down a demo track while warmed by the glow of spice-scented candles . kara dioguardi is joining the american idol ' judges for the show 's eighth season . she 's crooning a song she co-wrote -- an encapsulation of falling in love that involves shooting stars and dancing shadows -- in a powerhouse pop voice that lies somewhere between natasha bedingfield and sara bareilles . somewhere good , that is . she kills it every time she sings , ' raves her writing partner , jason reeves . he 's one of the greatest melody writers i 've ever worked with , ' dioguardi returns . sweet , right ? so sweet , in fact , that we 're starting to worry for dioguardi , a heretofore behind-the-scenes songwriter-producer who 's about to take on the most-watched , most-dissected job in pop music : when american idol ' returns to fox on january 13 , she 'll become a fourth judge to randy , paula , and simon . it 's a job that requires a distinct dearth of sweetness , and a certain amount of , for lack of a better term , simon cowell-ness . oh , i 'm not gon na be this nice on the show , ' dioguardi assures us . in case we were n't convinced , she drops this rant when the subject of idol ' auditions comes up : a lot of times people will sing a big song that they do n't have the voice for instead of bringing out the uniqueness in their tone , ' she says . another thing is , do n't cheese me out . it 's not a wedding band . and emote . make me feel like you mean it . do n't just sing the way the song was written . that was mariah 's interpretation . now what are you gon na do ? ' ok , we 're worried again -- but this time for the contestants . that 's exactly what idol 's ' producers are counting on . heading into season 8 , they 're hoping viewers will be as rapt with how dioguardi shakes up idol 's ' dawg ' / ' beautiful ' / ' dreadful ' judging dynamic as they are with which singer takes the big prize . and though the show has constantly worked to stay fresh -- allowing contestants to play instruments last year , for instance -- dioguardi 's new energy comes at a critical time , after last season 's ratings took an 8 percent dip from 29.8 million viewers to 27.3 million . idol ' actually tried adding a fourth judge once before in season 2 , with new york radio personality angie martinez , but she quit just a few days in , saying it was uncomfortable for me to tell someone else to give up on their dream . ' producers expect no such trouble with dioguardi , who regularly evaluates new talent as a vp of a & r at warner bros. and co-owner of music production and publishing house arthouse entertainment . she 's the kind of 38-year-old who can rock a black leather jacket with leggings and write hits for everyone from pink to ashlee simpson to the jonas brothers . she 's very strong-willed , and we needed that with simon around , ' explains exec producer ken warwick . i do n't want anybody too benign on that panel . kara tells it as it is . ' the feisty spirit that landed dioguardi on america 's most-judged panel of judges goes back to her italian upbringing in scarsdale , new york . my grandfather was a guy who came through ellis island and started a grocery store , ' she says . so my father had incredible balls . he had this i'm- gon na -do-whatever-i-want-to-do-and-you-can't-stop-me thing that i got . ' that drive spurred her to college at duke , where she started out in the opera program but did n't quite fit in with the classical crowd -- so instead she went pre-law . i always wanted to be a trial attorney , ' she says . i love to argue . ' after graduation in 1993 , dioguardi was living at home and fronting a garage band called gramma trips -- covering songs , not writing my own ' -- when a friend snagged her an interview for a job as the assistant to the editor in chief and publisher at billboard magazine , where she ended up spending five years . while mastering the business side of the music industry during her workday , dioguardi spent her downtime learning to craft songs , which she now describes as the worst things i 've ever heard in my life . my first song was called'show me love ,'about a girl who wants the guy to open up his heart . it was like , honey , he 's just not that into you . ' eventually , though , she pulled together a respectable demo that she gave to none other than a pre- ' idol ' paula abdul in 1998 by simply walking up to the pop star in new york and dropping the name of a billboard connection . i asked her if she was any good , ' abdul recalls . she said ,'yeah , i 'm really good .'and i believed her . ' luckily , the demo delivered on dioguardi 's chutzpah : abdul liked dioguardi 's work so much that she flew her out to stay at her los angeles home for six weeks of intensive collaboration . the results : a song called spinning around ' that became kylie minogue 's 2000 comeback single -- and a genial relationship with abdul that both women hope will help squelch those intra-panel rivalry rumors . we were the best roommates , ' says abdul . adds dioguardi , we did n't have one argument . we lived very well together -- it was the strangest thing . ' the following year dioguardi scored with enrique iglesias'multiplatinum album escape , ' on which she co-wrote seven songs . the title track in particular revealed her knack for irresistible pop hooks , which led to a stunning roll on those charts published by her former employer . with 168 of her songs appearing on multiplatinum albums , you can thank ( or curse ) her for simpson 's pieces of me , ' celine dion 's taking chances , ' gwen stefani 's rich girl , ' hilary duff 's come clean , ' christina aguilera 's ai n't no other man , ' and pink 's sober . ' she 's also penned cuts for several products of the idol ' machine , including kelly clarkson , david archuleta , david cook , and katherine mcphee . industry insiders attribute dioguardi 's prolific portfolio to her no-nonsense work ethic . if you 're in a jam and need something done , she 's a great closer , ' says jimmy iovine , whose interscope records includes dioguardi collaborators the pussycat dolls and will.i.am . i 'd use her for anything . ' music mogul tommy mottola -- who paired her with dion , marc anthony , and jessica simpson , among others -- agrees : she 's one of the best i 've ever encountered . in pop music , where things can be sort of crap and mundane , she finds new twists lyrically , and her melodies are extraordinary . ' another plus , as far as her idol ' credentials go : she 's got vocal chops . the truth is she can sing like there 's no tomorrow , ' warwick says . so whereas in the past when the kid would say ,'aw , you could n't sing any better'and none of the judges even tried , she does , and she can . ' but the question remains : can she hold her own as a tv star ? sure , she appeared on abc 's 2006 idol ' rip-off the one , ' but it was canceled after only four episodes . and crashing randy , paula , and simon 's party is something else altogether . they 're like brothers and sisters at this point , ' she says , having already wrapped the brutal preliminary auditions as well as the hollywood round . and i 'm like the long-lost cousin who they 're not sure they wanted to see , but now they 're like , okay , you can stay for dinner . ' she has what sounds like randy jackson 's unequivocal -- and ever-so-randyesque -- endorsement : i think people will look at me first and say , if the dawg is feeling her , then i should feel her too . ' for the record , she 'll sit between randy and paula . they tried [ putting ] me between her and simon , ' explains dioguardi , but they kept trying to communicate and i did n't want to be in the middle of that . ' and , yes , both she and abdul will be keeping their seats ; producers insist dioguardi is n't being groomed as her former mentor 's replacement . that 's just cheeky journalistic hype , ' warwick says . adds dioguardi , paula and i have a good vibe . i have respect for paula . i 'm not of the thinking that women should drag each other down . ' abdul says she is n't worrying about her job security ( i was never told that she was coming in to take my place ' ) -- and , in fact , only feels more confident with dioguardi around : when i heard she was going to be the fourth judge , i thought , ha ha , hee hee , simon has no idea i have an ally now . ' that 's a relief to dioguardi , who says her biggest challenge will be being aware of when to shut up . ' but could her penchant for telling it like it is end up rankling a nation of rabid idol ' fans ? in between singing the praises of a new love on her demo and waxing rhapsodic about writing partner reeves , dioguardi muses repeatedly , and without prompting , about whether america will think she 's just too darn mean . i know who i am , but what are people going to perceive me as ? ' she wonders . they may think my intensity and my boldness are bitchy . i hope not . i do n't think i 'm bitchy . do you think i 'm bitchy ? ' no , but fortunately for idol , ' we think she has a lot of potential . click here to try 2 risk free issues of entertainment weekly copyright 2009 entertainment weekly and time inc. all rights reserved . ew 's adam b . vary contributed to this article . | dioguardi says she 'll be tough and fair ; she and paula abdul are old friends |
dioguardi <tsp> ( entertainment weekly ) -- kara dioguardi is ensconced in the black velvet cocoon of a small home-recording studio , laying down a demo track while warmed by the glow of spice-scented candles . kara dioguardi is joining the american idol ' judges for the show 's eighth season . she 's crooning a song she co-wrote -- an encapsulation of falling in love that involves shooting stars and dancing shadows -- in a powerhouse pop voice that lies somewhere between natasha bedingfield and sara bareilles . somewhere good , that is . she kills it every time she sings , ' raves her writing partner , jason reeves . he 's one of the greatest melody writers i 've ever worked with , ' dioguardi returns . sweet , right ? so sweet , in fact , that we 're starting to worry for dioguardi , a heretofore behind-the-scenes songwriter-producer who 's about to take on the most-watched , most-dissected job in pop music : when american idol ' returns to fox on january 13 , she 'll become a fourth judge to randy , paula , and simon . it 's a job that requires a distinct dearth of sweetness , and a certain amount of , for lack of a better term , simon cowell-ness . oh , i 'm not gon na be this nice on the show , ' dioguardi assures us . in case we were n't convinced , she drops this rant when the subject of idol ' auditions comes up : a lot of times people will sing a big song that they do n't have the voice for instead of bringing out the uniqueness in their tone , ' she says . another thing is , do n't cheese me out . it 's not a wedding band . and emote . make me feel like you mean it . do n't just sing the way the song was written . that was mariah 's interpretation . now what are you gon na do ? ' ok , we 're worried again -- but this time for the contestants . that 's exactly what idol 's ' producers are counting on . heading into season 8 , they 're hoping viewers will be as rapt with how dioguardi shakes up idol 's ' dawg ' / ' beautiful ' / ' dreadful ' judging dynamic as they are with which singer takes the big prize . and though the show has constantly worked to stay fresh -- allowing contestants to play instruments last year , for instance -- dioguardi 's new energy comes at a critical time , after last season 's ratings took an 8 percent dip from 29.8 million viewers to 27.3 million . idol ' actually tried adding a fourth judge once before in season 2 , with new york radio personality angie martinez , but she quit just a few days in , saying it was uncomfortable for me to tell someone else to give up on their dream . ' producers expect no such trouble with dioguardi , who regularly evaluates new talent as a vp of a & r at warner bros. and co-owner of music production and publishing house arthouse entertainment . she 's the kind of 38-year-old who can rock a black leather jacket with leggings and write hits for everyone from pink to ashlee simpson to the jonas brothers . she 's very strong-willed , and we needed that with simon around , ' explains exec producer ken warwick . i do n't want anybody too benign on that panel . kara tells it as it is . ' the feisty spirit that landed dioguardi on america 's most-judged panel of judges goes back to her italian upbringing in scarsdale , new york . my grandfather was a guy who came through ellis island and started a grocery store , ' she says . so my father had incredible balls . he had this i'm- gon na -do-whatever-i-want-to-do-and-you-can't-stop-me thing that i got . ' that drive spurred her to college at duke , where she started out in the opera program but did n't quite fit in with the classical crowd -- so instead she went pre-law . i always wanted to be a trial attorney , ' she says . i love to argue . ' after graduation in 1993 , dioguardi was living at home and fronting a garage band called gramma trips -- covering songs , not writing my own ' -- when a friend snagged her an interview for a job as the assistant to the editor in chief and publisher at billboard magazine , where she ended up spending five years . while mastering the business side of the music industry during her workday , dioguardi spent her downtime learning to craft songs , which she now describes as the worst things i 've ever heard in my life . my first song was called'show me love ,'about a girl who wants the guy to open up his heart . it was like , honey , he 's just not that into you . ' eventually , though , she pulled together a respectable demo that she gave to none other than a pre- ' idol ' paula abdul in 1998 by simply walking up to the pop star in new york and dropping the name of a billboard connection . i asked her if she was any good , ' abdul recalls . she said ,'yeah , i 'm really good .'and i believed her . ' luckily , the demo delivered on dioguardi 's chutzpah : abdul liked dioguardi 's work so much that she flew her out to stay at her los angeles home for six weeks of intensive collaboration . the results : a song called spinning around ' that became kylie minogue 's 2000 comeback single -- and a genial relationship with abdul that both women hope will help squelch those intra-panel rivalry rumors . we were the best roommates , ' says abdul . adds dioguardi , we did n't have one argument . we lived very well together -- it was the strangest thing . ' the following year dioguardi scored with enrique iglesias'multiplatinum album escape , ' on which she co-wrote seven songs . the title track in particular revealed her knack for irresistible pop hooks , which led to a stunning roll on those charts published by her former employer . with 168 of her songs appearing on multiplatinum albums , you can thank ( or curse ) her for simpson 's pieces of me , ' celine dion 's taking chances , ' gwen stefani 's rich girl , ' hilary duff 's come clean , ' christina aguilera 's ai n't no other man , ' and pink 's sober . ' she 's also penned cuts for several products of the idol ' machine , including kelly clarkson , david archuleta , david cook , and katherine mcphee . industry insiders attribute dioguardi 's prolific portfolio to her no-nonsense work ethic . if you 're in a jam and need something done , she 's a great closer , ' says jimmy iovine , whose interscope records includes dioguardi collaborators the pussycat dolls and will.i.am . i 'd use her for anything . ' music mogul tommy mottola -- who paired her with dion , marc anthony , and jessica simpson , among others -- agrees : she 's one of the best i 've ever encountered . in pop music , where things can be sort of crap and mundane , she finds new twists lyrically , and her melodies are extraordinary . ' another plus , as far as her idol ' credentials go : she 's got vocal chops . the truth is she can sing like there 's no tomorrow , ' warwick says . so whereas in the past when the kid would say ,'aw , you could n't sing any better'and none of the judges even tried , she does , and she can . ' but the question remains : can she hold her own as a tv star ? sure , she appeared on abc 's 2006 idol ' rip-off the one , ' but it was canceled after only four episodes . and crashing randy , paula , and simon 's party is something else altogether . they 're like brothers and sisters at this point , ' she says , having already wrapped the brutal preliminary auditions as well as the hollywood round . and i 'm like the long-lost cousin who they 're not sure they wanted to see , but now they 're like , okay , you can stay for dinner . ' she has what sounds like randy jackson 's unequivocal -- and ever-so-randyesque -- endorsement : i think people will look at me first and say , if the dawg is feeling her , then i should feel her too . ' for the record , she 'll sit between randy and paula . they tried [ putting ] me between her and simon , ' explains dioguardi , but they kept trying to communicate and i did n't want to be in the middle of that . ' and , yes , both she and abdul will be keeping their seats ; producers insist dioguardi is n't being groomed as her former mentor 's replacement . that 's just cheeky journalistic hype , ' warwick says . adds dioguardi , paula and i have a good vibe . i have respect for paula . i 'm not of the thinking that women should drag each other down . ' abdul says she is n't worrying about her job security ( i was never told that she was coming in to take my place ' ) -- and , in fact , only feels more confident with dioguardi around : when i heard she was going to be the fourth judge , i thought , ha ha , hee hee , simon has no idea i have an ally now . ' that 's a relief to dioguardi , who says her biggest challenge will be being aware of when to shut up . ' but could her penchant for telling it like it is end up rankling a nation of rabid idol ' fans ? in between singing the praises of a new love on her demo and waxing rhapsodic about writing partner reeves , dioguardi muses repeatedly , and without prompting , about whether america will think she 's just too darn mean . i know who i am , but what are people going to perceive me as ? ' she wonders . they may think my intensity and my boldness are bitchy . i hope not . i do n't think i 'm bitchy . do you think i 'm bitchy ? ' no , but fortunately for idol , ' we think she has a lot of potential . click here to try 2 risk free issues of entertainment weekly copyright 2009 entertainment weekly and time inc. all rights reserved . ew 's adam b . vary contributed to this article . | kara dioguardi is new judge on american idol ' |
gwen stefani <tsp> ( entertainment weekly ) -- kara dioguardi is ensconced in the black velvet cocoon of a small home-recording studio , laying down a demo track while warmed by the glow of spice-scented candles . kara dioguardi is joining the american idol ' judges for the show 's eighth season . she 's crooning a song she co-wrote -- an encapsulation of falling in love that involves shooting stars and dancing shadows -- in a powerhouse pop voice that lies somewhere between natasha bedingfield and sara bareilles . somewhere good , that is . she kills it every time she sings , ' raves her writing partner , jason reeves . he 's one of the greatest melody writers i 've ever worked with , ' dioguardi returns . sweet , right ? so sweet , in fact , that we 're starting to worry for dioguardi , a heretofore behind-the-scenes songwriter-producer who 's about to take on the most-watched , most-dissected job in pop music : when american idol ' returns to fox on january 13 , she 'll become a fourth judge to randy , paula , and simon . it 's a job that requires a distinct dearth of sweetness , and a certain amount of , for lack of a better term , simon cowell-ness . oh , i 'm not gon na be this nice on the show , ' dioguardi assures us . in case we were n't convinced , she drops this rant when the subject of idol ' auditions comes up : a lot of times people will sing a big song that they do n't have the voice for instead of bringing out the uniqueness in their tone , ' she says . another thing is , do n't cheese me out . it 's not a wedding band . and emote . make me feel like you mean it . do n't just sing the way the song was written . that was mariah 's interpretation . now what are you gon na do ? ' ok , we 're worried again -- but this time for the contestants . that 's exactly what idol 's ' producers are counting on . heading into season 8 , they 're hoping viewers will be as rapt with how dioguardi shakes up idol 's ' dawg ' / ' beautiful ' / ' dreadful ' judging dynamic as they are with which singer takes the big prize . and though the show has constantly worked to stay fresh -- allowing contestants to play instruments last year , for instance -- dioguardi 's new energy comes at a critical time , after last season 's ratings took an 8 percent dip from 29.8 million viewers to 27.3 million . idol ' actually tried adding a fourth judge once before in season 2 , with new york radio personality angie martinez , but she quit just a few days in , saying it was uncomfortable for me to tell someone else to give up on their dream . ' producers expect no such trouble with dioguardi , who regularly evaluates new talent as a vp of a & r at warner bros. and co-owner of music production and publishing house arthouse entertainment . she 's the kind of 38-year-old who can rock a black leather jacket with leggings and write hits for everyone from pink to ashlee simpson to the jonas brothers . she 's very strong-willed , and we needed that with simon around , ' explains exec producer ken warwick . i do n't want anybody too benign on that panel . kara tells it as it is . ' the feisty spirit that landed dioguardi on america 's most-judged panel of judges goes back to her italian upbringing in scarsdale , new york . my grandfather was a guy who came through ellis island and started a grocery store , ' she says . so my father had incredible balls . he had this i'm- gon na -do-whatever-i-want-to-do-and-you-can't-stop-me thing that i got . ' that drive spurred her to college at duke , where she started out in the opera program but did n't quite fit in with the classical crowd -- so instead she went pre-law . i always wanted to be a trial attorney , ' she says . i love to argue . ' after graduation in 1993 , dioguardi was living at home and fronting a garage band called gramma trips -- covering songs , not writing my own ' -- when a friend snagged her an interview for a job as the assistant to the editor in chief and publisher at billboard magazine , where she ended up spending five years . while mastering the business side of the music industry during her workday , dioguardi spent her downtime learning to craft songs , which she now describes as the worst things i 've ever heard in my life . my first song was called'show me love ,'about a girl who wants the guy to open up his heart . it was like , honey , he 's just not that into you . ' eventually , though , she pulled together a respectable demo that she gave to none other than a pre- ' idol ' paula abdul in 1998 by simply walking up to the pop star in new york and dropping the name of a billboard connection . i asked her if she was any good , ' abdul recalls . she said ,'yeah , i 'm really good .'and i believed her . ' luckily , the demo delivered on dioguardi 's chutzpah : abdul liked dioguardi 's work so much that she flew her out to stay at her los angeles home for six weeks of intensive collaboration . the results : a song called spinning around ' that became kylie minogue 's 2000 comeback single -- and a genial relationship with abdul that both women hope will help squelch those intra-panel rivalry rumors . we were the best roommates , ' says abdul . adds dioguardi , we did n't have one argument . we lived very well together -- it was the strangest thing . ' the following year dioguardi scored with enrique iglesias'multiplatinum album escape , ' on which she co-wrote seven songs . the title track in particular revealed her knack for irresistible pop hooks , which led to a stunning roll on those charts published by her former employer . with 168 of her songs appearing on multiplatinum albums , you can thank ( or curse ) her for simpson 's pieces of me , ' celine dion 's taking chances , ' gwen stefani 's rich girl , ' hilary duff 's come clean , ' christina aguilera 's ai n't no other man , ' and pink 's sober . ' she 's also penned cuts for several products of the idol ' machine , including kelly clarkson , david archuleta , david cook , and katherine mcphee . industry insiders attribute dioguardi 's prolific portfolio to her no-nonsense work ethic . if you 're in a jam and need something done , she 's a great closer , ' says jimmy iovine , whose interscope records includes dioguardi collaborators the pussycat dolls and will.i.am . i 'd use her for anything . ' music mogul tommy mottola -- who paired her with dion , marc anthony , and jessica simpson , among others -- agrees : she 's one of the best i 've ever encountered . in pop music , where things can be sort of crap and mundane , she finds new twists lyrically , and her melodies are extraordinary . ' another plus , as far as her idol ' credentials go : she 's got vocal chops . the truth is she can sing like there 's no tomorrow , ' warwick says . so whereas in the past when the kid would say ,'aw , you could n't sing any better'and none of the judges even tried , she does , and she can . ' but the question remains : can she hold her own as a tv star ? sure , she appeared on abc 's 2006 idol ' rip-off the one , ' but it was canceled after only four episodes . and crashing randy , paula , and simon 's party is something else altogether . they 're like brothers and sisters at this point , ' she says , having already wrapped the brutal preliminary auditions as well as the hollywood round . and i 'm like the long-lost cousin who they 're not sure they wanted to see , but now they 're like , okay , you can stay for dinner . ' she has what sounds like randy jackson 's unequivocal -- and ever-so-randyesque -- endorsement : i think people will look at me first and say , if the dawg is feeling her , then i should feel her too . ' for the record , she 'll sit between randy and paula . they tried [ putting ] me between her and simon , ' explains dioguardi , but they kept trying to communicate and i did n't want to be in the middle of that . ' and , yes , both she and abdul will be keeping their seats ; producers insist dioguardi is n't being groomed as her former mentor 's replacement . that 's just cheeky journalistic hype , ' warwick says . adds dioguardi , paula and i have a good vibe . i have respect for paula . i 'm not of the thinking that women should drag each other down . ' abdul says she is n't worrying about her job security ( i was never told that she was coming in to take my place ' ) -- and , in fact , only feels more confident with dioguardi around : when i heard she was going to be the fourth judge , i thought , ha ha , hee hee , simon has no idea i have an ally now . ' that 's a relief to dioguardi , who says her biggest challenge will be being aware of when to shut up . ' but could her penchant for telling it like it is end up rankling a nation of rabid idol ' fans ? in between singing the praises of a new love on her demo and waxing rhapsodic about writing partner reeves , dioguardi muses repeatedly , and without prompting , about whether america will think she 's just too darn mean . i know who i am , but what are people going to perceive me as ? ' she wonders . they may think my intensity and my boldness are bitchy . i hope not . i do n't think i 'm bitchy . do you think i 'm bitchy ? ' no , but fortunately for idol , ' we think she has a lot of potential . click here to try 2 risk free issues of entertainment weekly copyright 2009 entertainment weekly and time inc. all rights reserved . ew 's adam b . vary contributed to this article . | dioguardi is successful songwriter , has written for pink , gwen stefani |
erin corwin <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the body of a missing pregnant wife of a marine based in california was found over the weekend and her former neighbor was arrested in connection with her death , police in san bernardino county said . erin corwin , 19 and three months pregnant , had been missing since june 28 after she said she was going to joshua tree national park to scout trails . on saturday , searchers found her body about 140 feet down a mine shaft but were n't able to recover and identify it until the next day , san bernardino county sheriff john mcmahon said . an autopsy determined corwin had been killed , the sheriff 's department said , without elaborating how she died . on sunday night , authorities in anchorage , alaska , arrested christopher lee , who police say had been having an affair with corwin . cnn affiliate ktla , citing district attorney michael ramos , reported that charges against lee will be decided in the next two days . ktla also reported that it may take four to five weeks before he can be returned to california . the station said corwin 's husband , cpl . jonathan corwin , has n't spoken publicly about the case . suspect from the beginning corwin did n't go to joshua tree national park on the day she disappeared , police said in a statement of probable cause written in july . instead her car was found a few miles from where she lived next door to lee and his wife , nicole . detectives found footprints next to corwin 's abandoned car that led to tire tracks . investigators said those tire tracks were the same width and same width apart as the tires on lee 's jeep . according to the court document , several people , including a friend of erin corwin 's in tennessee , told investigators that corwin and lee were having an affair . he admitted to kissing her but told detectives the two had never had sexual intercourse . lee also told police that on the day corwin disappeared he had gone hunting . san bernardino county deputies arrested lee on july 4 for a felony not related to corwin 's disappearance : possession of a destructive device . ktla said he posted bail two days later . the search more than 100 mine shafts were searched before the sheriff 's team found corwin 's body . authorities used cell phone information to narrow the search area to 300 square miles . the area included remote land belonging to the federal government 's bureau of land management . on saturday , searchers went to the brooklyn , los angeles and rose of peru mines . ktla described the area as remote and off a dirt road accessible by four-wheel drive vehicles . searchers located corwin by using a camera , the sheriff 's department said . because the body was so far from the surface and the air in the mine was poor , it took another day to get to the body and bring it to the surface . | erin corwin went missing june 28 , same day neighbor says he was out hunting |
facebook <tsp> ( cnn ) -- facebook announced an update to graph search on monday that will enable users to search for conversation topics within status updates , comments and posts . some users with graph search can now browse facebook for topics of interest †” for example , posts about breaking bad ' or simply breaking bad . ' the update also allows users to search for posts or comments from a certain time period or location ( for example , posts by my friends from last month ' ) or posts that they already composed or commented on . the update makes facebook much more conducive to real-time conversations , an area where it has been making major strides to compete with the likes of twitter . the two social networks have been competing for eyeballs during primetime television events like the emmys , the nfl 's monday night football , and sunday 's breaking bad finale . when users'eyes are n't glued to the tv screen , facebook and twitter want them to be having conversations or voicing their opinions on their respective networks . opening up graph search to enable post and comment searches will help facebook to do so . when a user logs into his profile during a primetime event , he can quickly scan all conversations about the game or his favorite show †” even if he is n't near the top of the news feed . if a user want to talk about an event hours ( or even days ) later , he can search for all relevant conversations on facebook , something users ca n't easily do using twitter . facebook has been working to add partnerships around live media in an attempt to fuel this social conversation . earlier this month , the social network announced a content deal with fox sports to promote facebook data and conversations alongside live nfl and college football broadcasts . facebook has also added features like searchable hashtags and verified accounts in an attempt to make finding topics of interest easier on the platform . facebook reported on its q2 earnings call that 88 to 100 million people are actively using the social network during primetime television hours †” a number that facebook advertisers will pay close attention to . twitter is making similar efforts ahead of the company 's ipo ; the company is expected to file its public ipo papers as soon as this week . just last week , twitter announced ad partnerships with both cbs and the nfl , which will bring real-time video into your twitter stream . facebook 's search update is not yet available to all graph search users , according to a company spokesperson . it will be tested starting on monday with a small group of users and will roll out more expansively after that . users will only be able to search for content that has been shared with them , in addition to public posts . in other words , your conversations should not appear in a search run by someone outside of your network unless your comments and posts are public . what do you think about facebook 's new graph search update to find conversations ? tell us in the comments below . this article originally appeared on mashable . © 2013 mashable.com . all rights reserved . | graph search is facebook 's way of finding content across the network |
togo <tsp> ( cnn ) -- goals from manucho and flavio gave hosts angola a welcome boost as they moved top of africa cup of nations group a with a 2-0 victory over malawi on thursday . in the opening match angola threw away a 4-0 lead to eventually draw with mali , but home fans were able to celebrate second-time round as they clinched a comfortable two-goal win in luanda . angola , who played under the gaze of president eduardo jose dos santos , began the game brightly and almost took the lead in the opening minutes when manucho volleyed flavio 's cross only for malawi keeper swadick sanudi to smother the ball . the team known as the black antelopes ' continued to dominate the half and went close again in the 33rd minute when djalma teed up manucho but sanudi was equal to his powerful shot . angola 's attacking approach was maintained after the half-time interval and they broke the deadlock three minutes into the half through flavio . the energetic djalma broke down the left flank before he whipped a dangerous cross into the penalty area which was met by the head of flavio who directed the ball past sanudi . former manchester united striker manucho doubled the advantage in the 54th minute when he held off a strong challenge from malawi captain peter mponda and produced a neat close-range finish . angola coach manuel jose was forced to withdraw flavio through injury on the hour mark but it was the only sour note in what was morale-boosting win for the hosts . the tournament , which has continued despite the withdrawal of togo after a deadly machine-gun attack , continued with algeria clashing with mali . defender rafik halliche scored the only goal of the game as the desert foxes registered their first victory of the tournament with a 1-0 win over in cidadela . mali were unable to match the heroics of their first match as they went down to a disciplined algeria side . the eagles had the early pressure and mustapha yatabare 's second-minute free-kick caused problems in the algerian defence but mahamadou diarra was unable to find a teammate with his pull-back after beating algeria keeper faouzi chaouchi to the loose ball . however , algeria -- known as the desert foxes -- dominated the remainder of the half and went close moments later when karim ziani 's swerving , dipping cross almost caught out soumaila diakite in the mali goal as it struck the top of the crossbar . rabah saadane 's side continued to press and were rewarded with the opening goal of the game in the 43rd minute when bakary soumare brought down yacine bezzaz in a dangerous position . ziani delivered another dangerous ball into the penalty area and halliche was able to evade the mali defenders and head the ball past diakite . stephen keshi 's side began the second half with renewed purpose and mali 's seydou keita forced a fingertip save from algeria chaouchi from a narrow angle shortly after the half-time break . but it was a rare chance as halliche and madjid bougherra marshalled the algeria defence superbly , despite the introduction of sevilla striker freddie kanoute for mali , to hold on for the win . | the victory gave a boost to the tournament which has been overshadowed by togo 's withdrawal last week . |
angola <tsp> ( cnn ) -- goals from manucho and flavio gave hosts angola a welcome boost as they moved top of africa cup of nations group a with a 2-0 victory over malawi on thursday . in the opening match angola threw away a 4-0 lead to eventually draw with mali , but home fans were able to celebrate second-time round as they clinched a comfortable two-goal win in luanda . angola , who played under the gaze of president eduardo jose dos santos , began the game brightly and almost took the lead in the opening minutes when manucho volleyed flavio 's cross only for malawi keeper swadick sanudi to smother the ball . the team known as the black antelopes ' continued to dominate the half and went close again in the 33rd minute when djalma teed up manucho but sanudi was equal to his powerful shot . angola 's attacking approach was maintained after the half-time interval and they broke the deadlock three minutes into the half through flavio . the energetic djalma broke down the left flank before he whipped a dangerous cross into the penalty area which was met by the head of flavio who directed the ball past sanudi . former manchester united striker manucho doubled the advantage in the 54th minute when he held off a strong challenge from malawi captain peter mponda and produced a neat close-range finish . angola coach manuel jose was forced to withdraw flavio through injury on the hour mark but it was the only sour note in what was morale-boosting win for the hosts . the tournament , which has continued despite the withdrawal of togo after a deadly machine-gun attack , continued with algeria clashing with mali . defender rafik halliche scored the only goal of the game as the desert foxes registered their first victory of the tournament with a 1-0 win over in cidadela . mali were unable to match the heroics of their first match as they went down to a disciplined algeria side . the eagles had the early pressure and mustapha yatabare 's second-minute free-kick caused problems in the algerian defence but mahamadou diarra was unable to find a teammate with his pull-back after beating algeria keeper faouzi chaouchi to the loose ball . however , algeria -- known as the desert foxes -- dominated the remainder of the half and went close moments later when karim ziani 's swerving , dipping cross almost caught out soumaila diakite in the mali goal as it struck the top of the crossbar . rabah saadane 's side continued to press and were rewarded with the opening goal of the game in the 43rd minute when bakary soumare brought down yacine bezzaz in a dangerous position . ziani delivered another dangerous ball into the penalty area and halliche was able to evade the mali defenders and head the ball past diakite . stephen keshi 's side began the second half with renewed purpose and mali 's seydou keita forced a fingertip save from algeria chaouchi from a narrow angle shortly after the half-time break . but it was a rare chance as halliche and madjid bougherra marshalled the algeria defence superbly , despite the introduction of sevilla striker freddie kanoute for mali , to hold on for the win . | goals from manucho and flavio helped hosts angola move top of africa cup of nations group a with a 2-0 victory over malawi on thursday . |
obama <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- president obama and indian prime minister manmohan singh agreed tuesday to team up and tackle a checklist of economic , nuclear , security and environmental challenges . obama welcomed the indian leader to the white house on tuesday in what is the first state visit of his presidency . the two men had what they called a productive sit-down meeting before briefing reporters . i believe that the relationship between the united states and india will be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century ' and will reflect the strategic dialogue ' between the countries , obama said , calling india the world 's largest multiethnic democracy ' with a fast-growing economy . we 're the world 's two largest democracies . we have a range of shared values and ideals . we 're both entrepreneurial societies . we 're both multiethnic societies . we are societies that believe in human rights and core freedoms that are enshrined in our founding documents , ' said obama , who also stressed the dynamic role of the growing indian-american community . singh 's visit comes amid his country 's continued tense relationship with nuclear rival pakistan , regional concerns over the afghan war and the burgeoning trade relationship between the u.s. and india . it also follows a year after the deadly terror attack on the indian city of mumbai . obama said he and singh agreed to strengthen the economic recovery and expand trade and investment ' to create jobs from both nations . indian investment in america is creating and sustaining jobs across the united states , and the united states is india 's largest trading and investment partner , ' obama said . obama said he reaffirmed his administration 's commitment to implement a civil nuclear agreement with india , which singh signed with former president george w. bush . both countries are attempting to put the finishing touches on the deal , which would provide for the development of indian nuclear power for peaceful uses . obama also supported singh 's backing for nuclear nonproliferation efforts . i look forward to ... india 's participation as a full partner in our shared vision of a world without nuclear weapons , ' he said . ahead of next month 's copenhagen climate change framework meeting , obama said he and singh settled on a comprehensive ' agreement that would cover all the issues under negotiation ' and would build on what the president called the progress ' of his recent trip to china . obama said he and the indian prime minister have agreed to pursue new efforts , such as a clean energy initiative , more affordable energy , a green partnership to reduce poverty and an effort to phase out subsidies for fossil fuels . we resolved to take significant national mitigation actions that will strengthen the world 's ability to combat climate change . we agreed to stand by these commitments with full transparency , through appropriate processes , as to their implementation , ' he said . as for security , he and singh decided to work closer on information-sharing to prevent the kind of militant attack that happened in mumbai last year , and they discussed obama 's afghan policy review , which is expected to lead to an announcement on troop levels next week . obama said the pair agreed to widen education exchanges in science and technology and ties between universities and colleges . he said both countries want researchers to work together to reduce hunger and fight disease . singh also touched on the same topics and invited obama and his family to visit india , an invitation the u.s. leader accepted . noting the global economic crisis illustrates the fact that our prosperity is interlinked , ' singh reiterated obama 's remarks on tightening trade and investment ties . we admire the leadership that president obama has provided to stimulate and guide the [ group of 20 ] process that is now fully in place , ' he said . he also endorsed collaboration in education , health and agriculture . we will deepen our ongoing cooperation in frontier areas of science and technology , nuclear power and space , ' singh said , also noting the two agreed on the early and full implementation of our civil nuclear cooperation agreement . ' as for climate change , he said he and obama have agreed on the need for a substantive and comprehensive outcome which would cover mitigation , adaptation , finance and technology . ' singh also brought up another issue : that the u.s.-india strategic partnership should facilitate transfer of high technologies to india . ' the lifting of u.s. export controls on high-technology exports to india will open vast opportunities for joint research and development efforts , ' he said . it will enable u.s. industry to benefit from the rapid economic and technological transformation that is now under way in our country . ' on afghanistan , singh pointed out the importance of helping the war-wracked country emerge as a modern state . ' the forces of terrorism in our region pose a grave threat to the entire civilized world and have to be defeated . president obama and i have decided to strengthen our cooperation in the area of counterterrorism . ' on tuesday evening , singh and his wife , gursharan kaur , will attend a state dinner in a tent on the south lawn , with oscar-winning singer-actress jennifer hudson scheduled to entertain the black-tie crowd . singh 's visit -- his second to washington after a meeting with bush -- will last five days . he arrived in the united states on sunday . he attended a luncheon monday hosted by the u.s. india business council and u.s. chamber of commerce , and he addressed the council on foreign relations . on wednesday , singh will meet with secretary of state hillary clinton and defense secretary robert gates and later will attend a reception for the indian community hosted by meera shankar , the indian ambassador to the u.s. singh on thursday will fly to port of spain , trinidad and tobago , to attend the commonwealth heads of government meeting . the 77-year-old singh is a cambridge- and oxford-educated economist who was governor of the reserve bank of india from 1982-1985 and the nation 's finance minister from 1991-1996 . a member of the congress party , he is serving a second five-year term as prime minister . cnn 's harmeet shah singh contributed to this report . | president obama accepts invitation to visit india |
obama <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- president obama and indian prime minister manmohan singh agreed tuesday to team up and tackle a checklist of economic , nuclear , security and environmental challenges . obama welcomed the indian leader to the white house on tuesday in what is the first state visit of his presidency . the two men had what they called a productive sit-down meeting before briefing reporters . i believe that the relationship between the united states and india will be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century ' and will reflect the strategic dialogue ' between the countries , obama said , calling india the world 's largest multiethnic democracy ' with a fast-growing economy . we 're the world 's two largest democracies . we have a range of shared values and ideals . we 're both entrepreneurial societies . we 're both multiethnic societies . we are societies that believe in human rights and core freedoms that are enshrined in our founding documents , ' said obama , who also stressed the dynamic role of the growing indian-american community . singh 's visit comes amid his country 's continued tense relationship with nuclear rival pakistan , regional concerns over the afghan war and the burgeoning trade relationship between the u.s. and india . it also follows a year after the deadly terror attack on the indian city of mumbai . obama said he and singh agreed to strengthen the economic recovery and expand trade and investment ' to create jobs from both nations . indian investment in america is creating and sustaining jobs across the united states , and the united states is india 's largest trading and investment partner , ' obama said . obama said he reaffirmed his administration 's commitment to implement a civil nuclear agreement with india , which singh signed with former president george w. bush . both countries are attempting to put the finishing touches on the deal , which would provide for the development of indian nuclear power for peaceful uses . obama also supported singh 's backing for nuclear nonproliferation efforts . i look forward to ... india 's participation as a full partner in our shared vision of a world without nuclear weapons , ' he said . ahead of next month 's copenhagen climate change framework meeting , obama said he and singh settled on a comprehensive ' agreement that would cover all the issues under negotiation ' and would build on what the president called the progress ' of his recent trip to china . obama said he and the indian prime minister have agreed to pursue new efforts , such as a clean energy initiative , more affordable energy , a green partnership to reduce poverty and an effort to phase out subsidies for fossil fuels . we resolved to take significant national mitigation actions that will strengthen the world 's ability to combat climate change . we agreed to stand by these commitments with full transparency , through appropriate processes , as to their implementation , ' he said . as for security , he and singh decided to work closer on information-sharing to prevent the kind of militant attack that happened in mumbai last year , and they discussed obama 's afghan policy review , which is expected to lead to an announcement on troop levels next week . obama said the pair agreed to widen education exchanges in science and technology and ties between universities and colleges . he said both countries want researchers to work together to reduce hunger and fight disease . singh also touched on the same topics and invited obama and his family to visit india , an invitation the u.s. leader accepted . noting the global economic crisis illustrates the fact that our prosperity is interlinked , ' singh reiterated obama 's remarks on tightening trade and investment ties . we admire the leadership that president obama has provided to stimulate and guide the [ group of 20 ] process that is now fully in place , ' he said . he also endorsed collaboration in education , health and agriculture . we will deepen our ongoing cooperation in frontier areas of science and technology , nuclear power and space , ' singh said , also noting the two agreed on the early and full implementation of our civil nuclear cooperation agreement . ' as for climate change , he said he and obama have agreed on the need for a substantive and comprehensive outcome which would cover mitigation , adaptation , finance and technology . ' singh also brought up another issue : that the u.s.-india strategic partnership should facilitate transfer of high technologies to india . ' the lifting of u.s. export controls on high-technology exports to india will open vast opportunities for joint research and development efforts , ' he said . it will enable u.s. industry to benefit from the rapid economic and technological transformation that is now under way in our country . ' on afghanistan , singh pointed out the importance of helping the war-wracked country emerge as a modern state . ' the forces of terrorism in our region pose a grave threat to the entire civilized world and have to be defeated . president obama and i have decided to strengthen our cooperation in the area of counterterrorism . ' on tuesday evening , singh and his wife , gursharan kaur , will attend a state dinner in a tent on the south lawn , with oscar-winning singer-actress jennifer hudson scheduled to entertain the black-tie crowd . singh 's visit -- his second to washington after a meeting with bush -- will last five days . he arrived in the united states on sunday . he attended a luncheon monday hosted by the u.s. india business council and u.s. chamber of commerce , and he addressed the council on foreign relations . on wednesday , singh will meet with secretary of state hillary clinton and defense secretary robert gates and later will attend a reception for the indian community hosted by meera shankar , the indian ambassador to the u.s. singh on thursday will fly to port of spain , trinidad and tobago , to attend the commonwealth heads of government meeting . the 77-year-old singh is a cambridge- and oxford-educated economist who was governor of the reserve bank of india from 1982-1985 and the nation 's finance minister from 1991-1996 . a member of the congress party , he is serving a second five-year term as prime minister . cnn 's harmeet shah singh contributed to this report . | indian prime minister manmohan singh is on first state visit of obama presidency |
afghanistan <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- president obama and indian prime minister manmohan singh agreed tuesday to team up and tackle a checklist of economic , nuclear , security and environmental challenges . obama welcomed the indian leader to the white house on tuesday in what is the first state visit of his presidency . the two men had what they called a productive sit-down meeting before briefing reporters . i believe that the relationship between the united states and india will be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century ' and will reflect the strategic dialogue ' between the countries , obama said , calling india the world 's largest multiethnic democracy ' with a fast-growing economy . we 're the world 's two largest democracies . we have a range of shared values and ideals . we 're both entrepreneurial societies . we 're both multiethnic societies . we are societies that believe in human rights and core freedoms that are enshrined in our founding documents , ' said obama , who also stressed the dynamic role of the growing indian-american community . singh 's visit comes amid his country 's continued tense relationship with nuclear rival pakistan , regional concerns over the afghan war and the burgeoning trade relationship between the u.s. and india . it also follows a year after the deadly terror attack on the indian city of mumbai . obama said he and singh agreed to strengthen the economic recovery and expand trade and investment ' to create jobs from both nations . indian investment in america is creating and sustaining jobs across the united states , and the united states is india 's largest trading and investment partner , ' obama said . obama said he reaffirmed his administration 's commitment to implement a civil nuclear agreement with india , which singh signed with former president george w. bush . both countries are attempting to put the finishing touches on the deal , which would provide for the development of indian nuclear power for peaceful uses . obama also supported singh 's backing for nuclear nonproliferation efforts . i look forward to ... india 's participation as a full partner in our shared vision of a world without nuclear weapons , ' he said . ahead of next month 's copenhagen climate change framework meeting , obama said he and singh settled on a comprehensive ' agreement that would cover all the issues under negotiation ' and would build on what the president called the progress ' of his recent trip to china . obama said he and the indian prime minister have agreed to pursue new efforts , such as a clean energy initiative , more affordable energy , a green partnership to reduce poverty and an effort to phase out subsidies for fossil fuels . we resolved to take significant national mitigation actions that will strengthen the world 's ability to combat climate change . we agreed to stand by these commitments with full transparency , through appropriate processes , as to their implementation , ' he said . as for security , he and singh decided to work closer on information-sharing to prevent the kind of militant attack that happened in mumbai last year , and they discussed obama 's afghan policy review , which is expected to lead to an announcement on troop levels next week . obama said the pair agreed to widen education exchanges in science and technology and ties between universities and colleges . he said both countries want researchers to work together to reduce hunger and fight disease . singh also touched on the same topics and invited obama and his family to visit india , an invitation the u.s. leader accepted . noting the global economic crisis illustrates the fact that our prosperity is interlinked , ' singh reiterated obama 's remarks on tightening trade and investment ties . we admire the leadership that president obama has provided to stimulate and guide the [ group of 20 ] process that is now fully in place , ' he said . he also endorsed collaboration in education , health and agriculture . we will deepen our ongoing cooperation in frontier areas of science and technology , nuclear power and space , ' singh said , also noting the two agreed on the early and full implementation of our civil nuclear cooperation agreement . ' as for climate change , he said he and obama have agreed on the need for a substantive and comprehensive outcome which would cover mitigation , adaptation , finance and technology . ' singh also brought up another issue : that the u.s.-india strategic partnership should facilitate transfer of high technologies to india . ' the lifting of u.s. export controls on high-technology exports to india will open vast opportunities for joint research and development efforts , ' he said . it will enable u.s. industry to benefit from the rapid economic and technological transformation that is now under way in our country . ' on afghanistan , singh pointed out the importance of helping the war-wracked country emerge as a modern state . ' the forces of terrorism in our region pose a grave threat to the entire civilized world and have to be defeated . president obama and i have decided to strengthen our cooperation in the area of counterterrorism . ' on tuesday evening , singh and his wife , gursharan kaur , will attend a state dinner in a tent on the south lawn , with oscar-winning singer-actress jennifer hudson scheduled to entertain the black-tie crowd . singh 's visit -- his second to washington after a meeting with bush -- will last five days . he arrived in the united states on sunday . he attended a luncheon monday hosted by the u.s. india business council and u.s. chamber of commerce , and he addressed the council on foreign relations . on wednesday , singh will meet with secretary of state hillary clinton and defense secretary robert gates and later will attend a reception for the indian community hosted by meera shankar , the indian ambassador to the u.s. singh on thursday will fly to port of spain , trinidad and tobago , to attend the commonwealth heads of government meeting . the 77-year-old singh is a cambridge- and oxford-educated economist who was governor of the reserve bank of india from 1982-1985 and the nation 's finance minister from 1991-1996 . a member of the congress party , he is serving a second five-year term as prime minister . cnn 's harmeet shah singh contributed to this report . | new : afghanistan , climate change , economy , nuclear civil deal on two leaders'agenda |
c64 orchestra <tsp> ( cnn ) -- like a first love or a first car , a first computer can hold a special place in people 's hearts . for millions of kids who grew up in the 1980s , that first computer was the commodore 64 . twenty-five years later , that first brush with computer addiction is as strong as ever . millions of commodore 64s were sold in the 1980s . there was something magical about the c64 , ' says andreas wallstrom of stockholm , sweden . he remembers the day he first laid eyes on his machine back in 1984 . my father brought it home together with a tape deck , a disk drive , a printer , and a couple of games ... i used to sneak home during lunch to play [ on it ] with my friends . ' learn about the components of the c64 system » wallstrom is the webmaster and designer for c64.com , a web site dedicated to preserving the games , demos , pictures , magazines and memories of the commodore 64 . c64.com visitors are mostly nostalgia seekers -- men in their 30s looking to download their favorite childhood games . emulators let them play the games without having a machine . popular downloads include boulder dash , ' ghostbusters , ' and the great giana sisters . ' it may have not been the most sophisticated computer , but it did have a lot of personality and it was lovable and remains loveable , ' said harry mccracken , vice president and editor in chief of pc world . often overshadowed by the apple ii and atari 800 , the commodore 64 rose to great heights in the 1980s . from 1982-1993 , 17 million c64s were sold . the guinness book of world records lists the commodore 64 as the best-selling single computer model . the computer featured 64 kilobytes of memory ( a lot for 1982 ) , a huge index of games , a sophisticated sound chip , and a relatively parent-friendly price -- $ 595 . on monday , the computer history museum in mountain view , california , will celebrate the c64 's 25th anniversary . computer pioneers will reflect on the c64 's achievements and contribution to the industry . jack tramiel , the founder and ceo of commodore , will attend , along with apple co-founder steve wozniak and william c. lowe , father of the ibm pc . it was the right machine for the time , ' said mccracken . the commodore 64 did a lot to popularize computers . ' sold in shopping malls and discount stores and not just small computer stores -- the norm for the time -- the c64 became many people 's gateway into the world of computers , said brian bagnall , author of on the edge : the spectacular rise and fall of commodore . ' it was so new , ' bagnall said . users could play many games and also learn the programming language of computers -- basic . jim park , 39 , a software developer in minneapolis , minnesota , got his start on a c64 in 1984 when he was 16 . park learned to program motion-graphics synchronized to dance music and ran a bbs , an electronic bulletin board system , the precursor to the internet . i really lucked out that something so obscure and nerdy has turned into the modern business and pop-culture phenomenon that it has , ' he said . wallstrom said it was the simplicity of the c64 that made it so great . you switched it on and it was there , ready for input in a second . programming on the c64 was straightforward because you got to command the processor directly . you had full control of the whole computer ... that is something you do n't have with any modern pc . ' still , the c64 had an uneven reputation . it was widely considered clunky , its basic outdated and graphics weak in comparison to the apple ii and atari 800 , according to mccracken . and then there was the quirky floppy drive . it was pitifully slow , ' bagnall said . it was big and noisy . it sounded like a gatling gun when it was trying to load stuff . ' the floppy drive took so long to load , the music would play before the game did , recalls rob kramer , artistic & business director of productiehuis on , a production company based in the netherlands . these tunes would get stuck in your head , ' he said . in 2006 kramer came up with the idea of having an orchestra play the music from the games . we found this crazy orchestra that plays on the street . it 's full of young people in music school . they are in their 20s and they 'd never played a commodore 64 . for them it was like'wow , this is great stuff .' the 12-piece c64 orchestra has played at churches , musical venues and festivals . the compositions run 4-6 minutes . the crowds are mostly fans of the c64 . they really dig it , ' kramer said . watch how i-reporters are using the c64 today » kramer described the music as haunted . there 's a lot of tension , and it repeats itself . it takes you places where normal classical music does n't . ' watch as the orchestra plays » the classical ensemble released a cd in europe featuring the original computer and orchestral versions of delta , ' commando , ' monty on the run , ' international karate ' and more . the cd will be available in the united states on january 15 . by 2007 computing standards , the commodore 64 is a dinosaur . a relic of the past , long made obsolete by the march of time . but the c64 is n't dead . it 's very much alive -- on gaming web sites , through music and in the memories of millions who owned and loved them . computer nostalgia is something that runs pretty deep these days . the memories that people have of this machine are incredible , ' mccracken said . twenty-five years ago computers were an individual experience ; today they are just a commodity , he said . i do n't think there are many computers today that we use that people will be talking about fondly 25 years from now . ' e-mail to a friend | c64 orchestra plays the music from the games , cd release in u.s. in january |
astor <tsp> ( cnn ) -- last week 's massacre at sandy hook elementary school in newtown , connecticut , appears to have at least temporarily changed the debate on gun control and opened the door to new restrictions . following up on his pledge to use whatever power this office holds ' to prevent another slaughter at a school , president barack obama has said he will submit new gun-restriction proposals to congress in january . but the obstacles to progress remain formidable , chief among them the political power of the gun-rights lobby in washington . yet we do n't have to wait until the national gun-control debate plays out to better protect our children from violence at school . what really makes schools safer ? we can begin now in our elementary and secondary schools by starting a campaign to eliminate the number of lethal weapons that students bring to campus . despite laws against them and some progress in reducing their numbers , weapons on campus continue to be a major problem . over the past decade , various government agencies have surveyed millions of students across the nation about weapons in schools , and , year after year , they have told us that they have seen guns and knives on campus and have been threatened by them at school . alarmingly , a sizable minority do n't disapprove of them being on school grounds . the presence of weapons and toleration of them on campus create the potential for more pain and suffering in the nation 's schools . according to the most recent federal statistics , there were 33 school-associated violent deaths from july 1 , 2009 , through june 30 , 2010 . opinion : not man enough ? buy a gun ' nationwide , ' reports the most recent centers for disease control and prevention 's youth risk behavior survey , 5.4 % of students had carried a weapon ( e.g. , a gun , knife or club ) on school property on at least one day during the 30 days before the survey . ' data from the 2009-2011 california healthy kids survey , the most recent , show a horrifying number of weapons-packing students . about 5 % of secondary-school students said they carried a firearm to campus , while another 10 % reported bringing knives and other potentially lethal weapons during the past year . stunningly , about 3 % of fifth-graders reported that they brought a weapon to school . taken together , the surveys suggest that hundreds of thousands of potentially lethal weapons are being smuggled onto the nation 's school grounds -- and students may be using them for self-protection but also to threaten their classmates . around 8 % of secondary-school students in california and nationally report such threats in recent surveys , a percentage that has stayed basically unchanged since 1993 . even if not directly threatened with a weapon , many students are nonetheless aware of the presence of guns and knives on their campus . for about a decade now , about one-quarter to one-third of students in california public schools ( both elementary and secondary ) and other states have reported such awareness . readers share : 10 ways to put brakes on mass shootings in schools in past decades , schools have installed metal detectors , hired extra security to patrol grounds and hallways and instituted other zero-tolerance measures to make campuses safer . but a report released by a zero-tolerance task force assembled and published by the american psychological association in 2008 concluded there was no evidence that these measures were effective in making students and staff feel safer . and they can be self-defeating : it 's tough to learn or feel cared for in a prison-like setting . so what to do ? for starters , we should listen to what the students are telling us in the surveys . yes , listen , because few in our schools , communities and government are . how can you reduce weapons in schools if you do not know what students think about guns in school and you have no clear idea of just how prevalent the problem is ? step one is for teachers and principals to use the survey results from their own states -- in california the data is available online -- to open discussions with students and parents about the presence of weapons on campus and their potential use as a threat . the many students in california and other states who think there 's nothing wrong with weapons being in students'backpacks need to learn that what they may see in society at large -- the presence of guns in many places -- is unacceptable on school grounds . opinion : teachers with guns is a crazy idea as important as changing their attitudes toward weapons on campus is providing students with anonymous ways to let authorities know about a potential threat . schools that have created such channels of communication report that the information has thwarted many incidents over the past decade . the best prevention of student-instigated violence on campus is an educated , well-trained and caring school community in which everyone understands what to do when they see a weapon on campus and why it might save lives to act . we can begin to build such a community by talking with students in each classroom and each school about what they see , hear and experience while at school . school shootings : shattering the sense of safety ignoring students'voices wo n't save lives . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of ron avi astor . | nationwide , many students bring weapons to school , says ron avi astor |
astor <tsp> ( cnn ) -- last week 's massacre at sandy hook elementary school in newtown , connecticut , appears to have at least temporarily changed the debate on gun control and opened the door to new restrictions . following up on his pledge to use whatever power this office holds ' to prevent another slaughter at a school , president barack obama has said he will submit new gun-restriction proposals to congress in january . but the obstacles to progress remain formidable , chief among them the political power of the gun-rights lobby in washington . yet we do n't have to wait until the national gun-control debate plays out to better protect our children from violence at school . what really makes schools safer ? we can begin now in our elementary and secondary schools by starting a campaign to eliminate the number of lethal weapons that students bring to campus . despite laws against them and some progress in reducing their numbers , weapons on campus continue to be a major problem . over the past decade , various government agencies have surveyed millions of students across the nation about weapons in schools , and , year after year , they have told us that they have seen guns and knives on campus and have been threatened by them at school . alarmingly , a sizable minority do n't disapprove of them being on school grounds . the presence of weapons and toleration of them on campus create the potential for more pain and suffering in the nation 's schools . according to the most recent federal statistics , there were 33 school-associated violent deaths from july 1 , 2009 , through june 30 , 2010 . opinion : not man enough ? buy a gun ' nationwide , ' reports the most recent centers for disease control and prevention 's youth risk behavior survey , 5.4 % of students had carried a weapon ( e.g. , a gun , knife or club ) on school property on at least one day during the 30 days before the survey . ' data from the 2009-2011 california healthy kids survey , the most recent , show a horrifying number of weapons-packing students . about 5 % of secondary-school students said they carried a firearm to campus , while another 10 % reported bringing knives and other potentially lethal weapons during the past year . stunningly , about 3 % of fifth-graders reported that they brought a weapon to school . taken together , the surveys suggest that hundreds of thousands of potentially lethal weapons are being smuggled onto the nation 's school grounds -- and students may be using them for self-protection but also to threaten their classmates . around 8 % of secondary-school students in california and nationally report such threats in recent surveys , a percentage that has stayed basically unchanged since 1993 . even if not directly threatened with a weapon , many students are nonetheless aware of the presence of guns and knives on their campus . for about a decade now , about one-quarter to one-third of students in california public schools ( both elementary and secondary ) and other states have reported such awareness . readers share : 10 ways to put brakes on mass shootings in schools in past decades , schools have installed metal detectors , hired extra security to patrol grounds and hallways and instituted other zero-tolerance measures to make campuses safer . but a report released by a zero-tolerance task force assembled and published by the american psychological association in 2008 concluded there was no evidence that these measures were effective in making students and staff feel safer . and they can be self-defeating : it 's tough to learn or feel cared for in a prison-like setting . so what to do ? for starters , we should listen to what the students are telling us in the surveys . yes , listen , because few in our schools , communities and government are . how can you reduce weapons in schools if you do not know what students think about guns in school and you have no clear idea of just how prevalent the problem is ? step one is for teachers and principals to use the survey results from their own states -- in california the data is available online -- to open discussions with students and parents about the presence of weapons on campus and their potential use as a threat . the many students in california and other states who think there 's nothing wrong with weapons being in students'backpacks need to learn that what they may see in society at large -- the presence of guns in many places -- is unacceptable on school grounds . opinion : teachers with guns is a crazy idea as important as changing their attitudes toward weapons on campus is providing students with anonymous ways to let authorities know about a potential threat . schools that have created such channels of communication report that the information has thwarted many incidents over the past decade . the best prevention of student-instigated violence on campus is an educated , well-trained and caring school community in which everyone understands what to do when they see a weapon on campus and why it might save lives to act . we can begin to build such a community by talking with students in each classroom and each school about what they see , hear and experience while at school . school shootings : shattering the sense of safety ignoring students'voices wo n't save lives . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of ron avi astor . | astor : to prevent student-instigated violence , schools need a caring community |
astor <tsp> ( cnn ) -- last week 's massacre at sandy hook elementary school in newtown , connecticut , appears to have at least temporarily changed the debate on gun control and opened the door to new restrictions . following up on his pledge to use whatever power this office holds ' to prevent another slaughter at a school , president barack obama has said he will submit new gun-restriction proposals to congress in january . but the obstacles to progress remain formidable , chief among them the political power of the gun-rights lobby in washington . yet we do n't have to wait until the national gun-control debate plays out to better protect our children from violence at school . what really makes schools safer ? we can begin now in our elementary and secondary schools by starting a campaign to eliminate the number of lethal weapons that students bring to campus . despite laws against them and some progress in reducing their numbers , weapons on campus continue to be a major problem . over the past decade , various government agencies have surveyed millions of students across the nation about weapons in schools , and , year after year , they have told us that they have seen guns and knives on campus and have been threatened by them at school . alarmingly , a sizable minority do n't disapprove of them being on school grounds . the presence of weapons and toleration of them on campus create the potential for more pain and suffering in the nation 's schools . according to the most recent federal statistics , there were 33 school-associated violent deaths from july 1 , 2009 , through june 30 , 2010 . opinion : not man enough ? buy a gun ' nationwide , ' reports the most recent centers for disease control and prevention 's youth risk behavior survey , 5.4 % of students had carried a weapon ( e.g. , a gun , knife or club ) on school property on at least one day during the 30 days before the survey . ' data from the 2009-2011 california healthy kids survey , the most recent , show a horrifying number of weapons-packing students . about 5 % of secondary-school students said they carried a firearm to campus , while another 10 % reported bringing knives and other potentially lethal weapons during the past year . stunningly , about 3 % of fifth-graders reported that they brought a weapon to school . taken together , the surveys suggest that hundreds of thousands of potentially lethal weapons are being smuggled onto the nation 's school grounds -- and students may be using them for self-protection but also to threaten their classmates . around 8 % of secondary-school students in california and nationally report such threats in recent surveys , a percentage that has stayed basically unchanged since 1993 . even if not directly threatened with a weapon , many students are nonetheless aware of the presence of guns and knives on their campus . for about a decade now , about one-quarter to one-third of students in california public schools ( both elementary and secondary ) and other states have reported such awareness . readers share : 10 ways to put brakes on mass shootings in schools in past decades , schools have installed metal detectors , hired extra security to patrol grounds and hallways and instituted other zero-tolerance measures to make campuses safer . but a report released by a zero-tolerance task force assembled and published by the american psychological association in 2008 concluded there was no evidence that these measures were effective in making students and staff feel safer . and they can be self-defeating : it 's tough to learn or feel cared for in a prison-like setting . so what to do ? for starters , we should listen to what the students are telling us in the surveys . yes , listen , because few in our schools , communities and government are . how can you reduce weapons in schools if you do not know what students think about guns in school and you have no clear idea of just how prevalent the problem is ? step one is for teachers and principals to use the survey results from their own states -- in california the data is available online -- to open discussions with students and parents about the presence of weapons on campus and their potential use as a threat . the many students in california and other states who think there 's nothing wrong with weapons being in students'backpacks need to learn that what they may see in society at large -- the presence of guns in many places -- is unacceptable on school grounds . opinion : teachers with guns is a crazy idea as important as changing their attitudes toward weapons on campus is providing students with anonymous ways to let authorities know about a potential threat . schools that have created such channels of communication report that the information has thwarted many incidents over the past decade . the best prevention of student-instigated violence on campus is an educated , well-trained and caring school community in which everyone understands what to do when they see a weapon on campus and why it might save lives to act . we can begin to build such a community by talking with students in each classroom and each school about what they see , hear and experience while at school . school shootings : shattering the sense of safety ignoring students'voices wo n't save lives . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of ron avi astor . | it 's tough to learn or feel cared for in a prison-like setting , says astor |
sherry west <tsp> brunswick , georgia ( cnn ) -- the mother and the aunt of one of the two teenage boys accused of fatally shooting a 13-month-old baby in brunswick , georgia , have been arrested , according to documents in the case . seventeen-year-old murder suspect de'marquise elkins'mother , karimah aisha elkins , 36 , and his aunt , katrina latrelle elkins , 33 , are accused of false statements or writings , ' among other charges , the complaint said . authorities held both women in the glynn county detention center until they were released on $ 1,104 bond . katrina elkins also was held for an unrelated probation violation . also tuesday , police investigating the case found a weapon and are trying to determine if it is connected to the shooting , a brunswick police spokesman said . last thursday , sherry west told reporters she was pushing her baby in a stroller in broad daylight when two teenagers approached her . one demanded money and pointed at her what west first thought was a fake gun . but he fired at her , missing her head and hitting her in the leg , west said , and then the teen shot her baby in the face . both of the suspects were charged with murder last week , and made their first appearance in court monday . wearing an orange jumpsuit , his hands and feet shackled , the 15-year-old listened as glynn county judge timothy barton read him his miranda rights . the younger suspect is not being identified because of his age . previously , the boy 's age was reported as 14 . authorities have not yet said whether the teen will be considered a juvenile or adult , and the teen did not enter a plea . asked if he had any questions , the teen told the judge , no sir . ' the 15-year-old 's mother , brenda moses , said her son was just a witness , ' and that he did n't do anything wrong . ' my feelings go out to the mother , and the baby and my baby , ' moses said . they 've handled this investigation wrong , and the truth is going to come out . ' baby shot dead in stroller ; 2 georgia teens charged elkins also did not enter a plea when he appeared in court monday . he was dressed in regular clothes , but his hands and feet were handcuffed and he wore a belt shackle . elkins'attorney , jonathan lockwood , spoke for him during the appearance . when he arrived in the courtroom , the teen turned to his mother , karimah elkins , and nodded . at the end of the appearance , she said , i love you , marquise . ' i 'll never hear his first word' west said she was her way home thursday from the post office last week when she was confronted by the teens . i thought he was just using a toy gun to scare me . and then he shot at my head , and the bullet grazed my ear and the side of my head , and then he shot me in the leg , and i still thought that it was a fake gun , ' she told cnn 's piers morgan live . ' he kept asking me ( for money ) , and i kept telling him i do n't have any , ' she said . he shot my baby in the face , and then i knew it was a real gun . ' west , 42 , said she started screaming . she took her son out of his harness and started cpr . she saw his lungs inflate but could n't get a pulse , she said . police and medical personnel took over when they arrived , west said , but it was too late . her son died . i 'll never hear his first word , ' west said . baby 's death marks 2nd time georgia mom loses a son to violence west has said she has no doubt that authorities have her baby 's killer in custody : it 's definitely him . ' i just hope , you know , that the shooter dies . i mean , i had to watch my baby die and i want him to die . a life for a life , ' she said . immediately after the shooting , detectives searched her home for a gun and conducted gun residue tests on both her and the baby 's father , west said , adding that the tests were negative and the search did not turn up a gun . citing the ongoing investigation , police spokesman todd rhodes declined to comment when asked about the search and those tests . west also said she gave a detective a jacket she was wearing at the time of the shooting . she told police she was grabbed or shoved briefly by the suspected shooter , and they hope to lift a fingerprint off the jacket , she said . this is n't the first time west has lost a son to violence . her 18-year-old son was stabbed to death in 2008 in new jersey , she said . this is the second child that people have taken from me in a tragic way , ' west said . i 'm so afraid to have any more babies now . i tried to raise really good kids in a wicked world . ' 911 calls reveal witnesses'horror police in the coastal city of brunswick released to cnn three recordings of 911 calls about thursday 's shooting . a baby has been shot ! ' one woman said in a 911 call . the exchange with the emergency operator was emotionally charged . listen to me , ma'am ! is the baby breathing ? ' the operator replied . i do n't know , ' the woman said . she began to cry . listen to me ! ' the operator said to the weeping woman . we have people en route . did you hear shots in the area ? ' yes , she heard shots , she said . be calm , ' the operator said . how many shots did you hear ? ' i heard like three shots . and the baby has been shot in the head , ' the woman said . the woman was so distraught that she passed her cell phone to a man walking his dog . no , the baby is not breathing , ' the man told the operator . the baby was shot in the head ? ' the operator continued . yes , right between the eyes , ' the man said , adding that he earlier heard a small-caliber clap . ' as he spoke , sirens wailed as police arrived on the scene , and the man broke off the phone call . | sherry west demands a life for a life ; ' i had to watch my baby die and i want him to die ' |
afghanistan <tsp> mexico freed u.s. marine reservist sgt . andrew paul tahmooressi , who 'd been held in a prison there for seven months . tahmooressi boarded a flight for miami from san diego . it is with an overwhelming and humbling feeling of relief that we confirm that andrew was released today after spending 214 days in mexican jail , ' relatives said in a statement friday night . a court ordered that tahmooressi , who 'd been held on weapons charges , be freed , a mexican federal government news release said . tahmooressi was arrested march 31 at a tijuana , mexico , checkpoint after mexican customs agents found three firearms in his truck , including a .45-caliber pistol , a pump shotgun and an ar-15 rifle . mexico 's strict federal gun laws prohibit anyone from illegally bringing weapons into the country . tahmooressi family spokesman jonathan franks said friday night in a statement : the family is overjoyed . they are asking for privacy at this time . ' the court said it found no cause to prosecute tahmooressi on charges of carrying two firearms used exclusively by the military , possessing cartridges used exclusively by the military and carrying a firearm without a license the court also recommended he be treated for post-traumatic stress disorder . his mother , jill , told cnn in may that tahmooressi , who served with the marines in afghanistan , had moved to the san ysidro , california , area to get treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder . he has unresolved , or untreated ptsd , and he can not get the cognitive therapy behavior that veterans of america receive ... in a mexico jail , where there is no such thing , ' his mother told cnn earlier this year . since his arrest , tahmooressi has maintained that he took a wrong turn on the california side of the border into tijuana and accidentally crossed the border . in an interview with cnn , tahmooressi described a suicide attempt with a shattered light bulb after being punched , slapped , cursed at , deprived of water and food , and shackled to a bed with a four-point restraint in a mexican prison . i had one hand above my head , not both , just one , ' he told cnn . i was laying on a bed . ... when i got the opportunity , i decided to stab myself in the neck with a light bulb ... i was paranoid . i had been abused . i was thinking they were going to come and abuse me more and torture me and get information about my family from me . so i said ,'i 'm not going to allow them to do that .' tahmooressi said conditions improved after media coverage of his plight . mexican prison authorities have denied the abuse allegations . the richardson center for global engagement said in a facebook posting that bill richardson , the former governor of new mexico , visited tahmooressi last week at el hongo federal prison in mexico and was instrumental in securing his release . u.s. reps. ed royce ( r-california ) and matt salmon ( r-arizona ) issued statements thanking mexican authorities for showing compassion . [ tahmooressi ] is a hero who served his country bravely on the battlefields of afghanistan , which is why so many americans have been focused on getting him home , ' said royce , chairman of the house foreign affairs committee . | tahmooressi served in afghanistan and suffered from ptsd , his mother said |
turkey <tsp> ( cnn ) -- turkey 's top diplomat angrily rejected u.s. newspaper reports alleging the turkish government leaked israeli intelligence secrets to iran . this is just a smear campaign . this is not true . it is dirty propaganda , ' foreign minister ahmet davutoglu said , according to a ministry spokesman . davutoglu was referring to a column published in the washington post on thursday . citing knowledgeable sources , ' the post 's david ignatius reported that in early 2012 , the turkish government revealed to iranian intelligence the identities of up to 10 iranians who had been meeting inside turkey with their mossad case officers . ' the mossad is israel 's intelligence service . the reported leak took place at a time when relations between turkey and israel were at an all-time low , after israeli commandos killed eight turks and an american activist during a botched 2010 raid against the mavi marmara , a turkish aid ship seeking to break the israeli blockade of gaza . until then , turkey and israel had enjoyed decades of close military , intelligence and economic ties . with the full knowledge of the turks , we used to use the turkish soil in order to run intelligence operations , ' said danny yatom , a retired israeli major general who spent several years running mossad . speaking in a conference call with journalists , yatom said israel likely reduced its intelligence-sharing with turkey after the rupture in relations following the mavi marmara raid . but , he added , this information that was transferred by the turks to the iranians about a year ago , this is information that they ( the turks ) might acquire from israel many years ago . ' washington , a close ally of both turkey and israel , has sought to smooth over differences between the middle eastern countries . earlier this year , u.s. president barak obama helped broker a telephone apology for the mavi marmara raid from israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu to his turkish counterpart . on thursday , turkish officials suggested that the washington post report was part of a broader effort to discredit turkey 's top spymaster , hakan fidan . a week ago , the wall street journal published a profile of fidan , who is the head of the milli istihbarat teskilati , or mit , turkey 's main intelligence agency . the article suggested fidan was the architect of a policy that has funneled weapons and money to rebels in neighboring syria . turkey has been one of the most vocal supporters of the syrian opposition throughout civil war of the past two and a half years . the syrian national coalition , one of the main opposition groups in exile , opposition activists and rebels have been hosted in turkey , which has also provided health care to injured fighters . in addition , cnn journalists have witnessed weapons being smuggled across the border from turkey to syrian opposition groups . but in recent months , several hard-core al qaeda-linked fighting groups have begun challenging more moderate rebel factions for control of northern syria . last month one such group , the islamic state of iraq and syria , drove syrian rebels out of the northern border town of azaz . since then , isis militants have repeatedly clashed with rebel groups , which continue to control a key customs terminal on the border between turkey and syria . turkey , meanwhile , has kept the border gate firmly closed . this week , the turkish military announced its artillery fired at isis positions near azaz in retaliation for a suspected isis mortar shell that landed near the turkish border town of kilis . one turkish expert suggested the artillery strikes against al qaeda-linked targets should be interpreted as a message to turkey 's nato allies . what the turks did yesterday , is to try to send a message to turkey 's critics , especially in the west , that the turks have not gotten too cozy with the jihadists , ' said henri barkey , a professor of international relations at lehigh university . this was not the first time turkish army has engaged in cross-border artillery duels along the frontier with syria . as the warring parties have grown increasingly fractured , reports say turkish military units have fired at syrian government forces , rebels groups , and even kurdish militias . our engagement rules compel the military to strike back whenever we see a threat to our own borders , ' said a turkish government official , speaking to cnn on condition of anonymity . | a column in the washington post says turkey told iran about iranians talking to israelis |
turkey <tsp> ( cnn ) -- turkey 's top diplomat angrily rejected u.s. newspaper reports alleging the turkish government leaked israeli intelligence secrets to iran . this is just a smear campaign . this is not true . it is dirty propaganda , ' foreign minister ahmet davutoglu said , according to a ministry spokesman . davutoglu was referring to a column published in the washington post on thursday . citing knowledgeable sources , ' the post 's david ignatius reported that in early 2012 , the turkish government revealed to iranian intelligence the identities of up to 10 iranians who had been meeting inside turkey with their mossad case officers . ' the mossad is israel 's intelligence service . the reported leak took place at a time when relations between turkey and israel were at an all-time low , after israeli commandos killed eight turks and an american activist during a botched 2010 raid against the mavi marmara , a turkish aid ship seeking to break the israeli blockade of gaza . until then , turkey and israel had enjoyed decades of close military , intelligence and economic ties . with the full knowledge of the turks , we used to use the turkish soil in order to run intelligence operations , ' said danny yatom , a retired israeli major general who spent several years running mossad . speaking in a conference call with journalists , yatom said israel likely reduced its intelligence-sharing with turkey after the rupture in relations following the mavi marmara raid . but , he added , this information that was transferred by the turks to the iranians about a year ago , this is information that they ( the turks ) might acquire from israel many years ago . ' washington , a close ally of both turkey and israel , has sought to smooth over differences between the middle eastern countries . earlier this year , u.s. president barak obama helped broker a telephone apology for the mavi marmara raid from israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu to his turkish counterpart . on thursday , turkish officials suggested that the washington post report was part of a broader effort to discredit turkey 's top spymaster , hakan fidan . a week ago , the wall street journal published a profile of fidan , who is the head of the milli istihbarat teskilati , or mit , turkey 's main intelligence agency . the article suggested fidan was the architect of a policy that has funneled weapons and money to rebels in neighboring syria . turkey has been one of the most vocal supporters of the syrian opposition throughout civil war of the past two and a half years . the syrian national coalition , one of the main opposition groups in exile , opposition activists and rebels have been hosted in turkey , which has also provided health care to injured fighters . in addition , cnn journalists have witnessed weapons being smuggled across the border from turkey to syrian opposition groups . but in recent months , several hard-core al qaeda-linked fighting groups have begun challenging more moderate rebel factions for control of northern syria . last month one such group , the islamic state of iraq and syria , drove syrian rebels out of the northern border town of azaz . since then , isis militants have repeatedly clashed with rebel groups , which continue to control a key customs terminal on the border between turkey and syria . turkey , meanwhile , has kept the border gate firmly closed . this week , the turkish military announced its artillery fired at isis positions near azaz in retaliation for a suspected isis mortar shell that landed near the turkish border town of kilis . one turkish expert suggested the artillery strikes against al qaeda-linked targets should be interpreted as a message to turkey 's nato allies . what the turks did yesterday , is to try to send a message to turkey 's critics , especially in the west , that the turks have not gotten too cozy with the jihadists , ' said henri barkey , a professor of international relations at lehigh university . this was not the first time turkish army has engaged in cross-border artillery duels along the frontier with syria . as the warring parties have grown increasingly fractured , reports say turkish military units have fired at syrian government forces , rebels groups , and even kurdish militias . our engagement rules compel the military to strike back whenever we see a threat to our own borders , ' said a turkish government official , speaking to cnn on condition of anonymity . | ra retired chief of israel 's intelligence : turkey could have gotten the info years ago |
turkey <tsp> ( cnn ) -- turkey 's top diplomat angrily rejected u.s. newspaper reports alleging the turkish government leaked israeli intelligence secrets to iran . this is just a smear campaign . this is not true . it is dirty propaganda , ' foreign minister ahmet davutoglu said , according to a ministry spokesman . davutoglu was referring to a column published in the washington post on thursday . citing knowledgeable sources , ' the post 's david ignatius reported that in early 2012 , the turkish government revealed to iranian intelligence the identities of up to 10 iranians who had been meeting inside turkey with their mossad case officers . ' the mossad is israel 's intelligence service . the reported leak took place at a time when relations between turkey and israel were at an all-time low , after israeli commandos killed eight turks and an american activist during a botched 2010 raid against the mavi marmara , a turkish aid ship seeking to break the israeli blockade of gaza . until then , turkey and israel had enjoyed decades of close military , intelligence and economic ties . with the full knowledge of the turks , we used to use the turkish soil in order to run intelligence operations , ' said danny yatom , a retired israeli major general who spent several years running mossad . speaking in a conference call with journalists , yatom said israel likely reduced its intelligence-sharing with turkey after the rupture in relations following the mavi marmara raid . but , he added , this information that was transferred by the turks to the iranians about a year ago , this is information that they ( the turks ) might acquire from israel many years ago . ' washington , a close ally of both turkey and israel , has sought to smooth over differences between the middle eastern countries . earlier this year , u.s. president barak obama helped broker a telephone apology for the mavi marmara raid from israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu to his turkish counterpart . on thursday , turkish officials suggested that the washington post report was part of a broader effort to discredit turkey 's top spymaster , hakan fidan . a week ago , the wall street journal published a profile of fidan , who is the head of the milli istihbarat teskilati , or mit , turkey 's main intelligence agency . the article suggested fidan was the architect of a policy that has funneled weapons and money to rebels in neighboring syria . turkey has been one of the most vocal supporters of the syrian opposition throughout civil war of the past two and a half years . the syrian national coalition , one of the main opposition groups in exile , opposition activists and rebels have been hosted in turkey , which has also provided health care to injured fighters . in addition , cnn journalists have witnessed weapons being smuggled across the border from turkey to syrian opposition groups . but in recent months , several hard-core al qaeda-linked fighting groups have begun challenging more moderate rebel factions for control of northern syria . last month one such group , the islamic state of iraq and syria , drove syrian rebels out of the northern border town of azaz . since then , isis militants have repeatedly clashed with rebel groups , which continue to control a key customs terminal on the border between turkey and syria . turkey , meanwhile , has kept the border gate firmly closed . this week , the turkish military announced its artillery fired at isis positions near azaz in retaliation for a suspected isis mortar shell that landed near the turkish border town of kilis . one turkish expert suggested the artillery strikes against al qaeda-linked targets should be interpreted as a message to turkey 's nato allies . what the turks did yesterday , is to try to send a message to turkey 's critics , especially in the west , that the turks have not gotten too cozy with the jihadists , ' said henri barkey , a professor of international relations at lehigh university . this was not the first time turkish army has engaged in cross-border artillery duels along the frontier with syria . as the warring parties have grown increasingly fractured , reports say turkish military units have fired at syrian government forces , rebels groups , and even kurdish militias . our engagement rules compel the military to strike back whenever we see a threat to our own borders , ' said a turkish government official , speaking to cnn on condition of anonymity . | turkish officials suggest there is an effort to discredit turkey 's top spymaster |
israel <tsp> ( cnn ) -- turkey 's top diplomat angrily rejected u.s. newspaper reports alleging the turkish government leaked israeli intelligence secrets to iran . this is just a smear campaign . this is not true . it is dirty propaganda , ' foreign minister ahmet davutoglu said , according to a ministry spokesman . davutoglu was referring to a column published in the washington post on thursday . citing knowledgeable sources , ' the post 's david ignatius reported that in early 2012 , the turkish government revealed to iranian intelligence the identities of up to 10 iranians who had been meeting inside turkey with their mossad case officers . ' the mossad is israel 's intelligence service . the reported leak took place at a time when relations between turkey and israel were at an all-time low , after israeli commandos killed eight turks and an american activist during a botched 2010 raid against the mavi marmara , a turkish aid ship seeking to break the israeli blockade of gaza . until then , turkey and israel had enjoyed decades of close military , intelligence and economic ties . with the full knowledge of the turks , we used to use the turkish soil in order to run intelligence operations , ' said danny yatom , a retired israeli major general who spent several years running mossad . speaking in a conference call with journalists , yatom said israel likely reduced its intelligence-sharing with turkey after the rupture in relations following the mavi marmara raid . but , he added , this information that was transferred by the turks to the iranians about a year ago , this is information that they ( the turks ) might acquire from israel many years ago . ' washington , a close ally of both turkey and israel , has sought to smooth over differences between the middle eastern countries . earlier this year , u.s. president barak obama helped broker a telephone apology for the mavi marmara raid from israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu to his turkish counterpart . on thursday , turkish officials suggested that the washington post report was part of a broader effort to discredit turkey 's top spymaster , hakan fidan . a week ago , the wall street journal published a profile of fidan , who is the head of the milli istihbarat teskilati , or mit , turkey 's main intelligence agency . the article suggested fidan was the architect of a policy that has funneled weapons and money to rebels in neighboring syria . turkey has been one of the most vocal supporters of the syrian opposition throughout civil war of the past two and a half years . the syrian national coalition , one of the main opposition groups in exile , opposition activists and rebels have been hosted in turkey , which has also provided health care to injured fighters . in addition , cnn journalists have witnessed weapons being smuggled across the border from turkey to syrian opposition groups . but in recent months , several hard-core al qaeda-linked fighting groups have begun challenging more moderate rebel factions for control of northern syria . last month one such group , the islamic state of iraq and syria , drove syrian rebels out of the northern border town of azaz . since then , isis militants have repeatedly clashed with rebel groups , which continue to control a key customs terminal on the border between turkey and syria . turkey , meanwhile , has kept the border gate firmly closed . this week , the turkish military announced its artillery fired at isis positions near azaz in retaliation for a suspected isis mortar shell that landed near the turkish border town of kilis . one turkish expert suggested the artillery strikes against al qaeda-linked targets should be interpreted as a message to turkey 's nato allies . what the turks did yesterday , is to try to send a message to turkey 's critics , especially in the west , that the turks have not gotten too cozy with the jihadists , ' said henri barkey , a professor of international relations at lehigh university . this was not the first time turkish army has engaged in cross-border artillery duels along the frontier with syria . as the warring parties have grown increasingly fractured , reports say turkish military units have fired at syrian government forces , rebels groups , and even kurdish militias . our engagement rules compel the military to strike back whenever we see a threat to our own borders , ' said a turkish government official , speaking to cnn on condition of anonymity . | ra retired chief of israel 's intelligence : turkey could have gotten the info years ago |
washington post <tsp> ( cnn ) -- turkey 's top diplomat angrily rejected u.s. newspaper reports alleging the turkish government leaked israeli intelligence secrets to iran . this is just a smear campaign . this is not true . it is dirty propaganda , ' foreign minister ahmet davutoglu said , according to a ministry spokesman . davutoglu was referring to a column published in the washington post on thursday . citing knowledgeable sources , ' the post 's david ignatius reported that in early 2012 , the turkish government revealed to iranian intelligence the identities of up to 10 iranians who had been meeting inside turkey with their mossad case officers . ' the mossad is israel 's intelligence service . the reported leak took place at a time when relations between turkey and israel were at an all-time low , after israeli commandos killed eight turks and an american activist during a botched 2010 raid against the mavi marmara , a turkish aid ship seeking to break the israeli blockade of gaza . until then , turkey and israel had enjoyed decades of close military , intelligence and economic ties . with the full knowledge of the turks , we used to use the turkish soil in order to run intelligence operations , ' said danny yatom , a retired israeli major general who spent several years running mossad . speaking in a conference call with journalists , yatom said israel likely reduced its intelligence-sharing with turkey after the rupture in relations following the mavi marmara raid . but , he added , this information that was transferred by the turks to the iranians about a year ago , this is information that they ( the turks ) might acquire from israel many years ago . ' washington , a close ally of both turkey and israel , has sought to smooth over differences between the middle eastern countries . earlier this year , u.s. president barak obama helped broker a telephone apology for the mavi marmara raid from israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu to his turkish counterpart . on thursday , turkish officials suggested that the washington post report was part of a broader effort to discredit turkey 's top spymaster , hakan fidan . a week ago , the wall street journal published a profile of fidan , who is the head of the milli istihbarat teskilati , or mit , turkey 's main intelligence agency . the article suggested fidan was the architect of a policy that has funneled weapons and money to rebels in neighboring syria . turkey has been one of the most vocal supporters of the syrian opposition throughout civil war of the past two and a half years . the syrian national coalition , one of the main opposition groups in exile , opposition activists and rebels have been hosted in turkey , which has also provided health care to injured fighters . in addition , cnn journalists have witnessed weapons being smuggled across the border from turkey to syrian opposition groups . but in recent months , several hard-core al qaeda-linked fighting groups have begun challenging more moderate rebel factions for control of northern syria . last month one such group , the islamic state of iraq and syria , drove syrian rebels out of the northern border town of azaz . since then , isis militants have repeatedly clashed with rebel groups , which continue to control a key customs terminal on the border between turkey and syria . turkey , meanwhile , has kept the border gate firmly closed . this week , the turkish military announced its artillery fired at isis positions near azaz in retaliation for a suspected isis mortar shell that landed near the turkish border town of kilis . one turkish expert suggested the artillery strikes against al qaeda-linked targets should be interpreted as a message to turkey 's nato allies . what the turks did yesterday , is to try to send a message to turkey 's critics , especially in the west , that the turks have not gotten too cozy with the jihadists , ' said henri barkey , a professor of international relations at lehigh university . this was not the first time turkish army has engaged in cross-border artillery duels along the frontier with syria . as the warring parties have grown increasingly fractured , reports say turkish military units have fired at syrian government forces , rebels groups , and even kurdish militias . our engagement rules compel the military to strike back whenever we see a threat to our own borders , ' said a turkish government official , speaking to cnn on condition of anonymity . | a column in the washington post says turkey told iran about iranians talking to israelis |
playstation <tsp> ( cnn ) -- with e3 , the world 's biggest video game expo , approaching , sony and microsoft are getting ready to wow the entertainment world with their next generation consoles . but some features of the new iterations of the xbox and playstation -- be they announced or just rumored -- are driving a wedge between the gaming giants and some of their fans . at the heart of the issue in both cases is whether gamers will be allowed to play games they buy on more than one console . that impacts everything from reselling games to taking them over to a friend 's house to play , but that could be at odds with game creators'desire to make sure everyone playing their games have paid for them . microsoft 's pre-owned game policy for their new xbox one console has been a source of confusion and contention . the company has issued conflicting statements about whether installing a game on a second console would require a fee , or whether doing so would lock the game on the original console . the company 's latest statement still leaves questions . we know there is some confusion around used games on xbox one , but we have confirmed that we designed it to enable our customers to trade in and resell games at retail , ' the company said , with no elaboration , in a statement to cnn . beyond that we have n't confirmed any specific scenarios . ' the phrase we 'll have more details to share later ' seems to be a common refrain from representatives , with the 2013 electronic entertainment expo opening in a few weeks . at sony 's event announcing the playstation 4 , they showed off many new features for games and home entertainment . however , fans are now similarly clamoring for details into the company 's plans for digital rights management and the impact it will have on playing used games . the company has n't said , but that has n't stopped a preventative movement of gamers who have taken to forum threads and twitter , where they 're using the hashtags # ps4nodrm and # ps4usedgames to reach out to sony executives . in game console terms , drm is a code that allows users to access a game 's content . it 's designed to assure developers and publishers that only the person who paid for the game can play it . sony has responded , saying they hear the concerns and are overwhelmed by the passion . they have previously made statements about not wanting to damage their relationship with their fans . but does that mean a drm-free ps4 ? only time will tell . microsoft has also tried to reach out to fans . larry hryb , a director of programming for xbox live perhaps best known by his gamer tag major nelson , ' responded to a post on his blog with comments that gave some hope . we 're fully aware of what is going on , ' he wrote . i am also working on a few things to address it . i ca n't say much more right now . but we are listening . ' he attached twitter-style hashtags : # xboxoneusedgames and # xboxonenodrm . the reality is that sony and microsoft are n't the ones who would benefit most from drm or used-game restrictions . game publishers want to make sure they are getting paid for their work , and that includes the secondhand market . given a recent spate of studio closures and financial difficulties at others , it 's not hard to see where that desire comes from . as shown by a slow start for nintendo 's wii u , gamers base a lot of their decisions about which console to buy on the games that are available for it . nintendo was dinged by some gamers for launching with a slim lineup and is currently launching a new spate of new and already popular titles in hopes of making up ground . in the end , it 's unlikely that large publishers will agree to one set of rules for one of the new consoles and another for the other . and that leaves worried gamers with a conundrum : which new device do you buy if they both are released with drm and used-game bans ? and that , some say , could open the door for nintendo , which does not have digital rights management on its games . penny arcade report senior editor ben kuchera recently wrote suggesting gamers buy a wii u as a message to sony and microsoft about how important the issue is to them . rewarding that behavior with a boost in sales would be ridiculously effective , and send a much louder message than you ever could on twitter , ' he wrote . but that requires a change of behavior . in other words , no one should expect this to happen . we wo n't see the true will of the players , for good or ill , until preorders begin . ' all the gaps in information are likely ( we hope ) to be cleared up when each company holds its annual showcase at e3 , which begins june 11 . then we 'll see whether used games are truly important , or ultimately irrelevant , to gamers being asked to open up their wallets . | new versions of microsoft 's xbox and sony 's playstation are on the way |
assange <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- lawyers for julian assange wrapped up their case against his extradition to sweden on tuesday and challenged a swedish prosecutor to come to london ' to defend her handling of the sexual misconduct allegations facing the wikileaks founder . today , we have seen a hamlet without the princess -- a prosecutor who has been ready to feed the media within information , but has been unwilling to come here , ' assange attorney mark stephens told reporters outside a south london courtroom . stephens called on swedish prosecutor marianne ny to attend the extradition hearing when it resumes friday and subject yourself to the cross-examination . ' assange has not been charged with a crime , but swedish prosecutors want to question him in connection with sexual misconduct allegations related to separate incidents last august . assange denies the accusations , and his attorneys are fighting his extradition on procedural and human-rights grounds . the case is not related to the work of the website , which has facilitated the leaking of thousands of secret documents on subjects ranging from the war in afghanistan to the inner workings of u.s. diplomacy . assange said the hearing is lifting the lid on allegations he says are false and have blighted his reputation for months , telling reporters after tuesday 's proceedings that he is facing the unlimited budget of sweden and the united kingdom on this matter . ' assange 's lawyers say ny ordered his arrest without formally summoning him for an interview or requesting an interrogation . they also argue that sweden could send him to the united states to face espionage charges related to his site 's disclosure of thousands of secret u.s. military and diplomatic documents . former swedish prosecutor sven-erik alhem testified tuesday that swedish authorities should not have told the media that assange was accused of rape . but alhem seemed unimpressed by some elements of the defense , including the claim that assange could be sent on to the united states to face imprisonment in guantanamo bay or execution . he said assange did not run that risk , in his opinion . prosecutor clare montgomery , representing sweden , dismissed the defense claim that sweden would hand assange over to the united states . the suggestion that sweden provides no protection against human rights violations is unfounded , ' montgomery argued , adding that britain would have the right to intervene if washington asked sweden for assange . assange is free on 200,000 pounds ( $ 310,000 ) bail while he fights extradition . british courts have ordered him to stay at a supporter 's mansion outside london each night , to wear an electronic tag that monitors his location and to check in daily with police . proceedings are set to resume friday at woolwich crown court in south london . for the past five and a half months , we have been in a condition where a black box has been applied to my life , ' assange said after monday 's session . on the outside of that black box has been written the word'rape .'that box is now , thanks to an open court process , being opened , and i hope over the next day we will see that that box is , in fact , empty and has nothing to do with the words that are on the outside of it . ' testifying for the defense on monday , retired swedish court of appeals judge brita sundberg-weitman harshly criticized ny , who issued an arrest warrant for assange in the case . sundberg-weitman said ny has a rather biased view against men ' and has lost balance ' on sexual offenses after years of working with battered women . sundberg-weitman said ny could have pursued more straightforward approaches , such as questioning by telephone , for the preliminary investigation . and bengt goran rudling , a swedish activist for legal reform in sex-offense cases , testified that he approached police to raise doubts about one of assange 's accusers . rudling said the woman , identified as miss a , ' made twitter postings 20 hours after the alleged offenses that described being positive and happy in assange 's company . assange 's lawyers argue britain can not extradite assange without violation of his human rights , because doing so puts him at risk of execution , according to an outline of their defense published on their website . there is a real risk he could be made subject to the death penalty , ' assange lawyers say , citing british media reports that u.s. republican politicians sarah palin and mike huckabee have called for him to be executed . they also say he should not be sent to sweden because rape trials there are held behind closed doors , while british trials are open . rudling said miss a erased the postings when she reported the alleged crime , but prosecutors said miss a told rudling she deleted them to avoid a media storm . rudling also said that that two days after the alleged crime , miss a wanted to become assange 's personal press liaison officer . he told cnn he is not an assange supporter . cnn 's atika shubert , richard allen greene and andrew carey contributed to this report . | assange denies sexual misconduct allegations |
assange <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- lawyers for julian assange wrapped up their case against his extradition to sweden on tuesday and challenged a swedish prosecutor to come to london ' to defend her handling of the sexual misconduct allegations facing the wikileaks founder . today , we have seen a hamlet without the princess -- a prosecutor who has been ready to feed the media within information , but has been unwilling to come here , ' assange attorney mark stephens told reporters outside a south london courtroom . stephens called on swedish prosecutor marianne ny to attend the extradition hearing when it resumes friday and subject yourself to the cross-examination . ' assange has not been charged with a crime , but swedish prosecutors want to question him in connection with sexual misconduct allegations related to separate incidents last august . assange denies the accusations , and his attorneys are fighting his extradition on procedural and human-rights grounds . the case is not related to the work of the website , which has facilitated the leaking of thousands of secret documents on subjects ranging from the war in afghanistan to the inner workings of u.s. diplomacy . assange said the hearing is lifting the lid on allegations he says are false and have blighted his reputation for months , telling reporters after tuesday 's proceedings that he is facing the unlimited budget of sweden and the united kingdom on this matter . ' assange 's lawyers say ny ordered his arrest without formally summoning him for an interview or requesting an interrogation . they also argue that sweden could send him to the united states to face espionage charges related to his site 's disclosure of thousands of secret u.s. military and diplomatic documents . former swedish prosecutor sven-erik alhem testified tuesday that swedish authorities should not have told the media that assange was accused of rape . but alhem seemed unimpressed by some elements of the defense , including the claim that assange could be sent on to the united states to face imprisonment in guantanamo bay or execution . he said assange did not run that risk , in his opinion . prosecutor clare montgomery , representing sweden , dismissed the defense claim that sweden would hand assange over to the united states . the suggestion that sweden provides no protection against human rights violations is unfounded , ' montgomery argued , adding that britain would have the right to intervene if washington asked sweden for assange . assange is free on 200,000 pounds ( $ 310,000 ) bail while he fights extradition . british courts have ordered him to stay at a supporter 's mansion outside london each night , to wear an electronic tag that monitors his location and to check in daily with police . proceedings are set to resume friday at woolwich crown court in south london . for the past five and a half months , we have been in a condition where a black box has been applied to my life , ' assange said after monday 's session . on the outside of that black box has been written the word'rape .'that box is now , thanks to an open court process , being opened , and i hope over the next day we will see that that box is , in fact , empty and has nothing to do with the words that are on the outside of it . ' testifying for the defense on monday , retired swedish court of appeals judge brita sundberg-weitman harshly criticized ny , who issued an arrest warrant for assange in the case . sundberg-weitman said ny has a rather biased view against men ' and has lost balance ' on sexual offenses after years of working with battered women . sundberg-weitman said ny could have pursued more straightforward approaches , such as questioning by telephone , for the preliminary investigation . and bengt goran rudling , a swedish activist for legal reform in sex-offense cases , testified that he approached police to raise doubts about one of assange 's accusers . rudling said the woman , identified as miss a , ' made twitter postings 20 hours after the alleged offenses that described being positive and happy in assange 's company . assange 's lawyers argue britain can not extradite assange without violation of his human rights , because doing so puts him at risk of execution , according to an outline of their defense published on their website . there is a real risk he could be made subject to the death penalty , ' assange lawyers say , citing british media reports that u.s. republican politicians sarah palin and mike huckabee have called for him to be executed . they also say he should not be sent to sweden because rape trials there are held behind closed doors , while british trials are open . rudling said miss a erased the postings when she reported the alleged crime , but prosecutors said miss a told rudling she deleted them to avoid a media storm . rudling also said that that two days after the alleged crime , miss a wanted to become assange 's personal press liaison officer . he told cnn he is not an assange supporter . cnn 's atika shubert , richard allen greene and andrew carey contributed to this report . | swedish prosecutors should n't have released assange 's name in a rape case , a witness says |
assange <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- lawyers for julian assange wrapped up their case against his extradition to sweden on tuesday and challenged a swedish prosecutor to come to london ' to defend her handling of the sexual misconduct allegations facing the wikileaks founder . today , we have seen a hamlet without the princess -- a prosecutor who has been ready to feed the media within information , but has been unwilling to come here , ' assange attorney mark stephens told reporters outside a south london courtroom . stephens called on swedish prosecutor marianne ny to attend the extradition hearing when it resumes friday and subject yourself to the cross-examination . ' assange has not been charged with a crime , but swedish prosecutors want to question him in connection with sexual misconduct allegations related to separate incidents last august . assange denies the accusations , and his attorneys are fighting his extradition on procedural and human-rights grounds . the case is not related to the work of the website , which has facilitated the leaking of thousands of secret documents on subjects ranging from the war in afghanistan to the inner workings of u.s. diplomacy . assange said the hearing is lifting the lid on allegations he says are false and have blighted his reputation for months , telling reporters after tuesday 's proceedings that he is facing the unlimited budget of sweden and the united kingdom on this matter . ' assange 's lawyers say ny ordered his arrest without formally summoning him for an interview or requesting an interrogation . they also argue that sweden could send him to the united states to face espionage charges related to his site 's disclosure of thousands of secret u.s. military and diplomatic documents . former swedish prosecutor sven-erik alhem testified tuesday that swedish authorities should not have told the media that assange was accused of rape . but alhem seemed unimpressed by some elements of the defense , including the claim that assange could be sent on to the united states to face imprisonment in guantanamo bay or execution . he said assange did not run that risk , in his opinion . prosecutor clare montgomery , representing sweden , dismissed the defense claim that sweden would hand assange over to the united states . the suggestion that sweden provides no protection against human rights violations is unfounded , ' montgomery argued , adding that britain would have the right to intervene if washington asked sweden for assange . assange is free on 200,000 pounds ( $ 310,000 ) bail while he fights extradition . british courts have ordered him to stay at a supporter 's mansion outside london each night , to wear an electronic tag that monitors his location and to check in daily with police . proceedings are set to resume friday at woolwich crown court in south london . for the past five and a half months , we have been in a condition where a black box has been applied to my life , ' assange said after monday 's session . on the outside of that black box has been written the word'rape .'that box is now , thanks to an open court process , being opened , and i hope over the next day we will see that that box is , in fact , empty and has nothing to do with the words that are on the outside of it . ' testifying for the defense on monday , retired swedish court of appeals judge brita sundberg-weitman harshly criticized ny , who issued an arrest warrant for assange in the case . sundberg-weitman said ny has a rather biased view against men ' and has lost balance ' on sexual offenses after years of working with battered women . sundberg-weitman said ny could have pursued more straightforward approaches , such as questioning by telephone , for the preliminary investigation . and bengt goran rudling , a swedish activist for legal reform in sex-offense cases , testified that he approached police to raise doubts about one of assange 's accusers . rudling said the woman , identified as miss a , ' made twitter postings 20 hours after the alleged offenses that described being positive and happy in assange 's company . assange 's lawyers argue britain can not extradite assange without violation of his human rights , because doing so puts him at risk of execution , according to an outline of their defense published on their website . there is a real risk he could be made subject to the death penalty , ' assange lawyers say , citing british media reports that u.s. republican politicians sarah palin and mike huckabee have called for him to be executed . they also say he should not be sent to sweden because rape trials there are held behind closed doors , while british trials are open . rudling said miss a erased the postings when she reported the alleged crime , but prosecutors said miss a told rudling she deleted them to avoid a media storm . rudling also said that that two days after the alleged crime , miss a wanted to become assange 's personal press liaison officer . he told cnn he is not an assange supporter . cnn 's atika shubert , richard allen greene and andrew carey contributed to this report . | new : assange lawyers to prosecutor : come to london ' |
assange <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- lawyers for julian assange wrapped up their case against his extradition to sweden on tuesday and challenged a swedish prosecutor to come to london ' to defend her handling of the sexual misconduct allegations facing the wikileaks founder . today , we have seen a hamlet without the princess -- a prosecutor who has been ready to feed the media within information , but has been unwilling to come here , ' assange attorney mark stephens told reporters outside a south london courtroom . stephens called on swedish prosecutor marianne ny to attend the extradition hearing when it resumes friday and subject yourself to the cross-examination . ' assange has not been charged with a crime , but swedish prosecutors want to question him in connection with sexual misconduct allegations related to separate incidents last august . assange denies the accusations , and his attorneys are fighting his extradition on procedural and human-rights grounds . the case is not related to the work of the website , which has facilitated the leaking of thousands of secret documents on subjects ranging from the war in afghanistan to the inner workings of u.s. diplomacy . assange said the hearing is lifting the lid on allegations he says are false and have blighted his reputation for months , telling reporters after tuesday 's proceedings that he is facing the unlimited budget of sweden and the united kingdom on this matter . ' assange 's lawyers say ny ordered his arrest without formally summoning him for an interview or requesting an interrogation . they also argue that sweden could send him to the united states to face espionage charges related to his site 's disclosure of thousands of secret u.s. military and diplomatic documents . former swedish prosecutor sven-erik alhem testified tuesday that swedish authorities should not have told the media that assange was accused of rape . but alhem seemed unimpressed by some elements of the defense , including the claim that assange could be sent on to the united states to face imprisonment in guantanamo bay or execution . he said assange did not run that risk , in his opinion . prosecutor clare montgomery , representing sweden , dismissed the defense claim that sweden would hand assange over to the united states . the suggestion that sweden provides no protection against human rights violations is unfounded , ' montgomery argued , adding that britain would have the right to intervene if washington asked sweden for assange . assange is free on 200,000 pounds ( $ 310,000 ) bail while he fights extradition . british courts have ordered him to stay at a supporter 's mansion outside london each night , to wear an electronic tag that monitors his location and to check in daily with police . proceedings are set to resume friday at woolwich crown court in south london . for the past five and a half months , we have been in a condition where a black box has been applied to my life , ' assange said after monday 's session . on the outside of that black box has been written the word'rape .'that box is now , thanks to an open court process , being opened , and i hope over the next day we will see that that box is , in fact , empty and has nothing to do with the words that are on the outside of it . ' testifying for the defense on monday , retired swedish court of appeals judge brita sundberg-weitman harshly criticized ny , who issued an arrest warrant for assange in the case . sundberg-weitman said ny has a rather biased view against men ' and has lost balance ' on sexual offenses after years of working with battered women . sundberg-weitman said ny could have pursued more straightforward approaches , such as questioning by telephone , for the preliminary investigation . and bengt goran rudling , a swedish activist for legal reform in sex-offense cases , testified that he approached police to raise doubts about one of assange 's accusers . rudling said the woman , identified as miss a , ' made twitter postings 20 hours after the alleged offenses that described being positive and happy in assange 's company . assange 's lawyers argue britain can not extradite assange without violation of his human rights , because doing so puts him at risk of execution , according to an outline of their defense published on their website . there is a real risk he could be made subject to the death penalty , ' assange lawyers say , citing british media reports that u.s. republican politicians sarah palin and mike huckabee have called for him to be executed . they also say he should not be sent to sweden because rape trials there are held behind closed doors , while british trials are open . rudling said miss a erased the postings when she reported the alleged crime , but prosecutors said miss a told rudling she deleted them to avoid a media storm . rudling also said that that two days after the alleged crime , miss a wanted to become assange 's personal press liaison officer . he told cnn he is not an assange supporter . cnn 's atika shubert , richard allen greene and andrew carey contributed to this report . | new : assange says he 's up against the unlimited budget ' of two nations |
nigeria <tsp> ( cnn ) the victory of a 72-year-old former general , muhammadu buhari , in the nigerian elections represents a moment of maturity in west african politics . buhari , who some 30 years ago was nigeria 's harsh military leader , could of course prove to be a disaster ; so many self-described reformers have been . swath but the peaceful transition of power from president goodluck jonathan to president buhari is the first of its kind in history . and the fact that the winner ran on an anti-corruption platform suggests that ordinary nigerians have finally had enough of the venality of their elites . for too long , nigeria 's poor have been victims of their country 's enormous wealth . the cancer of corruption has to be cut out . i visited nigeria in january and found a country under siege . abuja , the capital city , is where the rich have always imagined themselves making their last stand . soldiers guard the treacherous motorways ; houses are compounds covered in barbed wire . it 's a place where poor children rise at dawn to sift through the trash cans for food and black magic is practiced by the side of the road at dusk . yet thanks to nigeria 's oil , there is also tremendous wealth in abuja . and when you do n't really make money but simply take it from the soil and sell it , a crude kind of crony capitalism develops in which who you know is far more important than what you know . graft trickles down through the system ; through family , through patronage and through shady deals done with foreign businessmen at the 24-hour party palace at the abuja hilton hotel . the richest buy off the anger of the poorest , and vast swaths of society become complicit in the crime . for a while , that system brought some stability to the government of jonathan . but stability was contingent upon oil remaining at $ 110 a barrel , and in recent months the price has collapsed to below $ 50 a barrel . lacking funds , the government could no longer promise jobs to voters and had to start thinking creatively about serious economic development . one was the massive privatization of the power system , a sensible idea that promised to take energy provision out of the hands of a broken state and give it to businessmen to run . the problem is that costly investment and redevelopment did n't come soon enough : millions were left without power and the government 's few bold attempts at reform smacked of betrayal . the problem of corruption went hand-in-glove with the rise of terrorism . nigeria is not a natural , comfortable nation state ; it 's composed of many ethnicities and two major competing religions . the south is dominated by christians like jonathan , the north by muslims like buhari . and the north has witnessed a brutal , bloody terrorist insurgency led by boko haram , which translates as western education is forbidden . ' westerners might assume that boko haram 's major target is the christian south but , in fact , its war is as much against nonfundamentalist muslims as it is non-muslims , and its attacks have generally been focused on islamic population centers . failure to deal with this has not entirely been due to boko haram 's strategic ingenuity . previous administrations have simply been too dysfunctional to fight a war on terror . in 2010 , for instance , the government awarded a $ 470 million contract to provide security in abuja . few of the promised cameras were installed , yet the money was still paid in full . and soldiers sent to the front report being poorly equipped . the government is thought to have resorted to trying to purchase arms on the international black market , according to news reports -- although this is the kind of story that is hard to verify due to bans on granting visas to foreign journalists ( i was in nigeria as a consultant on a business visa ) . what is directly observable is that while the government proved capable of providing security in some areas , in others it utterly failed . and the jonathan government might have benefited from the boko haram terrorist emergency continuing in muslim centers , for the muslims were far more likely to vote for buhari . for buhari to win , he had to draw large numbers of votes in christian areas -- and there , again , a western prejudice is challenged . the victory of a muslim candidate in nigeria does not represent the victory of islamism , as we have so often been told by those skeptical of the ability of the muslim world to govern itself . on the contrary , buhari is associated with an earlier period in nigerian history when the army was relatively well paid and respected . he ran the country in the early 1980s along dictatorial lines , for sure . but he also ran a war against indiscipline when in power in which civil servants who were late to work were ordered to do frog jumps , drug dealers were publicly executed , and some 474 politicians and business were arrested on charges of corruption . buhari was removed in a coup , and he left office with the rare distinction of not having made very much money from it . now he has won the presidency promising to tackle those intertwined problems of boko haram and corruption . get the army functioning properly again , nigerians hope , and it will be able to drive back the fundamentalists . buhari has his critics , many of whom charge him with misrepresenting his cv and being a closet authoritarian . but they can not deny that he has won this historic victory because he has touched a chord with a people exhausted by years of misrule . you can only bribe the voters for so long before the squalor becomes too much to bear . | tim stanley : muhammadu buhar won nigeria vote on campaign against corruption . he 's an ex-dictator , but there 's reason for optimism |
jonathan <tsp> ( cnn ) the victory of a 72-year-old former general , muhammadu buhari , in the nigerian elections represents a moment of maturity in west african politics . buhari , who some 30 years ago was nigeria 's harsh military leader , could of course prove to be a disaster ; so many self-described reformers have been . swath but the peaceful transition of power from president goodluck jonathan to president buhari is the first of its kind in history . and the fact that the winner ran on an anti-corruption platform suggests that ordinary nigerians have finally had enough of the venality of their elites . for too long , nigeria 's poor have been victims of their country 's enormous wealth . the cancer of corruption has to be cut out . i visited nigeria in january and found a country under siege . abuja , the capital city , is where the rich have always imagined themselves making their last stand . soldiers guard the treacherous motorways ; houses are compounds covered in barbed wire . it 's a place where poor children rise at dawn to sift through the trash cans for food and black magic is practiced by the side of the road at dusk . yet thanks to nigeria 's oil , there is also tremendous wealth in abuja . and when you do n't really make money but simply take it from the soil and sell it , a crude kind of crony capitalism develops in which who you know is far more important than what you know . graft trickles down through the system ; through family , through patronage and through shady deals done with foreign businessmen at the 24-hour party palace at the abuja hilton hotel . the richest buy off the anger of the poorest , and vast swaths of society become complicit in the crime . for a while , that system brought some stability to the government of jonathan . but stability was contingent upon oil remaining at $ 110 a barrel , and in recent months the price has collapsed to below $ 50 a barrel . lacking funds , the government could no longer promise jobs to voters and had to start thinking creatively about serious economic development . one was the massive privatization of the power system , a sensible idea that promised to take energy provision out of the hands of a broken state and give it to businessmen to run . the problem is that costly investment and redevelopment did n't come soon enough : millions were left without power and the government 's few bold attempts at reform smacked of betrayal . the problem of corruption went hand-in-glove with the rise of terrorism . nigeria is not a natural , comfortable nation state ; it 's composed of many ethnicities and two major competing religions . the south is dominated by christians like jonathan , the north by muslims like buhari . and the north has witnessed a brutal , bloody terrorist insurgency led by boko haram , which translates as western education is forbidden . ' westerners might assume that boko haram 's major target is the christian south but , in fact , its war is as much against nonfundamentalist muslims as it is non-muslims , and its attacks have generally been focused on islamic population centers . failure to deal with this has not entirely been due to boko haram 's strategic ingenuity . previous administrations have simply been too dysfunctional to fight a war on terror . in 2010 , for instance , the government awarded a $ 470 million contract to provide security in abuja . few of the promised cameras were installed , yet the money was still paid in full . and soldiers sent to the front report being poorly equipped . the government is thought to have resorted to trying to purchase arms on the international black market , according to news reports -- although this is the kind of story that is hard to verify due to bans on granting visas to foreign journalists ( i was in nigeria as a consultant on a business visa ) . what is directly observable is that while the government proved capable of providing security in some areas , in others it utterly failed . and the jonathan government might have benefited from the boko haram terrorist emergency continuing in muslim centers , for the muslims were far more likely to vote for buhari . for buhari to win , he had to draw large numbers of votes in christian areas -- and there , again , a western prejudice is challenged . the victory of a muslim candidate in nigeria does not represent the victory of islamism , as we have so often been told by those skeptical of the ability of the muslim world to govern itself . on the contrary , buhari is associated with an earlier period in nigerian history when the army was relatively well paid and respected . he ran the country in the early 1980s along dictatorial lines , for sure . but he also ran a war against indiscipline when in power in which civil servants who were late to work were ordered to do frog jumps , drug dealers were publicly executed , and some 474 politicians and business were arrested on charges of corruption . buhari was removed in a coup , and he left office with the rare distinction of not having made very much money from it . now he has won the presidency promising to tackle those intertwined problems of boko haram and corruption . get the army functioning properly again , nigerians hope , and it will be able to drive back the fundamentalists . buhari has his critics , many of whom charge him with misrepresenting his cv and being a closet authoritarian . but they can not deny that he has won this historic victory because he has touched a chord with a people exhausted by years of misrule . you can only bribe the voters for so long before the squalor becomes too much to bear . | he says jonathan administration failed to address corruption , poverty and rise of boko haram . buhar may be tonic to years of misrule |
boko haram <tsp> ( cnn ) the victory of a 72-year-old former general , muhammadu buhari , in the nigerian elections represents a moment of maturity in west african politics . buhari , who some 30 years ago was nigeria 's harsh military leader , could of course prove to be a disaster ; so many self-described reformers have been . swath but the peaceful transition of power from president goodluck jonathan to president buhari is the first of its kind in history . and the fact that the winner ran on an anti-corruption platform suggests that ordinary nigerians have finally had enough of the venality of their elites . for too long , nigeria 's poor have been victims of their country 's enormous wealth . the cancer of corruption has to be cut out . i visited nigeria in january and found a country under siege . abuja , the capital city , is where the rich have always imagined themselves making their last stand . soldiers guard the treacherous motorways ; houses are compounds covered in barbed wire . it 's a place where poor children rise at dawn to sift through the trash cans for food and black magic is practiced by the side of the road at dusk . yet thanks to nigeria 's oil , there is also tremendous wealth in abuja . and when you do n't really make money but simply take it from the soil and sell it , a crude kind of crony capitalism develops in which who you know is far more important than what you know . graft trickles down through the system ; through family , through patronage and through shady deals done with foreign businessmen at the 24-hour party palace at the abuja hilton hotel . the richest buy off the anger of the poorest , and vast swaths of society become complicit in the crime . for a while , that system brought some stability to the government of jonathan . but stability was contingent upon oil remaining at $ 110 a barrel , and in recent months the price has collapsed to below $ 50 a barrel . lacking funds , the government could no longer promise jobs to voters and had to start thinking creatively about serious economic development . one was the massive privatization of the power system , a sensible idea that promised to take energy provision out of the hands of a broken state and give it to businessmen to run . the problem is that costly investment and redevelopment did n't come soon enough : millions were left without power and the government 's few bold attempts at reform smacked of betrayal . the problem of corruption went hand-in-glove with the rise of terrorism . nigeria is not a natural , comfortable nation state ; it 's composed of many ethnicities and two major competing religions . the south is dominated by christians like jonathan , the north by muslims like buhari . and the north has witnessed a brutal , bloody terrorist insurgency led by boko haram , which translates as western education is forbidden . ' westerners might assume that boko haram 's major target is the christian south but , in fact , its war is as much against nonfundamentalist muslims as it is non-muslims , and its attacks have generally been focused on islamic population centers . failure to deal with this has not entirely been due to boko haram 's strategic ingenuity . previous administrations have simply been too dysfunctional to fight a war on terror . in 2010 , for instance , the government awarded a $ 470 million contract to provide security in abuja . few of the promised cameras were installed , yet the money was still paid in full . and soldiers sent to the front report being poorly equipped . the government is thought to have resorted to trying to purchase arms on the international black market , according to news reports -- although this is the kind of story that is hard to verify due to bans on granting visas to foreign journalists ( i was in nigeria as a consultant on a business visa ) . what is directly observable is that while the government proved capable of providing security in some areas , in others it utterly failed . and the jonathan government might have benefited from the boko haram terrorist emergency continuing in muslim centers , for the muslims were far more likely to vote for buhari . for buhari to win , he had to draw large numbers of votes in christian areas -- and there , again , a western prejudice is challenged . the victory of a muslim candidate in nigeria does not represent the victory of islamism , as we have so often been told by those skeptical of the ability of the muslim world to govern itself . on the contrary , buhari is associated with an earlier period in nigerian history when the army was relatively well paid and respected . he ran the country in the early 1980s along dictatorial lines , for sure . but he also ran a war against indiscipline when in power in which civil servants who were late to work were ordered to do frog jumps , drug dealers were publicly executed , and some 474 politicians and business were arrested on charges of corruption . buhari was removed in a coup , and he left office with the rare distinction of not having made very much money from it . now he has won the presidency promising to tackle those intertwined problems of boko haram and corruption . get the army functioning properly again , nigerians hope , and it will be able to drive back the fundamentalists . buhari has his critics , many of whom charge him with misrepresenting his cv and being a closet authoritarian . but they can not deny that he has won this historic victory because he has touched a chord with a people exhausted by years of misrule . you can only bribe the voters for so long before the squalor becomes too much to bear . | he says jonathan administration failed to address corruption , poverty and rise of boko haram . buhar may be tonic to years of misrule |
taser <tsp> ( cnn ) the reserve deputy who shot a suspect with his firearm rather than his stun gun , and another deputy who can be heard cursing at the suspect after he was shot , were not in their normal states of mind because of the elevated stress of apprehending the suspect , according to a tulsa , oklahoma , investigator . tulsa police sgt . jim clark , who has been brought in to review the case , said tulsa county reserve deputy robert bates , 73 , inadvertently ' shot eric courtney harris after harris -- a possibly pcp-addled felon who had days prior sold methamphetamine to an undercover officer -- ran from authorities after trying to sell an illegal handgun during an undercover sting . as deputies tried to handcuff harris , bates arrived with a pepper spray gun in hand . he warned his fellow deputies he was going to use a taser on the suspect , but instead , he fired a single gunshot -- and immediately apologized , clark said , citing a recently released video . clark attributed bates'actions to a phenomenon known as slip and capture . ' an example is when someone who drives a car with a manual transmission gets behind the wheel of a car with an automatic transmission . the driver will press her or his left foot down when stopping abruptly , even though there 's no clutch pedal , he said . quoting bill lewinski , executive director of the force science institute , clark further explained : these are mistakes that are made when you think you are doing one thing but you actually are doing another , and the result often is directly opposite of what you intended . in effect , your intended behavior slips off the path that you want it to go because it is captured by a stronger response and sent to a different direction . ' bates announced that he was going to deploy his taser , and he pulled the trigger only once , as he was trained to do , clark said . police are trained to double-tap ' when firing their handguns , he said . the gun jumped out of bates'hand because he was n't expecting recoil , clark said , and bates expressed surprise and remorse that he had shot harris . quoting lewinski again , clark said , this is the slip and capture . under time pressure to address a perceived threat , his intention to draw his taser slipped off his agenda , so to speak , when it was captured and completed by a more well-rehearsed motor program . ... he was not conscious of this unfortunate switch until after the shot was fired . in his urgency , his concentration was focused exclusively on harris'back , where he intended to place the taser darts . because of what 's called'inattentional blindness ,'meaning that he was n't consciously paying attention to and registering it , he would n't have been aware that the feel of the gun was different from that of the taser . and in this case the weight of the gun and taser are nearly identical . ' clark was emphatic that bates had done nothing criminally wrong and went so far as to say the reserve deputy was a victim . reserve deputy bates did not commit a crime . reserve deputy bates was a victim , a true victim of slip and capture , ' he said . there 's no other determination i could come to . ' when they set up the undercover sting , police wanted evidence on camera . but when they recorded the operation targeting harris earlier this month , cameras continued to roll as the suspect ran , and as he was fatally shot . the tulsa county sheriff 's office released the video on friday . the shooting was an apparent accident , it has said . in the last minutes of the video , harris lies on the pavement with police on top of him . an officer calls for a taser , but in place of an electric clicking sound , a gunshot rings out . a voice can be heard saying , oh ! i shot him ! i 'm sorry ! ' another officer screams out , he shot him ! he shot him ! ' harris , who is bleeding , calls out , too . he 's losing his breath , he says . an officer yells back at him . you f * * king ran ! shut the f * * k up ! ' he yells . f * * k your breath , ' he said . clark defended the officer 's language , saying the deputy experienced auditory exclusion , never heard the gunshot and thought the suspect was out of breath from running . the language has no bearing on whether the shooting was justified , clark said . one deputy thought he was going to have to shoot this person at the arrest site . it 's very upsetting when you think you are going to have to take someone 's life and this deputy , one of the involved deputies , was upset , ' he said . secondly , this is total stress . they are going after a dangerous suspect that they have no idea whether or not this person is armed . ' clark added , they did not know that he was shot at this time . they had audio exclusion . they was at a point where they could n't hear . they did n't even hear the gunshot go off . the officers did not know that mr. harris had been shot . ' an officer can be seen in the video taking his foot off an object lying on the pavement not far from harris . shortly after the suspect is shot , the officers begin tugging harris'hands behind his back as the video ends . harris later died at a local hospital . police said at the time of the shooting that harris admitted to medics at the scene that he may have been under the influence of phencyclidine , a street drug commonly known as pcp . the video is edited to block out the officers'faces . harris is clearly visible . minutes earlier , harris had climbed into a truck cab , where an undercover officer had set up a camera on the dash to record the suspect . what 's up ? ' they greet each other cordially . without missing a beat , harris rummages deep in a backpack and hastily hands over a semiautomatic pistol . every few seconds , he looks around outside nervously . sweet , that 's a nice gun , man , ' the undercover officer says off camera . it 's a german luger , ' harris tells him . he cranes his head around quickly and watches as a car pulls up next to the truck . officers in uniform jump out , and harris bolts out the passenger door and sprints off . he 's running ; he 's running , he 's running ! ' the officer in the truck says . as harris fled , police worried he might still be armed because he ran with his right forearm pressed against his hip , consistent with trying to maintain control of a gun , ' clark said , adding that no gun was found when harris was searched after the chase . another video from an officer 's body camera picks up the chase . the officer wearing it jumps out of a vehicle and pursues harris on foot , catching up to him easily . he tackles the fleeing suspect . the officer commands him , i need you to roll on your stomach . now ! ' other officers appear . someone calls , taser ! taser ! ' the gun discharges . much later in the recording made by the first camera inside the truck , two men are conversing . he thought it was his taser , ' one of them says , as the other curses in frustration . in the background , a woman is crying no , no , no ! ' harris had come to the sting deal with a female companion . police have said that harris had reached for his waistband , and officers feared he might endanger them . when harris was on the ground , he refused to pull his left arm from underneath his body where his hand was near his waistband , ' they said after the shooting . the officer 's body camera video did not reveal that area of harris'body . bates , a former tulsa police officer , was placed on administrative leave after the shooting , the sheriff 's office has said . asked whether bates'age may have been a factor in the shooting , clark said , it 's happened to 21-year-old law enforcement officers . it 's happened to 30-year-old law enforcement officers . age is not really a factor in consideration for the dynamics behind slip and capture events . despite the details released over the weekend , harris'brother says he still want answers . i want to know if he was shot in the back accidentally or on purpose . these are all the things that not only i want , but the public wants , ' andre harris told cnn affiliate ktul . bates'attorney , scott wood , told cnn on friday he would contact the network later . he had not issued a statement or called back as of sunday . cnn 's jason morris , carma hassan and andreas preuss contributed to this report . | sheriff 's office says a reserve deputy thought he had pulled out a taser |
gujarat <tsp> new delhi , india ( cnn ) -- the death toll from an outbreak of hepatitis b in india 's western gujarat state reached 38 on sunday as authorities prepared to begin a vaccination drive against the disease . hepatitis-b patient mahir husain , center , is comforted at a hospital in ahmedabad . malayappan thennarasa , the top administrator of the affected sabarkantha district , told cnn the toll had climbed to 38 and that shots would be administered free of cost starting monday . health officials have recorded 125 cases of the infection in two weeks . authorities were carrying out raids at medical stores for bogus drugs and recycled syringes . police have so far arrested five medical practitioners . one of them was charged sunday with attempted murder . the doctor is accused of reusing syringes , thennarasa said . hepatitis b is a contagious liver disease resulting from infection with the hepatitis b virus , according to the u.s. centers for disease control and prevention . it usually spreads through blood , semen , or other bodily fluids , often through sexual contact or sharing needles or syringes with an infected person . the disease can range from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious , chronic illness resulting in long-term health problems or death , the cdc said . | the victims died in the state of gujarat in western india in the past two weeks |
india <tsp> new delhi , india ( cnn ) -- the death toll from an outbreak of hepatitis b in india 's western gujarat state reached 38 on sunday as authorities prepared to begin a vaccination drive against the disease . hepatitis-b patient mahir husain , center , is comforted at a hospital in ahmedabad . malayappan thennarasa , the top administrator of the affected sabarkantha district , told cnn the toll had climbed to 38 and that shots would be administered free of cost starting monday . health officials have recorded 125 cases of the infection in two weeks . authorities were carrying out raids at medical stores for bogus drugs and recycled syringes . police have so far arrested five medical practitioners . one of them was charged sunday with attempted murder . the doctor is accused of reusing syringes , thennarasa said . hepatitis b is a contagious liver disease resulting from infection with the hepatitis b virus , according to the u.s. centers for disease control and prevention . it usually spreads through blood , semen , or other bodily fluids , often through sexual contact or sharing needles or syringes with an infected person . the disease can range from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious , chronic illness resulting in long-term health problems or death , the cdc said . | the victims died in the state of gujarat in western india in the past two weeks |
india <tsp> new delhi , india ( cnn ) -- the death toll from an outbreak of hepatitis b in india 's western gujarat state reached 38 on sunday as authorities prepared to begin a vaccination drive against the disease . hepatitis-b patient mahir husain , center , is comforted at a hospital in ahmedabad . malayappan thennarasa , the top administrator of the affected sabarkantha district , told cnn the toll had climbed to 38 and that shots would be administered free of cost starting monday . health officials have recorded 125 cases of the infection in two weeks . authorities were carrying out raids at medical stores for bogus drugs and recycled syringes . police have so far arrested five medical practitioners . one of them was charged sunday with attempted murder . the doctor is accused of reusing syringes , thennarasa said . hepatitis b is a contagious liver disease resulting from infection with the hepatitis b virus , according to the u.s. centers for disease control and prevention . it usually spreads through blood , semen , or other bodily fluids , often through sexual contact or sharing needles or syringes with an infected person . the disease can range from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious , chronic illness resulting in long-term health problems or death , the cdc said . | an outbreak of contagious liver disease hepatitis b kills 38 people in india |
mars <tsp> ( cnn ) it 's not going to be enough to slake the thirst of the elusive mars bunny , but scientists say new research seems to support the theory that what looks like a bone-dry red planet during the day could be dotted with tiny puddles of salty water at night . experts have long thought that a particular kind of salt detected in martian soil could pull water vapor from the the planet 's thin atmosphere into the soil at night and then keep it from freezing despite the extreme cold . researchers are n't saying they 've seen direct evidence of brine hiding out in the martian night . but they say the new study -- based on a full year of monitoring of temperature and humidity conditions by the mars curiosity rover in gale crater -- does seem to bear the theory out . gale crater is one of the least likely places on mars to have conditions for brines to form , compared to sites at higher latitudes or with more shading , ' said alfred mcewen of the university of arizona at tucson , a co-author of the new report . nasa chief scientist :'indications'of alien life by 2025 ' so if brines can exist there , that strengthens the case they could form and persist even longer at many other locations , ' possibly explaining channels seen on mars that appear be formed by running water , he said . researchers say mars may once have had an sea as extensive as earth 's atlantic ocean , and curiosity has found evidence of ancient streambeds and a lake on the planet . the vast majority of that water has been lost to space over the eons , leaving mars an overwhelmingly dry and inhospitable place . the new study does n't change the picture for life on mars . the researchers say the temperatures they measured are too low and water too scarce to support terrestrial organisms ' ( sorry , bunny fans ) . but scientists say evidence of water ice at the planet 's poles and now more evidence toward the theory of widespread brines keeps them hoping they 'll find evidence that life at least once existed there . liquid water is a requirement for life as we know it , and a target for mars exploration missions , ' lead author javier martin-torres said in a statement . conditions near the surface of present-day mars are hardly favorable for microbial life as we know it , ' he said , but the possibility for liquid brines on mars has wider implications for habitability and geological water-related processes . ' in other words , we 'll keep looking . mars is the next step for humanity -- we must take it | the finding has wider implications ' for efforts to find evidence of life on mars , a researcher says |
bainbridge island <tsp> ( cnn ) on sunday the nfl 's seattle seahawks and the green bay packers will face off in the nfc championship game . for the seahawks , winning would give them the chance to go back to the super bowl and perhaps net another vince lombardi trophy . high stakes to be sure , but officials in one seattle suburb have taken pre-game rivalry to the next level by banning possession of and/or consumption of cheese or cheese flavored products . ' for those not making the connection between cheese and this nfl matchup , douglas schulze , the city manager of bainbridge island , washington , spells it out in his executive order . on sunday , january 18 , 2015 , the seattle seahawks opponent in the nfc championship game will be the green bay packers , aka cheeseheads , ' the order states . fans of the green bay packers are frequently seen wearing obnoxious wedge-shaped foam hats painted yellow . ' it is due to this relationship ' between packers fans and cheese that the ban was enacted . the ban only applies to employees at city hall and only on friday , but schulze has a plan for anyone who defies the ban and comes , pun intended , packing . i 'm going to arrive early , and we 'll have some type of cheese grater or shredder available so if anybody brings in cheeses or cheese products , we 'll have to dispose of them , ' schulze told cnn affiliate komo . the ban may only impact a fraction of the town 's 23,000 residents , but it caught the attention of green bay fans almost 2,000 miles away . insane , ' ridiculous ' and demonic ' were just a few of the adjectives thrown out by distraught cheeseheads to cnn affiliate wdjt . they should never ban cheese , ' said one man we are going to own seattle . ' some proposed bans of their own , such as a boycott of seattle-based starbucks . but one milwaukee radio station did one better . 94.5 the lake will say no to seattle . ' that means no songs from nirvana , pearl jam or heart before the big game . the preparations are n't all about bans either . in the bainbridge island executive order , schulze also calls for a blue friday ' celebration for all local government employees , who are encouraged to wear seahawks jerseys , logo gear , team colors . ' but lest anyone get carried away , schulze made it clear , in an interview with komo , to leave the cheetos and cheez-whiz at home . and do n't even think about sneaking in some on a party tray . but cheese lovers needing a fix may have one remaining option : schulze said he has yet to scour the vending machines . ' | cheese is banned in bainbridge island , washington , before sunday 's nfc championship game |
nfc championship game <tsp> ( cnn ) on sunday the nfl 's seattle seahawks and the green bay packers will face off in the nfc championship game . for the seahawks , winning would give them the chance to go back to the super bowl and perhaps net another vince lombardi trophy . high stakes to be sure , but officials in one seattle suburb have taken pre-game rivalry to the next level by banning possession of and/or consumption of cheese or cheese flavored products . ' for those not making the connection between cheese and this nfl matchup , douglas schulze , the city manager of bainbridge island , washington , spells it out in his executive order . on sunday , january 18 , 2015 , the seattle seahawks opponent in the nfc championship game will be the green bay packers , aka cheeseheads , ' the order states . fans of the green bay packers are frequently seen wearing obnoxious wedge-shaped foam hats painted yellow . ' it is due to this relationship ' between packers fans and cheese that the ban was enacted . the ban only applies to employees at city hall and only on friday , but schulze has a plan for anyone who defies the ban and comes , pun intended , packing . i 'm going to arrive early , and we 'll have some type of cheese grater or shredder available so if anybody brings in cheeses or cheese products , we 'll have to dispose of them , ' schulze told cnn affiliate komo . the ban may only impact a fraction of the town 's 23,000 residents , but it caught the attention of green bay fans almost 2,000 miles away . insane , ' ridiculous ' and demonic ' were just a few of the adjectives thrown out by distraught cheeseheads to cnn affiliate wdjt . they should never ban cheese , ' said one man we are going to own seattle . ' some proposed bans of their own , such as a boycott of seattle-based starbucks . but one milwaukee radio station did one better . 94.5 the lake will say no to seattle . ' that means no songs from nirvana , pearl jam or heart before the big game . the preparations are n't all about bans either . in the bainbridge island executive order , schulze also calls for a blue friday ' celebration for all local government employees , who are encouraged to wear seahawks jerseys , logo gear , team colors . ' but lest anyone get carried away , schulze made it clear , in an interview with komo , to leave the cheetos and cheez-whiz at home . and do n't even think about sneaking in some on a party tray . but cheese lovers needing a fix may have one remaining option : schulze said he has yet to scour the vending machines . ' | cheese is banned in bainbridge island , washington , before sunday 's nfc championship game |
bonhams <tsp> hong kong ( cnn ) an impressive art collection assembled by the late actress and hollywood icon , lauren bacall , has officially been offered for purchase . the collection , which includes works by some of the greatest artists of the 20th century , went under the hammer in new york on march 31 , following a tour of hong kong , paris , london and los angeles . bacall , who died in august 2014 at the age of 89 , first shot to international fame in 1944 with her first film , to have and have not . ' that was also when the husky-voiced starlet met her future husband , humphrey bogart . at the recent 2015 golden globes , george clooney paid tribute to the silver screen queen in his award winning speech . i do n't remember what awards lauren bacall won , i just remember her saying :'you know how to whistle , do n't you steve . you just put your lips together and blow .'' said clooney , referring to one of her most legendary lines from her first movie . the 750-piece collection , which fetched a total of $ 3.64 million , featured bronze sculptures , jewelry , and a number of decorative arts and paintings , which were sold at bonhams auction house in new york . her collection is truly a reflection of her extraordinary taste and remarkable life , ' said jon king , bonhams'vice president . among the 50 items highlighted in the auction preview were six bronze maquettes by henry moore , britain 's greatest 20th century sculptor and one of bacall 's favorite artists , whom she developed a close relationship with . one of them sold for close to $ 120,000 . also for sale were some of bacall 's most loved jewelry pieces , created by legendary french designer jean schlumberger , most known for his work at tiffany & co. a rose diamond camel brooch by british jeweler elizabeth gage fetched $ 23,750 and was accompanied by the original drawing and correspondence from the designer , which shows the close-knit relationship bacall had with gage . the wide-ranging collection was expected to appeal to a variety of collectors : fine arts and antiques dealers , fans of lauren bacall and humphrey bogart , as well as memorabilia enthusiasts . most of the items auctioned come from the apartment in new york 's dakota building that she shared with her second husband , actor jason robards , until 1969 . but king said fans of humphrey bogart would have been pleased to know some of the items were also from their shared residence in los angeles . king , who got to know bacall in her late years , said the collection reflects the actress'eclectic taste , and there was only one principle she applied to collecting : ' everything had to kind of speak to her , to catch her eye . she loved form , she loved texture , she loved color . and she loved mixing it all up . she said that when you walked into her house , what she liked was that it was never boring , ' king said . you could walk into the same room a hundred times , and see something new every time . ' | a collection of 750 items belonging to legendary actress lauren bacall has been auctioned off at bonhams in new york |
lauren bacall <tsp> hong kong ( cnn ) an impressive art collection assembled by the late actress and hollywood icon , lauren bacall , has officially been offered for purchase . the collection , which includes works by some of the greatest artists of the 20th century , went under the hammer in new york on march 31 , following a tour of hong kong , paris , london and los angeles . bacall , who died in august 2014 at the age of 89 , first shot to international fame in 1944 with her first film , to have and have not . ' that was also when the husky-voiced starlet met her future husband , humphrey bogart . at the recent 2015 golden globes , george clooney paid tribute to the silver screen queen in his award winning speech . i do n't remember what awards lauren bacall won , i just remember her saying :'you know how to whistle , do n't you steve . you just put your lips together and blow .'' said clooney , referring to one of her most legendary lines from her first movie . the 750-piece collection , which fetched a total of $ 3.64 million , featured bronze sculptures , jewelry , and a number of decorative arts and paintings , which were sold at bonhams auction house in new york . her collection is truly a reflection of her extraordinary taste and remarkable life , ' said jon king , bonhams'vice president . among the 50 items highlighted in the auction preview were six bronze maquettes by henry moore , britain 's greatest 20th century sculptor and one of bacall 's favorite artists , whom she developed a close relationship with . one of them sold for close to $ 120,000 . also for sale were some of bacall 's most loved jewelry pieces , created by legendary french designer jean schlumberger , most known for his work at tiffany & co. a rose diamond camel brooch by british jeweler elizabeth gage fetched $ 23,750 and was accompanied by the original drawing and correspondence from the designer , which shows the close-knit relationship bacall had with gage . the wide-ranging collection was expected to appeal to a variety of collectors : fine arts and antiques dealers , fans of lauren bacall and humphrey bogart , as well as memorabilia enthusiasts . most of the items auctioned come from the apartment in new york 's dakota building that she shared with her second husband , actor jason robards , until 1969 . but king said fans of humphrey bogart would have been pleased to know some of the items were also from their shared residence in los angeles . king , who got to know bacall in her late years , said the collection reflects the actress'eclectic taste , and there was only one principle she applied to collecting : ' everything had to kind of speak to her , to catch her eye . she loved form , she loved texture , she loved color . and she loved mixing it all up . she said that when you walked into her house , what she liked was that it was never boring , ' king said . you could walk into the same room a hundred times , and see something new every time . ' | a collection of 750 items belonging to legendary actress lauren bacall has been auctioned off at bonhams in new york |
new york <tsp> hong kong ( cnn ) an impressive art collection assembled by the late actress and hollywood icon , lauren bacall , has officially been offered for purchase . the collection , which includes works by some of the greatest artists of the 20th century , went under the hammer in new york on march 31 , following a tour of hong kong , paris , london and los angeles . bacall , who died in august 2014 at the age of 89 , first shot to international fame in 1944 with her first film , to have and have not . ' that was also when the husky-voiced starlet met her future husband , humphrey bogart . at the recent 2015 golden globes , george clooney paid tribute to the silver screen queen in his award winning speech . i do n't remember what awards lauren bacall won , i just remember her saying :'you know how to whistle , do n't you steve . you just put your lips together and blow .'' said clooney , referring to one of her most legendary lines from her first movie . the 750-piece collection , which fetched a total of $ 3.64 million , featured bronze sculptures , jewelry , and a number of decorative arts and paintings , which were sold at bonhams auction house in new york . her collection is truly a reflection of her extraordinary taste and remarkable life , ' said jon king , bonhams'vice president . among the 50 items highlighted in the auction preview were six bronze maquettes by henry moore , britain 's greatest 20th century sculptor and one of bacall 's favorite artists , whom she developed a close relationship with . one of them sold for close to $ 120,000 . also for sale were some of bacall 's most loved jewelry pieces , created by legendary french designer jean schlumberger , most known for his work at tiffany & co. a rose diamond camel brooch by british jeweler elizabeth gage fetched $ 23,750 and was accompanied by the original drawing and correspondence from the designer , which shows the close-knit relationship bacall had with gage . the wide-ranging collection was expected to appeal to a variety of collectors : fine arts and antiques dealers , fans of lauren bacall and humphrey bogart , as well as memorabilia enthusiasts . most of the items auctioned come from the apartment in new york 's dakota building that she shared with her second husband , actor jason robards , until 1969 . but king said fans of humphrey bogart would have been pleased to know some of the items were also from their shared residence in los angeles . king , who got to know bacall in her late years , said the collection reflects the actress'eclectic taste , and there was only one principle she applied to collecting : ' everything had to kind of speak to her , to catch her eye . she loved form , she loved texture , she loved color . and she loved mixing it all up . she said that when you walked into her house , what she liked was that it was never boring , ' king said . you could walk into the same room a hundred times , and see something new every time . ' | a collection of 750 items belonging to legendary actress lauren bacall has been auctioned off at bonhams in new york |
youtube <tsp> ( cnn ) -- if japanese starlet minami minegishi 's shaven head and tearful mea culpa looked more like a disgraced samurai trying to retrieve his honor , then it owes much to japanese pop phenomenon akb48 's ' military structure . complete with four main divisions of girl performers , the j-pop sensation have their own theater training camps , a sub-corps of as many as 14 sister groups , a rigid order of succession and a strict code of conduct . the bubblegum empire even has foreign territorial ambitions , with a base set to be established in singapore and sister groups now located in indonesia , taiwan and china . but on friday , minegishi 's tearful admission that she had broken the group 's no romance ' bushido revealed serious cracks in the faã§ade of j-pop 's standing army . shaving her head -- considered a ritual act of contrition in japan -- minegishi described her actions as thoughtless and immature ' in a four-minute video posted on youtube that was viewed more than 3 million times . the japanese weekly tabloid shukan bunshun had earlier reported that she spent a night at the flat of alan shirahama , a member of the boy band , generations . ' if it is possible , i wish from the bottom of my heart to stay in the band , ' she said . everything i did is entirely my fault . i am so sorry . i do n't believe just doing this means i can be forgiven for what i did , but the first thing i thought was that i do n't want to quit akb48 , ' she said before concluding the admission with a deep bow . the apology did little to assuage management , who withdrew minegishi 's commission , demoting her to trainee status , ' according to the band 's blog . meanwhile , the scandal has been avidly taken up by japan 's voracious tabloid media . it 's perfect . it 's an endless source of fodder to fill magazines and now they have one that went all britney , ' said an industry source who asked not to be identified . akb48 comprises four teams of around 20 members who rotate to play at the akb48 theater in tokyo 's akhibara , where the group takes its name . the concept allows one team to perform while the others tour , promote or record . with 88 members in the band , it is registered in the guinness book of records as the largest band in the world . the brainchild of the group 's yasushi akimoto , the bands have been a goldmine , grossing 16.28 billion yen ( $ 212 million ) in 2011 in cd and dvd sales alone , according to compiler oricon . with american idol style auditions that continually renew the ranks of the teams , the girls aged from14 to 20 either graduate ' to become solo artists within akimoto 's swelling stable of performers , or they simply take early retirement . misbehavior , ' as it 's deemed in the group , merits expulsion or in the case of minegishi , demotion . the groups are now so popular that tickets for the daily performances are allocated on a lottery system . akimoto says he wanted to create a concept where the audience could meet their idols , and the groups regularly hold handshake events ' where the audience gets to high-five ' the performers on the way into the show . while akb48 may seemed to be pitched at japanese teens , the audience is usually made up of japanese salarymen -- a phenomenon not lost on akimoto who has been criticized for sexualizing young women . video clips show performers in skimpy miniskirts , passing food from mouth to mouth or taking baths together . it 's the same as art versus obscenity , ' akimoto told cnn . it 's up to personal judgment on how we perceive it . ' but with song lyrics that run : i want to take off my school uniform , i want to misbehave , you can do whatever you like , i want to experience adult pleasure , ' akimoto has been accused of feeding the teen schoolgirl fetish . they 're not reading their diaries , ' said akimoto , defending the performers . it 's about acting . for example , there 's a song called despised love . this song is asking why junior high school kids kill themselves ... unless i take up the issues these girls are facing as a songwriter the issues wo n't get addressed . there are kids out there who want to take off their school uniforms and misbehave , and i 'm depicting realities in their lives in which they wonder whether it 's okay to think that way . i 'm not forcing them . i 'm picturing their private lives partly based on my imagination or newspaper articles or tv news reports . i watch what their generation is doing -- the issues of bullying , suicide , or traps with sugar daddies . ' cnn 's alex zolbert contributed to this report . | shaven-headed star of j-pop sensation akb48 makes tearful admission on youtube |
zuckerberg <tsp> ( cnn ) -- facebook has been quiet for the past six months , but only because it 's been working on new products . no , one of them is not a facebook phone . the phone just does n't make any sense , ' said a smiling but adamant facebook ceo mark zuckerberg when asked whether he was working on the mythical facebook smartphone . the rumor that the social network is working on a physical phone has been bouncing around for years . as recently as july , bloomberg reported facebook was working with htc on a smartphone for 2013 , citing sources with knowledge of the matter . zuckerberg insisted that the number of users the company could reach with a hardware offering does n't move the needle for us . ' zuckerberg made the comments during a rare press appearance on tuesday at the techcruch disrupt conference in san francisco . he was interviewed on stage by silicon valley blogger and investor michael arrington in front of a fully packed auditorium . the facebook founder and chief executive has stayed out of the spotlight for the past four months since his company went public . in that time , facebook 's stock has plummeted from its opening day price of $ 38 a share to around half that . it closed at $ 19.43 on tuesday . analyze your facebook data with new wolfram alpha tool ' the performance of the stock has obviously been disappointing , ' said zuckerberg . throughout the 30-minute talk , zuckerberg , wearing a brown t-shirt with the three small facebook icons for notifications on it , remained calm and upbeat , rambling energetically a bit a times . he was optimistic because his company was focused on building value over a long period of time , he said . many factors have been blamed for the stock 's dismal performance , including facebook choosing the wrong market , waiting too long to go public , overpricing shares and issuing too many shares . analysts and investors have been waiting to hear from the young chief executive himself , looking for new products or at least more information on what , exactly , the company 's plan is for the next year . this event gave zuckerberg an opportunity to brush off the company 's recent troubles and drop vague hints about future products . over the coming weeks and months i think we can expect to see the cool stuff that people have been working on , ' he said . the recent dearth of new releases and silence from the company was apparently due to some internal restructuring in which the company moved people around to focus on product groups . one of first results of all that reshuffling was the rebuilt iphone app , which is faster version of the last app , but lacking any major new features . it was not where we wanted it to be before , ' he said of the app . and to be honest , even what we have now is not as good as it can be . ' other teams have been working in parallel ' on new features for the native app , he said . while zuckerberg did n't specify what those unreleased features were , he did touch on a few areas he 's excited about , including search , a field dominated by google and bing . we do on the order of a billion queries a day already , and we 're basically not even trying , ' said zuckerberg . he claims people do search though facebook , and not just for other people but for brands and other information . he sees a future where people can ask questions that only facebook has the data to answer , such as what restaurants in a specific city are recommended by your friends . that 's one kind of obvious thing that would be interesting for us to do in the future , ' he said . facebook will continue to let instagram be instagram , helping it gain users without trying to integrate the photo app into the larger facebook infrastructure . facebook recently purchased the company for $ 1 billion . but the topic zuckerberg hammered on the most was mobile . one of the biggest concerns investors have had is facebook 's ability to make money off of mobile users . the company makes money on the desktop version of its site by serving simple square ads on the right hand side of the site . when the company went public in may , there were no ads on the mobile version of its site or on the iphone , ipad and android apps . but zuckerberg insisted the company is doing very well on mobile now . there are mobile ads , more mobile users and early signs point to those phone owners spending more time on the app and engaging more with ads than people who visit the desktop version of the site . in what seemed another attempt to sooth investors , he backpedaled a bit on the now famous statement from his letter to investors : we do n't build services to make money ; we make money to build better services . ' from the beginning , we 've had this healthy understanding that we need to do both , ' said zuckerberg . asked if he still codes , zuckerberg said only for fun because if he wrote code for facebook he would be in charge of fixing it . does mark zuckerberg 's code break , asked arrington ? everything i do breaks , but we fix it quickly , ' replied zuckerberg . zuckerberg : facebook 's stock dive is'disappointing , ' | zuckerberg : new mobile products on the way in the coming months |
zuckerberg <tsp> ( cnn ) -- facebook has been quiet for the past six months , but only because it 's been working on new products . no , one of them is not a facebook phone . the phone just does n't make any sense , ' said a smiling but adamant facebook ceo mark zuckerberg when asked whether he was working on the mythical facebook smartphone . the rumor that the social network is working on a physical phone has been bouncing around for years . as recently as july , bloomberg reported facebook was working with htc on a smartphone for 2013 , citing sources with knowledge of the matter . zuckerberg insisted that the number of users the company could reach with a hardware offering does n't move the needle for us . ' zuckerberg made the comments during a rare press appearance on tuesday at the techcruch disrupt conference in san francisco . he was interviewed on stage by silicon valley blogger and investor michael arrington in front of a fully packed auditorium . the facebook founder and chief executive has stayed out of the spotlight for the past four months since his company went public . in that time , facebook 's stock has plummeted from its opening day price of $ 38 a share to around half that . it closed at $ 19.43 on tuesday . analyze your facebook data with new wolfram alpha tool ' the performance of the stock has obviously been disappointing , ' said zuckerberg . throughout the 30-minute talk , zuckerberg , wearing a brown t-shirt with the three small facebook icons for notifications on it , remained calm and upbeat , rambling energetically a bit a times . he was optimistic because his company was focused on building value over a long period of time , he said . many factors have been blamed for the stock 's dismal performance , including facebook choosing the wrong market , waiting too long to go public , overpricing shares and issuing too many shares . analysts and investors have been waiting to hear from the young chief executive himself , looking for new products or at least more information on what , exactly , the company 's plan is for the next year . this event gave zuckerberg an opportunity to brush off the company 's recent troubles and drop vague hints about future products . over the coming weeks and months i think we can expect to see the cool stuff that people have been working on , ' he said . the recent dearth of new releases and silence from the company was apparently due to some internal restructuring in which the company moved people around to focus on product groups . one of first results of all that reshuffling was the rebuilt iphone app , which is faster version of the last app , but lacking any major new features . it was not where we wanted it to be before , ' he said of the app . and to be honest , even what we have now is not as good as it can be . ' other teams have been working in parallel ' on new features for the native app , he said . while zuckerberg did n't specify what those unreleased features were , he did touch on a few areas he 's excited about , including search , a field dominated by google and bing . we do on the order of a billion queries a day already , and we 're basically not even trying , ' said zuckerberg . he claims people do search though facebook , and not just for other people but for brands and other information . he sees a future where people can ask questions that only facebook has the data to answer , such as what restaurants in a specific city are recommended by your friends . that 's one kind of obvious thing that would be interesting for us to do in the future , ' he said . facebook will continue to let instagram be instagram , helping it gain users without trying to integrate the photo app into the larger facebook infrastructure . facebook recently purchased the company for $ 1 billion . but the topic zuckerberg hammered on the most was mobile . one of the biggest concerns investors have had is facebook 's ability to make money off of mobile users . the company makes money on the desktop version of its site by serving simple square ads on the right hand side of the site . when the company went public in may , there were no ads on the mobile version of its site or on the iphone , ipad and android apps . but zuckerberg insisted the company is doing very well on mobile now . there are mobile ads , more mobile users and early signs point to those phone owners spending more time on the app and engaging more with ads than people who visit the desktop version of the site . in what seemed another attempt to sooth investors , he backpedaled a bit on the now famous statement from his letter to investors : we do n't build services to make money ; we make money to build better services . ' from the beginning , we 've had this healthy understanding that we need to do both , ' said zuckerberg . asked if he still codes , zuckerberg said only for fun because if he wrote code for facebook he would be in charge of fixing it . does mark zuckerberg 's code break , asked arrington ? everything i do breaks , but we fix it quickly , ' replied zuckerberg . zuckerberg : facebook 's stock dive is'disappointing , ' | mark zuckerberg makes first public comments since facebook went public |
pentagon <tsp> the military operation against isis now does have a name but the pentagon is not expected to reveal it until later this week , a u.s. official confirms to cnn . the name will not be made public until a formal'execution order'covering the entire mission against isis is published by the defense department 's joint staff perhaps as soon as wednesday , naming the operation is a fairly bureaucratic matter , but it is typically done in large scale or significant military operations as a means of providing a mechanism for everything from budgeting of funds to awarding of medals . the execution order will spell out these details , as well as potential command arrangements , and a formal military definition of the mission . the order is not expected to be made public until after a tuesday meeting of about 20 international chiefs of defense staff from members of the coalition meet in washington behind closed doors to discuss the way ahead in the coalition , the official said . on the issue of the name , the official said the military has made sure the name is acceptable in languages other than english so it does not cause offense when translated . much has already been made of the name of the enemy . president obama and the u.s. government call the group isil -- islamic state in iraq and the levant . cnn has been referring to the organization as isis , shorthand for the islamic state in iraq and syria . related : isis , isil or the islamic state | the pentagon has selected a codename for the anti-isis military effort |
oscar <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when people talk about the cinematic geniuses of the 1980s , one name invariably comes up -- john hughes . for young people growing up then and even today , the writer-director 's name conjures up memories of unforgettable films . from sixteen candles ' ( 1984 ) and the breakfast club ' ( 1985 ) to pretty in pink ' ( 1986 ) and ferris bueller 's day off ' ( 1986 ) , hughes was responsible for a series of films that openly and honestly explored the exhilaration and tumultuousness of adolescence . it 's been nearly three decades since those movies arrived in theaters , but audiences still watch and enjoy them as if they were made yesterday . however , despite the love audiences have shown for his work , hughes was never nominated for an academy award . hughes is n't alone in being an outstanding filmmaker whose features about people under 30 were overlooked during awards season . it 's unfortunate but undeniable that award shows -- and the oscars in particular -- have a history of ignoring great movies made for and about young people . in 2013 alone , several such films received raves from critics , earning spots on best of ' lists . the kings of summer ' and the way , way back ' scored approval ratings of 76 % and 85 % of critics , respectively , on rottentomatoes.com , while the spectacular now , ' written by the duo behind 2009 's underappreciated ( 500 ) days of summer , ' earned the approval of 92 % of critics . short term 12 ' received a 99 % approval on rotten tomatoes , a higher ranking than any of this year 's best picture nominees . spring breakers , ' starring james franco and selena gomez , may have divided some moviegoers , but the film was also lauded for its provocative depiction of disaffected youth . and it 's not for nothing that the hunger games : catching fire ' was the top grossing film of 2013 . yet not one of these movies earned a single oscar nomination . meanwhile , the wolf of wall street -- which secured a 77 % approval rating on rotten tomatoes -- received five academy award nods , including ones for best picture and best adapted screenplay . 2014 oscars nominees list that 's not to say that wolf ' did n't deserve recognition , but these other movies focused on characters in the early stages of adulthood . from three teenage boys running away from home to build a house in the kings of summer ' to a couple in their 20s managing a treatment facility for troubled children in short term 12 , ' these films were about young people finding their way -- a seeming disadvantage in the academy 's eyes . in an e-mail interview , dana polan , a professor of cinema studies at new york university 's tisch school of the arts , noted that hollywood associates youth with escapist entertainment . ( there ) is the assumption here ( no doubt , a biased one ) that to be important , a theme has to be adult and mature , and youth films just do n't make it . ' over the years , there have been some exceptions to this rule . for example , rebel without a cause ' ( 1955 ) received three oscar nominations , and american graffiti ' ( 1973 ) grabbed five nods -- though both films ultimately walked away empty-handed . juno , ' the 2007 comedy about a pregnant high schooler ( ellen page ) , was nominated for four oscars , including best picture and best director . the film took home the award for best original screenplay -- a win that one could argue had more to do with the quirkiness of diablo cody 's script than the subject matter itself . film critic nell minow ( the movie mom ) also observed that oscar voters skew older . ' they are more interested in stories about grown-ups and more likely to have relationships with actors and filmmakers who are 30 and older , ' minow said via e-mail . that may be part of the reason why movies such as the perks of being a wallflower , ' which delighted critics with one of 2012 's best scripts and stellar performances from logan lerman and emma watson -- also did n't receive any recognition from the academy . such snubs seem particularly egregious , partly because the academy often blatantly attempts to appeal to a younger demographic . in 2011 , the oscars chose james franco and anne hathaway as hosts in hopes of attracting younger viewers . the plan failed , with the ratings dipping and the duo receiving poor reviews . the intention may have been a noble one , but perhaps a better idea would have been for the academy to begin honoring movies that speak to what it 's like to be a young person today . the youth , ' a song performed by mgmt on the kings of summer ' soundtrack , speaks of the transition between adolescence and adulthood . it includes the following lyrics : the youth is starting to change . are you starting to change ? | some of these movies brought in more money or accolades than many oscar nominees |
short term 12 <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when people talk about the cinematic geniuses of the 1980s , one name invariably comes up -- john hughes . for young people growing up then and even today , the writer-director 's name conjures up memories of unforgettable films . from sixteen candles ' ( 1984 ) and the breakfast club ' ( 1985 ) to pretty in pink ' ( 1986 ) and ferris bueller 's day off ' ( 1986 ) , hughes was responsible for a series of films that openly and honestly explored the exhilaration and tumultuousness of adolescence . it 's been nearly three decades since those movies arrived in theaters , but audiences still watch and enjoy them as if they were made yesterday . however , despite the love audiences have shown for his work , hughes was never nominated for an academy award . hughes is n't alone in being an outstanding filmmaker whose features about people under 30 were overlooked during awards season . it 's unfortunate but undeniable that award shows -- and the oscars in particular -- have a history of ignoring great movies made for and about young people . in 2013 alone , several such films received raves from critics , earning spots on best of ' lists . the kings of summer ' and the way , way back ' scored approval ratings of 76 % and 85 % of critics , respectively , on rottentomatoes.com , while the spectacular now , ' written by the duo behind 2009 's underappreciated ( 500 ) days of summer , ' earned the approval of 92 % of critics . short term 12 ' received a 99 % approval on rotten tomatoes , a higher ranking than any of this year 's best picture nominees . spring breakers , ' starring james franco and selena gomez , may have divided some moviegoers , but the film was also lauded for its provocative depiction of disaffected youth . and it 's not for nothing that the hunger games : catching fire ' was the top grossing film of 2013 . yet not one of these movies earned a single oscar nomination . meanwhile , the wolf of wall street -- which secured a 77 % approval rating on rotten tomatoes -- received five academy award nods , including ones for best picture and best adapted screenplay . 2014 oscars nominees list that 's not to say that wolf ' did n't deserve recognition , but these other movies focused on characters in the early stages of adulthood . from three teenage boys running away from home to build a house in the kings of summer ' to a couple in their 20s managing a treatment facility for troubled children in short term 12 , ' these films were about young people finding their way -- a seeming disadvantage in the academy 's eyes . in an e-mail interview , dana polan , a professor of cinema studies at new york university 's tisch school of the arts , noted that hollywood associates youth with escapist entertainment . ( there ) is the assumption here ( no doubt , a biased one ) that to be important , a theme has to be adult and mature , and youth films just do n't make it . ' over the years , there have been some exceptions to this rule . for example , rebel without a cause ' ( 1955 ) received three oscar nominations , and american graffiti ' ( 1973 ) grabbed five nods -- though both films ultimately walked away empty-handed . juno , ' the 2007 comedy about a pregnant high schooler ( ellen page ) , was nominated for four oscars , including best picture and best director . the film took home the award for best original screenplay -- a win that one could argue had more to do with the quirkiness of diablo cody 's script than the subject matter itself . film critic nell minow ( the movie mom ) also observed that oscar voters skew older . ' they are more interested in stories about grown-ups and more likely to have relationships with actors and filmmakers who are 30 and older , ' minow said via e-mail . that may be part of the reason why movies such as the perks of being a wallflower , ' which delighted critics with one of 2012 's best scripts and stellar performances from logan lerman and emma watson -- also did n't receive any recognition from the academy . such snubs seem particularly egregious , partly because the academy often blatantly attempts to appeal to a younger demographic . in 2011 , the oscars chose james franco and anne hathaway as hosts in hopes of attracting younger viewers . the plan failed , with the ratings dipping and the duo receiving poor reviews . the intention may have been a noble one , but perhaps a better idea would have been for the academy to begin honoring movies that speak to what it 's like to be a young person today . the youth , ' a song performed by mgmt on the kings of summer ' soundtrack , speaks of the transition between adolescence and adulthood . it includes the following lyrics : the youth is starting to change . are you starting to change ? | films such as the hunger games : catching fire ' and short term 12 ' were snubbed |
the beatles <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the promoter and agent who first brought the beatles to america has died . sid bernstein died wednesday in new york city , publicist merle frimark said in a statement . he was 95 . bernstein helped start the british invasion ' by bringing the beatles to carnegie hall and later , to new york 's shea stadium for landmark concerts in 1965 and 1966 . people we 've lost in 2013 bernstein booked the carnegie hall concert in august 1963 -- the same year that capitol records had rejected three singles from the group . i 'm a hunch player , you see , ' bernstein once said , according to his publicist 's statement . i was just glad to get this group i had been reading about for months . it took eight months after i booked them for there to be any airplay of their records on the radio . i had to convince carnegie hall and my financial backers to take a chance on this then-unknown group . i had been reading about their progress in the european papers and was fascinated with the hysteria that surrounded them . i was the first to promote the beatles in the states and ed sullivan called me first about them before he ever booked them on his television show . ' the beatles in color - unseen photos ultimately , it was sullivan 's audience who heard them first , on february 9 , 1964 . the carnegie hall concert that bernstein booked was three days later . bernstein , the son of russian immigrants , also booked top acts like frank sinatra , jimi hendrix , judy garland and the rolling stones . he is survived by six children , six grandchildren and his wife of 50 years , geraldine . cnn 's todd leopold , denise quan and cody mccloy contributed to this report . | sid bernstein booked the beatles at carnegie hall and shea stadium |
boston <tsp> ( cnn ) -- there 's been plenty of talk about the gender pay gap in recent days after speculation that recently fired new york times executive editor jill abramson was let go after speaking up about possible pay disparity between her and the previous executive editor , bill keller . in response to that talk , the new york times publisher , in a lengthy statement over the weekend , said abramson 's total pay package , ' which included stock and other compensation in addition to salary , was comparable ' to keller 's and was , in fact , more than 10 % higher during abramson 's last year , and that her removal was due to her management of the newsroom , nothing else . until we hear abramson 's side of the story , it remains unclear what role , if any , an alleged pay gap played in her fate . what is clear is how outraged women were hearing that the times'first woman executive editor could be making less than the last male executive editor . it was another reminder , to many women , that the income gap is alive and well . but if one city gets its way , that disparity between what men and women earn will become a thing of the past . boston has pledged to become the first city in the country to eliminate the gender pay gap . it 's certainly a lofty goal : how on earth will beantown make it happen ? opinion : do n't believe the hype : in real world , women still make less than men on monday , at a white house regional conference on working families in boston , administration officials along with members of the massachusetts congressional delegation , including democratic sen. elizabeth warren , joined business leaders and academics , to tout the city 's ambitious plan and what it will take to succeed . the event is one of several this spring leading up to a summit with president obama at the end of june at the white house . what 's really significant is that boston recognizes that this is n't just an issue of fairness and is n't just an issue of equity as a moral value , ' said betsey stevenson , a member of the president 's council of economic advisers , in an interview . this is about competitiveness and having a competitive advantage . ' women make up about half the labor force but will soon represent more than half of the highly educated labor force , said stevenson , who will be speaking at the boston conference . that 's why it becomes an issue of competitiveness . the amount of talent that is in that other half that you 're ignoring is relevant and when you have a lot of the talent in that other half , ignoring it is going to become even more costly over time , ' said stevenson , who is currently on leave from her position as associate professor of public policy and economics at the university of michigan . making boston the'premier city for working women' last year , then boston mayor thomas menino pledged to make boston the premier city for working women . ' he created a women 's workforce council , made up of leaders in academia and the public and private sectors . victoria a. budson , executive director of the women and public policy program at harvard kennedy school , is a member of the council . when you make a city good for women , you raise the economic profile of that city . you are going to retain talent , ' said budson . women outnumber men in boston at 52 % of the population , according to a report by the women 's workforce council . the city also has the largest proportion of young women between the ages of 20 and 34 of any major city , and has a higher percentage of college educated women than any other metro area . and yet , the city has a significant pay gap , although it 's lower than the national average . in 2011 , working female residents of boston earned 83 % of what male residents in boston earned , according to the report . nationwide , women earn 77 cents for every dollar men make . boston is asking companies to voluntarily sign a compact committing to take steps to reduce the wage gap . about 50 companies , including some of the city 's biggest employers such as raytheon and state street , have signed it . the council 's report includes 33 different interventions ' companies can take to close the wage gap , from evaluating why mothers and non-mothers leave their businesses to standardizing compensation including bonuses to actively recruiting women to executive level and board positions . we 've made it easy , ' said budson , who was recognized in our recent cnn 10 : visionary women special coverage for her work trying to eliminate the income disparity between men and women . we 're not saying :'go make it equal -- figure it out .'we 're saying :'here 's a plan and a set of strategic goals . pick some . help your businesses grow .' the approach , she hopes , can serve as a model for cities around the country and the world . just last month , budson traveled to paris to present what boston is doing to the organization for economic co-operation and development . rather than a regulation , ' said budson , it 's a nudge . ' what happens when women negotiate for many women , taking steps themselves to close their own personal income gap makes them incredibly uncomfortable . according to an ivillage.com survey last year of 1,500 women , only 35 % said they ever asked for a raise . that 's even more significant based on the finding that of those who were unhappy at work , 63 % said the number one reason was because they felt they were underpaid . there is a reason our discomfort is not unwarranted . according to budson , the research shows that when women are given an offer and negotiate that offer , or when they are paid a certain amount and they want to negotiate their salary , people tend to want to work with them less . women are expected to be relational and when they say ,'i think my value is x ,'people might say ,'hmmm , why are they asking ? i do n't feel so comfortable with that ,'and it usually causes social backlash , ' said budson . whether or not abramson faced some backlash for confronting her superiors over her compensation and whether that contributed in even the slightest way to her firing , we 'll probably never know but , said budson , it fits the pattern . ' read about abramson 's commencement address monday jena abernathy , a senior partner at the executive search firm , witt/kieffer , said there is a double standard when it comes to how men and women sit down and discussion compensation . she said the best advice for women is to keep track of their successes and then find the right way to make their case . being able to sit down at the right time , at the right moment , to say ...'how can we close this gap ? what do we need to do ?' you need to do it in a way that 's not threatening , ' said abernathy . there is an art to this . ' opinion : was jill abramson fired because she is a woman ? what do you think it will take to eliminate the gender pay gap ? chime in in the comments or tell kelly wallace on twitter or cnn living on facebook . | so far , some 50 companies in boston have signed a compact , committing to close the gap |
boston <tsp> ( cnn ) -- there 's been plenty of talk about the gender pay gap in recent days after speculation that recently fired new york times executive editor jill abramson was let go after speaking up about possible pay disparity between her and the previous executive editor , bill keller . in response to that talk , the new york times publisher , in a lengthy statement over the weekend , said abramson 's total pay package , ' which included stock and other compensation in addition to salary , was comparable ' to keller 's and was , in fact , more than 10 % higher during abramson 's last year , and that her removal was due to her management of the newsroom , nothing else . until we hear abramson 's side of the story , it remains unclear what role , if any , an alleged pay gap played in her fate . what is clear is how outraged women were hearing that the times'first woman executive editor could be making less than the last male executive editor . it was another reminder , to many women , that the income gap is alive and well . but if one city gets its way , that disparity between what men and women earn will become a thing of the past . boston has pledged to become the first city in the country to eliminate the gender pay gap . it 's certainly a lofty goal : how on earth will beantown make it happen ? opinion : do n't believe the hype : in real world , women still make less than men on monday , at a white house regional conference on working families in boston , administration officials along with members of the massachusetts congressional delegation , including democratic sen. elizabeth warren , joined business leaders and academics , to tout the city 's ambitious plan and what it will take to succeed . the event is one of several this spring leading up to a summit with president obama at the end of june at the white house . what 's really significant is that boston recognizes that this is n't just an issue of fairness and is n't just an issue of equity as a moral value , ' said betsey stevenson , a member of the president 's council of economic advisers , in an interview . this is about competitiveness and having a competitive advantage . ' women make up about half the labor force but will soon represent more than half of the highly educated labor force , said stevenson , who will be speaking at the boston conference . that 's why it becomes an issue of competitiveness . the amount of talent that is in that other half that you 're ignoring is relevant and when you have a lot of the talent in that other half , ignoring it is going to become even more costly over time , ' said stevenson , who is currently on leave from her position as associate professor of public policy and economics at the university of michigan . making boston the'premier city for working women' last year , then boston mayor thomas menino pledged to make boston the premier city for working women . ' he created a women 's workforce council , made up of leaders in academia and the public and private sectors . victoria a. budson , executive director of the women and public policy program at harvard kennedy school , is a member of the council . when you make a city good for women , you raise the economic profile of that city . you are going to retain talent , ' said budson . women outnumber men in boston at 52 % of the population , according to a report by the women 's workforce council . the city also has the largest proportion of young women between the ages of 20 and 34 of any major city , and has a higher percentage of college educated women than any other metro area . and yet , the city has a significant pay gap , although it 's lower than the national average . in 2011 , working female residents of boston earned 83 % of what male residents in boston earned , according to the report . nationwide , women earn 77 cents for every dollar men make . boston is asking companies to voluntarily sign a compact committing to take steps to reduce the wage gap . about 50 companies , including some of the city 's biggest employers such as raytheon and state street , have signed it . the council 's report includes 33 different interventions ' companies can take to close the wage gap , from evaluating why mothers and non-mothers leave their businesses to standardizing compensation including bonuses to actively recruiting women to executive level and board positions . we 've made it easy , ' said budson , who was recognized in our recent cnn 10 : visionary women special coverage for her work trying to eliminate the income disparity between men and women . we 're not saying :'go make it equal -- figure it out .'we 're saying :'here 's a plan and a set of strategic goals . pick some . help your businesses grow .' the approach , she hopes , can serve as a model for cities around the country and the world . just last month , budson traveled to paris to present what boston is doing to the organization for economic co-operation and development . rather than a regulation , ' said budson , it 's a nudge . ' what happens when women negotiate for many women , taking steps themselves to close their own personal income gap makes them incredibly uncomfortable . according to an ivillage.com survey last year of 1,500 women , only 35 % said they ever asked for a raise . that 's even more significant based on the finding that of those who were unhappy at work , 63 % said the number one reason was because they felt they were underpaid . there is a reason our discomfort is not unwarranted . according to budson , the research shows that when women are given an offer and negotiate that offer , or when they are paid a certain amount and they want to negotiate their salary , people tend to want to work with them less . women are expected to be relational and when they say ,'i think my value is x ,'people might say ,'hmmm , why are they asking ? i do n't feel so comfortable with that ,'and it usually causes social backlash , ' said budson . whether or not abramson faced some backlash for confronting her superiors over her compensation and whether that contributed in even the slightest way to her firing , we 'll probably never know but , said budson , it fits the pattern . ' read about abramson 's commencement address monday jena abernathy , a senior partner at the executive search firm , witt/kieffer , said there is a double standard when it comes to how men and women sit down and discussion compensation . she said the best advice for women is to keep track of their successes and then find the right way to make their case . being able to sit down at the right time , at the right moment , to say ...'how can we close this gap ? what do we need to do ?' you need to do it in a way that 's not threatening , ' said abernathy . there is an art to this . ' opinion : was jill abramson fired because she is a woman ? what do you think it will take to eliminate the gender pay gap ? chime in in the comments or tell kelly wallace on twitter or cnn living on facebook . | at white house regional summit in boston monday , the city will tout plans |
boston <tsp> ( cnn ) -- there 's been plenty of talk about the gender pay gap in recent days after speculation that recently fired new york times executive editor jill abramson was let go after speaking up about possible pay disparity between her and the previous executive editor , bill keller . in response to that talk , the new york times publisher , in a lengthy statement over the weekend , said abramson 's total pay package , ' which included stock and other compensation in addition to salary , was comparable ' to keller 's and was , in fact , more than 10 % higher during abramson 's last year , and that her removal was due to her management of the newsroom , nothing else . until we hear abramson 's side of the story , it remains unclear what role , if any , an alleged pay gap played in her fate . what is clear is how outraged women were hearing that the times'first woman executive editor could be making less than the last male executive editor . it was another reminder , to many women , that the income gap is alive and well . but if one city gets its way , that disparity between what men and women earn will become a thing of the past . boston has pledged to become the first city in the country to eliminate the gender pay gap . it 's certainly a lofty goal : how on earth will beantown make it happen ? opinion : do n't believe the hype : in real world , women still make less than men on monday , at a white house regional conference on working families in boston , administration officials along with members of the massachusetts congressional delegation , including democratic sen. elizabeth warren , joined business leaders and academics , to tout the city 's ambitious plan and what it will take to succeed . the event is one of several this spring leading up to a summit with president obama at the end of june at the white house . what 's really significant is that boston recognizes that this is n't just an issue of fairness and is n't just an issue of equity as a moral value , ' said betsey stevenson , a member of the president 's council of economic advisers , in an interview . this is about competitiveness and having a competitive advantage . ' women make up about half the labor force but will soon represent more than half of the highly educated labor force , said stevenson , who will be speaking at the boston conference . that 's why it becomes an issue of competitiveness . the amount of talent that is in that other half that you 're ignoring is relevant and when you have a lot of the talent in that other half , ignoring it is going to become even more costly over time , ' said stevenson , who is currently on leave from her position as associate professor of public policy and economics at the university of michigan . making boston the'premier city for working women' last year , then boston mayor thomas menino pledged to make boston the premier city for working women . ' he created a women 's workforce council , made up of leaders in academia and the public and private sectors . victoria a. budson , executive director of the women and public policy program at harvard kennedy school , is a member of the council . when you make a city good for women , you raise the economic profile of that city . you are going to retain talent , ' said budson . women outnumber men in boston at 52 % of the population , according to a report by the women 's workforce council . the city also has the largest proportion of young women between the ages of 20 and 34 of any major city , and has a higher percentage of college educated women than any other metro area . and yet , the city has a significant pay gap , although it 's lower than the national average . in 2011 , working female residents of boston earned 83 % of what male residents in boston earned , according to the report . nationwide , women earn 77 cents for every dollar men make . boston is asking companies to voluntarily sign a compact committing to take steps to reduce the wage gap . about 50 companies , including some of the city 's biggest employers such as raytheon and state street , have signed it . the council 's report includes 33 different interventions ' companies can take to close the wage gap , from evaluating why mothers and non-mothers leave their businesses to standardizing compensation including bonuses to actively recruiting women to executive level and board positions . we 've made it easy , ' said budson , who was recognized in our recent cnn 10 : visionary women special coverage for her work trying to eliminate the income disparity between men and women . we 're not saying :'go make it equal -- figure it out .'we 're saying :'here 's a plan and a set of strategic goals . pick some . help your businesses grow .' the approach , she hopes , can serve as a model for cities around the country and the world . just last month , budson traveled to paris to present what boston is doing to the organization for economic co-operation and development . rather than a regulation , ' said budson , it 's a nudge . ' what happens when women negotiate for many women , taking steps themselves to close their own personal income gap makes them incredibly uncomfortable . according to an ivillage.com survey last year of 1,500 women , only 35 % said they ever asked for a raise . that 's even more significant based on the finding that of those who were unhappy at work , 63 % said the number one reason was because they felt they were underpaid . there is a reason our discomfort is not unwarranted . according to budson , the research shows that when women are given an offer and negotiate that offer , or when they are paid a certain amount and they want to negotiate their salary , people tend to want to work with them less . women are expected to be relational and when they say ,'i think my value is x ,'people might say ,'hmmm , why are they asking ? i do n't feel so comfortable with that ,'and it usually causes social backlash , ' said budson . whether or not abramson faced some backlash for confronting her superiors over her compensation and whether that contributed in even the slightest way to her firing , we 'll probably never know but , said budson , it fits the pattern . ' read about abramson 's commencement address monday jena abernathy , a senior partner at the executive search firm , witt/kieffer , said there is a double standard when it comes to how men and women sit down and discussion compensation . she said the best advice for women is to keep track of their successes and then find the right way to make their case . being able to sit down at the right time , at the right moment , to say ...'how can we close this gap ? what do we need to do ?' you need to do it in a way that 's not threatening , ' said abernathy . there is an art to this . ' opinion : was jill abramson fired because she is a woman ? what do you think it will take to eliminate the gender pay gap ? chime in in the comments or tell kelly wallace on twitter or cnn living on facebook . | boston has pledged to become the first city to eliminate the gender pay gap |
north africa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- cautious american travelers have long avoided travel to north africa and the middle east , and the recent attacks on u.s. consulates are n't likely to make the risk-averse reconsider . yet seasoned travelers say a lack of familiarity with those regions creates generalization and confusion among travelers that could work against tourism to the united states , if the tables were turned . i was in tunisia when ... people were killed at the theater in colorado , and i was in tunisia when there was a shootout at the empire state building . what people think over there when they hear this , you would think no one would ever come to the united states , ' said jerry sorkin , owner of tunisusa , a tour operator that organizes trips to destinations including tunisia and algeria and had recently been weighing resuming tours of libya , which the company suspended last year . veterans of travel to tense or unstable areas are n't easily deterred , despite shocking acts of violence like the attack that killed u.s. ambassador to libya chris stevens . still , acts of terrorism obviously give many travelers ( and their parents ) pause . one new york city-based father was trying wednesday to touch base with his son , who is spending a junior semester abroad in jordan . jordan is of course much safer and more stable , ' said the father , who declined to be identified out of concern for his son 's safety . but of course i am concerned and have tried to skype him ( left a message ) and will talk to him later . the fact is that life goes on for the vast majority of people in these countries despite the'big'events . ' pathik tik ' root wo n't let the recent attacks alter his plans to travel to yemen in two weeks for a new job at a start-up news agency . root was just starting a semester abroad in damascus , syria , last year when he stumbled onto what he thinks may have been an anti-government protest in the old city . he was arrested and held for two weeks in a syrian prison before being released . u.s. increases embassy security worldwide after libya attack ' attacks like these are meant to change behavior , and if i were to drastically change my plans or my routine it could , in their eyes , justify their use of violence , ' he wrote in an e-mail . the attacks were intended to be a provocation , but we should n't take the bait . ' yes i will likely be a bit more cautious about what i do and how i do it in yemen as a result -- especially on potential flash-point days like 9/11 -- but i 'm still going there , ' root said . despite the violence and cautions from the state department and u.s. embassies to americans living or traveling abroad , root and other expatriates say they will carry on with their plans in politically volatile parts of the world , taking the precautions they would advise for any american . ask lots of questions if you 're visiting someplace for the first time , talk to experienced travel agents and well-traveled friends and ask lots of questions . the violence in a particular country may not be occurring in a nearby country . the violence in libya certainly will inhibit people from wanting to go to that part of the world and many of them are already inhibited rightly or wrongly , misunderstanding or not misunderstanding , they 're already feeling that they should stay away from the region , ' said sorkin , owner of tunisusa . the company had been planning to launch a marketing campaign as part of its efforts to resume tours in libya , but he said that any campaign would surely fall on deaf ears ' over the next couple of months . the u.s. state department issued a travel warning wednesday against all travel to libya by u.s. citizens . we 're constantly feeling the pulse ( across the region ) , not only on a personal level , but constantly with our people on the ground , ' he said . whether it 's drivers , guides , lecturers -- we never want to put anyone in harm 's way . but generally these regions are very safe . ' daily life not reflected in the news raven smith lives in mali with her husband and 15-month-old son and pays attention to the political unrest there . i can see that the information that is publicized is not reflective of the day-to-day life here , ' she wrote in an e-mail from the capital city of bamako , where she works on a project strengthening agricultural systems in villages . the situation in mali does n't capture the whole picture , smith said . weddings are still going on , holidays are being celebrated , fields are being tended . ' she 's not naã¯ve , however . my plan with my family is that if bamako seems that it is flaring up , that they will go and spend a few weeks visiting ( my husband 's ) family in guinea until we see where everything settles , ' she wrote . i truly hope it does n't come to that , but it is never a bad idea to have a backup plan . ' pay attention to cultural mores whether you 're visiting for a short time or booking an extended stay , pay attention to cultural norms . i do try and respect the general cultural norms , ' wrote smith . no showing knees is a big one . not drinking heavily in public , not inviting men into my house . i 'm married now , but even before . ' i will always stand out , and i have to realize that , ' she wrote . but i am also responsible for being a face of america . i am the one who can break stereotypes ... about americans , and i take that pretty seriously , especially relating to the stereotypes about american women . ' what do the locals say ? just as new yorkers or los angelenos might warn you to stay away from particular parts of their beloved cities , residents in other countries might tell you areas to avoid at night or during some events . pay attention . common sense that is necessary in any foreign country is still enough to get by here , ' wrote bradley williams , an undergraduate at the american university in beirut , via e-mail . beirut is more or less safe despite the occasional burning tires ( but ) i would exercise caution when going to the bekaa valley or the south , ' he wrote . due to the kidnapping , it 's not a good idea to go by oneself , for fear of appearing a lone foreign spy , ( and it 's ) not a good idea to travel there at night . however , i think this applies to all people in those areas , not just foreigners . ' get to know people american-born chadwick van vasa lives in tunisia in north africa and is fluent in arabic , the result of his mother moving to morocco when he was a child and marrying a moroccan . yet he still stands out as a blond-haired , blue-eyed american in the capital city of tunis , where he lives with his wife and three children and works as a business consultant . his solution ? the same notion that keeps people safe in their neighborhoods in charlotte , omaha and seattle : i take interest in my neighbors , ' said van vasa , speaking on his cell phone from tunis . our social life and work is very much integrated here . we make meals together . our kids play together . because of that , i do n't feel threatened . in my day-to-day life , i do n't see hostility in my personal interactions with friends . ' look at a map if you are determined to avoid any part of the world where violence has recently flared , there are still african , middle eastern and other countries to visit . moroccan tourism often suffers when violence escalates in the region . travel writer zora o'neill says she feels perfectly safe right now studying arabic at a language school in morocco for an upcoming book . fortunately it 's morocco , which is generally known for being stable , secure and thousands of miles from libya . ' how do you feel about global travel amid anti-american protests ? what do you do to stay safe ? cnn 's marnie hunter contributed to this report . | a tour operator is keeping a close eye on political instability in north africa |
las vegas <tsp> republicans looking to fault hillary clinton hope the few hours the former secretary of state will spend in las vegas on monday will remind voters of her less-than-perfect book roll-out and high-dollar speaking fees . clinton , who starts her day in denver for a fundraiser with sen. mark udall , will make two appearances in las vegas on monday . she will first headline a fundraiser for senate majority leader harry reid at the aria hotel and casino , then the former secretary of state will keynote a fundraiser or the the university of nevada-las vegas foundation at the swanky bellagio . republicans are seizing on the second speech , where clinton , the prohibitive favorite for the democrats'presidential nomination in 2016 , will collect $ 225,000 for her appearance , according to event organizers . although a clinton spokesperson argues that the fee will go straight to the bill , hillary and chelsea clinton foundation , the former first lady 's appearance in las vegas on monday was possibly the most controversial and widely talked about paid speech clinton was set to give this year . clinton 's nevada pay day , ' said an email from the republican national committee . as clinton 's long-awaited silver state pay day arrives , a reminder of the troubles it caused her would-be campaign . ' the much anticipated hillary unlv speech reminds us that hillary 's exorbitant fees and travel requirements are going to be problematic on her run for the white house , ' rnc press secretary kirsten kukowski said in an email . when clinton 's appearance at the unlv fundraiser was announced in june , students at the university protested the fact the foundation was spending money to bring clinton in at the same time that their tuition was going up due to budget issues . in keeping with secretary clinton 's long-standing history of advocating for students in higher education , we as student government leaders are asking that she charitably donate part or all of the $ 225,000 speaking fee she is reportedly making for this fundraising speech back to the unlv foundation of unlv as a whole , ' elias benjelloun , the unlv student body president , and daniel waqar , the student government 's public relations director , wrote in a letter addressed to clinton 's foundation . the letter goes on to ask clinton to do what is right ' and donate the money . this would be an incredible opportunity for secretary clinton to remain true to her commitment to higher education , ' they write . the students , however , never heard from clinton or the foundation , but are not planning to protest outside the event on monday . unlv and clinton have defended the event . private donations secured by the unlv foundation from donors funded her speaking fee which was paid to the harry walker agency , ' afsha bawany , a spokesperson for unlv , said over the summer . university administrators have also argued that the money the event will bring in will far outweigh the money paid the clinton . clinton also told abc news in august that all of the fees have been donated to the clinton foundation for it to continue its life-changing and life-saving work . ' that has n't stopped republicans from using the fees to knock clinton 's comments on her personal wealth . during the first interview of her book rollout clinton argued that she and her husband were dead broke ' when they left the white house in 2000 . the comment rang hollow , even to many democrats , given that the clintons went on to make millions on the paid speaking tour and in book sales . republicans used fees like that from unlv to constantly remind people of clinton 's wealth and inarticulate comments for much of the summer . greedy , ' said tim miller , executive director of america risng , an anti-clinton super pac . hey kids , i know that tuition is skyrocketing and you all are loaded up with student debt but i 'm going to go ahead and take in $ 1.8 million from your universities for 8 hours of speeches anyway , ' miller said in an email to reporters . reid , who clinton will appear with on monday , did not pile on , however , and refused to criticize clinton 's unlv speech . anything we can do to focus attention on unlv , that 's extremely important to do , and this certainly will focus attention on unlv , and that 's why they have these people come , ' reid told the las vegas review journal in june . the reid-clinton relationship , especially in the context of clinton 's possible 2016 bid , has been on full display in the last six months . reid sent a fundraising email for ready for hillary over the weekend , touting clinton as someone doing everything she can ' to help democrats get elected in 2016 . the senate majority leader also invited clinton to headline his green energy conference in las vegas earlier this year , where reid said he had such admiration for the clinton family . ' she 's the best , ' reid said of clinton . | hillary clinton has two events in las vegas on monday , the second for a unlv fundraiser . |
o'keefe <tsp> atlanta , georgia ( cnn ) -- the woman who stopped a plot by conservative activist james o'keefe to embarrass a cnn reporter said o'keefe 's latest statement on the matter is clearly not true . ' in an e-mail to cnn , the former executive director of project veritas , izzy santa , wrote : it 's clearly a pr statement for damage control . it 's clearly not true but what can you do . ' santa was reacting to o'keefe 's explanation of what he said would have happened on his boat in august after he agreed to meet cnn investigative correspondent abbie boudreau , who was working on a documentary about young conservative activists . the documentary , right on the edge , ' which aired this past weekend , revealed that o'keefe had planned to faux seduce ' boudreau by setting up the boat with hidden cameras and sexual props . the details of his plan were contained in a 13-page cnn caper ' document obtained by the network , which also aired a series of e-mails that o'keefe had sent to santa about getting boudreau on his boat . the meeting with o'keefe was scheduled at an address in maryland . the location turned out to be a private home . o'keefe 's boat was docked behind the house . in a two-sentence statement prior to the airing of the documentary , o'keefe said he did not write the document and that he found certain elements highly objectionable and inappropriate , and did not consider them for one minute following it . ' in a statement posted monday on his project veritas website , o'keefe again asserted he did not intend to carry out the plan as specified in the document . when the cnn idea was pitched to me , i 'll admit that i liked the basic absurdity of meeting abbie boudreau on a boat and the idea of counter-seduction satire executed in a tame , humorous , non-threatening manner , ' o'keefe 's statement said . after all , as all liberal reporters do , she was trying to'seduce'( a metaphor ) me so she could get more for her story . it would be fun , i thought , to turn the tables in jest . however , i was repulsed by the over-the-top language and symbolism that was suggested in the memo that was sent to me , and never considered that for a moment . ' o'keefe explained in his statement how his version of the cnn caper ' plan would not put boudreau in a threatening situation . ' she would have had to consent before being filmed and she was not going to be faux'seduced'unless she wanted to be . if a cnn reporter would be willing to engage in such a folly , it might even be more newsworthy than'rick sanchezs firing . ( cnn also has elliot spitzer on payroll . he 's done more outrageous things than anything i 've ever gotten in my in-box ) . ' the cnn caper document lists ben [ wetmore ] as the author and james [ o'keefe ] as the activist . wetmore is a fellow activist and one of o'keefe 's mentors . the plan involved getting boudreau aboard a boat filled with sexually explicit props -- including sex toys , condoms , fuzzy handcuffs and pictures of naked women -- and then recording the session to embarrass boudreau and cnn . the detailed document even outlined possible concerns ' and potential problems ' associated with the plan . if cnn gets advance warning and you find this out , you should simply cancel the operation , period . ... if she refuses to get on the boat , the document states , just leave . you 're in a position of strength . make her come to you . to leave the boat kills the operation . ' it also warns against running the operation without props and with a dirty boat . ' in the rush to get this done , the temptation will be to skimp on the details , and that just puts two things at risk : 1 ) boudreau 's confusion as to whether this is legitimate , ruining her reaction which is key to the operation , and 2 ) making the video that much less interesting lacking props and proper ambiance . ' o'keefe asked boudreau to meet him in maryland to discuss an upcoming video shoot related to her project about young conservatives . according to a phone conversation that o'keefe taped , he wanted to have a face-to-face ' meeting with boudreau , and said he felt more comfortable if she were to come to the meeting alone . when boudreau arrived , santa told her that o'keefe had prepared an elaborate plan to punk ' her . cnn 's documentary revealed a series of e-mails , which appear to show o'keefe 's intentions . in one e-mail to a colleague , written several days before boudreau 's scheduled meeting with o'keefe , he forwarded an audio recording from the phone conversation he taped without boudreau 's knowledge . o'keefe wrote : getting closer . audio attached of conversation with abbie . what do you think of her reaction guys ... ben , you think i could get her on the boat ? ' in a different e-mail to santa , o'keefe gives her specific instructions to help him prepare for the meeting . please go to fedex and print out pleasure palace graphic on large banner , ' o'keefe wrote , needs to be ready by late tonight -- if possible ... ' those emails contradict o'keefe 's latest statement , in which he says he did not implement plans detailed in the document . i do believe that izzy santa , who came to ms. boudreau with the documents and the story , was simply trying to protect me and the organization from a dangerous and objectionable plan , one sent to me in my personal emails that she assumed , wrongly , and probably due to my own lack of communication to her , that i was going to implement , ' o'keefe wrote in his statement . nothing in the document was implemented . ' in a statement released through cnn , boudreau said , i am not interested in debating james o'keefe about what his plans were for me on his boat . his statement reinforces what we reported in our documentary . ' the other part of the cnn caper document explained how to trick cnn into reporting a false story about the tea party or sarah palin . the plan involved u.s. rep. john lewis . certain past topics , such as the war or terrorism , seem to be relatively off the radar as it regards to the news interest of the mainstream media , ' the document states . things that are on politics , the gop , scandal , race issues , are all pertinent and relevant . ' if we were to offer cnn evidence of racism , playing on these currently relevant issues , and produced enough supporting evidence to prove the claim we make , have them write a story and then prepare our allies to pounce , it could be a good way to undercut their credibility , ' the document reads . it suggested creating false evidence and documents . the false video evidence , for one , could be focused on the incident with congressman john lewis where he said he was called a n -- -- - by tea party protesters , even though the video evidence disproved his claim ... spoofing video evidence proving lewis'claim , along with a good story that the tea party had suppressed such evidence , might be enough for cnn to report on the story . ' the video evidence just needs to be simple , just lewis walking by with a faint n -- -- - said in the background , yelled by someone there . the video evidence would need to be sufficient to get by potential fact-checkers at cnn who might analyze the video and audio . ' the document states that the danger is , of course , that the lie becomes the official truth , and so it would be necessary to immediately deconstruct this story on friendly networks and media outlets . the goal is n't to draw out the scandal after all , rather just to embarrass cnn by having them report a false story . so immediately reporting on the falseness of the story would be key . ' o'keefe 's statement did not address this part of the punk . ' i can assure my supporters and my misguided adversaries that project veritas will continue to work to produce the investigative reports that cnn and others in the mainstream media have failed to deliver . it 's time to get back to work . projects will be released soon . that inbox is getting full again . and you never know what bizarre idea i 'm going to need to reject next . . . ' o'keefe concluded . | the document said o'keefe would faux seduce ' cnn reporter |
o'keefe <tsp> atlanta , georgia ( cnn ) -- the woman who stopped a plot by conservative activist james o'keefe to embarrass a cnn reporter said o'keefe 's latest statement on the matter is clearly not true . ' in an e-mail to cnn , the former executive director of project veritas , izzy santa , wrote : it 's clearly a pr statement for damage control . it 's clearly not true but what can you do . ' santa was reacting to o'keefe 's explanation of what he said would have happened on his boat in august after he agreed to meet cnn investigative correspondent abbie boudreau , who was working on a documentary about young conservative activists . the documentary , right on the edge , ' which aired this past weekend , revealed that o'keefe had planned to faux seduce ' boudreau by setting up the boat with hidden cameras and sexual props . the details of his plan were contained in a 13-page cnn caper ' document obtained by the network , which also aired a series of e-mails that o'keefe had sent to santa about getting boudreau on his boat . the meeting with o'keefe was scheduled at an address in maryland . the location turned out to be a private home . o'keefe 's boat was docked behind the house . in a two-sentence statement prior to the airing of the documentary , o'keefe said he did not write the document and that he found certain elements highly objectionable and inappropriate , and did not consider them for one minute following it . ' in a statement posted monday on his project veritas website , o'keefe again asserted he did not intend to carry out the plan as specified in the document . when the cnn idea was pitched to me , i 'll admit that i liked the basic absurdity of meeting abbie boudreau on a boat and the idea of counter-seduction satire executed in a tame , humorous , non-threatening manner , ' o'keefe 's statement said . after all , as all liberal reporters do , she was trying to'seduce'( a metaphor ) me so she could get more for her story . it would be fun , i thought , to turn the tables in jest . however , i was repulsed by the over-the-top language and symbolism that was suggested in the memo that was sent to me , and never considered that for a moment . ' o'keefe explained in his statement how his version of the cnn caper ' plan would not put boudreau in a threatening situation . ' she would have had to consent before being filmed and she was not going to be faux'seduced'unless she wanted to be . if a cnn reporter would be willing to engage in such a folly , it might even be more newsworthy than'rick sanchezs firing . ( cnn also has elliot spitzer on payroll . he 's done more outrageous things than anything i 've ever gotten in my in-box ) . ' the cnn caper document lists ben [ wetmore ] as the author and james [ o'keefe ] as the activist . wetmore is a fellow activist and one of o'keefe 's mentors . the plan involved getting boudreau aboard a boat filled with sexually explicit props -- including sex toys , condoms , fuzzy handcuffs and pictures of naked women -- and then recording the session to embarrass boudreau and cnn . the detailed document even outlined possible concerns ' and potential problems ' associated with the plan . if cnn gets advance warning and you find this out , you should simply cancel the operation , period . ... if she refuses to get on the boat , the document states , just leave . you 're in a position of strength . make her come to you . to leave the boat kills the operation . ' it also warns against running the operation without props and with a dirty boat . ' in the rush to get this done , the temptation will be to skimp on the details , and that just puts two things at risk : 1 ) boudreau 's confusion as to whether this is legitimate , ruining her reaction which is key to the operation , and 2 ) making the video that much less interesting lacking props and proper ambiance . ' o'keefe asked boudreau to meet him in maryland to discuss an upcoming video shoot related to her project about young conservatives . according to a phone conversation that o'keefe taped , he wanted to have a face-to-face ' meeting with boudreau , and said he felt more comfortable if she were to come to the meeting alone . when boudreau arrived , santa told her that o'keefe had prepared an elaborate plan to punk ' her . cnn 's documentary revealed a series of e-mails , which appear to show o'keefe 's intentions . in one e-mail to a colleague , written several days before boudreau 's scheduled meeting with o'keefe , he forwarded an audio recording from the phone conversation he taped without boudreau 's knowledge . o'keefe wrote : getting closer . audio attached of conversation with abbie . what do you think of her reaction guys ... ben , you think i could get her on the boat ? ' in a different e-mail to santa , o'keefe gives her specific instructions to help him prepare for the meeting . please go to fedex and print out pleasure palace graphic on large banner , ' o'keefe wrote , needs to be ready by late tonight -- if possible ... ' those emails contradict o'keefe 's latest statement , in which he says he did not implement plans detailed in the document . i do believe that izzy santa , who came to ms. boudreau with the documents and the story , was simply trying to protect me and the organization from a dangerous and objectionable plan , one sent to me in my personal emails that she assumed , wrongly , and probably due to my own lack of communication to her , that i was going to implement , ' o'keefe wrote in his statement . nothing in the document was implemented . ' in a statement released through cnn , boudreau said , i am not interested in debating james o'keefe about what his plans were for me on his boat . his statement reinforces what we reported in our documentary . ' the other part of the cnn caper document explained how to trick cnn into reporting a false story about the tea party or sarah palin . the plan involved u.s. rep. john lewis . certain past topics , such as the war or terrorism , seem to be relatively off the radar as it regards to the news interest of the mainstream media , ' the document states . things that are on politics , the gop , scandal , race issues , are all pertinent and relevant . ' if we were to offer cnn evidence of racism , playing on these currently relevant issues , and produced enough supporting evidence to prove the claim we make , have them write a story and then prepare our allies to pounce , it could be a good way to undercut their credibility , ' the document reads . it suggested creating false evidence and documents . the false video evidence , for one , could be focused on the incident with congressman john lewis where he said he was called a n -- -- - by tea party protesters , even though the video evidence disproved his claim ... spoofing video evidence proving lewis'claim , along with a good story that the tea party had suppressed such evidence , might be enough for cnn to report on the story . ' the video evidence just needs to be simple , just lewis walking by with a faint n -- -- - said in the background , yelled by someone there . the video evidence would need to be sufficient to get by potential fact-checkers at cnn who might analyze the video and audio . ' the document states that the danger is , of course , that the lie becomes the official truth , and so it would be necessary to immediately deconstruct this story on friendly networks and media outlets . the goal is n't to draw out the scandal after all , rather just to embarrass cnn by having them report a false story . so immediately reporting on the falseness of the story would be key . ' o'keefe 's statement did not address this part of the punk . ' i can assure my supporters and my misguided adversaries that project veritas will continue to work to produce the investigative reports that cnn and others in the mainstream media have failed to deliver . it 's time to get back to work . projects will be released soon . that inbox is getting full again . and you never know what bizarre idea i 'm going to need to reject next . . . ' o'keefe concluded . | o'keefe said he rejected the ideas in the document |
o'keefe <tsp> atlanta , georgia ( cnn ) -- the woman who stopped a plot by conservative activist james o'keefe to embarrass a cnn reporter said o'keefe 's latest statement on the matter is clearly not true . ' in an e-mail to cnn , the former executive director of project veritas , izzy santa , wrote : it 's clearly a pr statement for damage control . it 's clearly not true but what can you do . ' santa was reacting to o'keefe 's explanation of what he said would have happened on his boat in august after he agreed to meet cnn investigative correspondent abbie boudreau , who was working on a documentary about young conservative activists . the documentary , right on the edge , ' which aired this past weekend , revealed that o'keefe had planned to faux seduce ' boudreau by setting up the boat with hidden cameras and sexual props . the details of his plan were contained in a 13-page cnn caper ' document obtained by the network , which also aired a series of e-mails that o'keefe had sent to santa about getting boudreau on his boat . the meeting with o'keefe was scheduled at an address in maryland . the location turned out to be a private home . o'keefe 's boat was docked behind the house . in a two-sentence statement prior to the airing of the documentary , o'keefe said he did not write the document and that he found certain elements highly objectionable and inappropriate , and did not consider them for one minute following it . ' in a statement posted monday on his project veritas website , o'keefe again asserted he did not intend to carry out the plan as specified in the document . when the cnn idea was pitched to me , i 'll admit that i liked the basic absurdity of meeting abbie boudreau on a boat and the idea of counter-seduction satire executed in a tame , humorous , non-threatening manner , ' o'keefe 's statement said . after all , as all liberal reporters do , she was trying to'seduce'( a metaphor ) me so she could get more for her story . it would be fun , i thought , to turn the tables in jest . however , i was repulsed by the over-the-top language and symbolism that was suggested in the memo that was sent to me , and never considered that for a moment . ' o'keefe explained in his statement how his version of the cnn caper ' plan would not put boudreau in a threatening situation . ' she would have had to consent before being filmed and she was not going to be faux'seduced'unless she wanted to be . if a cnn reporter would be willing to engage in such a folly , it might even be more newsworthy than'rick sanchezs firing . ( cnn also has elliot spitzer on payroll . he 's done more outrageous things than anything i 've ever gotten in my in-box ) . ' the cnn caper document lists ben [ wetmore ] as the author and james [ o'keefe ] as the activist . wetmore is a fellow activist and one of o'keefe 's mentors . the plan involved getting boudreau aboard a boat filled with sexually explicit props -- including sex toys , condoms , fuzzy handcuffs and pictures of naked women -- and then recording the session to embarrass boudreau and cnn . the detailed document even outlined possible concerns ' and potential problems ' associated with the plan . if cnn gets advance warning and you find this out , you should simply cancel the operation , period . ... if she refuses to get on the boat , the document states , just leave . you 're in a position of strength . make her come to you . to leave the boat kills the operation . ' it also warns against running the operation without props and with a dirty boat . ' in the rush to get this done , the temptation will be to skimp on the details , and that just puts two things at risk : 1 ) boudreau 's confusion as to whether this is legitimate , ruining her reaction which is key to the operation , and 2 ) making the video that much less interesting lacking props and proper ambiance . ' o'keefe asked boudreau to meet him in maryland to discuss an upcoming video shoot related to her project about young conservatives . according to a phone conversation that o'keefe taped , he wanted to have a face-to-face ' meeting with boudreau , and said he felt more comfortable if she were to come to the meeting alone . when boudreau arrived , santa told her that o'keefe had prepared an elaborate plan to punk ' her . cnn 's documentary revealed a series of e-mails , which appear to show o'keefe 's intentions . in one e-mail to a colleague , written several days before boudreau 's scheduled meeting with o'keefe , he forwarded an audio recording from the phone conversation he taped without boudreau 's knowledge . o'keefe wrote : getting closer . audio attached of conversation with abbie . what do you think of her reaction guys ... ben , you think i could get her on the boat ? ' in a different e-mail to santa , o'keefe gives her specific instructions to help him prepare for the meeting . please go to fedex and print out pleasure palace graphic on large banner , ' o'keefe wrote , needs to be ready by late tonight -- if possible ... ' those emails contradict o'keefe 's latest statement , in which he says he did not implement plans detailed in the document . i do believe that izzy santa , who came to ms. boudreau with the documents and the story , was simply trying to protect me and the organization from a dangerous and objectionable plan , one sent to me in my personal emails that she assumed , wrongly , and probably due to my own lack of communication to her , that i was going to implement , ' o'keefe wrote in his statement . nothing in the document was implemented . ' in a statement released through cnn , boudreau said , i am not interested in debating james o'keefe about what his plans were for me on his boat . his statement reinforces what we reported in our documentary . ' the other part of the cnn caper document explained how to trick cnn into reporting a false story about the tea party or sarah palin . the plan involved u.s. rep. john lewis . certain past topics , such as the war or terrorism , seem to be relatively off the radar as it regards to the news interest of the mainstream media , ' the document states . things that are on politics , the gop , scandal , race issues , are all pertinent and relevant . ' if we were to offer cnn evidence of racism , playing on these currently relevant issues , and produced enough supporting evidence to prove the claim we make , have them write a story and then prepare our allies to pounce , it could be a good way to undercut their credibility , ' the document reads . it suggested creating false evidence and documents . the false video evidence , for one , could be focused on the incident with congressman john lewis where he said he was called a n -- -- - by tea party protesters , even though the video evidence disproved his claim ... spoofing video evidence proving lewis'claim , along with a good story that the tea party had suppressed such evidence , might be enough for cnn to report on the story . ' the video evidence just needs to be simple , just lewis walking by with a faint n -- -- - said in the background , yelled by someone there . the video evidence would need to be sufficient to get by potential fact-checkers at cnn who might analyze the video and audio . ' the document states that the danger is , of course , that the lie becomes the official truth , and so it would be necessary to immediately deconstruct this story on friendly networks and media outlets . the goal is n't to draw out the scandal after all , rather just to embarrass cnn by having them report a false story . so immediately reporting on the falseness of the story would be key . ' o'keefe 's statement did not address this part of the punk . ' i can assure my supporters and my misguided adversaries that project veritas will continue to work to produce the investigative reports that cnn and others in the mainstream media have failed to deliver . it 's time to get back to work . projects will be released soon . that inbox is getting full again . and you never know what bizarre idea i 'm going to need to reject next . . . ' o'keefe concluded . | santa says o'keefe 's claims that he never considered carrying out the plan are untrue |
gomez <tsp> ( cnn ) -- this week 's congressional battle over the gop move to repeal president obama 's affordable care act , as well as the naacp 's boos in response to mitt romney 's proposed elimination of what he called the nonessential ' obamacare program , provides yet another reminder of how divided america has become over this issue . other nations have avoided these rifts and built a consensus for universal health care coverage . consider the case of brazil . since the early-20th century , the government and civil society have been proactive in establishing health care as a common good , while sharing the burden of paying for these services through a myriad of taxes . still , there are several cracks in brazil 's generous health care system . while the government has certainly been committed to providing a public option , it is simply overstretched . federal health care spending is minimal at best , failing to meet ongoing needs , while several managerial , human resource and infrastructural problems remain . despite these limitations , it seems that there is one key lesson about health care in brazil that we can learn from : that is , an enduring cultural belief and expectation that everyone should contribute to health care and that it is a fundamental human right . brazil 's universal healthcare system is called the sistema único de saude ( unified health system , sus ) . sus is decentralized , such that the management , formulation and implementation of policies are the responsibility of the state and municipal governments . in addition to providing free primary care , surgery and medication , sus also provides a family health program , where doctors and nurses visit households to provide services . brazil 's health care system is funded through a variety of taxes at the federal , state and municipal level . the states receive money from the federal government , while the municipalities receive funding from both the federal and state governments . what 's more , the government has always been committed to levying taxes , increasing them and even tapping into the state 's oil revenues to fund sus . but why has the government been so committed to providing health care ? this endeavor reflects a long history of social and political commitments to providing health care as a government and civic responsibility . after obtaining independence from portugal in 1822 , brazil saw the emergence of well-organized social movements advocating for government intervention in health care . supported by personal income and social security taxes , health officials agreed with these movements that health care was a government responsibility and that everyone should contribute to the system . this policy idea survived several democratic governments and military dictatorships throughout the 20th century , lasting up through the transition to democracy in 1988 . it was also sustained with the help of proactive social health movements , such as the sanitaristas , comprised of medical doctors , bureaucrats and politicians . this idea of a shared responsibility in providing health care was so popular that it eventually became part of the 1988 constitution . through the constitution 's introduction of sus , health care became an official government responsibility and human right , an issue on which liberals and conservatives could agree . brazil 's health care system seems to have paid off . brazil 's average life expectancy has improved at a faster rate than that of the u.s. since 1960 , though it continues to lag behind . life expectancy there increased from 54.49 years in 1960 to 73.1 in 2010 , compared to the u.s. increase of 69.77 years to 78.24 . but several challenges remain . first , notwithstanding heavy demand for health care services , the government has only modestly increased spending for sus from 50.2 billion real ( $ 24.6 billion in u.s. dollars ) in 2008 to 61.7 billion in 2010 . second , sus hospitals and the family health program have often had a difficult time treating individuals in hard to reach areas , such as the amazonian region while individuals often have to wait a long period of time for prevention and treatment services . consequently , many of the poor in need of immediate care have had to purchase private insurance , or pay out of pocket for services . in fact , the percentage of individuals purchasing insurance increased from 8 % in 2000 to 14.4 % of the population in 2005 . what 's more , there is a chronic shortage of doctors and nurses , especially in rural areas . many hospitals are also poorly managed , lacking autonomy from state governing boards . and finally , there is a high level of inequality in medical technology and infrastructure , with larger , more affluent municipalities able to provide better technological equipment and medical care . while the u.s. joins brazil in lacking sufficient health care personnel , especially in rural areas , u.s. cities in general are wealthier and have access to the latest technology and health care infrastructure . despite brazil 's ongoing commitment to providing health care , the government will need to ensure adequate funding , hire more personnel and strengthen its facilities before its citizens can effectively benefit from sus . in short , government capacity ' must meet its unwavering passion for taking care of its people . even so , america can certainly learn a big lesson from its southern partner . that is , republicans viewing the aca requirement to buy health insurance as an unfair tax ' versus democrats perceiving it as a penalty ' should put their haggling aside and instead view the aca as a shared responsibility and human right . indeed the brazilians show us that the right to health care is way too important to be mired in incessant policy debates , regardless of the innumerable challenges that generous health care systems confront , and that it is a common good that all americans should support . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of eduardo gomez . | gomez : brazil still lags behind in some areas , including widespread access to medical technology |
gomez <tsp> ( cnn ) -- this week 's congressional battle over the gop move to repeal president obama 's affordable care act , as well as the naacp 's boos in response to mitt romney 's proposed elimination of what he called the nonessential ' obamacare program , provides yet another reminder of how divided america has become over this issue . other nations have avoided these rifts and built a consensus for universal health care coverage . consider the case of brazil . since the early-20th century , the government and civil society have been proactive in establishing health care as a common good , while sharing the burden of paying for these services through a myriad of taxes . still , there are several cracks in brazil 's generous health care system . while the government has certainly been committed to providing a public option , it is simply overstretched . federal health care spending is minimal at best , failing to meet ongoing needs , while several managerial , human resource and infrastructural problems remain . despite these limitations , it seems that there is one key lesson about health care in brazil that we can learn from : that is , an enduring cultural belief and expectation that everyone should contribute to health care and that it is a fundamental human right . brazil 's universal healthcare system is called the sistema único de saude ( unified health system , sus ) . sus is decentralized , such that the management , formulation and implementation of policies are the responsibility of the state and municipal governments . in addition to providing free primary care , surgery and medication , sus also provides a family health program , where doctors and nurses visit households to provide services . brazil 's health care system is funded through a variety of taxes at the federal , state and municipal level . the states receive money from the federal government , while the municipalities receive funding from both the federal and state governments . what 's more , the government has always been committed to levying taxes , increasing them and even tapping into the state 's oil revenues to fund sus . but why has the government been so committed to providing health care ? this endeavor reflects a long history of social and political commitments to providing health care as a government and civic responsibility . after obtaining independence from portugal in 1822 , brazil saw the emergence of well-organized social movements advocating for government intervention in health care . supported by personal income and social security taxes , health officials agreed with these movements that health care was a government responsibility and that everyone should contribute to the system . this policy idea survived several democratic governments and military dictatorships throughout the 20th century , lasting up through the transition to democracy in 1988 . it was also sustained with the help of proactive social health movements , such as the sanitaristas , comprised of medical doctors , bureaucrats and politicians . this idea of a shared responsibility in providing health care was so popular that it eventually became part of the 1988 constitution . through the constitution 's introduction of sus , health care became an official government responsibility and human right , an issue on which liberals and conservatives could agree . brazil 's health care system seems to have paid off . brazil 's average life expectancy has improved at a faster rate than that of the u.s. since 1960 , though it continues to lag behind . life expectancy there increased from 54.49 years in 1960 to 73.1 in 2010 , compared to the u.s. increase of 69.77 years to 78.24 . but several challenges remain . first , notwithstanding heavy demand for health care services , the government has only modestly increased spending for sus from 50.2 billion real ( $ 24.6 billion in u.s. dollars ) in 2008 to 61.7 billion in 2010 . second , sus hospitals and the family health program have often had a difficult time treating individuals in hard to reach areas , such as the amazonian region while individuals often have to wait a long period of time for prevention and treatment services . consequently , many of the poor in need of immediate care have had to purchase private insurance , or pay out of pocket for services . in fact , the percentage of individuals purchasing insurance increased from 8 % in 2000 to 14.4 % of the population in 2005 . what 's more , there is a chronic shortage of doctors and nurses , especially in rural areas . many hospitals are also poorly managed , lacking autonomy from state governing boards . and finally , there is a high level of inequality in medical technology and infrastructure , with larger , more affluent municipalities able to provide better technological equipment and medical care . while the u.s. joins brazil in lacking sufficient health care personnel , especially in rural areas , u.s. cities in general are wealthier and have access to the latest technology and health care infrastructure . despite brazil 's ongoing commitment to providing health care , the government will need to ensure adequate funding , hire more personnel and strengthen its facilities before its citizens can effectively benefit from sus . in short , government capacity ' must meet its unwavering passion for taking care of its people . even so , america can certainly learn a big lesson from its southern partner . that is , republicans viewing the aca requirement to buy health insurance as an unfair tax ' versus democrats perceiving it as a penalty ' should put their haggling aside and instead view the aca as a shared responsibility and human right . indeed the brazilians show us that the right to health care is way too important to be mired in incessant policy debates , regardless of the innumerable challenges that generous health care systems confront , and that it is a common good that all americans should support . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of eduardo gomez . | eduardo gomez says brazil has long considered health care a right |
wayne rooney <tsp> ( cnn ) -- chelsea manager jose mourinho has told manchester united 's wayne rooney to decide where his future lies after the england striker starred in a goalless draw between the two teams on monday . chelsea have seen two bids rejected by united for rooney , who has been the subject of almost constant speculation throughout the transfer window . when asked in his post-match press conference whether he wanted rooney to publicly make his intentions clear , mourinho responded : yes , i would . ' rooney started for united in david moyes'first competitive match at old trafford since replacing alex ferguson as manager . moyes is adamant rooney will remain in manchester , but it did not stop mourinho saying last week that chelsea would return with a third bid for the former everton player . rooney , 27 , joined united in 2004 and he is the fourth highest goalscorer in the club 's history , having found the net 197 times in 404 appearances . mourinho intimated he had been alerted to rooney 's desire to leave united and now he has called on the player to conclude the issue once and for all . i think the person that started the story has to finish the story , ' continued the former inter milan and real madrid coach . a club like us , a manager like me , the people that work in the club with me , we are not silly to try to get a player from a big club , a big club that does n't sell what they do n't want to sell . we are not silly to try something if somebody did n't start [ it ] . ' blog : can moyes meet united challenge ? do you want me to tell you what for me is the most important thing ? ' mourinho continued . it is that he played very well . he was a real professional , playing for his club , playing for the club that pays him . he tried to win , tried to score . he was fantastic . after that he wants to leave ? he has to say . or he decided now he does n't want to leave any more . his problem . but i praise him because he was fantastic , he played a fantastic match in difficult circumstances . ' the draw leaves chelsea top of the english premier league with two wins and a draw from their opening three matches . defending champions united have four points , a win and a draw , from their opening two matches . | jose mourinho tells manchester united 's wayne rooney to decide where his future lies |
lewinsky <tsp> ( cnn ) -- we could all learn a few things from monica lewinsky , and when you read the essay she penned for vanity fair , shame and survival , ' you undoubtedly will—maybe even about yourself . that is , judging by the excerpts of her article , which the magazine released tuesday , ahead of publication . most of the world will be looking for the salacious details of her consensual relationship ' with president clinton . as many will recall , that affair began in 1995 and when news of it broke in 1998 , it became a global story . it almost took down the president—he was impeached -- and sent lewinsky into such an isolated state of hell , she writes , that she had suicidal thoughts at times and a fear that i would be literally humiliated to death . ' frankly , when you consider just how intense , relentless and abusive the lewinsky bullying has been for the past 16 years -- by the media , the politicians , the public and trolls on the internet , it 's a wonder she had the psychological stamina to resist those suicidal thoughts . and thank god she did . lewinsky on clinton affair :'time to burn the beret and bury the blue dress' you ca n't underplay how huge the news of the lewinsky-clinton affair was at a time when the internet was n't only used for trolling celebrities ; it had such an impact in the public arena that there are people who are still making money off it . the founder of the drudge report , matt drudge , broke the story of the affair on his then mostly unknown website in 1998 ; the story put him on the map . in 2014 the site averages more than a billion page views a month . when barbara walters interviewed lewinsky in 1999 on 20/20 , ' a record-breaking 70 million viewers tuned in . while the media pointed fingers at that woman , ' it was taking advantage of the hottest story in presidential scandal history and squeezing every dollar it could out of lewinsky 's demise . heck , when beyoncé dropped ' her album in december 2013 , she cashed in as well -- reducing lewinsky to a line in partition ' as a reference to ejaculation . lewinsky replied in her essay : thanks , beyoncé , but if we 're verbing , i think you meant'bill clintoned all on my gown .' sexual affairs are happening all over the world at this very moment -- with politicians , world leaders , famous actors and people you know personally . yes , affairs and other indiscretions are disgusting and immoral , but you can hardly be surprised anymore when you hear about them ( looking at you vance mcallister , john edwards , anthony weiner , donald sterling ) . after all , you do n't publicly execute people for these everyday offenses between two consenting adults , and yet that 's basically what the world did to lewinsky . last year , president clinton was awarded the presidential medal of freedom by president obama . in 2014 , perhaps the world will give monica lewinsky the freedom she finally deserves . the powerful story here is n't the cigar and the blue dress with semen on it , it 's that after 16 years of relentless bullying and a past that wo n't go away , lewinsky has figured out a way to use the experience to help others by taking ownership of it . lewinsky writes that she may be the first person ever at the center of an internet cyberbullying event , and that it was the case of another recent victim of similar bullying , tyler clementi , that made her own suffering take on a different meaning ' . clintons'relationship with media still testy after all these years ' perhaps by sharing my story , i reason , i might be able to help others in their darkest moments of humiliation . ' in the same way that a sitting president can sooth a community struck by a hurricane , mudslide or mass shooting , i have no doubt that lewinsky could help a victim of cyberbullying get through the pain and humiliation -- and be instrumental in encouraging him or her to stay strong . one of the most powerful tools you have in life is the truth , and here 's the truth : regardless of what she says , people will judge . pundits will pontificate , project and wonder aloud about political motivations in the timing . we will wonder if this will hurt hillary clinton in 2016 or if lewinsky was paid by the rnc to unburden herself like this . go down that road and you miss something way more powerful than politics -- a lesson in humanity and personal power . she writes that it 's time to stop tiptoeing around my past—and other people 's futures . i am determined to have a different ending to my story . i 've decided , finally , to stick my head above the parapet so that i can take back my narrative and give purpose to my past . ' by telling her story , she 's doing exactly that . it takes remarkable courage to confront your humiliating mistakes and painful past , and still hold your head high . it 's in our failures that we often find our strength . good for you monica lewinsky , you found your strength . i for one will be cheering you on . | she says aftermath of affair left lewinsky humiliated , almost suicidal . she was brave to go on |
lewinsky <tsp> ( cnn ) -- we could all learn a few things from monica lewinsky , and when you read the essay she penned for vanity fair , shame and survival , ' you undoubtedly will—maybe even about yourself . that is , judging by the excerpts of her article , which the magazine released tuesday , ahead of publication . most of the world will be looking for the salacious details of her consensual relationship ' with president clinton . as many will recall , that affair began in 1995 and when news of it broke in 1998 , it became a global story . it almost took down the president—he was impeached -- and sent lewinsky into such an isolated state of hell , she writes , that she had suicidal thoughts at times and a fear that i would be literally humiliated to death . ' frankly , when you consider just how intense , relentless and abusive the lewinsky bullying has been for the past 16 years -- by the media , the politicians , the public and trolls on the internet , it 's a wonder she had the psychological stamina to resist those suicidal thoughts . and thank god she did . lewinsky on clinton affair :'time to burn the beret and bury the blue dress' you ca n't underplay how huge the news of the lewinsky-clinton affair was at a time when the internet was n't only used for trolling celebrities ; it had such an impact in the public arena that there are people who are still making money off it . the founder of the drudge report , matt drudge , broke the story of the affair on his then mostly unknown website in 1998 ; the story put him on the map . in 2014 the site averages more than a billion page views a month . when barbara walters interviewed lewinsky in 1999 on 20/20 , ' a record-breaking 70 million viewers tuned in . while the media pointed fingers at that woman , ' it was taking advantage of the hottest story in presidential scandal history and squeezing every dollar it could out of lewinsky 's demise . heck , when beyoncé dropped ' her album in december 2013 , she cashed in as well -- reducing lewinsky to a line in partition ' as a reference to ejaculation . lewinsky replied in her essay : thanks , beyoncé , but if we 're verbing , i think you meant'bill clintoned all on my gown .' sexual affairs are happening all over the world at this very moment -- with politicians , world leaders , famous actors and people you know personally . yes , affairs and other indiscretions are disgusting and immoral , but you can hardly be surprised anymore when you hear about them ( looking at you vance mcallister , john edwards , anthony weiner , donald sterling ) . after all , you do n't publicly execute people for these everyday offenses between two consenting adults , and yet that 's basically what the world did to lewinsky . last year , president clinton was awarded the presidential medal of freedom by president obama . in 2014 , perhaps the world will give monica lewinsky the freedom she finally deserves . the powerful story here is n't the cigar and the blue dress with semen on it , it 's that after 16 years of relentless bullying and a past that wo n't go away , lewinsky has figured out a way to use the experience to help others by taking ownership of it . lewinsky writes that she may be the first person ever at the center of an internet cyberbullying event , and that it was the case of another recent victim of similar bullying , tyler clementi , that made her own suffering take on a different meaning ' . clintons'relationship with media still testy after all these years ' perhaps by sharing my story , i reason , i might be able to help others in their darkest moments of humiliation . ' in the same way that a sitting president can sooth a community struck by a hurricane , mudslide or mass shooting , i have no doubt that lewinsky could help a victim of cyberbullying get through the pain and humiliation -- and be instrumental in encouraging him or her to stay strong . one of the most powerful tools you have in life is the truth , and here 's the truth : regardless of what she says , people will judge . pundits will pontificate , project and wonder aloud about political motivations in the timing . we will wonder if this will hurt hillary clinton in 2016 or if lewinsky was paid by the rnc to unburden herself like this . go down that road and you miss something way more powerful than politics -- a lesson in humanity and personal power . she writes that it 's time to stop tiptoeing around my past—and other people 's futures . i am determined to have a different ending to my story . i 've decided , finally , to stick my head above the parapet so that i can take back my narrative and give purpose to my past . ' by telling her story , she 's doing exactly that . it takes remarkable courage to confront your humiliating mistakes and painful past , and still hold your head high . it 's in our failures that we often find our strength . good for you monica lewinsky , you found your strength . i for one will be cheering you on . | robbins : real story here is lewinsky taking back narrative , helping others bullied on internet |
lewinsky <tsp> ( cnn ) -- we could all learn a few things from monica lewinsky , and when you read the essay she penned for vanity fair , shame and survival , ' you undoubtedly will—maybe even about yourself . that is , judging by the excerpts of her article , which the magazine released tuesday , ahead of publication . most of the world will be looking for the salacious details of her consensual relationship ' with president clinton . as many will recall , that affair began in 1995 and when news of it broke in 1998 , it became a global story . it almost took down the president—he was impeached -- and sent lewinsky into such an isolated state of hell , she writes , that she had suicidal thoughts at times and a fear that i would be literally humiliated to death . ' frankly , when you consider just how intense , relentless and abusive the lewinsky bullying has been for the past 16 years -- by the media , the politicians , the public and trolls on the internet , it 's a wonder she had the psychological stamina to resist those suicidal thoughts . and thank god she did . lewinsky on clinton affair :'time to burn the beret and bury the blue dress' you ca n't underplay how huge the news of the lewinsky-clinton affair was at a time when the internet was n't only used for trolling celebrities ; it had such an impact in the public arena that there are people who are still making money off it . the founder of the drudge report , matt drudge , broke the story of the affair on his then mostly unknown website in 1998 ; the story put him on the map . in 2014 the site averages more than a billion page views a month . when barbara walters interviewed lewinsky in 1999 on 20/20 , ' a record-breaking 70 million viewers tuned in . while the media pointed fingers at that woman , ' it was taking advantage of the hottest story in presidential scandal history and squeezing every dollar it could out of lewinsky 's demise . heck , when beyoncé dropped ' her album in december 2013 , she cashed in as well -- reducing lewinsky to a line in partition ' as a reference to ejaculation . lewinsky replied in her essay : thanks , beyoncé , but if we 're verbing , i think you meant'bill clintoned all on my gown .' sexual affairs are happening all over the world at this very moment -- with politicians , world leaders , famous actors and people you know personally . yes , affairs and other indiscretions are disgusting and immoral , but you can hardly be surprised anymore when you hear about them ( looking at you vance mcallister , john edwards , anthony weiner , donald sterling ) . after all , you do n't publicly execute people for these everyday offenses between two consenting adults , and yet that 's basically what the world did to lewinsky . last year , president clinton was awarded the presidential medal of freedom by president obama . in 2014 , perhaps the world will give monica lewinsky the freedom she finally deserves . the powerful story here is n't the cigar and the blue dress with semen on it , it 's that after 16 years of relentless bullying and a past that wo n't go away , lewinsky has figured out a way to use the experience to help others by taking ownership of it . lewinsky writes that she may be the first person ever at the center of an internet cyberbullying event , and that it was the case of another recent victim of similar bullying , tyler clementi , that made her own suffering take on a different meaning ' . clintons'relationship with media still testy after all these years ' perhaps by sharing my story , i reason , i might be able to help others in their darkest moments of humiliation . ' in the same way that a sitting president can sooth a community struck by a hurricane , mudslide or mass shooting , i have no doubt that lewinsky could help a victim of cyberbullying get through the pain and humiliation -- and be instrumental in encouraging him or her to stay strong . one of the most powerful tools you have in life is the truth , and here 's the truth : regardless of what she says , people will judge . pundits will pontificate , project and wonder aloud about political motivations in the timing . we will wonder if this will hurt hillary clinton in 2016 or if lewinsky was paid by the rnc to unburden herself like this . go down that road and you miss something way more powerful than politics -- a lesson in humanity and personal power . she writes that it 's time to stop tiptoeing around my past—and other people 's futures . i am determined to have a different ending to my story . i 've decided , finally , to stick my head above the parapet so that i can take back my narrative and give purpose to my past . ' by telling her story , she 's doing exactly that . it takes remarkable courage to confront your humiliating mistakes and painful past , and still hold your head high . it 's in our failures that we often find our strength . good for you monica lewinsky , you found your strength . i for one will be cheering you on . | mel robbins : monica lewinsky writes in upcoming vanity fair about affair with bill clinton |
real madrid <tsp> ( cnn ) -- spanish football club real madrid completed the signing of gareth bale from english premier league side tottenham hotspur sunday , to end weeks of speculation over one of the off-season 's most anticipated transfer deals . bale joins the la liga giants for six seasons , real said on its website , and he will be unveiled at real 's bernabeu stadium monday at 1 p.m. local time . neither club has disclosed the value of the deal but british media outlets sky sports and the bbc reported it was a world-record move worth $ 132 million that was greater than the $ 124 million fee real madrid produced to lure cristiano ronaldo away from manchester united in 2009 . according to a pair of spanish newspapers , though , bale 's switch was n't a world record . el pais put the transfer value at about $ 120 million on sunday , just as as did earlier in the weekend . whatever the amount , bale was thrilled while thanking spurs for some special times . ' i am not sure there is ever a good time to leave a club where i felt settled and was playing the best football of my career to date , ' bale told tottenham 's website . i know many players talk of their desire to join the club of their boyhood dreams , but i can honestly say , this is my dream come true . ' tottenham chairman daniel levy said the club had no intention of selling bale but the attention ' from real madrid and the player 's own wishes ultimately took precedence . likely in anticipation of bale 's departure -- and the money on the way -- tottenham had signed seven players this summer . such has been the attention from real madrid and so great is gareth 's desire to join them , that we have taken the view that the player will not be sufficiently committed to our campaign in the current season , ' levy told tottenham 's website . we have , therefore , with great reluctance , agreed to this sale and do so in the knowledge that we have an exceptionally strong squad to which we have added no fewer than seven top internationals . more importantly , we have an immense team spirit and a dressing room that is hungry for success . ' the 24-year-old welsh international has twice been named the footballer of the year in england for his outstanding performances for tottenham , most recently in the 2012-13 season where he scored 26 goals in 44 appearances . but this was not enough to lift the london club into the european champions league after they finished fifth in the epl . speculation about bale 's future reached fever pitch during over the transfer window that followed . bale , an attacking player who is normally deployed in a wide position , joined tottenham from his first club southampton in 2007 . he has made 41 appearances for his country since his debut in 2006 , scoring 11 goals . i am well aware that i would not be at the level i am today were it not for firstly southampton and then spurs standing by me during some of the tougher times and affording me the environment and support they have , ' bale said . tottenham will always be in my heart and i 'm sure that this season will be a successful one for them . i am now looking forward to the next exciting chapter in my life , playing football for real madrid . ' if the british reports about bale 's fee are correct , it would mark the latest occasion that real have broken the world transfer record , dating back to the signing of portugal 's luis figo from arch rivals barcelona in 2000 . the record was again broken when french world cup star zinedine zidane signed from serie a juventus in 2001 . the $ 82.58 million fee remained the record until los blancos broke it twice in 2009 , first acquiring brazil 's kaka from milan and then ronaldo , who remains a key figure at the bernabeu . new manager carlo ancelotti will be hoping the attacking combination of bale and ronaldo will herald a new era of domination for a club who have won the european champions league , formerly european cup , a record nine times , but not since 2002 . real , then managed by jose mourinho , had to play second fiddle in la liga last season to barcelona and were beaten in the semifinals of the champions league by borussia dortmund . bale did n't play in tottenham 's 1-0 defeat at arsenal on sunday . | bale will be unveiled monday afternoon at real madrid 's stadium |
real madrid <tsp> ( cnn ) -- spanish football club real madrid completed the signing of gareth bale from english premier league side tottenham hotspur sunday , to end weeks of speculation over one of the off-season 's most anticipated transfer deals . bale joins the la liga giants for six seasons , real said on its website , and he will be unveiled at real 's bernabeu stadium monday at 1 p.m. local time . neither club has disclosed the value of the deal but british media outlets sky sports and the bbc reported it was a world-record move worth $ 132 million that was greater than the $ 124 million fee real madrid produced to lure cristiano ronaldo away from manchester united in 2009 . according to a pair of spanish newspapers , though , bale 's switch was n't a world record . el pais put the transfer value at about $ 120 million on sunday , just as as did earlier in the weekend . whatever the amount , bale was thrilled while thanking spurs for some special times . ' i am not sure there is ever a good time to leave a club where i felt settled and was playing the best football of my career to date , ' bale told tottenham 's website . i know many players talk of their desire to join the club of their boyhood dreams , but i can honestly say , this is my dream come true . ' tottenham chairman daniel levy said the club had no intention of selling bale but the attention ' from real madrid and the player 's own wishes ultimately took precedence . likely in anticipation of bale 's departure -- and the money on the way -- tottenham had signed seven players this summer . such has been the attention from real madrid and so great is gareth 's desire to join them , that we have taken the view that the player will not be sufficiently committed to our campaign in the current season , ' levy told tottenham 's website . we have , therefore , with great reluctance , agreed to this sale and do so in the knowledge that we have an exceptionally strong squad to which we have added no fewer than seven top internationals . more importantly , we have an immense team spirit and a dressing room that is hungry for success . ' the 24-year-old welsh international has twice been named the footballer of the year in england for his outstanding performances for tottenham , most recently in the 2012-13 season where he scored 26 goals in 44 appearances . but this was not enough to lift the london club into the european champions league after they finished fifth in the epl . speculation about bale 's future reached fever pitch during over the transfer window that followed . bale , an attacking player who is normally deployed in a wide position , joined tottenham from his first club southampton in 2007 . he has made 41 appearances for his country since his debut in 2006 , scoring 11 goals . i am well aware that i would not be at the level i am today were it not for firstly southampton and then spurs standing by me during some of the tougher times and affording me the environment and support they have , ' bale said . tottenham will always be in my heart and i 'm sure that this season will be a successful one for them . i am now looking forward to the next exciting chapter in my life , playing football for real madrid . ' if the british reports about bale 's fee are correct , it would mark the latest occasion that real have broken the world transfer record , dating back to the signing of portugal 's luis figo from arch rivals barcelona in 2000 . the record was again broken when french world cup star zinedine zidane signed from serie a juventus in 2001 . the $ 82.58 million fee remained the record until los blancos broke it twice in 2009 , first acquiring brazil 's kaka from milan and then ronaldo , who remains a key figure at the bernabeu . new manager carlo ancelotti will be hoping the attacking combination of bale and ronaldo will herald a new era of domination for a club who have won the european champions league , formerly european cup , a record nine times , but not since 2002 . real , then managed by jose mourinho , had to play second fiddle in la liga last season to barcelona and were beaten in the semifinals of the champions league by borussia dortmund . bale did n't play in tottenham 's 1-0 defeat at arsenal on sunday . | gareth bale has signed for spanish club real madrid |
france <tsp> ( cnn ) -- several western powers banded together saturday in urging egyptian president hosni mubarak to do all he can to prevent bloodshed and speedily fulfill his promises of reform . the heads of england , france and germany joined their counterpart in the united states on saturday in calling on egypt 's leader to institute substantive policy changes in short order as well as new , open elections . it is essential that the further political , economic and social reforms president mubarak has promised are implemented fully and quickly , and meet the aspirations of the egyptian people , ' said a joint statement issued by british prime minister david cameron , french president nicolas sarkozy and german chancellor angela merkel . the egyptian people have ... a longing for a just and better future , ' the statement continued . we urge president mubarak to embark on a process of transformation , which should be reflected in a board-based government and in free and fair elections . ' acknowledging the moderating role ' played by mubarak in the middle east , the western leaders urged him to show the same moderation ' in egypt and allow people to demonstrate peacefully . they also called for full respect for human rights and democratic freedoms , including freedom of expression and communication . ' meanwhile , washington continued saturday to keep up pressure on the egyptian leader , on the same day he announced a new deputy , among other cabinet changes . u.s. state department spokesman p.j . crowley tweeted that the egyptian government ca n't reshuffle the deck and then stand pat . ' he added that mubarak 's words pledging reform must be followed by action . ' with protesters still on the streets ' in egypt , he wrote , we remain concerned about the potential for violence and again urge restraint on all sides . ' the people of egypt no longer accept the status quo , ' crowley added . they are looking to their government for a meaningful process to foster real reform . ' president barack obama had said friday that he had spoken with mubarak after the egyptian president made a televised speech . mubarak , in his address , said he understands these legitimate demands of the people and i truly understand the depth of their worries and burdens , and i will not part from them ever and i will work for them every day . ' obama said he told mubarak he has a responsibility to give meaning to those words , to take concrete steps and actions that deliver on that promise . ' violence will not address the grievances of the egyptian people , ' obama said in a televised appearance friday . suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away . ' members of obama 's diplomatic and national security teams , including vice president joe biden , u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton , national security advisor tom donilon and adm. michael mullen , chairman of the joint chiefs of staff , held a two-hour discussion on egypt saturday morning , according to white house spokesman tommy vietor . obama himself convened a similar meeting on the situation in the early afternoon . in an interview conducted friday morning in davos , switzerland , british prime minister cameron told cnn 's fareed zakaria that reform and progress in the greater strengthening of democracy and civil rights ' is needed in egypt . the interview will air at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. sunday on the fareed zakaria gps ' program on cnn . cameron said just the act of holding an election is n't enough , ' urging a more mature and thoughtful approach ' to build a stronger democracy . he made a point that he did n't think the overthrow of mubarak -- whom he called a friend of britain ' -- was necessary . what we support is evolution , reform , not revolution , ' the prime minister said . we 'd all be better off if there were more countries with more democratic institutions , ' he added . but let 's recognize those institutions need to be built from the bottom up , not always sort of dropped in from the top down . ' | the heads of germany , france , u.k. call for reforms and respect for rights |
mubarak <tsp> ( cnn ) -- several western powers banded together saturday in urging egyptian president hosni mubarak to do all he can to prevent bloodshed and speedily fulfill his promises of reform . the heads of england , france and germany joined their counterpart in the united states on saturday in calling on egypt 's leader to institute substantive policy changes in short order as well as new , open elections . it is essential that the further political , economic and social reforms president mubarak has promised are implemented fully and quickly , and meet the aspirations of the egyptian people , ' said a joint statement issued by british prime minister david cameron , french president nicolas sarkozy and german chancellor angela merkel . the egyptian people have ... a longing for a just and better future , ' the statement continued . we urge president mubarak to embark on a process of transformation , which should be reflected in a board-based government and in free and fair elections . ' acknowledging the moderating role ' played by mubarak in the middle east , the western leaders urged him to show the same moderation ' in egypt and allow people to demonstrate peacefully . they also called for full respect for human rights and democratic freedoms , including freedom of expression and communication . ' meanwhile , washington continued saturday to keep up pressure on the egyptian leader , on the same day he announced a new deputy , among other cabinet changes . u.s. state department spokesman p.j . crowley tweeted that the egyptian government ca n't reshuffle the deck and then stand pat . ' he added that mubarak 's words pledging reform must be followed by action . ' with protesters still on the streets ' in egypt , he wrote , we remain concerned about the potential for violence and again urge restraint on all sides . ' the people of egypt no longer accept the status quo , ' crowley added . they are looking to their government for a meaningful process to foster real reform . ' president barack obama had said friday that he had spoken with mubarak after the egyptian president made a televised speech . mubarak , in his address , said he understands these legitimate demands of the people and i truly understand the depth of their worries and burdens , and i will not part from them ever and i will work for them every day . ' obama said he told mubarak he has a responsibility to give meaning to those words , to take concrete steps and actions that deliver on that promise . ' violence will not address the grievances of the egyptian people , ' obama said in a televised appearance friday . suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away . ' members of obama 's diplomatic and national security teams , including vice president joe biden , u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton , national security advisor tom donilon and adm. michael mullen , chairman of the joint chiefs of staff , held a two-hour discussion on egypt saturday morning , according to white house spokesman tommy vietor . obama himself convened a similar meeting on the situation in the early afternoon . in an interview conducted friday morning in davos , switzerland , british prime minister cameron told cnn 's fareed zakaria that reform and progress in the greater strengthening of democracy and civil rights ' is needed in egypt . the interview will air at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. sunday on the fareed zakaria gps ' program on cnn . cameron said just the act of holding an election is n't enough , ' urging a more mature and thoughtful approach ' to build a stronger democracy . he made a point that he did n't think the overthrow of mubarak -- whom he called a friend of britain ' -- was necessary . what we support is evolution , reform , not revolution , ' the prime minister said . we 'd all be better off if there were more countries with more democratic institutions , ' he added . but let 's recognize those institutions need to be built from the bottom up , not always sort of dropped in from the top down . ' | a u.s. state department official says mubarak must not just reshuffle the deck ' |
mubarak <tsp> ( cnn ) -- several western powers banded together saturday in urging egyptian president hosni mubarak to do all he can to prevent bloodshed and speedily fulfill his promises of reform . the heads of england , france and germany joined their counterpart in the united states on saturday in calling on egypt 's leader to institute substantive policy changes in short order as well as new , open elections . it is essential that the further political , economic and social reforms president mubarak has promised are implemented fully and quickly , and meet the aspirations of the egyptian people , ' said a joint statement issued by british prime minister david cameron , french president nicolas sarkozy and german chancellor angela merkel . the egyptian people have ... a longing for a just and better future , ' the statement continued . we urge president mubarak to embark on a process of transformation , which should be reflected in a board-based government and in free and fair elections . ' acknowledging the moderating role ' played by mubarak in the middle east , the western leaders urged him to show the same moderation ' in egypt and allow people to demonstrate peacefully . they also called for full respect for human rights and democratic freedoms , including freedom of expression and communication . ' meanwhile , washington continued saturday to keep up pressure on the egyptian leader , on the same day he announced a new deputy , among other cabinet changes . u.s. state department spokesman p.j . crowley tweeted that the egyptian government ca n't reshuffle the deck and then stand pat . ' he added that mubarak 's words pledging reform must be followed by action . ' with protesters still on the streets ' in egypt , he wrote , we remain concerned about the potential for violence and again urge restraint on all sides . ' the people of egypt no longer accept the status quo , ' crowley added . they are looking to their government for a meaningful process to foster real reform . ' president barack obama had said friday that he had spoken with mubarak after the egyptian president made a televised speech . mubarak , in his address , said he understands these legitimate demands of the people and i truly understand the depth of their worries and burdens , and i will not part from them ever and i will work for them every day . ' obama said he told mubarak he has a responsibility to give meaning to those words , to take concrete steps and actions that deliver on that promise . ' violence will not address the grievances of the egyptian people , ' obama said in a televised appearance friday . suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away . ' members of obama 's diplomatic and national security teams , including vice president joe biden , u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton , national security advisor tom donilon and adm. michael mullen , chairman of the joint chiefs of staff , held a two-hour discussion on egypt saturday morning , according to white house spokesman tommy vietor . obama himself convened a similar meeting on the situation in the early afternoon . in an interview conducted friday morning in davos , switzerland , british prime minister cameron told cnn 's fareed zakaria that reform and progress in the greater strengthening of democracy and civil rights ' is needed in egypt . the interview will air at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. sunday on the fareed zakaria gps ' program on cnn . cameron said just the act of holding an election is n't enough , ' urging a more mature and thoughtful approach ' to build a stronger democracy . he made a point that he did n't think the overthrow of mubarak -- whom he called a friend of britain ' -- was necessary . what we support is evolution , reform , not revolution , ' the prime minister said . we 'd all be better off if there were more countries with more democratic institutions , ' he added . but let 's recognize those institutions need to be built from the bottom up , not always sort of dropped in from the top down . ' | new : in an interview to air sunday , u.k. leader calls mubarak a'friend of britain ' |
mh 370 <tsp> malaysian opposition leader anwar ibrahim says the captain of mh 370 is a card-carrying member of his party -- and an extremely distant relative -- but he dismissed suggestions the pilot may have diverted the plane as a political act in his support . hours before the malaysia airlines flight vanished en route to beijing on march 8 , anwar , de facto leader of the people 's justice party , was sentenced to five years in jail after a court overturned his 2012 acquittal on a sodomy charge . some media outlets have reported that the plane 's pilot , zaharie ahmad shah , had attended the court hearing , and speculated that the flight 's disappearance may have been a political act in response to the verdict . as authorities increasingly focused their attentions on events in the cockpit , the homes of zaharie and first officer fariq abdul hamid were searched , and a homemade flight simulator found in zaharie 's home , malaysian officials revealed .. anwar , who is free pending appeal , told cnn his party had been unable to establish whether zaharie had been in attendance at court , although a number of his friends had reported he had been upset and disgusted ' by the outcome . the opposition leader recognized photographs of zaharie from political meetings , and subsequently established he was a member of his party -- and a distant relative of his daughter-in-law . however , he labeled the suggestion that zaharie could have steered the airliner from its designated flight path as a political act as grossly unfair ' to the missing pilot . watch : politics of mh 370 pilot questioned he alleged that the speculation had only gained traction as a result of the government trying to deflect attention from its incompetent ' handling of the crisis . i think there 's a desperation by the government of the ruling leadership over the manner they managed the whole crisis . clearly incompetent , contradictory statements , poor management of the crisis , ' he said . in order to deflect that , their own failure , their own incompetence , they now choose to attack me , ' he said . they fail on every count ... they 're now desperate to cast aspersions against me as leader of the opposition . ' malaysian political scientist wong chin huat said that while close scrutiny of the potential motivations of anyone onboard is warranted , he believes the speculated link to malaysian domestic politics was a red herring . ' had the captain intended to cause this incident in protest , there should be clearly some clue . it 's pointless to make a political statement in silence , that leaves everyone guessing where you are going , ' he said , adding that such drastic actions would be unprecedented in malaysian politics . he had seen no evidence to back up anwar 's claim that the theory had been promulgated by malaysian authorities to distract from their handling of the crisis , but said that such an explanation was very possible . ' you have a one-party state run by princelings that demonstrates very poor leadership and very chaotic coordination -- poor leadership and chaotic coordination that has been distracted from by this red herring , ' he said . malaysian government officials declined to respond to anwar 's comments . anwar has repeatedly said he is innocent of a charge he sodomized a former aide , calling the case against him an attempt by the government to end his political career . the malaysian government has consistently denied his accusations . when asked at a news conference tuesday about the anwar angle , malaysia 's transport minister hishammuddin hussein said that the issue was above politics , and that speculation linking the plane 's disappearance to anwar 's sentencing had come from foreign media , not by his government . who were the pilots ? | pilot of mh 370 was a supporter of malaysian opposition leader anwar ibrahim |
dreamers <tsp> ( cnn ) -- hillary clinton was confronted by immigration reform activists in iowa over the weekend . the activists accused president obama of breaking promises to immigrants and wanted to know what clinton would do about the issue . she told them to elect more democrats . ' the former secretary of state and likely future presidential candidate was signing autographs and t-shirts and participating in selfies in iowa on sunday when a dreamer tried to turn the conversation to immigration and deportations . monica reyes announced herself as a dreamer , an undocumented immigrant brought to the u.s. by parents . clinton , wearing black sunglasses , responded , yay . ' i was wondering what you feel about obama 's delay on immigration , ' reyes asked clinton in an in an exchange caught on video by immigration reform activists . while clinton continued down the line of people behind metal barriers , she responded , i think we have to keep working -- ca n't stop ever working . ' president barack obama recently announced that he was postponing his announcement to address broken immigration policy until after the elections . the decision infuriated immigration advocates , who were already disappointed in the record number of deportations during obama 's tenure . cesar vargas , a member of the drm coalition standing next to reyes , pointedly followed up . the president has broken his promise to the latino community , and we wanted to know if you stand by the president 's delay on immigration , ' he said . clinton kept moving but said , you know , i think we have to elect more democrats . ' hillary clinton 's return to iowa : a fresh start or deja vu ? this was the first time clinton had been to iowa as a politician since she lost the caucuses there in 2008 to then-sen. barack obama . at democratic sen. tom harkin 's annual steak fry in indianola on monday , her speech , filled with foreshadowing innuendos , added to the speculation that clinton is seriously plotting a second presidential run . vargas and fellow dreamers also confronted vermont sen. bernie sanders , a self-described socialist who is toying with a presidential run , in iowa over the weekend . on twitter , vargas wrote that sanders hit a home run ' while clinton struck out . but the activists'attendance at the clinton and sanders events signals that the immigrant community and immigration advocates are going to put political pressure on candidates contemplating a presidential run . the message we want to make clear to them is they should not take our community for granted , ' cristina jimenez , co-founder of united we dream , told cnn . latinos , who are not the only community affected by deportations but recently has been the largest , tend to vote for democrats . they backed obama overwhelmingly -- by more than 70 % -- in the 2008 and 2012 elections . we ask republicans the question'why do they want to deport us ,'and we 're going to do the same thing with democrats , ' jimenez told cnn . both parties have really failed our community . ' dreamers interrupted one of sen. marco rubio 's events in south carolina , also a key presidential nominating state , last month . and earlier in august , kentucky sen. rand paul abruptly left a lunch table in iowa when vargas and fellow dreamers confronted colleague and immigration hard-liner rep. steve king . | the dreamers promised to keep the pressure on democrats and republicans |
dreamers <tsp> ( cnn ) -- hillary clinton was confronted by immigration reform activists in iowa over the weekend . the activists accused president obama of breaking promises to immigrants and wanted to know what clinton would do about the issue . she told them to elect more democrats . ' the former secretary of state and likely future presidential candidate was signing autographs and t-shirts and participating in selfies in iowa on sunday when a dreamer tried to turn the conversation to immigration and deportations . monica reyes announced herself as a dreamer , an undocumented immigrant brought to the u.s. by parents . clinton , wearing black sunglasses , responded , yay . ' i was wondering what you feel about obama 's delay on immigration , ' reyes asked clinton in an in an exchange caught on video by immigration reform activists . while clinton continued down the line of people behind metal barriers , she responded , i think we have to keep working -- ca n't stop ever working . ' president barack obama recently announced that he was postponing his announcement to address broken immigration policy until after the elections . the decision infuriated immigration advocates , who were already disappointed in the record number of deportations during obama 's tenure . cesar vargas , a member of the drm coalition standing next to reyes , pointedly followed up . the president has broken his promise to the latino community , and we wanted to know if you stand by the president 's delay on immigration , ' he said . clinton kept moving but said , you know , i think we have to elect more democrats . ' hillary clinton 's return to iowa : a fresh start or deja vu ? this was the first time clinton had been to iowa as a politician since she lost the caucuses there in 2008 to then-sen. barack obama . at democratic sen. tom harkin 's annual steak fry in indianola on monday , her speech , filled with foreshadowing innuendos , added to the speculation that clinton is seriously plotting a second presidential run . vargas and fellow dreamers also confronted vermont sen. bernie sanders , a self-described socialist who is toying with a presidential run , in iowa over the weekend . on twitter , vargas wrote that sanders hit a home run ' while clinton struck out . but the activists'attendance at the clinton and sanders events signals that the immigrant community and immigration advocates are going to put political pressure on candidates contemplating a presidential run . the message we want to make clear to them is they should not take our community for granted , ' cristina jimenez , co-founder of united we dream , told cnn . latinos , who are not the only community affected by deportations but recently has been the largest , tend to vote for democrats . they backed obama overwhelmingly -- by more than 70 % -- in the 2008 and 2012 elections . we ask republicans the question'why do they want to deport us ,'and we 're going to do the same thing with democrats , ' jimenez told cnn . both parties have really failed our community . ' dreamers interrupted one of sen. marco rubio 's events in south carolina , also a key presidential nominating state , last month . and earlier in august , kentucky sen. rand paul abruptly left a lunch table in iowa when vargas and fellow dreamers confronted colleague and immigration hard-liner rep. steve king . | hillary clinton was confronted by dreamers in iowa about obama 's immigration delay |
arizona <tsp> ( cnn ) -- an arizona state senator involved in an apparent freeway-shoulder scuffle with his girlfriend was not detained because he has immunity from arrest while the legislature is in session , police said . officers in phoenix who were called to investigate a reported altercation found that both sen. scott bundgaard and his girlfriend , aubry ballard , had marks suggesting a physical dispute , police spokesman sgt . tommy thompson said . bundgaard , a republican and the state senate 's majority leader , was allowed to go -- although prosecutors will review the case and could later file charges , thompson said . ballard was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor assault and taken to jail . in a joint statement sunday , bundgaard and ballard said they were tired and embarrassed ' because of the incident . we want to jointly apologize for allowing a private matter to interrupt the public -- and especially for taking up the valuable time of law enforcement . the police officers who responded deserve thanks for their sensitivity and compassion , ' they said . bundgaard said the dispute began on the way home from a charity dancing with the stars ' fundraiser , after ballard accused him of inappropriately touching ' his dance partner . she proceeded to throw my clothes and other things out of my car on a freeway as i took her home , ' bundgaard said in a statement saturday . the senator said he tried to stop his girlfriend from punching him , which resulted in marks on her knees . bundgaard said he pulled ballard out of the car , but denied ever hitting or pushing her . i have never inappropriately touched a woman and never would . there was no domestic violence , ' bundgaard said . ballard described the incident as the absolute worst night of my life ' in her own statement released saturday . to go from putting on a beautiful dress for a great date to a fundraiser to ending up on the side of a freeway ? i do n't have another tear left to cry , ' she said . i 'm still trying to get my mind around a few things : scott 's actions , the 17 hours i spent in jail awaiting processing , my bruises , scrapes and soreness and his statements to the media . ' their statement sunday said the couple were breaking up and appealed for privacy . arizona 's constitution says legislators are immune from arrest in all cases except treason , felony , and breach of the peace ' and allows them immunity from civil process while the legislator is in session . phoenix police said they will submit the case to the city attorney 's office for review , thompson said . in his statement , bundgaard said he will not hide behind his privilege . i waive any and all'immunity .'if i did something wrong , charge me , ' he said . | arizona 's constitution gives him immunity from arrest |
arizona <tsp> ( cnn ) -- an arizona state senator involved in an apparent freeway-shoulder scuffle with his girlfriend was not detained because he has immunity from arrest while the legislature is in session , police said . officers in phoenix who were called to investigate a reported altercation found that both sen. scott bundgaard and his girlfriend , aubry ballard , had marks suggesting a physical dispute , police spokesman sgt . tommy thompson said . bundgaard , a republican and the state senate 's majority leader , was allowed to go -- although prosecutors will review the case and could later file charges , thompson said . ballard was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor assault and taken to jail . in a joint statement sunday , bundgaard and ballard said they were tired and embarrassed ' because of the incident . we want to jointly apologize for allowing a private matter to interrupt the public -- and especially for taking up the valuable time of law enforcement . the police officers who responded deserve thanks for their sensitivity and compassion , ' they said . bundgaard said the dispute began on the way home from a charity dancing with the stars ' fundraiser , after ballard accused him of inappropriately touching ' his dance partner . she proceeded to throw my clothes and other things out of my car on a freeway as i took her home , ' bundgaard said in a statement saturday . the senator said he tried to stop his girlfriend from punching him , which resulted in marks on her knees . bundgaard said he pulled ballard out of the car , but denied ever hitting or pushing her . i have never inappropriately touched a woman and never would . there was no domestic violence , ' bundgaard said . ballard described the incident as the absolute worst night of my life ' in her own statement released saturday . to go from putting on a beautiful dress for a great date to a fundraiser to ending up on the side of a freeway ? i do n't have another tear left to cry , ' she said . i 'm still trying to get my mind around a few things : scott 's actions , the 17 hours i spent in jail awaiting processing , my bruises , scrapes and soreness and his statements to the media . ' their statement sunday said the couple were breaking up and appealed for privacy . arizona 's constitution says legislators are immune from arrest in all cases except treason , felony , and breach of the peace ' and allows them immunity from civil process while the legislator is in session . phoenix police said they will submit the case to the city attorney 's office for review , thompson said . in his statement , bundgaard said he will not hide behind his privilege . i waive any and all'immunity .'if i did something wrong , charge me , ' he said . | arizona state senator and his girlfriend apologize for freeway scuffle |
marines <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the army and marine corps are allowing convicted felons to serve in increasing numbers , newly released department of defense statistics show . a u.s marine keeps a watchful eye in downtown baghdad . recruits were allowed to enlist after having been convicted of crimes including assault , burglary , drug possession and making terrorist threats . the statistics were released by rep. henry waxman , a california democrat who chairs the house committee on oversight and government reform . he has given the pentagon a month to hand over up-to-date details on the number of waivers granted , reports on how the recruits have performed and information about how the waivers are related to meeting recruitment goals . pentagon statistics show the army granted 511 felony waivers in 2007 , just over twice the 249 it granted the year before . the army aims to recruit more than 80,000 new soldiers a year . the marines -- which recruits fewer new service members each year than the army -- also reported a rise in waivers for felonies , with 350 granted in 2007 , compared with 208 in 2006 . there was a rapid rise in 2007 in the number of waivers the army and marine corps granted to recruits convicted of serious felonies , ' waxman said in a letter monday to david chu , the under-secretary of defense for personnel and readiness . i understand that there can be valid reasons for personnel waivers and recognize the importance of providing opportunities to individuals who have served their sentences and rehabilitated themselves . at the same time , concerns have been raised that the significant increase in the recruitment of persons with criminal records is a result of the strain put on the military by the iraq war and may be undermining military readiness , ' he charged . the army defended its use of waivers as a response to a changing american society , arguing that only three in 10 americans of military age meet all our stringent medical , moral , aptitude or administrative requirements . ' today 's young men and women are more overweight , have a greater incidence of asthma , and are being charged for offenses that in earlier years would n't have been considered a serious offense , and might not have resulted in charges in the first place , ' john p. boyce jr. of army public affairs said in a statement to cnn . he said the army never issues waivers for some types of offenses , including sexual violence , alcoholism and drug trafficking . but the pentagon statistics showed the army allowed 106 convicted burglars to enlist in 2007 , up from 36 the year before . it also granted waivers to 43 recruits convicted of aggravated assault that year , up from 33 a year before ; and to 130 people convicted of possession of drugs other than marijuana , a rise from 71 in 2006 . it also allowed two people convicted of making terrorist or bomb threats to enlist in 2007 , up from one the year before . the marines did not immediately respond to request for comment . the navy reported a slight decline in felony waivers , from 48 in 2006 to 42 in 2007 . the air force said it granted no felony waivers in either year . e-mail to a friend | army granted 511 felony waivers in 2007 ; marines granted 350 in 2007 |
fedex cup <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a $ 10 million payout is not bad for four days'work . that 's the potential prize on offer for one lucky golfer at the east lake golf club course in atlanta , georgia in the final leg of the fedex cup . after three grueling back-to-back playoff events -- the barclays , the deutsche bank championship and the bmw championship -- 125 starters have been whittled down to a select few . just 29 now remain -- 30th-ranked dustin johnson is on a leave of absence -- going into thursday 's tour championship , but only one can hit the jackpot . retirement would happen a lot quicker if i win the fedex cup , ' masters champion bubba watson told the pga tour 's official website . watson is one of just five men -- chris kirk , billy horschel , rory mcilroy and hunter mahan are the others -- who are in control of their own destiny . that elite quintet have earned their stripes after earning enough points in the earlier stages of the fedex cup , as well as over the whole of the 2014 pga tour season . due to the way the competition is structured , victory sunday for one of the five would secure them the $ 1.44 million tour championship as well as the fedex cup , which brings with it that elusive $ 10 million jackpot , as henrik stenson managed to do last year . that victory was made all the more sweeter for the swede given that he 'd reportedly lost several million dollars in allen stanford 's $ 7 billion ponzi scheme , which was uncovered in 2009 . a slip-up in atalanta , meanwhile , will not discount them from golf 's biggest prize completely , but they will be relying on their overall points tally for the season to ultimately prove superior to any of their rivals earning $ 3 million for a second-placed finish or $ 2 million for third would not be the end of the world , either . we 're trying to challenge ourselves , and this is what we have to play , this is what we have to do if we want to improve on the fedex cup or win a golf tournament , ' watson adds . we have to play well . ' the rest of the field , however , will be left sweating on the performances of others even if they become the latest name to be inscribed on the tour championship trophy . while sixth-ranked jimmy walker -- 1,100 points off leader kirk -- could well come out on top with a win or even a second-place finish , 29th-ranked gary woodland -- 2,280 points behind kirk -- would need something of a minor miracle . americans mahan , kirk and horschel go into thursday 's opening round with confidence off the back of their respective barclays , deutsche bank championship and bmw championship wins . likewise rory mcilroy is still basking in his summer of success which brought with it the british open and u.s. pga championship , as well as the wgc-bridgestone invitational , in the space of four weeks . the world no . 1 's best finish in the playoffs was a tie for fifth two weeks ago in boston . it has been a relentless summer , not just for the northern irishman , but for all involved in the world of golf -- 13 weeks have passed since the u.s. open began on june 12 , and in that time three majors , a world golf championships event and three of the four fedex cup playoffs have all come and gone . of the field in atlanta , patrick reed has teed up the most often in that period , starting 11 times . this year 's ryder cup , starting on september 26 , has meant the fedex cup playoffs have had to take place back-to-back straight after the pga championship -- a schedule the u.s. tour 's commissioner tim finchem admits has been something of a mistake . four in a row does n't really work , ' finchem told the pga tour 's official website . so we understand that . we did n't like it this year . we 're not going to do it going forward . so that 's that . ' but watson , who topped the u.s. ryder cup qualification standings , professes to being unconcerned about the lack of a bye week in the playoffs schedule this year . it 's just something that we have to deal with . think about it ; the money they are putting up , the money we are playing for , the retirement dollars , you make it work , ' he told reporters . you 'll figure out a way to show up on the tee . ' | twenty-nine competitors will battle it out for the fedex cup this week |
east lake golf club <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a $ 10 million payout is not bad for four days'work . that 's the potential prize on offer for one lucky golfer at the east lake golf club course in atlanta , georgia in the final leg of the fedex cup . after three grueling back-to-back playoff events -- the barclays , the deutsche bank championship and the bmw championship -- 125 starters have been whittled down to a select few . just 29 now remain -- 30th-ranked dustin johnson is on a leave of absence -- going into thursday 's tour championship , but only one can hit the jackpot . retirement would happen a lot quicker if i win the fedex cup , ' masters champion bubba watson told the pga tour 's official website . watson is one of just five men -- chris kirk , billy horschel , rory mcilroy and hunter mahan are the others -- who are in control of their own destiny . that elite quintet have earned their stripes after earning enough points in the earlier stages of the fedex cup , as well as over the whole of the 2014 pga tour season . due to the way the competition is structured , victory sunday for one of the five would secure them the $ 1.44 million tour championship as well as the fedex cup , which brings with it that elusive $ 10 million jackpot , as henrik stenson managed to do last year . that victory was made all the more sweeter for the swede given that he 'd reportedly lost several million dollars in allen stanford 's $ 7 billion ponzi scheme , which was uncovered in 2009 . a slip-up in atalanta , meanwhile , will not discount them from golf 's biggest prize completely , but they will be relying on their overall points tally for the season to ultimately prove superior to any of their rivals earning $ 3 million for a second-placed finish or $ 2 million for third would not be the end of the world , either . we 're trying to challenge ourselves , and this is what we have to play , this is what we have to do if we want to improve on the fedex cup or win a golf tournament , ' watson adds . we have to play well . ' the rest of the field , however , will be left sweating on the performances of others even if they become the latest name to be inscribed on the tour championship trophy . while sixth-ranked jimmy walker -- 1,100 points off leader kirk -- could well come out on top with a win or even a second-place finish , 29th-ranked gary woodland -- 2,280 points behind kirk -- would need something of a minor miracle . americans mahan , kirk and horschel go into thursday 's opening round with confidence off the back of their respective barclays , deutsche bank championship and bmw championship wins . likewise rory mcilroy is still basking in his summer of success which brought with it the british open and u.s. pga championship , as well as the wgc-bridgestone invitational , in the space of four weeks . the world no . 1 's best finish in the playoffs was a tie for fifth two weeks ago in boston . it has been a relentless summer , not just for the northern irishman , but for all involved in the world of golf -- 13 weeks have passed since the u.s. open began on june 12 , and in that time three majors , a world golf championships event and three of the four fedex cup playoffs have all come and gone . of the field in atlanta , patrick reed has teed up the most often in that period , starting 11 times . this year 's ryder cup , starting on september 26 , has meant the fedex cup playoffs have had to take place back-to-back straight after the pga championship -- a schedule the u.s. tour 's commissioner tim finchem admits has been something of a mistake . four in a row does n't really work , ' finchem told the pga tour 's official website . so we understand that . we did n't like it this year . we 're not going to do it going forward . so that 's that . ' but watson , who topped the u.s. ryder cup qualification standings , professes to being unconcerned about the lack of a bye week in the playoffs schedule this year . it 's just something that we have to deal with . think about it ; the money they are putting up , the money we are playing for , the retirement dollars , you make it work , ' he told reporters . you 'll figure out a way to show up on the tee . ' | the tour championship leg of the playoffs takes place at the east lake golf club |
house of sand and fog <tsp> ( cnn ) -- spurred by the continuing political unrest in iran , more than two dozen iranian expatriate superstars are uniting to spread a musical message of non-violent resistance . neda agha-soltan was gunned down on a tehran street on june 20 . the entertainers , poets , thinkers and actors are harmonizing on the song united for neda , ' a call to action against human rights violations by the iranian government against iranians protesting the disputed outcome of recent presidential elections . the song was inspired by the plight of neda agha-soltan , the 26-year old iranian woman who was fatally shot on the streets of tehran on june 20 . the ordeal was recorded on cell phone video and received international attention when it hit the internet . when i saw links to neda being shot , it was so disturbing to me , ' said iranian-british recording artist mams taylor , who wrote and produced the song . it hurt me , angered me and touched me at the same time , to think that these people are so courageous to go and seek their freedom , ' said taylor . while her death became a rallying point for justice , her name , neda , ' in farsi means the call/calling ' or voice ' -- a voice many people say can not be muted . the saga is still going on in iran , and all we can do is carry on and echo their voice , ' said shoreh aghdashloo , the oscar-nominated actress from house of sand and fog ' who sang in the production . the video , much like the post-election protests , was a spontaneous response . from the studio to the street rallies in los angeles , california , the entire music video was filmed using a cell phone . with the big media ban and restrictions over there , we thought to commemorate and pay homage to what the protesters are doing over there , ' said taylor . so we thought it would be appropriate to develop the video in the same kind of light . ' watch the video and hear the song » the song was recorded in both english and farsi to reach western and iranian audiences . the english version of the video has drawn thousands of viewers since its youtube release last week . the farsi version of the song will be released thursday . iranian actress shila vosough played a key role in bringing the artists together . these artists all came together despite their varying political views , ' she said . they united , hand-in-hand , to send the kids in iran a message of their love and support . ' the political upheaval of the late 1970s forced many iranian musicians , artists , actors and entertainers like vosough into exile . many of them left unwillingly , not knowing when or if they would ever return to iran . i came to new york for a performance 32 years ago and have never been back to iran since , ' said iranian vocalist sattar , who also sang in the video . sattar , who has millions of fans around the world , wants the iranian people to know their voices are being heard . as an artist , i see this as my responsibility -- to support iranians with my songs and music , ' said sattar , a one-time favorite of the pahlavi royal family in iran . in 1979 , at the dawn of the islamic republic under much popular western music was outlawed as un-islamic . ' for years , iranians have been forced to make music underground , buying or swapping on the black market or downloading from the internet . music is a very powerful tool . it can move people and mobilize them around a cause , and this can be very threatening for leaders who want to silence the voices of their people , ' said iranian singer dariush . dariush has been singing about love , peace , freedom and justice for the iranian people since before he left 30 years ago . i encourage other musicians to come join the cause against human rights violations in iran and other places around the world , ' said dariush . female singers were also banned after the revolution . for decades female vocalists like googoosh , one of the most celebrated pop divas in iran , were silenced and forbidden to perform or record in iran . in 2000 , googoosh left iran . shortly afterward , she made a comeback on the international stage , performing in front of sold-out crowds at venues around the world . her latest release , man hamoon iranam , ' or i am the same iran , ' is also dedicated to the young iranians who died in the unrest . scores of musicians have tuned into the cause , showing support both in performance and on the internet . just last week in barcelona , spain , the band u2 dedicated the song sunday bloody sunday ' to the iranian people and performed under a green-lit banner as farsi lyrics scrolled up the screen . the opposition in iran has adopted green as its unifying color . other iran-related videos that went viral on youtube are the remake of stand by me ' by iranian singer andy and american rockers bon jovi ; joan baez 's we shall overcome ' tribute ; and wyclef jean 's performance of equal rights and justice . ' i hope the iranians realize that here in the west there are people supporting and backing their movement to seek freedom , and we would like to motivate them to keep going , ' said mams taylor . the world has lost many nedas , most of them the world will never know , ' said dariush . there are many nedas out there whose voices ca n't be heard , there are nedas in prisons that are being tortured , there are nedas screaming in the streets -- walking the fine line between life and death everyday . but she has become the symbol for all of them . ' | house of sand and fog ' actress was another participant |
neda <tsp> ( cnn ) -- spurred by the continuing political unrest in iran , more than two dozen iranian expatriate superstars are uniting to spread a musical message of non-violent resistance . neda agha-soltan was gunned down on a tehran street on june 20 . the entertainers , poets , thinkers and actors are harmonizing on the song united for neda , ' a call to action against human rights violations by the iranian government against iranians protesting the disputed outcome of recent presidential elections . the song was inspired by the plight of neda agha-soltan , the 26-year old iranian woman who was fatally shot on the streets of tehran on june 20 . the ordeal was recorded on cell phone video and received international attention when it hit the internet . when i saw links to neda being shot , it was so disturbing to me , ' said iranian-british recording artist mams taylor , who wrote and produced the song . it hurt me , angered me and touched me at the same time , to think that these people are so courageous to go and seek their freedom , ' said taylor . while her death became a rallying point for justice , her name , neda , ' in farsi means the call/calling ' or voice ' -- a voice many people say can not be muted . the saga is still going on in iran , and all we can do is carry on and echo their voice , ' said shoreh aghdashloo , the oscar-nominated actress from house of sand and fog ' who sang in the production . the video , much like the post-election protests , was a spontaneous response . from the studio to the street rallies in los angeles , california , the entire music video was filmed using a cell phone . with the big media ban and restrictions over there , we thought to commemorate and pay homage to what the protesters are doing over there , ' said taylor . so we thought it would be appropriate to develop the video in the same kind of light . ' watch the video and hear the song » the song was recorded in both english and farsi to reach western and iranian audiences . the english version of the video has drawn thousands of viewers since its youtube release last week . the farsi version of the song will be released thursday . iranian actress shila vosough played a key role in bringing the artists together . these artists all came together despite their varying political views , ' she said . they united , hand-in-hand , to send the kids in iran a message of their love and support . ' the political upheaval of the late 1970s forced many iranian musicians , artists , actors and entertainers like vosough into exile . many of them left unwillingly , not knowing when or if they would ever return to iran . i came to new york for a performance 32 years ago and have never been back to iran since , ' said iranian vocalist sattar , who also sang in the video . sattar , who has millions of fans around the world , wants the iranian people to know their voices are being heard . as an artist , i see this as my responsibility -- to support iranians with my songs and music , ' said sattar , a one-time favorite of the pahlavi royal family in iran . in 1979 , at the dawn of the islamic republic under much popular western music was outlawed as un-islamic . ' for years , iranians have been forced to make music underground , buying or swapping on the black market or downloading from the internet . music is a very powerful tool . it can move people and mobilize them around a cause , and this can be very threatening for leaders who want to silence the voices of their people , ' said iranian singer dariush . dariush has been singing about love , peace , freedom and justice for the iranian people since before he left 30 years ago . i encourage other musicians to come join the cause against human rights violations in iran and other places around the world , ' said dariush . female singers were also banned after the revolution . for decades female vocalists like googoosh , one of the most celebrated pop divas in iran , were silenced and forbidden to perform or record in iran . in 2000 , googoosh left iran . shortly afterward , she made a comeback on the international stage , performing in front of sold-out crowds at venues around the world . her latest release , man hamoon iranam , ' or i am the same iran , ' is also dedicated to the young iranians who died in the unrest . scores of musicians have tuned into the cause , showing support both in performance and on the internet . just last week in barcelona , spain , the band u2 dedicated the song sunday bloody sunday ' to the iranian people and performed under a green-lit banner as farsi lyrics scrolled up the screen . the opposition in iran has adopted green as its unifying color . other iran-related videos that went viral on youtube are the remake of stand by me ' by iranian singer andy and american rockers bon jovi ; joan baez 's we shall overcome ' tribute ; and wyclef jean 's performance of equal rights and justice . ' i hope the iranians realize that here in the west there are people supporting and backing their movement to seek freedom , and we would like to motivate them to keep going , ' said mams taylor . the world has lost many nedas , most of them the world will never know , ' said dariush . there are many nedas out there whose voices ca n't be heard , there are nedas in prisons that are being tortured , there are nedas screaming in the streets -- walking the fine line between life and death everyday . but she has become the symbol for all of them . ' | mams taylor , other artists join together to produce united for neda ' |
youtube <tsp> ( cnn ) -- spurred by the continuing political unrest in iran , more than two dozen iranian expatriate superstars are uniting to spread a musical message of non-violent resistance . neda agha-soltan was gunned down on a tehran street on june 20 . the entertainers , poets , thinkers and actors are harmonizing on the song united for neda , ' a call to action against human rights violations by the iranian government against iranians protesting the disputed outcome of recent presidential elections . the song was inspired by the plight of neda agha-soltan , the 26-year old iranian woman who was fatally shot on the streets of tehran on june 20 . the ordeal was recorded on cell phone video and received international attention when it hit the internet . when i saw links to neda being shot , it was so disturbing to me , ' said iranian-british recording artist mams taylor , who wrote and produced the song . it hurt me , angered me and touched me at the same time , to think that these people are so courageous to go and seek their freedom , ' said taylor . while her death became a rallying point for justice , her name , neda , ' in farsi means the call/calling ' or voice ' -- a voice many people say can not be muted . the saga is still going on in iran , and all we can do is carry on and echo their voice , ' said shoreh aghdashloo , the oscar-nominated actress from house of sand and fog ' who sang in the production . the video , much like the post-election protests , was a spontaneous response . from the studio to the street rallies in los angeles , california , the entire music video was filmed using a cell phone . with the big media ban and restrictions over there , we thought to commemorate and pay homage to what the protesters are doing over there , ' said taylor . so we thought it would be appropriate to develop the video in the same kind of light . ' watch the video and hear the song » the song was recorded in both english and farsi to reach western and iranian audiences . the english version of the video has drawn thousands of viewers since its youtube release last week . the farsi version of the song will be released thursday . iranian actress shila vosough played a key role in bringing the artists together . these artists all came together despite their varying political views , ' she said . they united , hand-in-hand , to send the kids in iran a message of their love and support . ' the political upheaval of the late 1970s forced many iranian musicians , artists , actors and entertainers like vosough into exile . many of them left unwillingly , not knowing when or if they would ever return to iran . i came to new york for a performance 32 years ago and have never been back to iran since , ' said iranian vocalist sattar , who also sang in the video . sattar , who has millions of fans around the world , wants the iranian people to know their voices are being heard . as an artist , i see this as my responsibility -- to support iranians with my songs and music , ' said sattar , a one-time favorite of the pahlavi royal family in iran . in 1979 , at the dawn of the islamic republic under much popular western music was outlawed as un-islamic . ' for years , iranians have been forced to make music underground , buying or swapping on the black market or downloading from the internet . music is a very powerful tool . it can move people and mobilize them around a cause , and this can be very threatening for leaders who want to silence the voices of their people , ' said iranian singer dariush . dariush has been singing about love , peace , freedom and justice for the iranian people since before he left 30 years ago . i encourage other musicians to come join the cause against human rights violations in iran and other places around the world , ' said dariush . female singers were also banned after the revolution . for decades female vocalists like googoosh , one of the most celebrated pop divas in iran , were silenced and forbidden to perform or record in iran . in 2000 , googoosh left iran . shortly afterward , she made a comeback on the international stage , performing in front of sold-out crowds at venues around the world . her latest release , man hamoon iranam , ' or i am the same iran , ' is also dedicated to the young iranians who died in the unrest . scores of musicians have tuned into the cause , showing support both in performance and on the internet . just last week in barcelona , spain , the band u2 dedicated the song sunday bloody sunday ' to the iranian people and performed under a green-lit banner as farsi lyrics scrolled up the screen . the opposition in iran has adopted green as its unifying color . other iran-related videos that went viral on youtube are the remake of stand by me ' by iranian singer andy and american rockers bon jovi ; joan baez 's we shall overcome ' tribute ; and wyclef jean 's performance of equal rights and justice . ' i hope the iranians realize that here in the west there are people supporting and backing their movement to seek freedom , and we would like to motivate them to keep going , ' said mams taylor . the world has lost many nedas , most of them the world will never know , ' said dariush . there are many nedas out there whose voices ca n't be heard , there are nedas in prisons that are being tortured , there are nedas screaming in the streets -- walking the fine line between life and death everyday . but she has become the symbol for all of them . ' | other iran-related videos have gone viral on youtube |
o'connell <tsp> ( cnn ) -- shia labeouf is n't the only sorry actor in hollywood . after the 27-year-old announced that he 's performing in an art piece called # iamsorry ' this week in los angeles , actors such as jerry o'connell and emile hirsch are turning labeouf 's apologetic saga into a punchline . on wednesday , o'connell actually opened his own exhibit right next to labeouf 's called # iamsorrytoo ' for funny or die . . buzzfeed stopped by both labeouf 's performance -- during which visitors take an implement , ' such as a transformers ' toy or bottle of cologne , into a small room where labeouf sits silently with a bag over his head -- and o'connell 's , and found that o'connell could be guilty of plagiarizing labeouf 's show . considering that labeouf is facing accusations of plagiarism with his # iamsorry ' show anyway , o'connell 's rip-off of labeouf 's exhibit is is obviously the point , ' buzzfeed notes . like labeouf , o'connell 's set-up involves a table of items that occasionally reference his career : where labeouf had nods to transformers , ' indiana jones ' and a copy of daniel clowes'book , the death-ray , ' o'connell included a dvd of stand by me ' and a toy kangaroo ( 2003 's kangaroo jack , ' anyone ? ) . but unlike labeouf , who never clarifies exactly what he 's apologizing for , o'connell was an open book . he , too , wore a paper bag over his head -- one saying super famous ' instead of labeouf 's i am not famous anymore ' -- but eagerly apologized for all the world 's ills ' and even offered one guy a taste of his sandwich . o'connell explained to buzzfeed that he was n't doing it to upset labeouf -- in fact , he found the actor 's exhibit pretty inspiring . everyone 's talking about it , whether you want to call it art or a real apology , it 's hilarious , ' o'connell said . he 's getting people talking . i 'm all for this artsy gallery thing . it 's fun to parody because all i have to do here is sit with a bag on my head , crying , and saying ,'i sowwy .'but i have to tell you ; it 's freeing to continually apologize like he does . i get it . ' emile hirsch does too . the lone survivor ' actor went on a tweet-spree wednesday airing all of his regrets . i am not famous to begin with , ' hirsch joked . i am beginning to feel slightly more famous . ... i take it back , still not famous . ' and then : i am ... confused about how famous or not famous i might potentially be ... anymore ... i am ... accidentally on caps . ' just in case labeouf thinks hirsch is laughing at him instead of with him , the actor clarified that in all famousness though , i love shia , whether or not he 's famous . ... i am sorry i even said sorry . not gon na lie , i am only about fifty percent sure of my original ( first ) sorry . ' in december , labeouf was accused of plagiarizing daniel clowes' justin m damiano , ' in his short film , howardcantour.com . ' the actor at first said that he 'd been so absorbed in the creative process he neglected to give clowes proper accreditation , but then he was also accused of plagiarizing his apologies . all of these regrets makes us wonder : who do you want to see apologize next ? | o'connell opened his own show next door to labeouf 's |
o'connell <tsp> ( cnn ) -- shia labeouf is n't the only sorry actor in hollywood . after the 27-year-old announced that he 's performing in an art piece called # iamsorry ' this week in los angeles , actors such as jerry o'connell and emile hirsch are turning labeouf 's apologetic saga into a punchline . on wednesday , o'connell actually opened his own exhibit right next to labeouf 's called # iamsorrytoo ' for funny or die . . buzzfeed stopped by both labeouf 's performance -- during which visitors take an implement , ' such as a transformers ' toy or bottle of cologne , into a small room where labeouf sits silently with a bag over his head -- and o'connell 's , and found that o'connell could be guilty of plagiarizing labeouf 's show . considering that labeouf is facing accusations of plagiarism with his # iamsorry ' show anyway , o'connell 's rip-off of labeouf 's exhibit is is obviously the point , ' buzzfeed notes . like labeouf , o'connell 's set-up involves a table of items that occasionally reference his career : where labeouf had nods to transformers , ' indiana jones ' and a copy of daniel clowes'book , the death-ray , ' o'connell included a dvd of stand by me ' and a toy kangaroo ( 2003 's kangaroo jack , ' anyone ? ) . but unlike labeouf , who never clarifies exactly what he 's apologizing for , o'connell was an open book . he , too , wore a paper bag over his head -- one saying super famous ' instead of labeouf 's i am not famous anymore ' -- but eagerly apologized for all the world 's ills ' and even offered one guy a taste of his sandwich . o'connell explained to buzzfeed that he was n't doing it to upset labeouf -- in fact , he found the actor 's exhibit pretty inspiring . everyone 's talking about it , whether you want to call it art or a real apology , it 's hilarious , ' o'connell said . he 's getting people talking . i 'm all for this artsy gallery thing . it 's fun to parody because all i have to do here is sit with a bag on my head , crying , and saying ,'i sowwy .'but i have to tell you ; it 's freeing to continually apologize like he does . i get it . ' emile hirsch does too . the lone survivor ' actor went on a tweet-spree wednesday airing all of his regrets . i am not famous to begin with , ' hirsch joked . i am beginning to feel slightly more famous . ... i take it back , still not famous . ' and then : i am ... confused about how famous or not famous i might potentially be ... anymore ... i am ... accidentally on caps . ' just in case labeouf thinks hirsch is laughing at him instead of with him , the actor clarified that in all famousness though , i love shia , whether or not he 's famous . ... i am sorry i even said sorry . not gon na lie , i am only about fifty percent sure of my original ( first ) sorry . ' in december , labeouf was accused of plagiarizing daniel clowes' justin m damiano , ' in his short film , howardcantour.com . ' the actor at first said that he 'd been so absorbed in the creative process he neglected to give clowes proper accreditation , but then he was also accused of plagiarizing his apologies . all of these regrets makes us wonder : who do you want to see apologize next ? | actors such as jerry o'connell are parodying shia labeouf 's apology exhibit |
o'connell <tsp> ( cnn ) -- shia labeouf is n't the only sorry actor in hollywood . after the 27-year-old announced that he 's performing in an art piece called # iamsorry ' this week in los angeles , actors such as jerry o'connell and emile hirsch are turning labeouf 's apologetic saga into a punchline . on wednesday , o'connell actually opened his own exhibit right next to labeouf 's called # iamsorrytoo ' for funny or die . . buzzfeed stopped by both labeouf 's performance -- during which visitors take an implement , ' such as a transformers ' toy or bottle of cologne , into a small room where labeouf sits silently with a bag over his head -- and o'connell 's , and found that o'connell could be guilty of plagiarizing labeouf 's show . considering that labeouf is facing accusations of plagiarism with his # iamsorry ' show anyway , o'connell 's rip-off of labeouf 's exhibit is is obviously the point , ' buzzfeed notes . like labeouf , o'connell 's set-up involves a table of items that occasionally reference his career : where labeouf had nods to transformers , ' indiana jones ' and a copy of daniel clowes'book , the death-ray , ' o'connell included a dvd of stand by me ' and a toy kangaroo ( 2003 's kangaroo jack , ' anyone ? ) . but unlike labeouf , who never clarifies exactly what he 's apologizing for , o'connell was an open book . he , too , wore a paper bag over his head -- one saying super famous ' instead of labeouf 's i am not famous anymore ' -- but eagerly apologized for all the world 's ills ' and even offered one guy a taste of his sandwich . o'connell explained to buzzfeed that he was n't doing it to upset labeouf -- in fact , he found the actor 's exhibit pretty inspiring . everyone 's talking about it , whether you want to call it art or a real apology , it 's hilarious , ' o'connell said . he 's getting people talking . i 'm all for this artsy gallery thing . it 's fun to parody because all i have to do here is sit with a bag on my head , crying , and saying ,'i sowwy .'but i have to tell you ; it 's freeing to continually apologize like he does . i get it . ' emile hirsch does too . the lone survivor ' actor went on a tweet-spree wednesday airing all of his regrets . i am not famous to begin with , ' hirsch joked . i am beginning to feel slightly more famous . ... i take it back , still not famous . ' and then : i am ... confused about how famous or not famous i might potentially be ... anymore ... i am ... accidentally on caps . ' just in case labeouf thinks hirsch is laughing at him instead of with him , the actor clarified that in all famousness though , i love shia , whether or not he 's famous . ... i am sorry i even said sorry . not gon na lie , i am only about fifty percent sure of my original ( first ) sorry . ' in december , labeouf was accused of plagiarizing daniel clowes' justin m damiano , ' in his short film , howardcantour.com . ' the actor at first said that he 'd been so absorbed in the creative process he neglected to give clowes proper accreditation , but then he was also accused of plagiarizing his apologies . all of these regrets makes us wonder : who do you want to see apologize next ? | o'connell : everyone 's talking about it ... it 's hilarious ' |
borussia dortmund <tsp> ( cnn ) -- bayern munich 's hopes of retaining the german bundesliga title suffered another blow on saturday as louis van gaal 's team were held 1-1 at third-placed bayer leverkusen . the bavarians now trail leaders borussia dortmund by 14 points after 13 rounds , having missed out on the chance to move into the top-five after conceding an equalizer right on halftime . germany striker mario gomez continued his hot scoring run to put bayern ahead in the 34th minute from close range after bastian schweinsteiger flicked on thomas muller 's cross . but danijel pranjic brought down sidney sam , allowing arturo vidal to slot in the resulting spot-kick . van gaal brought on france midfielder franck ribery in the 61st minute , but the closest bayern came to a winner was when gomez headed philipp lahm 's injury-time cross over the bar . it was bitter to draw , because i could have scored in the last few minutes , ' gomez , who has netted eight goals this season and five in the last four games , told afp . leverkusen were very strong in the second half , so we have to be happy with the point . ' borussia dortmund came from behind to win 2-1 at freiburg and maintain the club 's seven-point margin at the top . freiburg took the lead in the 26th minute with a farcical own-goal as neven subotic 's attempted clearance hit fellow defender mats hummels and bounced into the net after dortmund keeper roman weidenfeller failed to hold onto a free-kick . the visitors leveled with 15 minutes to play though substitute robert lewandowski , whose header from marcel schmelzer 's cross came within seconds of coming on and followed up his midweek double for poland . three minutes later lewandowski 's compatriot lukasz piszczek delivered a low cross which mensur mujdza turned into his own net , and freiburg were denied a late equalizer when julian schuster hit the bar . early-season pacesetters mainz stayed second , two points ahead of leverkusen , winning 3-2 at borussia monchengladbach after twice coming from behind . marco reus scored the opener in the 53rd minute and the 21-year-old put gladbach back ahead on 69 after 20-year-old andre schurrle leveled . substitute sami allagui won it for mainz , equalizing soon after coming on in the 75th minute with a volley from christian fuchs'cross . then , with two minutes left , the tunisian striker ran onto a fine through-ball from fuchs , lifted the ball over goalkeeper christofer heimeroth and headed the ball into the net . the result means gladbach could drop to the bottom of the table if cologne win at stuttgart on sunday . hannover moved up to fourth place on 22 points with a 3-2 win at home to hamburg , as striker mike hanke headed a late winner . hannover led in the 31st minute through lars stindl , but chinese midfielder heung-min son leveled from close range five minutes before halftime and then headed hamburg ahead nine minutes after the interval . christian schulz equalized five minutes later with a superb individual effort as the hannover captain flicked the ball up and beat goalkeeper jaroslav drobny with an overhead kick . son then hit the post before hanke popped up in the final minute to leave hamburg in ninth place after a fifth defeat in 13 games . hoffenheim moved above freiburg on goal difference , claiming fifth place on 21 points with a 4-0 rout of eintracht frankfurt . boris vukcevic headed the opener in the 31st minute from sebastian rudy 's corner , then seconds later vedad ibisevic had an effort cleared off the line . but the bosnia striker killed off the game with goals in the 69th and 70th minutes , the first from andreas beck 's cross and the second after a surging run by peniel mlapa . the togo-born teenager wrapped it up in time added on as frankfurt dropped to seventh after the home side 's seven-match unbeaten run came to a crashing halt , leaving the club on 20 points and above bayern on goal difference . promoted kaiserslautern moved away from the relegation zone with a 3-1 win at nuremberg , who remained on 18 points behind hamburg on goal difference . the visitors led 3-0 after 33 minutes with goals from midfielder stiven rivic -- his first for the club -- and fellow croatian ivo ilicevic before their compatriot srdjan lakic headed his seventh of the season . substitute robert mak pulled one back in the 67th minute before lautern 's athanasios petsos was sent off for an elbow on andreas wolf with 11 minutes left . nuremberg captain wolf hit the bar with a penalty for minutes later as his team 's four-match winning run at home came to an end . schalke climbed out of the bottom three and up to 14th on 13 points with a morale-boosting 4-0 thrashing of werder bremen as the teams warmed up for midweek champions league action in starkly contrasting fortunes . veteran spanish striker raul netted a hat-trick after christoph metzelder opened the scoring in the 23rd minute with a header that hit the bar and then rebounded into the net off the back of helpless goalkeeper tim wiese . raul doubled the lead on the stroke of halftime after wiese could only parry edu 's free-kick and then pounced on per mertesacker 's clearance 11 minutes after the break . the 33-year-old then chipped wiese after a defensive lapse by substitute daniel jensen before bremen had philipp bargfrede sent off for two late bookings . the visitors slumped to a third defeat in four games , and will fall to 12th if wolfsburg earn a point at st. pauli on sunday . | champions bayern munich trail german leaders borussia dortmund by 14 points |
barcelona <tsp> ( cnn ) -- real madrid snatched a 3-2 victory at valencia to remain five points behind spanish leaders barcelona , who triumphed 1-0 in the catalan derby with espanyol earlier on saturday night . real , missing the suspended cristiano ronaldo , needed an 83rd-minute winner from substitute defender ezequiel garay as all five goals came in the second half at the mestalla . madrid had twice gone ahead through garay 's fellow argentinian gonzalo higuain but valencia -- who won last season 's corresponding fixture 3-0 -- battled back through spain striker david villa and joaquin sanchez . sergio ramos headed against the post in the first half , but real suffered a big blow when fellow defender pepe was stretchered off just before the interval after the portugal international fell awkwardly . higuain , who turned 22 on thursday , headed the opening goal from karim benzema 's cross nine minutes after the break , but villa leveled six minutes later as he headed in off the underside of the crossbar from jeremy mathieu 's cross to make up for david navarro 's close-range miss just beforehand . marcelo then set up higuain for his eighth goal this season -- all of which have come in the past seven games -- but substitute joaquin beat goalkeeper iker casillas at his near post in the 80th minute . however , garay 's glancing header from xabi alonso 's free-kick kept real in touch with barca , who have played one more match . the spanish and european champions needed a controversial penalty from zlatan ibrahimovic to edge past their city rivals espanyol at the nou camp . the swede slotted his 11th league goal this season , one behind top scorer villa , after xavi went down in the area despite minimal contact from former barcelona youth player raul baena six minutes before halftime . the hosts started with thierry henry in the absence of injured european player of the year lionel messi , but the frenchman and ibrahimovic were unable to take advantage of several chances . pep guardiola 's team will now head to dubai for the fifa world club cup , where they will meet atlante in the semifinals following the mexican team 's 3-0 win against new zealand champions auckland on saturday . espanyol suffered a fifth straight defeat , but can not end the weekend in the relegation zone thanks to real zaragoza 's 2-1 defeat at home to athletic bilbao earlier on saturday . the basque side bounced back from last weekend 's 2-1 home defeat to valencia to go seventh above sporting gijon , who host fourth-placed sevilla on sunday . sevilla are one point behind valencia , who trail barcelona by 11 and real by six . | real madrid win 3-2 at valencia to remain five points behind spanish leaders barcelona |
barcelona <tsp> ( cnn ) -- real madrid snatched a 3-2 victory at valencia to remain five points behind spanish leaders barcelona , who triumphed 1-0 in the catalan derby with espanyol earlier on saturday night . real , missing the suspended cristiano ronaldo , needed an 83rd-minute winner from substitute defender ezequiel garay as all five goals came in the second half at the mestalla . madrid had twice gone ahead through garay 's fellow argentinian gonzalo higuain but valencia -- who won last season 's corresponding fixture 3-0 -- battled back through spain striker david villa and joaquin sanchez . sergio ramos headed against the post in the first half , but real suffered a big blow when fellow defender pepe was stretchered off just before the interval after the portugal international fell awkwardly . higuain , who turned 22 on thursday , headed the opening goal from karim benzema 's cross nine minutes after the break , but villa leveled six minutes later as he headed in off the underside of the crossbar from jeremy mathieu 's cross to make up for david navarro 's close-range miss just beforehand . marcelo then set up higuain for his eighth goal this season -- all of which have come in the past seven games -- but substitute joaquin beat goalkeeper iker casillas at his near post in the 80th minute . however , garay 's glancing header from xabi alonso 's free-kick kept real in touch with barca , who have played one more match . the spanish and european champions needed a controversial penalty from zlatan ibrahimovic to edge past their city rivals espanyol at the nou camp . the swede slotted his 11th league goal this season , one behind top scorer villa , after xavi went down in the area despite minimal contact from former barcelona youth player raul baena six minutes before halftime . the hosts started with thierry henry in the absence of injured european player of the year lionel messi , but the frenchman and ibrahimovic were unable to take advantage of several chances . pep guardiola 's team will now head to dubai for the fifa world club cup , where they will meet atlante in the semifinals following the mexican team 's 3-0 win against new zealand champions auckland on saturday . espanyol suffered a fifth straight defeat , but can not end the weekend in the relegation zone thanks to real zaragoza 's 2-1 defeat at home to athletic bilbao earlier on saturday . the basque side bounced back from last weekend 's 2-1 home defeat to valencia to go seventh above sporting gijon , who host fourth-placed sevilla on sunday . sevilla are one point behind valencia , who trail barcelona by 11 and real by six . | barcelona win catalan derby against espanyol thanks to controversial penalty |
u.s . <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- where can you buy a large punk rock head complete with pink mohawk haircut , mary poppins'coat and umbrella , and a pair of competition boxing gloves used by elite athletes ? the answer is the london olympic games auction site where organizers are selling off everything from the discus and javelins thrown by competitors to props and costumes used in the opening ceremony . although the games closed sunday with the olympic flag being handed over to the 2016 host city of rio de janeiro , enthusiasm for the london olympics appears to be as strong as during the last two weeks when competitors performed in front of packed stadia and to a global audience of millions . with only a few hours left in one sale , more than £3,000 ( $ 4,709 ) has been bid for the basketball used in the men 's final won by the u.s. in a close-fought game with spain . it remains to be seen whether these bids are completed , but another enthusiast has offered double the basketball price for a limited edition of a 2012 olympic torch signed by bradley wiggins -- the british cyclist who added the time trial gold medal to his victory in this year 's tour de france . another bidder says they are prepared to pay £3,000 ( $ 4,709 ) for a two-meter high sculpture of wenlock -- one of the 2012 mascots -- and £456 ( $ 716 ) is the current price for a set of goal posts used in the handball final . the london olympics organizing committee , locog , says the money raised so far has helped subsidize the costs of torches and torchbearers and also contributes towards hosting the giant sporting festival . organizers say building the venues , improving infrastructure and staging the event cost in excess of £9 billion ( $ 14 billion ) with the cash coming from both public funds and through sponsorship , ticket sales , merchandizing and the sale of media rights . there has been a lot of interest on the site and it 's great to see people want to own a piece of olympic history , ' said a locog spokesperson . we 've had 1,735 different items put up for sale ... and the biggest seller has been the torches . ' flags , balls , boxing headgear , athletes'signed photos -- even a farmer 's sickle from the pastoral scene at the opening -- are still up for grabs . but you will need very deep pockets for some of the items . a bronze medal from the st. louis games in 1904 which is advertised on the site is currently attracting a bid of £20,000 ( $ 31,404 ) . | more than £3,000 ( $ 4,709 ) has been bid for the basketball used in the men 's olympic final won by the u.s . |
patrick troughton <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- whovians across the world can rejoice as the bbc confirms the discovery of nine lost doctor who ' episodes from the 1960s in africa . the treasure-trove of missing episodes were traced to a relay station in jos , nigeria via hong kong using overseas shipment records by philip morris , director of television international enterprises archive . i remember wiping the dust off the masking tape on the canisters and my heart missed a beat as i saw the words'doctor who ,'' said morris . when i read the story code i realized i 'd found something pretty special . ' ending weeks of speculation , the announcement was made at a press screening in london thursday attended by former companion actors frazer hines , deborah watling -- who appeared in the recovered episodes -- and mark gatiss , who has both written and acted in the show in recent years . the lost black and white stories are episodes from the enemy of the world ' and the web of fear ' featuring patrick troughton as the second iteration of the time-traveling doctor . the web of fear ' -- first broadcast in 1968 -- sees the eccentric chrononaut battling robot yetis on the london underground and was also the first appearance of nicholas courtney as colonel lethbridge-stewart . while introducing the episode in front of around 70 excited reporters gatiss said : it 's the quintessential'doctor who'story ... the most british thing you could ever imagine . ' during the 1960s it was common practice by television companies to erase videotapes of original episodes much to the dismay of fans today . yet some classic installments were distributed internationally for foreign broadcasters to purchase . in 2011 , two episodes were rediscovered by former tv engineer terry burnett after he bought them at a school fair . morris described the newly materialized episodes as the largest haul of missing episodes recovered in the last 25 , maybe 30 years ' and now brings down the number of remaining lost episodes to 97 . the find is a fitting gift for fans of the long-running show as the british cult science-fiction series celebrates its 50th anniversary on november 23 . inez torre contributed to this report . | the rediscovered episodes feature patrick troughton as the second doctor |
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