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nigerians <tsp> lagos , nigeria ( cnn ) -- if you are a young person living in africa right now , it can be pretty confusing knowing what to believe : is it a hopeful place or is it trapped in a vicious cycle ? is it the site of the world 's fastest growing economies , or is it a place where more than 200 schoolgirls are kidnapped and held captive for two weeks with no hope of recovery ? on the one hand , much more than half of the employable young population is out of a job and there are many caught in wars and rumors of wars , from sudan 's two sides to the central african republic . but on the other , there 's growth and palpable excitement : africa is the continent to watch ; investment is pouring in for technology and a whole range of businesses both new and traditional , many countries boast impressive gdps ; democracy is solidifying , and with it free speech and citizen engagement , a flourishing sense of enterprise and a groundswell of creativity . there is no greater symbol of this confusion than nigeria at this exact moment . on the one hand , we are the focus of the world , with our gdp rebased and our economy enjoying something of a rebirth ; and yet on the other , we are the focus of the world , with bombs tearing through our nation 's capital , and girls abducted in broad daylight by domestic terrorists . with the world economic forum coming to abuja this week , i see myself frenziedly planning alongside other global shapers across lagos , abuja and kano to welcome the world to our country and to show its vast potential , looking forward to the sessions and the panels focused on inclusive growth and job creation . at the same time i sit on the board of enough is enough nigeria , which is passionately , angrily demanding that the world cancels the world economic forum on africa to send a message to our lethargic president that he must find the 234 girls who have been missing for 18 days , and stop the violence that has taken the lives of over 1,500 in the north of nigeria this year . how can i be excited about going to abuja next week for the forum when a bomb just went off in the city 's center ? should i tweet # wefafrica , or # bringbackthegirls ? talk about schizophrenia . i find myself confused , pulled in both directions . yet i find both imperatives compelling , almost inevitable . i believe this is the most urgent challenge for young people like me , growing up in a time of great flux . the world has so much faith in young africans at the moment -- and with good reason ; see what we 've done with technology , the creative industries and civil society , for instance -- urging and willing us to fulfill the promise that is in abundance amongst us , to become the turning point generation . ' but if only the world understood how frustrating it can be to have hope in the future of nigeria when its power sector remains comatose , corrupt ministers collude with the legislature , people die in stadiums while jostling for jobs , and governments strangle small businesses with multiple taxation and out-of-touch policies . we have the important duty to maintain hope , keep up the excitement ; channel the energy and take advantage of the opportunities that exist around us . but at the same time , we must maintain perspective , and avoid burying our heads in the sand ; we must demand better governance and speak with clarity and integrity about the failings of our leaders in government and the private sector . our eyes must be fixed on the stars , but our feet must stand firmly on the ground . it is a delicate balance , but we have no choice . we must play the hand our continent has dealt us . we have no choice . | chude jideonwo says nigerians must maintain hope in difficult circumstances |
arkansas <tsp> a scenic fall tour turned into a nightmare ride for passengers in northwest arkansas on thursday after a freight train and a passenger train collision left dozens injured . the six crew members and 38 passengers aboard were all injured , according to the arkansas missouri railroad police . the passenger train is operated by the arkansas and missouri railroad , said ron sparks , the railroad 's police chief . the train departed from springdale , arkansas , and was headed to van buren to take passengers on a fall foliage excursion . the trains collided thursday morning when the passenger train stalled on a small grade , apparently because of excess leaves on the track , according to police . we called for another locomotive to come help , ' said sparks . somehow there was miscommunication on the passenger train 's position , and the locomotive rounded the curve and crashed into the passenger train , ' added sparks . it 's a pretty rural area , we had to park in woods , and wade through a river to get the passengers , using four-wheelers to pull them out . ' one of the train 's conductors fractured his ankle and back and was evacuated to the hospital , said sparks . local fire and police emergency responders remain on the scene , according to local police . the national transportation safety board was sending a team to the site of the crash thursday evening to investigate . | a freight train and passenger train collide in northwest arkansas |
new york <tsp> ( cnn ) -- kings of leon drummer nathan followill suffered broken ribs when the group 's tour bus stopped suddenly to avoid a pedestrian saturday night , the band said sunday . the rock group 's sunday night show in saratoga springs , new york , is postponed , according to the announcement posted on facebook . the band was en route to their hotel after their show in boston when a pedestrian jumped in front of their tour bus , causing the bus to stop short , injuring nathan followill , ' the statement said . nathan is being treated for broken ribs , but is doing well . ' bass guitarist jared followill , nathan 's brother , tweeted about the mishap sunday morning : so sad this a.m .. bus accident last night . nathan has broken ribs . this was the most fun tour in a while . we 'll be back asap . # getwellnate ' nathan followill was in a good mood just before the accident , tweeting after the boston show : boston , best crowd of the tour . gon na be tough to beat . thanks for the love . ca n't wait to come back . ' fans were told to check the band 's website for updates on future shows . kings of leon has 30 shows scheduled over the next two months , including another dozen in august as part of a u.s. tour . this is not the first time an injury to nathan followill forced a cancellation for the band . the group called off a tour of australia and new zealand in 2011 while the drummer recovered from surgery for a torn right labrum and bicep . cnn first learned of the band 's accident through a twitter posting . | the rock group 's sunday night show in saratoga springs , new york , is postponed |
latino gop <tsp> ( cnn ) -- this is no way to run a party . the details of the scandal sweeping the new york republican party are tawdry , sad and infuriating -- and a wake-up call to a national party that is urgently seeking to make inroads among black , latino , and young voters . barely two weeks after rnc chairman reince priebus and new york state republican chairman ed cox held a press conference at a black church in brooklyn to launch the party 's ambitious , $ 10 million diversity campaign , fbi agents arrested malcolm smith , a longtime black state legislator . according to federal prosecutors , smith spent months organizing cash bribes to two top city republican officials in exchange for a slot on the ballot in this fall 's republican primary for mayor . unfortunately for smith , a real estate tycoon he enlisted to make cash payments was , in fact , an undercover fbi agent , according to federal prosecutors . the criminal complaint against smith and five others -- including a republican city council member and the chairman and vice chairman of two republican county organizations -- details mind-boggling details of recorded conversations and alleged handovers of envelopes stuffed with money . all the scheming , say prosecutors , was done in the hope that smith might secure the republican nomination and somehow win the race for mayor in a city where democrats outnumber republicans 6-to-1 . smith will get his day in court , along with the five other men and women named -- but the damage to the party is incalculable . in a 100-page plan of action , priebus and the rnc laid out a pilot project to build support among black urban voters , and specifically declared that big-city mayoral races provide our best 2013 opportunities for these projects . ' new york can probably be crossed off that list , and the fallout will be felt in other cities as the case unfolds . and that 's a shame . republican leaders are right to make their case to young , urban , black and latino voters , and should be grooming candidates from all communities . america 's two-party system ca n't function properly if the parties are racially divided . the flirtation with the republican party by smith , a lifelong democrat -- if done honestly -- might have started a new conversation within black circles about the cost and wisdom of always supporting democratic candidates and policies . it has long been noticed that black communities contain their share of church-going social conservatives ; the gop theory is that intelligent outreach to those voters could tilt close contests to republicans . that 's not likely to happen now . smith 's troubles -- and the arrest of republican leaders accused of taking money to advance smith 's cross-party ambitions -- will supply ammunition to conservative party leaders who are skeptical about the new diversity strategy . the scandal also weakens the argument , popular among national republicans , that big-city democratic political machines are corrupt and wasteful . in new york , at least , the shoe is on the other foot , with gop party leaders in the nation 's biggest city hauled from their homes in handcuffs and facing up to 40 years in prison or more . it now falls to new york 's republican chairman , ed cox , to straighten out this mess . cox knows his way around a scandal : as the son-in-law of the late president richard nixon , he had a ringside seat as the watergate debacle unfolded . cox must do whatever it takes to chase any crooked characters out of his party -- and try , against the odds , to continue priebus'outreach strategy . doing so will be a challenge , because the next black or latino republican candidate will face the question : are you another malcolm smith ? the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of errol louis . | as it is , he says , scandal will hamstring next black or latino gop candidate |
html5 <tsp> ( cnn ) -- for decades -- dating back to the 1980s -- apple and adobe systems have had a deeply troubled relationship . the most recent phase of their ongoing struggle has been over whether flash ( adobe 's hugely popular proprietary format for adding animation , video , and interactivity to web pages ) would run on apple mobile devices . apple has always resisted putting flash on the iphone , because flash has performed notoriously poorly on macintosh computers . but these days internet access is swiftly going mobile , and apple 's iphone holds the most interactivity- and video-hungry portion of the smartphone market . apple does offer a mobile app that re-encodes youtube flash videos to play on the iphone , but in general flash elements wo n't play on apple mobile devices . so adobe has been trying hard to get apple to support flash on the iphone , ipad and ipod touch . it looks like adobe has finally lost this battle . last week adobe systems released wallaby -- an experimental new drag-and-drop tool for developers that converts flash files into html5 . html5 is an emerging web standard that can work with the fully featured browsers available on most mobile devices , including the iphone and ipad . it allows developers to build mobile web pages that are much more interactive and multimedia-rich . ( technically , it 's now called just html , but most people are still saying html5 ' to refer to the new capabilities . ) also , html5 can be used to build mobile apps that work offline . as cnn money recently explained , html5 web apps can still function in areas with no connection . gamers , for instance , can continue playing uninterrupted even if their device loses its signal . ' in january , the new york times reported that many online content services , including vimeo and flickr , are experimenting with using html5 to deliver video and other rich media , probably driven in part by apple 's lack of mobile support for flash . the washington post reports that wallaby ( a program that runs on the adobe air platform , which does work with apple 's ios mobile operating system ) was tested with ios 4.2 . the only supported webkit browsers at this time are chrome and safari on osx , windows and ios . ' what does this mean for iphone users ? if wallaby becomes popular with developers , then many websites that use flash to present interactive features or multimedia content -- anything from videos to games to simulations and more -- may suddenly start working right on the iphone and ipad . so iphone and ipad users will encounter fewer of those annoying blank holes on web pages where multimedia is supposed to appear . but in the big picture , if most internet access goes mobile ( as gartner predicted will happen by 2013 ) , then there might be less and less reason for web developers to use flash . it could be that html5 might become the norm , and flash might fade into the mists of tech history . daniel eran dilger predicted adobe 's move to accommodate html5 almost a year ago , in his brilliant mock-biblical chronicle of the history of adobe vs. apple , an amazingly entertaining read . dilger wrote : ... and adobe saw four horsemen of the apocalypse ascending from the sea , the rider of the white horse was steve jobs and he was bent on conquest . and a second horse , red , was given to iphone to take away market share from smartphones , and to cause phone makers to wage war and to fall upon their own swords . and a third horse , black , was carrying the scales of the ipod touch , and it measured out music playback from itunes and sold many apps and starved other mobile platforms of mobile application demand . and fourth horse , pale , had a rider named ipad , which pundits called death . and it caused famine for tablets and plague for slates and killed with a sword . and none of the horsemen used flash . and adobe frightfully woke from its vision of terrors , and realized that its days of monopolizing the web with flash content were over . ... and then adobe began building html5 development tools , and it charged reasonable prices and built cross-platform products and the people rejoiced and adobe 's death was spared and it lived comfortably for many days next to apple . and steve jobs said thank you and adobe said no , thank you . and they all lived happily ever after . ' | adobe is releasing an application that will convert flash into html5 |
html5 <tsp> ( cnn ) -- for decades -- dating back to the 1980s -- apple and adobe systems have had a deeply troubled relationship . the most recent phase of their ongoing struggle has been over whether flash ( adobe 's hugely popular proprietary format for adding animation , video , and interactivity to web pages ) would run on apple mobile devices . apple has always resisted putting flash on the iphone , because flash has performed notoriously poorly on macintosh computers . but these days internet access is swiftly going mobile , and apple 's iphone holds the most interactivity- and video-hungry portion of the smartphone market . apple does offer a mobile app that re-encodes youtube flash videos to play on the iphone , but in general flash elements wo n't play on apple mobile devices . so adobe has been trying hard to get apple to support flash on the iphone , ipad and ipod touch . it looks like adobe has finally lost this battle . last week adobe systems released wallaby -- an experimental new drag-and-drop tool for developers that converts flash files into html5 . html5 is an emerging web standard that can work with the fully featured browsers available on most mobile devices , including the iphone and ipad . it allows developers to build mobile web pages that are much more interactive and multimedia-rich . ( technically , it 's now called just html , but most people are still saying html5 ' to refer to the new capabilities . ) also , html5 can be used to build mobile apps that work offline . as cnn money recently explained , html5 web apps can still function in areas with no connection . gamers , for instance , can continue playing uninterrupted even if their device loses its signal . ' in january , the new york times reported that many online content services , including vimeo and flickr , are experimenting with using html5 to deliver video and other rich media , probably driven in part by apple 's lack of mobile support for flash . the washington post reports that wallaby ( a program that runs on the adobe air platform , which does work with apple 's ios mobile operating system ) was tested with ios 4.2 . the only supported webkit browsers at this time are chrome and safari on osx , windows and ios . ' what does this mean for iphone users ? if wallaby becomes popular with developers , then many websites that use flash to present interactive features or multimedia content -- anything from videos to games to simulations and more -- may suddenly start working right on the iphone and ipad . so iphone and ipad users will encounter fewer of those annoying blank holes on web pages where multimedia is supposed to appear . but in the big picture , if most internet access goes mobile ( as gartner predicted will happen by 2013 ) , then there might be less and less reason for web developers to use flash . it could be that html5 might become the norm , and flash might fade into the mists of tech history . daniel eran dilger predicted adobe 's move to accommodate html5 almost a year ago , in his brilliant mock-biblical chronicle of the history of adobe vs. apple , an amazingly entertaining read . dilger wrote : ... and adobe saw four horsemen of the apocalypse ascending from the sea , the rider of the white horse was steve jobs and he was bent on conquest . and a second horse , red , was given to iphone to take away market share from smartphones , and to cause phone makers to wage war and to fall upon their own swords . and a third horse , black , was carrying the scales of the ipod touch , and it measured out music playback from itunes and sold many apps and starved other mobile platforms of mobile application demand . and fourth horse , pale , had a rider named ipad , which pundits called death . and it caused famine for tablets and plague for slates and killed with a sword . and none of the horsemen used flash . and adobe frightfully woke from its vision of terrors , and realized that its days of monopolizing the web with flash content were over . ... and then adobe began building html5 development tools , and it charged reasonable prices and built cross-platform products and the people rejoiced and adobe 's death was spared and it lived comfortably for many days next to apple . and steve jobs said thank you and adobe said no , thank you . and they all lived happily ever after . ' | html5 is a new web standard aimed at working on most browsers and mobile devices . |
french <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- a british cyclist who was the first to come across the aftermath of a brutal murder in the french alps last week told thursday how he helped an injured girl and called for help . in an interview with bbc news , brett martin , a former royal air force pilot , recounted the shocking scene he stumbled across as he went on a regular bike ride in a national park . martin said what he found in the parking lot -- three people shot dead in a car and a fourth on the ground nearby -- was like a hollywood scene . ' his account came as french prosecutor eric maillaud and investigating judge michel mollin were in britain seeking new leads in the case . they met with surrey police , whose officers have been helping french investigators to search the home of two of the victims , saad and ikbal al-hilli , in the town of claygate , in the county of surrey . bomb squad clears suspicious items in victims'home speaking outside woking police station , maillaud said it was highly likely that the reasons and causes for ( the crime ) have their origin in this country . ' our presence here does not mean that there are problems between the two jurisdictions , ' said maillaud , . we wish to reinforce our cooperation and understanding with hope to reach a conclusion to these horrible murders . ' rob price , assistant chief constable for surrey police , stressed that his officers would do all they could to assist the french-led investigation . maillaud said wednesday that investigators were focused on three main areas : saad al-hilli 's job , his links to his native iraq , and a reported family dispute over money involving his brother . born in baghdad in 1962 , saad al-hilli was a naturalized british citizen who had lived in the united kingdom for decades . he was an engineer working at surrey satellite technology , a high-tech company owned by eads , an aerospace corporation that builds satellites . authorities have been tight-lipped about possible perpetrators and motives in the attack , although speculation has been rife in the british media . martin 's account to the bbc shed fresh light on the grisly scene that confronted french police near lake annecy after the alarm was raised last wednesday .'slaughter at chevaline': more questions than answers the first thing he saw as he cycled up the mountain road near the village of chevaline was the bike of a french cyclist on the ground , martin said . then he spotted the girl , whose parents , saad and ikbal al-hilli , and grandmother were subsequently identified as those shot to death in the car . she was stumbling and falling over and at first he thought she was playing , martin told the bbc . then he realized she was injured , and put her in the recovery position as she slipped in and out of consciousness . the car engine was still revving and wheels spinning , he said , making him fear it could move and harm the girl and the cyclist whose bike he had seen on the ground . at first i thought , there 's been a terrible accident between a cyclist and a car , because there was a cyclist on the ground more or less in front of the car . but there were things that did n't quite match , because the cyclist 's bike was n't beside him , so as the minutes went on i started to change my opinion , ' he told the bbc . he pushed in one of the car windows , which had bullet holes in it , to turn off the engine -- and saw the bodies inside . i 've never seen people who 've been shot before for real ... but it seemed to me just like a hollywood scene , and if someone had said'cut'and everybody got up and walked away , that would have been it . but unfortunately it was real life . ... it became quite obvious now , taking stock , that it was a gun crime , ' he said . realizing that whoever was responsible could still be in the area , martin became increasingly anxious but faced a dilemma . he had no cell phone signal to call emergency services , but the girl appeared too badly injured for him to carry her down the mountain . martin decided to leave her in a safe position and set off back down the road on his bike to summon help . he managed to flag down a car and asked the french motorist to call for help , before returning to the scene to check on the girl , who was now unconscious . he added that he was unsurprised that french police had failed to spot a second child , a 4-year-old girl , hiding in the back of the car under her dead mother 's legs , for nearly eight hours . young girl found alive among bodies in france martin , from sussex in southern england , went back to france on wednesday to retrace his route and see if new recollections came to mind . the pilot , who now works in civil aviation and has a family business in annecy , had given a detailed statement to police immediately after the shooting , including details of vehicles that passed him on the road , he said . the 7-year-old girl he helped is now out of a medically induced coma but remains too badly injured to be questioned , maillaud said wednesday . she is a key witness as the only person alive who potentially saw who carried out the shooting . her 4-year-old sister , who has been reunited with other family members , told investigators she heard noise but saw nothing . ahmed al-saffar , an uncle of ikbal al-hilli , said wednesday that the family , which he described as being of iraqi-arabic origin , was heartbroken by this shocking crime . ' we are very grateful for the support provided by the british , french and iraqi authorities during this difficult time , ' he said , in a statement released on his behalf by the uk foreign office . we hope that those responsible for the deaths of our loved ones are brought swiftly to justice . ' cnn 's kirsten dewar , laura smith-spark and stephanie halasz contributed to this report . | saad al-hilli , his wife and mother-in-law were shot dead , along with a french cyclist |
french <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- a british cyclist who was the first to come across the aftermath of a brutal murder in the french alps last week told thursday how he helped an injured girl and called for help . in an interview with bbc news , brett martin , a former royal air force pilot , recounted the shocking scene he stumbled across as he went on a regular bike ride in a national park . martin said what he found in the parking lot -- three people shot dead in a car and a fourth on the ground nearby -- was like a hollywood scene . ' his account came as french prosecutor eric maillaud and investigating judge michel mollin were in britain seeking new leads in the case . they met with surrey police , whose officers have been helping french investigators to search the home of two of the victims , saad and ikbal al-hilli , in the town of claygate , in the county of surrey . bomb squad clears suspicious items in victims'home speaking outside woking police station , maillaud said it was highly likely that the reasons and causes for ( the crime ) have their origin in this country . ' our presence here does not mean that there are problems between the two jurisdictions , ' said maillaud , . we wish to reinforce our cooperation and understanding with hope to reach a conclusion to these horrible murders . ' rob price , assistant chief constable for surrey police , stressed that his officers would do all they could to assist the french-led investigation . maillaud said wednesday that investigators were focused on three main areas : saad al-hilli 's job , his links to his native iraq , and a reported family dispute over money involving his brother . born in baghdad in 1962 , saad al-hilli was a naturalized british citizen who had lived in the united kingdom for decades . he was an engineer working at surrey satellite technology , a high-tech company owned by eads , an aerospace corporation that builds satellites . authorities have been tight-lipped about possible perpetrators and motives in the attack , although speculation has been rife in the british media . martin 's account to the bbc shed fresh light on the grisly scene that confronted french police near lake annecy after the alarm was raised last wednesday .'slaughter at chevaline': more questions than answers the first thing he saw as he cycled up the mountain road near the village of chevaline was the bike of a french cyclist on the ground , martin said . then he spotted the girl , whose parents , saad and ikbal al-hilli , and grandmother were subsequently identified as those shot to death in the car . she was stumbling and falling over and at first he thought she was playing , martin told the bbc . then he realized she was injured , and put her in the recovery position as she slipped in and out of consciousness . the car engine was still revving and wheels spinning , he said , making him fear it could move and harm the girl and the cyclist whose bike he had seen on the ground . at first i thought , there 's been a terrible accident between a cyclist and a car , because there was a cyclist on the ground more or less in front of the car . but there were things that did n't quite match , because the cyclist 's bike was n't beside him , so as the minutes went on i started to change my opinion , ' he told the bbc . he pushed in one of the car windows , which had bullet holes in it , to turn off the engine -- and saw the bodies inside . i 've never seen people who 've been shot before for real ... but it seemed to me just like a hollywood scene , and if someone had said'cut'and everybody got up and walked away , that would have been it . but unfortunately it was real life . ... it became quite obvious now , taking stock , that it was a gun crime , ' he said . realizing that whoever was responsible could still be in the area , martin became increasingly anxious but faced a dilemma . he had no cell phone signal to call emergency services , but the girl appeared too badly injured for him to carry her down the mountain . martin decided to leave her in a safe position and set off back down the road on his bike to summon help . he managed to flag down a car and asked the french motorist to call for help , before returning to the scene to check on the girl , who was now unconscious . he added that he was unsurprised that french police had failed to spot a second child , a 4-year-old girl , hiding in the back of the car under her dead mother 's legs , for nearly eight hours . young girl found alive among bodies in france martin , from sussex in southern england , went back to france on wednesday to retrace his route and see if new recollections came to mind . the pilot , who now works in civil aviation and has a family business in annecy , had given a detailed statement to police immediately after the shooting , including details of vehicles that passed him on the road , he said . the 7-year-old girl he helped is now out of a medically induced coma but remains too badly injured to be questioned , maillaud said wednesday . she is a key witness as the only person alive who potentially saw who carried out the shooting . her 4-year-old sister , who has been reunited with other family members , told investigators she heard noise but saw nothing . ahmed al-saffar , an uncle of ikbal al-hilli , said wednesday that the family , which he described as being of iraqi-arabic origin , was heartbroken by this shocking crime . ' we are very grateful for the support provided by the british , french and iraqi authorities during this difficult time , ' he said , in a statement released on his behalf by the uk foreign office . we hope that those responsible for the deaths of our loved ones are brought swiftly to justice . ' cnn 's kirsten dewar , laura smith-spark and stephanie halasz contributed to this report . | a french prosecutor and judge are in britain seeking new leads in the case |
harlem <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- one wily coyote traveled a bit too far from home , and its resulting adventure through harlem had alarmed residents doing a double take and scampering to get out of its way wednesday morning . police say frightened new yorkers reported the coyote sighting around 9:30 a.m. , and an emergency service unit was dispatched to find the animal . the little troublemaker was caught and tranquilized in trinity cemetery on 155th street and broadway , and then taken to the wildlife conservation society at the bronx zoo , authorities said . the coyote is under evaluation and observation , ' said mary dixon , spokesperson for the wildlife conservation society . dixon said the coyote is a female , between 1 and 2 years old . she said the department of environmental conservation will either send the animal to a rescue center or put it back in the wild . according to adrian benepe , new york city parks commissioner , coyotes in manhattan are rare , but not unheard of . this is actually the third coyote that has been seen in the last 10 years , ' benepe said . benepe said there is a theory the coyotes make their way to the city from suburban westchester . he said they probably walk down the amtrak rail corridor along the hudson river or swim down the hudson river until they get to the city . | harlem residents scamper to get out of the coyote 's way wednesday |
harlem <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- one wily coyote traveled a bit too far from home , and its resulting adventure through harlem had alarmed residents doing a double take and scampering to get out of its way wednesday morning . police say frightened new yorkers reported the coyote sighting around 9:30 a.m. , and an emergency service unit was dispatched to find the animal . the little troublemaker was caught and tranquilized in trinity cemetery on 155th street and broadway , and then taken to the wildlife conservation society at the bronx zoo , authorities said . the coyote is under evaluation and observation , ' said mary dixon , spokesperson for the wildlife conservation society . dixon said the coyote is a female , between 1 and 2 years old . she said the department of environmental conservation will either send the animal to a rescue center or put it back in the wild . according to adrian benepe , new york city parks commissioner , coyotes in manhattan are rare , but not unheard of . this is actually the third coyote that has been seen in the last 10 years , ' benepe said . benepe said there is a theory the coyotes make their way to the city from suburban westchester . he said they probably walk down the amtrak rail corridor along the hudson river or swim down the hudson river until they get to the city . | speculation is coyote made its way to harlem via amtrak tracks or swam in hudson |
syria <tsp> ( cnn ) -- almost every american ally in the middle east is desperately calling out for help , and we are ignoring them . turkey , israel , jordan , saudi arabia , qatar , bahrain -- and behind closed doors , even egypt -- want american involvement in syria to stop the blood bath . but the twin ghosts of iraq and afghanistan seem to have paralyzed america in the arab world . on thursday , turkey 's prime minister , recep tayyip erdogan , will visit president barack obama in washington . this is an ideal opportunity to throw american weight behind greater turkish leadership in resolving the syrian conflict -- and declare as much from the white house . the conflict is spreading fast outside of syria , and unless regional powers such as turkey , israel and saudi arabia are empowered to act militarily , and swiftly , many more lives will be lost and the middle east further destabilized . only this weekend , bashar al-assad 's intelligence agencies were linked to two car bombings in hatay , turkey , that killed more than 50 people and injured more than 100 . syria is now home to radical sunni islamists from across the globe who want to bring down al-assad , and shiite fighters from hezbollah who support the syrian president . beyond geopolitics and games of nation states , syria is a raw human disaster : some 80,000 people have been killed , 1 million refugees have fled to neighboring countries , and millions more are displaced inside syria . for how much longer will we stand by and watch ? i oppose direct u.s. military intervention in syria , but recent actions by israel , daring attacks on turkey and last month 's rapprochement between these two important nations means that there is now new scope for greater regional involvement in syria . secretary of state john kerry is right to pursue a new diplomatic settlement through moscow , but his hand is only as strong as the force gathering on al-assad 's doorsteps . in other words , let us say yes to diplomacy , but not be naã¯ve and think that al-assad and his iranian backers can not outmaneuver the wiliest diplomats . they have rebuffed at least five other such attempts . diplomacy must be backed by force . al-assad understands the language of military strength -- of armies keeping fighting factions apart , aircrafts enforcing a no-fly ' zone , bombs on his runways , tanks outside his presidential palace , ships on the seas . that is not to say that the killings continue . erdogan has been sensitive when dealing with pkk terrorists in not killing them for fear of collateral damage . that same spirit of protecting human lives must inform turkish leadership in syria . first , al-assad and his family need to leave syria for russia , iran or elsewhere . their days of ruling like a mafia are over . large segments of the syrian people have lost their fear of al-assad , and will not settle for anything less than his departure . he must either do so freely and immediately , or meet the fate of moammar gadhafi and saddam hussein . second , al-assad is not the protector of syria 's minorities , as many mistakenly believe . he is the cause of mass killings that are likely to get worse without external intervention . genocide of syria 's minorities will have a ripple effect on tribes and religious minorities in iraq , lebanon and jordan . turkey and regional and nato forces should make it their utmost priority to prevent it . third , with all their divisions and sectarian pettiness , it is the syrian opposition that must own syria . colin powell 's admonition that if you break it , you own it ' can not be applied to outside countries with syria -- the owners must be the syrian opposition ( with all its flaws ) , not turkey , far less israel or saudi arabia or others who break ' al-assad 's grip . fourth , removing al-assad and safeguarding syrian communities is not the end , but a new beginning . syria can go in any number of directions . the challenge from islamist radicalism and terrorism inside syria is real -- they can be confronted there , and prevented from traveling elsewhere and spreading their virus of violence . as syria works toward rebuilding its infrastructure , economy , society and polity , the united states can not turn its back on a country that shares borders with jordan , turkey , iraq , israel and lebanon . for now , washington needs to respond to the calls of our allies in the middle east , and in doing so , bring turks , israelis and arabs closer in cooperation as they seek to liberate syria from the clutches of a corrupt clan and ensure it remains free from the fanatics of islamist fundamentalism . closer engagement by these three regional forces through u.s. assistance now also puts in place roots for a post-al-assad syria that is less hostile to israel . america does not need to lead always ; it can and must support its allies . follow cnn opinion on twitter . join the conversation on facebook . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of ed husain . | he says israelis , arabs , turks can cooperate to help rid syria of al-assad with u.s. help |
syria <tsp> ( cnn ) -- almost every american ally in the middle east is desperately calling out for help , and we are ignoring them . turkey , israel , jordan , saudi arabia , qatar , bahrain -- and behind closed doors , even egypt -- want american involvement in syria to stop the blood bath . but the twin ghosts of iraq and afghanistan seem to have paralyzed america in the arab world . on thursday , turkey 's prime minister , recep tayyip erdogan , will visit president barack obama in washington . this is an ideal opportunity to throw american weight behind greater turkish leadership in resolving the syrian conflict -- and declare as much from the white house . the conflict is spreading fast outside of syria , and unless regional powers such as turkey , israel and saudi arabia are empowered to act militarily , and swiftly , many more lives will be lost and the middle east further destabilized . only this weekend , bashar al-assad 's intelligence agencies were linked to two car bombings in hatay , turkey , that killed more than 50 people and injured more than 100 . syria is now home to radical sunni islamists from across the globe who want to bring down al-assad , and shiite fighters from hezbollah who support the syrian president . beyond geopolitics and games of nation states , syria is a raw human disaster : some 80,000 people have been killed , 1 million refugees have fled to neighboring countries , and millions more are displaced inside syria . for how much longer will we stand by and watch ? i oppose direct u.s. military intervention in syria , but recent actions by israel , daring attacks on turkey and last month 's rapprochement between these two important nations means that there is now new scope for greater regional involvement in syria . secretary of state john kerry is right to pursue a new diplomatic settlement through moscow , but his hand is only as strong as the force gathering on al-assad 's doorsteps . in other words , let us say yes to diplomacy , but not be naã¯ve and think that al-assad and his iranian backers can not outmaneuver the wiliest diplomats . they have rebuffed at least five other such attempts . diplomacy must be backed by force . al-assad understands the language of military strength -- of armies keeping fighting factions apart , aircrafts enforcing a no-fly ' zone , bombs on his runways , tanks outside his presidential palace , ships on the seas . that is not to say that the killings continue . erdogan has been sensitive when dealing with pkk terrorists in not killing them for fear of collateral damage . that same spirit of protecting human lives must inform turkish leadership in syria . first , al-assad and his family need to leave syria for russia , iran or elsewhere . their days of ruling like a mafia are over . large segments of the syrian people have lost their fear of al-assad , and will not settle for anything less than his departure . he must either do so freely and immediately , or meet the fate of moammar gadhafi and saddam hussein . second , al-assad is not the protector of syria 's minorities , as many mistakenly believe . he is the cause of mass killings that are likely to get worse without external intervention . genocide of syria 's minorities will have a ripple effect on tribes and religious minorities in iraq , lebanon and jordan . turkey and regional and nato forces should make it their utmost priority to prevent it . third , with all their divisions and sectarian pettiness , it is the syrian opposition that must own syria . colin powell 's admonition that if you break it , you own it ' can not be applied to outside countries with syria -- the owners must be the syrian opposition ( with all its flaws ) , not turkey , far less israel or saudi arabia or others who break ' al-assad 's grip . fourth , removing al-assad and safeguarding syrian communities is not the end , but a new beginning . syria can go in any number of directions . the challenge from islamist radicalism and terrorism inside syria is real -- they can be confronted there , and prevented from traveling elsewhere and spreading their virus of violence . as syria works toward rebuilding its infrastructure , economy , society and polity , the united states can not turn its back on a country that shares borders with jordan , turkey , iraq , israel and lebanon . for now , washington needs to respond to the calls of our allies in the middle east , and in doing so , bring turks , israelis and arabs closer in cooperation as they seek to liberate syria from the clutches of a corrupt clan and ensure it remains free from the fanatics of islamist fundamentalism . closer engagement by these three regional forces through u.s. assistance now also puts in place roots for a post-al-assad syria that is less hostile to israel . america does not need to lead always ; it can and must support its allies . follow cnn opinion on twitter . join the conversation on facebook . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of ed husain . | ed husain : mideast allies want u.s. involvement to stop syria violence , but u.s. reluctant |
china <tsp> ( cnn ) -- china will sometimes say no ' and the world should get used to it . that message came through last weekend when china , one of five permanent u.n. security council members , joined russia in blocking action on syria . their vetoes derailed a draft resolution condemning syrian president bashar al-assad 's 11-month-old attempt to crush opposition groups and demanding an end to attacks on peaceful protesters . do not mistakenly think that because china takes a careful and responsible position on this [ syria ] issue , china will not use its veto power or will always abstain , ' said cui tiankai , china 's vice foreign minister . when china must use its veto power , it will surely use it . ' on saturday , susan rice , the u.s. ambassador to the united nations , called the vetoes disgusting and shameful . ' those that have blocked potentially the last effort to resolve this peacefully ... will have any future blood spill on their hands , ' she said after the voting . but cui said there is nothing unusual for the five permanent members of the security council to disagree on certain issues . speaking at a press briefing thursday on the eve of a visit to the united states by xi jinping , the chinese vice president , cui said america 's displeasure over china 's veto will not affect china-u.s. cooperation on other international issues . in china , the veto was hailed by local media as a significant change in beijing 's diplomatic tack . abstaining is no longer always a choice as china is forced to speak out , ' according to an editorial in the state-run global times , an official english-language daily . china needs to speak out . hiding its true thinking does not help avoid trouble . ' the global times said china 's veto does not indicate a china-russia alliance . both china and russia have their own interests and dignity , ' it added . he wenping , director of african studies at the chinese academy of social sciences said the veto shows china 's confidence in foreign affairs . a country expressing its true opinion -- that 's progress , ' he said . so why did china use its veto this time ? china opposes the use of threat or force to achieve regime change in other countries , ' said he wenping . this is consistent with china 's long-standing diplomacy principle . it is also not acceptable for china to rush a [ u.n. ] vote without sufficient consultation . ' china , she added , does not wish see a reprise of what she considers a debacle over libya . on libya , nato misused the rights given by the u.n. resolution about setting up the no-fly zone , which was then turned into'regime change'in libya , ' she said . ruan zongze , a senior researcher at the china institute of international studies , agreed : what concerns china most is possible regime change and foreign military intervention , ' he said . we ask the international community to give more space and time for dialogue within syria . ' on february 6 , the state-run people 's daily wrote in an editorial : it is syrian people 's democratic right to choose a government they want . but hatred and separatists will remain a challenge no matter who is ruling , the government has to stabilize the country and protect people 's safety . it will still come down to the problem of peace among nations and tribes . ' china is ranked as the third-largest supplier of imports to syria in 2010 , according to data from the european commission . but local experts downplay the scale of china 's stakes and national interests in syria . compared with russia , china does not have that much interest in syria and in the middle east , ' he wenping said . of course , in the greater middle east , we need and we depend on the energy , say , the oil coming from the region . ' liu weimin , a spokesman for china 's foreign ministry , rejected criticisms of china 's veto . china does not have its own selfish interest on the issue of syria , ' he said in a news conference . we do not deliberately shelter or oppose any country . instead , we uphold justice in dealing with the issue . ' but china 's critics say china 's veto of the u.n. draft resolution was in part due to beijing 's fear that allowing a regime change in syria could encourage the spread of the arab revolution and eventually threaten china . he wenping disagrees . in my opinion , more than 99 % of chinese do not want to see an arab spring revolution in china , and they do not believe that there will be one in china , ' she says . china has a completely different political system and economic development path . if someone in the international community thinks that the arab spring will happen in china , then i think they misjudge the situation in china , exaggerate some problems in the chinese society and underestimate the ability of the chinese government to control the situation in china . ' as to ambassador susan rice 's blunt reaction to china 's and russia 's vetoes , he wenping quips : i think the statement shows utter lack of diplomatic protocol . the statement itself is disgusting . ' | china 's use of veto marks a significant change in beijing 's diplomatic tack , local media says |
china <tsp> ( cnn ) -- china will sometimes say no ' and the world should get used to it . that message came through last weekend when china , one of five permanent u.n. security council members , joined russia in blocking action on syria . their vetoes derailed a draft resolution condemning syrian president bashar al-assad 's 11-month-old attempt to crush opposition groups and demanding an end to attacks on peaceful protesters . do not mistakenly think that because china takes a careful and responsible position on this [ syria ] issue , china will not use its veto power or will always abstain , ' said cui tiankai , china 's vice foreign minister . when china must use its veto power , it will surely use it . ' on saturday , susan rice , the u.s. ambassador to the united nations , called the vetoes disgusting and shameful . ' those that have blocked potentially the last effort to resolve this peacefully ... will have any future blood spill on their hands , ' she said after the voting . but cui said there is nothing unusual for the five permanent members of the security council to disagree on certain issues . speaking at a press briefing thursday on the eve of a visit to the united states by xi jinping , the chinese vice president , cui said america 's displeasure over china 's veto will not affect china-u.s. cooperation on other international issues . in china , the veto was hailed by local media as a significant change in beijing 's diplomatic tack . abstaining is no longer always a choice as china is forced to speak out , ' according to an editorial in the state-run global times , an official english-language daily . china needs to speak out . hiding its true thinking does not help avoid trouble . ' the global times said china 's veto does not indicate a china-russia alliance . both china and russia have their own interests and dignity , ' it added . he wenping , director of african studies at the chinese academy of social sciences said the veto shows china 's confidence in foreign affairs . a country expressing its true opinion -- that 's progress , ' he said . so why did china use its veto this time ? china opposes the use of threat or force to achieve regime change in other countries , ' said he wenping . this is consistent with china 's long-standing diplomacy principle . it is also not acceptable for china to rush a [ u.n. ] vote without sufficient consultation . ' china , she added , does not wish see a reprise of what she considers a debacle over libya . on libya , nato misused the rights given by the u.n. resolution about setting up the no-fly zone , which was then turned into'regime change'in libya , ' she said . ruan zongze , a senior researcher at the china institute of international studies , agreed : what concerns china most is possible regime change and foreign military intervention , ' he said . we ask the international community to give more space and time for dialogue within syria . ' on february 6 , the state-run people 's daily wrote in an editorial : it is syrian people 's democratic right to choose a government they want . but hatred and separatists will remain a challenge no matter who is ruling , the government has to stabilize the country and protect people 's safety . it will still come down to the problem of peace among nations and tribes . ' china is ranked as the third-largest supplier of imports to syria in 2010 , according to data from the european commission . but local experts downplay the scale of china 's stakes and national interests in syria . compared with russia , china does not have that much interest in syria and in the middle east , ' he wenping said . of course , in the greater middle east , we need and we depend on the energy , say , the oil coming from the region . ' liu weimin , a spokesman for china 's foreign ministry , rejected criticisms of china 's veto . china does not have its own selfish interest on the issue of syria , ' he said in a news conference . we do not deliberately shelter or oppose any country . instead , we uphold justice in dealing with the issue . ' but china 's critics say china 's veto of the u.n. draft resolution was in part due to beijing 's fear that allowing a regime change in syria could encourage the spread of the arab revolution and eventually threaten china . he wenping disagrees . in my opinion , more than 99 % of chinese do not want to see an arab spring revolution in china , and they do not believe that there will be one in china , ' she says . china has a completely different political system and economic development path . if someone in the international community thinks that the arab spring will happen in china , then i think they misjudge the situation in china , exaggerate some problems in the chinese society and underestimate the ability of the chinese government to control the situation in china . ' as to ambassador susan rice 's blunt reaction to china 's and russia 's vetoes , he wenping quips : i think the statement shows utter lack of diplomatic protocol . the statement itself is disgusting . ' | china joined russia in using its veto to block a u.n. security council draft resolution on syria |
china <tsp> ( cnn ) -- china will sometimes say no ' and the world should get used to it . that message came through last weekend when china , one of five permanent u.n. security council members , joined russia in blocking action on syria . their vetoes derailed a draft resolution condemning syrian president bashar al-assad 's 11-month-old attempt to crush opposition groups and demanding an end to attacks on peaceful protesters . do not mistakenly think that because china takes a careful and responsible position on this [ syria ] issue , china will not use its veto power or will always abstain , ' said cui tiankai , china 's vice foreign minister . when china must use its veto power , it will surely use it . ' on saturday , susan rice , the u.s. ambassador to the united nations , called the vetoes disgusting and shameful . ' those that have blocked potentially the last effort to resolve this peacefully ... will have any future blood spill on their hands , ' she said after the voting . but cui said there is nothing unusual for the five permanent members of the security council to disagree on certain issues . speaking at a press briefing thursday on the eve of a visit to the united states by xi jinping , the chinese vice president , cui said america 's displeasure over china 's veto will not affect china-u.s. cooperation on other international issues . in china , the veto was hailed by local media as a significant change in beijing 's diplomatic tack . abstaining is no longer always a choice as china is forced to speak out , ' according to an editorial in the state-run global times , an official english-language daily . china needs to speak out . hiding its true thinking does not help avoid trouble . ' the global times said china 's veto does not indicate a china-russia alliance . both china and russia have their own interests and dignity , ' it added . he wenping , director of african studies at the chinese academy of social sciences said the veto shows china 's confidence in foreign affairs . a country expressing its true opinion -- that 's progress , ' he said . so why did china use its veto this time ? china opposes the use of threat or force to achieve regime change in other countries , ' said he wenping . this is consistent with china 's long-standing diplomacy principle . it is also not acceptable for china to rush a [ u.n. ] vote without sufficient consultation . ' china , she added , does not wish see a reprise of what she considers a debacle over libya . on libya , nato misused the rights given by the u.n. resolution about setting up the no-fly zone , which was then turned into'regime change'in libya , ' she said . ruan zongze , a senior researcher at the china institute of international studies , agreed : what concerns china most is possible regime change and foreign military intervention , ' he said . we ask the international community to give more space and time for dialogue within syria . ' on february 6 , the state-run people 's daily wrote in an editorial : it is syrian people 's democratic right to choose a government they want . but hatred and separatists will remain a challenge no matter who is ruling , the government has to stabilize the country and protect people 's safety . it will still come down to the problem of peace among nations and tribes . ' china is ranked as the third-largest supplier of imports to syria in 2010 , according to data from the european commission . but local experts downplay the scale of china 's stakes and national interests in syria . compared with russia , china does not have that much interest in syria and in the middle east , ' he wenping said . of course , in the greater middle east , we need and we depend on the energy , say , the oil coming from the region . ' liu weimin , a spokesman for china 's foreign ministry , rejected criticisms of china 's veto . china does not have its own selfish interest on the issue of syria , ' he said in a news conference . we do not deliberately shelter or oppose any country . instead , we uphold justice in dealing with the issue . ' but china 's critics say china 's veto of the u.n. draft resolution was in part due to beijing 's fear that allowing a regime change in syria could encourage the spread of the arab revolution and eventually threaten china . he wenping disagrees . in my opinion , more than 99 % of chinese do not want to see an arab spring revolution in china , and they do not believe that there will be one in china , ' she says . china has a completely different political system and economic development path . if someone in the international community thinks that the arab spring will happen in china , then i think they misjudge the situation in china , exaggerate some problems in the chinese society and underestimate the ability of the chinese government to control the situation in china . ' as to ambassador susan rice 's blunt reaction to china 's and russia 's vetoes , he wenping quips : i think the statement shows utter lack of diplomatic protocol . the statement itself is disgusting . ' | some analysts say the move shows beijing 's fear that political upheaval will spread to china |
cnn heroes <tsp> nyakagyezi , uganda ( cnn ) -- visiting his former village in rural uganda , jackson kaguri was the epitome of a success story . he had escaped poverty , earned a college degree and moved to america , where he studied at an ivy league school and planned to put a down payment on a house in indiana . he 'd often come back to uganda , passing out school supplies to children . but on one particular trip home in 2001 , he realized he had to do more . we woke up in the morning , and grandmothers had lined up all around the house , stretching way back . ... the whole village had gathered , ' kaguri said . all these women walked miles and miles . it was huge . ' unicef estimates that 1.2 million children in uganda have lost one or both parents to aids-related illnesses , and kaguri said it 's often grandmothers who have to pick up the slack . you see the grandmothers over and over whose own children have died and left them , ' he said . some of them have up to 14 ( grandchildren ) to raise in their homes . sometimes the child has hiv/aids , they need medication . the grandmother needs food . they need a house . and nothing is there . ' the grandmothers who gathered in kaguri 's childhood village begged kaguri to help them . and he felt an obligation to give more than just pens , pencils and paper . these are women who had seen me grow up in the village , ' he said . they carried me when i was hurt , they prayed for me when i was away studying . what was i supposed to do ? ' knowing that education had been so key to his success , kaguri and his wife decided to use their life savings to start a free school in the village . they purchased two acres of land and built the nyaka school , brick by brick , with the help of local volunteers . when the school officially launched on january 2 , 2003 , 56 aids orphans were the first students . we provide them uniforms . we provide them pencils . we give them shoes , ' said kaguri , 41 . everything we give ... is to try and eliminate as many obstacles as possible , so children can be successful and focus on education . ' early on , it was noticed that many children in the school were falling asleep because of hunger and malnutrition . so the school began providing students two meals a day . there is also a medical clinic on site . meanwhile , kaguri continued to raise money for the project while he worked full time in the united states . when he learned that a child had walked more than 30 miles to attend the school , he started a second school , the kutamba school , in the village of nyakishenyi . today , between the two schools , there are 587 students -- kindergarten through 12th grade -- receiving a free education and health care . nearly all of them have lost either one or both parents to aids-related illnesses . the issue hits especially close to home for kaguri , who has lost his brother , one of his sisters and a 3-year-old nephew to the disease . kaguri says he felt fortunate to have the financial means to help his brother 's children financially , but in many similar cases , children end up homeless . many of them are on the streets in kampala eating from the dust bins , ' kaguri said . you see all these street children because they have no one to help them . ' it 's these children kaguri says he thinks about as he raises funds and awareness for his schools . ( we ) take care of nearly 600 children in school , ' he said . that leaves all these children who are walking around without an opportunity to get an education , to get health care , to get a meal to eat or even to get somebody to say ,'i love you .' do you know a hero ? nominations are open for 2012 cnn heroes of the students at his schools , kaguri estimates that 65 % of them are being raised by their grandmothers , many of whom are often without adequate health care , finances or basic housing . so in 2008 , he started a program that offers support and education to the nearly 7,000 area grandmothers who are raising their grandchildren . the program teaches the women practical life skills , offering advice on parenting , grief management , basic medical care , gardening and business development . kaguri says that by giving grandmothers access to microfunds , allowing them to start small businesses and make money , more children have access to an education . and by giving seeds to the grandmothers to grow , more children have access to food . grandmothers are the pillars in the society , holding the society together , ' he said . they are unsung heroes that people do n't recognize . ' every grandmother in the program , kaguri said , has received some form of training or household equipment to improve their life . and his organization has also opened a library , started a gardening program and installed a clean-water system to benefit the entire village . kaguri , whose organization is based in michigan and is funded by individual donations and private foundations , spends much of his time fundraising , speaking and raising awareness . he travels to uganda about three times a year . he hopes this younger generation will lift the country out of poverty and create a better future for their families and communities . he says he dreams about building a school in every district in uganda . i want to be an uncle for many so we can create other children who would be successful and do great things , ' he said . it 's giving them a hand up , just holding somebody 's hand , trying to get ( them ) out of the pigeonhole they are in . ... ' i feel humbled looking in the faces of the children smiling , focused on what their dreams are going to be . ' want to get involved ? check out the nyaka aids orphans project website at www.nyakaschool.org and see how to help . | do you know a hero ? nominations are open for 2012 cnn heroes |
politburo standing committee <tsp> after months of intense political rumors , china 's ruling communist party announced tuesday an official probe into a retired senior leader for suspected serious disciplinary violation . ' zhou yongkang , the former domestic security czar , was placed under investigation in accordance with party regulations , the central commission for discipline inspection said in a one-line statement without elaborating . before stepping down in late 2012 , zhou , 71 , was one of the nine members that formed the politburo standing committee , china 's top decision-making body that effectively rules the country of more than 1.3 billion people . under his watch , the domestic security budget swelled to surpass that of the military in the name of maintaining stability , ' as a widening income gap between the rich and the poor as well as growing discontent over official corruption fueled social unrest nationwide . amid an intensifying anti-corruption campaign launched by president xi jinping , many political analysts and ordinary citizens have noted ties between an increasing number of disgraced officials and zhou in recent months . zhou himself had been rumored to be under house arrest before tuesday 's announcement . the xi jinping cipher : reformer or a'dictator'? state media have reported official anti-corruption probes into many of zhou 's family members as well as former associates in the domestic security apparatus , state oil industry and southwestern sichuan province -- three places zhou once ruled . three of his former senior aides were arrested early this month . if indicted , zhou would become the highest-ranking official ever to face corruption charges in the history of the people 's republic . it 's almost certain the he would be put on trial and appear in public , ' said professor willy lam with chinese university of hong kong , a longtime commentator on chinese politics . the important thing is that xi jinping has proven he 's powerful enough to break this taboo of never incriminating former politburo standing committee members -- and in the future he can use this anti-corruption card to thrash his political enemies . ' the news on zhou came on the heels of the downfall of several former high-ranking officials , including a retired top general of the 2 million-strong people 's liberation army . gen. xu caihou , a former vice chairman of the central military commission , which runs the world 's largest standing army , was expelled from the communist party and handed over to prosecutors after being found to have accepted bribes , state-run xinhua news agency reported early this month . xu was also a member of the politburo before retiring in 2012 . state media have characterized xu as a big military tiger ' caught in the massive anti-graft campaign spearheaded by xi , who is also the commander-in-chief . xi banned official extravagance -- from banquets to year-end gifts -- and vowed to target tigers and flies ' alike in his fight against corruption . he resolved to spare no one , regardless of position . cctv recently touted the capture of 35 tigers ' since xi took power less than two years ago . some 182,000 officials were disciplined in 2013 , while courts nationwide tried 23,000 corruption cases , according to the communist party 's disciplinary commission . state media have cited the trial and conviction last year of former high-flying politician bo xilai -- a protégé of zhou -- as a prime example of xi 's determination to clean up the party , though bo supporters called the case against him politically motivated . now everybody is really scared -- and this would have a big impact on the behavior of senior party members , ' said lam , the political analyst . but nobody expects corruption to be eradicated . it is built into the system , a system without checks and balances . ' | zhou had been on the nine-member politburo standing committee |
prc <tsp> after months of intense political rumors , china 's ruling communist party announced tuesday an official probe into a retired senior leader for suspected serious disciplinary violation . ' zhou yongkang , the former domestic security czar , was placed under investigation in accordance with party regulations , the central commission for discipline inspection said in a one-line statement without elaborating . before stepping down in late 2012 , zhou , 71 , was one of the nine members that formed the politburo standing committee , china 's top decision-making body that effectively rules the country of more than 1.3 billion people . under his watch , the domestic security budget swelled to surpass that of the military in the name of maintaining stability , ' as a widening income gap between the rich and the poor as well as growing discontent over official corruption fueled social unrest nationwide . amid an intensifying anti-corruption campaign launched by president xi jinping , many political analysts and ordinary citizens have noted ties between an increasing number of disgraced officials and zhou in recent months . zhou himself had been rumored to be under house arrest before tuesday 's announcement . the xi jinping cipher : reformer or a'dictator'? state media have reported official anti-corruption probes into many of zhou 's family members as well as former associates in the domestic security apparatus , state oil industry and southwestern sichuan province -- three places zhou once ruled . three of his former senior aides were arrested early this month . if indicted , zhou would become the highest-ranking official ever to face corruption charges in the history of the people 's republic . it 's almost certain the he would be put on trial and appear in public , ' said professor willy lam with chinese university of hong kong , a longtime commentator on chinese politics . the important thing is that xi jinping has proven he 's powerful enough to break this taboo of never incriminating former politburo standing committee members -- and in the future he can use this anti-corruption card to thrash his political enemies . ' the news on zhou came on the heels of the downfall of several former high-ranking officials , including a retired top general of the 2 million-strong people 's liberation army . gen. xu caihou , a former vice chairman of the central military commission , which runs the world 's largest standing army , was expelled from the communist party and handed over to prosecutors after being found to have accepted bribes , state-run xinhua news agency reported early this month . xu was also a member of the politburo before retiring in 2012 . state media have characterized xu as a big military tiger ' caught in the massive anti-graft campaign spearheaded by xi , who is also the commander-in-chief . xi banned official extravagance -- from banquets to year-end gifts -- and vowed to target tigers and flies ' alike in his fight against corruption . he resolved to spare no one , regardless of position . cctv recently touted the capture of 35 tigers ' since xi took power less than two years ago . some 182,000 officials were disciplined in 2013 , while courts nationwide tried 23,000 corruption cases , according to the communist party 's disciplinary commission . state media have cited the trial and conviction last year of former high-flying politician bo xilai -- a protégé of zhou -- as a prime example of xi 's determination to clean up the party , though bo supporters called the case against him politically motivated . now everybody is really scared -- and this would have a big impact on the behavior of senior party members , ' said lam , the political analyst . but nobody expects corruption to be eradicated . it is built into the system , a system without checks and balances . ' | if indicted , he would be the highest-ranking prc official ever to face corruption charges |
canada <tsp> mexico city , mexico ( cnn ) -- the driver of a truck that collided with a bus in northeast mexico , killing 12 people including 11 passengers from the united states and canada , was intoxicated , a mexican official said tuesday . emergency workers wheel a crash victim on a gurney after monday 's bus crash in mexico . the tractor-trailer 's 21-year-old driver was among those hospitalized after monday 's crash near monterrey , mexico , said segismundo doguin martinez , a police official in the mexican state of coahuila . the driver of the bus was among those killed , and 15 bus passengers were injured . the senda express bus , operated by grupo senda , had been traveling from mcallen , texas , carrying tourists to zacatecas in central mexico . eight of those who died were from the united states , three were from canada and one , the bus driver , was from mexico , doguin said . watch rescuers work at scene of deadly crash » the survivors , most of them in grave condition , were taken to the christus muguerza hospital and the clinica la concepcion , the mexican official said . they are in a delicate state but out of danger , ' doguin said . el milenio newspaper reported on its web site that eight of the injured are from the united states , four are from canada and three from mexico . seven of the injured americans are from texas and one is from iowa , the newspaper said . el norte newspaper 's web site and el porvenir said the dead and injured included tourists . among those killed in the crash was 73-year-old ronald christy , said his daughter , pam fordyce . christy 's wife , margaret christy , was in critical condition in a mexican hospital , fordyce said . he was doing exactly what he loved -- traveling , ' fordyce , of altoona , iowa , told cnn by telephone tuesday . he was right where he would want to be , on a bus . ' she said the couple wintered in texas and lived in west liberty , iowa , in the summer . the u.s. consulate called her at 1:30 a.m. tuesday to tell her that her father had been killed , fordyce said , and then followed up with an e-mail with photographs of the crash . i did n't even know he was on a bus , ' she said . i guess i could believe [ the consulate ] when i talked to my brother ' who knew the couple was traveling , she said . until then you do n't want to believe anything . ' doguin , the mexican official , said the accident occurred when a truck driver went off the road and then overcorrected and swerved into oncoming traffic , hitting the bus . video of the scene from cnn affiliate tv azteca 13 showed the left side of the bus sheared off and the semi 's cab completely flattened . rescue efforts took five hours , tv azteca 13 reported . the u.s. consulate in monterrey will not release the names of the dead or injured until all family members have been notified , said consulate spokesman todd huizinga . on monday evening , staff from the consulate in monterrey went to the christus muguerza hospital to offer assistance to some of the injured who were brought there after the crash , ' huizinga said . the consulate expects to have more detail in the coming hours . ' the truck driver was injured and is being held by authorities at a hospital , doguin said . the web site for grupo senda says the company started in linares , mexico , more than 75 years ago . it provides bus service to 15 mexican states and the texas valley , the site says . elizabeth suarez , director of the mcallen central bus station , where the bus trip originated , issued a statement saying , we are very saddened by the news this morning . we offer our condolences to the families . the city of mcallen is the landlord of the bus terminal facility in mcallen . grupo senda is our tenant . ' cnn 's melanie whitley , taylor gandossy , tess eastment and monica trevino contributed to this report from atlanta , georgia . | death toll at 12 : eight from u.s. , three from canada , and bus driver , from mexico |
obama <tsp> editor 's note : how would you rate president obama 's first 100 days ? you 'll get a chance to make your opinion known on at 7 p.m . et wednesday on the cnn national report card . franklin d. roosevelt had an ambitious first 100 days , cnn 's bill schneider says . washington ( cnn ) -- senior white house adviser david axelrod has called the 100-day benchmark an odd custom , the journalistic equivalent of the hallmark holiday . ' but where did the notion of a president 's first 100 days ' originate ? with franklin d. roosevelt , another president who took office at a time of dire economic crisis . roosevelt used his first 100 days to launch the new deal , his plan to jumpstart the economy and put people back to work . democrats had just won huge majorities in congress and were ready to do the president 's bidding . but , should congress fail to act , roosevelt would ask for broad executive power to wage a war against the emergency , as great as the power that would be given to me if we were , in fact , invaded by a foreign foe , ' he warned in his inaugural address . watch what fdr 's first 100 days were like » congress gave roosevelt nearly nearly everything he wanted -- 15 major bills in the first 100 days , including the emergency banking relief act , the public works administration , the civilian conservation corps , the tennessee valley authority , the national industrial recovery act and the federal deposit insurance corporation . congress also approved the beer-wine revenue act that anticipated the end of prohibition . a white house adviser remarked that members of congress had forgotten to be republicans or democrats . comedian will rogers joked at the time that , congress does n't pass legislation any more . they just wave at the bills as they go by . ' nothing since has equaled fdr 's first 100 days . but as obama nears the symbolic benchmark , he may have had the boldest 100-day agenda since fdr . still , congress has passed only a few major bills , including the $ 787 billion economic stimulus package , the public lands preservation bill and an expansion of children 's health insurance . so what has changed ? presidents can no longer count on the kind of bipartisan cooperation fdr got in 1933 -- even at a time of crisis . | roosevelt , like president obama , took office during an economic crisis |
obama <tsp> editor 's note : how would you rate president obama 's first 100 days ? you 'll get a chance to make your opinion known on at 7 p.m . et wednesday on the cnn national report card . franklin d. roosevelt had an ambitious first 100 days , cnn 's bill schneider says . washington ( cnn ) -- senior white house adviser david axelrod has called the 100-day benchmark an odd custom , the journalistic equivalent of the hallmark holiday . ' but where did the notion of a president 's first 100 days ' originate ? with franklin d. roosevelt , another president who took office at a time of dire economic crisis . roosevelt used his first 100 days to launch the new deal , his plan to jumpstart the economy and put people back to work . democrats had just won huge majorities in congress and were ready to do the president 's bidding . but , should congress fail to act , roosevelt would ask for broad executive power to wage a war against the emergency , as great as the power that would be given to me if we were , in fact , invaded by a foreign foe , ' he warned in his inaugural address . watch what fdr 's first 100 days were like » congress gave roosevelt nearly nearly everything he wanted -- 15 major bills in the first 100 days , including the emergency banking relief act , the public works administration , the civilian conservation corps , the tennessee valley authority , the national industrial recovery act and the federal deposit insurance corporation . congress also approved the beer-wine revenue act that anticipated the end of prohibition . a white house adviser remarked that members of congress had forgotten to be republicans or democrats . comedian will rogers joked at the time that , congress does n't pass legislation any more . they just wave at the bills as they go by . ' nothing since has equaled fdr 's first 100 days . but as obama nears the symbolic benchmark , he may have had the boldest 100-day agenda since fdr . still , congress has passed only a few major bills , including the $ 787 billion economic stimulus package , the public lands preservation bill and an expansion of children 's health insurance . so what has changed ? presidents can no longer count on the kind of bipartisan cooperation fdr got in 1933 -- even at a time of crisis . | obama has bold agenda , but little legislation to show for it |
hillary clinton <tsp> geneva , switzerland ( cnn ) -- the obama administration has been talking about pressing the reset button ' with russia after relations crashed ' when russia invaded georgia last august . russian foreign minister sergey lavrov and secretary of state hillary clinton laugh about their reset'button . when secretary of state hillary clinton greeted russian foreign minister sergey lavrov in geneva on friday before sitting down to their working dinner , she presented him a small green box with a ribbon . inside was a red button with the russian word peregruzka ' printed on it . i would like to present you with a little gift that represents what president obama and vice president biden and i have been saying and that is :'we want to reset our relationship and so we will do it together .'' clinton , laughing , added , we worked hard to get the right russian word . do you think we got it ? ' she asked lavrov . you got it wrong , ' lavrov said . ' both diplomats laughed . it should be perezagruzka ' ( the russian word for reset , ) lavrov said . this says'peregruzka ,'which means'overcharged .'' the question came up at the news conference afterward . in a way , the word that 's on the button turns out to be also true , ' clinton said . we are resetting , and because we are resetting , the minister and i have an overload of work . ' asked by a russian reporter whether he had pressed the button , lavrov said that he and clinton did , indeed . it is big and red and i hope that russia and the united states , and other countries will never press on another button which used to be associated with a destructive war , ' he said . the overload , ' clinton said , is a broad agenda of issues . we are going to systematically go through each and every one of them , ' she added . clinton said the two sides will get to work on re-negotiating a follow-up to the strategic arms reduction treaty and nonproliferation . on other issues like afghanistan , the middle east and iran , clinton said , we will work through them . ' on issues where there is disagreement , clinton said , we are keeping those on the list because , we think through closer cooperation and building trust in each other , we can even tackle some of those differences . ' lavrov agreed the burden of the agenda for the two countries is enormous , ' but added : i do n't think either hillary or i have any desire to be freed from any burden . ' clinton called the encounter a very productive meeting of the minds . ' she said both lavrov and she are very practical-minded ' and will create a specific set of objectives and responsibilities ' to present to presidents barack obama and dmitry medvedev before the leaders'first face-to-face meeting in april at the g-20 meeting in london . on the start treaty , she said russia and the united states intend to have an agreement by the end of this year when the treaty expires and are going to get to work immediately ' on it . lavrov was asked about russian intentions to install s-300 missiles in iran . he said the decision will be made exclusively on the basis of law in accordance with russian law , and will be under expert control , which is one of the strictest in the world and of course in accordance with international agreements . ' lavrov said the weapons russia provides to its partners are nondestabilizing , defensive weapons . ' in an apparent reference to u.s. military supplies to georgia , lavrov said , we want our partners to act the same way and show restraint in military supplies to those countries where , including very recently , those weapons have been used very close to our borders . ' senior u.s. officials who briefed reporters afterward , however , said they had not read georgia into the minister 's comments . they said the discussion ranged broadly over a number of areas and we now have a very substantive work agenda that they just outlined . ' it would have been easier and in a first meeting almost natural to be much more general but in this case it was very focused and very productive in laying out steps , ' one official said . on the proposed missile defense system the united states is considering installing in poland and the czech republic , one official said , minister lavrov made it clear he had listened quite attentively to secretary clinton 's comments about missile defense ... and i think it 's got them thinking . ' | secretary of state hillary clinton gives reset ' button to russian counterpart |
united states <tsp> geneva , switzerland ( cnn ) -- the obama administration has been talking about pressing the reset button ' with russia after relations crashed ' when russia invaded georgia last august . russian foreign minister sergey lavrov and secretary of state hillary clinton laugh about their reset'button . when secretary of state hillary clinton greeted russian foreign minister sergey lavrov in geneva on friday before sitting down to their working dinner , she presented him a small green box with a ribbon . inside was a red button with the russian word peregruzka ' printed on it . i would like to present you with a little gift that represents what president obama and vice president biden and i have been saying and that is :'we want to reset our relationship and so we will do it together .'' clinton , laughing , added , we worked hard to get the right russian word . do you think we got it ? ' she asked lavrov . you got it wrong , ' lavrov said . ' both diplomats laughed . it should be perezagruzka ' ( the russian word for reset , ) lavrov said . this says'peregruzka ,'which means'overcharged .'' the question came up at the news conference afterward . in a way , the word that 's on the button turns out to be also true , ' clinton said . we are resetting , and because we are resetting , the minister and i have an overload of work . ' asked by a russian reporter whether he had pressed the button , lavrov said that he and clinton did , indeed . it is big and red and i hope that russia and the united states , and other countries will never press on another button which used to be associated with a destructive war , ' he said . the overload , ' clinton said , is a broad agenda of issues . we are going to systematically go through each and every one of them , ' she added . clinton said the two sides will get to work on re-negotiating a follow-up to the strategic arms reduction treaty and nonproliferation . on other issues like afghanistan , the middle east and iran , clinton said , we will work through them . ' on issues where there is disagreement , clinton said , we are keeping those on the list because , we think through closer cooperation and building trust in each other , we can even tackle some of those differences . ' lavrov agreed the burden of the agenda for the two countries is enormous , ' but added : i do n't think either hillary or i have any desire to be freed from any burden . ' clinton called the encounter a very productive meeting of the minds . ' she said both lavrov and she are very practical-minded ' and will create a specific set of objectives and responsibilities ' to present to presidents barack obama and dmitry medvedev before the leaders'first face-to-face meeting in april at the g-20 meeting in london . on the start treaty , she said russia and the united states intend to have an agreement by the end of this year when the treaty expires and are going to get to work immediately ' on it . lavrov was asked about russian intentions to install s-300 missiles in iran . he said the decision will be made exclusively on the basis of law in accordance with russian law , and will be under expert control , which is one of the strictest in the world and of course in accordance with international agreements . ' lavrov said the weapons russia provides to its partners are nondestabilizing , defensive weapons . ' in an apparent reference to u.s. military supplies to georgia , lavrov said , we want our partners to act the same way and show restraint in military supplies to those countries where , including very recently , those weapons have been used very close to our borders . ' senior u.s. officials who briefed reporters afterward , however , said they had not read georgia into the minister 's comments . they said the discussion ranged broadly over a number of areas and we now have a very substantive work agenda that they just outlined . ' it would have been easier and in a first meeting almost natural to be much more general but in this case it was very focused and very productive in laying out steps , ' one official said . on the proposed missile defense system the united states is considering installing in poland and the czech republic , one official said , minister lavrov made it clear he had listened quite attentively to secretary clinton 's comments about missile defense ... and i think it 's got them thinking . ' | united states , russia want to reset ' relations after years of tension |
twitter <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a push for some social media love by the new york police department backfired badly , with twitter users taking advantage of the invitation to mock the nypd and other departments nationwide . the department on tuesday asked folks to post photos of themselves with its officers , using the hashtag # mynypd . the response was swift and overwhelmingly negative as tweeters hijacked the hashtag to post photos they said showed police brutality or misconduct . free massages from the # nypd . what does your police department offer ? ' tweeted @ occupywallstnyc , which posted an image of officers holding a man , seemingly screaming , with his arms behind his back , on top of a car . the # nypd will also help you de-tangle your hair , ' tweeted @ moreandagain , posting a photo of an officer pulling the hair of a person who appears to be under arrest . similar hashtags sprang up around the country , with # mylapd , # mycpd and # myapd among those trending wednesday morning . in a tweet that showed a chicago police officer who appeared ready to punch someone with a camera , @ 70torinoman quipped , # mycpd extending his fist out to the community . ' the tag # myapd referred to albuquerque , new mexico , where a justice department report recently blasted what it called a long history of police brutality and unnecessary deadly force . but a new york police spokeswoman defended the campaign despite the backlash . the nypd is creating new ways to communicate effectively with the community . twitter provides an open forum for an uncensored exchange and this is an open dialogue good for our city , ' said deputy chief kim y. royster . indeed , the posts were n't all bad . ( m ) y photo from my ride along with the boys from the 90th pct , ' tweeted @ poshwonderwoman , showing a woman posing alongside three smiling officers . one user even criticized the backlash . people are so lame , there 's a lot of good cops out there as well , ' tweeted †| new york police ask folks on twitter to post photos , using hashtag # mynypd |
punch bowl <tsp> ( coastal living ) -- visitors love driving oregon 's coast , but it 's a shame not to get out and hike the stunning landscape , too . here are several trails to get you started . explore forested headlands , tour tide pools or stroll the beach barefoot on some of the pacific northwest 's best coastal trails . ecola state park area , near cannon beach novice explorers can trek along the pacific on clatsop loop trail , a two-mile historical interpretive route in ecola state park that leads travelers in the footsteps of lewis and clark . more seasoned hikers might want to drive the extra miles to tillamook state forest for the kings mountain trail , known for panoramic views and wildflower meadows . but be warned : hikers must endure a 2,546-foot elevation gain in two and a half miles to enjoy the stunning mountain scenes . devil 's punch bowl , near depoe bay formed by the collapsed roof of two sea caves , this punch bowl ' features dramatic water displays that are definitely worth the hike . an easy walk down beverly beach and a cliff-climbing staircase leads to the nature-carved basin . spend the day exploring extensive tide pools , then amble back over to the bowl to witness the wildly churning waves that accompany high tide . the area also promises whale watching and birding . seaside accommodations are within walking distance at the inn at otter crest . oregon dunes national recreation area and environs , near north bend wind-sculpted dunes , a sparkling blue freshwater lake , and a historic lighthouse all await visitors here . set aside a day for roaming the path at william m. tugman state park , which circles eel lake and its many inlets , and expect a few wildlife encounters along the way . the nearby oregon dunes national recreation area contains the largest coastal sand piles in north america and offers an array of arduous hiking opportunities . travelers looking for a more laid-back excursion , however , can make their way to umpqua lighthouse state park for relaxing walks and a glimpse of the 65-foot tower known for its distinctive red-and-white flash . coastalliving.com : oregon 's perpetual appeal columbia river bar and fort stevens state park , near astoria the columbia river bar has always been a navigational nightmare for sailors , and a hike beside the graveyard of the pacific ' will show you why . pass by the shipwrecked remains of peter iredale , one of 2,000 ships that have sunk in this area , on your way to the viewing platform overlooking the jetty . for another slice of history , take a walking tour of fort stevens , or enjoy a scenic two-mile jaunt around the fort 's coffenbury lake . humbug mountain state park , near port orford rising 1,756 feet over the pacific , the forested peak of humbug mountain provides visitors with switchback trails and magnificent coastal vistas . family-friendly paths , such as the paved old highway 101 trail , wind through old-growth douglas fir , oregon myrtle , and western red cedar and yield striking seaside views . enter to win a monthly room makeover giveaway from myhomeideas.com copyright © coastal living , 2009 | devil 's punch bowl , near depoe bay , features dramatic water displays |
kevin kane <tsp> ( cnn ) kevin kane 's love affair with ireland began in 2000 , when he and his then-fiancee piggybacked on a trip with his brothers and their wives . the 39-year-old financial adviser from havertown , pennsylvania , has been back six times since , taking his now wife , brothers and mother on various trips that spanned nearly every county in ireland and northern ireland . ahead of st. patrick 's day , kane and other cnn readers shared their best memories and photos from mesmerizing visits to the emerald isle . the green and rugged dingle peninsula , in the southwest of ireland , is kane 's favorite destination , he wrote , though the glens of antrim are spectacular in november , the ring of kerry can not be described adequately by james joyce himself on a clear day in june , and the vibrancy of galway and westport are enough to recharge the soul as you wander joyfully from tobercurry to ennis . ' kane offered a few tips for the first-time visitor : do n't be overly ambitious on your first trip . pick a few towns to stay in and do several days in each . one-hundred miles between towns is not a two-hour drive as you might expect . if there are no major motorways , it could easily become a harrowing four-hour trip for the novice european driver . ' talk to the locals in pubs . ask questions , do n't fake a brogue , and listen to the suggestions they are sure to make about what to see in that immediate area . the irish are fiercely parochial and love to show off their town 's hidden secrets to tourists . ' do something off the beaten path . take a ferry out to an island to walk around a bit , find an abbey ruin in a field to explore , take a flask of jameson and hike up a mountain . get lost in what ireland is , and has to offer . ' in summary , kane said : keep your itinerary reasonable , soak up every minute you are there , and make notes for your next trip , for you will surely be returning . it 's that kind of place . ' 29 beach photos that will make you drool 11 ways to make the most of hawaii what are your ireland travel tips ? | make notes for your next trip -- you will surely be returning , ' said kevin kane |
dingle peninsula <tsp> ( cnn ) kevin kane 's love affair with ireland began in 2000 , when he and his then-fiancee piggybacked on a trip with his brothers and their wives . the 39-year-old financial adviser from havertown , pennsylvania , has been back six times since , taking his now wife , brothers and mother on various trips that spanned nearly every county in ireland and northern ireland . ahead of st. patrick 's day , kane and other cnn readers shared their best memories and photos from mesmerizing visits to the emerald isle . the green and rugged dingle peninsula , in the southwest of ireland , is kane 's favorite destination , he wrote , though the glens of antrim are spectacular in november , the ring of kerry can not be described adequately by james joyce himself on a clear day in june , and the vibrancy of galway and westport are enough to recharge the soul as you wander joyfully from tobercurry to ennis . ' kane offered a few tips for the first-time visitor : do n't be overly ambitious on your first trip . pick a few towns to stay in and do several days in each . one-hundred miles between towns is not a two-hour drive as you might expect . if there are no major motorways , it could easily become a harrowing four-hour trip for the novice european driver . ' talk to the locals in pubs . ask questions , do n't fake a brogue , and listen to the suggestions they are sure to make about what to see in that immediate area . the irish are fiercely parochial and love to show off their town 's hidden secrets to tourists . ' do something off the beaten path . take a ferry out to an island to walk around a bit , find an abbey ruin in a field to explore , take a flask of jameson and hike up a mountain . get lost in what ireland is , and has to offer . ' in summary , kane said : keep your itinerary reasonable , soak up every minute you are there , and make notes for your next trip , for you will surely be returning . it 's that kind of place . ' 29 beach photos that will make you drool 11 ways to make the most of hawaii what are your ireland travel tips ? | not to miss : the ring of kerry , dingle peninsula and the northern coast |
ireland <tsp> ( cnn ) kevin kane 's love affair with ireland began in 2000 , when he and his then-fiancee piggybacked on a trip with his brothers and their wives . the 39-year-old financial adviser from havertown , pennsylvania , has been back six times since , taking his now wife , brothers and mother on various trips that spanned nearly every county in ireland and northern ireland . ahead of st. patrick 's day , kane and other cnn readers shared their best memories and photos from mesmerizing visits to the emerald isle . the green and rugged dingle peninsula , in the southwest of ireland , is kane 's favorite destination , he wrote , though the glens of antrim are spectacular in november , the ring of kerry can not be described adequately by james joyce himself on a clear day in june , and the vibrancy of galway and westport are enough to recharge the soul as you wander joyfully from tobercurry to ennis . ' kane offered a few tips for the first-time visitor : do n't be overly ambitious on your first trip . pick a few towns to stay in and do several days in each . one-hundred miles between towns is not a two-hour drive as you might expect . if there are no major motorways , it could easily become a harrowing four-hour trip for the novice european driver . ' talk to the locals in pubs . ask questions , do n't fake a brogue , and listen to the suggestions they are sure to make about what to see in that immediate area . the irish are fiercely parochial and love to show off their town 's hidden secrets to tourists . ' do something off the beaten path . take a ferry out to an island to walk around a bit , find an abbey ruin in a field to explore , take a flask of jameson and hike up a mountain . get lost in what ireland is , and has to offer . ' in summary , kane said : keep your itinerary reasonable , soak up every minute you are there , and make notes for your next trip , for you will surely be returning . it 's that kind of place . ' 29 beach photos that will make you drool 11 ways to make the most of hawaii what are your ireland travel tips ? | cnn readers share their favorite views of ireland |
shriver <tsp> hyannis , massachusetts ( cnn ) -- family and close friends of eunice kennedy shriver attended a friday morning funeral for the sister of the late president john f. kennedy . special olympics athlete loretta claiborne , at casket , and maria shriver attend eunice shriver 's wake thursday . shriver , a champion of the disabled who founded the special olympics , died tuesday at age 88 . a private funeral service was held at saint francis xavier roman catholic church in hyannis , massachusetts . before the service began , special olympians carried the special olympics torch into the church , a family statement said . they took part in a procession toward the church , followed by the hearse and the shriver family walking behind . watch maria shriver pay tribute to her mother » the funeral follows a public wake and prayer service that was held thursday at our lady of victory roman catholic church in centerville , massachusetts . details about her private burial will not released until after shriver is laid to rest . born on july 10 , 1921 , in brookline , massachusetts , shriver was the fifth of nine children of joseph p. and rose fitzgerald kennedy . she emerged from the long shadow of siblings john kennedy , robert kennedy and sen. edward kennedy as the founder of the special olympics , which started as a summer day camp in her backyard in 1962 . today , 3.1 million people with mental disabilities participate in 228 programs in 170 nations , according to the special olympics . eunice is now with god in heaven . my sister jean and i , and our entire family , will miss her with all our hearts , ' edward kennedy , who is battling brain cancer , said on his web site . i know that our parents and brothers and sisters who have gone before are filled with joy to have her by their side again . ' her health began to fail in recent years , landing her in the hospital in 2005 after a minor stroke and hip fracture . she was hospitalized again in 2007 for an undisclosed ailment . she is survived by her husband , r. sargent shriver jr. , who ran president lyndon johnson 's war on poverty in the 1960s and was democrat george mcgovern 's running mate in the 1972 presidential election . other survivors include her daughter , maria shriver , california 's first lady ; and sons robert sargent shriver iii , timothy perry shriver , mark kennedy shriver , and anthony paul kennedy shriver . | funeral for eunice kennedy shriver in hyannis , massachusetts |
shriver <tsp> hyannis , massachusetts ( cnn ) -- family and close friends of eunice kennedy shriver attended a friday morning funeral for the sister of the late president john f. kennedy . special olympics athlete loretta claiborne , at casket , and maria shriver attend eunice shriver 's wake thursday . shriver , a champion of the disabled who founded the special olympics , died tuesday at age 88 . a private funeral service was held at saint francis xavier roman catholic church in hyannis , massachusetts . before the service began , special olympians carried the special olympics torch into the church , a family statement said . they took part in a procession toward the church , followed by the hearse and the shriver family walking behind . watch maria shriver pay tribute to her mother » the funeral follows a public wake and prayer service that was held thursday at our lady of victory roman catholic church in centerville , massachusetts . details about her private burial will not released until after shriver is laid to rest . born on july 10 , 1921 , in brookline , massachusetts , shriver was the fifth of nine children of joseph p. and rose fitzgerald kennedy . she emerged from the long shadow of siblings john kennedy , robert kennedy and sen. edward kennedy as the founder of the special olympics , which started as a summer day camp in her backyard in 1962 . today , 3.1 million people with mental disabilities participate in 228 programs in 170 nations , according to the special olympics . eunice is now with god in heaven . my sister jean and i , and our entire family , will miss her with all our hearts , ' edward kennedy , who is battling brain cancer , said on his web site . i know that our parents and brothers and sisters who have gone before are filled with joy to have her by their side again . ' her health began to fail in recent years , landing her in the hospital in 2005 after a minor stroke and hip fracture . she was hospitalized again in 2007 for an undisclosed ailment . she is survived by her husband , r. sargent shriver jr. , who ran president lyndon johnson 's war on poverty in the 1960s and was democrat george mcgovern 's running mate in the 1972 presidential election . other survivors include her daughter , maria shriver , california 's first lady ; and sons robert sargent shriver iii , timothy perry shriver , mark kennedy shriver , and anthony paul kennedy shriver . | shriver was fifth of nine children of joseph p. and rose fitzgerald kennedy |
shriver <tsp> hyannis , massachusetts ( cnn ) -- family and close friends of eunice kennedy shriver attended a friday morning funeral for the sister of the late president john f. kennedy . special olympics athlete loretta claiborne , at casket , and maria shriver attend eunice shriver 's wake thursday . shriver , a champion of the disabled who founded the special olympics , died tuesday at age 88 . a private funeral service was held at saint francis xavier roman catholic church in hyannis , massachusetts . before the service began , special olympians carried the special olympics torch into the church , a family statement said . they took part in a procession toward the church , followed by the hearse and the shriver family walking behind . watch maria shriver pay tribute to her mother » the funeral follows a public wake and prayer service that was held thursday at our lady of victory roman catholic church in centerville , massachusetts . details about her private burial will not released until after shriver is laid to rest . born on july 10 , 1921 , in brookline , massachusetts , shriver was the fifth of nine children of joseph p. and rose fitzgerald kennedy . she emerged from the long shadow of siblings john kennedy , robert kennedy and sen. edward kennedy as the founder of the special olympics , which started as a summer day camp in her backyard in 1962 . today , 3.1 million people with mental disabilities participate in 228 programs in 170 nations , according to the special olympics . eunice is now with god in heaven . my sister jean and i , and our entire family , will miss her with all our hearts , ' edward kennedy , who is battling brain cancer , said on his web site . i know that our parents and brothers and sisters who have gone before are filled with joy to have her by their side again . ' her health began to fail in recent years , landing her in the hospital in 2005 after a minor stroke and hip fracture . she was hospitalized again in 2007 for an undisclosed ailment . she is survived by her husband , r. sargent shriver jr. , who ran president lyndon johnson 's war on poverty in the 1960s and was democrat george mcgovern 's running mate in the 1972 presidential election . other survivors include her daughter , maria shriver , california 's first lady ; and sons robert sargent shriver iii , timothy perry shriver , mark kennedy shriver , and anthony paul kennedy shriver . | shriver founded special olympics ; athletes carry torch into church |
deltawing <tsp> ( cnn ) -- is it a bird ? is it a plane ? no , it 's a batmobile-like race car which will take to the track at the legendary le mans 24 hour event in june . nissan 's experimental deltawing , which bears a startling resemblance to the vehicle made famous by the caped crusader , ' was unveiled by the japanese manufacturer in london on tuesday . the purpose of the car is to promote fuel efficiency , with the deltawing 's 1.6 liter engine set to complete motorsport 's legendary endurance challenge using half the gas of its regular counterparts . despite being granted entry to the marquee french race , the deltawing will not be counted in the final le mans 24 hour classification as it is participating as an experimental vehicle . this announcement gives nissan the opportunity to become part of a ground-breaking motorsport project , and one which could shape the future of the sport , ' nissan 's executive vice president andy palmer said in a statement . as motor racing rulebooks have become tighter over time , racing cars look more and more similar and the technology used has had less and less relevance to road car development . nissan deltawing aims to change that , and we are delighted to have become part of the project . ' the deltawing 's radical design has half the aerodynamic drag of a conventional car and is only half the weight . it can also produce 300 bhp ( horsepower ) thanks to a turbocharged four-cylinder engine . rather than being piloted by bruce wayne 's vigilante alter ego , the first two drivers of the deltawing will be britain 's marino franchitti , the younger brother of indycar legend dario franchitti , and michael krumm of germany . it 's a spectacular piece , ' deltawing designer ben bowlby said . we 've got the engine of our dreams : it 's the right weight , has the right power and it 's phenomenally efficient . ' | the deltawing will be driven by britain 's marino franchitti and german michael krumm |
deltawing <tsp> ( cnn ) -- is it a bird ? is it a plane ? no , it 's a batmobile-like race car which will take to the track at the legendary le mans 24 hour event in june . nissan 's experimental deltawing , which bears a startling resemblance to the vehicle made famous by the caped crusader , ' was unveiled by the japanese manufacturer in london on tuesday . the purpose of the car is to promote fuel efficiency , with the deltawing 's 1.6 liter engine set to complete motorsport 's legendary endurance challenge using half the gas of its regular counterparts . despite being granted entry to the marquee french race , the deltawing will not be counted in the final le mans 24 hour classification as it is participating as an experimental vehicle . this announcement gives nissan the opportunity to become part of a ground-breaking motorsport project , and one which could shape the future of the sport , ' nissan 's executive vice president andy palmer said in a statement . as motor racing rulebooks have become tighter over time , racing cars look more and more similar and the technology used has had less and less relevance to road car development . nissan deltawing aims to change that , and we are delighted to have become part of the project . ' the deltawing 's radical design has half the aerodynamic drag of a conventional car and is only half the weight . it can also produce 300 bhp ( horsepower ) thanks to a turbocharged four-cylinder engine . rather than being piloted by bruce wayne 's vigilante alter ego , the first two drivers of the deltawing will be britain 's marino franchitti , the younger brother of indycar legend dario franchitti , and michael krumm of germany . it 's a spectacular piece , ' deltawing designer ben bowlby said . we 've got the engine of our dreams : it 's the right weight , has the right power and it 's phenomenally efficient . ' | nissan unveils the radical new deltawing car for the le mans 24 hour race |
deltawing <tsp> ( cnn ) -- is it a bird ? is it a plane ? no , it 's a batmobile-like race car which will take to the track at the legendary le mans 24 hour event in june . nissan 's experimental deltawing , which bears a startling resemblance to the vehicle made famous by the caped crusader , ' was unveiled by the japanese manufacturer in london on tuesday . the purpose of the car is to promote fuel efficiency , with the deltawing 's 1.6 liter engine set to complete motorsport 's legendary endurance challenge using half the gas of its regular counterparts . despite being granted entry to the marquee french race , the deltawing will not be counted in the final le mans 24 hour classification as it is participating as an experimental vehicle . this announcement gives nissan the opportunity to become part of a ground-breaking motorsport project , and one which could shape the future of the sport , ' nissan 's executive vice president andy palmer said in a statement . as motor racing rulebooks have become tighter over time , racing cars look more and more similar and the technology used has had less and less relevance to road car development . nissan deltawing aims to change that , and we are delighted to have become part of the project . ' the deltawing 's radical design has half the aerodynamic drag of a conventional car and is only half the weight . it can also produce 300 bhp ( horsepower ) thanks to a turbocharged four-cylinder engine . rather than being piloted by bruce wayne 's vigilante alter ego , the first two drivers of the deltawing will be britain 's marino franchitti , the younger brother of indycar legend dario franchitti , and michael krumm of germany . it 's a spectacular piece , ' deltawing designer ben bowlby said . we 've got the engine of our dreams : it 's the right weight , has the right power and it 's phenomenally efficient . ' | the deltawing has drawn comparisons with batman 's iconic batmobile car |
god <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when talking about so-called family values , pastors , popes , and politicians routinely quote the bible as if it were an unassailable divine authority -- after all , they assume , god wrote the bible , and therefore it is absolutely and literally true . but that is a misconception . as the bible itself makes clear , its authors were human beings , many of whom are named : david , isaiah , luke , and paul . these human writers wrote over the course of more than a thousand years , and their writings reflect their own views and the values they shared with their contemporaries . so it 's not surprising that inconsistencies are frequent in the bible , both trivial and profound . although jews and christians , individually and collectively , have for the last 2,000 years accepted the bible as authoritative in principle , in practice many of its values have been rejected . on issues such as slavery , no one today would maintain that slavery is acceptable , even though , according to the bible , it was a divinely sanctioned institution . in the debates about slavery in the 19th century those opposed to its abolition cited the bible in support of their position , but despite such biblical warrant , their views were renounced . according to biblical law , a father could sell his daughter as a slave , and the last of the ten commandments lists as off-limits a neighbor 's possessions -- his house , wife , slaves , and livestock . but the majority of modern jews and christians no longer accept the biblical view of women as men 's property and hence subordinate to them , as they have also abandoned the biblical practice of polygamy . in current debates about family values , most of which have to do with sex , opponents of abortion and advocates of a woman 's right to choose both cite the bible in support of their conflicting views , even though the bible in fact says nothing specifically about the issue . and with regard to same-sex marriage , although the few biblical writers who mention same-sex relationships , especially between men , were unequivocally opposed to them , many contemporary believers would argue that , as with slavery and the status of women , it is time to recognize that the values of the biblical writers are no longer necessarily our own . opponents of same-sex marriage cite leviticus , which says that when a man sleeps with a man as with a woman it is an abomination . they 're right : it does say that . but it later calls for the death penalty for such activity , which only the most rabid opponents would insist on . the bible also calls eating pork and a woman wearing a man 's clothes abominations , yet many would no longer enforce such prohibitions . individual biblical texts should not be appealed to selectively : such cherry-picking is all too easy because of the nature of the bible as a multi-authored book . rather , as with another formative text , the constitution , one needs first to understand it historically -- what did its words mean when they were written -- and then attempt to determine what its underlying values are , not just what it says in a specific passage . only in this sense can the bible be considered to have timeless relevance that transcends the historical particularities of its authors . what are those underlying values ? i would argue that they are rooted in love of neighbor , which jewish and christian commentators over the ages have identified as the essential and enduring message of the bible . here are three of them . the great rabbi hillel , who when asked what the basic principle of the torah was , replied : what is hateful to you do not do to your neighbor : that is the whole torah ; the rest is commentary . ' his words are echoed both by his near-contemporary , another rabbi , jesus of nazareth , who put it this way : whatever you wish people to do to you , so you should do to them : for this is the law and the prophets , ' and by an early leader in the movement that jesus started , the rabbinically trained paul , who pronounced that love is the fulfilling of the law . ' so , i suggest , the essence of the bible -- its ultimate authority -- is not in its individual pronouncements , but in its underlying message : equal , even loving , treatment of all persons , regardless of their age , gender , socio-economic status , ethnicity , or sexual orientation . the opinions in this commentary are solely those of michael coogan . | michael coogan : bible seen as unassailable divine authority , but it was written by men , not god |
bible <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when talking about so-called family values , pastors , popes , and politicians routinely quote the bible as if it were an unassailable divine authority -- after all , they assume , god wrote the bible , and therefore it is absolutely and literally true . but that is a misconception . as the bible itself makes clear , its authors were human beings , many of whom are named : david , isaiah , luke , and paul . these human writers wrote over the course of more than a thousand years , and their writings reflect their own views and the values they shared with their contemporaries . so it 's not surprising that inconsistencies are frequent in the bible , both trivial and profound . although jews and christians , individually and collectively , have for the last 2,000 years accepted the bible as authoritative in principle , in practice many of its values have been rejected . on issues such as slavery , no one today would maintain that slavery is acceptable , even though , according to the bible , it was a divinely sanctioned institution . in the debates about slavery in the 19th century those opposed to its abolition cited the bible in support of their position , but despite such biblical warrant , their views were renounced . according to biblical law , a father could sell his daughter as a slave , and the last of the ten commandments lists as off-limits a neighbor 's possessions -- his house , wife , slaves , and livestock . but the majority of modern jews and christians no longer accept the biblical view of women as men 's property and hence subordinate to them , as they have also abandoned the biblical practice of polygamy . in current debates about family values , most of which have to do with sex , opponents of abortion and advocates of a woman 's right to choose both cite the bible in support of their conflicting views , even though the bible in fact says nothing specifically about the issue . and with regard to same-sex marriage , although the few biblical writers who mention same-sex relationships , especially between men , were unequivocally opposed to them , many contemporary believers would argue that , as with slavery and the status of women , it is time to recognize that the values of the biblical writers are no longer necessarily our own . opponents of same-sex marriage cite leviticus , which says that when a man sleeps with a man as with a woman it is an abomination . they 're right : it does say that . but it later calls for the death penalty for such activity , which only the most rabid opponents would insist on . the bible also calls eating pork and a woman wearing a man 's clothes abominations , yet many would no longer enforce such prohibitions . individual biblical texts should not be appealed to selectively : such cherry-picking is all too easy because of the nature of the bible as a multi-authored book . rather , as with another formative text , the constitution , one needs first to understand it historically -- what did its words mean when they were written -- and then attempt to determine what its underlying values are , not just what it says in a specific passage . only in this sense can the bible be considered to have timeless relevance that transcends the historical particularities of its authors . what are those underlying values ? i would argue that they are rooted in love of neighbor , which jewish and christian commentators over the ages have identified as the essential and enduring message of the bible . here are three of them . the great rabbi hillel , who when asked what the basic principle of the torah was , replied : what is hateful to you do not do to your neighbor : that is the whole torah ; the rest is commentary . ' his words are echoed both by his near-contemporary , another rabbi , jesus of nazareth , who put it this way : whatever you wish people to do to you , so you should do to them : for this is the law and the prophets , ' and by an early leader in the movement that jesus started , the rabbinically trained paul , who pronounced that love is the fulfilling of the law . ' so , i suggest , the essence of the bible -- its ultimate authority -- is not in its individual pronouncements , but in its underlying message : equal , even loving , treatment of all persons , regardless of their age , gender , socio-economic status , ethnicity , or sexual orientation . the opinions in this commentary are solely those of michael coogan . | much in bible rejected : slavery , women as property , pork as abomination , coogan says |
bible <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when talking about so-called family values , pastors , popes , and politicians routinely quote the bible as if it were an unassailable divine authority -- after all , they assume , god wrote the bible , and therefore it is absolutely and literally true . but that is a misconception . as the bible itself makes clear , its authors were human beings , many of whom are named : david , isaiah , luke , and paul . these human writers wrote over the course of more than a thousand years , and their writings reflect their own views and the values they shared with their contemporaries . so it 's not surprising that inconsistencies are frequent in the bible , both trivial and profound . although jews and christians , individually and collectively , have for the last 2,000 years accepted the bible as authoritative in principle , in practice many of its values have been rejected . on issues such as slavery , no one today would maintain that slavery is acceptable , even though , according to the bible , it was a divinely sanctioned institution . in the debates about slavery in the 19th century those opposed to its abolition cited the bible in support of their position , but despite such biblical warrant , their views were renounced . according to biblical law , a father could sell his daughter as a slave , and the last of the ten commandments lists as off-limits a neighbor 's possessions -- his house , wife , slaves , and livestock . but the majority of modern jews and christians no longer accept the biblical view of women as men 's property and hence subordinate to them , as they have also abandoned the biblical practice of polygamy . in current debates about family values , most of which have to do with sex , opponents of abortion and advocates of a woman 's right to choose both cite the bible in support of their conflicting views , even though the bible in fact says nothing specifically about the issue . and with regard to same-sex marriage , although the few biblical writers who mention same-sex relationships , especially between men , were unequivocally opposed to them , many contemporary believers would argue that , as with slavery and the status of women , it is time to recognize that the values of the biblical writers are no longer necessarily our own . opponents of same-sex marriage cite leviticus , which says that when a man sleeps with a man as with a woman it is an abomination . they 're right : it does say that . but it later calls for the death penalty for such activity , which only the most rabid opponents would insist on . the bible also calls eating pork and a woman wearing a man 's clothes abominations , yet many would no longer enforce such prohibitions . individual biblical texts should not be appealed to selectively : such cherry-picking is all too easy because of the nature of the bible as a multi-authored book . rather , as with another formative text , the constitution , one needs first to understand it historically -- what did its words mean when they were written -- and then attempt to determine what its underlying values are , not just what it says in a specific passage . only in this sense can the bible be considered to have timeless relevance that transcends the historical particularities of its authors . what are those underlying values ? i would argue that they are rooted in love of neighbor , which jewish and christian commentators over the ages have identified as the essential and enduring message of the bible . here are three of them . the great rabbi hillel , who when asked what the basic principle of the torah was , replied : what is hateful to you do not do to your neighbor : that is the whole torah ; the rest is commentary . ' his words are echoed both by his near-contemporary , another rabbi , jesus of nazareth , who put it this way : whatever you wish people to do to you , so you should do to them : for this is the law and the prophets , ' and by an early leader in the movement that jesus started , the rabbinically trained paul , who pronounced that love is the fulfilling of the law . ' so , i suggest , the essence of the bible -- its ultimate authority -- is not in its individual pronouncements , but in its underlying message : equal , even loving , treatment of all persons , regardless of their age , gender , socio-economic status , ethnicity , or sexual orientation . the opinions in this commentary are solely those of michael coogan . | michael coogan : bible seen as unassailable divine authority , but it was written by men , not god |
bible <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when talking about so-called family values , pastors , popes , and politicians routinely quote the bible as if it were an unassailable divine authority -- after all , they assume , god wrote the bible , and therefore it is absolutely and literally true . but that is a misconception . as the bible itself makes clear , its authors were human beings , many of whom are named : david , isaiah , luke , and paul . these human writers wrote over the course of more than a thousand years , and their writings reflect their own views and the values they shared with their contemporaries . so it 's not surprising that inconsistencies are frequent in the bible , both trivial and profound . although jews and christians , individually and collectively , have for the last 2,000 years accepted the bible as authoritative in principle , in practice many of its values have been rejected . on issues such as slavery , no one today would maintain that slavery is acceptable , even though , according to the bible , it was a divinely sanctioned institution . in the debates about slavery in the 19th century those opposed to its abolition cited the bible in support of their position , but despite such biblical warrant , their views were renounced . according to biblical law , a father could sell his daughter as a slave , and the last of the ten commandments lists as off-limits a neighbor 's possessions -- his house , wife , slaves , and livestock . but the majority of modern jews and christians no longer accept the biblical view of women as men 's property and hence subordinate to them , as they have also abandoned the biblical practice of polygamy . in current debates about family values , most of which have to do with sex , opponents of abortion and advocates of a woman 's right to choose both cite the bible in support of their conflicting views , even though the bible in fact says nothing specifically about the issue . and with regard to same-sex marriage , although the few biblical writers who mention same-sex relationships , especially between men , were unequivocally opposed to them , many contemporary believers would argue that , as with slavery and the status of women , it is time to recognize that the values of the biblical writers are no longer necessarily our own . opponents of same-sex marriage cite leviticus , which says that when a man sleeps with a man as with a woman it is an abomination . they 're right : it does say that . but it later calls for the death penalty for such activity , which only the most rabid opponents would insist on . the bible also calls eating pork and a woman wearing a man 's clothes abominations , yet many would no longer enforce such prohibitions . individual biblical texts should not be appealed to selectively : such cherry-picking is all too easy because of the nature of the bible as a multi-authored book . rather , as with another formative text , the constitution , one needs first to understand it historically -- what did its words mean when they were written -- and then attempt to determine what its underlying values are , not just what it says in a specific passage . only in this sense can the bible be considered to have timeless relevance that transcends the historical particularities of its authors . what are those underlying values ? i would argue that they are rooted in love of neighbor , which jewish and christian commentators over the ages have identified as the essential and enduring message of the bible . here are three of them . the great rabbi hillel , who when asked what the basic principle of the torah was , replied : what is hateful to you do not do to your neighbor : that is the whole torah ; the rest is commentary . ' his words are echoed both by his near-contemporary , another rabbi , jesus of nazareth , who put it this way : whatever you wish people to do to you , so you should do to them : for this is the law and the prophets , ' and by an early leader in the movement that jesus started , the rabbinically trained paul , who pronounced that love is the fulfilling of the law . ' so , i suggest , the essence of the bible -- its ultimate authority -- is not in its individual pronouncements , but in its underlying message : equal , even loving , treatment of all persons , regardless of their age , gender , socio-economic status , ethnicity , or sexual orientation . the opinions in this commentary are solely those of michael coogan . | coogan : bible 's true timeless message is equal , even loving , treatment of all people |
haitians <tsp> port-au-prince , haiti ( cnn ) -- raymond thomas is a jolly man who laughs easily and likes to say forget it ' a lot . he 'd like to forget the devastation wrought at the port-au-prince harbor where his fleet of trucks used to pick up cargo . tuesday 's 7.0-magnitude earthquake sent a quarter-mile pier crumbling into the sea along with two of his trucks . the few workers who went into the water swam to safety , thomas said , but the port remains shut down , and desperately needed aid can not be unloaded quickly . now we 're just starving to death , ' he said , worried that the airport and smaller harbors can not handle the necessary volume of relief supplies . that was the whole country right there , ' he added , pointing at two toppled cranes on the remains of the pier that stand out against the clear-blue sky . thomas owns raymond and sons trucking , a fleet of 35 trucks that haul cargo from the port . the company employed about 50 employees , all of them now out of work . i 'm out , ' thomas said . the port wo n't be back for a while . roads have been split apart and buckled , fences have fallen over . oh , forget it , ' thomas said . forget it . it might take a year to rebuild it . forget it . ' yet he feels fortunate because although his home was destroyed and his business is shattered , no one in his family died in the quake . asked what happened , he demurs with a hearty laugh . forget it , ' he says . i do n't want to talk about it . ' he then relents , calling his family 's survival a miracle . ' his wife was outside their house and he was driving home in his red 1995 honda crv sport utility vehicle . i felt like the whole car was going to take off like an airplane , ' he said , laughing . he was n't wearing a seat belt , he admits . this is haiti . in miami , i wear a seat belt . ' another laugh . thomas'40-year-old daughter , marjorie , and her 15-month-old son had just left earlier that afternoon to return to her home in fort lauderdale , florida . asked if it was a miracle that she missed the quake by such a short time , he laughs again , saying , you bet your sweet heart . ' on friday , he was wearing a bullet-proof vest after someone tried to rob him the day before . someone wanted to take his cell phone he said , and the port is near the roughest part of town . for now , thomas and his wife are sleeping in a tent . and for now , also , his mind is on the port . he 's not alone . tug boat owner roger rouzier also seem a dim future without the port . we can not receive the help by plane , ' rouzier said friday . we need to receive help by boat . ' rouzier estimates that before the earthquake , more than 70 ships each unloaded about 8,000 tons of material every month . i personally unload three or four a day , ' he said . the whole country depends on this port . if we 're going to save people , we have to do it by boat . ' without the port , thomas sees serious consequences for haiti , one of the poorest nations on earth . we 'll starve to death , that 's all , ' he said . we 'll just starve to death . ' and it wo n't take long for trouble to reach the streets , he said . especially since many of the nation 's criminals escaped when port-au-prince 's prison collapsed in the quake . very soon we 're going to have a riot , ' thomas said , this time not laughing . how soon ? i do n't give you a week , ' he said . no laugh there either . | workers say sea shipments are vital for haitians'survival |
ebola <tsp> the news that a spanish woman has contracted the ebola virus has raised questions about what went wrong in the treatment of two patients evacuated from west africa to madrid , allowing the potentially deadly disease to spread from person-to-person outside africa for the first time in this outbreak . how did the patient contract ebola ? the woman is a nursing assistant at the carlos iii hospital in madrid ; it is thought she was exposed to the virus while trying to help one of the two spanish people flown there for treatment after they contracted ebola in west africa . spanish health authorities insist all health protocols and procedures were followed in the care of missionaries manuel garcia viejo , who became sick while working in sierra leone , and miguel pajares , who was taken ill in liberia . both men eventually died of the disease . an investigation is under way into how the woman , who is in her 40s and married , was infected . it is thought there was no obvious problem , such as a torn glove , which would have raised the alarm ; concerns only emerged when she became ill on september 30 , four days after the death of the second patient . dr. william schaffner , from the department of preventive medicine at vanderbilt university in nashville , tennessee , said the woman 's infection was likely due to gaps in the safety protocol , the infection control precautions ' at the hospital . healthcare workers are at really great risk when they take care of patients with ebola , and we anticipate that from time to time there may be one or perhaps even a few cases of transmission from patients with ebola , during healthcare , to their healthcare providers , ' schaffner told cnn . however , some spanish unions are blaming the government , saying they warned that personal protective equipment used by the medical team did not meet the highest standard ; authorities say proper procedures were followed . epidemiologist professor david heymann , who worked on the world 's first ebola outbreak and now heads public health england , said the precise cause of the infection may never be known . the barrier was let down somehow , ' he said . it could be something as simple as a defect in a rubber glove , or a momentary lapse , or it could be something major that the nurse does not want to report . these things do happen ; it 's not clear and may never be . ' how can hospitals protect medical staff from ebola ? the ebola virus is transmitted by contact with the body fluids of an infected person , so hospitals must take steps to ensure their workers are protected from them . there are protocols that if you follow carefully , you diminish greatly the likelihood that you 're going to get infected , ' explained immunologist dr. anthony fauci , of the u.s. national institute of allergy and infectious diseases . the u.s. centers for disease control and prevention ( cdc ) recommend that medical personnel treating those with ebola wear protective clothing including gloves , an impermeable gown and eye protection . it says extra precautions should be taken when the patient 's condition means they are likely to come into contact with copious amounts of blood , body fluids , vomit or feces . ' fauci says that to keep medical staff safe it 's more than just goggles and gloves . it 's a hood , it 's a gown , it 's a rubber apron , it 's coverings for your shoes . it 's everything that can keep a splash of body fluid away from you . ' and he says that as well as having the right equipment , workers must know how to use it effectively , and to dispose of it properly . it 's important to wear it , but it 's important also that when you take it off , you take it off properly , ' he insists . it is conceivable that you could be protected while you 're doing everything you need to do with the patient and then as you remove the protective material that could be a point of vulnerability . ' is the hospital equipped to handle ebola cases ? the medical facility where the nurse 's assistant worked , madrid 's carlos iii , is a specialist hospital for infectious diseases . in addition to spain , patients suffering from ebola have been evacuated to germany ( two ) , france ( one ) , the uk ( one ) and norway ( one ) ; this is the first time a medical worker treating one of them has been infected . the hospitals where the patients are being taken are supposed to be equipped and ready to deal with ebola patients , ' european commission spokesman frederic vincent told cnn . all members of the medical team which treated garcia viejo are now under observation , as are the woman 's husband and the ambulance crew which took her to hospital . read more : scientists race to develop ebola drugs is ebola likely to spread in europe ? following news of their colleague 's illness , medical staff in spain have taken to the streets complaining at the way the government has handled the ebola cases . we were kind of expecting this , ' said paloma , a nursing assistant at madrid 's la paz hospital . at least i was expecting it , because this is not a game to be played in the way that they 've done it . it 's a very worrying matter , and they have not handled it correctly . ' some argue that the two missionaries were so ill they should not have been brought to spain for treatment , exposing many others to the disease . but experts insist the risk of an ebola outbreak outside africa are still very slim . if protocols are being followed , it 's highly unlikely that an outbreak could happen in the eu , ' said vincent . but zero risk does n't exist , particularly in a hospital where staff are dealing with sick people . we need to find out as soon as possible what happened and if we need to revise procedures . ' read more : how the ebola virus spreads what lessons can be learned from the spanish case ? experts say the news from madrid should act as a wake-up call to healthcare authorities around the world of the risks their frontline staff face , of the precautions that need to be taken when dealing with ebola , and of the need for everyone to be prepared . if you 're running a hospital or if you 're a public health administrator in a big city , you should definitely be concerned by this , ' said dr. alexander van tulleken of fordham university in new york . this should be a disease you can prevent by really rigorously adhering to protocols , and what we 're seeing [ with this case ] is that even if teams notionally know what they 're doing -- there 's a protocol in the drawer , they 've ordered the right kind of suits - that people have to be really well-versed in putting them on , in taking them off , in practicing . this is about drill , practice and preparedness , ' he said . every hospital everywhere needs to be aware that this could come to them , ' insisted professor heymann . they need protocols in place , and they need to be ready to deal with it . ' read more : spanish nurse infected with ebola virus | spanish nursing assistant contracts ebola after treating seriously ill missionary in madrid |
ebola <tsp> the news that a spanish woman has contracted the ebola virus has raised questions about what went wrong in the treatment of two patients evacuated from west africa to madrid , allowing the potentially deadly disease to spread from person-to-person outside africa for the first time in this outbreak . how did the patient contract ebola ? the woman is a nursing assistant at the carlos iii hospital in madrid ; it is thought she was exposed to the virus while trying to help one of the two spanish people flown there for treatment after they contracted ebola in west africa . spanish health authorities insist all health protocols and procedures were followed in the care of missionaries manuel garcia viejo , who became sick while working in sierra leone , and miguel pajares , who was taken ill in liberia . both men eventually died of the disease . an investigation is under way into how the woman , who is in her 40s and married , was infected . it is thought there was no obvious problem , such as a torn glove , which would have raised the alarm ; concerns only emerged when she became ill on september 30 , four days after the death of the second patient . dr. william schaffner , from the department of preventive medicine at vanderbilt university in nashville , tennessee , said the woman 's infection was likely due to gaps in the safety protocol , the infection control precautions ' at the hospital . healthcare workers are at really great risk when they take care of patients with ebola , and we anticipate that from time to time there may be one or perhaps even a few cases of transmission from patients with ebola , during healthcare , to their healthcare providers , ' schaffner told cnn . however , some spanish unions are blaming the government , saying they warned that personal protective equipment used by the medical team did not meet the highest standard ; authorities say proper procedures were followed . epidemiologist professor david heymann , who worked on the world 's first ebola outbreak and now heads public health england , said the precise cause of the infection may never be known . the barrier was let down somehow , ' he said . it could be something as simple as a defect in a rubber glove , or a momentary lapse , or it could be something major that the nurse does not want to report . these things do happen ; it 's not clear and may never be . ' how can hospitals protect medical staff from ebola ? the ebola virus is transmitted by contact with the body fluids of an infected person , so hospitals must take steps to ensure their workers are protected from them . there are protocols that if you follow carefully , you diminish greatly the likelihood that you 're going to get infected , ' explained immunologist dr. anthony fauci , of the u.s. national institute of allergy and infectious diseases . the u.s. centers for disease control and prevention ( cdc ) recommend that medical personnel treating those with ebola wear protective clothing including gloves , an impermeable gown and eye protection . it says extra precautions should be taken when the patient 's condition means they are likely to come into contact with copious amounts of blood , body fluids , vomit or feces . ' fauci says that to keep medical staff safe it 's more than just goggles and gloves . it 's a hood , it 's a gown , it 's a rubber apron , it 's coverings for your shoes . it 's everything that can keep a splash of body fluid away from you . ' and he says that as well as having the right equipment , workers must know how to use it effectively , and to dispose of it properly . it 's important to wear it , but it 's important also that when you take it off , you take it off properly , ' he insists . it is conceivable that you could be protected while you 're doing everything you need to do with the patient and then as you remove the protective material that could be a point of vulnerability . ' is the hospital equipped to handle ebola cases ? the medical facility where the nurse 's assistant worked , madrid 's carlos iii , is a specialist hospital for infectious diseases . in addition to spain , patients suffering from ebola have been evacuated to germany ( two ) , france ( one ) , the uk ( one ) and norway ( one ) ; this is the first time a medical worker treating one of them has been infected . the hospitals where the patients are being taken are supposed to be equipped and ready to deal with ebola patients , ' european commission spokesman frederic vincent told cnn . all members of the medical team which treated garcia viejo are now under observation , as are the woman 's husband and the ambulance crew which took her to hospital . read more : scientists race to develop ebola drugs is ebola likely to spread in europe ? following news of their colleague 's illness , medical staff in spain have taken to the streets complaining at the way the government has handled the ebola cases . we were kind of expecting this , ' said paloma , a nursing assistant at madrid 's la paz hospital . at least i was expecting it , because this is not a game to be played in the way that they 've done it . it 's a very worrying matter , and they have not handled it correctly . ' some argue that the two missionaries were so ill they should not have been brought to spain for treatment , exposing many others to the disease . but experts insist the risk of an ebola outbreak outside africa are still very slim . if protocols are being followed , it 's highly unlikely that an outbreak could happen in the eu , ' said vincent . but zero risk does n't exist , particularly in a hospital where staff are dealing with sick people . we need to find out as soon as possible what happened and if we need to revise procedures . ' read more : how the ebola virus spreads what lessons can be learned from the spanish case ? experts say the news from madrid should act as a wake-up call to healthcare authorities around the world of the risks their frontline staff face , of the precautions that need to be taken when dealing with ebola , and of the need for everyone to be prepared . if you 're running a hospital or if you 're a public health administrator in a big city , you should definitely be concerned by this , ' said dr. alexander van tulleken of fordham university in new york . this should be a disease you can prevent by really rigorously adhering to protocols , and what we 're seeing [ with this case ] is that even if teams notionally know what they 're doing -- there 's a protocol in the drawer , they 've ordered the right kind of suits - that people have to be really well-versed in putting them on , in taking them off , in practicing . this is about drill , practice and preparedness , ' he said . every hospital everywhere needs to be aware that this could come to them , ' insisted professor heymann . they need protocols in place , and they need to be ready to deal with it . ' read more : spanish nurse infected with ebola virus | experts say ebola can be contained by strict safety protocols and procedures |
new zealand <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a dutch court will decide the fate friday of 13-year-old laura dekker , either making her a potential world-record-breaking sailor , or returning her to school . laura dekker will find out on friday whether the dutch court will back her record attempt . welfare services in the netherlands have taken legal action to try to stop the teen from attempting to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world because they believe the voyage will be too dangerous . the dutch council for child protection has applied to the district court in the city of utrecht for dekker to be made a ward of court so that her parents , who support her plans , temporarily lose the right to make decisions about her . laura 's father , dick dekker , has already had a request for her to miss two years of school turned down . however , cnn affiliate tvnz reported that laura , who was born off the coast of new zealand and began sailing solo when she was 10 , may attempt to obtain a kiwi passport which would allow her to start her round the world trip from new zealand shores instead . laura 's court battle comes as a 17-year-old english teen sailed into the record books thursday as the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe to date . mike perham sailed into lizard point in cornwall , the southernmost point in britain , at 9:47 a.m. ( 4:47 a.m . et ) to mark the end of his 48,280-kilometer ( 30,000-mile ) , 282-day ocean journey . perham set off on his round-the-world trip on november 18 . he has been sailing his yacht , totallymoney.com , single-handedly , though a support team has been sailing next to him along the way . perham told cnn how he battled 50-foot waves and 57 mph winds in the southern ocean between australia and antarctica . he said at one point , a freak wave ' picked up the boat and turned it on its side . | dekker may apply for new zealand passport to start bid there instead |
cnn <tsp> ( cnn ) -- this holiday season , families will gather by the fire -- or most likely by the television set -- to spend some quality time together , recording memories more valuable than any money could buy . even during such precious moments though , the specter of materialism remains an ever present force . for as we all know , christmas would n't be nearly as much fun without santa paying us a fruitful visit . and come january , tempers fray when those eagerly awaited presents start to lose their shine and the bills need settling . that paradox was perhaps unwittingly highlighted by two of the world 's most influential characters this year : one was the pope ; the other the mayor of london . and just as the gap between rich and poor continues to yawn alarmingly wide , so too it seems does the difference in their approaches to money and the inequality it creates . using the first peace message of his pontificate to preach against the cult of high finance , pope francis railed against huge salaries and bonuses . how can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure , ' he asked , but it is news when the stock market loses 2 points ? ' without rejecting the absolute autonomy of the markets and financial speculation ..... no solution will be found for the world 's problems , ' he said . the 77 year-old pontiff 's criticism of the capitalist system has been so scathing of late that he has been forced to deny he is a closet marxist after arguing today 's idolization of money ' was n't just morally wrong , it was devastating for society . make no mistake . such an economy ,'he said ,'kills . ' but does it really ? or does it motivate rather than maim ? boris johnson , who granted is n't always mentioned in the same sentence as his holiness , told londoners recently to embrace the worship of wealth . not only was greed good , he suggested in echoes of wall street 's famous corporate raider gordon gekko , but the need to keep up with the jones 's ' was a powerful social stimulant for those who managed to maintain their place on life 's treadmill . and for those who lost their footing ? in johnson 's usual semi-serious view : charity -- not god -- would provide . inequality is essential for the spirit of envy , ' he said , stimulating brain activity , ' and countering falling wages elsewhere . while the extreme views of london 's mayor may have shocked many outside the capital 's affluent postcodes , a quick survey of my twitter followers threw up the surprising revelation that even during these days of hardship , johnson 's unique brand of trickle down economics was n't quite as unpopular as expected . many called him a realist . in fairness , johnson 's speech was a calculated power play for the uk 's hardline conservative base , who have the luxury of planning how to build upon their net worth . by contrast , pope francis 's words offer a thought provoking appeal for altruism to counter an increasingly selfish world . perhaps predictably , they come from the heart of a man who has experienced hardships first hand , as a son of poor immigrants in argentina , who when elected to lead the catholic church chose the name of a saint who turned his back on a life of riches . the two messages -- one cruel , the other caring -- if anything are evidence of today 's increasingly polarized views on the importance of fortune and fate in today 's post-austerity era . that 's a debate which will become more prominent in 2014 as the economy flourishes once more and electorates ask themselves what they have learned from the last boom-and-bust cycle . either way , if there is one thing these two statements do show it 's that money -- however idolatrous it may be -- is just as important for bringing people together as much as tearing them apart . as we probably learn every holiday season as we sit down to unwrap those parcels ... | even during the holiday season , the specter of materialism remains , writes cnn 's nina dos santos |
cnn <tsp> ( cnn ) -- burt reinhardt , a television pioneer who helped lead the evolution of 24-hour news coverage as president of cnn , died tuesday at 91 , according to family members . reinhardt died in georgia from complications of a series of strokes earlier this year , according to his daughter , cheryl reinhardt . cable news network founder ted turner remembered reinhardt , who stayed away from the limelight , as an influential , if taciturn , executive . we both wanted to run a great news organization , ' turner said . he just did a masterful job . he got the stories covered , but he did it within the budget . ' after a stint as a vice president , reinhardt served as cnn president from 1983 to 1990 . he later was vice chairman of the organization until his retirement in 2000 . former cnn chief international correspondent christiane amanpour said reinhardt was a leader who made the trains run on time . he had a steely demeanor , but had a heart of gold , ' said amanpour , who said reinhardt hired her as a producer-reporter in new york after she pleaded her case . i 'm not sure cnn would be here without him , ' said turner , who launched cnn in 1980 . his colleague was an integral part of getting the whole operation going and keeping it going . he ran it close to 20 years . ' a native of new york , burton reinhardt filmed u.s. army signal corps combat footage during world war ii , including gen. douglas macarthur 's historic return to the philippines . reinhardt later served as news editor for fox movietone news , according to his daughter . he also was vice president for united press international television news and executive vice president at paramount pictures , where he nurtured the development of home video . i tell people that in my opinion , he 's probably the most important and powerful news executive you 've never heard of , ' said nephew harlan reinhardt . amanpour said reihnardt 's past as a world war ii photographer helped . i realized there and then that this was n't just an executive in a suit . it 's a man who 's been there . this is a man who 's one of us . this is a man who was in the field who covered the wars and so he knew what it took to run a news operation like cnn and keep it afloat when everybody was digging its grave . ' reese schoenfeld , who was the first president of cnn and was replaced by reinhardt , said reinhardt 's work was pivotal to the growth of the network . he was a person of integrity and a great newsman , ' said schoenfeld . i 'm not sure that i would 've had the financial discipline or the capability of doing that nearly as well as burt did and it really saved the company -- it 's the only reason cnn exists today . tom johnson , who replaced reinhardt as cnn 's third president , said he developed an unusual relationship with him over the years . i will never forget that after ted turner and i reached an agreement that i would become the new president of cnn in 1990 , i asked ted , could i retain burt reinhardt as vice chairman of the company , ' johnson said . most new ceo 's coming in do not wish to have the former ceo around . but i just felt i needed - i needed burt . ' johnson also credited reinhardt for steering the news organization through trying financial times . i 'm sure a lot of people will talk about burt 's fiscal responsibility . but i think what set burt apart from everyone else who has been at cnn was that he was quietly strong , ' said jim walton , president of cnn worldwide . and behind the scenes , this man has integrity and he 's very competitive , but he wants to do things the right way . he 's fair , but firm and he treated everyone with respect . ' reinhardt helped solidify the cnn logo as a strong symbol . the logo , now commonly known as a bug ' in broadcast jargon , is almost always on the television screen during cnn 's news coverage . this idea was the brainchild of reinhardt . reinhardt , who grew up in the bronx , is survived by his wife , diana shaw ; children , cheryl reinhardt of chapel hill , north carolina ; gary reinhardt of provincetown , massachusetts ; and one grandchild . he was predeceased by son , barry , and his identical twin , sheldon . cnn 's richard roth , katie silver and brian vitagliano contributed to this report . | burt reinhardt was a key cnn executive during the network 's crucial early years |
cnn <tsp> ( cnn ) -- burt reinhardt , a television pioneer who helped lead the evolution of 24-hour news coverage as president of cnn , died tuesday at 91 , according to family members . reinhardt died in georgia from complications of a series of strokes earlier this year , according to his daughter , cheryl reinhardt . cable news network founder ted turner remembered reinhardt , who stayed away from the limelight , as an influential , if taciturn , executive . we both wanted to run a great news organization , ' turner said . he just did a masterful job . he got the stories covered , but he did it within the budget . ' after a stint as a vice president , reinhardt served as cnn president from 1983 to 1990 . he later was vice chairman of the organization until his retirement in 2000 . former cnn chief international correspondent christiane amanpour said reinhardt was a leader who made the trains run on time . he had a steely demeanor , but had a heart of gold , ' said amanpour , who said reinhardt hired her as a producer-reporter in new york after she pleaded her case . i 'm not sure cnn would be here without him , ' said turner , who launched cnn in 1980 . his colleague was an integral part of getting the whole operation going and keeping it going . he ran it close to 20 years . ' a native of new york , burton reinhardt filmed u.s. army signal corps combat footage during world war ii , including gen. douglas macarthur 's historic return to the philippines . reinhardt later served as news editor for fox movietone news , according to his daughter . he also was vice president for united press international television news and executive vice president at paramount pictures , where he nurtured the development of home video . i tell people that in my opinion , he 's probably the most important and powerful news executive you 've never heard of , ' said nephew harlan reinhardt . amanpour said reihnardt 's past as a world war ii photographer helped . i realized there and then that this was n't just an executive in a suit . it 's a man who 's been there . this is a man who 's one of us . this is a man who was in the field who covered the wars and so he knew what it took to run a news operation like cnn and keep it afloat when everybody was digging its grave . ' reese schoenfeld , who was the first president of cnn and was replaced by reinhardt , said reinhardt 's work was pivotal to the growth of the network . he was a person of integrity and a great newsman , ' said schoenfeld . i 'm not sure that i would 've had the financial discipline or the capability of doing that nearly as well as burt did and it really saved the company -- it 's the only reason cnn exists today . tom johnson , who replaced reinhardt as cnn 's third president , said he developed an unusual relationship with him over the years . i will never forget that after ted turner and i reached an agreement that i would become the new president of cnn in 1990 , i asked ted , could i retain burt reinhardt as vice chairman of the company , ' johnson said . most new ceo 's coming in do not wish to have the former ceo around . but i just felt i needed - i needed burt . ' johnson also credited reinhardt for steering the news organization through trying financial times . i 'm sure a lot of people will talk about burt 's fiscal responsibility . but i think what set burt apart from everyone else who has been at cnn was that he was quietly strong , ' said jim walton , president of cnn worldwide . and behind the scenes , this man has integrity and he 's very competitive , but he wants to do things the right way . he 's fair , but firm and he treated everyone with respect . ' reinhardt helped solidify the cnn logo as a strong symbol . the logo , now commonly known as a bug ' in broadcast jargon , is almost always on the television screen during cnn 's news coverage . this idea was the brainchild of reinhardt . reinhardt , who grew up in the bronx , is survived by his wife , diana shaw ; children , cheryl reinhardt of chapel hill , north carolina ; gary reinhardt of provincetown , massachusetts ; and one grandchild . he was predeceased by son , barry , and his identical twin , sheldon . cnn 's richard roth , katie silver and brian vitagliano contributed to this report . | he was an integral part of the network 's organization , cnn founder ted turner says |
cnn <tsp> ( cnn ) -- burt reinhardt , a television pioneer who helped lead the evolution of 24-hour news coverage as president of cnn , died tuesday at 91 , according to family members . reinhardt died in georgia from complications of a series of strokes earlier this year , according to his daughter , cheryl reinhardt . cable news network founder ted turner remembered reinhardt , who stayed away from the limelight , as an influential , if taciturn , executive . we both wanted to run a great news organization , ' turner said . he just did a masterful job . he got the stories covered , but he did it within the budget . ' after a stint as a vice president , reinhardt served as cnn president from 1983 to 1990 . he later was vice chairman of the organization until his retirement in 2000 . former cnn chief international correspondent christiane amanpour said reinhardt was a leader who made the trains run on time . he had a steely demeanor , but had a heart of gold , ' said amanpour , who said reinhardt hired her as a producer-reporter in new york after she pleaded her case . i 'm not sure cnn would be here without him , ' said turner , who launched cnn in 1980 . his colleague was an integral part of getting the whole operation going and keeping it going . he ran it close to 20 years . ' a native of new york , burton reinhardt filmed u.s. army signal corps combat footage during world war ii , including gen. douglas macarthur 's historic return to the philippines . reinhardt later served as news editor for fox movietone news , according to his daughter . he also was vice president for united press international television news and executive vice president at paramount pictures , where he nurtured the development of home video . i tell people that in my opinion , he 's probably the most important and powerful news executive you 've never heard of , ' said nephew harlan reinhardt . amanpour said reihnardt 's past as a world war ii photographer helped . i realized there and then that this was n't just an executive in a suit . it 's a man who 's been there . this is a man who 's one of us . this is a man who was in the field who covered the wars and so he knew what it took to run a news operation like cnn and keep it afloat when everybody was digging its grave . ' reese schoenfeld , who was the first president of cnn and was replaced by reinhardt , said reinhardt 's work was pivotal to the growth of the network . he was a person of integrity and a great newsman , ' said schoenfeld . i 'm not sure that i would 've had the financial discipline or the capability of doing that nearly as well as burt did and it really saved the company -- it 's the only reason cnn exists today . tom johnson , who replaced reinhardt as cnn 's third president , said he developed an unusual relationship with him over the years . i will never forget that after ted turner and i reached an agreement that i would become the new president of cnn in 1990 , i asked ted , could i retain burt reinhardt as vice chairman of the company , ' johnson said . most new ceo 's coming in do not wish to have the former ceo around . but i just felt i needed - i needed burt . ' johnson also credited reinhardt for steering the news organization through trying financial times . i 'm sure a lot of people will talk about burt 's fiscal responsibility . but i think what set burt apart from everyone else who has been at cnn was that he was quietly strong , ' said jim walton , president of cnn worldwide . and behind the scenes , this man has integrity and he 's very competitive , but he wants to do things the right way . he 's fair , but firm and he treated everyone with respect . ' reinhardt helped solidify the cnn logo as a strong symbol . the logo , now commonly known as a bug ' in broadcast jargon , is almost always on the television screen during cnn 's news coverage . this idea was the brainchild of reinhardt . reinhardt , who grew up in the bronx , is survived by his wife , diana shaw ; children , cheryl reinhardt of chapel hill , north carolina ; gary reinhardt of provincetown , massachusetts ; and one grandchild . he was predeceased by son , barry , and his identical twin , sheldon . cnn 's richard roth , katie silver and brian vitagliano contributed to this report . | reinhardt worked for several organizations before cnn |
harry <tsp> ( cnn ) as his military career winds down , britain 's prince harry is going to be spending some time down under . the 30-year-old prince is due to arrive monday in australia for a four-week stint with the armed forces there . harry will work and live alongside colleagues in the australian army in a number of regiments in sydney , darwin and perth , ' the australian defence forces said thursday . he has already spent time with australian troops on a number of occasions during his 10-year military career , a spokesman said . prince harry has trained and served alongside australian armed forces on operational tours to afghanistan ; he has met them during the invictus games ; and even trekked to the south pole with a couple of australian soldiers , ' the spokesman said . the younger son of prince charles and princess diana , harry is known in the british army as captain harry wales , ' from his official title and name , his royal highness prince henry of wales . he began his formal military duties in 2005 at the royal military academy sandhurst . last month , he announced that he would be leaving the armed forces in june , describing the decision as really tough . ' australian military officials say the prince 's program with them will be challenging . ' it will involve training in urban settings and patrolling the australian bush , as well as aviation activities and fire exercises . he 'll also participate in regular activities like physical training and pack marches , the australian military said . harry will also spend time meeting wounded , injured and ill service members in australia . wounded warriors ' are a special interest for prince harry . he helped spearhead and continues to champion the invictus games , a competition for former military personnel who have been wounded in the line of duty . before he reports for duty monday , the prince will lay a wreath at the war memorial in the australian capital , canberra . during his attachment with the australian military , harry will accompany charles on a trip to turkey at the end of april for commemorations on the anniversary of the world war i battle of gallipoli . cnn 's max foster contributed to this report . | prince harry is to begin a monthlong military attachment in australia |
australia <tsp> ( cnn ) as his military career winds down , britain 's prince harry is going to be spending some time down under . the 30-year-old prince is due to arrive monday in australia for a four-week stint with the armed forces there . harry will work and live alongside colleagues in the australian army in a number of regiments in sydney , darwin and perth , ' the australian defence forces said thursday . he has already spent time with australian troops on a number of occasions during his 10-year military career , a spokesman said . prince harry has trained and served alongside australian armed forces on operational tours to afghanistan ; he has met them during the invictus games ; and even trekked to the south pole with a couple of australian soldiers , ' the spokesman said . the younger son of prince charles and princess diana , harry is known in the british army as captain harry wales , ' from his official title and name , his royal highness prince henry of wales . he began his formal military duties in 2005 at the royal military academy sandhurst . last month , he announced that he would be leaving the armed forces in june , describing the decision as really tough . ' australian military officials say the prince 's program with them will be challenging . ' it will involve training in urban settings and patrolling the australian bush , as well as aviation activities and fire exercises . he 'll also participate in regular activities like physical training and pack marches , the australian military said . harry will also spend time meeting wounded , injured and ill service members in australia . wounded warriors ' are a special interest for prince harry . he helped spearhead and continues to champion the invictus games , a competition for former military personnel who have been wounded in the line of duty . before he reports for duty monday , the prince will lay a wreath at the war memorial in the australian capital , canberra . during his attachment with the australian military , harry will accompany charles on a trip to turkey at the end of april for commemorations on the anniversary of the world war i battle of gallipoli . cnn 's max foster contributed to this report . | prince harry is to begin a monthlong military attachment in australia |
british <tsp> ( cnn ) as his military career winds down , britain 's prince harry is going to be spending some time down under . the 30-year-old prince is due to arrive monday in australia for a four-week stint with the armed forces there . harry will work and live alongside colleagues in the australian army in a number of regiments in sydney , darwin and perth , ' the australian defence forces said thursday . he has already spent time with australian troops on a number of occasions during his 10-year military career , a spokesman said . prince harry has trained and served alongside australian armed forces on operational tours to afghanistan ; he has met them during the invictus games ; and even trekked to the south pole with a couple of australian soldiers , ' the spokesman said . the younger son of prince charles and princess diana , harry is known in the british army as captain harry wales , ' from his official title and name , his royal highness prince henry of wales . he began his formal military duties in 2005 at the royal military academy sandhurst . last month , he announced that he would be leaving the armed forces in june , describing the decision as really tough . ' australian military officials say the prince 's program with them will be challenging . ' it will involve training in urban settings and patrolling the australian bush , as well as aviation activities and fire exercises . he 'll also participate in regular activities like physical training and pack marches , the australian military said . harry will also spend time meeting wounded , injured and ill service members in australia . wounded warriors ' are a special interest for prince harry . he helped spearhead and continues to champion the invictus games , a competition for former military personnel who have been wounded in the line of duty . before he reports for duty monday , the prince will lay a wreath at the war memorial in the australian capital , canberra . during his attachment with the australian military , harry will accompany charles on a trip to turkey at the end of april for commemorations on the anniversary of the world war i battle of gallipoli . cnn 's max foster contributed to this report . | he 'll be leaving the british armed forces in june |
washington <tsp> ( cnn ) is america a nation divided ? and has ohio found a better way to bridge those divisions ? it 's hard not to be concerned with these questions given the constant drumbeat of news about the issues that tear us apart as a nation : immigration , community and police relations , poverty , education and dozens of other crucial matters facing america . adding to our divisions is a harsh public atmosphere where politicians are preoccupied with how they can win the next election or give the best sound bite , and where lobby groups work to protect their narrow self-interests while ignoring a broader vision of what is best for our country . in ohio , we have been able to drive meaningful change on many thorny issues that have held our state back in the past -- social services , criminal justice , economic competiveness , infrastructure -- and i 've enjoyed sharing our state 's winning formula with others in my travels . in 2011 , i returned to public service -- after earlier serving for 18 years in congress in the 1980s and '90s . over the intervening years , ohio had lost its way and was hurting . i felt called to help after knowing that members of 350,000 ohio families had lost their jobs and were looking to get back on their feet . ohio is much stronger today . and that turnaround and success are worth being excited about and sharing . for example , we have gone from 89 cents in our rainy day fund and an $ 8 billion shortfall to now having one of the nation 's strongest state budgets and a nearly $ 2 billion surplus . we 've gone from losing 350,000 private-sector jobs to creating about 340,000 new ones . we 've gone from very high taxes across the board to the largest tax cuts in of any state in america , including tax cuts for the working poor . we 're seeing wages grow faster than the national average and ohio 's unemployment rate drop to the lowest level in more than a decade . getting ohio back on track was n't easy . it required big ideas , going against the status quo and tuning out those who worry only about protecting their own special interests . yes , we have a great success story to tell about our state . and we need to make ohio 's success contagious . the leadership style that helped us turn around ohio is needed in washington , where america 's $ 18 trillion debt ticks higher each day and our congressional leaders would struggle even to pass a resolution saluting mother 's day if it required their action . great leaders are not primarily guided by polls , political parties , focus groups , re-election , special interests or protecting the status quo . instead they bring teams of people together , challenge them to innovate and engage both sides to work together to fashion solutions based on common sense and the common good . as the chairman of the house budget committee in congress in the 1990s , i helped craft the first balanced budget since man walked on the moon . we worked in a bipartisan effort that does n't happen enough . there were , of course , disagreements along the way , but they never overshadowed the shared values we had to guide our work and the shared goal of fiscal responsibility and seeing our country live within its means . given the polarizing issues facing our country , america needs a leader who believes in a common set of fundamental values necessary to bring about change that will unite our country without being blinded by the many distractions that ego , selfishness and power produce . leaders who focus only on themselves and their own good have rejected this value-driven approach and make it impossible to make progress on our most pressing issues such as balanced budgets , tax cuts , welfare reform , border security , immigration and health care . we see it every day . there are certain values that guide great countries : • personal responsibility : it obligates us to be accountable for ourselves so we can then do our duty for our families and our communities . • empathy : it allows us to walk in someone else 's shoes , so that in times of disagreement we might consider for a moment that there might be another , better way that makes all of us stronger . • teamwork : it sets ego aside and demands that we all pull in the same direction to win . • faith : it tells us we are made special in the image of god with unique gifts that enable our mission here on earth . these values allow us to develop policy solutions that solve problems in new and creative ways for the good of all americans instead of producing rhetoric , sound bites and press releases that too often pass for true reform . in ohio we 've implemented this winning strategy . it 's worked there , and it will work for the nation as well . | ohio gov . john kasich : washington is gridlocked , but states can make a difference |
ohio <tsp> ( cnn ) is america a nation divided ? and has ohio found a better way to bridge those divisions ? it 's hard not to be concerned with these questions given the constant drumbeat of news about the issues that tear us apart as a nation : immigration , community and police relations , poverty , education and dozens of other crucial matters facing america . adding to our divisions is a harsh public atmosphere where politicians are preoccupied with how they can win the next election or give the best sound bite , and where lobby groups work to protect their narrow self-interests while ignoring a broader vision of what is best for our country . in ohio , we have been able to drive meaningful change on many thorny issues that have held our state back in the past -- social services , criminal justice , economic competiveness , infrastructure -- and i 've enjoyed sharing our state 's winning formula with others in my travels . in 2011 , i returned to public service -- after earlier serving for 18 years in congress in the 1980s and '90s . over the intervening years , ohio had lost its way and was hurting . i felt called to help after knowing that members of 350,000 ohio families had lost their jobs and were looking to get back on their feet . ohio is much stronger today . and that turnaround and success are worth being excited about and sharing . for example , we have gone from 89 cents in our rainy day fund and an $ 8 billion shortfall to now having one of the nation 's strongest state budgets and a nearly $ 2 billion surplus . we 've gone from losing 350,000 private-sector jobs to creating about 340,000 new ones . we 've gone from very high taxes across the board to the largest tax cuts in of any state in america , including tax cuts for the working poor . we 're seeing wages grow faster than the national average and ohio 's unemployment rate drop to the lowest level in more than a decade . getting ohio back on track was n't easy . it required big ideas , going against the status quo and tuning out those who worry only about protecting their own special interests . yes , we have a great success story to tell about our state . and we need to make ohio 's success contagious . the leadership style that helped us turn around ohio is needed in washington , where america 's $ 18 trillion debt ticks higher each day and our congressional leaders would struggle even to pass a resolution saluting mother 's day if it required their action . great leaders are not primarily guided by polls , political parties , focus groups , re-election , special interests or protecting the status quo . instead they bring teams of people together , challenge them to innovate and engage both sides to work together to fashion solutions based on common sense and the common good . as the chairman of the house budget committee in congress in the 1990s , i helped craft the first balanced budget since man walked on the moon . we worked in a bipartisan effort that does n't happen enough . there were , of course , disagreements along the way , but they never overshadowed the shared values we had to guide our work and the shared goal of fiscal responsibility and seeing our country live within its means . given the polarizing issues facing our country , america needs a leader who believes in a common set of fundamental values necessary to bring about change that will unite our country without being blinded by the many distractions that ego , selfishness and power produce . leaders who focus only on themselves and their own good have rejected this value-driven approach and make it impossible to make progress on our most pressing issues such as balanced budgets , tax cuts , welfare reform , border security , immigration and health care . we see it every day . there are certain values that guide great countries : • personal responsibility : it obligates us to be accountable for ourselves so we can then do our duty for our families and our communities . • empathy : it allows us to walk in someone else 's shoes , so that in times of disagreement we might consider for a moment that there might be another , better way that makes all of us stronger . • teamwork : it sets ego aside and demands that we all pull in the same direction to win . • faith : it tells us we are made special in the image of god with unique gifts that enable our mission here on earth . these values allow us to develop policy solutions that solve problems in new and creative ways for the good of all americans instead of producing rhetoric , sound bites and press releases that too often pass for true reform . in ohio we 've implemented this winning strategy . it 's worked there , and it will work for the nation as well . | he says ohio has gone from a budget deficit to surplus , from losing jobs to creating them |
ohio <tsp> ( cnn ) is america a nation divided ? and has ohio found a better way to bridge those divisions ? it 's hard not to be concerned with these questions given the constant drumbeat of news about the issues that tear us apart as a nation : immigration , community and police relations , poverty , education and dozens of other crucial matters facing america . adding to our divisions is a harsh public atmosphere where politicians are preoccupied with how they can win the next election or give the best sound bite , and where lobby groups work to protect their narrow self-interests while ignoring a broader vision of what is best for our country . in ohio , we have been able to drive meaningful change on many thorny issues that have held our state back in the past -- social services , criminal justice , economic competiveness , infrastructure -- and i 've enjoyed sharing our state 's winning formula with others in my travels . in 2011 , i returned to public service -- after earlier serving for 18 years in congress in the 1980s and '90s . over the intervening years , ohio had lost its way and was hurting . i felt called to help after knowing that members of 350,000 ohio families had lost their jobs and were looking to get back on their feet . ohio is much stronger today . and that turnaround and success are worth being excited about and sharing . for example , we have gone from 89 cents in our rainy day fund and an $ 8 billion shortfall to now having one of the nation 's strongest state budgets and a nearly $ 2 billion surplus . we 've gone from losing 350,000 private-sector jobs to creating about 340,000 new ones . we 've gone from very high taxes across the board to the largest tax cuts in of any state in america , including tax cuts for the working poor . we 're seeing wages grow faster than the national average and ohio 's unemployment rate drop to the lowest level in more than a decade . getting ohio back on track was n't easy . it required big ideas , going against the status quo and tuning out those who worry only about protecting their own special interests . yes , we have a great success story to tell about our state . and we need to make ohio 's success contagious . the leadership style that helped us turn around ohio is needed in washington , where america 's $ 18 trillion debt ticks higher each day and our congressional leaders would struggle even to pass a resolution saluting mother 's day if it required their action . great leaders are not primarily guided by polls , political parties , focus groups , re-election , special interests or protecting the status quo . instead they bring teams of people together , challenge them to innovate and engage both sides to work together to fashion solutions based on common sense and the common good . as the chairman of the house budget committee in congress in the 1990s , i helped craft the first balanced budget since man walked on the moon . we worked in a bipartisan effort that does n't happen enough . there were , of course , disagreements along the way , but they never overshadowed the shared values we had to guide our work and the shared goal of fiscal responsibility and seeing our country live within its means . given the polarizing issues facing our country , america needs a leader who believes in a common set of fundamental values necessary to bring about change that will unite our country without being blinded by the many distractions that ego , selfishness and power produce . leaders who focus only on themselves and their own good have rejected this value-driven approach and make it impossible to make progress on our most pressing issues such as balanced budgets , tax cuts , welfare reform , border security , immigration and health care . we see it every day . there are certain values that guide great countries : • personal responsibility : it obligates us to be accountable for ourselves so we can then do our duty for our families and our communities . • empathy : it allows us to walk in someone else 's shoes , so that in times of disagreement we might consider for a moment that there might be another , better way that makes all of us stronger . • teamwork : it sets ego aside and demands that we all pull in the same direction to win . • faith : it tells us we are made special in the image of god with unique gifts that enable our mission here on earth . these values allow us to develop policy solutions that solve problems in new and creative ways for the good of all americans instead of producing rhetoric , sound bites and press releases that too often pass for true reform . in ohio we 've implemented this winning strategy . it 's worked there , and it will work for the nation as well . | ohio gov . john kasich : washington is gridlocked , but states can make a difference |
china <tsp> ( cnn ) -- china , the united states and three middle eastern nations carried out the most executions last year , rights group amnesty international said wednesday , but a global trend toward ending the death penalty persisted . there were at least 682 confirmed executions worldwide last year , two more than in 2011 , according to the group . china is believed to have executed several thousand people last year , amnesty said , but government secrecy makes it impossible to confirm exact numbers . the lack of reliable data does not allow amnesty international to publish credible figures for the use of the death penalty in the country , ' the rights group said . however , available information strongly indicates that china carries out more executions than the rest of the world put together . ' iran carried out at least 314 executions last year , iraq at least 129 and saudi arabia at least 79 . in the united states , 43 people were executed across nine states . sixth on the list was yemen , with at least 28 executions . methods of executions included beheading , hanging , firing squad and lethal injection , ' amnesty international said . in saudi arabia , the body of one man executed through beheading was displayed in a public'crucifixion'display . ' according to the 60-page report , death sentences and executions in 2012 , ' there were at least 1,722 newly-imposed death sentences in 58 countries last year , compared with 1,923 in 63 countries in 2011 . this meant that at least 23,386 people were under sentence of death worldwide at the end of 2012 , it said .'cruel and inhumane punishment' in africa , two countries -- benin and ghana -- are on their way to abolishing the death penalty . in nearby sierra leone , there are no prisoners on death row . however , a surge in executions in gambia , which had not carried out the death penalty in almost three decades but executed nine people in august , and 19 executions in sudan pushed figures for the continent up , the rights group said . three countries in the asia-pacific region -- japan , pakistan and india -- also resumed executions after a hiatus , amnesty international said . the number of executions in the middle east last year , almost all of them in iran , iraq , saudi arabia and yemen , was a cause of great concern , ' it said . the tally almost doubled in iraq from the previous year , when 68 people were put to death . the conflict in syria made it impossible for researchers to establish whether capital punishment was carried out , it added . amnesty international secretary general salil shetty said the regression ' seen in some countries last year was disappointing -- but that it did not change the overall trend . in many parts of the world , executions are becoming a thing of the past . only one in 10 countries in the world carries out executions , ' he said . their leaders should ask themselves why they are still applying a cruel and inhumane punishment that the rest of the world is leaving behind . ' there is no evidence that the death penalty works as a special deterrent against crime , shetty said . the real reason for the death penalty 's use can often be found elsewhere . in 2012 , we were once again very concerned to see countries executing for what appeared to be political purposes -- either as a populist measure , or as an outright tool of repression . ' texas leads executions in the united states , the number of executions and death sentences remained steady compared with 2011 , but the number of states carrying out capital punishment continues to drop , according to the death penalty information center . forty-three men were put to death in 2012 , matching 2011 's total , it said . eighty people were sentenced to death , the second lowest total since executions resumed in 1976 . only nine of the 50 states carried out lethal injections of convicted capital murderers , led by texas with 15 executions , more than a third of the nationwide total for 2012 . connecticut became the 17th state to abolish the death penalty in april last year . california narrowly approved keeping capital punishment in a november referendum . the state has by far the nation 's largest death row population at 727 inmates , but has not carried out an execution since 2005 , over continuing legal challenges to the lethal injection procedures . read more : saudi execution : brutal , inhuman and illegal ? read more : china executes drug gang over mekong river massacre read more : outrage over beheading of sri lankan woman by saudi arabia | china is believed to have executed several thousand people last year , amnesty international says |
middle eastern <tsp> ( cnn ) -- china , the united states and three middle eastern nations carried out the most executions last year , rights group amnesty international said wednesday , but a global trend toward ending the death penalty persisted . there were at least 682 confirmed executions worldwide last year , two more than in 2011 , according to the group . china is believed to have executed several thousand people last year , amnesty said , but government secrecy makes it impossible to confirm exact numbers . the lack of reliable data does not allow amnesty international to publish credible figures for the use of the death penalty in the country , ' the rights group said . however , available information strongly indicates that china carries out more executions than the rest of the world put together . ' iran carried out at least 314 executions last year , iraq at least 129 and saudi arabia at least 79 . in the united states , 43 people were executed across nine states . sixth on the list was yemen , with at least 28 executions . methods of executions included beheading , hanging , firing squad and lethal injection , ' amnesty international said . in saudi arabia , the body of one man executed through beheading was displayed in a public'crucifixion'display . ' according to the 60-page report , death sentences and executions in 2012 , ' there were at least 1,722 newly-imposed death sentences in 58 countries last year , compared with 1,923 in 63 countries in 2011 . this meant that at least 23,386 people were under sentence of death worldwide at the end of 2012 , it said .'cruel and inhumane punishment' in africa , two countries -- benin and ghana -- are on their way to abolishing the death penalty . in nearby sierra leone , there are no prisoners on death row . however , a surge in executions in gambia , which had not carried out the death penalty in almost three decades but executed nine people in august , and 19 executions in sudan pushed figures for the continent up , the rights group said . three countries in the asia-pacific region -- japan , pakistan and india -- also resumed executions after a hiatus , amnesty international said . the number of executions in the middle east last year , almost all of them in iran , iraq , saudi arabia and yemen , was a cause of great concern , ' it said . the tally almost doubled in iraq from the previous year , when 68 people were put to death . the conflict in syria made it impossible for researchers to establish whether capital punishment was carried out , it added . amnesty international secretary general salil shetty said the regression ' seen in some countries last year was disappointing -- but that it did not change the overall trend . in many parts of the world , executions are becoming a thing of the past . only one in 10 countries in the world carries out executions , ' he said . their leaders should ask themselves why they are still applying a cruel and inhumane punishment that the rest of the world is leaving behind . ' there is no evidence that the death penalty works as a special deterrent against crime , shetty said . the real reason for the death penalty 's use can often be found elsewhere . in 2012 , we were once again very concerned to see countries executing for what appeared to be political purposes -- either as a populist measure , or as an outright tool of repression . ' texas leads executions in the united states , the number of executions and death sentences remained steady compared with 2011 , but the number of states carrying out capital punishment continues to drop , according to the death penalty information center . forty-three men were put to death in 2012 , matching 2011 's total , it said . eighty people were sentenced to death , the second lowest total since executions resumed in 1976 . only nine of the 50 states carried out lethal injections of convicted capital murderers , led by texas with 15 executions , more than a third of the nationwide total for 2012 . connecticut became the 17th state to abolish the death penalty in april last year . california narrowly approved keeping capital punishment in a november referendum . the state has by far the nation 's largest death row population at 727 inmates , but has not carried out an execution since 2005 , over continuing legal challenges to the lethal injection procedures . read more : saudi execution : brutal , inhuman and illegal ? read more : china executes drug gang over mekong river massacre read more : outrage over beheading of sri lankan woman by saudi arabia | three middle eastern countries -- iran , iraq and saudi arabia -- also were in the top five |
iraqi <tsp> baghdad , iraq ( cnn ) -- nineteen u.s. troops were killed in iraq in may , the fewest killed in any month since the war started . baghdad saw a lull in violence in may , as a cease fire agreement has so far been maintained . the second-lowest month for american deaths was in february 2004 , when 20 were killed . may 's toll was a significant decrease from april , when 50 were killed -- the highest monthly figure since september . the u.s. military death toll spiked last year as the u.s. troop escalation , dubbed the surge , ' was unfolding . in 2007 , there were 104 deaths in april , 126 in may and 101 in june . numbers began dropping when the surge ' strategy took hold and shiite cleric muqtada al-sadr suspended the activities of his militia , the mehdi army . there were 78 american deaths in july , 2007 ; 84 in august ; 65 in september ; 38 in october ; 37 in november ; 23 in december ; 40 in january ; 29 in february ; and 38 in march . may 's death numbers appeared to support senate testimony last month from gen. david petraeus , the top u.s. commander in iraq . petraeus said recent operations in three iraqi cities have contributed significantly to the reduction in violence . ' the month of june may not bring such optimistic news . a suicide car bomb struck an iraqi police checkpoint outside police headquarters in mosul on monday , killing nine people , including four police officers , and wounding 46 people , a mosul police official said . eight of the wounded were police officers , the official said . the incident took place in southern mosul 's dawasa commercial area at about 7 p.m. the official said . mosul is about 260 miles ( 420 km ) north of baghdad . | a suicide car bomb struck an iraqi police checkpoint monday killing nine people |
hashim rexhepi <tsp> ( cnn ) -- authorities arrested the governor of the central bank of kosovo on friday after searching his house and office as part of a corruption investigation , the european union rule of law mission said in statement . a prosecutor authorized the arrest of hashim rexhepi after the search , which the statement said was connected with an investigation into allegations of abusing official position or authority , accepting bribes , tax evasion , trading in influence and money laundering . in addition to rexhepi 's home and the bank , police also searched a private company and the homes of three other suspects , the statement said . it did not provide further details about the allegations . pieter feith , the european union 's special representative in kosovo , has said corruption is a significant problem there . the major obstacles to desperately needed foreign investment are the interlinked issues of weak governance , widespread corruption and the breaches in rule-of-law , ' feith said during prepared remarks before a european parliament committee in june . on thursday , the international court of justice ruled that kosovo 's declaration of independence from serbia in february 2008 was legal . the central bank of kosovo was established in june 2008 . serbia maintains kosovo 's move for independence was illegal and that it remains a part of the serbian republic . | officials say hashim rexhepi was arrested after investigators searched his home |
sergio aguero <tsp> ( cnn ) -- argentina are into the quarterfinals of the 2011 copa america after the hosts scored a comfortable 3-0 victory against costa rica in cordoba . two goals from atletico madrid 's sergio aguero and one from real madrid winger angel di maria secured the three points sergio batista 's team needed to avoid an early exit from the quadrennial competition . the two-time world champions advanced from group a in second position , after colombia defeated bolivia 2-0 on sunday to advance in first place . la albiceleste will now face the second-placed team from group c , which will be one of chile , peru or uruguay . is argentine football in crisis ? argentina were gifted the lead on the brink of half-time , when goalkeeper leonel moreira spilled midfielder fernando gago 's volley and the 23-year-old aguero finished from close range . aguero 's second goal , and third of the tournament , arrived seven minutes into the second half , when the former independiente striker latched onto a perfectly weighted pass from fifa ballon d'or winner lionel messi to sidefoot the ball beyond moreira . di maria completed the scoring just past the hour mark , firing home from 10 yards after another perfect pass from barcelona 's messi . river plate 's fate a warning to latin american giants batista made four changes to his starting line-up after two draws in argentina 's opening two matches against bolivia and colombia . the most high-profile name to be dropped was manchester city striker carlos tevez , with the 48-year-old coach preferring to field a front three of aguero , di maria and gonzalo higuain anchored by messi . we needed a game like this to restore the confidence of the players , ' batista told the tournament 's official web site . the 1986 world cup winner praised the impact of messi , who showed glimpses of the dazzling form he displayed for european champions barca last season . messi was brilliant and i was pleased by the application of the team , this is the game we want . we needed to have security as a team and keep the ball . lionel knows how to overcome these situations and he showed today . ' messi , 24 , thanked the fans in the estadio mario alberto kempes for their support . i want to thank the fans , we missed this affection . from now another cup begins , more than anyone , we want the best for argentina . ' tuesday 's match in the competition will pit chile against peru in mendoza , with both teams level on four points . | atletico madrid 's sergio aguero ( 2 ) and angel di maria grabbed the goals |
angel di maria <tsp> ( cnn ) -- argentina are into the quarterfinals of the 2011 copa america after the hosts scored a comfortable 3-0 victory against costa rica in cordoba . two goals from atletico madrid 's sergio aguero and one from real madrid winger angel di maria secured the three points sergio batista 's team needed to avoid an early exit from the quadrennial competition . the two-time world champions advanced from group a in second position , after colombia defeated bolivia 2-0 on sunday to advance in first place . la albiceleste will now face the second-placed team from group c , which will be one of chile , peru or uruguay . is argentine football in crisis ? argentina were gifted the lead on the brink of half-time , when goalkeeper leonel moreira spilled midfielder fernando gago 's volley and the 23-year-old aguero finished from close range . aguero 's second goal , and third of the tournament , arrived seven minutes into the second half , when the former independiente striker latched onto a perfectly weighted pass from fifa ballon d'or winner lionel messi to sidefoot the ball beyond moreira . di maria completed the scoring just past the hour mark , firing home from 10 yards after another perfect pass from barcelona 's messi . river plate 's fate a warning to latin american giants batista made four changes to his starting line-up after two draws in argentina 's opening two matches against bolivia and colombia . the most high-profile name to be dropped was manchester city striker carlos tevez , with the 48-year-old coach preferring to field a front three of aguero , di maria and gonzalo higuain anchored by messi . we needed a game like this to restore the confidence of the players , ' batista told the tournament 's official web site . the 1986 world cup winner praised the impact of messi , who showed glimpses of the dazzling form he displayed for european champions barca last season . messi was brilliant and i was pleased by the application of the team , this is the game we want . we needed to have security as a team and keep the ball . lionel knows how to overcome these situations and he showed today . ' messi , 24 , thanked the fans in the estadio mario alberto kempes for their support . i want to thank the fans , we missed this affection . from now another cup begins , more than anyone , we want the best for argentina . ' tuesday 's match in the competition will pit chile against peru in mendoza , with both teams level on four points . | atletico madrid 's sergio aguero ( 2 ) and angel di maria grabbed the goals |
qnexa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the u.s. food and drug administration approved a new prescription diet drug called qsymia on tuesday . the medication produced dramatic weight loss in clinical trials , but some are concerned over potential side effects , including increased heart rate , birth defects and other issues . qsymia ( pronounced kyoo-sim-ee-uh ) is the second diet drug approved this year . the fda approved a weight-loss pill called belviq on june 27 . qsymia had been known as qnexa until its approval . the fda asked the company to change the name to avoid confusion with another drug on the market , according to the company . patients in clinical trials experienced more dramatic weight loss with qsymia than with belviq . on qsymia , patients went from an average 227 pounds to 204 pounds ; on belviq , the average weight dropped from 220 to 207 . some consumer advocates worry that the weight loss comes with a price . some patients in the clinical trial suffered an increased heart rate and a condition called metabolic acidosis , which can lead to hyperventilation , fatigue and anorexia . concerns have also been raised about birth defects . one of the ingredients in qsymia is topiramate , an anti-convulsant that has been linked to birth defects such as cleft lip and cleft palate in babies born to women who have taken it for migraines or seizures . qsymia 's other ingredient is phentermine , an appetite suppressant . our belief is that women will be invited to compelling advertising and marketing messages to experiment on themselves with a drug that has some effectiveness with healthy weight loss but possible serious risks , ' said cindy pearson , executive director of the national women 's health network . qsymia 's manufacturer , vivus inc. , says that the drug helped lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels in obese people and that people taking it were less likely to get type 2 diabetes . not enough good data to back obesity drug , panel says ' obesity is not being adequately addressed by diet and lifestyle changes or currently available therapies , ' the company said . the need for new options is urgent , particularly nonsurgical options . ' the fda approved qsymia only for obese people or for overweight people with a body mass index greater than 27 who also suffer from weight-related conditions like hypertension and diabetes . doctors are free to prescribe the drug to anyone , however , and there are concerns that physicians will open pill mills ' and prescribe qsymia to people who just want to lose a few pounds . that 's what happened in the 1990s with fen-phen , another diet drug combination that includes phentermine . an fda advisory committee voted against qsymia 's approval in 2010 . the panel recommended the drug 's approval with a 20-2 vote in february , after vivus proposed a risk management program to limit qsymia 's distribution and published additional results from one of its three clinical trials . vivus will at first offer the pill only through mail order , so doctors ca n't sell it directly , said dr. barbara troupin , vivus'vice president of scientific communications and risk management . there will not be dispensing from doctors'offices , ' she said . seeing that issue and what has happened in fad and diet drugs in the past , that is not a path that we 're going to be taking . ' the 4,430 overweight and obese patients in the qsymia studies experienced various levels of weight loss . about half of patients on the recommended dose lost 10 % of their weight , while four-fifths lost 5 % . that amounts to about 12 pounds for a 227-pound person . meg evans , one of the patients , started out at 230 pounds and lost 48 pounds her first year on the drug and another two pounds the second year . i loved it , ' she said . i was n't hungry . i almost had to remind myself to eat . ' at 5 feet 9 inches tall , evans , now 63 , describes herself as having been twiggy-like ' in college , weighing 120 pounds . then she gained weight after having four children . an avid cook and eater , she said the drug made it easier to resist tempting foods . fda advisers recommend diet drug ' if i saw a chocolate chip cookie , it was easy enough for me to say ,'i 'm not really hungry . i can pass on it ,' evans said . she said the weight came off gradually , about four pounds a month , and her blood pressure went down almost immediately . despite the pill 's apparent ability to help people lose weight , some critics expressed concerns because of the possible side effects . i believe that if the public were to'buy'( qsymia ) after fda approval , it would run the risk of severe , even fatal , consequences from another diet lemon , ' dr. michael lauer writes in annals of internal medicine , also noting that the drug led to a slight increase in heart rates . in february , lauer was one of two fda advisory committee members who voted against qsymia 's approval . the fda and vivus both acknowledge that the three clinical trials meant to measure qsymia 's safety and effectiveness were not designed to properly assess cardiovascular risk . the fda has required vivus to do a study on the drug 's cardiovascular effects . vivus said it would be done after the drug 's approval . despite the label 's warning that women of childbearing age should use birth control while on qsymia , there are concerns that women will still get pregnant while on the drug . the fda recommends a pregnancy test every month while on qsymia . in the drug-maker 's two-year clinical trial , 34 women on qsymia became pregnant , even though they were told repeatedly to use contraception . no birth defects happened in those pregnancies , according to the company . previous clinical trials of topiramate , one of the ingredients in qsymia , have shown a risk of about five birth defects for every 1,000 pregnancies . comparing the anti-obesity drug to treatments for other chronic diseases , troupin said patients will probably need to continue taking qsymia long-term , though the new drug is not expected to be widely covered by health insurance plans . fda rejects another obesity drug evans , the patient who lost 50 pounds on the drug , said she has gained back about 20 pounds since the clinical trial ended two years ago and looks forward to going on qsymia once it 's approved , even though it can have side effects . there are side effects to everything , ' she said . she added that the drug was n't the only reason she lost weight . weekly counseling on nutrition and exercise were a big factor , too . the counselor helped her change her diet -- choosing a salad for lunch instead of a burger , forgoing pasta and potatoes at dinner -- and encouraged her to walk a few times a week in addition to her regular exercise as goalie in a women 's soccer league . before the medicine , i had been telling the girls they 'd have to find a new goalie , because i could n't dive for the ball like i did before , ' she said . then i lost the weight , and i was diving and bouncing back up and having a great old time again . ' | qsymia , formerly known as qnexa , is second diet drug approved since june |
morocco <tsp> madrid ( cnn ) -- the alleged leader of an islamic militant cell in spain who escaped arrest in june when eight of his suspected colleagues were detained has been taken into custody , the spanish interior ministry said monday . the suspect , yassin ahmed laarbi , a spaniard , was arrested monday in the spanish enclave of ceuta on morocco 's north coast , where the eight other suspects also were detained on june 21 , an interior ministry statement said . the suspected cell was a structure based in spain , with connections in morocco , belgium , turkey and syria , dedicated to radicalizing , recruiting and sending mujahedeen ( fighters ) to syria with the aim of conducting jihad and achieving martyrdom , ' according to a court order issued in june . in that order , judge ismael moreno of spain 's national court ruled that the eight suspected islamic militants should remain in prison on preliminary charges alleging membership in a terrorist group . the group has connections to the jabhat al-nusra front , described as an active al qaeda group in and around syria , and to the iraq islamic state in iraq , but there are increasing references to carrying out jihad at home , ' the judge warned at the time , referring to potential attacks in spain . read more : spain arrests suspects linked to al qaeda the eight suspects sent at least 12 spanish or moroccan males , from both ceuta and morocco , to fight in syria , the judge wrote . at least five died in suicide attacks in syria that caused numerous casualties . one of the males was a minor ; it was not immediately clear if he was among those who had died . some of the eight suspects intended to go to syria , the judge added . monday 's interior ministry statement said that laarbi also was a candidate to join up with those terrorist groups in syria . ' he was not at his home june 21 when the other suspects were arrested , the statement said . the judge 's order in june identified the suspected leader as spaniard karin abdeselam mohamed , 39 . but the interior ministry statement on monday said laarbi was the suspected maximum leader ' of the cell . spanish police in june said the suspected cell was based in ceuta and in the nearby moroccan city of fnideq . ceuta is an autonomous city of spain that borders morocco . | suspected leader of cell taken into custody in spanish enclave of ceuta on morocco coast |
branden grace <tsp> ( cnn ) -- branden grace duly completed his front running victory at the dunhill links championships sunday after coming under last round pressure from denmark 's thorbjorn olesen at st andrews . grace , winning for the fifth time in a superb 2012 , four coming on the european tour , ended two ahead of olesen after carding a final round 70 for a record 22-under total in the tournament . it feels awesome , ' the south african told the official european tour website after a victory that has lifted him to third in the the race to dubai . he has now targeted no.1 rory mcilroy in the battle for the overall honors in europe . it 's definitely in my sights , ' he said . grace , who is yet another graduate of the ernie els foundation , led from the first round at kingsbarns where he shot a stunning 12-under 60 . but when olesen carded two straight birdies around the turn and grace three-putted the short 11th for a bogey , they were level . but grace pulled away with a stunning hat-trick of birdies only interrupted by a bogey on the road hole 17th . he still had a two-shot lead playing the last which they both birdied . alexander noren of sweden finished third , four shots back , with joel sjoholm of sweden in fourth . scot stephen gallacher , a former dunhill winner , was making superb last day progress until he accidentally played the ball of an amateur partner steve halsall on the 16th fairway . it cost him a two-shot penalty and he ended up running up a quadruple bogey to slip back into a tie for fifth . european ryder cup heroes martin kaymer and peter hanson finished in a tie for 34th . | branden grace wins dunhill links championship |
israel <tsp> ( cnn ) it 's a question that 's been burning ever since the moment gunmen stormed the paris office of charlie hebdo : are there other attackers out there ? it 's very likely , french prime minister manuel valls said . we are doing everything we can to dismantle what appears to be a network . ... no doubt there was complicity and networks and maybe finance also , ' he told cnn 's christiane amanpour . investigators are still trying to piece together who was behind the islamist terror attacks that killed 17 people . clues have emerged tying the attackers to a man who was once al qaeda 's top recruiter in europe , and to training with al qaeda in the arabian peninsula in yemen . said and cherif kouachi , blamed for wednesday 's attack on charlie hebdo magazine , are dead . so is amedy coulibaly , who authorities say killed a police officer , carried out an attack at a kosher market and might have shot a jogger . it 's not clear how many people might have helped them plot last week 's attacks . but valls said they could n't have done it without help . i do n't really believe in the idea of the lone wolf , ' he said . a key player who could help unravel details is hayat boumeddiene , coulibaly 's partner and alleged accomplice . early reports said she was by his side during the hostage siege at the kosher market . but now , investigators believe she was far from paris when the attacks unfolded . boumeddiene arrived in turkey from madrid on january 2 -- five days before the first attack in paris , turkey 's anadolu news agency reports . boumeddiene stayed at an istanbul hotel and then traveled to syria on thursday , andalou said . the last place authorities spotted boumeddiene was somewhere near turkey 's border with syria . police have searched an apartment outside paris as they try to track her down . there investigators discovered isis flags , automatic weapons and detonators at an apartment rented out by coulibaly , boumeddiene 's partner and suspected co-conspirator , france 's rtl radio reported , citing authorities . authorities are looking into whether boumeddiene helped prepare the attacks before leaving france , valls told cnn . and there 's another concern , a u.s. intelligence official told cnn : now that she is believed to have escaped to syria , boumeddiene could be used in propaganda videos to gloat about the attacks . france was on its highest alert level monday as people went back to work and children returned to schools following the attacks . at least 10,000 soldiers and 8,000 police officers will be deployed across the country , french media reported . we must remain vigilant because the threat is still very much present , ' valls told cnn affiliate bfmtv . about 4,700 officers will be tasked with securing 717 jewish schools , valls said . four of the victims were killed friday at the kosher market , the latest in a string of anti-semitic attacks that have led many jewish families to leave the country . a muslim employee is credited with helping hide some hostages in a walk-in freezer , which he turned off . a photo from the freezer shows a baby was among the hostages . the situation can only get worse . it does not look like the problem is going away , ' high school student gary uzan , 17 , told cnn on monday . i will go to israel . it is better for us . it is safer . ' the wife of cherif kouachi has condemned her husband 's actions . she condemns every violent act , ' her attorney , christian saint-palais , said in a statement . she was astonished when she learned her husband was involved in the charlie hebdo attack . ' the statement -- which did not include the wife 's name -- expressed her sympathies for the families of the victims . some 3.7 million people marched in anti-terrorism rallies sunday across france , including 1.5 million in paris . about 40 world leaders joined in the march in the french capital . police said no incidents had been reported despite the record number of people involved in the paris rally . still , french law enforcement officers have been told to erase their social media presence and carry weapons at all times because terror sleeper cells have been activated in the country , a police source said . investigators are looking into whether the attackers last week were part of a larger cell and , if so , when it may strike again , valls told cnn 's christiane amanpour . the threats go well beyond france . the new york city police department and other u.s. law enforcement agencies responded to a threat from isis after someone released again a september message that tells followers to rise up and kill intelligence officers , police officers , soldiers , and civilians ' -- specifically naming the united states , france , australia and canada as targets . according to a new york police memo obtained by cnn , department employees were told to remain alert and consider tactics at all times while on patrol , ' especially in light of the attacks in france last week . the fbi and department of homeland security issued a similar bulletin to law enforcement across the united states . in a statement monday , u.s. secretary of homeland security jeh johnson said the transportation security administration is increasing the number of random searches of passengers and carry-on luggage at u.s. airports . johnson said his agency had implemented new measures , including stepped-up efforts to share information about terrorist threats and individuals of suspicion ' with france and other key counterterrorism allies ' and to boost security outside u.s. government buildings . early sunday , a firebomb was hurled at a german newspaper that reprinted charlie hebdo cartoons depicting the prophet mohammed , though authorities have n't said whether the arson attack was connected to the charlie hebdo massacre . no one was injured in the attack . cnn 's jim sciutto , frederik pleitgen , pamela brown , sandra betsis ljuljanovic , barbara starr , radina gigova , hakim almasmari , nic robertson , al goodman , tim lister , faith karimi , ashley fantz , margot haddad , lorenzo ferrigno , laurie segall , evan perez and rene marsh and translator eric king contributed to this report . | i will go to israel . ... it is safer , ' jewish high school student says |
gulf of mexico <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- nearly two weeks after an explosion aboard an oil rig caused a leak from an undersea oil well off louisiana , the impact is just beginning to unfold . though the widening pool of oil remained offshore monday , it was already a presence for some coastal areas . john kelly , administrator of gulfport , mississippi , said he had been able to smell it since friday . i got $ 3 million worth of boats sitting here , ' said capt . louis skrmetta , who ferries tourists from gulfport to the state 's pristine barrier islands . what am i going to do with them ? ' bp 's ruptured undersea well continues to spew about 210,000 gallons -- or 5,000 barrels -- of crude per day into the gulf of mexico . efforts to contain or curtail the spill have been unsuccessful . the sheen extends up to 60 miles across and threatens the coasts of louisiana , mississippi and alabama , as well as the florida panhandle , according to the national oceanic and atmospheric administration . that 's an area nearly as large as the state of delaware . the slick was nine miles off the louisiana coast monday , said adm. thad allen , commandant of the u.s. coast guard and incident commander . bp chief executive tony hayward vowed that the oil giant would absolutely be paying for the cleanup operation ' of the oil leak in the gulf of mexico . where legitimate claims are made , we will be good for them , ' he told npr 's morning edition . ' the u.s. government was leaving little to chance . attorney general eric holder said monday that justice department employees were in the gulf region to ensure that bp is held liable . ' allen said bp is the responsible party ' and will bear all the costs ' of the cleanup . still , the promises failed to quell the fears . i hope we can weather the storm , ' said keith delcambre , owner of seafood market bozo 's in pascagoula , mississippi . wlox : pass christian harbor in mississippi prepares for oil he said the nature of the current disaster could exact more of a toll on seafood than hurricane katrina , which savaged the gulf coast in august 2005 . we weathered katrina , but shrimp after katrina was good , ' he said . seafood after katrina was good . with all the oil out there , i do n't know what to expect . this is brand new . ' in gulfport , officials worried that a drop in tourism from the slick would chill the city 's post-katrina rebound , which includes half a billion dollars in new construction , $ 30 million of which has been spent on the harbor . this could not have happened at a worse time in our history , ' kelly , the city 's administrator , said . katrina left equipment operator daniel schepens out of work for a month , but the oil slick could prove worse , he said . the warehouses are empty . no trucks , no imports , no exports . ' if it threatens the commercial sea lanes , that 's a concern , because if ships do n't come in and ships are n't able to go out , that stops commerce , ' said donald allee , ceo of the mississippi state port authority . wwl : fishermen try to help contain oil slick for now , the harbor is being used as a loading point for hundreds of miles of booms that are intended to defend against the slick 's arrival . but the booms may not protect the coast any more than the levees protected new orleans during katrina : rough seas have already broken apart some of the booms . wdsu : rush to save lake pontchartrain meanwhile , florida gov . charlie crist on monday extended a state of emergency to 13 coastal counties in his state and said he might extend it to two more on tuesday . he had issued an emergency declaration last week for six counties on the western end of the florida panhandle ; monday 's declaration added the rest of the panhandle , and counties on the gulf coast of the main florida peninsula as far south as sarasota . in the event that the oil does come to our shores , i want us to be ahead of it as much as humanly possible , ' he told reporters . preparations continue on strategies to stop the leak , though each plan has drawbacks . one plan is to lower a dome over the wellhead next week to capture the spewing oil , said florida secretary of environmental protection michael sole . that would stop the flow -- if successful , ' he said . unfortunately , it 's never been tried at 5,000 feet below the surface of the water . ' officials warn of possible catastrophe bp also is having a contractor drill a relief well that would allow workers to plug the first well . unfortunately , that 's a two- to three-month operation , ' sole said . interior secretary ken salazar , homeland security secretary janet napolitano and other obama white house officials met monday afternoon with hayward and bp america president lamar mckay to discuss the response efforts . on sunday , federal officials banned fishing for at least 10 days in the northern gulf of mexico from the mouth of the mississippi river in louisiana to waters off florida 's pensacola bay . the gulf coast 's commercial fishing industry brings in about $ 2.4 billion to the region . wdsu : oil spill closes fishing waters the spill cast a pall over the annual boat blessing ceremony in st. bernard , louisiana , where fishermen have observed the tradition for decades to usher in the shrimp season . on monday , sen. david vitter , r-louisiana , joined plaquemines parish president billy nungesser on a conference call with president obama and coast guard officials . officials are fighting the spill on three fronts , napolitano said monday . one is to cap the well ' that is leaking the oil , she said . authorities are also fighting the slick at sea before it reaches land , and preparing to clean it up immediately if it does make landfall , she said . in venice , louisiana , obama told reporters sunday that his administration has launched a relentless response ' to the spill , but the problem might not be solved for many days . wdsu : fishermen to help oil cleanup the oil spill started april 20 , after an explosion on bp contractor transocean ltd. 's deepwater horizon drilling platform left 11 men presumed dead . the spill will have a multidecade impact , ' a long-term poisoning ' of the area , said richard charter of the environmental group defenders of wildlife . booms were strung across the mouths of delta estuaries in louisiana and inlets along the mississippi coast . in alabama , national guard troops helped lay them out off dauphin island , at the southern end of mobile bay . the cause of the blast remains unknown . bp says a device known as a blowout preventer ' failed and has not responded to repeated attempts to activate it using remotely operated submarines . how the oil spill crisis could affect bp frustration with bp has been growing across the gulf states , and louisiana gov . bobby jindal has said the company 's response has been inadequate . some 200 vessels , including skimmers , tugboats and nine remotely operated underwater vehicles are on or near the site , bp 's chief operating officer douglas suttles told reporters . bp spokeswoman marti powers said the company was trying to use the submarines to activate the blowout preventer at the ocean floor and spreading dispersants on and under the water to break up the slick . the company has put out about 300,000 feet -- roughly 60 miles -- of floating booms to keep the oil away from ecologically sensitive shorelines , she said . but she said efforts to skim oil off the surface were put off because of bad weather . some of the vessels ca n't get out , ' she said . but they are still making the effort . ' cnn 's david mattingly , ted barrett , dana bash , brian todd , sarah hoye , saeed ahmed , mark biello and richard lui contributed to this report . | feds ban fishing for at least the next 10 days in part of the northern gulf of mexico |
trayvon martin <tsp> sanford , florida ( cnn ) -- a neighbor and friend of george zimmerman 's said tuesday on cnn that their neighborhood had suffered eight burglaries , all committed by young black men , in the 15 months prior to trayvon martin 's shooting . frank taaffe 's account paints a picture of a neighborhood watch volunteer making rounds in a community suffering a spate of burglaries when he ran across what he thought was a suspicious figure walking the streets . police records appear to only partially substantiate taaffe 's claims about the burglaries , citing three of eight cases in which suspects were identified as black males . martin 's family and supporters say zimmerman , who is hispanic , profiled martin , who was black , as suspicious ' and ignored a police dispatcher 's request not follow him . martin did not live in sanford , but was there with his father , whose fiance'lives in zimmerman 's neighborhood . zimmerman , 28 , fatally shot martin , 17 , on february 26 . the case has triggered a nationwide debate about florida 's stand your ground ' law , race and racial profiling . zimmerman , a neighborhood watch volunteer , has said he killed martin in self-defense , saying the teen punched him and slammed his head into a sidewalk before the shooting , according to family members and police . martin family attorney jasmine rand said that zimmerman was the aggressor . ' he pursued trayvon in this instance . if he did have any medical injuries , that did not give him the right to use deadly force and shoot and kill trayvon , ' rand said . here 's what police documents have to say about taaffe 's account of the burglaries in his neighborhood : city officials posted police reports to the city website detailing eight burglary reports in the neighborhood in the 14 months prior to martin 's february 26 death . in three of those incidents , black males were implicated by witnesses or arrests . a fourth incident was less clear . a homeowner who reported that someone had broken into her home and had stolen a video game console referred police to a black man who had previously visited her home asking for her son . police do not list that man as a suspect in their report . in the other four incidents , there were no witnesses or suspects , according to police reports . it was not clear if the documents posted to sanford 's website include all burglary incidents in the time period mentioned by taaffe . a city spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comments . taaffe declined further comment to cnn on tuesday afternoon . in his cnn interview , taaffe credited zimmerman with preventing what he said would have been a ninth burglary by reporting a suspicious black man trying to break into taaffe 's home . city documents show that zimmerman did call police on february 2 to report a black man was possibly trying to break into the house . by the time police arrived , no one was at the scene , according to a call log posted on the city website . zimmerman 's supporters say he was just trying to do the right thing in guarding his neighborhood . it was just a perfect storm that all of the components were there for this tragedy to transpire , ' taaffe told cnn tuesday . martin 's father , tracy martin questions why zimmerman suspected his son . when asked what he would say to zimmerman if he had a chance to speak to him , tracy martin told cnn 's piers morgan : ' i would ask him why did he in fact pick out my son , what was going through his mind that night ? ' cnn 's tracy sabo contributed to this report . | martin 's family say that zimmerman profiled trayvon martin |
catalunya grand prix <tsp> ( cnn ) -- casey stoner is comfortable racing in spain . so much so , the motogp world champion used saturday 's qualifying run for the catalunya grand prix as an extended practice session . nonetheless , the australian still topped the timesheets and will start sunday 's race from the front of the grid . he heading off championship leader jorge lorenzo to claim the 36th pole position of his career in motorcycling 's elite division . we used the qualifying as an extended practice session as we do n't always have enough time to do everything during the 45-minute sessions , ' said stoner , who won the race last year before also triumphing at valencia in november and then at jerez in april . this morning we did a lot of work with the hard tire , so in the afternoon in these hot conditions , we worked more with the softer one to get a clearer understanding if we can run with it for race distance . we were in and out a lot during the session trying a few different things , hoping to reduce the chatter which is still proving to be a problem . towards the end of the session we managed to improve it slightly but i think we need to make another step before the race . tomorrow , for sure tire degradation is going to play a role so we 're going to have to wait and see , but i 'm happy to start from pole . ' last month the 26-year-old announced he will quit the sport at the end of this season , then finished third at the last race in le mans . the honda rider set the fastest time on saturday of one minute 41.295 seconds -- the equivalent of 334 kmh . lorenzo , who won in france , clocked 1:41.441 and spain 's 2010 world champion was joined on the front row by another yamaha rider -- cal crutchlow of britain . lorenzo 's american teammate ben spies will lead the second row on sunday after qualifying fourth ahead of honda 's dani pedrosa and italy 's andrea dovizisio . former world champion nicky hayden was seventh , while the veteran american 's ducati teammate valentino rossi was ninth . rossi had hinted at a return to the form that won him seven world titles when he finished second in wet conditions at le mans , but the italian was 0.88 seconds off stoner 's pace in the spanish heat . veteran american colin edwards was 14th on his return to racing after a month out with a broken collarbone . it 's still a bit tender to touch but when i put my leathers on today i honestly did n't feel it . i do n't have any pain , no problem there , ' the 38-year-old former superbike world champion said . | world champion casey stoner tops qualifying times for sunday 's catalunya grand prix in spain |
blagojevich <tsp> chicago , illinois ( cnn ) -- key illinois democratic legislators are circulating a letter urging support for the impeachment of gov . rod blagojevich , who was arrested this week on federal corruption charges relating in part to the selection of president-elect barack obama 's successor as a u.s. senator . barack obama says he has never spoken with illinois gov . rod blagojevich about the vacant senate seat . state rep. john fritchey , head of the house civil judiciary committee , sent the letter thursday asking democratic colleagues to say by friday whether they support a move for impeachment and would like to be added as a co-sponsor of legislation . blagojevich also is a democrat . faced with a significant budget shortfall , a national recession , and a vacant united states senate seat , we can not afford to allow illinois to operate without effective leadership in the [ illinois ] executive branch , ' said the letter , also signed by reps. thomas holbrook , david miller and james brosnahan . simply put , it is imperative to replace gov . blagojevich as soon as is practicable . ' the letter said the impeachment filing was being prepared , and the lawmakers said they expected the process -- the state house would bring charges against blagojevich and he would be tried by the state senate -- would take a matter of weeks rather than months . ' the lawmakers'move coincided with increasing calls for blagojevich 's resignation . president-elect barack obama called again thursday for blagojevich to step down , saying the embattled governor can no longer effectively serve the people of illinois . watch as obama says senate seat belongs to the people » ' i hope that the governor himself comes to the conclusion that he can no longer effectively serve and that he does resign , ' obama said , speaking before announcing his pick to lead the department of health and human services , former senate majority leader tom daschle . obama said he was as appalled and disappointed as anyone ' by the allegations against the democratic governor , and said he was confident his staff was not involved in the alleged scandal . federal officials said blagojevich was looking to sell or trade obama 's open seat in the u.s. senate . obama said he had never spoken to the governor on the subject , adding he was confident that no representatives of mine would have any part of any deals related to this seat . ' he had asked his staff to gather the facts of any contacts with the governor 's office about the vacancy , he said . this senate seat does not belong to any politician to trade . it belongs to the people of illinois , and they deserve the best possible representation , ' he said . they also deserve to know that any vacancy will be filled in an appropriate way so that whoever is sent to washington is going to be fighting for the people of illinois . ' earlier thursday , illinois attorney general lisa madigan said she is prepared to go to the illinois supreme court to have blagojevich declared unfit to serve if he does not resign . explainer : federal complaint against blagojevich » ' obviously the easiest way for us to move on in the state of illinois is for gov . blagojevich to do the right thing for the people and to resign , ' she told cnn 's american morning . ' she added , if he fails to , the two other options are obviously the legislature moving forward on impeachment , or i have the opportunity to actually go to our illinois supreme court and ask them to declare , basically , that our governor is unable to serve , ' she said . in that case , lt. gov . pat quinn , a democrat , would become acting governor , she said . madigan said she wo n't wait long to take action . we would like a signal from the legislature if they 're going to move forward on impeachment proceedings . ... i think there are obviously numerous members of the legislature calling for impeachment proceedings , ' she said , noting that the legislature , which is adjourned , will meet monday to discuss the possibility of holding a special election for obama 's successor . fritchey , in the letter to democratic lawmakers , commended madigan 's willingness to go to the supreme court , but said both the duration as well as the outcome of such a proceeding are inherently uncertain and speculative . ' watch what was in the complaint against blagojevich » ' we would also note the comments of the attorney general indicating her support of impeachment proceedings as an appropriate course of action at this time , ' the letter said . quinn said at a news conference earlier thursday that the governor had lost the confidence of the people . i think the governor has one duty right now and that 's the duty to resign , ' he said . should he became governor , quinn indicated he might lean toward appointing a successor to obama 's seat , saying an election would be expensive and time-consuming . time is of the essence for all of us in america right now , to make sure we get our economy on the straight path to recovery , ' he said . blagojevich -- who is free on his own recognizance -- returned to work wednesday , his 52nd birthday . he has not commented on the charges , but his lawyer , sheldon sorosky , told reporters tuesday night that his client feels he did n't do anything wrong . ' sorosky said , he hopes the people of illinois have faith in him , because he will be vindicated . ' white house press secretary dana perino said thursday that president bush believes the governor 's arrest marks a very serious situation , ' and he believes the charges are astounding . ' some details of the alleged scandal became clearer wednesday , as a law enforcement official close to the investigation identified rep. jesse jackson jr. as the person referred to in the federal criminal complaint as senate candidate 5 . of the six candidates mentioned in the complaint , candidate 5 is the only one whom blagojevich said engaged in discussion through an emissary about possibly raising money for the governor in exchange for the senate position . jackson firmly denied wrongdoing at a wednesday news conference . i reject and denounce'pay to play'politics and have no involvement whatsoever in any wrongdoing , ' he said . i did not initiate or authorize anyone at any time to promise anything to gov . blagojevich on my behalf . i never sent a message or an emissary to the governor to make an offer , to plead my case or to propose a deal about a u.s. senate seat . period . ' the law enforcement official said there was no evidence -- other than the governor 's taped remarks -- that jackson or others on his behalf ever approached the governor in an improper way . the official also emphasized that no conversations with jackson were picked up on bugs or wiretaps , and there is no evidence that he was aware of anything improper . according to the complaint , blagojevich and his chief of staff , john harris -- who was also arrested tuesday on federal corruption charges -- were conspiring to obtain personal financial benefits ' for blagojevich by leveraging his sole authority to appoint a u.s. senator to replace obama . federal investigators also allege the two were trying to have chicago tribune editorial board members fired by leveraging state assistance to the parent company of the newspaper , the tribune company , in its sale of wrigley field . explainer : illinois governor is in hot water » the governor and his chief of staff are also accused of sullying other areas of state business : trying to rescind $ 8 million of state funds to chicago 's children 's memorial hospital because the hospital 's chief executive officer had not contributed $ 50,000 to blagojevich , and expecting a highway contractor to raise $ 500,000 in contributions in exchange for money for a tollway project . because of the unimaginable allegations that were in the federal complaint , it really calls into question absolutely everything that the governor has authority to do , ' madigan said thursday on cnn 's situation room . ' she said she had spoken to the governor only once this year , and perhaps not at all last year . watch whom blagojevich has considered » ' that sounds incredible , because i do serve as attorney general , so i 'm the lawyer for the state , but we 've been well aware for years that there are problems with this governor and so i have n't had anything to do with him , ' she said . she did not elaborate . quinn said earlier this week that he had not spoken to the governor since summer 2007 . blagojevich and harris are each charged with a count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and a count of solicitation of bribery , authorities said . ireport.com : do you trust your leaders ? the count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison , while the count of solicitation of bribery carries a maximum sentence of 10 years . cnn 's ed henry and ed hornick contributed to this report . | president bush believes the charges against blagojevich are astounding ' |
blagojevich <tsp> chicago , illinois ( cnn ) -- key illinois democratic legislators are circulating a letter urging support for the impeachment of gov . rod blagojevich , who was arrested this week on federal corruption charges relating in part to the selection of president-elect barack obama 's successor as a u.s. senator . barack obama says he has never spoken with illinois gov . rod blagojevich about the vacant senate seat . state rep. john fritchey , head of the house civil judiciary committee , sent the letter thursday asking democratic colleagues to say by friday whether they support a move for impeachment and would like to be added as a co-sponsor of legislation . blagojevich also is a democrat . faced with a significant budget shortfall , a national recession , and a vacant united states senate seat , we can not afford to allow illinois to operate without effective leadership in the [ illinois ] executive branch , ' said the letter , also signed by reps. thomas holbrook , david miller and james brosnahan . simply put , it is imperative to replace gov . blagojevich as soon as is practicable . ' the letter said the impeachment filing was being prepared , and the lawmakers said they expected the process -- the state house would bring charges against blagojevich and he would be tried by the state senate -- would take a matter of weeks rather than months . ' the lawmakers'move coincided with increasing calls for blagojevich 's resignation . president-elect barack obama called again thursday for blagojevich to step down , saying the embattled governor can no longer effectively serve the people of illinois . watch as obama says senate seat belongs to the people » ' i hope that the governor himself comes to the conclusion that he can no longer effectively serve and that he does resign , ' obama said , speaking before announcing his pick to lead the department of health and human services , former senate majority leader tom daschle . obama said he was as appalled and disappointed as anyone ' by the allegations against the democratic governor , and said he was confident his staff was not involved in the alleged scandal . federal officials said blagojevich was looking to sell or trade obama 's open seat in the u.s. senate . obama said he had never spoken to the governor on the subject , adding he was confident that no representatives of mine would have any part of any deals related to this seat . ' he had asked his staff to gather the facts of any contacts with the governor 's office about the vacancy , he said . this senate seat does not belong to any politician to trade . it belongs to the people of illinois , and they deserve the best possible representation , ' he said . they also deserve to know that any vacancy will be filled in an appropriate way so that whoever is sent to washington is going to be fighting for the people of illinois . ' earlier thursday , illinois attorney general lisa madigan said she is prepared to go to the illinois supreme court to have blagojevich declared unfit to serve if he does not resign . explainer : federal complaint against blagojevich » ' obviously the easiest way for us to move on in the state of illinois is for gov . blagojevich to do the right thing for the people and to resign , ' she told cnn 's american morning . ' she added , if he fails to , the two other options are obviously the legislature moving forward on impeachment , or i have the opportunity to actually go to our illinois supreme court and ask them to declare , basically , that our governor is unable to serve , ' she said . in that case , lt. gov . pat quinn , a democrat , would become acting governor , she said . madigan said she wo n't wait long to take action . we would like a signal from the legislature if they 're going to move forward on impeachment proceedings . ... i think there are obviously numerous members of the legislature calling for impeachment proceedings , ' she said , noting that the legislature , which is adjourned , will meet monday to discuss the possibility of holding a special election for obama 's successor . fritchey , in the letter to democratic lawmakers , commended madigan 's willingness to go to the supreme court , but said both the duration as well as the outcome of such a proceeding are inherently uncertain and speculative . ' watch what was in the complaint against blagojevich » ' we would also note the comments of the attorney general indicating her support of impeachment proceedings as an appropriate course of action at this time , ' the letter said . quinn said at a news conference earlier thursday that the governor had lost the confidence of the people . i think the governor has one duty right now and that 's the duty to resign , ' he said . should he became governor , quinn indicated he might lean toward appointing a successor to obama 's seat , saying an election would be expensive and time-consuming . time is of the essence for all of us in america right now , to make sure we get our economy on the straight path to recovery , ' he said . blagojevich -- who is free on his own recognizance -- returned to work wednesday , his 52nd birthday . he has not commented on the charges , but his lawyer , sheldon sorosky , told reporters tuesday night that his client feels he did n't do anything wrong . ' sorosky said , he hopes the people of illinois have faith in him , because he will be vindicated . ' white house press secretary dana perino said thursday that president bush believes the governor 's arrest marks a very serious situation , ' and he believes the charges are astounding . ' some details of the alleged scandal became clearer wednesday , as a law enforcement official close to the investigation identified rep. jesse jackson jr. as the person referred to in the federal criminal complaint as senate candidate 5 . of the six candidates mentioned in the complaint , candidate 5 is the only one whom blagojevich said engaged in discussion through an emissary about possibly raising money for the governor in exchange for the senate position . jackson firmly denied wrongdoing at a wednesday news conference . i reject and denounce'pay to play'politics and have no involvement whatsoever in any wrongdoing , ' he said . i did not initiate or authorize anyone at any time to promise anything to gov . blagojevich on my behalf . i never sent a message or an emissary to the governor to make an offer , to plead my case or to propose a deal about a u.s. senate seat . period . ' the law enforcement official said there was no evidence -- other than the governor 's taped remarks -- that jackson or others on his behalf ever approached the governor in an improper way . the official also emphasized that no conversations with jackson were picked up on bugs or wiretaps , and there is no evidence that he was aware of anything improper . according to the complaint , blagojevich and his chief of staff , john harris -- who was also arrested tuesday on federal corruption charges -- were conspiring to obtain personal financial benefits ' for blagojevich by leveraging his sole authority to appoint a u.s. senator to replace obama . federal investigators also allege the two were trying to have chicago tribune editorial board members fired by leveraging state assistance to the parent company of the newspaper , the tribune company , in its sale of wrigley field . explainer : illinois governor is in hot water » the governor and his chief of staff are also accused of sullying other areas of state business : trying to rescind $ 8 million of state funds to chicago 's children 's memorial hospital because the hospital 's chief executive officer had not contributed $ 50,000 to blagojevich , and expecting a highway contractor to raise $ 500,000 in contributions in exchange for money for a tollway project . because of the unimaginable allegations that were in the federal complaint , it really calls into question absolutely everything that the governor has authority to do , ' madigan said thursday on cnn 's situation room . ' she said she had spoken to the governor only once this year , and perhaps not at all last year . watch whom blagojevich has considered » ' that sounds incredible , because i do serve as attorney general , so i 'm the lawyer for the state , but we 've been well aware for years that there are problems with this governor and so i have n't had anything to do with him , ' she said . she did not elaborate . quinn said earlier this week that he had not spoken to the governor since summer 2007 . blagojevich and harris are each charged with a count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and a count of solicitation of bribery , authorities said . ireport.com : do you trust your leaders ? the count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison , while the count of solicitation of bribery carries a maximum sentence of 10 years . cnn 's ed henry and ed hornick contributed to this report . | barack obama repeats call for gov . rod blagojevich to step down |
moroccans <tsp> the accused in the madrid train bombing are scheduled to hear the verdicts and sentencing on wednesday morning . all of the 28 defendants are men except for one spanish woman . all the defendants have pleaded not guilty during the trial . defendants in the madrid 2004 train bomb trial pictured earlier during proceedings . there are eight prime defendants who face sentences of about 39,000 years each if convicted on all counts , but the maximum time that could be served under spanish law is 40 years . spain has no death penalty and no life-in-prison sentence . among the 28 are 14 moroccans , nine spaniards ( accused of passing explosives to the suspected islamic terrorists ) , two syrians , one algerian , one egyptian , and one lebanese . spanish prosecutors issued a document with their revised charges last june after hearing much testimony and evidence during the trial . cnn viewed a copy , which lists the charges below . the trial started with 29 defendants , but during the proceedings , prosecutors dropped all charges against brahim moussaten , a 23-year-old moroccan . he initially had faced six years in jail if convicted of collaborating with a terrorist group . alleged bombers jamal zougam , moroccan , age 34 , faces a 38,960-year sentence if convicted of mass murder of 191 people ( at 30 years each ) and attempted murder of 1,841 people injured ( at 18 years each ) , causing terrorist damage to four trains ( 20 years for each of 4 trains ) and membership in a terrorist group ( 12 years ) . abdelmajid bouchar , moroccan , age 24 , faces a 38,960 years if convicted on all charges of mass murder , attempted mass murder , terrorist damage to trains and membership in a terrorist group . he fled after the attacks but was arrested in serbia in july 2005 and returned to spain . alleged ideologues youssef belhadj moroccan , age 31 , faces 38,962 years if convicted of mass murder and attempted mass murder charges , terrorist damage to trains and membership in a terrorist group . arrested in belgium in 2005 and sent to spain in 2005 . hassan el haski , moroccan , age 44 , faces 38,962 years if convicted of mass murder and attempted mass murder charges , terrorist damage to trains and membership in a terrorist group . rabei osman el sayed ahmed , egyptian , age 36 , faces 38,962 years if convicted of mass murder and attempted mass murder charges , terrorist damage to trains and membership in a terrorist group . he is serving a 10-year sentence in italy on a separate terrorism conviction and will view the madrid verdict on wednesday via videophone , a court spokeswoman told cnn . he was present in madrid during the trial through an agreement with italian authorities . wiretapped by italian authorities in june 2004 , he allegedly said , the entire madrid operation was mine , ' but in testimony , during the trial , he denied involvement and also challenged the wiretaps . alleged necessary cooperators ' prosecutors argued the attacks could not have occurred without the involvement and active cooperation of the following three defendants . jose emilio suarez trashorras , spaniard , age 30 , faces 38,976 years if convicted of mass murder and attempted mass murder , terrorist damage to trains , collaborating with a terrorist group , illicit association , supplying and transporting explosives , falsifying license plates and vehicle theft . prosecutors say he was the leader of a group of spaniards who obtained explosives and provided them to the alleged islamic terrorists . rafa zouhier , moroccan , age 28 , faces 38,968 years if convicted of mass murder and attempted mass murder charges , terrorist damage to trains , collaborating with a terrorist group and supplying explosives . prosecutors allege he was a key link between the islamic suspects and the spaniards who allegedly provided the explosives . charges sharply increased against him last june ; until then he had faced just 20 years in prison if convicted . othman el gnaoui , moroccan , age 32 , faces 38,972 years if convicted of mass murder and attempted mass murder charges , terrorist damage to trains , membership in a terrorist group , supplying explosives and document forgery . charges sharply increased against him last june ; until then he had faced just 24 years in prison if convicted . islamic suspects charged with terrorist group membership mohamed larbi ben sellam , moroccan , age 30 , faces 27 years if convicted of belonging to a terrorist group and conspiracy to commit terrorist assassination . rachid aglif , moroccan , age 27 , faces 21 years if convicted of belonging to a terrorist group and supplying explosives . basel ghalyoun , syrian , age 27 , faces 12 years if convicted of belonging to a terrorist group . charges sharply reduced against him last june . until then , he faced some 38,000 years if convicted as a suspected bomber , accused of mass murder . but during the trial , prosecutors did not find evidence and reduced the charges . mouhannah almallah dabas , syrian , age 43 , faces 12 years if convicted of membership in a terrorist group . mohamed bouharrat , moroccan , age 28 , faces 12 years if convicted of belonging to a terrorist group . abdelilah el fadual el akil , moroccan , age 38 , faces 12 years if convicted of belonging to a terrorist group . saed el harrak , moroccan , age 34 , faces 12 years if convicted of belonging to a terrorist group . fouad el morabit el amgar , moroccan , age 34 , faces 12 years if convicted of belonging to a terrorist group . other islamic suspects charged with collaboration with a terrorist group hamid ahmidan , moroccan , age 29 , faces 23.5 years if convicted of collaborating with a terrorist group and drug trafficking . mahmoud slimane aoun , lebanese , age 47 , faces 13 years if convicted of collaborating with a terrorist group and document forgery . nasreddine bousbaa , algerian , age 46 , faces 11 years if convicted of collaborating with a terrorist group and document forgery . mohamed moussaten , moroccan , age 23 , faces six years if convicted of collaborating with a terrorist group . other spanish suspects in the alleged explosives trafficking ring raul gonzalez pelaez , spaniard , age 28 , faces eight years if convicted of illicit association and supplying explosives . antonio toro castro , spaniard , age 30 , faces 23 years if convicted of collaborating with a terrorist group , supplying explosives and illicit association . sergio alvarez sanchez , spaniard , age 26 , faces four years if convicted of supplying explosives and illicit association . ivan granados pena , spaniard , age 25 , faces four years if convicted of supplying explosives and illicit association . javier gonzalez diaz , spaniard , age 55 . state prosecutors last june cleared him of all charges , but he earlier faced eight years if convicted of supplying explosives and illicit association . a private party plaintiff to the case , representing bomb victims , has maintained charges against him , approximately those that the prosecutors earlier had , so he has not yet been fully cleared . emilio llano alvarez , spaniard , age 46 , faces five years if convicted of supplying explosives . antonio ivan reis palacio , spaniard , age 25 , faces four years if convicted of supplying explosives and illicit association . carmen toro castro , spaniard , age 26 , the only female defendant , faces six years if convicted of supplying explosives and illicit association . deceased suspects in addition to the 28 defendants , prosecutors say seven prime suspects blew themselves up three weeks after the train bombings in 2004 as police closed in on their hideout in the madrid suburb of leganes . one police officer died in the assault . those seven suspects were moroccans jamal ahmidan , abdennabi kounjaa , mohamed oulad akcha and his brother , rachid oulad akcha , and rifaat anouar asrih ; tunisian serhane ben abdelmajid fakhet and algerian allekema lamari , prosecutors said . e-mail to a friend | among the 28 are 14 moroccans , nine spaniards and two syrians |
madrid <tsp> the accused in the madrid train bombing are scheduled to hear the verdicts and sentencing on wednesday morning . all of the 28 defendants are men except for one spanish woman . all the defendants have pleaded not guilty during the trial . defendants in the madrid 2004 train bomb trial pictured earlier during proceedings . there are eight prime defendants who face sentences of about 39,000 years each if convicted on all counts , but the maximum time that could be served under spanish law is 40 years . spain has no death penalty and no life-in-prison sentence . among the 28 are 14 moroccans , nine spaniards ( accused of passing explosives to the suspected islamic terrorists ) , two syrians , one algerian , one egyptian , and one lebanese . spanish prosecutors issued a document with their revised charges last june after hearing much testimony and evidence during the trial . cnn viewed a copy , which lists the charges below . the trial started with 29 defendants , but during the proceedings , prosecutors dropped all charges against brahim moussaten , a 23-year-old moroccan . he initially had faced six years in jail if convicted of collaborating with a terrorist group . alleged bombers jamal zougam , moroccan , age 34 , faces a 38,960-year sentence if convicted of mass murder of 191 people ( at 30 years each ) and attempted murder of 1,841 people injured ( at 18 years each ) , causing terrorist damage to four trains ( 20 years for each of 4 trains ) and membership in a terrorist group ( 12 years ) . abdelmajid bouchar , moroccan , age 24 , faces a 38,960 years if convicted on all charges of mass murder , attempted mass murder , terrorist damage to trains and membership in a terrorist group . he fled after the attacks but was arrested in serbia in july 2005 and returned to spain . alleged ideologues youssef belhadj moroccan , age 31 , faces 38,962 years if convicted of mass murder and attempted mass murder charges , terrorist damage to trains and membership in a terrorist group . arrested in belgium in 2005 and sent to spain in 2005 . hassan el haski , moroccan , age 44 , faces 38,962 years if convicted of mass murder and attempted mass murder charges , terrorist damage to trains and membership in a terrorist group . rabei osman el sayed ahmed , egyptian , age 36 , faces 38,962 years if convicted of mass murder and attempted mass murder charges , terrorist damage to trains and membership in a terrorist group . he is serving a 10-year sentence in italy on a separate terrorism conviction and will view the madrid verdict on wednesday via videophone , a court spokeswoman told cnn . he was present in madrid during the trial through an agreement with italian authorities . wiretapped by italian authorities in june 2004 , he allegedly said , the entire madrid operation was mine , ' but in testimony , during the trial , he denied involvement and also challenged the wiretaps . alleged necessary cooperators ' prosecutors argued the attacks could not have occurred without the involvement and active cooperation of the following three defendants . jose emilio suarez trashorras , spaniard , age 30 , faces 38,976 years if convicted of mass murder and attempted mass murder , terrorist damage to trains , collaborating with a terrorist group , illicit association , supplying and transporting explosives , falsifying license plates and vehicle theft . prosecutors say he was the leader of a group of spaniards who obtained explosives and provided them to the alleged islamic terrorists . rafa zouhier , moroccan , age 28 , faces 38,968 years if convicted of mass murder and attempted mass murder charges , terrorist damage to trains , collaborating with a terrorist group and supplying explosives . prosecutors allege he was a key link between the islamic suspects and the spaniards who allegedly provided the explosives . charges sharply increased against him last june ; until then he had faced just 20 years in prison if convicted . othman el gnaoui , moroccan , age 32 , faces 38,972 years if convicted of mass murder and attempted mass murder charges , terrorist damage to trains , membership in a terrorist group , supplying explosives and document forgery . charges sharply increased against him last june ; until then he had faced just 24 years in prison if convicted . islamic suspects charged with terrorist group membership mohamed larbi ben sellam , moroccan , age 30 , faces 27 years if convicted of belonging to a terrorist group and conspiracy to commit terrorist assassination . rachid aglif , moroccan , age 27 , faces 21 years if convicted of belonging to a terrorist group and supplying explosives . basel ghalyoun , syrian , age 27 , faces 12 years if convicted of belonging to a terrorist group . charges sharply reduced against him last june . until then , he faced some 38,000 years if convicted as a suspected bomber , accused of mass murder . but during the trial , prosecutors did not find evidence and reduced the charges . mouhannah almallah dabas , syrian , age 43 , faces 12 years if convicted of membership in a terrorist group . mohamed bouharrat , moroccan , age 28 , faces 12 years if convicted of belonging to a terrorist group . abdelilah el fadual el akil , moroccan , age 38 , faces 12 years if convicted of belonging to a terrorist group . saed el harrak , moroccan , age 34 , faces 12 years if convicted of belonging to a terrorist group . fouad el morabit el amgar , moroccan , age 34 , faces 12 years if convicted of belonging to a terrorist group . other islamic suspects charged with collaboration with a terrorist group hamid ahmidan , moroccan , age 29 , faces 23.5 years if convicted of collaborating with a terrorist group and drug trafficking . mahmoud slimane aoun , lebanese , age 47 , faces 13 years if convicted of collaborating with a terrorist group and document forgery . nasreddine bousbaa , algerian , age 46 , faces 11 years if convicted of collaborating with a terrorist group and document forgery . mohamed moussaten , moroccan , age 23 , faces six years if convicted of collaborating with a terrorist group . other spanish suspects in the alleged explosives trafficking ring raul gonzalez pelaez , spaniard , age 28 , faces eight years if convicted of illicit association and supplying explosives . antonio toro castro , spaniard , age 30 , faces 23 years if convicted of collaborating with a terrorist group , supplying explosives and illicit association . sergio alvarez sanchez , spaniard , age 26 , faces four years if convicted of supplying explosives and illicit association . ivan granados pena , spaniard , age 25 , faces four years if convicted of supplying explosives and illicit association . javier gonzalez diaz , spaniard , age 55 . state prosecutors last june cleared him of all charges , but he earlier faced eight years if convicted of supplying explosives and illicit association . a private party plaintiff to the case , representing bomb victims , has maintained charges against him , approximately those that the prosecutors earlier had , so he has not yet been fully cleared . emilio llano alvarez , spaniard , age 46 , faces five years if convicted of supplying explosives . antonio ivan reis palacio , spaniard , age 25 , faces four years if convicted of supplying explosives and illicit association . carmen toro castro , spaniard , age 26 , the only female defendant , faces six years if convicted of supplying explosives and illicit association . deceased suspects in addition to the 28 defendants , prosecutors say seven prime suspects blew themselves up three weeks after the train bombings in 2004 as police closed in on their hideout in the madrid suburb of leganes . one police officer died in the assault . those seven suspects were moroccans jamal ahmidan , abdennabi kounjaa , mohamed oulad akcha and his brother , rachid oulad akcha , and rifaat anouar asrih ; tunisian serhane ben abdelmajid fakhet and algerian allekema lamari , prosecutors said . e-mail to a friend | verdicts , sentencing in madrid train bomb trials to be delivered wednesday |
fort lauderdale <tsp> miami , florida ( cnn ) -- the condition of a kite-surfer thrown airborne into a fort lauderdale building by strong winds this week has improved , a hospital spokeswoman said thursday . wind lifted kevin kearney over a fort lauderdale beach before slamming him into a building monday . broward general medical center upgraded kevin kearney 's condition from serious to fair , said broward general medical center spokeswoman candice ogden . monday 's incident , which a television crew captured on video as tropical storm fay approached florida , left the 28-year-old kearney with spinal fractures , brain swelling , a broken rib and a broken ankle , among other injuries . kearney was harnessed to a kite , or sail , along a fort lauderdale , florida , beach when strong wind caught the kite , sending him into the air , wfor-tv reported . watch wind lift kearney into the air » wfor video shows kearney rise into the air before slamming into the beach and being dragged for a brief time along the sand . the kite then lifted into the air again , slamming him into a nearby building , wfor reported . kearny 's mother alicia paradise-garza said wednesday that her son is able to walk but has spent a lot of time sedated at the hospital so his injuries could be treated . she said kearney has no recollection of what happened , and that no one has yet shown him the footage of monday 's incident . in a statement given to the news media the family said kearney , a fort lauderdale resident , is an experienced kite-boarder . ' kite-surfers stand on boards while winds catch their kites and move them across water . the video showed no board at kearney 's feet while he was airborne . kearney 's friends said his harness had emergency releases , but that it is possible things happened too fast for him to unhook his clasps , wfor reported . | television crew caught monday 's incident in fort lauderdale , florida , on video |
texas <tsp> ( cnn ) -- tests show products at a peanut corporation of america subsidiary in texas may be tainted with salmonella , state health authorities said on tuesday . the texas department of state health services said on tuesday it requested that the plant be closed after the company reported the findings of a private lab . doug mcbride , a health services spokesman , said the positive samples were taken last week and the private company 's lab results came back on monday . state test results were expected to come back on tuesday . the company voluntarily closed its plainview , texas , plant on monday night after laboratory tests of sample products from the plant indicated the possible presence of salmonella in some products , ' state health officials said . a blakely , georgia , peanut processing plant is under investigation in connection with a salmonella outbreak that has been linked to eight deaths and has sickened about 600 people nationwide . that facility is not operating at this time , the fda said on tuesday . operations of the plainview peanut co. have been halted while state investigators and the fda complete their investigation of the plant 's procedures and records of food safety . ' the state health agency said it is unaware of any illnesses linked to plainview products and is developing specific criteria the company must meet before it can resume production . ' the peanut meal and granulated peanuts had not been shipped out of the plainview facility . the dry roasted peanuts had been shipped to a distributor but were detained and recalled before further distribution . it is not yet known if the salmonella possibly found in the product testing is the same strain of the bacterium implicated in a 43-state outbreak of salmonellosis , ' texas authorities said . the peanut corporation of america , which runs the processing plant , said on its web site on tuesday that the plainview plant is making the move voluntarily to cooperate with authorities . the original peanut butter recall launched weeks ago has expanded to include more than 1,000 products . the peanut corporation of america originally said tainted peanut butter and peanut paste were shipped by peanut corporation of america to institutions such as schools , nursing homes and prisons but not grocery stores . but on sunday , the company revised its recall notice to say products were in fact sold to some retail outlets , dollar stores , such as 99 cent stuff , 99 cents only stores , dollar general , and dollar tree stores . products include casey 's , parnell 's pride , reggie , and robinson crusoe labels . companies that make peanut butter are reporting a dip in sales despite the fda 's assurances that major-label peanut butter in grocery stores is safe . see fda 's list of recalled peanut products . peanut butter makers not affected by the deadly salmonella outbreak are trying to get consumers to keep buying peanut butter . companies such as conagra foods incorporated and j.m . smucker company have been running ads and offering coupons , trying to lure peanut butter customers as sales have plunged at least 20 percent since the salmonella outbreak . the blakely plant was raided by the fbi monday morning , a cnn affiliate reported . | the texas company is a subsidiary of the peanut corp. of america |
texas <tsp> ( cnn ) -- tests show products at a peanut corporation of america subsidiary in texas may be tainted with salmonella , state health authorities said on tuesday . the texas department of state health services said on tuesday it requested that the plant be closed after the company reported the findings of a private lab . doug mcbride , a health services spokesman , said the positive samples were taken last week and the private company 's lab results came back on monday . state test results were expected to come back on tuesday . the company voluntarily closed its plainview , texas , plant on monday night after laboratory tests of sample products from the plant indicated the possible presence of salmonella in some products , ' state health officials said . a blakely , georgia , peanut processing plant is under investigation in connection with a salmonella outbreak that has been linked to eight deaths and has sickened about 600 people nationwide . that facility is not operating at this time , the fda said on tuesday . operations of the plainview peanut co. have been halted while state investigators and the fda complete their investigation of the plant 's procedures and records of food safety . ' the state health agency said it is unaware of any illnesses linked to plainview products and is developing specific criteria the company must meet before it can resume production . ' the peanut meal and granulated peanuts had not been shipped out of the plainview facility . the dry roasted peanuts had been shipped to a distributor but were detained and recalled before further distribution . it is not yet known if the salmonella possibly found in the product testing is the same strain of the bacterium implicated in a 43-state outbreak of salmonellosis , ' texas authorities said . the peanut corporation of america , which runs the processing plant , said on its web site on tuesday that the plainview plant is making the move voluntarily to cooperate with authorities . the original peanut butter recall launched weeks ago has expanded to include more than 1,000 products . the peanut corporation of america originally said tainted peanut butter and peanut paste were shipped by peanut corporation of america to institutions such as schools , nursing homes and prisons but not grocery stores . but on sunday , the company revised its recall notice to say products were in fact sold to some retail outlets , dollar stores , such as 99 cent stuff , 99 cents only stores , dollar general , and dollar tree stores . products include casey 's , parnell 's pride , reggie , and robinson crusoe labels . companies that make peanut butter are reporting a dip in sales despite the fda 's assurances that major-label peanut butter in grocery stores is safe . see fda 's list of recalled peanut products . peanut butter makers not affected by the deadly salmonella outbreak are trying to get consumers to keep buying peanut butter . companies such as conagra foods incorporated and j.m . smucker company have been running ads and offering coupons , trying to lure peanut butter customers as sales have plunged at least 20 percent since the salmonella outbreak . the blakely plant was raided by the fbi monday morning , a cnn affiliate reported . | plainview peanut co. in texas has suspended operations , the company says |
maren sanchez <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a 17-year-old connecticut high school student pleaded not guilty wednesday in the slashing death of a classmate in a school stairwell in april , a court official said . christopher plaskon appeared in milford superior court , where he waived his right to a probable cause hearing and elected to be tried by a three-judge panel rather than a 12-member jury , according to clerk linda kautzner . his attorney , richard meehan jr. , told cnn that he is considering a mental health defense . plaskon is suspected of slashing classmate maren sanchez , 16 , at jonathan law high school in milford on april 25 . he was 16 at the time . a witness saw plaskon on top of the victim and tried unsuccessfully to pull him away , according to a probable cause statement in the case . another witness allegedly saw him discarding a bloody knife in a school corridor . the state medical examiner 's office concluded that sanchez died from stab wounds to the trunk and neck ' and ruled the death a homicide . though the motive remains under investigation , police were looking into whether the boy was angry after sanchez rejected him as a prom date . i did it , ' plaskon allegedly told a school police officer in the principal 's office moments after the crime , according to the probable cause statement . just arrest me . ' plaskon was ordered held on $ 3 million bond in april . he was charged as an adult and faces 25 to 60 years in prison if convicted . his next court appearance is july 30 , kautzner said . | maren sanchez , 16 , died after being stabbed in a school stairwell on april 25 |
australia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a german tries again for a piece of gold medal history , and the sprint queens will find glory just around the corner . here are five things to watch at the olympics on wednesday : 1 ) women 's 200 meters : jamaica vs. the united states veronica campbell-brown of jamaica has won the past two olympic 200 meters for women . but she was beaten at her national trials by shelly-ann fraser-pryce , who won the 100 meters on saturday . they 'll be keeping an eye on allyson felix of the united states , who ran the fastest time in the past 14 years in winning the u.s. trials . u.s. sprinters carmelita jeter and 400-meter winner sanya richards-ross also have medal hopes . seven cameroon athletes missing final is at 9 p.m. london time ( 4 p.m . et ) 2 ) boxing : u.s. shutout avoided thanks to the women while the u.s. men achieved an embarrassing first at the london olympics by failing to win any medal , the american women are guaranteed two . flyweight marlen esparza , who cnn profiled in the documentary latino in america : in her corner ' and 17-year-old claressa shields , a middleweight , are in the semifinals of their divisions . a loss means a bronze , there are no third-place matches , and a win means a chance to be the winner of the gold medals in the inaugural events . matches begin at 1:30 p.m. london time ( 8:30 a.m . et ) . 3 ) men 's decathlon : it 's a new experience for the top contenders unlike most track and field events , the defending champion is not entered in the decathlon . bryan clay stumbled in the hurdles at the u.s. trials and failed to make the squad . but ashton eaton set a world record at the trials , and trey hardee was world champion in 2009 and 2011 . they are both competing in the olympics for the first time , as are pascal behrenbruch of germany , kevin mayer of france , hans van alphen of belgium and eelco sintnicolaas of the netherlands , meaning the podium will likely have three new visitors . gabby douglas takes a tumble the first of the five events on day 1 , the 100 meters , is at 10:10 a.m. london time ( 5:10 a.m . et ) 4 ) men 's basketball : win or go home the knockout phase of the men 's hoops tournament begins with russia facing off against lithuania . team usa should have an easy time with australia , which finished fourth in its group . it is a repeat of the situation at the 2008 olympics when the united states trounced the aussies 116-85 . in other games france plays spain and argentina meets brazil . games begin at 2 p.m. london time ( 9 a.m . et ) team usa plays at 10:15 p.m. ( 5:15 p.m . et ) 5 : kayak : german seeks a gold for the fourth straight games katrin wagner-augustin of germany gets a second shot at becoming the second woman in olympic history to win a gold medal at four consecutive games . lisa leslie , who won gold with the u.s. basketball teams in 1996-2008 , is the only other woman to do so . wagner-augustin failed again to win an individual gold when she finished fourth in her semifinal in the k1 500 meters on tuesday but she hopes to add to her four golds in doubles ( k2 ) and fours ( k4 ) with a win wednesday . london 2012 : live blog race starts at 10:44 a.m. london time ( 5:44 et ) | team usa meets australia in men 's basketball quarterfinals |
ferrari <tsp> ( cnn ) -- italian simone bertazzo climbs into the cockpit of his ferrari . he straps on his helmet and slides his hands into his gloves . in his mind he prepares to go fast -- very fast . over the next two minutes he will navigate a hair-raising track , grappling for control of his prancing horse ' at speeds in excess of 90 mph as his body strains and contorts . but bertazzo is not behind the wheel of a formula one car and perhaps even more disconcertingly there 's no safety belt to restrain him should things go awry . instead he is at the front end of a bobsled and the driver for the italian team heading to the 2014 winter games . the bobsled bertazzo and compatriots will pilot is the latest product of collaboration between the italian olympic committee ( coni ) and the country 's legendary automotive manufacturer , who are providing design input to hopefully deliver medal success in sochi in next year 's winter olympics . the idea was to share the knowledge between our institute and ferrari to try to improve all the sports where technology plays a big part in the results , ' coni deputy general secretary carlo mornati told cnn . the first option was to start with something that was very similar to the cars , to f1 and i think , in the world of sport , the bobsled was the first option . ' ferrari is synonymous with high performance , from its sleek , stylish road cars to the f1 machines which have made it the most the most successful constructor in the sport 's history . coni 's partnership with ferrari dates back to 2006 , with a maranello-designed sled taking to the track at the 2010 winter games in vancouver , canada . two years later at the youth olympics in innsbruck , austria , ferrari 's two-man sled was piloted to gold by patrick baumgartner and alessandro grande . now bertazzo will bid to replicate his younger countrymen 's success by guiding his sled to the top of the podium in february . ferrari has listened to our advice to the letter , studying every little detail and coni has played a crucial role in coordination , ' bertazzo said in a statement released by the coni earlier this month . f1 and bobsled are sports where thousandths of a second can be the difference between success and failure , small margins within which ferrari 's team of engineers are used to operating . we have selected from our f1 team and our road cars department some engineers who have achieved some brilliant results in f1 and were looking for new opportunities within the company , ' explained ferrari engineer ferdinando cannizzo . after that we set up a brand new team , defined a new area and put this team to work on this new program . clearly a new team is a new challenge , but it seems that results are coming , so we succeed . ' coni is not the only olympic committee looking to motorsport for a competitive edge . the british team will be riding a sled developed in conjunction with mclaren , while the americans will be piloting a bmw-crafted sled at the newly-built sanki sliding center . but ferrari 's involvement with coni does n't end with bobsled . other winter disciplines such as skiing have benefited from wind tunnel testing and ferrari 's knowledge of aerodynamics , as well as summer games sports such as archery , rowing , canoeing and kayaking . ferrari 's work in all of those events involves helping an object move through the air , water or snow with minimal drag , which is where aerodynamics engineer luciano mariella comes in . at the moment our aerodynamic approach is based on wind tunnel tests and numerical simulation based on commutation of fluid dynamics , ' explained mariella . this is the most important approach because every tool has its strengths and weaknesses and the integrated approach is telling us how to achieve the best possible results . ' if mariella and his team get in right , then there should be nothing but clear air between the italian team and olympic gold in sochi . | italian olympic committee has been partnered with ferrari since 2006 |
ferrari <tsp> ( cnn ) -- italian simone bertazzo climbs into the cockpit of his ferrari . he straps on his helmet and slides his hands into his gloves . in his mind he prepares to go fast -- very fast . over the next two minutes he will navigate a hair-raising track , grappling for control of his prancing horse ' at speeds in excess of 90 mph as his body strains and contorts . but bertazzo is not behind the wheel of a formula one car and perhaps even more disconcertingly there 's no safety belt to restrain him should things go awry . instead he is at the front end of a bobsled and the driver for the italian team heading to the 2014 winter games . the bobsled bertazzo and compatriots will pilot is the latest product of collaboration between the italian olympic committee ( coni ) and the country 's legendary automotive manufacturer , who are providing design input to hopefully deliver medal success in sochi in next year 's winter olympics . the idea was to share the knowledge between our institute and ferrari to try to improve all the sports where technology plays a big part in the results , ' coni deputy general secretary carlo mornati told cnn . the first option was to start with something that was very similar to the cars , to f1 and i think , in the world of sport , the bobsled was the first option . ' ferrari is synonymous with high performance , from its sleek , stylish road cars to the f1 machines which have made it the most the most successful constructor in the sport 's history . coni 's partnership with ferrari dates back to 2006 , with a maranello-designed sled taking to the track at the 2010 winter games in vancouver , canada . two years later at the youth olympics in innsbruck , austria , ferrari 's two-man sled was piloted to gold by patrick baumgartner and alessandro grande . now bertazzo will bid to replicate his younger countrymen 's success by guiding his sled to the top of the podium in february . ferrari has listened to our advice to the letter , studying every little detail and coni has played a crucial role in coordination , ' bertazzo said in a statement released by the coni earlier this month . f1 and bobsled are sports where thousandths of a second can be the difference between success and failure , small margins within which ferrari 's team of engineers are used to operating . we have selected from our f1 team and our road cars department some engineers who have achieved some brilliant results in f1 and were looking for new opportunities within the company , ' explained ferrari engineer ferdinando cannizzo . after that we set up a brand new team , defined a new area and put this team to work on this new program . clearly a new team is a new challenge , but it seems that results are coming , so we succeed . ' coni is not the only olympic committee looking to motorsport for a competitive edge . the british team will be riding a sled developed in conjunction with mclaren , while the americans will be piloting a bmw-crafted sled at the newly-built sanki sliding center . but ferrari 's involvement with coni does n't end with bobsled . other winter disciplines such as skiing have benefited from wind tunnel testing and ferrari 's knowledge of aerodynamics , as well as summer games sports such as archery , rowing , canoeing and kayaking . ferrari 's work in all of those events involves helping an object move through the air , water or snow with minimal drag , which is where aerodynamics engineer luciano mariella comes in . at the moment our aerodynamic approach is based on wind tunnel tests and numerical simulation based on commutation of fluid dynamics , ' explained mariella . this is the most important approach because every tool has its strengths and weaknesses and the integrated approach is telling us how to achieve the best possible results . ' if mariella and his team get in right , then there should be nothing but clear air between the italian team and olympic gold in sochi . | a ferrari bobsled won gold for italy at the 2010 world youth games |
hamid dabashi <tsp> hamid dabashi is the author of iran : a people interrupted . ' he is hagop kevorkian professor of iranian studies and comparative literature at columbia university in new york . his web site is http : //www.hamiddabashi.com/ . hamid dabashi says allegations of rape and torture are testing iran 's islamic republic as never before . ( cnn ) -- troubling news of kidnapping , rape , torture , and murder is flooding out of iran . neda aqa soltan was murdered point-blank in the streets of tehran for the whole world to see ; while sohrab arabi was killed far from any global attention and his body given to his mother quietly to bury , as was the tortured body of mohsen ruholamini . these names have assumed symbolic significance for many more innocent young men and women murdered by the custodians of the islamic republic with a wanton disregard for the lives and liberties of its own citizens . not just murder , but the rape of young men and women also is on the shameless roster of the islamic republic . after years of sporadic charges and troubling rumors , finally a courageous cleric has put a stamp of public recognition on atrocious practices in the theocratic state . mehdi karrubi -- one of the revolutionary founders of the islamic republic , a high-ranking cleric , a presidential candidate , a former speaker of the house and now a widely popular political activist -- has published a letter , addressing it to the former president and current head of the expediency council akbar hashemi rafsanjani . he accuses the security officers of the islamic republic of repeatedly and violently raping young women and men while they are in custody . since the publication of this letter , a massive outpouring of testimony and reports has come out , corroborating karrubi 's charges that rapes of young women and men are a widespread , common practice in the islamic republic . these are not light charges for any state , for any republic , let alone for an islamic republic . these charges are no longer brought by expatriate , and at times discredited , opposition . it is the founding fathers of the islamic republic , with impeccable revolutionary credentials , who are bringing these charges , as others are coming out and corroborating them in excruciating detail . the islamic republic has never faced such a deep crisis of legitimacy in its turbulent 30-year history . as widely evident , it is not just the regime 's claim to a republic ' that is in question and in jeopardy , but , perhaps far more seriously , it is its claim to islam that has troubling consequences for more than 1.3 billion muslims around the world . people in the streets of tehran are chanting , paraphrasing a famous slogan of the 1979 revolution , independence , freedom , iranian republic , ' pointedly replacing iranian ' for islamic . ' though this a perfectly legitimate demand , given the criminal record of the islamic republic , by no means is this sentiment a common denominator of the growing opposition to the regime . to the degree that , at least in part , he represents this uprising , mir hossein moussavi , as a pious and practicing muslim , continues to insist that he wishes to restore the ideals and aspirations of the islamic revolution within the constitution of the state . never have the two opposing ideas of an islamic republic , ' and muslims living in a democratic republic seemed so at odds with each other . the 30-year experience of the islamic republic shows fundamental flaws in defining a state apparatus in the exclusive terms of a militantly legalistic islam , while at the same time iranians , the overwhelming majority of them shiite muslims , have repeatedly demonstrated , under this regime , they are perfectly capable of democratic behavior . not just as immigrants in the e.u . nations and the u.s. , but as citizens in iran , millions of muslims have shown they are integral to the democratic institutions embedded in the notion of a nation-state . what is in question is the viability of an islamic republic -- or for that matter , a jewish state , a christian empire , a hindu fundamentalist government -- or any state or movement that is defined not by the democratic apparatus of citizenry , but by exclusionary membership in a world religion . as in the rest of the muslim world , islam is integral to iranian society . but not exclusively so . over the last 30 years , a radically legalistic interpretation of a cosmopolitan faith has been force-fed into a multifaceted political culture -- and today all the world can see the violent convulsion of the system . there has been much talk of the need for an islamic reformation ' over the last few years . but what islam needs is not a christian-style reformation . what islam needs is a restoration of its historically cosmopolitan character in which muslims and non-muslims live in peace and prosperity , and which they now need to retrieve in order to live in peace and prosperity in a world that is not entirely muslim . by virtue of living in a democracy , and having endured indignities of rampant islamophobia in their own country , american muslims have a historic role to play , by way of sending a delegation to iran , connecting to this grassroots democratic movement in a muslim nation , and helping it restore its cosmopolitan character in pursuit of enduring democratic institutions . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of hamid dabashi . | hamid dabashi : rape and torture allegations being made in iran |
dot <tsp> ( cnn ) -- federal investigators are concerned a potential danger persists because of the simultaneous use of intersecting runways at newark liberty international airport , one of the nation 's busiest and a gateway to the new york metro area . the alert comes after repeated instances in which planes above the newark airport flew too close to each other in violation of safety standards . there were four such instances last year and at least four this year , according to the u.s. department of transportation inspector general . in one case , on january 16 , 2008 , two continental planes -- a boeing b-737 and an embraer 145 -- missed each other by 600 feet , according to a dot inspector general 's report . that was very scary . i was there for that one personally in the control tower , and it scared the heck out of everybody up there , ' said ray adams , a newark air traffic controller . potential danger arises when approaching planes need to abort their landings , which happens about every 700 flights at newark , according to a federal aviation administration analysis . in what the faa calls go-arounds , ' the diverted plane approaching newark has to make a sharp right turn through the flight path of planes landing and taking off from an intersecting runway , allowing little margin for error . there was a distinct possibility that we could have had a collision with these operations , ' adams said . adams said he raised the safety issue to the faa but got nowhere . he persisted , taking his complaint to new jersey 's congressional delegation , which organized two meetings last year with faa officials . in response , adams said , he was punished , put on paid leave for 11 months , then leave without pay for a month . the faa said the disciplinary actions had nothing to do with adams'safety complaints . adams filed a whistle-blower complaint with the u.s. office of special counsel , the agency that investigates whistle-blower complaints . adams'complaint led dot inspector general calvin scovel to investigate . scovel found merit in adams'concerns , concluding in a report two months ago that questions about the safety of the runway 22l-11 approach configuration at newark persist . ' in response , the faa promised to use a computer program that helps air traffic controllers stagger aircraft to ensure proper spacing . on november 5 , the dot wrote to the office of special counsel confirming the computer system had been put to use at newark on october 26 . the next day the office of special counsel learned the technology was no longer in use at newark . i am outraged , ' said rep. donald payne , d-new jersey . when you put into jeopardy the human lives at risk , it ca n't get any more serious than that . ' faa spokesperson laura brown said , there was no intent to deceive anyone about what we were doing . ' she added , faa safety officers wanted to make absolutely sure employees were fully trained on the equipment . ' the faa said it intends to have the computer system fully operational at newark by mid-december . last week the office of special counsel raised the matter with president obama , writing that we found a substantial likelihood that faa officials were engaging in conduct that constitutes gross mismanagement and a substantial and specific danger to public safety . ' meanwhile , after a year out of the control tower , adams returned to his regular job wednesday at newark air traffic control . | dot inspector general : planes above airport flew too close to each other repeatedly |
newark <tsp> ( cnn ) -- federal investigators are concerned a potential danger persists because of the simultaneous use of intersecting runways at newark liberty international airport , one of the nation 's busiest and a gateway to the new york metro area . the alert comes after repeated instances in which planes above the newark airport flew too close to each other in violation of safety standards . there were four such instances last year and at least four this year , according to the u.s. department of transportation inspector general . in one case , on january 16 , 2008 , two continental planes -- a boeing b-737 and an embraer 145 -- missed each other by 600 feet , according to a dot inspector general 's report . that was very scary . i was there for that one personally in the control tower , and it scared the heck out of everybody up there , ' said ray adams , a newark air traffic controller . potential danger arises when approaching planes need to abort their landings , which happens about every 700 flights at newark , according to a federal aviation administration analysis . in what the faa calls go-arounds , ' the diverted plane approaching newark has to make a sharp right turn through the flight path of planes landing and taking off from an intersecting runway , allowing little margin for error . there was a distinct possibility that we could have had a collision with these operations , ' adams said . adams said he raised the safety issue to the faa but got nowhere . he persisted , taking his complaint to new jersey 's congressional delegation , which organized two meetings last year with faa officials . in response , adams said , he was punished , put on paid leave for 11 months , then leave without pay for a month . the faa said the disciplinary actions had nothing to do with adams'safety complaints . adams filed a whistle-blower complaint with the u.s. office of special counsel , the agency that investigates whistle-blower complaints . adams'complaint led dot inspector general calvin scovel to investigate . scovel found merit in adams'concerns , concluding in a report two months ago that questions about the safety of the runway 22l-11 approach configuration at newark persist . ' in response , the faa promised to use a computer program that helps air traffic controllers stagger aircraft to ensure proper spacing . on november 5 , the dot wrote to the office of special counsel confirming the computer system had been put to use at newark on october 26 . the next day the office of special counsel learned the technology was no longer in use at newark . i am outraged , ' said rep. donald payne , d-new jersey . when you put into jeopardy the human lives at risk , it ca n't get any more serious than that . ' faa spokesperson laura brown said , there was no intent to deceive anyone about what we were doing . ' she added , faa safety officers wanted to make absolutely sure employees were fully trained on the equipment . ' the faa said it intends to have the computer system fully operational at newark by mid-december . last week the office of special counsel raised the matter with president obama , writing that we found a substantial likelihood that faa officials were engaging in conduct that constitutes gross mismanagement and a substantial and specific danger to public safety . ' meanwhile , after a year out of the control tower , adams returned to his regular job wednesday at newark air traffic control . | concerns cited about potential danger of using intersecting runways at newark |
manuel <tsp> ( cnn ) -- an intellectually disabled construction worker was freed wednesday after nine years in a texas prison , including four of them on death row , after his initial conviction for murdering a year-old infant was overturned . manuel velez , whose iq is 65 and who is functionally illiterate in his native spanish as well as english , was convicted in brownsville in 2008 for murdering the year-old son of his then-girlfriend . but the american civil liberties union , which represented velez in his appeal , said velez was 1,000 miles away working construction in tennessee when the child was injured . velez 's initial court-appointed attorneys failed to discover that evidence , and after his conviction , manuel received the death penalty , largely because a state prison expert presented false testimony to persuade the jury that manuel would pose a danger to society if given life without parole instead , ' the aclu said . on wednesday , an aclu attorney described velez , now 49 , as an innocent man who was put on death row for a crime he did n't commit . manuel never belonged in prison , let alone on death row waiting to be executed . he is indisputably innocent , ' brian stull of the american civil liberties union 's capital punishment project said in a statement . my joy for him and his family today is tinged with sadness for the years our criminal justice system stole from him , all because he was too poor to afford better counsel than the lawyer the state appointed to him . we should be ashamed of the errors that put manuel on the brink of execution . he is far from the only innocent person to receive a death sentence , ' stull said . cameron county district attorney luis v. saenz called stull 's statement factually inaccurate and full of half-truths . ' nowhere near the child ' attorneys for the aclu contended that prosecutor 's medical expert 's records showed clear proof that the head injuries the baby sustained occurred when velez was nowhere near the child , ' the aclu said . during the trial , velez 's court-appointed lawyer also failed to discover and present the testimony of the many witnesses who said the girlfriend threw , hit , and dropped the baby and abused her children , while manuel was never physically rough and always peaceful , ' the aclu said . velez 's attorney also bungled his challenge to the typewritten statement that police persuaded velez to sign , which said he had mistreated the child , ' the aclu said . in fact , velez was unable to read the statement , written in english , as he is functionally illiterate in both english and spanish , the aclu said . also , velez'primary language is spanish , and he is a seventh-grade dropout , the aclu said . child 's mother pleaded guilty the child 's mother , acela moreno , also was indicted for intentionally or knowingly causing the death of her son , angel , by striking the boy 's head with a hand or unknown object or against a hard surface in october 2005 , according to court papers provided by the aclu . moreno accepted a plea bargain offer ' and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of intentionally or knowingly causing bodily injury to her son , and she was sentenced to 10 years in prison , the court papers said . in exchange for the reduced charge , moreno agreed to testify against velez , but stated that velez did n't strike her son on the day he was rushed to the hospital , where the child died two days later , the documents said . a jury convicted velez of capital murder and sentenced him to death . an appeals court reversed the death sentence but affirmed the conviction in 2012 , the court papers said . saenz , the district attorney , said the texas court of criminal appeals rejected all but one of the velez legal team 's claims of 45 points of errors in the conviction . that one point of error was the testimony by a.p . merillat , a prosecution expert on the death penalty . opinion : execution , a 19th-century relic we still ca n't get right'ineffective'defense attorneys merillat , a former police officer , was condemned by texas'highest criminal court in 2012 for giving false testimony , the new york times reported . in october 2008 ... mr. merillat testified that after 10 years of serving life without parole for capital murder , an inmate could gain a less restrictive classification from the texas department of justice institutional division , ' saenz said in a statement . in september 2005 , texas department of justice institutional division changed its regulations and no longer allowed for a less restrictive classification for inmates serving life without the possibility of parole in capital murder cases . based on that testimony , and based on that alone , the texas court of criminal appeals overturned the punishment of manuel velez , ' saenz said . in 2013 , judge elia cornejo lopez granted velez a new trial on the grounds of ineffective assistance of counsel because of the actions and conduct by both hector villarreal and o. rene flores , ' the court papers said . villarreal was deceased at the time of the ruling , and flores was n't immediately available for comment wednesday . death penalty facts that may surprise you prosecutor 's response the aclu continued to criticize prosecutors wednesday , saying that after velez 's conviction was overturned , and in the face of overwhelming evidence of his innocence , the state refused to dismiss the murder charge against him unless he took a plea , ' the aclu said . velez pleaded no contest to a lesser charge of injury to a child rather than face a new trial that could be plagued by the same injustices that sent him to death row , ' the aclu said . but in his statement wednesday , saenz pointed out that at no point did any court , trial or appellate , or any jury make any finding that mr. velez was actually innocent of murdering angel moreno . in fact , every time the issue was brought up , it was found to be without merit . it was and continues to be the position of the cameron county district attorney 's office that manuel velez did contribute to the death of angel moreno , and he was and is being punished for that crime , ' saenz said . dna frees north carolina 's longest-serving death row resident | manuel velez was convicted of murdering the year-old child of his girlfriend |
manuel <tsp> ( cnn ) -- an intellectually disabled construction worker was freed wednesday after nine years in a texas prison , including four of them on death row , after his initial conviction for murdering a year-old infant was overturned . manuel velez , whose iq is 65 and who is functionally illiterate in his native spanish as well as english , was convicted in brownsville in 2008 for murdering the year-old son of his then-girlfriend . but the american civil liberties union , which represented velez in his appeal , said velez was 1,000 miles away working construction in tennessee when the child was injured . velez 's initial court-appointed attorneys failed to discover that evidence , and after his conviction , manuel received the death penalty , largely because a state prison expert presented false testimony to persuade the jury that manuel would pose a danger to society if given life without parole instead , ' the aclu said . on wednesday , an aclu attorney described velez , now 49 , as an innocent man who was put on death row for a crime he did n't commit . manuel never belonged in prison , let alone on death row waiting to be executed . he is indisputably innocent , ' brian stull of the american civil liberties union 's capital punishment project said in a statement . my joy for him and his family today is tinged with sadness for the years our criminal justice system stole from him , all because he was too poor to afford better counsel than the lawyer the state appointed to him . we should be ashamed of the errors that put manuel on the brink of execution . he is far from the only innocent person to receive a death sentence , ' stull said . cameron county district attorney luis v. saenz called stull 's statement factually inaccurate and full of half-truths . ' nowhere near the child ' attorneys for the aclu contended that prosecutor 's medical expert 's records showed clear proof that the head injuries the baby sustained occurred when velez was nowhere near the child , ' the aclu said . during the trial , velez 's court-appointed lawyer also failed to discover and present the testimony of the many witnesses who said the girlfriend threw , hit , and dropped the baby and abused her children , while manuel was never physically rough and always peaceful , ' the aclu said . velez 's attorney also bungled his challenge to the typewritten statement that police persuaded velez to sign , which said he had mistreated the child , ' the aclu said . in fact , velez was unable to read the statement , written in english , as he is functionally illiterate in both english and spanish , the aclu said . also , velez'primary language is spanish , and he is a seventh-grade dropout , the aclu said . child 's mother pleaded guilty the child 's mother , acela moreno , also was indicted for intentionally or knowingly causing the death of her son , angel , by striking the boy 's head with a hand or unknown object or against a hard surface in october 2005 , according to court papers provided by the aclu . moreno accepted a plea bargain offer ' and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of intentionally or knowingly causing bodily injury to her son , and she was sentenced to 10 years in prison , the court papers said . in exchange for the reduced charge , moreno agreed to testify against velez , but stated that velez did n't strike her son on the day he was rushed to the hospital , where the child died two days later , the documents said . a jury convicted velez of capital murder and sentenced him to death . an appeals court reversed the death sentence but affirmed the conviction in 2012 , the court papers said . saenz , the district attorney , said the texas court of criminal appeals rejected all but one of the velez legal team 's claims of 45 points of errors in the conviction . that one point of error was the testimony by a.p . merillat , a prosecution expert on the death penalty . opinion : execution , a 19th-century relic we still ca n't get right'ineffective'defense attorneys merillat , a former police officer , was condemned by texas'highest criminal court in 2012 for giving false testimony , the new york times reported . in october 2008 ... mr. merillat testified that after 10 years of serving life without parole for capital murder , an inmate could gain a less restrictive classification from the texas department of justice institutional division , ' saenz said in a statement . in september 2005 , texas department of justice institutional division changed its regulations and no longer allowed for a less restrictive classification for inmates serving life without the possibility of parole in capital murder cases . based on that testimony , and based on that alone , the texas court of criminal appeals overturned the punishment of manuel velez , ' saenz said . in 2013 , judge elia cornejo lopez granted velez a new trial on the grounds of ineffective assistance of counsel because of the actions and conduct by both hector villarreal and o. rene flores , ' the court papers said . villarreal was deceased at the time of the ruling , and flores was n't immediately available for comment wednesday . death penalty facts that may surprise you prosecutor 's response the aclu continued to criticize prosecutors wednesday , saying that after velez 's conviction was overturned , and in the face of overwhelming evidence of his innocence , the state refused to dismiss the murder charge against him unless he took a plea , ' the aclu said . velez pleaded no contest to a lesser charge of injury to a child rather than face a new trial that could be plagued by the same injustices that sent him to death row , ' the aclu said . but in his statement wednesday , saenz pointed out that at no point did any court , trial or appellate , or any jury make any finding that mr. velez was actually innocent of murdering angel moreno . in fact , every time the issue was brought up , it was found to be without merit . it was and continues to be the position of the cameron county district attorney 's office that manuel velez did contribute to the death of angel moreno , and he was and is being punished for that crime , ' saenz said . dna frees north carolina 's longest-serving death row resident | we should be ashamed of the errors that put manuel on the brink of execution , ' aclu says |
lens <tsp> ( cnn ) -- english premier league leaders chelsea have successfully ended their dispute with french club lens over the signing of gael kakuta , ending the possibility of a worldwide transfer suspension until mid-2011 . football 's world governing body fifa initially punished the london side in september after lens complained that they had illegally induced the teenage kakuta to breach his contract in 2007 . chelsea took the case to the court of arbitration for sport , who suspended the ban until a hearing could be heard , making it possible for manager carlo ancelotti to make signings in the january transfer window . it had been speculated that owner roman abramovich would bankroll a huge spending spree to safeguard against the appeal failing , but chelsea made no moves in the market despite losing four key players to the africa cup of nations tournament in angola . cas announced on thursday that it had ratified an agreement between chelsea and lens which had effectively ended the arbitration procedure . the two clubs and the player have recognized that the contract between the player and rc lens was not valid , ' the appeal body said . accordingly , the player could not have terminated it prematurely and without just cause and chelsea can not therefore be liable for inducing a breach of contract . as a consequence , in light of these new circumstances , the sanctions imposed upon chelsea fc and the player by the fifa dispute resolution chamber had to be lifted . in accordance with the parties'request , the entire proceedings including the arbitral award and the agreement shall remain confidential and the cas will not comment on this matter any further . ' the 18-year-old kakuta , who was voted the side 's academy player of the year in his first 12 months with chelsea , received a personal suspension of four months as a result of the initial ruling and was also fined $ 1 million . chelsea were fined $ 180,000 to cover player development costs , which the club said they would still pay lens . it was always our intention to work together with lens to reach this end , and both clubs have strengthened their relationship as a result of resolving this case to everyone 's satisfaction , ' chairman bruce buck told the chelsea web site . in an act of good faith and with a view to the possibility of future collaboration with lens , and without recognizing any liability , chelsea has agreed to pay compensation costs for the training given to the player while at lens , as mandated by fifa in its original ruling . ' meanwhile , premier league crisis club portsmouth have had a fourth change of ownership in six months , and there is likely to be another before the end of this season . hong kong-based businessman balram chainrai , who was born in nepal but has a uk passport , has taken over ali al faraj 's 90 percent stake after activating a clause in their $ 27 million loan agreement . the uk press association reported that the saudi 's lawyer is contesting that action , but chainrai is seeking to stabilize the debt-ridden club 's finances before selling his shares . he will try to delay the winding-up hearing scheduled for next wednesday over $ 11.8 million in unpaid taxes . the club will now apply to hmrc to adjourn next week 's winding-up hearing to allow time for the club to be stabilized and new owners found , ' portsmouth said in a statement on the club 's web site on thursday . peter storrie continues as the chief executive officer of the club and continues to run the club . ' portsmouth said al faraj 's financial advisor daniel azougy would no longer be involved in the club . the lawyer has been convicted of fraud in his native israel , pa reported . | fifa had banned chelsea from making signings until mid-2011 after complaint by lens |
lens <tsp> ( cnn ) -- english premier league leaders chelsea have successfully ended their dispute with french club lens over the signing of gael kakuta , ending the possibility of a worldwide transfer suspension until mid-2011 . football 's world governing body fifa initially punished the london side in september after lens complained that they had illegally induced the teenage kakuta to breach his contract in 2007 . chelsea took the case to the court of arbitration for sport , who suspended the ban until a hearing could be heard , making it possible for manager carlo ancelotti to make signings in the january transfer window . it had been speculated that owner roman abramovich would bankroll a huge spending spree to safeguard against the appeal failing , but chelsea made no moves in the market despite losing four key players to the africa cup of nations tournament in angola . cas announced on thursday that it had ratified an agreement between chelsea and lens which had effectively ended the arbitration procedure . the two clubs and the player have recognized that the contract between the player and rc lens was not valid , ' the appeal body said . accordingly , the player could not have terminated it prematurely and without just cause and chelsea can not therefore be liable for inducing a breach of contract . as a consequence , in light of these new circumstances , the sanctions imposed upon chelsea fc and the player by the fifa dispute resolution chamber had to be lifted . in accordance with the parties'request , the entire proceedings including the arbitral award and the agreement shall remain confidential and the cas will not comment on this matter any further . ' the 18-year-old kakuta , who was voted the side 's academy player of the year in his first 12 months with chelsea , received a personal suspension of four months as a result of the initial ruling and was also fined $ 1 million . chelsea were fined $ 180,000 to cover player development costs , which the club said they would still pay lens . it was always our intention to work together with lens to reach this end , and both clubs have strengthened their relationship as a result of resolving this case to everyone 's satisfaction , ' chairman bruce buck told the chelsea web site . in an act of good faith and with a view to the possibility of future collaboration with lens , and without recognizing any liability , chelsea has agreed to pay compensation costs for the training given to the player while at lens , as mandated by fifa in its original ruling . ' meanwhile , premier league crisis club portsmouth have had a fourth change of ownership in six months , and there is likely to be another before the end of this season . hong kong-based businessman balram chainrai , who was born in nepal but has a uk passport , has taken over ali al faraj 's 90 percent stake after activating a clause in their $ 27 million loan agreement . the uk press association reported that the saudi 's lawyer is contesting that action , but chainrai is seeking to stabilize the debt-ridden club 's finances before selling his shares . he will try to delay the winding-up hearing scheduled for next wednesday over $ 11.8 million in unpaid taxes . the club will now apply to hmrc to adjourn next week 's winding-up hearing to allow time for the club to be stabilized and new owners found , ' portsmouth said in a statement on the club 's web site on thursday . peter storrie continues as the chief executive officer of the club and continues to run the club . ' portsmouth said al faraj 's financial advisor daniel azougy would no longer be involved in the club . the lawyer has been convicted of fraud in his native israel , pa reported . | chelsea end dispute with french club lens over the signing of teenager gael kakuta |
liberia <tsp> ( cnn ) the first doses of the ebola vaccine were on a commercial flight to west africa and were expected to arrive on friday , according to a spokesperson from glaxosmithkline ( gsk ) one of the companies that has created the vaccine with the national institutes of health . another vaccine from merck and newlink will also be tested . shipping the vaccine today is a major achievement and shows that we remain on track with the accelerated development of our candidate ebola vaccine , ' dr. moncef slaoui , chairman of global vaccines at gsk said in a company release . ebola who is patient zero ? in december , the trial of the vaccine made by merck and newlink were stopped after some of the volunteers in the trial had transient mild ' joint pain . after investigating that side effect , scientists concluded it was not a big enough issue to stop the development of the vaccine . no similar side effects were noted in the gsk trial . there are other ebola vaccines being tested by companies in the united states and in russia . this first shipment will be used , along with a placebo in this first large-scale trial in the next few weeks in liberia . we are expecting to start by the last week in january , but there are some details that need to be ironed out regarding the fda , ' said dr. anthony fauci , the director of the national institute of allergy and infectious diseases ( niaid ) at a press conference . worst ebola outbreak in history : what you should know the tests should begin in the monrovia area and will involve nearly 30,000 people . people who have had the virus and survived will be excluded from this trial , according to gsk . the first people to get the vaccine will be health care workers who are some of the population that is most at risk for catching ebola . that 's because it can be easily transmitted through exposure to bodily fluids . in liberia there have been 370 cases of health care workers becoming infected with ebola , 178 of them have died according to the world health organization . the number of newly infected health care workers has declined recently , as has the number of cases in general in liberia . hope for ebola epidemic 's end in liberia in august and september of 2014 the who was seeing 300 new confirmed cases per week , versus the 8 new confirmed cases according to this latest incident report . another trial in sierra leone should start a few weeks after the trials get started in liberia , according to the nih . sierra leone has had the largest number of infections of any country with 10,340 reported cases and 3,145 deaths from ebola . the disease has slowed down according to the who , but still there were 117 new confirmed cases according to the latest report . the centers for disease control and prevention will work with sierra leone 's government to help manage the tests . the nih will also soon be testing the therapeutic drug zmapp as early as next month . ebola fast facts zmapp is an experimental drug that has been used to help patients who have already been infected by the virus . the drug maker , mapp biopharmaceutical ran out of the drug last year , but has been making enough doses for a small human trial . the number of new ebola cases in liberia has been declining , but public health leaders say that there are still little mini outbreaks ' and that until there is a very last case , ( an epidemic ) is not over until it is over , ' fauci said . since the outbreak began in december 2013 , there have been 21,759 infections and 8,668 people have died from ebola . | the first vials of an ebola vaccine should land in liberia friday |
broadway week <tsp> ( cnn ) -- as families head home after the holidays and children return to school , new york city is on sale for travelers willing to brave the cold temperatures in exchange for lower prices . new york 's first-ever hotel week will feature discounts for eight city hotels between january 6 and january 15 . more basic hotel rooms , or those slightly off the beaten path , can be found for as little as $ 100 per night plus taxes , while fancier rooms can go for $ 200 or $ 250 per night -- still a deal by city standards . hotel occupancy dips considerably during the first week in january , ' said hotel publicist nancy j. friedman , who launched the hotel week concept with six of her hotel clients and two nonclients . it 's a similar model to restaurant week , which is so successful at filling up restaurants during quiet times . ' speaking of restaurant week , the city 's 20th anniversary promotion starts january 16 and runs through february 10 ( mondays through fridays ) . for more information , click here . there is n't a central website or phone number to book hotel week rooms . several hotels have created special websites for the promotions , while others require calling the reservations number . links are at the end of this article . always mention hotel week when booking and know that these specific discounts are limited . for visitors who wo n't be able to take advantage of limited hotel week discounts , more than 120 participating new york city hotels are offering discounts between january 2 and february 29 , sponsored by nyc & co. , the city 's tourism office . discounts include a free night for stays of three or more nights , complimentary upgrades or complimentary breakfast . to book a room , click here . during the same period , a group of 20 luxury hotels is offering a free third night to visitors who book two consecutive nights at one of 20 participating signature collection ' hotels . more information can be found here . theater-lovers can score two-for-one tickets during broadway week , january 17 to february 4 . off-broadway theater week offers the same deal between january 30 and february 12 . tickets also go on sale january 4 for both theater weeks . for broadway shows , click here . for off-broadway shows , click here . hotel week discount links to receive hotel week discounts , be sure to mention hotel week when booking . some rates are available only by calling the reservations line or by using the hotel 's special hotel week website . cheapest : $ 100/night plus taxes and fees the hotel @ times square : to book for hotel week , call ( 212 ) 790-2710 . for more information about the hotel , click here . nyma , the new york manhattan hotel : to book for hotel week , call ( 212 ) 790-2710 . for more information about the hotel , click here . the pod hotel : to book for hotel week , call ( 212 ) 355-0300 . for more information about the hotel , click here . z nyc hotel ( queens ) : to book for hotel week , call ( 212 ) 319-7000 . for more information about the hotel , click here . a step up : $ 200/night plus taxes and fees andaz wall street : to book for hotel week , use the hotel 's special link here . hyatt 48 lex : to book , use the hotel 's link here . deluxe : $ 250/night plus taxes and fees gansevoort meatpacking nyc : to book , use the hotel 's discount link here . gansevoort park avenue nyc : to book during hotel week , use the hotel 's discount link here . | theater lovers can score two-for-one tickets during broadway week |
first amendment <tsp> dallas ( cnn ) -- a federal judge has blocked key parts of a texas law that would require doctors to provide a sonogram to pregnant women before they get an abortion , days before the law was set to take effect . u.s. district judge sam sparks , in austin , texas , found that several portions of the law are unconstitutionally vague , ' and that it violates the first amendment by compelling doctors and patients to engage in government-mandated speech . as written , the law would require women seeking an abortion in texas to view a picture of the embryo or fetus and hear a description of its development before having the procedure . it was to take effect on september 1 . the preliminary injunction , issued tuesday , blocks the state from enforcing any penalties against a doctor who does not place sonogram pictures where a pregnant woman may see them , or does not make the heartbeat audible . it also blocks penalties against the woman . today 's ruling is a huge victory for women in texas and a clear signal to the state legislature that it went too far when it passed this law , ' said nancy northup , president and ceo of the center for reproductive rights . politicians have no business telling doctors how to practice medicine or meddling in women 's private medical decisions . ' the center filed the lawsuit , which was granted class-actions status . texas gov . and republican presidential hopeful rick perry said the state would appeal the decision . every life lost to abortion is a tragedy and ( the ) ruling is a great disappointment to all texans who stand in defense of life , ' he said in a statement . this important sonogram legislation ensures that every texas woman seeking an abortion has all the facts about the life she is carrying , and understands the devastating impact of such a life-changing decision . ' the bill stirred some controversy in texas , but it easily passed through the state house and senate , both of which are controlled by republicans . the law says that at least 24 hours before an abortion is performed , women must undergo a sonogram , a procedure that uses ultrasound to create an image . the doctor , then , is required to give , in a manner understandable to a layperson , a verbal explanation of the results of the sonogram images , including a medical description of the dimensions of the embryo or fetus , the presence of cardiac activity , and the presence of external members and internal organs , ' the law states . in his order , sparks agreed with the abortion providers that many clauses in the law were too vague . he wrote , the court is inclined to agree with ( the ) defendants'characterization that ( the ) plaintiffs have chosen to throw everything at the wall and hope something sticks . ' the court also found that the sonogram law goes beyond existing informed consent laws regarding abortion and constituted a violation of the first amendment . the law compels physicians to advance an ideological agenda with which they may not agree , regardless of any medical necessity , and irrespective of whether the pregnant women wish to listen , ' sparks wrote . | he also said that it violated the first amendment |
embassy <tsp> amman , jordan ( cnn ) -- jordan 's intelligence department foiled a major terrorist plot ' that targeted shopping centers , residential areas , diplomats and foreign nationals ' in jordan , the country 's state news agency reported sunday . the u.s. embassy in amman appeared to be among the targets , a person familiar with the investigation told cnn sunday . the terrorists called their plan 9/11 ( 2 ) , ' suggesting it was set to happen on the seventh anniversary of the last al qaeda attack in jordan when suicide bombs exploded in an amman hotel november 9 , 2005 , the report said . the plot , which was in the preliminary stages , involved a group of 11 terrorists associated with the ideology of al qaeda , ' petra reported . all 11 suspects are jordanian citizens who moved in and out of syria , government spokesman samih al-maaytah said on state television sunday . the group had intended to take advantage of what they believed was the intelligence'preoccupation'with other files , to carry out their plans , ' petra reported . the plans included using explosives , booby-trapped cars as well as submachine guns and mortars , ' it said . suicide bombers were being selected to carry out attacks against two major shopping malls in order to draw the attention of the security services away from ' the main objectives in abdoun , in west amman , ' the report said . their objective was to create a highly destructive explosive that would cause the highest number of casualties and extensive physical damage , ' petra reported . they had planned to bring tnt explosives and mortar shells from syria , exploiting the ongoing crisis there . ' | new : the u.s. embassy in amman appeared to be among the targets , a source says |
sicily <tsp> ( cnn ) -- many people have heard of the slow food movement -- the global organization founded in italy to counter fast food and the fast life . ' its adherents favor gastronomic tradition and the calm , contemplative enjoyment of cuisine and life in general . now another idea is taking hold in the wake of slow food -- the quest for a quiet italy . it 's embodied in the establishment of a new academy of silence ( italian site only ) , in tuscany , which seeks to gather a list of the quietest hotels , towns and other places in italy . we 've collected 10 idyllic spots -- among the calmest , quietest and most powerfully relaxing in all italy -- to suggest to the academy as prime candidates for inclusion . 1 . eremito hotelito del alma ( parrano , umbria ) no tv , no phone , no mini-bar , no air-con . go to bed when it 's dark , wake up at dawn . candlelight only after sunset . phones to be used outside only . this is also the first hotel in italy with only single rooms -- so not the place for romance . it still feels like the monastery it once was -- the monk 's cells have been converted into rooms -- except now there 's a spa , and great umbrian food instead of bread and water . there are even gregorian chants -- listening to them makes lying in the heated rock pool all the more relaxing . during the day , there 's little to do except explore the surrounding 3,000 hectares of national reserve . or practice doing nothing . eremito hotelito del alma , localitá tarina , 2 ; +39 ( 0 ) 76 389 1010 ; rooms from $ 208 2 . stargazing from the rocca d'orcia tower ( siena , tuscany ) a single , stone medieval tower sits atop a wooded hill , overhanging a precipice . from this superb lookout , you 'd once have been able to spot enemies approaching from miles around across the val d'orcia valley . now it 's open to the public -- a noble family fell on hard times and sold it to the state . surrounding it are just a few stone houses and cobbled streets . maybe the odd cat . on clear nights , standing atop the tower , thick star clusters illuminate hills , vineyards and renaissance-era dwellings . if tuscany has anywhere more quiet and calm , someone 's keeping silent about it . la rocchetta ( via della chiesa , 8 ; +39 ( 0 ) 55 228 0413 ; rooms from $ 40 ) is a b & b in the middle of the hamlet , right under the tower . the osteria perillá ( borgo maestro , 72 ; +39 ( 0 ) 577 887 263 ; dishes from $ 20 ) serves traditional meals such as bean soup and pici , typical handmade pasta . 3 . segesta ruins ( trapani , sicily ) it 's much easier to be transported to ancient times when you 're contemplating ruins in virtual solitude . segesta 's ruins are superb and all the better without the crowds at the valley of temples elsewhere in sicily . legend says segesta was built by achilles'companion , the greek warrior aeneas , on returning home after burning troy . there 's a temple , theater and sanctuary . set in a remote part of sicily , surrounded by fields , the archaeological site is nonetheless well-kept . it 's way off the traditional tourist route and one of the least visited ancient sites in italy . baglio segesta ( italian site only ; contrada pispisa ; +39 348 883 0124 ; rooms from $ 54 ) is a typical sicilian rural estate close to the site . 4 . the gardens of ninfa ( norma-latium , lazio ) eden , if it existed , quite possibly looked like this . there are cascades of multicolored plants , spouting fountains and rich bird life . running water is the only sound , and the odd tweet and whirr of wings . once a hellish , malaria-infested backwater , the ninfa gardens were turned into a 105-hectare oasis in the early 20th century by the caetani princes . the ninfa ( nymph ' ) river cuts through the space , which includes rare ruins of an entire medieval town . norma on the lepini hills , overlooking the pontine valley and the sea , is the closest city . hotel villa del cardinale ( via dei colli 44 , norma ; +39 ( 0 ) 773 354 611 ; rooms from $ 38 ) has a well regarded restaurant with latium specialties . 5 . stagnone lagoon ( marsala , sicily ) separating you from the open sea -- the mediterranean -- is an archipelago of small islands dotted with ancient windmills . on the lagoon in a boat , you hold a glass of sweet marsala wine . in the background , there 's an orange-pink sunset . the only sounds come from things stirring in the hot breeze and low waves rocking the boat . the sunset aperitif served out here on the water by a tour company ( italian site only ) comes with what 's almost a dinner : 12 types of sicilian finger foods -- it 's tempting to stuff yourself at the first dish . the boat takes you out when the sun starts to set , anchors in the middle of the lagoon and brings you back when you 've had enough of the quiet . hotel picks in marsala include new hotel palace ( via lungomare mediterraneo 57 ; +39 092 371 9492 ; rooms from $ 108 ) , close to the harbor . restaurant la corte dei mangioni ( via giovanni bovio 28 ; +39 ( 0 ) 923 951 939 ; from $ 20 ) serves traditional sicilian cuisine . 6 . linosa ( pelagie islands ) stuck in the mediterranean halfway between sicily and tunisia , this tiny volcanic atoll is off most travelers'radar . people who do make it out here cluster on the noisier sister island of lampedusa . but to silence seekers , linosa is bliss . ultimate silence can be found hiking up the extinct crater of monte vulcano . at the summit , a panorama of black rocks dotted with fluorescent green cacti and prickly pears stretches to the sea . this is the kingdom of a special kind of silence -- sea silence . a single road circles linosa . there are a few , low-rise traditional dwellings and a bar that makes great slushies when it 's hot . on the beach of la pozzolana , you might be lucky enough to find sea turtles from the island 's animal hospital being released into the sea . linosa has few hotels . linoikos ( via vittorio alfieri , +39 ( 0 ) 92 272 212 ; rooms from $ 45 ) has modern , brightly colored rooms and serves fish bought direct from island fishermen . 7 . civita di bagnoreggio ( viterbo , lazio ) here you find the silence of a dying city . ' that 's how the citizens of civita di bagnoreggio describe it . the town sits atop a high , narrow plateau of crumbling rock formed from compressed volcanic ash . each year , it slips a little further over the edge . the population has dwindled over the past century to little more than around 10 hardy hangers on . it 's quiet . the original bridge to the town collapsed , replaced by a dizzying metal catwalk . once within the town , you can only get around on foot -- cars threaten further erosion . writers and yoga practitioners are drawn here for the calm that prevails -- strange , given that catastrophe seems just around the corner . or over the edge . corte della maestá ( via della provvidenza ; +39 ( 0 ) 335 879 3077 ; rooms from $ 330 ) is a small villa inside the hamlet . alma civita ( via della provvidenza , +39 ( 0 ) 76 179 2415 from $ 162 ) serves guests traditional recipes . 8 . porcini mushroom hunting ( frignano park , emilia-romagna ) the deep mountain silence of the rugged apennines , italy 's smaller alps , is what 's on offer here . solitary valleys are dotted with stone structures the celts erected during their invasion in the 4th century bc . wild porcini mushrooms , one of the great delicacies of italian cuisine , are part of the allure . for a $ 20 ticket from park authorities ( italian site only ; +39 ( 0 ) 536 72134 ) you can go on a porcini hunt and pick as many you can find . there 's a magical ambiance in the forest -- a local legend describes the ghost of clouds . ' if that 's not a silent image , what is ? la capanna dei celti ( doccia di fiumalbo ; +39 ( 0 ) 5367 4444 ; rooms from $ 60 ) , set at 1,400 meters , has the feel of a cozy mountain hut . the menu served to guests includes strong-flavored dishes such as wild boar . 9 . alicudi ( aeolian islands ) the farthest and wildest of the aeolian islands , alicudi offers a no-frills , zero sound pollution break amid turquoise waters , pebble beaches and prickly pears . donkey taxis ' are the main means of transportation across the island 's 10,000 steps and 25 kilometers of ancient pathways -- you 'll hear no roaring engines . and there are no banks -- you 'll need cash -- only one tiny supermarket and a newsstand . casa ibiscus resort ( via roma , +39 ( 0 ) 3409 207 605 ; stays from $ 1,800 ) is an aeolian-style villa with a seafront terrace rented on a weekly base . spaghetti with caper cream is a top dish at restaurant ericusa , part of hotel ericusa ( via perciato ; +39 0909 889 902 ) . 10 . mt . soratte ( near rome ) you need n't go too far from possibly the noisiest place in italy , rome , to find silence . a sacred hill to the ancient romans , the sleeping giant ' of mt . soratte spikes up from the tiber valley an hour from the capital . hiking routes wind through a dense forest gouged with rock chasms . you might find wild boar footprints beneath you and hear hawks'cries above . the so-called hermit path leads to the highest peak , where there 's an ancient stone shrine . here 's where pope st. sylvester i is said to have miraculously cured emperor constantine of leprosy . for a moment , given the purity of the air and the heavenly view , you can believe it . the panta rei rural estate ( localitá ponticello , sant'oreste ; +39 076 1578 728 ; rooms from $ 54 ) overlooks the promontory . al campanile ( italian site only ; via filippo leoni 8 ; +39 ( 0 ) 76 157 9950 ) , in the hillside town of sant'oreste , serves recommended local cuisine . silvia marchetti is a rome-based travel writer who has contributed to newsweek , the financial times and new york times . | sicily 's stagnone lagoon promises quality silence on the water |
khodorkovsky <tsp> moscow ( cnn ) -- a judge in moscow has found former russian oil tycoon mikhail khodorkovsky and his business partner guilty of corruption charges , his lawyer said monday . khodorkovsky 's son , pavel , later told cnn that his father will appeal the verdict . of course there will be an appeal , ' pavel khodorkovsky said . what i 'm hoping for right now is the shortest sentence possible , because i 'm really hoping to see my dad as soon as possible a free man . ' the trial on money laundering and embezzlement charges , which began in march 2009 , was the second for the two men . khodorkovsky could be sentenced to prison until 2017 . the trial was a charade of justice , the charges were absolutely false , but i fear the sentencing will be very real , ' lead defense lawyer vadim klyuvgant said in a written statement . khodorkovsky , the former head of the yukos oil company , and his business partner , platon lebedev , were charged with embezzlement and laundering of stolen property . they are accused of stealing billions of dollars'worth of oil from yukos production subsidiaries from 1998 to 2003 . khodorkovsky has already been convicted of underpaying taxes on the oil . ahead of the verdict , hundreds of supporters gathered outside the central moscow courthouse . security officers , who maintained a heavy presence outside the building , whisked several people away while others stood in below-freezing temperatures chanting freedom ' and russia without putin ' -- referring to the prime minister . khodorkovsky had expressed a desire to run for office at one time and funded opposition political parties . he has said the trial was part of a kremlin campaign to destroy him and take the company he built from privatization deals of the 1990s . the kremlin has denied any role . pavel khodorkovsky said that he had been expecting a guilty verdict for his father , but also had hoped that president ( dmitry ) medvedev 's rhetoric about judicial system reform would actually bear some fruit . ' however , today , i realize that the judge is completely subservient and is a slave to the political will of mr. ( russian prime minister vladimir ) putin and other bureaucrats in the kremlin , ' the younger khodorkovsky said . a white house statement monday also criticized the case , saying it appears to be an abusive use of the legal system for improper ends . ' the apparent selective application of the law to these individuals undermines russia 's reputation as a country committed to deepening the rule of law , ' said the statement by white house press secretary robert gibbs , . the statement added that the united states would continue monitoring developments in the case . in a separate statement , u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton said the conviction raises serious questions about selective prosecution -- and about the rule of law being overshadowed by political considerations . ' this and similar cases have a negative impact on russia 's reputation for fulfilling its international human rights obligations and improving its investment climate , ' clinton 's statement said . the court was originally scheduled to read the verdict in the trial on december 15 , but it was unexpectedly postponed . the yukos oil company was once russia 's largest oil producer . khodorkovsky is serving an eight-year sentence for fraud and tax evasion , having underpaid taxes on the oil his company produced . yukos was later broken up and absorbed by the state . khodorkovsky has already told the moscow court that its decision will have an impact far beyond him and lebedev . there is much more than just the fates of two people in your hands , ' khodorkovsky said . right here and right now , the fate of every citizen of our country is being decided . ' in october , prosecutors asked for a 14-year prison sentence but said it should include the eight-year term that khodorkovsky is already serving , which will end in october 2011 . with time served , the sentence could keep khodorkovsky in jail until 2017 . the former oil magnate was previously incarcerated in a work camp near the town of krasnokamensk , 6,500 kilometers ( 4,000 miles ) from his native moscow , but when the new charges were brought against the two men , both were moved to moscow last year to stand trial . the court also ordered khodorkovsky and lebedev to pay about $ 600 million in back taxes . few doubt that khodorkovsky 's prosecution has taken on a symbolism far beyond his own innocence or guilt . critics say the embezzlement charges against him are absurd ; analysts say russia itself , and its commitment to the rule of law , is on trial . this verdict will be a verdict on whether russia is a law-governed state , or whether it ever aspires to become one , ' said masha lipman of the carnegie endowment , because currently it is not a law-governed state and the trial of khodorkovsky and his partner lebedev is the most striking example of it . ' in his final address to the court , khodorkovsky made a last impassioned appeal . for me , as for anybody , it is hard to live in jail , and i do not want to die there . but if i have to , i will not hesitate . the things i believe in are worth dying for , ' he said . cnn 's maxim tkachenko contributed to this report . | khodorkovsky is the former head of the yukos oil company |
khodorkovsky <tsp> moscow ( cnn ) -- a judge in moscow has found former russian oil tycoon mikhail khodorkovsky and his business partner guilty of corruption charges , his lawyer said monday . khodorkovsky 's son , pavel , later told cnn that his father will appeal the verdict . of course there will be an appeal , ' pavel khodorkovsky said . what i 'm hoping for right now is the shortest sentence possible , because i 'm really hoping to see my dad as soon as possible a free man . ' the trial on money laundering and embezzlement charges , which began in march 2009 , was the second for the two men . khodorkovsky could be sentenced to prison until 2017 . the trial was a charade of justice , the charges were absolutely false , but i fear the sentencing will be very real , ' lead defense lawyer vadim klyuvgant said in a written statement . khodorkovsky , the former head of the yukos oil company , and his business partner , platon lebedev , were charged with embezzlement and laundering of stolen property . they are accused of stealing billions of dollars'worth of oil from yukos production subsidiaries from 1998 to 2003 . khodorkovsky has already been convicted of underpaying taxes on the oil . ahead of the verdict , hundreds of supporters gathered outside the central moscow courthouse . security officers , who maintained a heavy presence outside the building , whisked several people away while others stood in below-freezing temperatures chanting freedom ' and russia without putin ' -- referring to the prime minister . khodorkovsky had expressed a desire to run for office at one time and funded opposition political parties . he has said the trial was part of a kremlin campaign to destroy him and take the company he built from privatization deals of the 1990s . the kremlin has denied any role . pavel khodorkovsky said that he had been expecting a guilty verdict for his father , but also had hoped that president ( dmitry ) medvedev 's rhetoric about judicial system reform would actually bear some fruit . ' however , today , i realize that the judge is completely subservient and is a slave to the political will of mr. ( russian prime minister vladimir ) putin and other bureaucrats in the kremlin , ' the younger khodorkovsky said . a white house statement monday also criticized the case , saying it appears to be an abusive use of the legal system for improper ends . ' the apparent selective application of the law to these individuals undermines russia 's reputation as a country committed to deepening the rule of law , ' said the statement by white house press secretary robert gibbs , . the statement added that the united states would continue monitoring developments in the case . in a separate statement , u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton said the conviction raises serious questions about selective prosecution -- and about the rule of law being overshadowed by political considerations . ' this and similar cases have a negative impact on russia 's reputation for fulfilling its international human rights obligations and improving its investment climate , ' clinton 's statement said . the court was originally scheduled to read the verdict in the trial on december 15 , but it was unexpectedly postponed . the yukos oil company was once russia 's largest oil producer . khodorkovsky is serving an eight-year sentence for fraud and tax evasion , having underpaid taxes on the oil his company produced . yukos was later broken up and absorbed by the state . khodorkovsky has already told the moscow court that its decision will have an impact far beyond him and lebedev . there is much more than just the fates of two people in your hands , ' khodorkovsky said . right here and right now , the fate of every citizen of our country is being decided . ' in october , prosecutors asked for a 14-year prison sentence but said it should include the eight-year term that khodorkovsky is already serving , which will end in october 2011 . with time served , the sentence could keep khodorkovsky in jail until 2017 . the former oil magnate was previously incarcerated in a work camp near the town of krasnokamensk , 6,500 kilometers ( 4,000 miles ) from his native moscow , but when the new charges were brought against the two men , both were moved to moscow last year to stand trial . the court also ordered khodorkovsky and lebedev to pay about $ 600 million in back taxes . few doubt that khodorkovsky 's prosecution has taken on a symbolism far beyond his own innocence or guilt . critics say the embezzlement charges against him are absurd ; analysts say russia itself , and its commitment to the rule of law , is on trial . this verdict will be a verdict on whether russia is a law-governed state , or whether it ever aspires to become one , ' said masha lipman of the carnegie endowment , because currently it is not a law-governed state and the trial of khodorkovsky and his partner lebedev is the most striking example of it . ' in his final address to the court , khodorkovsky made a last impassioned appeal . for me , as for anybody , it is hard to live in jail , and i do not want to die there . but if i have to , i will not hesitate . the things i believe in are worth dying for , ' he said . cnn 's maxim tkachenko contributed to this report . | khodorkovsky and his business partner are both found guilty |
khodorkovsky <tsp> moscow ( cnn ) -- a judge in moscow has found former russian oil tycoon mikhail khodorkovsky and his business partner guilty of corruption charges , his lawyer said monday . khodorkovsky 's son , pavel , later told cnn that his father will appeal the verdict . of course there will be an appeal , ' pavel khodorkovsky said . what i 'm hoping for right now is the shortest sentence possible , because i 'm really hoping to see my dad as soon as possible a free man . ' the trial on money laundering and embezzlement charges , which began in march 2009 , was the second for the two men . khodorkovsky could be sentenced to prison until 2017 . the trial was a charade of justice , the charges were absolutely false , but i fear the sentencing will be very real , ' lead defense lawyer vadim klyuvgant said in a written statement . khodorkovsky , the former head of the yukos oil company , and his business partner , platon lebedev , were charged with embezzlement and laundering of stolen property . they are accused of stealing billions of dollars'worth of oil from yukos production subsidiaries from 1998 to 2003 . khodorkovsky has already been convicted of underpaying taxes on the oil . ahead of the verdict , hundreds of supporters gathered outside the central moscow courthouse . security officers , who maintained a heavy presence outside the building , whisked several people away while others stood in below-freezing temperatures chanting freedom ' and russia without putin ' -- referring to the prime minister . khodorkovsky had expressed a desire to run for office at one time and funded opposition political parties . he has said the trial was part of a kremlin campaign to destroy him and take the company he built from privatization deals of the 1990s . the kremlin has denied any role . pavel khodorkovsky said that he had been expecting a guilty verdict for his father , but also had hoped that president ( dmitry ) medvedev 's rhetoric about judicial system reform would actually bear some fruit . ' however , today , i realize that the judge is completely subservient and is a slave to the political will of mr. ( russian prime minister vladimir ) putin and other bureaucrats in the kremlin , ' the younger khodorkovsky said . a white house statement monday also criticized the case , saying it appears to be an abusive use of the legal system for improper ends . ' the apparent selective application of the law to these individuals undermines russia 's reputation as a country committed to deepening the rule of law , ' said the statement by white house press secretary robert gibbs , . the statement added that the united states would continue monitoring developments in the case . in a separate statement , u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton said the conviction raises serious questions about selective prosecution -- and about the rule of law being overshadowed by political considerations . ' this and similar cases have a negative impact on russia 's reputation for fulfilling its international human rights obligations and improving its investment climate , ' clinton 's statement said . the court was originally scheduled to read the verdict in the trial on december 15 , but it was unexpectedly postponed . the yukos oil company was once russia 's largest oil producer . khodorkovsky is serving an eight-year sentence for fraud and tax evasion , having underpaid taxes on the oil his company produced . yukos was later broken up and absorbed by the state . khodorkovsky has already told the moscow court that its decision will have an impact far beyond him and lebedev . there is much more than just the fates of two people in your hands , ' khodorkovsky said . right here and right now , the fate of every citizen of our country is being decided . ' in october , prosecutors asked for a 14-year prison sentence but said it should include the eight-year term that khodorkovsky is already serving , which will end in october 2011 . with time served , the sentence could keep khodorkovsky in jail until 2017 . the former oil magnate was previously incarcerated in a work camp near the town of krasnokamensk , 6,500 kilometers ( 4,000 miles ) from his native moscow , but when the new charges were brought against the two men , both were moved to moscow last year to stand trial . the court also ordered khodorkovsky and lebedev to pay about $ 600 million in back taxes . few doubt that khodorkovsky 's prosecution has taken on a symbolism far beyond his own innocence or guilt . critics say the embezzlement charges against him are absurd ; analysts say russia itself , and its commitment to the rule of law , is on trial . this verdict will be a verdict on whether russia is a law-governed state , or whether it ever aspires to become one , ' said masha lipman of the carnegie endowment , because currently it is not a law-governed state and the trial of khodorkovsky and his partner lebedev is the most striking example of it . ' in his final address to the court , khodorkovsky made a last impassioned appeal . for me , as for anybody , it is hard to live in jail , and i do not want to die there . but if i have to , i will not hesitate . the things i believe in are worth dying for , ' he said . cnn 's maxim tkachenko contributed to this report . | new : khodorkovsky 's son says his father will appeal |
new york <tsp> atlanta , georgia ( cnn ) -- when patricia cornwell began writing thriller novels , she ruled the world of forensic science . i 'm very interested in what motivates people , why they do what they do , how they do it , ' patricia cornwell said . i could treat readers in each book to some new aspect that they would n't be familiar with , ' cornwell said . now the author is bombarded with csi ' -like information from every side -- from bones ' to forensic files ' to , well , csi . ' it 's like you create this monster and find out it 's living in the house with you , and it 's banished you to a room because it has more power than you , ' she said . cornwell knew she had to adapt to the changing entertainment climate . one of the questions i really did ask myself was ,'what 's the one thing i have no one else does ?' the answer was chief medical examiner kay scarpetta , cornwell 's heroine . scarpetta is independent , feisty and someone cornwell knows better than she knows herself . to honor that close relationship , cornwell decided to name her 16th book in the series after its main character , titling it simply scarpetta . ' i realized , here it is 2008 . i finished my first book 20 years ago in 1988 . this is a really big anniversary , ' cornwell said . in the novel , scarpetta leaves south carolina for new york , where the nypd has asked her to examine an injured psychiatric patient . the patient has a graphic tale to tell -- one of paranoia and murder . the novelist said her books all have two things in common : first , of course , is a plot twist that allows scarpetta to make a sherlock holmes-like deduction . the second is intriguing character interaction . what 's going on with them in this book ? what are they doing with or to each other ? who 's in love ? who is n't ? who 's on the outs with whom ? because i hope , in the end , [ my books ] are like high-level , crime soap operas . ' with two decades of character history , cornwell has a lot to work with in that area . but her books are also full of intellectual fodder . scarpetta is a disciplined academic -- a scientist with a law degree . cornwell spent six years working in a medical examiner 's office before writing her first book , and she continues to spend time with professionals to keep up on new forensic technology . in recent weeks she has researched an autopsy in florida and worked with the national forensic academy . if she 's going to write about trace evidence , she believes , she 's going to go to a trace evidence lab . i was never a scientific person , ' cornwell said . when i got interested in science i had to learn it after the fact ... and that was good because i had already learned how to describe things , how to ask questions the audience would want answered . i was much better able to translate things into a language someone else could grasp . ' her dedication to understanding her subject translates into other areas as well . cornwell became a helicopter pilot , a certified scuba diver and qualified for a motorcycle license , all because she was writing about characters who were doing those things . fans appreciate cornwell 's enthusiasm and writing style , pushing 12 of her novels onto usa today 's best-seller lists . but cornwell said scarpetta ' is actually more uplifting than her last couple of books , which took on a more twisted aura . i 'm glad because i think we live in very dark times and no one wants to read a depressing book now . ' still , cornwell has been delving deeper into her characters'minds with each new book , and scarpetta ' wo n't alter that trend . i 'm very interested in what motivates people , why they do what they do , how they do it , ' she said . it probably has something to do with where i am in life . i 'm 52 years old and i think differently than i did at 42 . ' fans have asked if this is cornwell 's last book in the series -- noting that the title scarpetta ' is very ominous-sounding . but she promises to keep writing as long as the characters let her . it 's certainly not by intention to be the last book , ' she said . i wanted to make this a very special book . i decided that early in the writing process . i wanted to make it longer , a richer book , a feast for the fans . so no , this is n't the last book about scarpetta . ' which sounds , well , ominous . kay scarpetta , watch out . | scarpetta leaves south carolina for new case in new york |
indian <tsp> new delhi , india ( cnn ) -- at least 24 paramilitary troops and a civilian were killed in an armed assault on their camp by suspected maoists in eastern india , a district official said tuesday . the attackers struck india 's eastern frontier rifles camp in west bengal state 's west midnapore district on monday . top district official narayan swaroop nigam told cnn that the raiders arrived on different types of vehicles and that they were equipped with sophisticated self-loading weapons . he insisted that indian troops retaliated with fire . two attackers apparently died , but their bodies had not yet been recovered , nigam said . security forces have combed the area and a manhunt has been launched , ' he added . india regards the communist rebels as its gravest internal security threat . the maoists , on the other hand , have claimed since the 1960s to be fighting for the dispossessed . just about a week ago , india 's home minister p. chidambaram acknowledged that more than 900 people , including almost 600 civilians , were killed in maoist-related incidents in 2009 . besides , some 200 suspected rebels were also slain as forces moved into areas under insurgent control , he said . however , i am confident that the state governments concerned will gradually gain the upper hand and re-establish the authority of the civil administration , ' chidambaram told an internal security conference on february 7 . indian prime minister manmohan singh , however , conceded last year that the nation 's fight with the maoists had fallen short of objectives . maoists enjoy support not only in the poorest and tribal communities but also among youth and the intelligentsia , officials suspect . we have not achieved as much success as we would have liked in containing this menace , ' singh said in september 2009 . it is a matter of concern that , despite our efforts , the level of violence in the affected states continues to rise . ' in 2008 , 1,591 maoist rebel attacks killed 721 people , government officials say . in addition to targeting police , alleged police informers and people they call class enemies , ' the rebels are also believed to be attacking infrastructure such as roads , bridges , railways , and power and telecommunication networks . | district official says indian troops retaliated with fire , two attackers apparently died |
italian navy <tsp> ( cnn ) on october 31 , 2014 , the italian government announced the end of mare nostrum ' -- a naval mission that rescued would-be migrants in peril as they tried to cross the mediterranean to seek security and a new life in europe . in the operation 's year-long existence , the italian navy and coastguard had rescued an estimated 100,000 people . but it proved expensive and politically contentious , and europe was not prepared to help italy shoulder the burden of the crisis . without european support , the italian government cut back the naval assets dedicated to rescuing migrants . mare nostrum , which had been launched after some 600 people died when two migrant ships sank in 2013 , was replaced by the more modest operation triton , ' under the auspices of the european union 's border agency , frontex . triton has about one-third of the funding of mare nostrum , with just six ships and patrol boats , two planes and one helicopter . it was designed as a policing rather than a humanitarian mission . at its inception , klaus rosler , operations director for frontex , said triton is not a replacement for mare nostrum . ' nor was frontex a coordinating body for search and rescue operations . ' six months later , the argument about how to handle unprecedented numbers of desperate people heading for europe continues unabated . contributors to triton include portugal , the netherlands , finland and iceland . britain -- for example -- is not . it argues that search and rescue operations in international waters are an unintended'pull factor ,'encouraging more migrants to attempt the dangerous sea crossing and thereby leading to more tragic and unnecessary deaths . ' it 's perhaps no coincidence that immigration is a hot-button issue in britain , with the uk independence party attacking the conservative-led coalition government for being soft on allowing foreigners into the country . similarly , the opposition northern league in italy opposed mare nostrum , accusing it of enticing migrants . if the first few months of this year are any guide , demand has not diminished even if the prospect of being rescued has . people from syria , mali and eritrea are among the tens of thousands trying to escape repression , violence and abject poverty . despite the danger , the great majority head first for libya , where the collapse of authority allows smuggling operations to go unhindered . italy -- the european state whose territory is closest to libya -- has borne the brunt of the task of picking up , sheltering and providing food and medical help to the illegal migrants . in 2014 , 170,000 migrants arrived in italy by sea . italian ships have picked up about 11,000 migrants in the past week alone . the islands of sicily and of lampedusa ( which is closer to tunisia than to mainland italy ) see an almost daily influx of human misery . and at this time of year , there is a surge in the illegal trafficking as the weather and sea conditions improve . italian prime minister matteo renzi has said the mediterranean is a sea , not a cemetery . on sunday , in the wake of the latest disaster , he complained that italy had been coping with the crisis in near solitude , sometimes assisted by some other international presence . ' italy has also led calls for an international peacekeeping issue to help restore stability in libya , not least in an effort to tackle the flow of migrants , many of whom set out from around misrata and other ports in the west of the country . according to some human rights groups , the danger to migrants on the high seas has been accentuated by merchant ships turning a blind eye to boats in distress -- despite a maritime obligation to come to the aid of vessels in peril . after the latest sinking , the european commission called an urgent meeting of foreign and interior ministers , saying that the reality is stark and our actions must therefore be bold . these are human lives at stake , and the european union as a whole has a moral and humanitarian obligation to act . ' eu foreign policy chief federica mogherini , who is italian , said sunday : we need to save human lives all together , as all together we need to protect our borders and to fight the trafficking of human beings . ' the task could not be left only to the southern countries , ' she insisted . but bold action is rarely a hallmark of the eu . the recently installed head of the european commission , jean-claude junker , has set out his priorities -- but they are yet to be acted upon . junker said the current budget of frontex - some 90 million euros ( $ 97 million ) - was a good start but does not yet equal the task of protecting europe 's common borders . ' that money has to cover all frontex 's roles -- and it 's not only the italian coast that is being targeted by migrants . further east , thousands of migrants are trying to reach greece by land and sea . according to the un 's refugee agency , 219,000 refugees and migrants crossed the mediterranean last year . junker has also argued for greater assistance to the european asylum support office , which is based in malta , arguing for more thorough risk assessments to spot problem areas before they become overloaded . ' most controversially , junker is proposing europe adopt a common asylum system , saying that one and the same applicant for asylum can have a 70-75 % chance of being granted asylum in one country of the european union and less than 1 % , with the same reasons , in another country . ' but progress toward a europe-wide approach on migration is painfully slow . the european commission plans to publish a policy document next month , but member states are in no hurry to grapple with such a politically explosive and costly subject . in the meantime , the argument in european meetings is likely to focus on priorities , with some ( the uk and germany ) likely to argue that more resources must be devoted to cracking down on the lucrative people-smuggling racket . we must target the traffickers who are responsible for so many people dying at sea and prevent their innocent victims from being tricked or forced into making these perilous journeys , ' said british foreign secretary philip hammond sunday . others , including italy , greece , spain and france , are expected to seek more concerted action in handling and funding the influx . but the hundreds of migrants being herded onto barely seaworthy boats from libyan beaches will be oblivious to the debate . read more : migrant deaths at sea - what is europe going to do ? read more : why migrants are risking their lives to reach italyread more :'i enter europe or i die'- desperate migrants rescuedread more : how do illegal immigrants get into europe ? | italian navy 's mare nostrum ' mission to rescue would-be migrants in peril rescued an estimated 100,000 people |
mediterranean <tsp> ( cnn ) on october 31 , 2014 , the italian government announced the end of mare nostrum ' -- a naval mission that rescued would-be migrants in peril as they tried to cross the mediterranean to seek security and a new life in europe . in the operation 's year-long existence , the italian navy and coastguard had rescued an estimated 100,000 people . but it proved expensive and politically contentious , and europe was not prepared to help italy shoulder the burden of the crisis . without european support , the italian government cut back the naval assets dedicated to rescuing migrants . mare nostrum , which had been launched after some 600 people died when two migrant ships sank in 2013 , was replaced by the more modest operation triton , ' under the auspices of the european union 's border agency , frontex . triton has about one-third of the funding of mare nostrum , with just six ships and patrol boats , two planes and one helicopter . it was designed as a policing rather than a humanitarian mission . at its inception , klaus rosler , operations director for frontex , said triton is not a replacement for mare nostrum . ' nor was frontex a coordinating body for search and rescue operations . ' six months later , the argument about how to handle unprecedented numbers of desperate people heading for europe continues unabated . contributors to triton include portugal , the netherlands , finland and iceland . britain -- for example -- is not . it argues that search and rescue operations in international waters are an unintended'pull factor ,'encouraging more migrants to attempt the dangerous sea crossing and thereby leading to more tragic and unnecessary deaths . ' it 's perhaps no coincidence that immigration is a hot-button issue in britain , with the uk independence party attacking the conservative-led coalition government for being soft on allowing foreigners into the country . similarly , the opposition northern league in italy opposed mare nostrum , accusing it of enticing migrants . if the first few months of this year are any guide , demand has not diminished even if the prospect of being rescued has . people from syria , mali and eritrea are among the tens of thousands trying to escape repression , violence and abject poverty . despite the danger , the great majority head first for libya , where the collapse of authority allows smuggling operations to go unhindered . italy -- the european state whose territory is closest to libya -- has borne the brunt of the task of picking up , sheltering and providing food and medical help to the illegal migrants . in 2014 , 170,000 migrants arrived in italy by sea . italian ships have picked up about 11,000 migrants in the past week alone . the islands of sicily and of lampedusa ( which is closer to tunisia than to mainland italy ) see an almost daily influx of human misery . and at this time of year , there is a surge in the illegal trafficking as the weather and sea conditions improve . italian prime minister matteo renzi has said the mediterranean is a sea , not a cemetery . on sunday , in the wake of the latest disaster , he complained that italy had been coping with the crisis in near solitude , sometimes assisted by some other international presence . ' italy has also led calls for an international peacekeeping issue to help restore stability in libya , not least in an effort to tackle the flow of migrants , many of whom set out from around misrata and other ports in the west of the country . according to some human rights groups , the danger to migrants on the high seas has been accentuated by merchant ships turning a blind eye to boats in distress -- despite a maritime obligation to come to the aid of vessels in peril . after the latest sinking , the european commission called an urgent meeting of foreign and interior ministers , saying that the reality is stark and our actions must therefore be bold . these are human lives at stake , and the european union as a whole has a moral and humanitarian obligation to act . ' eu foreign policy chief federica mogherini , who is italian , said sunday : we need to save human lives all together , as all together we need to protect our borders and to fight the trafficking of human beings . ' the task could not be left only to the southern countries , ' she insisted . but bold action is rarely a hallmark of the eu . the recently installed head of the european commission , jean-claude junker , has set out his priorities -- but they are yet to be acted upon . junker said the current budget of frontex - some 90 million euros ( $ 97 million ) - was a good start but does not yet equal the task of protecting europe 's common borders . ' that money has to cover all frontex 's roles -- and it 's not only the italian coast that is being targeted by migrants . further east , thousands of migrants are trying to reach greece by land and sea . according to the un 's refugee agency , 219,000 refugees and migrants crossed the mediterranean last year . junker has also argued for greater assistance to the european asylum support office , which is based in malta , arguing for more thorough risk assessments to spot problem areas before they become overloaded . ' most controversially , junker is proposing europe adopt a common asylum system , saying that one and the same applicant for asylum can have a 70-75 % chance of being granted asylum in one country of the european union and less than 1 % , with the same reasons , in another country . ' but progress toward a europe-wide approach on migration is painfully slow . the european commission plans to publish a policy document next month , but member states are in no hurry to grapple with such a politically explosive and costly subject . in the meantime , the argument in european meetings is likely to focus on priorities , with some ( the uk and germany ) likely to argue that more resources must be devoted to cracking down on the lucrative people-smuggling racket . we must target the traffickers who are responsible for so many people dying at sea and prevent their innocent victims from being tricked or forced into making these perilous journeys , ' said british foreign secretary philip hammond sunday . others , including italy , greece , spain and france , are expected to seek more concerted action in handling and funding the influx . but the hundreds of migrants being herded onto barely seaworthy boats from libyan beaches will be oblivious to the debate . read more : migrant deaths at sea - what is europe going to do ? read more : why migrants are risking their lives to reach italyread more :'i enter europe or i die'- desperate migrants rescuedread more : how do illegal immigrants get into europe ? | operation ended in october 2014 , but the tide of people trying to cross the mediterranean has not abated |
mare nostrum <tsp> ( cnn ) on october 31 , 2014 , the italian government announced the end of mare nostrum ' -- a naval mission that rescued would-be migrants in peril as they tried to cross the mediterranean to seek security and a new life in europe . in the operation 's year-long existence , the italian navy and coastguard had rescued an estimated 100,000 people . but it proved expensive and politically contentious , and europe was not prepared to help italy shoulder the burden of the crisis . without european support , the italian government cut back the naval assets dedicated to rescuing migrants . mare nostrum , which had been launched after some 600 people died when two migrant ships sank in 2013 , was replaced by the more modest operation triton , ' under the auspices of the european union 's border agency , frontex . triton has about one-third of the funding of mare nostrum , with just six ships and patrol boats , two planes and one helicopter . it was designed as a policing rather than a humanitarian mission . at its inception , klaus rosler , operations director for frontex , said triton is not a replacement for mare nostrum . ' nor was frontex a coordinating body for search and rescue operations . ' six months later , the argument about how to handle unprecedented numbers of desperate people heading for europe continues unabated . contributors to triton include portugal , the netherlands , finland and iceland . britain -- for example -- is not . it argues that search and rescue operations in international waters are an unintended'pull factor ,'encouraging more migrants to attempt the dangerous sea crossing and thereby leading to more tragic and unnecessary deaths . ' it 's perhaps no coincidence that immigration is a hot-button issue in britain , with the uk independence party attacking the conservative-led coalition government for being soft on allowing foreigners into the country . similarly , the opposition northern league in italy opposed mare nostrum , accusing it of enticing migrants . if the first few months of this year are any guide , demand has not diminished even if the prospect of being rescued has . people from syria , mali and eritrea are among the tens of thousands trying to escape repression , violence and abject poverty . despite the danger , the great majority head first for libya , where the collapse of authority allows smuggling operations to go unhindered . italy -- the european state whose territory is closest to libya -- has borne the brunt of the task of picking up , sheltering and providing food and medical help to the illegal migrants . in 2014 , 170,000 migrants arrived in italy by sea . italian ships have picked up about 11,000 migrants in the past week alone . the islands of sicily and of lampedusa ( which is closer to tunisia than to mainland italy ) see an almost daily influx of human misery . and at this time of year , there is a surge in the illegal trafficking as the weather and sea conditions improve . italian prime minister matteo renzi has said the mediterranean is a sea , not a cemetery . on sunday , in the wake of the latest disaster , he complained that italy had been coping with the crisis in near solitude , sometimes assisted by some other international presence . ' italy has also led calls for an international peacekeeping issue to help restore stability in libya , not least in an effort to tackle the flow of migrants , many of whom set out from around misrata and other ports in the west of the country . according to some human rights groups , the danger to migrants on the high seas has been accentuated by merchant ships turning a blind eye to boats in distress -- despite a maritime obligation to come to the aid of vessels in peril . after the latest sinking , the european commission called an urgent meeting of foreign and interior ministers , saying that the reality is stark and our actions must therefore be bold . these are human lives at stake , and the european union as a whole has a moral and humanitarian obligation to act . ' eu foreign policy chief federica mogherini , who is italian , said sunday : we need to save human lives all together , as all together we need to protect our borders and to fight the trafficking of human beings . ' the task could not be left only to the southern countries , ' she insisted . but bold action is rarely a hallmark of the eu . the recently installed head of the european commission , jean-claude junker , has set out his priorities -- but they are yet to be acted upon . junker said the current budget of frontex - some 90 million euros ( $ 97 million ) - was a good start but does not yet equal the task of protecting europe 's common borders . ' that money has to cover all frontex 's roles -- and it 's not only the italian coast that is being targeted by migrants . further east , thousands of migrants are trying to reach greece by land and sea . according to the un 's refugee agency , 219,000 refugees and migrants crossed the mediterranean last year . junker has also argued for greater assistance to the european asylum support office , which is based in malta , arguing for more thorough risk assessments to spot problem areas before they become overloaded . ' most controversially , junker is proposing europe adopt a common asylum system , saying that one and the same applicant for asylum can have a 70-75 % chance of being granted asylum in one country of the european union and less than 1 % , with the same reasons , in another country . ' but progress toward a europe-wide approach on migration is painfully slow . the european commission plans to publish a policy document next month , but member states are in no hurry to grapple with such a politically explosive and costly subject . in the meantime , the argument in european meetings is likely to focus on priorities , with some ( the uk and germany ) likely to argue that more resources must be devoted to cracking down on the lucrative people-smuggling racket . we must target the traffickers who are responsible for so many people dying at sea and prevent their innocent victims from being tricked or forced into making these perilous journeys , ' said british foreign secretary philip hammond sunday . others , including italy , greece , spain and france , are expected to seek more concerted action in handling and funding the influx . but the hundreds of migrants being herded onto barely seaworthy boats from libyan beaches will be oblivious to the debate . read more : migrant deaths at sea - what is europe going to do ? read more : why migrants are risking their lives to reach italyread more :'i enter europe or i die'- desperate migrants rescuedread more : how do illegal immigrants get into europe ? | italian navy 's mare nostrum ' mission to rescue would-be migrants in peril rescued an estimated 100,000 people |
italy <tsp> ( cnn ) on october 31 , 2014 , the italian government announced the end of mare nostrum ' -- a naval mission that rescued would-be migrants in peril as they tried to cross the mediterranean to seek security and a new life in europe . in the operation 's year-long existence , the italian navy and coastguard had rescued an estimated 100,000 people . but it proved expensive and politically contentious , and europe was not prepared to help italy shoulder the burden of the crisis . without european support , the italian government cut back the naval assets dedicated to rescuing migrants . mare nostrum , which had been launched after some 600 people died when two migrant ships sank in 2013 , was replaced by the more modest operation triton , ' under the auspices of the european union 's border agency , frontex . triton has about one-third of the funding of mare nostrum , with just six ships and patrol boats , two planes and one helicopter . it was designed as a policing rather than a humanitarian mission . at its inception , klaus rosler , operations director for frontex , said triton is not a replacement for mare nostrum . ' nor was frontex a coordinating body for search and rescue operations . ' six months later , the argument about how to handle unprecedented numbers of desperate people heading for europe continues unabated . contributors to triton include portugal , the netherlands , finland and iceland . britain -- for example -- is not . it argues that search and rescue operations in international waters are an unintended'pull factor ,'encouraging more migrants to attempt the dangerous sea crossing and thereby leading to more tragic and unnecessary deaths . ' it 's perhaps no coincidence that immigration is a hot-button issue in britain , with the uk independence party attacking the conservative-led coalition government for being soft on allowing foreigners into the country . similarly , the opposition northern league in italy opposed mare nostrum , accusing it of enticing migrants . if the first few months of this year are any guide , demand has not diminished even if the prospect of being rescued has . people from syria , mali and eritrea are among the tens of thousands trying to escape repression , violence and abject poverty . despite the danger , the great majority head first for libya , where the collapse of authority allows smuggling operations to go unhindered . italy -- the european state whose territory is closest to libya -- has borne the brunt of the task of picking up , sheltering and providing food and medical help to the illegal migrants . in 2014 , 170,000 migrants arrived in italy by sea . italian ships have picked up about 11,000 migrants in the past week alone . the islands of sicily and of lampedusa ( which is closer to tunisia than to mainland italy ) see an almost daily influx of human misery . and at this time of year , there is a surge in the illegal trafficking as the weather and sea conditions improve . italian prime minister matteo renzi has said the mediterranean is a sea , not a cemetery . on sunday , in the wake of the latest disaster , he complained that italy had been coping with the crisis in near solitude , sometimes assisted by some other international presence . ' italy has also led calls for an international peacekeeping issue to help restore stability in libya , not least in an effort to tackle the flow of migrants , many of whom set out from around misrata and other ports in the west of the country . according to some human rights groups , the danger to migrants on the high seas has been accentuated by merchant ships turning a blind eye to boats in distress -- despite a maritime obligation to come to the aid of vessels in peril . after the latest sinking , the european commission called an urgent meeting of foreign and interior ministers , saying that the reality is stark and our actions must therefore be bold . these are human lives at stake , and the european union as a whole has a moral and humanitarian obligation to act . ' eu foreign policy chief federica mogherini , who is italian , said sunday : we need to save human lives all together , as all together we need to protect our borders and to fight the trafficking of human beings . ' the task could not be left only to the southern countries , ' she insisted . but bold action is rarely a hallmark of the eu . the recently installed head of the european commission , jean-claude junker , has set out his priorities -- but they are yet to be acted upon . junker said the current budget of frontex - some 90 million euros ( $ 97 million ) - was a good start but does not yet equal the task of protecting europe 's common borders . ' that money has to cover all frontex 's roles -- and it 's not only the italian coast that is being targeted by migrants . further east , thousands of migrants are trying to reach greece by land and sea . according to the un 's refugee agency , 219,000 refugees and migrants crossed the mediterranean last year . junker has also argued for greater assistance to the european asylum support office , which is based in malta , arguing for more thorough risk assessments to spot problem areas before they become overloaded . ' most controversially , junker is proposing europe adopt a common asylum system , saying that one and the same applicant for asylum can have a 70-75 % chance of being granted asylum in one country of the european union and less than 1 % , with the same reasons , in another country . ' but progress toward a europe-wide approach on migration is painfully slow . the european commission plans to publish a policy document next month , but member states are in no hurry to grapple with such a politically explosive and costly subject . in the meantime , the argument in european meetings is likely to focus on priorities , with some ( the uk and germany ) likely to argue that more resources must be devoted to cracking down on the lucrative people-smuggling racket . we must target the traffickers who are responsible for so many people dying at sea and prevent their innocent victims from being tricked or forced into making these perilous journeys , ' said british foreign secretary philip hammond sunday . others , including italy , greece , spain and france , are expected to seek more concerted action in handling and funding the influx . but the hundreds of migrants being herded onto barely seaworthy boats from libyan beaches will be oblivious to the debate . read more : migrant deaths at sea - what is europe going to do ? read more : why migrants are risking their lives to reach italyread more :'i enter europe or i die'- desperate migrants rescuedread more : how do illegal immigrants get into europe ? | italy has borne brunt of task of picking up , sheltering and providing food and medical help to illegal migrants |
uk <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the united states issued a general travel alert for americans in europe on sunday amid concerns that al qaeda or related groups plan attacks similar to the 2008 massacre in the indian city of mumbai . u.s. citizens should take every precaution to be aware of their surroundings and to adopt appropriate safety measures to protect themselves when traveling , ' the notice from the u.s. state department said . we continue to work closely with our european allies on the threat from international terrorism , including al qaeda . ' the advisory is not meant to tell americans to avoid travel , but to take common-sense precautions ' in case of trouble , undersecretary of state patrick kennedy told reporters sunday . if they see unattended packages or hear loud noises or see something beginning to happen that they should quickly move away from them , ' he said . the warning urges them to be cautious in public places like tourist sites and airports or while riding public transportation , and americans should know how to contact the u.s. embassy and consider registering their travel plans there , he said . in addition , thousands of u.s. troops based in germany were placed under a curfew friday night and were ordered not to wear their uniforms off base , according to an order obtained by cnn . kennedy said the state department has issued travel alerts for europe for a variety of reasons ' in the past , including the recent eruption of a volcano in iceland that snarled air travel across the continent . the state department said worldwide travel alerts have been issued for u.s. citizens in the past , most recently in early september after the pastor of a small florida church threatened to burn copies of the quran , the islamic holy book . previous alerts were issued after the 2004 al qaeda bombings of commuter trains in spain 's capital madrid and after the 2005 bombings of subway trains and buses in london , england . news emerged last week that western intelligence officials were looking at information about a possible mumbai-style ' attack in cities across europe , and a british security source said saturday that intelligence related to such a plot was being looked at very seriously on both sides of the atlantic . mumbai , india 's financial hub , was the site of a three-day terror attack in november 2008 that left more than 160 people dead . ten men launched the carefully planned assault , targeting two major hotels , the historic victoria terminus train station and a jewish cultural center . kennedy would not comment on specific intelligence sparking the report , but said it followed a cumulative ' process . we have been monitoring this carefully for at least several weeks , ' he said . don hamilton , a former state department counterterrorism expert told cnn sunday that the alert is about the mildest thing they can say . ' the state department is historically extremely cautious about these things , ' he said . it does n't want to be accused of failing to warn americans if they have some information about a possible attack beforehand , but hamilton said the alert is less severe than a more formal travel warning involving concrete threats . a u.s. official said saturday that the alert was prompted by the volume of intelligence on possible terror threats , rather than any new intelligence . at the white house , spokesman nicholas shapiro said president barack obama has been following the threat information on a daily basis . ' from the day we became aware of this latest plot , the president made clear we need to do everything possible to disrupt this plot and protect the american people , ' shapiro said . sunday 's alert is responsive to the president 's direction that we spare no effort , ' he said . a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity said obama met with members of his national security team friday night and saturday morning and received another briefing sunday morning . the official said european allies are all in sync ' with the united states , both in terms of our assessment of the threat as well as our shared conviction that governments have an obligation to keep their citizens informed of terrorist threats . ' several european governments said sunday that they are not raising their already-high alert levels as a result of the latest reports . the french ministry of foreign affairs said sunday that the u.s. advisory was in line with the general recommendations that we have addressed to the french population . ' the indications provided by the u.s. authorities , in particular regarding terrorist threat in europe are , of course analyzed , cross-referenced and where appropriate included in our national assessment of the threat , which still relies on a series of elements , ' the ministry said . the terrorist threat remains high in france , the alert level remains unchanged at level red . ' britain 's foreign and commonwealth office changed its travel advisory for british citizens in france and germany from a substantial ' threat of terrorism to a high ' threat , but the fco said it does not comment on intelligence matters and thus ca n't specify whether the change is related to the u.s. travel alert . germany 's interior ministry said in a statement that the warning for americans comes in light of recent threats and that berlin was informed by the u.s. of the decision to issue the alert . germany will analyze and evaluate the intelligence data coming in but will not be changing its current threat level at this time , according to the statement . also , a spokeswoman for spain 's interior ministry told cnn that the country will remain at level 2 alert , which indicates a high , probable risk ' of a terror attack . spain has remained at this stage since january of this year . cnn 's ed henry , elise labott , bharati naik and al goodman contributed to this report . | uk changes travel advisory for citizens in france and germany |
germany <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the united states issued a general travel alert for americans in europe on sunday amid concerns that al qaeda or related groups plan attacks similar to the 2008 massacre in the indian city of mumbai . u.s. citizens should take every precaution to be aware of their surroundings and to adopt appropriate safety measures to protect themselves when traveling , ' the notice from the u.s. state department said . we continue to work closely with our european allies on the threat from international terrorism , including al qaeda . ' the advisory is not meant to tell americans to avoid travel , but to take common-sense precautions ' in case of trouble , undersecretary of state patrick kennedy told reporters sunday . if they see unattended packages or hear loud noises or see something beginning to happen that they should quickly move away from them , ' he said . the warning urges them to be cautious in public places like tourist sites and airports or while riding public transportation , and americans should know how to contact the u.s. embassy and consider registering their travel plans there , he said . in addition , thousands of u.s. troops based in germany were placed under a curfew friday night and were ordered not to wear their uniforms off base , according to an order obtained by cnn . kennedy said the state department has issued travel alerts for europe for a variety of reasons ' in the past , including the recent eruption of a volcano in iceland that snarled air travel across the continent . the state department said worldwide travel alerts have been issued for u.s. citizens in the past , most recently in early september after the pastor of a small florida church threatened to burn copies of the quran , the islamic holy book . previous alerts were issued after the 2004 al qaeda bombings of commuter trains in spain 's capital madrid and after the 2005 bombings of subway trains and buses in london , england . news emerged last week that western intelligence officials were looking at information about a possible mumbai-style ' attack in cities across europe , and a british security source said saturday that intelligence related to such a plot was being looked at very seriously on both sides of the atlantic . mumbai , india 's financial hub , was the site of a three-day terror attack in november 2008 that left more than 160 people dead . ten men launched the carefully planned assault , targeting two major hotels , the historic victoria terminus train station and a jewish cultural center . kennedy would not comment on specific intelligence sparking the report , but said it followed a cumulative ' process . we have been monitoring this carefully for at least several weeks , ' he said . don hamilton , a former state department counterterrorism expert told cnn sunday that the alert is about the mildest thing they can say . ' the state department is historically extremely cautious about these things , ' he said . it does n't want to be accused of failing to warn americans if they have some information about a possible attack beforehand , but hamilton said the alert is less severe than a more formal travel warning involving concrete threats . a u.s. official said saturday that the alert was prompted by the volume of intelligence on possible terror threats , rather than any new intelligence . at the white house , spokesman nicholas shapiro said president barack obama has been following the threat information on a daily basis . ' from the day we became aware of this latest plot , the president made clear we need to do everything possible to disrupt this plot and protect the american people , ' shapiro said . sunday 's alert is responsive to the president 's direction that we spare no effort , ' he said . a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity said obama met with members of his national security team friday night and saturday morning and received another briefing sunday morning . the official said european allies are all in sync ' with the united states , both in terms of our assessment of the threat as well as our shared conviction that governments have an obligation to keep their citizens informed of terrorist threats . ' several european governments said sunday that they are not raising their already-high alert levels as a result of the latest reports . the french ministry of foreign affairs said sunday that the u.s. advisory was in line with the general recommendations that we have addressed to the french population . ' the indications provided by the u.s. authorities , in particular regarding terrorist threat in europe are , of course analyzed , cross-referenced and where appropriate included in our national assessment of the threat , which still relies on a series of elements , ' the ministry said . the terrorist threat remains high in france , the alert level remains unchanged at level red . ' britain 's foreign and commonwealth office changed its travel advisory for british citizens in france and germany from a substantial ' threat of terrorism to a high ' threat , but the fco said it does not comment on intelligence matters and thus ca n't specify whether the change is related to the u.s. travel alert . germany 's interior ministry said in a statement that the warning for americans comes in light of recent threats and that berlin was informed by the u.s. of the decision to issue the alert . germany will analyze and evaluate the intelligence data coming in but will not be changing its current threat level at this time , according to the statement . also , a spokeswoman for spain 's interior ministry told cnn that the country will remain at level 2 alert , which indicates a high , probable risk ' of a terror attack . spain has remained at this stage since january of this year . cnn 's ed henry , elise labott , bharati naik and al goodman contributed to this report . | uk changes travel advisory for citizens in france and germany |
manchester united <tsp> ( cnn ) -- manchester united have agreed a deal to sign arsenal striker robin van persie , the club announced on wednesday night . manchester united is pleased to announce it has reached agreement with arsenal football club for the transfer of robin van persie , ' said a statement on the club 's website . the deal is subject to a medical and the agreement of personal terms . a further announcement will be made in due course . ' arsenal 's website confirmed that the dutch striker , who scored 30 goals in 38 games for the london side last season , will travel to manchester on thursday in order to agree personal terms and complete a medical ahead of a proposed move . ' in july , van persie stunned arsenal manager arsene wenger with a statement on his personal website that stated his goal has been to win trophies with the team ' and attempt to return the club to its glory days . ' the dutch striker explained that following a meeting with the wenger and the arsenal chairman , ivan gazidis , it has again become clear to me that we , in many aspects , disagree on the way arsenal should move forward . ' with a year left on his contract , after which van persie could move to another club for free , the statement was understood be a public declaration of the striker 's intent to leave this summer . manchester united star wayne rooney has previously described van persie as a fantastic player ' and discussed the prospect of linking up with him at united . he 's been amazing for arsenal over many years . if he does come here , he would be a great addition to the squad . ' last summer saw arsenal lose two of their start players , samir nasri to rivals manchester city and club captain cesc fabregas to barcelona . van persie was appointed arsenal captain last season after the departure of fabregas . coincidentally , fabregas moved on the same date last summer - august 15th - as arsenal agreed a fee for van persie this summer . | manchester united missed out on 2011/12 title on goal difference |
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