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world war ii <tsp> ( cnn ) -- george smith , one of the navajo code talkers who helped the u.s. military outfox the japanese during world war ii by sending messages in their obscure language , has died , the president of the navajo nation said . this news has saddened me , ' ben shelly , the navajo president , said in a post wednesday on his facebook page . our navajo code talkers have been real life heroes to generations of navajo people . ' smith died tuesday , shelly said , and the navajo nation 's flag is flying at half-staff until sunday night to commemorate his life . see cnn 's complete coverage of veterans in focus several hundred navajo tribe members served as code talkers for the united states during world war ii , using a military communications code based on the navajo language . they sent messages back and forth from the front lines of fighting , relaying crucial information during pivotal battles like iwo jima . military authorities chose navajo as a code language because it was almost impossible for a non-navajo to learn and had no written form . it was the only code the japanese never managed to crack . the navajo code talkers participated in every assault the u.s. marines carried out in the pacific between 1942 and 1945 . the code talkers themselves were forbidden from telling anyone about the code -- not their fellow marines , not their families -- until it was declassified in 1968 . now in their 80s and 90s , only a handful of code talkers remain . they have brought pride to our navajo people in so many ways , ' shelly said . the nation 's prayers and thoughts are with the family at this time as they mourn the passing of a great family man who served his country and protected his people . ' shelly 's facebook post did n't mention smith 's age or the cause and location of his death . a statement about the death on the official navajo nation website was not accessible late thursday . | several hundred navajo code talkers served in world war ii |
clooney <tsp> ( cnn ) -- amal alamuddin may have just accomplished what many believed was the impossible : snagging hollywood 's most notable bachelor . the lebanese-born british beauty married george clooney who many thought could never be tied down . not a lot is known about alamuddin , who is said to have started dating the actor in october 2013 and became engaged in april 2014 . but here is what we do know : 1 . she 's a well-respected attorney . alamuddin 's profile on the site the legal 500 says she specialises in international law , human rights , criminal law and extradition . ' some of her clients have included the royal court of bahrain and wikileaks founder julian assange . she is also part of the legal team representing the government of cambodia in a case involving a territorial dispute with thailand at the international court of justice in the hague , ' the site says . she has previously worked as a legal adviser to judges at the international court of justice and the international criminal tribunal for the former yugoslavia , and as senior legal adviser to the prosecutor of the special tribunal for lebanon . ' 2 . clooney is n't the only one who finds her attractive . she was named one of the 21 hottest female barristers in london on the blog your barrister boyfriend . ' the blog states : amal alamuddin may make some feel inadequate because she has achieved the seemingly unattainable ideal of contemporary femininity : she is both breathtakingly beautiful and formidably successful . ' 3 . she 's a world traveler . in addition to being fluent in both arabic and french , alamuddin has traveled widely . her time in the united states included graduating from the new york university school of law , and among her trips is a safari to tanzania she reportedly took with clooney in march . 4 . she 's discreet . alamuddin , 36 , has n't been speaking out about her relationship with the 53-year-old star . she has not given extensive interviews and people magazine reported on their wedding based on brief comments from clooney and guests at the ceremony . 5 . alamuddin must be special . there 's no debating this one . clooney , who was married from 1989 until 1993 to no strings attached ' actress talia balsam , has long been outspoken about the fact that he has had no desire to wed again . in a recent esquire interview , clooney said , i have n't had aspirations in that way , ever , ' about becoming a husband and father . he has proved that by dating his fair share of women over the years but not settling down . 6 . her co-workers are happy for her . alamuddin may not be talking , but her law firm has spilled the beans . the doughty street law firm was clearly excited about the news and released a statement that read in part : the barristers and staff of doughty street chambers offer their best wishes and congratulations to ms amal alamuddin , a member of chambers , and mr george clooney on their engagement to be married . ' | clooney had said he had no aspirations to remarry |
iran <tsp> as the situation in iraq escalates , the u.s. finds itself awkwardly aligned with a country once vilified as part of the axis of evil . ' while iraq loses control of its western border to isis rebels , the u.s. decides to pragmatically turn to its geopolitical interests to calm this disaster . the unlikely result is iran sending military weaponry and planes -- including russian combat jets -- across the iranian border to aid the iraqi national army . this shift in alliance seemed implausible a few years ago , but since president hassan rouhani took office last year tensions between the u.s. and iran have slowly and cautiously thawed . while iraq plummets into further chaos and fragmentation -- the kurds are expected to vote for full autonomy in an impending referendum -- improvement in u.s-iran relations may be the only silver-lining in this otherwise catastrophic affair . yet supporters of u.s.-iran relations should not forget the importance of promoting relations through long-term economic ties , rather than one based on purely geopolitical military needs . in the past decade , war has raged on two of iran 's borders , and seemingly both iran and the u.s. shared common enemies in the taliban and saddam hussein . however , foreign policy alignments in the region did not result in sustained diplomatic ties . by easing sanctions and fostering economic growth in iran , the u.s. can ultimately promote a sustainable relationship based on mutual needs and benefits . now more than ever , the opportunity for just such a partnership exists in iran 's budding technology market . currently , iran has the highest total number of internet users in the middle east ; almost half of iranian households have some access to the internet . there are more internet users in iran than in saudi arabia , uae , jordan , israel , kuwait , lebanon and qatar , combined . interest among young iranians in technology and entrepreneurship is rapidly increasing . iran 's center for e-commerce development recently announced that nearly 70 % of applicants for electronic retail licenses are younger than 30 . rather than focusing on industries such as oil and gas , which ultimately trickles down profits to a few large companies closely aligned with the regime , promoting commercial development in the arena of tech entrepreneurship creates a high-skilled middle class . a thriving iranian middle class will have an invested interest in maintaining close relations with the u.s . the long-term benefits of commercial development in iran 's tech sector are endless . transparency and increased openness in civil society through advances in social media , internet infrastructure and access to information are just some of the added benefits of a robust tech industry . promoting tech over other industries in iran also allows the u.s. to play an active role in a market that empowers women in business . unlike many western countries where women only account for 10 % of the tech industry , women in the middle east account for 35 % of tech entrepreneurs . this number is astonishing considering western notions of the marginalization of women in the region . women in the middle east are increasingly finding it both convenient and conducive to start small businesses from the comfort of their homes , and , thanks to increased internet access , they are now able to tap into global markets . the benefits of promoting the burgeoning tech industry in iran have not gone unnoticed . silicon valley entrepreneurs plan to gather this september to discuss entrepreneurship in iran , and , in the event that sanctions are lifted , the possibility of building bridges between entrepreneurs in silicon valley and their iranian counterparts . iran 's very own tedx tehran , scheduled to take place in tehran later this year , is a result of enthusiasm surrounding technology and entrepreneurship . much of the eagerness surrounding iran 's tech scene is based on the possibility of the u.s. changing its sanctions policy regarding iran . unlike his predecessor , rouhani made headway on nuclear program negotiations with world powers earlier this year . even making use of social media , rouhani tweets a softer image of the iranian presidency by posting pictures of himself in sweatpants watching world cup games . most importantly , rouhani debuted his presidency with a message of economic openness and a desire to reintegrate iran back into the international community . iran 's dismal human rights record still remains on the table , but the country 's open approach on economic issues may be human rights activists'best chance to address political freedoms down the road . iran 's support of prime minister nuri al maliki 's government and majority-ruling shiites in iraq puts iran in a position that is aligned with u.s. 's geopolitical interests . what remains unclear is whether the current situation will give way to a stable partnership if the iraq crisis is contained . the iran-contra affair in 1986 demonstrated that the u.s. could covertly set aside ideological differences for military advantage . however , as history has demonstrated , unlikely wartime bedfellows rarely equate to stable diplomatic policy . indeed , if history has taught the u.s. anything , it 's that iran is a resilient country with vast potential -- potential that expands far beyond merely oil , gas and guns . read : no , talking to iran about iraq is n't desperation read : u.s. and iran : from sworn enemies to partners on iraq ? | possibility of u.s. changing sanctions policy regarding iran arouses excitement , she says |
iran <tsp> as the situation in iraq escalates , the u.s. finds itself awkwardly aligned with a country once vilified as part of the axis of evil . ' while iraq loses control of its western border to isis rebels , the u.s. decides to pragmatically turn to its geopolitical interests to calm this disaster . the unlikely result is iran sending military weaponry and planes -- including russian combat jets -- across the iranian border to aid the iraqi national army . this shift in alliance seemed implausible a few years ago , but since president hassan rouhani took office last year tensions between the u.s. and iran have slowly and cautiously thawed . while iraq plummets into further chaos and fragmentation -- the kurds are expected to vote for full autonomy in an impending referendum -- improvement in u.s-iran relations may be the only silver-lining in this otherwise catastrophic affair . yet supporters of u.s.-iran relations should not forget the importance of promoting relations through long-term economic ties , rather than one based on purely geopolitical military needs . in the past decade , war has raged on two of iran 's borders , and seemingly both iran and the u.s. shared common enemies in the taliban and saddam hussein . however , foreign policy alignments in the region did not result in sustained diplomatic ties . by easing sanctions and fostering economic growth in iran , the u.s. can ultimately promote a sustainable relationship based on mutual needs and benefits . now more than ever , the opportunity for just such a partnership exists in iran 's budding technology market . currently , iran has the highest total number of internet users in the middle east ; almost half of iranian households have some access to the internet . there are more internet users in iran than in saudi arabia , uae , jordan , israel , kuwait , lebanon and qatar , combined . interest among young iranians in technology and entrepreneurship is rapidly increasing . iran 's center for e-commerce development recently announced that nearly 70 % of applicants for electronic retail licenses are younger than 30 . rather than focusing on industries such as oil and gas , which ultimately trickles down profits to a few large companies closely aligned with the regime , promoting commercial development in the arena of tech entrepreneurship creates a high-skilled middle class . a thriving iranian middle class will have an invested interest in maintaining close relations with the u.s . the long-term benefits of commercial development in iran 's tech sector are endless . transparency and increased openness in civil society through advances in social media , internet infrastructure and access to information are just some of the added benefits of a robust tech industry . promoting tech over other industries in iran also allows the u.s. to play an active role in a market that empowers women in business . unlike many western countries where women only account for 10 % of the tech industry , women in the middle east account for 35 % of tech entrepreneurs . this number is astonishing considering western notions of the marginalization of women in the region . women in the middle east are increasingly finding it both convenient and conducive to start small businesses from the comfort of their homes , and , thanks to increased internet access , they are now able to tap into global markets . the benefits of promoting the burgeoning tech industry in iran have not gone unnoticed . silicon valley entrepreneurs plan to gather this september to discuss entrepreneurship in iran , and , in the event that sanctions are lifted , the possibility of building bridges between entrepreneurs in silicon valley and their iranian counterparts . iran 's very own tedx tehran , scheduled to take place in tehran later this year , is a result of enthusiasm surrounding technology and entrepreneurship . much of the eagerness surrounding iran 's tech scene is based on the possibility of the u.s. changing its sanctions policy regarding iran . unlike his predecessor , rouhani made headway on nuclear program negotiations with world powers earlier this year . even making use of social media , rouhani tweets a softer image of the iranian presidency by posting pictures of himself in sweatpants watching world cup games . most importantly , rouhani debuted his presidency with a message of economic openness and a desire to reintegrate iran back into the international community . iran 's dismal human rights record still remains on the table , but the country 's open approach on economic issues may be human rights activists'best chance to address political freedoms down the road . iran 's support of prime minister nuri al maliki 's government and majority-ruling shiites in iraq puts iran in a position that is aligned with u.s. 's geopolitical interests . what remains unclear is whether the current situation will give way to a stable partnership if the iraq crisis is contained . the iran-contra affair in 1986 demonstrated that the u.s. could covertly set aside ideological differences for military advantage . however , as history has demonstrated , unlikely wartime bedfellows rarely equate to stable diplomatic policy . indeed , if history has taught the u.s. anything , it 's that iran is a resilient country with vast potential -- potential that expands far beyond merely oil , gas and guns . read : no , talking to iran about iraq is n't desperation read : u.s. and iran : from sworn enemies to partners on iraq ? | u.s. is aligning awkwardly ' with iran as iraq crisis escalates , says arezo yazd |
iran <tsp> as the situation in iraq escalates , the u.s. finds itself awkwardly aligned with a country once vilified as part of the axis of evil . ' while iraq loses control of its western border to isis rebels , the u.s. decides to pragmatically turn to its geopolitical interests to calm this disaster . the unlikely result is iran sending military weaponry and planes -- including russian combat jets -- across the iranian border to aid the iraqi national army . this shift in alliance seemed implausible a few years ago , but since president hassan rouhani took office last year tensions between the u.s. and iran have slowly and cautiously thawed . while iraq plummets into further chaos and fragmentation -- the kurds are expected to vote for full autonomy in an impending referendum -- improvement in u.s-iran relations may be the only silver-lining in this otherwise catastrophic affair . yet supporters of u.s.-iran relations should not forget the importance of promoting relations through long-term economic ties , rather than one based on purely geopolitical military needs . in the past decade , war has raged on two of iran 's borders , and seemingly both iran and the u.s. shared common enemies in the taliban and saddam hussein . however , foreign policy alignments in the region did not result in sustained diplomatic ties . by easing sanctions and fostering economic growth in iran , the u.s. can ultimately promote a sustainable relationship based on mutual needs and benefits . now more than ever , the opportunity for just such a partnership exists in iran 's budding technology market . currently , iran has the highest total number of internet users in the middle east ; almost half of iranian households have some access to the internet . there are more internet users in iran than in saudi arabia , uae , jordan , israel , kuwait , lebanon and qatar , combined . interest among young iranians in technology and entrepreneurship is rapidly increasing . iran 's center for e-commerce development recently announced that nearly 70 % of applicants for electronic retail licenses are younger than 30 . rather than focusing on industries such as oil and gas , which ultimately trickles down profits to a few large companies closely aligned with the regime , promoting commercial development in the arena of tech entrepreneurship creates a high-skilled middle class . a thriving iranian middle class will have an invested interest in maintaining close relations with the u.s . the long-term benefits of commercial development in iran 's tech sector are endless . transparency and increased openness in civil society through advances in social media , internet infrastructure and access to information are just some of the added benefits of a robust tech industry . promoting tech over other industries in iran also allows the u.s. to play an active role in a market that empowers women in business . unlike many western countries where women only account for 10 % of the tech industry , women in the middle east account for 35 % of tech entrepreneurs . this number is astonishing considering western notions of the marginalization of women in the region . women in the middle east are increasingly finding it both convenient and conducive to start small businesses from the comfort of their homes , and , thanks to increased internet access , they are now able to tap into global markets . the benefits of promoting the burgeoning tech industry in iran have not gone unnoticed . silicon valley entrepreneurs plan to gather this september to discuss entrepreneurship in iran , and , in the event that sanctions are lifted , the possibility of building bridges between entrepreneurs in silicon valley and their iranian counterparts . iran 's very own tedx tehran , scheduled to take place in tehran later this year , is a result of enthusiasm surrounding technology and entrepreneurship . much of the eagerness surrounding iran 's tech scene is based on the possibility of the u.s. changing its sanctions policy regarding iran . unlike his predecessor , rouhani made headway on nuclear program negotiations with world powers earlier this year . even making use of social media , rouhani tweets a softer image of the iranian presidency by posting pictures of himself in sweatpants watching world cup games . most importantly , rouhani debuted his presidency with a message of economic openness and a desire to reintegrate iran back into the international community . iran 's dismal human rights record still remains on the table , but the country 's open approach on economic issues may be human rights activists'best chance to address political freedoms down the road . iran 's support of prime minister nuri al maliki 's government and majority-ruling shiites in iraq puts iran in a position that is aligned with u.s. 's geopolitical interests . what remains unclear is whether the current situation will give way to a stable partnership if the iraq crisis is contained . the iran-contra affair in 1986 demonstrated that the u.s. could covertly set aside ideological differences for military advantage . however , as history has demonstrated , unlikely wartime bedfellows rarely equate to stable diplomatic policy . indeed , if history has taught the u.s. anything , it 's that iran is a resilient country with vast potential -- potential that expands far beyond merely oil , gas and guns . read : no , talking to iran about iraq is n't desperation read : u.s. and iran : from sworn enemies to partners on iraq ? | yazd : opportunity for partnership exists in iran 's budding technology market |
john cleese <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- the five surviving monty python members on thursday announced their comeback performance in london next year , and fans are eagerly anticipating which vintage sketches will be dusted off for another airing . but their combined age of 357 years has taken its toll , and it remains to be seen how the comedians'aging bodies stand up to the often slapstick nature of python sketches . one that john cleese is unlikely to perform is the swivel-limbed ministry of silly walks , ' due to what he says are his ailing hips and knees . cleese says the show at the o2 arena on july 1 will have some new material , but many old bits -- some featured in perhaps new ways -- that fans will expect , along with comedy , pathos , music and a tiny bit of ancient sex . ' i remember going to the royal albert hall and seeing neil diamond where he got booed in the second half for singing new numbers . people really do want to see the old hits , but we do n't want to do them exactly in a predictable way , so it 's going to be a mix-up , i think , ' cleese adds . asked what he believes the modern twist will be , terry gilliam replies : the fact that we can actually still walk and stand upright . ' while the python stars say they hope the new performance will appeal to a new generation of fans , they are brazen enough to admit that money was one of the main factors in their decision to reform for the first time since 1980 . i hope it makes us a lot of money . i hope to be able to pay off my mortgage ! ' terry jones said days before thursday 's high-octane news conference at which the five pythons announced they will perform at the o2 -- the world 's biggest-grossing concert venue . michael palin adds that money was part of it . ' but as the five aging comedians lumber onto the stage at the playhouse theatre in central london , it is evident how much mutual regard they still have , despite often-fractious years working together and three decades apart . we may not like each other , but we make each other laugh , ' cleese reflects . the show will be the first time cleese , jones , gilliam , palin and eric idle have performed together since the death of graham chapman from cancer in 1989 . his presence will be sorely missed -- by both audience and stars . we 've told him he 'll be on with us , ' idle says , not entirely in jest , and if there is a god , he 'll turn up . ' there 'll be a nurse on hand just in case of emergencies , he adds quickly . despite the show being billed as a final reunion ' and one down , five to go , ' the comedians say a world tour may follow depending on how long eric and mike live for , ' cleese jokes . when the pair protest , saying they believe the deaths could occur in alphabetical order , he quips : in your dreams gilliam . ' the longevity of python -- and excitement the reunion has stirred up among fans appears to have taken the five pythons by surprise . no one expected this to be more than a sunday night show at the bbc , ' idle says , referring to the first tv broadcast in 1969 . forty-five episodes and five films later , the pythons are comic legends , with their legions of fans around the world able to recite every line of their scripts word-perfect . i 'm just shocked and amazed ' at the reaction to the reunion , he says , adding that he thought they 'd waited until demand had died down . ' the python shows mostly consisted of a string of barely coherent sketches , often lacking conventional punch lines and loosely tied together by gilliam 's stream of consciousness animations . the group dressed as old ladies , as transvestite lumberjacks , performed sketches about pompous middle-class men , used catchphrases such as and now for something completely different , ' and sang ditties such as spam , spam , spam , spam , spam , spam , spam , spam ... ' some of the material has never been performed on stage before , and the group says fans could expect the crunching frog sketch , a version of the dead parrot sketch and the spanish inquisition . other material they hope people will have forgotten , so it 'll appear new , ' idle adds . the sketches still make them laugh , despite the passing of time , palin says . we had a read-through of all the material , which to me was far more anxiety-inducing than the press conference . but it 's still funny . the show is going to be spectacular . ' python has appeal around the world , he believes , because it 's seen as physical but not topical - it does n't require knowledge of british politics or way of life . it 's just quite jolly ! ' cnn 's max foster , david wilkinson and claudia rebaza contributed to this report . | john cleese says his ailing limbs unlikely to stand up to'ministry of silly walks ' |
monty python <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- the five surviving monty python members on thursday announced their comeback performance in london next year , and fans are eagerly anticipating which vintage sketches will be dusted off for another airing . but their combined age of 357 years has taken its toll , and it remains to be seen how the comedians'aging bodies stand up to the often slapstick nature of python sketches . one that john cleese is unlikely to perform is the swivel-limbed ministry of silly walks , ' due to what he says are his ailing hips and knees . cleese says the show at the o2 arena on july 1 will have some new material , but many old bits -- some featured in perhaps new ways -- that fans will expect , along with comedy , pathos , music and a tiny bit of ancient sex . ' i remember going to the royal albert hall and seeing neil diamond where he got booed in the second half for singing new numbers . people really do want to see the old hits , but we do n't want to do them exactly in a predictable way , so it 's going to be a mix-up , i think , ' cleese adds . asked what he believes the modern twist will be , terry gilliam replies : the fact that we can actually still walk and stand upright . ' while the python stars say they hope the new performance will appeal to a new generation of fans , they are brazen enough to admit that money was one of the main factors in their decision to reform for the first time since 1980 . i hope it makes us a lot of money . i hope to be able to pay off my mortgage ! ' terry jones said days before thursday 's high-octane news conference at which the five pythons announced they will perform at the o2 -- the world 's biggest-grossing concert venue . michael palin adds that money was part of it . ' but as the five aging comedians lumber onto the stage at the playhouse theatre in central london , it is evident how much mutual regard they still have , despite often-fractious years working together and three decades apart . we may not like each other , but we make each other laugh , ' cleese reflects . the show will be the first time cleese , jones , gilliam , palin and eric idle have performed together since the death of graham chapman from cancer in 1989 . his presence will be sorely missed -- by both audience and stars . we 've told him he 'll be on with us , ' idle says , not entirely in jest , and if there is a god , he 'll turn up . ' there 'll be a nurse on hand just in case of emergencies , he adds quickly . despite the show being billed as a final reunion ' and one down , five to go , ' the comedians say a world tour may follow depending on how long eric and mike live for , ' cleese jokes . when the pair protest , saying they believe the deaths could occur in alphabetical order , he quips : in your dreams gilliam . ' the longevity of python -- and excitement the reunion has stirred up among fans appears to have taken the five pythons by surprise . no one expected this to be more than a sunday night show at the bbc , ' idle says , referring to the first tv broadcast in 1969 . forty-five episodes and five films later , the pythons are comic legends , with their legions of fans around the world able to recite every line of their scripts word-perfect . i 'm just shocked and amazed ' at the reaction to the reunion , he says , adding that he thought they 'd waited until demand had died down . ' the python shows mostly consisted of a string of barely coherent sketches , often lacking conventional punch lines and loosely tied together by gilliam 's stream of consciousness animations . the group dressed as old ladies , as transvestite lumberjacks , performed sketches about pompous middle-class men , used catchphrases such as and now for something completely different , ' and sang ditties such as spam , spam , spam , spam , spam , spam , spam , spam ... ' some of the material has never been performed on stage before , and the group says fans could expect the crunching frog sketch , a version of the dead parrot sketch and the spanish inquisition . other material they hope people will have forgotten , so it 'll appear new , ' idle adds . the sketches still make them laugh , despite the passing of time , palin says . we had a read-through of all the material , which to me was far more anxiety-inducing than the press conference . but it 's still funny . the show is going to be spectacular . ' python has appeal around the world , he believes , because it 's seen as physical but not topical - it does n't require knowledge of british politics or way of life . it 's just quite jolly ! ' cnn 's max foster , david wilkinson and claudia rebaza contributed to this report . | fans eagerly awaiting return of monty python stars for first time in three decades |
china <tsp> ( cnn ) -- we all know long haul travel stinks , but when we finally step off the plane and inhale those heady aromas of our destination , it somehow stinks a little less . fragrances , apparently , help create some of the best memories we take home from our vacations . with this in mind , the uk 's heathrow airport has installed a scent globe ' to try to cheer up departing passengers with a squirt of the exotic smells awaiting them at their destinations . the globe , positioned in the newly opened terminal 2 , offers whiffs representing five nations -- brazil , china , japan , south africa and thailand . these specially created scents will give passengers traveling through terminal 2 an exclusive preview of destinations that only heathrow connects to [ from the uk ] , ' says normand boivin , the airport 's chief operating officer . so what do these countries smell like ? design in scent , the team behind heathrow 's globe rely on complex odor infusions to bring them to life in a nasal-compatible form .'mystical temple incense' south africa 's fragrance captures the adventure of safari with notes of tribal incense , wild grass and musky animalics through the scent of hyraceum . ' brazil embraces the scents of its rich rainforest fauna with a palette of coffee , tobacco and jasmine . ' japan is brought to life through cool , oceanic tones with a mix of seaweed and shell extracts , green tea and ambergris , capturing the essence of small coastal villages so synonymous with the great pacific island . ' china 's features mystical temple incense and subtle osmanthus fragrans flower ' while thailand 's uses an appetizing mix of lemongrass , ginger and coconut . ' leaving aside the fact that the true scent of intercontinental travel is actually a warm blend of stranger 's armpit infused with essence of brutally stewed airline food , pairing countries with odors is an entertaining idea . above are a few we came up with . feel free to share yours in the comments below . | thailand , brazil , china and south africa among nations represented in fragrant form |
heathrow airport <tsp> ( cnn ) -- we all know long haul travel stinks , but when we finally step off the plane and inhale those heady aromas of our destination , it somehow stinks a little less . fragrances , apparently , help create some of the best memories we take home from our vacations . with this in mind , the uk 's heathrow airport has installed a scent globe ' to try to cheer up departing passengers with a squirt of the exotic smells awaiting them at their destinations . the globe , positioned in the newly opened terminal 2 , offers whiffs representing five nations -- brazil , china , japan , south africa and thailand . these specially created scents will give passengers traveling through terminal 2 an exclusive preview of destinations that only heathrow connects to [ from the uk ] , ' says normand boivin , the airport 's chief operating officer . so what do these countries smell like ? design in scent , the team behind heathrow 's globe rely on complex odor infusions to bring them to life in a nasal-compatible form .'mystical temple incense' south africa 's fragrance captures the adventure of safari with notes of tribal incense , wild grass and musky animalics through the scent of hyraceum . ' brazil embraces the scents of its rich rainforest fauna with a palette of coffee , tobacco and jasmine . ' japan is brought to life through cool , oceanic tones with a mix of seaweed and shell extracts , green tea and ambergris , capturing the essence of small coastal villages so synonymous with the great pacific island . ' china 's features mystical temple incense and subtle osmanthus fragrans flower ' while thailand 's uses an appetizing mix of lemongrass , ginger and coconut . ' leaving aside the fact that the true scent of intercontinental travel is actually a warm blend of stranger 's armpit infused with essence of brutally stewed airline food , pairing countries with odors is an entertaining idea . above are a few we came up with . feel free to share yours in the comments below . | heathrow airport installs scent globe ' to give passengers a whiff of their destinations |
rosario <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the best jockey in america , if not the world , is talking about a sport close to his heart -- baseball . for a man who has just scooped the most prestigious horse race in the u.s. -- the kentucky derby -- joel rosario seems almost reluctant to talk about life on the track . but get him onto baseball , and it 's a whole other ball game for the all-conquering rider from the dominican republic -- a caribbean island nation that has just one racing venue . i like to be a jockey . but i love baseball , ' the softly spoken 28-year-old told cnn . growing up i played a lot of baseball . but i was small and did n't weigh much . my family thought maybe i could be a jockey , so when i was 12 my half-brother took me to a jockey school . ' small stature , giddy heights fast forward 15 years and rosario is now one of the most successful jockeys on the planet , in the space of just five weeks winning titles his counterparts spend a lifetime chasing . the latin american , who moved to the u.s. when he was 20 , was catapulted to international stardom in march after winning the world 's richest race , the $ 10 million dubai world cup , atop thoroughbred animal kingdom . weeks later he was kissing another coveted trophy , the kentucky derby , after conquering the mud-splattered churchill downs race course on three-year-old colt , orb . notching up almost $ 14 million in prize money this year alone , rosario has finished in the top three places in a remarkable 57 % of his races . there 's no doubt he 's the best jockey in the u.s. today , ' said jockey agent ron anderson , who has been in the business 40 years and worked with such riding legends as gary stevens . he 's one of those riders that only comes along every 25 years . he 's so tremendously strong and has so much in rhythm with the horse -- it 's almost like an instinct . ' triple crown dreams a jockey has n't won america 's prestigious triple crown -- which includes the kentucky derby , preakness stakes and belmont stakes -- in over a decade . rosario may be just the man to break that drought . after scooping kentucky -- the first race in the triple crown -- earlier this month , the hype surrounding him has reached a deafening pitch . this saturday all eyes will be on rosario and wonder horse orb as they attempt to take the second race in the coveted treble -- the preakness stakes . they are the bookmakers'favorites to win , but rosario remains a calm island in the middle of the media storm . the triple crown is the biggest achievement in u.s. horse racing and just to win the first race is something very special to me , ' he said . am i going to win on saturday ? i 'm not sure . but i 'm confident racing , and my horse has a good chance . ' cool , calm , collected ' good chance ' is an understatement . but it 's also indicative of rosario 's remarkably relaxed attitude to racing . while other jockeys wake at dawn and spend entire days at the stables , rosario prefers to play his beloved baseball or golf in the afternoons . the country 's top earning jockey usually wakes around 7 a.m. , trains for a few hours , races , and plays sport with his friends when he can . he 's a very humble person , he does n't think the sport revolves him , ' said anderson . anyone who does something 365 days a year might not be quite as good as they 'd like . this is a different mindset -- it 's about trying to keep fresh and excited about racing . ' ball games that 's not to say rosario has n't worked hard to get where he is . but you get the feeling that if he 'd had been just that little bit taller , he would have chosen professional baseball instead of the track . every boy in the dominican republic plays baseball . and everyone thinks they 're going to play professionally , ' said anderson . they play it every day of the year . they get out of school and play it until it gets dark . so baseball is really embedded in the national psyche . ' growing up on a farm , rosario was just five years old when he started riding horses . but it was n't until he started jockey school that he first laid eyes on the country 's one and only race track . once he did , he was focused on success , moving to san francisco and working his way up to the top circuits . today he is the only jockey from the dominican republic to win the kentucky derby -- doing so just weeks after his nation also won the world baseball classic . now it seems that for the very first time , the country 's most famous sports star may not be from the ball park after all . | rosario could be the first jockey in 11 years to win the u.s . triple crown |
rosario <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the best jockey in america , if not the world , is talking about a sport close to his heart -- baseball . for a man who has just scooped the most prestigious horse race in the u.s. -- the kentucky derby -- joel rosario seems almost reluctant to talk about life on the track . but get him onto baseball , and it 's a whole other ball game for the all-conquering rider from the dominican republic -- a caribbean island nation that has just one racing venue . i like to be a jockey . but i love baseball , ' the softly spoken 28-year-old told cnn . growing up i played a lot of baseball . but i was small and did n't weigh much . my family thought maybe i could be a jockey , so when i was 12 my half-brother took me to a jockey school . ' small stature , giddy heights fast forward 15 years and rosario is now one of the most successful jockeys on the planet , in the space of just five weeks winning titles his counterparts spend a lifetime chasing . the latin american , who moved to the u.s. when he was 20 , was catapulted to international stardom in march after winning the world 's richest race , the $ 10 million dubai world cup , atop thoroughbred animal kingdom . weeks later he was kissing another coveted trophy , the kentucky derby , after conquering the mud-splattered churchill downs race course on three-year-old colt , orb . notching up almost $ 14 million in prize money this year alone , rosario has finished in the top three places in a remarkable 57 % of his races . there 's no doubt he 's the best jockey in the u.s. today , ' said jockey agent ron anderson , who has been in the business 40 years and worked with such riding legends as gary stevens . he 's one of those riders that only comes along every 25 years . he 's so tremendously strong and has so much in rhythm with the horse -- it 's almost like an instinct . ' triple crown dreams a jockey has n't won america 's prestigious triple crown -- which includes the kentucky derby , preakness stakes and belmont stakes -- in over a decade . rosario may be just the man to break that drought . after scooping kentucky -- the first race in the triple crown -- earlier this month , the hype surrounding him has reached a deafening pitch . this saturday all eyes will be on rosario and wonder horse orb as they attempt to take the second race in the coveted treble -- the preakness stakes . they are the bookmakers'favorites to win , but rosario remains a calm island in the middle of the media storm . the triple crown is the biggest achievement in u.s. horse racing and just to win the first race is something very special to me , ' he said . am i going to win on saturday ? i 'm not sure . but i 'm confident racing , and my horse has a good chance . ' cool , calm , collected ' good chance ' is an understatement . but it 's also indicative of rosario 's remarkably relaxed attitude to racing . while other jockeys wake at dawn and spend entire days at the stables , rosario prefers to play his beloved baseball or golf in the afternoons . the country 's top earning jockey usually wakes around 7 a.m. , trains for a few hours , races , and plays sport with his friends when he can . he 's a very humble person , he does n't think the sport revolves him , ' said anderson . anyone who does something 365 days a year might not be quite as good as they 'd like . this is a different mindset -- it 's about trying to keep fresh and excited about racing . ' ball games that 's not to say rosario has n't worked hard to get where he is . but you get the feeling that if he 'd had been just that little bit taller , he would have chosen professional baseball instead of the track . every boy in the dominican republic plays baseball . and everyone thinks they 're going to play professionally , ' said anderson . they play it every day of the year . they get out of school and play it until it gets dark . so baseball is really embedded in the national psyche . ' growing up on a farm , rosario was just five years old when he started riding horses . but it was n't until he started jockey school that he first laid eyes on the country 's one and only race track . once he did , he was focused on success , moving to san francisco and working his way up to the top circuits . today he is the only jockey from the dominican republic to win the kentucky derby -- doing so just weeks after his nation also won the world baseball classic . now it seems that for the very first time , the country 's most famous sports star may not be from the ball park after all . | introducing joel rosario : america 's top jockey , already won over $ 13 million this year |
kei nishikori <tsp> ( cnn ) -- kei nishikori became the first japanese male to reach the quarterfinals of the australian open since 1932 when he held on to earn a shock five-set win over sixth seed jo-wilfried tsonga on monday . nishikori , ranked 26th in the world , blew a two-set lead before beating the frenchman for the second time in his career , triumphing 2-6 6-2 6-1 3-6 6-3 in three and a half hours . the 22-year-old , who will next face world no . 4 andy murray , beat his previous best grand slam performance -- reaching the fourth round of the 2008 u.s. open . he is the first japanese male player to reach the last eight of one of the four majors since shuzo matsuoka at wimbledon in 1995 . this is the first quarterfinal for me , ' an exhausted nishikori , told reporters after his second successive five-set match . i feel i 'm stepping up . it was tough because he was still playing well in the fifth . i was having trouble with making returns . i started getting nervous ... but still i was playing aggressive on important points . i was making good serves . so that helped me to get the games . ' nishikori beat world no . 1 novak djokovic in the basel semis in october before losing to roger federer , having learned a lesson in his thrashing by murray in the last four in shanghai in his preceding tournament . he kind of destroyed me . but i have no pressure now . he 's one of the players i have to play like him . i learn a lot of things from him . it 's going to be tough , but i try to do my best tennis . ' nishikori said he hoped he could inspire asian men 's players , as china 's li na did for the region 's women last year by reaching the australian open final and then winning the french open . it 's an honor to make a lot of histories , to be the no . 1 player in japan . but that never gives me pressure , ' said nishikori , who is a graduate of the nick bollettieri academy in florida which has produced many top players such as andre agassi , the williams sisters and maria sharapova .. ' there 's a lot of good players in asia . but , yeah , i 'm happy to get to the top from asia , and hopefully i can be like li na for the men . ' fourth seed murray , the runner-up in melbourne for the last two years , was coasting 6-1 6-1 1-0 against kazakhstan 's mikhail kukushkin when the world no . 92 was forced to retire with a left hip flexor injury . i 'll definitely be fresh for the next few rounds hopefully , ' said murray , who has yet to win a first grand slam title despite reaching four finals . i just need to make sure i do the right things the next couple days to get ready for the quarters . ' top seed and defending champion novak djokovic survived a spirited third-set fightback from former world no . 1 and home-crowd favorite lleyton hewitt to seal a 6-1 6-3 4-6 6-3 triumph in the late match . hewitt , granted a wildcard for the tournament after a long fitness struggle has seen him dropped to 181st in the rankings , showed glimpses of the form which took him to two grand slam titles . but djokovic -- a four-time grand slam winner including three major titles in 2011 -- eventually proved too strong and the serbian world no . 1 eventually saw off the 30-year-old hewitt in just under three hours in a match that went past 1 a.m. local time . i played some loose points and got him back into the match . but credit to him as well for being competitive , for not giving up , ' djokovic said . this is something you can expect from lleyton who is very well-known for his fighting spirit . he had the crowd , he had the big support . it got intense . especially the start of the fourth set we had some great rallies . ' fifth seed david ferrer awaits djokovic in the next round after the spaniard eased to a 6-4 6-4 6-1 victory against french no . 17 richard gasquet . seventh seed tomas berdych booked his place in the last eight with a four-set success against spanish no . 10 nicolas almagro on sunday , but the czech was booed by the hisense arena crowd for refusing to shake his opponent 's hand at the end of the match . it followed an incident in the fourth set where berdych accused almagro of purposefully aiming a volley at his face , with the ball striking him on the arm . whoever has played the tennis knows that the court is pretty big , and you always have some space to put the ball in , ' said berdych told reporters . and not even if you stand each other like three or four meters close to the guy , just try to hit it straight to your face , you know . i was just able and lucky to somehow fell down . i already take it as a past , it 's just one thing that what happened from the side of nico ... so i think if they want to look at it like that , then i think maybe we both did some mistake . ' berdych 's last-eight opponent will be 2009 champion rafael nadal , the second seed who beat fellow spaniard feliciano lopez 6-4 6-4 6-2 . | kei nishikori becomes first japanese man in 80 years to reach australian open last eight |
snetro <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it has been more than 65 years , but for 93-year-old anthony snetro , the image of a japanese torpedo bomber closing in on him will never go away . snetro still has vivid memories of the day his life flashed before his eyes . our ship was starting to swing around , ' snetro softly recalls . all of a sudden , here comes a jap torpedo bomber all aflame right at my eye level . i could have reached out and touched the wing . ' snetro joined the u.s. navy in 1942 and was immediately assigned to serve aboard the uss boston in the south pacific . he hoped enlisting in the navy would prevent his younger brother from being drafted . let him stay home to help the family , ' snetro recalls . that 's why i joined the navy , i was 25 years old . but finally near the end , they drafted him . he was wounded in germany but made it home ok. ' snetro was a machinist in the navy during world war ii . although he had experienced many terrifying moments during his four years in the service , nothing compared to that october night during the battle of formosa in 1944 . up until now , the world war ii veteran has shared the experience of that frightening night with only one other person , his son . plainly , i saw the pilot and the gunner in there , ' snetro explains as his voice gets louder . the plane was afire . good thing we were swinging . it just missed us and went along and crashed in the ocean and exploded . ' two other cruisers , the canberra and the houston , had already been aerial torpedoed the previous two nights . i know one thing , i was really scared there , ' snetro recalls , slowly shaking his head as his eyes grow wider . i could n't do anything . i was stupefied . i was frozen . ' ireport and facebook team up to honor veterans the four years that snetro served were extremely stressful , he says . the heavy cruiser would be at sea for months at a time before finally pulling into port for supplies . when out at sea , there was always a concern , especially during war time . we never knew how close we came to being torpedoed , snetro says . the engine room was down below the water . you get hit with a torpedo and you 're done . ' snetro realized he needed something to help cope with the dangers of war . he decided to turn to a sport he had been playing since age 10 . we 'd get a few hours off on the beach , ' snetro says . we had equipment , softballs , bats , different things . a bunch of guys would get together and we 'd start a little game . it was just for fun . you got a little relaxed . ' playing ball helped him during the unnerving days of world war ii and it has helped him ever since . snetro hopes to continue playing ball for at least a couple more years . i enjoy playing ball . it makes me feel good . seeing my age , i can still run around . ' he says , smiling . i ca n't play like i used to , but i get a hit once in a while . ' baseball was something that you could keep playing . just my luck , i came down here ( coral gables , florida ) and they had a team and i 've been playing ever since . it 's been great ! otherwise , i 'd be sitting at home in a rocking chair ! ' | snetro , 93 , is still haunted by the image of a japanese torpedo bomber |
snetro <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it has been more than 65 years , but for 93-year-old anthony snetro , the image of a japanese torpedo bomber closing in on him will never go away . snetro still has vivid memories of the day his life flashed before his eyes . our ship was starting to swing around , ' snetro softly recalls . all of a sudden , here comes a jap torpedo bomber all aflame right at my eye level . i could have reached out and touched the wing . ' snetro joined the u.s. navy in 1942 and was immediately assigned to serve aboard the uss boston in the south pacific . he hoped enlisting in the navy would prevent his younger brother from being drafted . let him stay home to help the family , ' snetro recalls . that 's why i joined the navy , i was 25 years old . but finally near the end , they drafted him . he was wounded in germany but made it home ok. ' snetro was a machinist in the navy during world war ii . although he had experienced many terrifying moments during his four years in the service , nothing compared to that october night during the battle of formosa in 1944 . up until now , the world war ii veteran has shared the experience of that frightening night with only one other person , his son . plainly , i saw the pilot and the gunner in there , ' snetro explains as his voice gets louder . the plane was afire . good thing we were swinging . it just missed us and went along and crashed in the ocean and exploded . ' two other cruisers , the canberra and the houston , had already been aerial torpedoed the previous two nights . i know one thing , i was really scared there , ' snetro recalls , slowly shaking his head as his eyes grow wider . i could n't do anything . i was stupefied . i was frozen . ' ireport and facebook team up to honor veterans the four years that snetro served were extremely stressful , he says . the heavy cruiser would be at sea for months at a time before finally pulling into port for supplies . when out at sea , there was always a concern , especially during war time . we never knew how close we came to being torpedoed , snetro says . the engine room was down below the water . you get hit with a torpedo and you 're done . ' snetro realized he needed something to help cope with the dangers of war . he decided to turn to a sport he had been playing since age 10 . we 'd get a few hours off on the beach , ' snetro says . we had equipment , softballs , bats , different things . a bunch of guys would get together and we 'd start a little game . it was just for fun . you got a little relaxed . ' playing ball helped him during the unnerving days of world war ii and it has helped him ever since . snetro hopes to continue playing ball for at least a couple more years . i enjoy playing ball . it makes me feel good . seeing my age , i can still run around . ' he says , smiling . i ca n't play like i used to , but i get a hit once in a while . ' baseball was something that you could keep playing . just my luck , i came down here ( coral gables , florida ) and they had a team and i 've been playing ever since . it 's been great ! otherwise , i 'd be sitting at home in a rocking chair ! ' | to cope with the stresses of war , snetro turned to sports |
snetro <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it has been more than 65 years , but for 93-year-old anthony snetro , the image of a japanese torpedo bomber closing in on him will never go away . snetro still has vivid memories of the day his life flashed before his eyes . our ship was starting to swing around , ' snetro softly recalls . all of a sudden , here comes a jap torpedo bomber all aflame right at my eye level . i could have reached out and touched the wing . ' snetro joined the u.s. navy in 1942 and was immediately assigned to serve aboard the uss boston in the south pacific . he hoped enlisting in the navy would prevent his younger brother from being drafted . let him stay home to help the family , ' snetro recalls . that 's why i joined the navy , i was 25 years old . but finally near the end , they drafted him . he was wounded in germany but made it home ok. ' snetro was a machinist in the navy during world war ii . although he had experienced many terrifying moments during his four years in the service , nothing compared to that october night during the battle of formosa in 1944 . up until now , the world war ii veteran has shared the experience of that frightening night with only one other person , his son . plainly , i saw the pilot and the gunner in there , ' snetro explains as his voice gets louder . the plane was afire . good thing we were swinging . it just missed us and went along and crashed in the ocean and exploded . ' two other cruisers , the canberra and the houston , had already been aerial torpedoed the previous two nights . i know one thing , i was really scared there , ' snetro recalls , slowly shaking his head as his eyes grow wider . i could n't do anything . i was stupefied . i was frozen . ' ireport and facebook team up to honor veterans the four years that snetro served were extremely stressful , he says . the heavy cruiser would be at sea for months at a time before finally pulling into port for supplies . when out at sea , there was always a concern , especially during war time . we never knew how close we came to being torpedoed , snetro says . the engine room was down below the water . you get hit with a torpedo and you 're done . ' snetro realized he needed something to help cope with the dangers of war . he decided to turn to a sport he had been playing since age 10 . we 'd get a few hours off on the beach , ' snetro says . we had equipment , softballs , bats , different things . a bunch of guys would get together and we 'd start a little game . it was just for fun . you got a little relaxed . ' playing ball helped him during the unnerving days of world war ii and it has helped him ever since . snetro hopes to continue playing ball for at least a couple more years . i enjoy playing ball . it makes me feel good . seeing my age , i can still run around . ' he says , smiling . i ca n't play like i used to , but i get a hit once in a while . ' baseball was something that you could keep playing . just my luck , i came down here ( coral gables , florida ) and they had a team and i 've been playing ever since . it 's been great ! otherwise , i 'd be sitting at home in a rocking chair ! ' | anthony snetro was a machinist in the navy during world war ii |
kennedy <tsp> ( cnn ) -- eunice kennedy shriver , the sister of president john f. kennedy and a champion of the disabled who founded the special olympics , died tuesday , the special olympics said . she was 88 . eunice kennedy shriver speaks at a dinner in honor of the special olympics in july 2006 . born on july 10 , 1921 , in brookline , massachusetts , shriver was the fifth of nine children to joseph p. and rose fitzgerald kennedy . she emerged from the long shadow of siblings john f. kennedy , robert f. kennedy and sen. edward m. 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 . she was the light of our lives , a mother , wife , grandmother , sister and aunt who taught us by example and with passion what it means to live a faith-driven life of love and service to others , ' the shriver family said tuesday in a statement . for each of us , she often seemed to stop time itself -- to run another special olympics games , to visit us in our homes , to attend to her own mother , her sisters and brothers , and to sail , tell stories , and laugh and serve her friends . ' no final decision has been made on funeral arrangements , a source close to the family said . shriver 's husband , r. sargent shriver , and her five children and their spouses and all of her 19 grandchildren were with her when she died , the special olympics said in a statement . watch a look at eunice kennedy shriver 's life » ' we are tremendously grateful for the extreme outpouring of support and prayer from the public as we honor our beloved founder , ' brady lum , special olympics president and chief operating officer , said in a statement tuesday . today we celebrate the life of a woman who had the vision to create our movement . it is an enormous loss , but i know we can rest assured that her legacy will live on through her family , friends , and the millions of people around the world who she touched and transformed . ' even before launching the special olympics in 1968 , shriver had established a reputation as an advocate for the disenfranchised and a trailblazer for the rights of the disabled through a variety of roles in the private and public sector . she also persuaded the kennedy family to go public with one of its most guarded secrets . in september 1962 , shriver wrote an article about her mentally disabled sister , rosemary , which was published in the saturday evening post . at an event honoring her in 2007 , shriver spoke of her life : most people believe i spent my whole life really interested in only one thing and that one thing is working to make the world a better place for people with intellectual disabilities . as important as it has been , it is not the whole story of my life . my life is about being lucky as a child to be raised by parents who loved me and made me believe in possibilities . it is also about being lucky to have had these extraordinary children . ... it is also about being especially lucky to have a wonderful husband . ' watch shriver reflect on her life » at the same event , edward kennedy paid tribute to his sister , saying she had inherited the best qualities from his parents , including compassion . she had that sense no one should be left out or left behind . she picked this up , obviously , at a very early age . all of us could see that special relationship that eunice had with rosemary . ' after receiving a degree in sociology from stanford university in palo alto , california , shriver worked for the u.s. state department in the special war problems division from 1943 to 1945 , helping former prisoners of war readjust to civilian life . from 1947 to 1948 , she worked for $ 1 at the department of justice as executive secretary for the national conference on prevention and control of juvenile delinquency . see highlights of shriver 's public and private life » in the early 1950s , she was a social worker at a federal prison for women in west virginia and in juvenile court in chicago , illinois . she married sargent shriver jr. , a world war ii veteran who was building his career as a lawyer and public servant , in 1953 . the couple 's five children include california 's first lady , maria shriver . sargent shriver had roles in many top government initiatives of the 1960s , including head start and the peace corps . he also worked with his wife on the special olympics . he ran president johnson 's war on poverty and was u.s. ambassador to france from 1968 to 1970 . he was democrat george mcgovern 's running mate in the 1972 presidential election . in 1957 , eunice shriver became executive vice president of the joseph p. kennedy jr. foundation , which was established in 1946 to honor the family 's eldest son -- who was killed in world war ii -- to research the causes of disabilities and to improve the treatment of disabled people . watch shriver receive a special honor » her work with the foundation paved the way for a number of initiatives furthering the cause of disability advocacy . in 1962 she helped establish the national institute of child health and human development , a government agency that conducts research on topics related to the health of children , adults and families that was named after shriver in 2008 . disturbed by the treatment of disabled people in institutions across the country in the 1950s and 1960s , shriver began inviting disabled children to a summer day camp , called camp shriver , on her farm in maryland . her vision expanded over the years , and in july 1968 the first international special olympics games were held in chicago . she also assisted in the establishment of a network of university-affiliated facilities and intellectual disabilities research centers at major medical schools across the united states , including centers for the study of medical ethics at harvard and georgetown universities in 1971 . in 1981 , shriver began the community of caring program to reduce disabilities among babies of teenagers . that led to the establishment of community of caring programs in 1,200 public and private schools from 1990 to 2006 . along the way , shriver earned worldwide accolades and awards , including the u.s. presidential medal of freedom , the world sports humanitarian hall of fame 's founder 's award and nine honorary degrees . in 1995 , the u.s. mint issued a commemorative coin with her portrait . the mint says that made her the first living woman to be depicted on an american coin . in 2009 , a painting of shriver with several special olympians was added to the permanent collection of the national portrait gallery . see images from shriver 's life » 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 . in addition to her husband and daughter , shriver is survived by her sons robert sargent shriver iii , timothy perry shriver , mark kennedy shriver and anthony paul kennedy shriver . | eunice kennedy shriver was special olympics founder , honorary chairwoman |
kennedy <tsp> ( cnn ) -- eunice kennedy shriver , the sister of president john f. kennedy and a champion of the disabled who founded the special olympics , died tuesday , the special olympics said . she was 88 . eunice kennedy shriver speaks at a dinner in honor of the special olympics in july 2006 . born on july 10 , 1921 , in brookline , massachusetts , shriver was the fifth of nine children to joseph p. and rose fitzgerald kennedy . she emerged from the long shadow of siblings john f. kennedy , robert f. kennedy and sen. edward m. 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 . she was the light of our lives , a mother , wife , grandmother , sister and aunt who taught us by example and with passion what it means to live a faith-driven life of love and service to others , ' the shriver family said tuesday in a statement . for each of us , she often seemed to stop time itself -- to run another special olympics games , to visit us in our homes , to attend to her own mother , her sisters and brothers , and to sail , tell stories , and laugh and serve her friends . ' no final decision has been made on funeral arrangements , a source close to the family said . shriver 's husband , r. sargent shriver , and her five children and their spouses and all of her 19 grandchildren were with her when she died , the special olympics said in a statement . watch a look at eunice kennedy shriver 's life » ' we are tremendously grateful for the extreme outpouring of support and prayer from the public as we honor our beloved founder , ' brady lum , special olympics president and chief operating officer , said in a statement tuesday . today we celebrate the life of a woman who had the vision to create our movement . it is an enormous loss , but i know we can rest assured that her legacy will live on through her family , friends , and the millions of people around the world who she touched and transformed . ' even before launching the special olympics in 1968 , shriver had established a reputation as an advocate for the disenfranchised and a trailblazer for the rights of the disabled through a variety of roles in the private and public sector . she also persuaded the kennedy family to go public with one of its most guarded secrets . in september 1962 , shriver wrote an article about her mentally disabled sister , rosemary , which was published in the saturday evening post . at an event honoring her in 2007 , shriver spoke of her life : most people believe i spent my whole life really interested in only one thing and that one thing is working to make the world a better place for people with intellectual disabilities . as important as it has been , it is not the whole story of my life . my life is about being lucky as a child to be raised by parents who loved me and made me believe in possibilities . it is also about being lucky to have had these extraordinary children . ... it is also about being especially lucky to have a wonderful husband . ' watch shriver reflect on her life » at the same event , edward kennedy paid tribute to his sister , saying she had inherited the best qualities from his parents , including compassion . she had that sense no one should be left out or left behind . she picked this up , obviously , at a very early age . all of us could see that special relationship that eunice had with rosemary . ' after receiving a degree in sociology from stanford university in palo alto , california , shriver worked for the u.s. state department in the special war problems division from 1943 to 1945 , helping former prisoners of war readjust to civilian life . from 1947 to 1948 , she worked for $ 1 at the department of justice as executive secretary for the national conference on prevention and control of juvenile delinquency . see highlights of shriver 's public and private life » in the early 1950s , she was a social worker at a federal prison for women in west virginia and in juvenile court in chicago , illinois . she married sargent shriver jr. , a world war ii veteran who was building his career as a lawyer and public servant , in 1953 . the couple 's five children include california 's first lady , maria shriver . sargent shriver had roles in many top government initiatives of the 1960s , including head start and the peace corps . he also worked with his wife on the special olympics . he ran president johnson 's war on poverty and was u.s. ambassador to france from 1968 to 1970 . he was democrat george mcgovern 's running mate in the 1972 presidential election . in 1957 , eunice shriver became executive vice president of the joseph p. kennedy jr. foundation , which was established in 1946 to honor the family 's eldest son -- who was killed in world war ii -- to research the causes of disabilities and to improve the treatment of disabled people . watch shriver receive a special honor » her work with the foundation paved the way for a number of initiatives furthering the cause of disability advocacy . in 1962 she helped establish the national institute of child health and human development , a government agency that conducts research on topics related to the health of children , adults and families that was named after shriver in 2008 . disturbed by the treatment of disabled people in institutions across the country in the 1950s and 1960s , shriver began inviting disabled children to a summer day camp , called camp shriver , on her farm in maryland . her vision expanded over the years , and in july 1968 the first international special olympics games were held in chicago . she also assisted in the establishment of a network of university-affiliated facilities and intellectual disabilities research centers at major medical schools across the united states , including centers for the study of medical ethics at harvard and georgetown universities in 1971 . in 1981 , shriver began the community of caring program to reduce disabilities among babies of teenagers . that led to the establishment of community of caring programs in 1,200 public and private schools from 1990 to 2006 . along the way , shriver earned worldwide accolades and awards , including the u.s. presidential medal of freedom , the world sports humanitarian hall of fame 's founder 's award and nine honorary degrees . in 1995 , the u.s. mint issued a commemorative coin with her portrait . the mint says that made her the first living woman to be depicted on an american coin . in 2009 , a painting of shriver with several special olympians was added to the permanent collection of the national portrait gallery . see images from shriver 's life » 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 . in addition to her husband and daughter , shriver is survived by her sons robert sargent shriver iii , timothy perry shriver , mark kennedy shriver and anthony paul kennedy shriver . | sister of president kennedy , sen. edward kennedy dies at 88 |
small house movement <tsp> ( oprah.com ) -- here are some dispatches from the outer limits of clutter : you can take it with you worried about leaving unwanted furniture after you die ? fear not : maine-based company last things creates bookcases that -- when the time comes -- double as coffins . lost last august the body of billie jean james was found buried under mountains of junk in her las vegas home , four months after she 'd gone missing . this despite the early deployment of search dogs -- and the fact that her husband still lived in the house . trashistan a netherlands-based architecture firm is proposing a habitable , floating recycled island built from plastics caught in the pacific trash vortex -- an accumulation of debris currently estimated to be the size of texas . much of the trash has been broken down to microscopic size by photodegradation , while larger material regularly ensnares about 100,000 marine animals a year . the designers believe their massive habitat could not only help clean the ocean but house some of the estimated 200 million climate refugees ' who may be displaced by changing weather patterns in the coming decades . oprah.com : how to get back-to-basics and live with less hoarders in history last year a stash of 52,000 coins was discovered in somerset , england , some stamped with the face of marcus aurelius carausius , a third-century a.d. roman military leader . turns out burying your family 's valuables -- never to retrieve them -- might once have had religious significance . bacon was a pig if you think your workspace is messy , you should see the late british painter francis bacon 's studio in london . bacon , whose triptych 1976 sold for $ 86 million in 2008 , reportedly could not work in tidy spaces . old photos show every floor and table surface drowning in a sea of debris -- papers , paintbrushes , wood , clothing , champagne boxes , and more -- leaving little room to even stand . after his death , the scene was lovingly dismantled and reconstructed in a museum in dublin ( where it took three years to re-create the mess ) . oprah.com : 4 reasons to live without humble abodes one way to forcefully de-clutter is to move into a home the size of a parking space . the small house movement -- which has been featured on the oprah show -- is thriving , according to kent griswold , author of tinyhouseblog.com . griswold recommends tumbleweed tiny house company , whose models ( with names like weebee ' ) range from 65 to 840 square feet and cost less than $ 20,000 . i 've traveled from canada to mexico with my small homes , ' writes griswold . can you do that with your current home ? ' organize it like beckham one celebrity whose organizational skills are praised consistently -- by no less an authority than his wife -- is soccer star david beckham . victoria beckham has revealed that becks color-codes the contents of the fridge , vacuums the carpet in straight lines and gets upset when anyone walks on it , and has a separate bathroom because he ca n't stand her clutter . oprah.com : organizing guru peter walsh 's quicker clean-up tips | the small house movement -- with spaces ranging from 65 to 840 square feet -- is thriving |
zurich <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- fifa will announce its player of the year for 2008 at a ceremony in zurich today , and here is a look at the leading contenders for the award . favorite : portugal and manchester united star cristiano ronaldo is in line for the fifa award . to see the full list of contenders for the prize and vote for who you think should win , click here . cristiano ronaldo ( manchester united , portugal ) ronaldo has emerged as favorite for the award after he and his manchester united club enjoyed a superb season . the portugal international was a central figure in the club 's english premier league , uefa champions league and world club championships titles . he scored 42 goals in the season . critics would say he did n't perform well enough on the international stage , as portugal exited at the quarter-final stage of euro 2008 , and ronaldo was disappointing . however , he has already picked up the ballon d'or award for europe 's player of the year , and for the previous three years the winner of this has gone on to claim the fifa prize ( ronaldinho , fabio cannavaro and kaka ) . lionel messi ( barcelona , argentina ) messi appears to be ronaldo 's main challenger for the prize -- if public opinion matters , anyway . messi won an olympic gold medal with argentina and made a stunning start to the current season with barcelona . in the primera liga his 10 goals early in the season helped open up a significant gap on the side 's main rivals , and he has also scored five goals in the uefa champions league season . the 21-year-old is often compared to argentina 's legendary diego maradona . fernando torres ( liverpool , spain ) the spaniard enjoyed an incredible first season in the premier league -- scoring 24 league goals for liverpool -- a new record for a foreign striker in his debut season . after that success he went on to austria-switzerland and played an integral part in spain 's euro 2008 victory , scoring the winning goal in the final . if top-level international performances are the key to this award then torres should go close . iker casillas ( real madrid , spain ) casillas was recently awarded the best keeper of the world in 2008 title by the international federation of football history and statistics . casillas played a large part in helping his real madrid side to the spanish la liga title , put in strong performances in the uefa champions league , and was a key part of spain 's euro 2008-winning team . xavi hernandez ( barcelona , spain ) also part of the spanish team which won euro 2008 , xavi claimed the player of the tournament award , which would make him a worthy winner of the fifa player of the year . aside from his stunning performances at euro , xavi scored seven goals for barcelona last season , and was one of their standout players , while this season he has continued his good form and helped barcelona to the top of la liga . | fifa will announce its player of the year for 2008 in zurich monday evening |
lionel messi <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- fifa will announce its player of the year for 2008 at a ceremony in zurich today , and here is a look at the leading contenders for the award . favorite : portugal and manchester united star cristiano ronaldo is in line for the fifa award . to see the full list of contenders for the prize and vote for who you think should win , click here . cristiano ronaldo ( manchester united , portugal ) ronaldo has emerged as favorite for the award after he and his manchester united club enjoyed a superb season . the portugal international was a central figure in the club 's english premier league , uefa champions league and world club championships titles . he scored 42 goals in the season . critics would say he did n't perform well enough on the international stage , as portugal exited at the quarter-final stage of euro 2008 , and ronaldo was disappointing . however , he has already picked up the ballon d'or award for europe 's player of the year , and for the previous three years the winner of this has gone on to claim the fifa prize ( ronaldinho , fabio cannavaro and kaka ) . lionel messi ( barcelona , argentina ) messi appears to be ronaldo 's main challenger for the prize -- if public opinion matters , anyway . messi won an olympic gold medal with argentina and made a stunning start to the current season with barcelona . in the primera liga his 10 goals early in the season helped open up a significant gap on the side 's main rivals , and he has also scored five goals in the uefa champions league season . the 21-year-old is often compared to argentina 's legendary diego maradona . fernando torres ( liverpool , spain ) the spaniard enjoyed an incredible first season in the premier league -- scoring 24 league goals for liverpool -- a new record for a foreign striker in his debut season . after that success he went on to austria-switzerland and played an integral part in spain 's euro 2008 victory , scoring the winning goal in the final . if top-level international performances are the key to this award then torres should go close . iker casillas ( real madrid , spain ) casillas was recently awarded the best keeper of the world in 2008 title by the international federation of football history and statistics . casillas played a large part in helping his real madrid side to the spanish la liga title , put in strong performances in the uefa champions league , and was a key part of spain 's euro 2008-winning team . xavi hernandez ( barcelona , spain ) also part of the spanish team which won euro 2008 , xavi claimed the player of the tournament award , which would make him a worthy winner of the fifa player of the year . aside from his stunning performances at euro , xavi scored seven goals for barcelona last season , and was one of their standout players , while this season he has continued his good form and helped barcelona to the top of la liga . | lionel messi , fernando torres , iker casillas and xavi are top contenders |
shea <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it was written as a moving tribute to what seemed a promising love affair . but , in retrospect , even the songwriter acknowledges that the words to you 're mine ' -- written months ago for montana bride jordan linn graham -- are a little creepy . ' everyone wants a safe place to fall , and you 're mine , ' elizabeth shea wrote in the song for graham , months before graham would be accused of shoving her husband , cody johnson , off a cliff during an argument . the song was played at their wedding . i used words like'you helped me to climb higher for a better view . you 're my safe place to fall . you never let me go ,' said shea , who writes custom songs for a living . and so now , when i hear those words , it 's a little creepy . ' graham is accused on a federal charge of second-degree murder . authorities say she pushed her husband of eight days face-first off a cliff at glacier national park in montana during an argument july 7 . court documents say graham acknowledged pushing johnson . searchers found his body days later . according to investigators , graham had been having second thoughts about the relationship and had gone for a hike at the park with johnson to discuss her reservations . shea said graham seemed like any other bride , nervous , stressed and excited -- if a bit reserved . graham even worked extra hours to afford the songwriting and recording fee for the custom song , shea said . she was excited when she talked about the wedding . when she talked about surprising cody , she would light up , and that seemed very genuine to me , ' shea said . the case is being heard in federal court because the incident occurred in a national park . on thursday , a judge ordered graham released on bail to await trial . | jordan linn graham seemed like any other bride , shea says |
shea <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it was written as a moving tribute to what seemed a promising love affair . but , in retrospect , even the songwriter acknowledges that the words to you 're mine ' -- written months ago for montana bride jordan linn graham -- are a little creepy . ' everyone wants a safe place to fall , and you 're mine , ' elizabeth shea wrote in the song for graham , months before graham would be accused of shoving her husband , cody johnson , off a cliff during an argument . the song was played at their wedding . i used words like'you helped me to climb higher for a better view . you 're my safe place to fall . you never let me go ,' said shea , who writes custom songs for a living . and so now , when i hear those words , it 's a little creepy . ' graham is accused on a federal charge of second-degree murder . authorities say she pushed her husband of eight days face-first off a cliff at glacier national park in montana during an argument july 7 . court documents say graham acknowledged pushing johnson . searchers found his body days later . according to investigators , graham had been having second thoughts about the relationship and had gone for a hike at the park with johnson to discuss her reservations . shea said graham seemed like any other bride , nervous , stressed and excited -- if a bit reserved . graham even worked extra hours to afford the songwriting and recording fee for the custom song , shea said . she was excited when she talked about the wedding . when she talked about surprising cody , she would light up , and that seemed very genuine to me , ' shea said . the case is being heard in federal court because the incident occurred in a national park . on thursday , a judge ordered graham released on bail to await trial . | it 's a little creepy , ' songwriter elizabeth shea says |
cnn.com <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the winners of the world 's largest design prize have been revealed -- with miniature computers , food-saving paper , and a birthing simulator among those taking home a share of the index : award 2013 . judges at thursday 's award ceremony in helsingã¸r , denmark announced the five victors , plus the winner of the people 's choice award -- as voted for by readers of cnn.com -- with glow-in-the-dark road concept smart highway taking the popular prize . the €500,000 award recognizes design innovations that address the large-scale challenges the world faces . index 's panel of judges deliberated over five categories of award -- body , home , work , play and community -- aimed at rewarding design that improves lives across many different spheres . more from index 2013 : exclusive coverage of this year 's award for design to improve life taking home the play category award on the night was the most recognizable of this year 's winners : the credit card-sized computer raspberry pi earned judges'praise for the scope of its ambition . the $ 25 pi was originally designed to teach coding skills to children , but has already found an incredible range of applications : from flying into space and snapping sky-high photographs , to controlling the temperature of a craft brewery . the judges said that the objectives of the microcomputer echo index 's own goal of improving everyday life . if we want the young generation to design the future , we need to make them computer-literate , ' the jury said , adding that raspberry pi holds the power to make this a reality . this year 's home award-winner fresh paper may be less well-known -- but could soon be having as strong an impact on lives around the world , judges believe . the square sheet of paper makes use of the natural bacteria- and fungus-inhibiting properties of spices like fenugreek to keep fruit and vegetable produce fresh for two to four times as long . judges praised its simple design-based response to one of the world 's largest challenges . ' the affordable fresh paper requires no instruction or special skills to use but the jury believed it could play an important role in cutting the estimated 25 % of the world 's food supply lost to spoilage . more from index 2013 : designs for when disaster strikes from a strong field in the body category -- which also included a syringe that prevents unsafe injections and a wearable robot that allows paralyzed people to walk -- judges picked the natalie collection . the collection comprises a trio of small devices which aim to confront the terrifying statistic of 3000 daily neonatal deaths worldwide , with judges hailing the success the device has already achieved the collection 's two simulators -- one replicating a newborn baby , the other a birthing mother -- aim to educate midwives to prevent neonatal asphyxia , while a specially-developed suction device empowers them to overcome some of the most common breathing obstructions in newborns . the widespread benefits of the devices can already be seen , as judges explained : more than 100,000 thousand midwives and birth helpers in 54 countries have been trained using the natalie collection , applying their new-found knowledge to save lives by as much as 47 % . ' more from index 2013 : a day in the life of the future city in the community category , the jury made the unprecedented decision of selecting two winners -- electing to forgo a work award in 2013 . the community awards recognized index 's home city of copenhagen for its ambitious plans to equip itself against the threat of climate change , in addition to roosegard 's smart highway -- which became index : award 's first double-winner , having scooped the people 's choice honor on the same night . copenhagen 's climate adaptation plan aims to prepare the city to face the environmental challenges of the future and avoid the widespread devastation seen when hurricane sandy hit the usa 's coastal cities . judges praised the danish capital for taking the lead in addressing the most pressing immediate challenge for successful urban life in this century ' and spearheading the pursuit of a vibrant and resilient habitat for the 21st century . ' before picking up both a people 's choice and community category award , smart highway inventor daan roosegaarde told cnn : i 'm not so much interested in design -- i 'm more interested in reforming things . ' his wide-ranging concepts for reforms to our highways caught the attention of the jury of design professionals , as well as a public tired of unchanging gray streets and judges . among his revolutionary ideas were streetlights that produce their own electricity , road lanes that charge electric cars , glow-in-the-dark road markings , and icy road warnings that appear in the cold . the index judges applauded roosegaard and lauded his reinvention of the dumb ' roads of the past into intelligent , safe , communicating highways for the future . | cnn.com readers voted for the people 's choice award , which was won by smart highway |
cnn <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- britain 's accident prone octopus ufo ' is just one of hundreds of unexplained sightings in the same area where a wind turbine was wrecked over the weekend , according to the latest reports . the sun tabloid newspaper 's ufo splash . britain 's tabloid sun newspaper thursday proclaimed from its front page that a wind turbine was ruined after a ufo hit one of its 20 meter-long blades in conisholme , lincolnshire . it quoted residents who saw strange balls of lights in the sky and heard a loud bang . however , another british national newspaper said the lights were just fireworks from a staff member 's dad 's birthday celebration . turbine experts suggested it was a simple mechanical failure . the plot thickened further friday , with the sun saying it had been bombarded ' with reports of ufo sightings from hundreds of witnesses in the area where the turbine was destroyed . watch video on the ufo incident ' there have been reports of flying saucers for more than six months , ' the newspaper said . local john harrison , 32 , told the sun he looked out of his window and saw a massive ball of light with tentacles going right down to the ground . ' the newspaper said other respected witnesses , such as local council chairman robert palmer and gp jenny watson , described seeing'streaking white lights'. ' quoting unnamed ministry of defence insiders , ' the sun said the ufo sightings may be an unmanned stealth bomber on test flights . it said the taranis black delta-wing craft ' was being developed nearby to deliver bombs undetected in war zones ; back to the testing board then ? however , initial reports when the taranis contract was let last year said it would take at least four years to develop with flight testing due 2010 ... in australia . cnn has also been bombarded ' with messages , but mainly from people less than convinced . j. kale believed there was a very simple explanation . the octopus thing obviously thought the wind turbine was a female doing a mating dance and tried to mate with it . ' trevor brown was worried the aliens did not know how to drive a flying octopus . ' mono was worried what the aliens might think about the fuss . well , let 's hope there is intelligent life watching us . it would at least prove there is intelligence somewhere . ' maxim , who lives near the turbines , had a simple explanation for the lights . on sunday there was a very spectacular meteor shower , like fireworks on the horizontal . ' lilia was unimpressed with some of the explanations -- and your writer . listen , just report the story and follow through . think you can do that ? without screwing up ? the plausible explanations are absurd . you are going to tell me that the residents of the area are not going to recognize fireworks ? this is a ridiculous and insulting explanation and it sounds exactly like that , offensive and ridiculous . i do n't know if there was a ufo or not , but it is all rather odd . what i do know is that the arrogant tone has got to stop . ' is it life jim but not as we know it ? beam us up your thoughts . | cnn readers remain skeptical about role of ufo in turbine 's ruination |
lance cpl . <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the u.s. marine corps has disciplined two marines over a videotape that showed a marine throwing a puppy over a cliff , the military said wednesday . youtube.com removed the video for violating the web site 's terms of use . officials did not specify the role that each man played in the incident , which received international attention after a video of it appeared on youtube.com march 3 . lance cpl . david motari is being processed for removal for his role , the marine corps said , and sgt . crismarvin banez encarnacion also has been punished . the video shows someone throwing a black-and-white puppy off a rocky cliff . the dog makes a yelping sound as it flies through the air . that 's mean . that was mean , ' someone off-camera is heard saying . youtube removed the video about a day after it was posted , due to terms of use violation , ' the site said . the marines were quick to condemn the video when it surfaced , calling it shocking and deplorable . ' marine officials said the disciplinary action followed a thorough investigation , according to a statement that the marine corps base hawaii released wednesday . the actions seen in the internet video are contrary to the high standards we expect of every marine and will not be tolerated , ' the statement said . | lance cpl . david motari faces removal ; sgt . crismarvin banez encarnacion punished |
marines <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the u.s. marine corps has disciplined two marines over a videotape that showed a marine throwing a puppy over a cliff , the military said wednesday . youtube.com removed the video for violating the web site 's terms of use . officials did not specify the role that each man played in the incident , which received international attention after a video of it appeared on youtube.com march 3 . lance cpl . david motari is being processed for removal for his role , the marine corps said , and sgt . crismarvin banez encarnacion also has been punished . the video shows someone throwing a black-and-white puppy off a rocky cliff . the dog makes a yelping sound as it flies through the air . that 's mean . that was mean , ' someone off-camera is heard saying . youtube removed the video about a day after it was posted , due to terms of use violation , ' the site said . the marines were quick to condemn the video when it surfaced , calling it shocking and deplorable . ' marine officials said the disciplinary action followed a thorough investigation , according to a statement that the marine corps base hawaii released wednesday . the actions seen in the internet video are contrary to the high standards we expect of every marine and will not be tolerated , ' the statement said . | the marines condemned the incident , calling it shocking and deplorable ' |
cochran <tsp> chris mcdaniel on monday officially contested results showing he lost a republican primary to mississippi sen. thad cochran , revealing what his camp alleges is evidence of voter fraud and other irregularities . they asked us to put up or shut up . here we are . here we are with the evidence , ' mcdaniel said at a news conference in jackson . mcdaniel , a state senator , has refused to concede the june 24 runoff result and filed a formal challenge with the mississippi republican party 's executive committee . the case could eventually wind up in court . the challenge outlined claims of more than 15,000 cases of illegal or questionable votes , of which 3,500 were crossover votes . the official state count puts cochran ahead by more than 7,600 votes . mcdaniel is asking to make the case publicly before the state gop executive committee and he anticipates a hearing in a public forum . ' cochran 's campaign said it had retained a lawyer to fight the allegations , which it dismissed out of hand . the election speaks to a struggle within the gop between establishment figures , like cochran , whose been in the senate for more than 35 years , and mcdaniel , who represents a new breed of arch conservatives backed by the tea party . allegations included in more than 250 pages of affidavits claiming that 3,500 voters cast ballots for a democrat in the first leg of the primary before crossing over in the republican runoff election . if true , those votes can not be counted in the runoff . mcdaniel 's lawyer , mitch tyner , called another 11,000 more votes questionable or improperly cast . ' many affidavits were signed by mcdaniel-aligned volunteers and election observers . the documents detail claims that election materials were destroyed or improperly handled and that vote-buying occurred . tyner said the committee will have no choice but to recognize chris mcdaniel as nominee of the republican party ' after it reviews the evidence . we 're not asking for a new election , we 're simply asking that the republican party actually recognize the person who won the runoff election , ' tyner said . mcdaniel , a career trial lawyer , addressed the crowd as he would a jury and laid out his case , noting that we saw the dirty tricks . we saw the dirty money that was coming from washington . ' mcdaniel announced plans to challenge election results in early july he challenged the anger and frustration of his supporters and called out the despicable acts of race-baiting ' from people in his party and alleged that some of the mistakes ' during the runoff were very intentional . ' but mcdaniel affirmed that the challenge is not centered on those emotions . we have to be dispassionate about the facts , ' he said . the facts are on our side . the law is on our side . ' the mcdaniel campaign and its allies have spent the nearly six weeks since the runoff parsing county poll books , soliciting donations to fund an eventual legal challenge and offering $ 1,500 rewards to anyone who could provide evidence of voter fraud . winning strategy likely to stay in mississippi bobby morgan , communications director for the mississippi republican party , called the challenge to the results of a federal election unprecedented . morgan said party officials are consulting with the organization 's general counsel to determine how to handle the challenge . cochran campaign lawyer mark garriga slammed the mcdaniel campaign 's claims as baseless ' and said he looks forward to holding it to the burden of proof that the law requires . ' the filing of this challenge marks the point where this matter moves from an arena of press conferences and rhetoric into a setting where nothing matters but admissible evidence and the rule of law , ' garriga said in the statement . as cochran made a last-ditch appeal to african-american voters ahead of the runoff , conservative groups hired former justice department official christian adams to train and oversee election observers to monitor polls and note questionable voter activity . after 10 days of state party review , the campaign will likely shift its challenge to the courts , if necessary . regardless of the state party 's actions , mcdaniel campaign spokesman noel fritsch said the candidate would in all likelihood , absolutely ' file a suit in court . the runoff winner will face democrat travis childers in november . mississippi is a reliably republican state . mississippi primary spending surge pushes advertisers off the air | mcdaniel has refused to concede since cochran won the primary runoff |
mcdaniel <tsp> chris mcdaniel on monday officially contested results showing he lost a republican primary to mississippi sen. thad cochran , revealing what his camp alleges is evidence of voter fraud and other irregularities . they asked us to put up or shut up . here we are . here we are with the evidence , ' mcdaniel said at a news conference in jackson . mcdaniel , a state senator , has refused to concede the june 24 runoff result and filed a formal challenge with the mississippi republican party 's executive committee . the case could eventually wind up in court . the challenge outlined claims of more than 15,000 cases of illegal or questionable votes , of which 3,500 were crossover votes . the official state count puts cochran ahead by more than 7,600 votes . mcdaniel is asking to make the case publicly before the state gop executive committee and he anticipates a hearing in a public forum . ' cochran 's campaign said it had retained a lawyer to fight the allegations , which it dismissed out of hand . the election speaks to a struggle within the gop between establishment figures , like cochran , whose been in the senate for more than 35 years , and mcdaniel , who represents a new breed of arch conservatives backed by the tea party . allegations included in more than 250 pages of affidavits claiming that 3,500 voters cast ballots for a democrat in the first leg of the primary before crossing over in the republican runoff election . if true , those votes can not be counted in the runoff . mcdaniel 's lawyer , mitch tyner , called another 11,000 more votes questionable or improperly cast . ' many affidavits were signed by mcdaniel-aligned volunteers and election observers . the documents detail claims that election materials were destroyed or improperly handled and that vote-buying occurred . tyner said the committee will have no choice but to recognize chris mcdaniel as nominee of the republican party ' after it reviews the evidence . we 're not asking for a new election , we 're simply asking that the republican party actually recognize the person who won the runoff election , ' tyner said . mcdaniel , a career trial lawyer , addressed the crowd as he would a jury and laid out his case , noting that we saw the dirty tricks . we saw the dirty money that was coming from washington . ' mcdaniel announced plans to challenge election results in early july he challenged the anger and frustration of his supporters and called out the despicable acts of race-baiting ' from people in his party and alleged that some of the mistakes ' during the runoff were very intentional . ' but mcdaniel affirmed that the challenge is not centered on those emotions . we have to be dispassionate about the facts , ' he said . the facts are on our side . the law is on our side . ' the mcdaniel campaign and its allies have spent the nearly six weeks since the runoff parsing county poll books , soliciting donations to fund an eventual legal challenge and offering $ 1,500 rewards to anyone who could provide evidence of voter fraud . winning strategy likely to stay in mississippi bobby morgan , communications director for the mississippi republican party , called the challenge to the results of a federal election unprecedented . morgan said party officials are consulting with the organization 's general counsel to determine how to handle the challenge . cochran campaign lawyer mark garriga slammed the mcdaniel campaign 's claims as baseless ' and said he looks forward to holding it to the burden of proof that the law requires . ' the filing of this challenge marks the point where this matter moves from an arena of press conferences and rhetoric into a setting where nothing matters but admissible evidence and the rule of law , ' garriga said in the statement . as cochran made a last-ditch appeal to african-american voters ahead of the runoff , conservative groups hired former justice department official christian adams to train and oversee election observers to monitor polls and note questionable voter activity . after 10 days of state party review , the campaign will likely shift its challenge to the courts , if necessary . regardless of the state party 's actions , mcdaniel campaign spokesman noel fritsch said the candidate would in all likelihood , absolutely ' file a suit in court . the runoff winner will face democrat travis childers in november . mississippi is a reliably republican state . mississippi primary spending surge pushes advertisers off the air | mcdaniel has refused to concede since cochran won the primary runoff |
mcdaniel <tsp> chris mcdaniel on monday officially contested results showing he lost a republican primary to mississippi sen. thad cochran , revealing what his camp alleges is evidence of voter fraud and other irregularities . they asked us to put up or shut up . here we are . here we are with the evidence , ' mcdaniel said at a news conference in jackson . mcdaniel , a state senator , has refused to concede the june 24 runoff result and filed a formal challenge with the mississippi republican party 's executive committee . the case could eventually wind up in court . the challenge outlined claims of more than 15,000 cases of illegal or questionable votes , of which 3,500 were crossover votes . the official state count puts cochran ahead by more than 7,600 votes . mcdaniel is asking to make the case publicly before the state gop executive committee and he anticipates a hearing in a public forum . ' cochran 's campaign said it had retained a lawyer to fight the allegations , which it dismissed out of hand . the election speaks to a struggle within the gop between establishment figures , like cochran , whose been in the senate for more than 35 years , and mcdaniel , who represents a new breed of arch conservatives backed by the tea party . allegations included in more than 250 pages of affidavits claiming that 3,500 voters cast ballots for a democrat in the first leg of the primary before crossing over in the republican runoff election . if true , those votes can not be counted in the runoff . mcdaniel 's lawyer , mitch tyner , called another 11,000 more votes questionable or improperly cast . ' many affidavits were signed by mcdaniel-aligned volunteers and election observers . the documents detail claims that election materials were destroyed or improperly handled and that vote-buying occurred . tyner said the committee will have no choice but to recognize chris mcdaniel as nominee of the republican party ' after it reviews the evidence . we 're not asking for a new election , we 're simply asking that the republican party actually recognize the person who won the runoff election , ' tyner said . mcdaniel , a career trial lawyer , addressed the crowd as he would a jury and laid out his case , noting that we saw the dirty tricks . we saw the dirty money that was coming from washington . ' mcdaniel announced plans to challenge election results in early july he challenged the anger and frustration of his supporters and called out the despicable acts of race-baiting ' from people in his party and alleged that some of the mistakes ' during the runoff were very intentional . ' but mcdaniel affirmed that the challenge is not centered on those emotions . we have to be dispassionate about the facts , ' he said . the facts are on our side . the law is on our side . ' the mcdaniel campaign and its allies have spent the nearly six weeks since the runoff parsing county poll books , soliciting donations to fund an eventual legal challenge and offering $ 1,500 rewards to anyone who could provide evidence of voter fraud . winning strategy likely to stay in mississippi bobby morgan , communications director for the mississippi republican party , called the challenge to the results of a federal election unprecedented . morgan said party officials are consulting with the organization 's general counsel to determine how to handle the challenge . cochran campaign lawyer mark garriga slammed the mcdaniel campaign 's claims as baseless ' and said he looks forward to holding it to the burden of proof that the law requires . ' the filing of this challenge marks the point where this matter moves from an arena of press conferences and rhetoric into a setting where nothing matters but admissible evidence and the rule of law , ' garriga said in the statement . as cochran made a last-ditch appeal to african-american voters ahead of the runoff , conservative groups hired former justice department official christian adams to train and oversee election observers to monitor polls and note questionable voter activity . after 10 days of state party review , the campaign will likely shift its challenge to the courts , if necessary . regardless of the state party 's actions , mcdaniel campaign spokesman noel fritsch said the candidate would in all likelihood , absolutely ' file a suit in court . the runoff winner will face democrat travis childers in november . mississippi is a reliably republican state . mississippi primary spending surge pushes advertisers off the air | mcdaniel 's lawyer claimed more than 15,000 cases of illegal or questionable ballots |
vaute <tsp> ( cnn ) -- for leanne mai-ly hilgart , being vegan is n't only about what she eats and chooses to wear each day . avoiding meat and dairy in her diet and animal-derived products in her closet is just part of the equation for the 30-year-old designer , businesswoman and animal lover . as founder of fashion label vaute couture , her dedication to creating animal-free coats , sweaters and other cold-weather gear has earned her a global cult following among animal rights activists and eco-conscious fashionistas . her activism began when she was 10 years old with an elementary school social studies project in suburban chicago on factory farming and the fur industry . she became vegan at 17 and continued her activism in high school with a campaign for alternatives to animal dissection in science class that , with the help of national group animalearn , eventually became illinois law . this week , she took her philosophy to new york fashion week , where she debuted her first ready-to-wear line in a solo show wednesday , less than five years since starting vaute couture in 2008 . stella mccartney , charlotte ronson and other big-name designers have created fur-free collections in previous seasons . but vaute couture is the first independent fashion house to show during new york fashion week with animal- and cruelty-free built into its brand dna , from its ultrasuede elbow patches to thinsulate-lined winter jackets . the line 's aesthetic goes beyond faux fur and leather , using organic , recycled and high-tech fabrics in an effort to redefine traditional outerwear staples . before a packed showroom in new york 's chelsea gallery district , models , accessorized with rescue dogs available for adoption , showed off vaute 's line of coats , dresses and pants of waxed canvas , velvet and moleskin ( a heavy-napped cotton twill fabric , despite its name ) , among other materials . even the shoes , by love is mighty and brave gentleman , were vegan . though vaute 's line comes at a time when consumers seem more willing than ever to pay a premium for products from companies or businesses whose values align with theirs , industry insiders say the company is swimming against the tide in a season expected to bring new twists on leather and fur . but hilgart , an activist at heart , is undaunted . she believes that there are people like her who care about where their clothes come from and how they 're made . it 's vaute 's role to make those options more accessible , she said . i want to reach women who love style , love color , love fashion , and maybe they used to care about where their clothes came from but at some point they told themselves that it was naive to care , ' hilgart said . i think it 's important that people see that you can care , you can interact with the world in the way you want and it 's not naive . but to do that , you need options . ' vaute 's values infused all aspects of the show , from the animal-free makeup and hair products used on the models to the vegan petit fours and cheesecakes inscribed with a v from vegan treats bakery of bethlehem , pennsylvania . leashed rescue dogs were led around the audience by volunteers from the humane society of new york and badass brooklyn animal rescue . the list of sponsors included some of the biggest names in animal rights activism : the humane society of the united states , people for the ethical treatment of animals , farm sanctuary and physicians committee for responsible medicine . by sponsoring fashion events and designers like hilgart , these groups get a chance to share their mission with buyers , fashion editors and industry insiders , key influencers of consumer trends . it 's a great audience for us to get our message in front of , ' said michelle mcdonald , outreach manager of the humane society 's fur-free campaign , which sponsored jay mccarroll 's runway show in 2006 and charlotte ronson in 2008 . the humane society tracks progress through a growing list of designers and companies that have adopted fur-free policies . but hilgart has taken the commitment to cruelty-free ' fashion a step further with vaute , mcdonald said . she 's not only trying to do her part for fur-bearing animals but for animals all over , ' mcdonald said . we 're very thankful she 's out there and attracting so much attention from the fashion industry . ' the genesis of the company came from hilgart 's own desire for a stylish winter coat that was n't accidentally vegan ' because it used substitutes for wool , fur or leather to drive down costs . she was a depaul mba candidate on break working as a ford fashion model in hong kong when she decided that entrepreneurship was the best way for her to make a difference . i realized that if i could create a business where the process in itself was actually creating positive change , that would be my activism , ' she said in a phone interview last week from a noisy new york coffee shop in between final preparations for her show . i started with outerwear because i found being cold was an excuse to wear animal products , ' she said . i wanted to figure out where i would be needed to make a contribution to the movement so people would no longer need to use products and materials made from animals . ' whether consumers are ready to give up fur , leather and wool is another story , even if it 's in favor of equally stylish and warm alternatives . hilgart knows there is a market for animal-free fashion among people like her , vegan or not , who take conscious consumerism to an active level . many of those people attended wednesday 's show and were thrilled by what they saw , regarding the sailor moon-inspired collection as a validation of their beliefs . compared to even just a couple of years ago , there are now so many cruelty-free alternatives to products that we used to think required the bloodshed of animals -- everything from shoes to cosmetics to luxury fabrics , ' jasmin singer , executive director of our hen house , a nonprofit animal advocacy organization in new york , said after the show . as a society , we 're evolving away from commodifying animals , because , finally , it is becoming clear that it 's not only cruel , it 's unnecessary . there are accessible , affordable , sustainable and attractive alternatives that are ethically sourced and cost no lives . why not choose them ? ' people want to do the right thing , she says , citing growing excitement around organic food , fair labor practices , and even faux fur and leather as evidence . but some see the interest in fake animal material in fashion as simply the trickle down effect from more of the real thing appearing on runways . even if interest in animal-free fashion might be greater than ever , in the same way that more people are willing to go vegan or pay extra for locally made products , trend forecasters say there 's a greater interest in looks incorporating fur and leather , which will be reflected on the runway this season . part of it is a continuation of the seasonless fashion trend that began showing up unexpectedly in spring and summer collections , said jaclyn jones , womenswear editor of style forecaster wgsn . but most of it has to do with the luxurious look of leather and fur , plain and simple , jones said . there 's a point of view from many people in the fashion industry that having real leather or fur pieces adds a kind of elevated conception , ' she said . everyone is always trying to look like their outfit costs more or have more worth or more value to it , especially during economic hardships , people want to make sure they 're putting money into something that will last . ' hilgart understands that perspective , which is why it has taken her this long to come up with looks that she hopes will make the fashion world and consumers take notice , she said . creating garments of high-tech materials to convey the indulgent look of high fashion took months of research , especially for someone with no formal training in fashion , she said . with coats and skirts starting at $ 200 , vaute couture 's price tags are also typical new york fashion week , at least on the low end of the scale . hilgart said the prices reflect the quality of materials and the cost of paying workers a living wage to produce most of the garments in brooklyn , where she lives . ( the line 's knits come from maine . ) i knew i had to design something that would be innovational for the entire industry . not using animal fibers was an opportunity to look past what was just good enough to make something truly superior , ' she said . but even attendees of wednesday 's show who were receptive to the concept acknowledged that it 's an uphill battle to change an industry or consumer behavior . simply making animal-free clothing available is a big step in the right direction , especially if it 's hip and stylish , said dakota kim , a freelance fashion writer who attended the show so she could write about it on her blog , fashtronaut . i think that ( animal-free clothes ) really came to the forefront with stella mccartney and ever since then it 's been a big deal . it 's more mainstream and the clothes are just so young , ' kim said . fur coats and leather pants are easy enough to cut out of your wardrobe , she said . but everything else ? it 's hard to cut all that out . ' follow emanuella grinberg on twitter cnn 's sarah letrent contributed to this report . | vaute couture debuts ready-to-wear line at new york fashion week |
vaute <tsp> ( cnn ) -- for leanne mai-ly hilgart , being vegan is n't only about what she eats and chooses to wear each day . avoiding meat and dairy in her diet and animal-derived products in her closet is just part of the equation for the 30-year-old designer , businesswoman and animal lover . as founder of fashion label vaute couture , her dedication to creating animal-free coats , sweaters and other cold-weather gear has earned her a global cult following among animal rights activists and eco-conscious fashionistas . her activism began when she was 10 years old with an elementary school social studies project in suburban chicago on factory farming and the fur industry . she became vegan at 17 and continued her activism in high school with a campaign for alternatives to animal dissection in science class that , with the help of national group animalearn , eventually became illinois law . this week , she took her philosophy to new york fashion week , where she debuted her first ready-to-wear line in a solo show wednesday , less than five years since starting vaute couture in 2008 . stella mccartney , charlotte ronson and other big-name designers have created fur-free collections in previous seasons . but vaute couture is the first independent fashion house to show during new york fashion week with animal- and cruelty-free built into its brand dna , from its ultrasuede elbow patches to thinsulate-lined winter jackets . the line 's aesthetic goes beyond faux fur and leather , using organic , recycled and high-tech fabrics in an effort to redefine traditional outerwear staples . before a packed showroom in new york 's chelsea gallery district , models , accessorized with rescue dogs available for adoption , showed off vaute 's line of coats , dresses and pants of waxed canvas , velvet and moleskin ( a heavy-napped cotton twill fabric , despite its name ) , among other materials . even the shoes , by love is mighty and brave gentleman , were vegan . though vaute 's line comes at a time when consumers seem more willing than ever to pay a premium for products from companies or businesses whose values align with theirs , industry insiders say the company is swimming against the tide in a season expected to bring new twists on leather and fur . but hilgart , an activist at heart , is undaunted . she believes that there are people like her who care about where their clothes come from and how they 're made . it 's vaute 's role to make those options more accessible , she said . i want to reach women who love style , love color , love fashion , and maybe they used to care about where their clothes came from but at some point they told themselves that it was naive to care , ' hilgart said . i think it 's important that people see that you can care , you can interact with the world in the way you want and it 's not naive . but to do that , you need options . ' vaute 's values infused all aspects of the show , from the animal-free makeup and hair products used on the models to the vegan petit fours and cheesecakes inscribed with a v from vegan treats bakery of bethlehem , pennsylvania . leashed rescue dogs were led around the audience by volunteers from the humane society of new york and badass brooklyn animal rescue . the list of sponsors included some of the biggest names in animal rights activism : the humane society of the united states , people for the ethical treatment of animals , farm sanctuary and physicians committee for responsible medicine . by sponsoring fashion events and designers like hilgart , these groups get a chance to share their mission with buyers , fashion editors and industry insiders , key influencers of consumer trends . it 's a great audience for us to get our message in front of , ' said michelle mcdonald , outreach manager of the humane society 's fur-free campaign , which sponsored jay mccarroll 's runway show in 2006 and charlotte ronson in 2008 . the humane society tracks progress through a growing list of designers and companies that have adopted fur-free policies . but hilgart has taken the commitment to cruelty-free ' fashion a step further with vaute , mcdonald said . she 's not only trying to do her part for fur-bearing animals but for animals all over , ' mcdonald said . we 're very thankful she 's out there and attracting so much attention from the fashion industry . ' the genesis of the company came from hilgart 's own desire for a stylish winter coat that was n't accidentally vegan ' because it used substitutes for wool , fur or leather to drive down costs . she was a depaul mba candidate on break working as a ford fashion model in hong kong when she decided that entrepreneurship was the best way for her to make a difference . i realized that if i could create a business where the process in itself was actually creating positive change , that would be my activism , ' she said in a phone interview last week from a noisy new york coffee shop in between final preparations for her show . i started with outerwear because i found being cold was an excuse to wear animal products , ' she said . i wanted to figure out where i would be needed to make a contribution to the movement so people would no longer need to use products and materials made from animals . ' whether consumers are ready to give up fur , leather and wool is another story , even if it 's in favor of equally stylish and warm alternatives . hilgart knows there is a market for animal-free fashion among people like her , vegan or not , who take conscious consumerism to an active level . many of those people attended wednesday 's show and were thrilled by what they saw , regarding the sailor moon-inspired collection as a validation of their beliefs . compared to even just a couple of years ago , there are now so many cruelty-free alternatives to products that we used to think required the bloodshed of animals -- everything from shoes to cosmetics to luxury fabrics , ' jasmin singer , executive director of our hen house , a nonprofit animal advocacy organization in new york , said after the show . as a society , we 're evolving away from commodifying animals , because , finally , it is becoming clear that it 's not only cruel , it 's unnecessary . there are accessible , affordable , sustainable and attractive alternatives that are ethically sourced and cost no lives . why not choose them ? ' people want to do the right thing , she says , citing growing excitement around organic food , fair labor practices , and even faux fur and leather as evidence . but some see the interest in fake animal material in fashion as simply the trickle down effect from more of the real thing appearing on runways . even if interest in animal-free fashion might be greater than ever , in the same way that more people are willing to go vegan or pay extra for locally made products , trend forecasters say there 's a greater interest in looks incorporating fur and leather , which will be reflected on the runway this season . part of it is a continuation of the seasonless fashion trend that began showing up unexpectedly in spring and summer collections , said jaclyn jones , womenswear editor of style forecaster wgsn . but most of it has to do with the luxurious look of leather and fur , plain and simple , jones said . there 's a point of view from many people in the fashion industry that having real leather or fur pieces adds a kind of elevated conception , ' she said . everyone is always trying to look like their outfit costs more or have more worth or more value to it , especially during economic hardships , people want to make sure they 're putting money into something that will last . ' hilgart understands that perspective , which is why it has taken her this long to come up with looks that she hopes will make the fashion world and consumers take notice , she said . creating garments of high-tech materials to convey the indulgent look of high fashion took months of research , especially for someone with no formal training in fashion , she said . with coats and skirts starting at $ 200 , vaute couture 's price tags are also typical new york fashion week , at least on the low end of the scale . hilgart said the prices reflect the quality of materials and the cost of paying workers a living wage to produce most of the garments in brooklyn , where she lives . ( the line 's knits come from maine . ) i knew i had to design something that would be innovational for the entire industry . not using animal fibers was an opportunity to look past what was just good enough to make something truly superior , ' she said . but even attendees of wednesday 's show who were receptive to the concept acknowledged that it 's an uphill battle to change an industry or consumer behavior . simply making animal-free clothing available is a big step in the right direction , especially if it 's hip and stylish , said dakota kim , a freelance fashion writer who attended the show so she could write about it on her blog , fashtronaut . i think that ( animal-free clothes ) really came to the forefront with stella mccartney and ever since then it 's been a big deal . it 's more mainstream and the clothes are just so young , ' kim said . fur coats and leather pants are easy enough to cut out of your wardrobe , she said . but everything else ? it 's hard to cut all that out . ' follow emanuella grinberg on twitter cnn 's sarah letrent contributed to this report . | vaute 's line offers alternative to runways looks heavy on fur and leather |
haiti <tsp> port-au-prince , haiti ( cnn ) -- with 10 american baptist missionaries in haiti now charged with kidnapping for attempting to take 33 children out of the country , u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton said friday the case is for haitian courts to decide . obviously this is a matter for the haitian judicial system , ' clinton told reporters at the state department . we 're going to continue to provide support as we do in every instance like this to american citizens who have been charged and hope that this matter can be resolved in an expeditious way , but it is something that a sovereign nation is pursuing based on the evidence that it presented when the charges were announced . ' clinton said the u.s. embassy in haiti is providing consular services and the american ambassador is speaking with his counterparts in the haitian government . we have full access ' to the americans , she said . a judge has not ruled on the missionaries'petition for bail , said their attorney , edwin coq . however , under haitian law , anyone accused of kidnapping a child is not eligible for bail , the attorney general 's office said earlier . the 10 missionaries , including group leader laura silsby , were charged thursday with kidnapping children and criminal association . haitian authorities split up the group , which was being held in a city jail , on friday , coq said . coq said the five men have been sent to the national penitentiary , which was damaged in the massive january 12 earthquake that leveled much of port-au-prince . the five women have been sent to a prison in nearby petionville . court hearings will be held monday and tuesday for his clients , coq said . conviction on the kidnapping charge would carry a maximum penalty of life in prison ; the criminal association charge would carry a penalty of three to nine years , according to a former justice minister . the americans were turned back a week ago as they tried to take the children across the border into the dominican republic without proper documentation . they said they were going to house them in a converted hotel in that country and later move them to an orphanage they were building there . the americans have said they were just trying to help the children leave the earthquake-stricken country . some of the detained americans have said they thought they were helping orphans , but their interpreters told cnn this week that they were present when group members spoke with some of the children 's parents . some parents in a village outside port-au-prince said they had willingly given their children over to the americans , who promised them a better life , and who said the parents could see their children whenever they wanted to . coq said he felt silsby , who was leading the missionary group , was responsible for the situation . let me tell you my personal impression , ' coq said friday , the nine other people are victims . they knew absolutely nothing about these stories . they were extremely touched by the disaster which struck haiti . they only came here to show their solidarity and compassion . they did not know this story that laura wanted to leave with children . ' the dominican consul general has said he warned silsby about trying to cross the border without proper documents . prime minister jean-max bellerive told cnn 's larry king live ' thursday that the judge in the case has three months to decide whether to prosecute . we hope that he will decide long before those three months , ' he said . he can release them , he can ask to prosecute them . ' if a decision is made to prosecute , the case would be heard before a jury , he said . bellerive told cnn the haitian government was open to the possibility of the case being transferred to a u.s. court , but said the request would have to come from the united states . until now , i was not asked , ' he said . in washington , state department spokesman p.j . crowley confirmed that we have not had any discussions with haitian officials about shifting prosecution to the united states . ' this is a haitian legal process . obviously the 10 american citizens have been charged under haitian law , ' he said . it would appear , based on the reporting that we 've seen , that they ... were attempting to move those children out of haiti without the authorization of the haitian government . we recognize that that is a potential violation of haitian law . the judge in this case has interviewed the americans , he has evaluated the evidence that has been presented to him . ' u.s. officials are talking with haitian officials about how the cases will unfold , and the united states will continue to monitor the situation closely , crowley said . former president bill clinton , the u.n. envoy to haiti , said haitian leaders do n't want the issue to become a distraction to the recovery effort . i think what 's important now is for the government of haiti and the government of the united states to get together and work through this because the government of haiti understands that they 're not looking for some big fight here , ' clinton said friday . they just want to protect their children . ' he added , i think they will find a way to defuse the crisis and work through this . ' government approval is needed for any haitian child to leave the country , and the group acknowledged that the children had no passports . some members of the group belong to the central valley baptist church in meridian , idaho , where the pastor asked for privacy and would not discuss the matter . i know you have many questions but we do n't have answers right now , ' said assistant pastor drew ham in a note to reporters . cnn 's jill dougherty in washington and lonzo cook in port-au-prince contributed to this report . | hillary clinton joins candy crowley on state of the union ' sunday to discuss haiti |
haiti <tsp> port-au-prince , haiti ( cnn ) -- with 10 american baptist missionaries in haiti now charged with kidnapping for attempting to take 33 children out of the country , u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton said friday the case is for haitian courts to decide . obviously this is a matter for the haitian judicial system , ' clinton told reporters at the state department . we 're going to continue to provide support as we do in every instance like this to american citizens who have been charged and hope that this matter can be resolved in an expeditious way , but it is something that a sovereign nation is pursuing based on the evidence that it presented when the charges were announced . ' clinton said the u.s. embassy in haiti is providing consular services and the american ambassador is speaking with his counterparts in the haitian government . we have full access ' to the americans , she said . a judge has not ruled on the missionaries'petition for bail , said their attorney , edwin coq . however , under haitian law , anyone accused of kidnapping a child is not eligible for bail , the attorney general 's office said earlier . the 10 missionaries , including group leader laura silsby , were charged thursday with kidnapping children and criminal association . haitian authorities split up the group , which was being held in a city jail , on friday , coq said . coq said the five men have been sent to the national penitentiary , which was damaged in the massive january 12 earthquake that leveled much of port-au-prince . the five women have been sent to a prison in nearby petionville . court hearings will be held monday and tuesday for his clients , coq said . conviction on the kidnapping charge would carry a maximum penalty of life in prison ; the criminal association charge would carry a penalty of three to nine years , according to a former justice minister . the americans were turned back a week ago as they tried to take the children across the border into the dominican republic without proper documentation . they said they were going to house them in a converted hotel in that country and later move them to an orphanage they were building there . the americans have said they were just trying to help the children leave the earthquake-stricken country . some of the detained americans have said they thought they were helping orphans , but their interpreters told cnn this week that they were present when group members spoke with some of the children 's parents . some parents in a village outside port-au-prince said they had willingly given their children over to the americans , who promised them a better life , and who said the parents could see their children whenever they wanted to . coq said he felt silsby , who was leading the missionary group , was responsible for the situation . let me tell you my personal impression , ' coq said friday , the nine other people are victims . they knew absolutely nothing about these stories . they were extremely touched by the disaster which struck haiti . they only came here to show their solidarity and compassion . they did not know this story that laura wanted to leave with children . ' the dominican consul general has said he warned silsby about trying to cross the border without proper documents . prime minister jean-max bellerive told cnn 's larry king live ' thursday that the judge in the case has three months to decide whether to prosecute . we hope that he will decide long before those three months , ' he said . he can release them , he can ask to prosecute them . ' if a decision is made to prosecute , the case would be heard before a jury , he said . bellerive told cnn the haitian government was open to the possibility of the case being transferred to a u.s. court , but said the request would have to come from the united states . until now , i was not asked , ' he said . in washington , state department spokesman p.j . crowley confirmed that we have not had any discussions with haitian officials about shifting prosecution to the united states . ' this is a haitian legal process . obviously the 10 american citizens have been charged under haitian law , ' he said . it would appear , based on the reporting that we 've seen , that they ... were attempting to move those children out of haiti without the authorization of the haitian government . we recognize that that is a potential violation of haitian law . the judge in this case has interviewed the americans , he has evaluated the evidence that has been presented to him . ' u.s. officials are talking with haitian officials about how the cases will unfold , and the united states will continue to monitor the situation closely , crowley said . former president bill clinton , the u.n. envoy to haiti , said haitian leaders do n't want the issue to become a distraction to the recovery effort . i think what 's important now is for the government of haiti and the government of the united states to get together and work through this because the government of haiti understands that they 're not looking for some big fight here , ' clinton said friday . they just want to protect their children . ' he added , i think they will find a way to defuse the crisis and work through this . ' government approval is needed for any haitian child to leave the country , and the group acknowledged that the children had no passports . some members of the group belong to the central valley baptist church in meridian , idaho , where the pastor asked for privacy and would not discuss the matter . i know you have many questions but we do n't have answers right now , ' said assistant pastor drew ham in a note to reporters . cnn 's jill dougherty in washington and lonzo cook in port-au-prince contributed to this report . | they are charged with kidnapping for trying to take 33 children out of haiti |
juventus <tsp> ( cnn ) -- juventus took an important step towards retaining the serie a title with a battling 1-1 draw at the stadio san paolo of nearest rivals napoli friday . negotiating the testing away fixture with honors even left juve six points clear of napoli at the top with just 11 games remaining . the league leaders had to put an ugly pre-match incident behind them , with italian news agency ansa reporting that a window in their team bus was broken by a missile as they traveled to the ground . nobody was injured in acts described on italy 's sky tv by juve general director guiseppe marotta as deplorable and with little to do with sport . ' the game itself started at a frantic pace with the visitors taking the lead after just 10 minutes as giorgio chiellini headed home . he had been recalled to the starting line-up and connected with an andrea pirlo left wing cross to score . juve might have added to their advantage while napoli 's leading scorer edinson cavani continued his lean spell -- failing to net in his last seven matches . however , napoli did level just before the break as gokhan inler 's fierce shot deflected past gianluigi buffon . the visiting keeper had to save smartly from marek hamsik at the start of the second half as napoli pushed for the winner . another hamsik effort was parried out to blerim dzemaili , but the swiss international wasted the chance . there was still time for inler to test buffon again , but juventus hang on for a valuable draw . antonio conte 's men will now look to secure their place in the quarterfinals of the champions league , entertaining scotland 's celtic in midweek and leading 3-1 from the first leg . but conte played down premature talk of the italian championship being wrapped up . the title is far away , we are six points in front which is a good advantage ' but there are another 33 available and do n't forget we still have to play milan , inter and catania , ' he told afp . | juventus team coach pelted with missiles on the way to the ground |
juventus <tsp> ( cnn ) -- juventus took an important step towards retaining the serie a title with a battling 1-1 draw at the stadio san paolo of nearest rivals napoli friday . negotiating the testing away fixture with honors even left juve six points clear of napoli at the top with just 11 games remaining . the league leaders had to put an ugly pre-match incident behind them , with italian news agency ansa reporting that a window in their team bus was broken by a missile as they traveled to the ground . nobody was injured in acts described on italy 's sky tv by juve general director guiseppe marotta as deplorable and with little to do with sport . ' the game itself started at a frantic pace with the visitors taking the lead after just 10 minutes as giorgio chiellini headed home . he had been recalled to the starting line-up and connected with an andrea pirlo left wing cross to score . juve might have added to their advantage while napoli 's leading scorer edinson cavani continued his lean spell -- failing to net in his last seven matches . however , napoli did level just before the break as gokhan inler 's fierce shot deflected past gianluigi buffon . the visiting keeper had to save smartly from marek hamsik at the start of the second half as napoli pushed for the winner . another hamsik effort was parried out to blerim dzemaili , but the swiss international wasted the chance . there was still time for inler to test buffon again , but juventus hang on for a valuable draw . antonio conte 's men will now look to secure their place in the quarterfinals of the champions league , entertaining scotland 's celtic in midweek and leading 3-1 from the first leg . but conte played down premature talk of the italian championship being wrapped up . the title is far away , we are six points in front which is a good advantage ' but there are another 33 available and do n't forget we still have to play milan , inter and catania , ' he told afp . | juventus hold napoli to a 1-1 draw at stadio san paolo |
juventus <tsp> ( cnn ) -- juventus took an important step towards retaining the serie a title with a battling 1-1 draw at the stadio san paolo of nearest rivals napoli friday . negotiating the testing away fixture with honors even left juve six points clear of napoli at the top with just 11 games remaining . the league leaders had to put an ugly pre-match incident behind them , with italian news agency ansa reporting that a window in their team bus was broken by a missile as they traveled to the ground . nobody was injured in acts described on italy 's sky tv by juve general director guiseppe marotta as deplorable and with little to do with sport . ' the game itself started at a frantic pace with the visitors taking the lead after just 10 minutes as giorgio chiellini headed home . he had been recalled to the starting line-up and connected with an andrea pirlo left wing cross to score . juve might have added to their advantage while napoli 's leading scorer edinson cavani continued his lean spell -- failing to net in his last seven matches . however , napoli did level just before the break as gokhan inler 's fierce shot deflected past gianluigi buffon . the visiting keeper had to save smartly from marek hamsik at the start of the second half as napoli pushed for the winner . another hamsik effort was parried out to blerim dzemaili , but the swiss international wasted the chance . there was still time for inler to test buffon again , but juventus hang on for a valuable draw . antonio conte 's men will now look to secure their place in the quarterfinals of the champions league , entertaining scotland 's celtic in midweek and leading 3-1 from the first leg . but conte played down premature talk of the italian championship being wrapped up . the title is far away , we are six points in front which is a good advantage ' but there are another 33 available and do n't forget we still have to play milan , inter and catania , ' he told afp . | draw leaves juventus six points clear of their rivals at the top of serie a |
isis <tsp> ( cnn ) -- about a year after the 2005 london bombings , right-wing british journalist melanie phillips published a book that she called londonistan . ' it was an extended lament about what she called the decline of british values and the destructive consequences of multiculturalism . u.s. security agencies and others began to call the british capital londonistan -- and only partly in jest . london , one of the great cities of the world that transcend nationality , had attracted dissidents from many countries , but particularly from arab states that might have treated them harshly had they dared to voice their opposition to the ruling cliques at home . the londonistan label was meant to draw a parallel between what was happening in london and what had happened in afghanistan , where many opponents of the regimes of muslim majority countries had congregated , first to join a war against the soviet occupation , and then to fight a broader enemy . now , douglas murray has written a similar article in the most recent edition of the spectator , a well-respected british periodical , following the gruesome killing in syria of the american journalist james foley , apparently by a british member of isis . murray argues that the nationality of the executioner should come as no surprise , given the misguided tolerance of extremism in britain . it is true that british citizens have taken part in terrorist attacks , or attempted to , since the rise of global terrorism in the 1990s . but to suggest that foley 's beheading was somehow related to the laxness or timidity of the british security authorities , or a decline of the british state more generally , is going too far . it is also the wrong way to look at the problem . britain , like the united states , has a well-deserved reputation for acting in accordance with the rule of law . and by and large , british justice is fair and impartial . that is surely one of the reasons why so many people have tried to enter the country . those who have faced persecution at home have found the freedoms of expression and assembly denied them elsewhere available in every corner of london and other british cities . and british life has been enriched by their presence . certainly it 's led to social tensions . new communities establish traditions that the original population finds strange and even threatening . immigrants seem to keep themselves apart and are prepared to work longer for less . originally the government aimed to assimilate these newcomers , but realized that defining britishness ' was hard enough for the british , let alone a concept that a new arrival could understand . integration became the new objective , but this too is difficult in a society that 's under strain and believes the best policy is a clear set of rules that still allow people to find their own way within them . committing terrorist acts is not within the rules . and recent british legislation has tried to set firmer and clearer rules that make plotting terrorist acts a crime -- however hard it may be to identify a crime before it has been committed . this may help to deter and prevent terrorism , or it may not . it is always hard to measure what did not happen as a result of government action . the best way to deter terrorism is not to introduce ever-more draconian laws -- which inevitably miss their targets but affect everyone else -- but to continue to hold true to the values that terrorists seek to challenge . in the dark world of the self-described islamic state , the law and its implementation are arbitrarily applied by those who hold the guns . there is no appeal against them . it is a world of intimidation and dictatorship , similar to but worse than the totalitarian states established by saddam hussein and hafez assad . some british people may feel alienated from society in the united kingdom ; they may believe that they lack opportunity . but they are lucky to have the opportunity to say so , and to advocate for change . they would not have that in the islamic state . ' they would be dead . british people may have gone to join the islamic state'' hoping to find a new sense of purpose and self-expression , and perhaps the british fighters associated with foley 's death believe they have succeeded . but they are not the product of the united kingdom . they are the product of something far deeper , rooted in the evolution of their own societies and the transitional period between immigrant parents and integrated children . if society is not fluid , and does not accept the rough ride that fluidity can bring , it will not move forward . terrorism , as expressed by foley 's executioner , is reactionary and backward looking . it offers nothing to anyone . the islamic state ' will never attract support from more than the handful of people who run it , and of the few hundred british people who may think it offers nirvana and have gone to join in , i predict that the great majority will sooner or later look back at what they left and wish they were still there , however imperfect the conditions . freedom comes at a price , but it is what we are fighting for as we combat the islamic state . ' | he says uk rule of law and freedom of expression will win over allure of isis |
amazon <tsp> ( wired ) -- with rumors piling up about a forthcoming apple tablet , it appears more and more likely that such a device will emerge soon . this illustration imagines what an apple tablet device might look like . but what 's still unclear is how this gadget will set itself apart from apple 's multimedia-savvy product line , including the iphone and ipod touch , as well as the scores of failed tablet pcs that have come and gone . judging from the company 's past moves , we 're betting that apple 's tablet will be a media-centric device , focused -- at least in part -- on shaking up the publishing industry . apple is already prepared to blow amazon and other e-book makers out of the water with one key weapon : itunes . having served more than 6 billion songs to date , the itunes store has flipped the music industry on its head . it also turned mobile software into a lucrative industry , as proven by the booming success of the iphone 's app store , which recently surpassed 1.5 billion downloads . apple has yet to enter the e-book market , and making books as easy to download as music and iphone apps is the logical next step . what can apple do better with e-books ? for textbooks or anthologies , apple can give itunes users the ability to download individual chapters , priced between a few cents to a few bucks each . it would be similar to how you can currently download individual song tracks from an album . it might even have the same earthshaking potential to transform an entire industry by refocusing it on the content people actually want instead of the bundles that publishers want them to buy . ( of course , apple would likely offer the à-la-carte purchase model in addition to the option to purchase the entire book as one download -- a more attractive option for shorter works such as novels . ) college students would love this : teachers rarely assign an entire textbook , so they would save hundreds of dollars by downloading only a few chapters of each textbook . apple is already popular in the education sector , so here 's even more money to milk from students , with the textbook industry worth an estimated $ 9.8 billion . sci-fi fans might only want one story from an anthology , or a historical researcher might target certain subjects . all apple has to do to secure the book publishers'enthusiastic cooperation is to offer them a generous cut of the revenues , like the 70 percent it currently offers app developers . other than having the upper hand with digital distribution , an apple tablet can compensate for other e-book readers'shortcomings . in a previous story , wired.com polled students on their interest in amazon 's large-format kindle dx reader . several of them said they could n't imagine ditching textbooks for a kindle dx , foreseeing challenges with tasks such as notetaking , highlighting and switching between books while writing essays . assuming its computing powers and interface design are anything like the iphone 's , a touchscreen tablet would make these student-oriented tasks as easy as a few swipes and taps -- far more pleasant than clunking around with the kindle 's cheap buttons and sluggish interface . plus , we would imagine students would be able to type their papers on the tablet . then there 's the obvious : an apple tablet would have color , making it better for displaying magazine pages , which could also be purchased through the itunes store . it would n't be saddled with a slow e-ink screen , so it could display video and browse the web with aplomb . let 's not forget to mention the multitude of other tasks an apple tablet will likely be able to perform if developers decide to code applications for it . think along the lines of an interactive remote control to enhance the movie-viewing experience on your tv , or a music video player to accompany the tunes blasting from your stereo . or , heck , even an album-cover display screen for you to gaze at while listening to music . ( for more on an apple tablet 's advantages versus current e-book readers , see dylan tweney 's story large-screen kindle wo n't mean squat if apple tablet arrives . ' ) there 's huge potential in a tablet if apple can pull this off . the challenge lies in establishing the right partnerships . if apple weaves e-books into the itunes store , will book publishers hop on board ? given apple 's success in numbers , we think so . as for a data provider , it would be even better if apple could work with a carrier such as verizon to subsidize the tablet , bringing it closer to $ 500 -- a more attractive price point for students . because the device presumably would not feature a phone , the monthly plans could be priced significantly lower than an iphone -- $ 30 to $ 40 , perhaps , for an unlimited 3-g internet connection . subscribe to wired magazine for less than $ 1 an issue and get a free gift ! click here ! copyright 2009 wired.com . | itunes could make device a potent rival to amazon 's kindle and other e-books |
apple <tsp> ( wired ) -- with rumors piling up about a forthcoming apple tablet , it appears more and more likely that such a device will emerge soon . this illustration imagines what an apple tablet device might look like . but what 's still unclear is how this gadget will set itself apart from apple 's multimedia-savvy product line , including the iphone and ipod touch , as well as the scores of failed tablet pcs that have come and gone . judging from the company 's past moves , we 're betting that apple 's tablet will be a media-centric device , focused -- at least in part -- on shaking up the publishing industry . apple is already prepared to blow amazon and other e-book makers out of the water with one key weapon : itunes . having served more than 6 billion songs to date , the itunes store has flipped the music industry on its head . it also turned mobile software into a lucrative industry , as proven by the booming success of the iphone 's app store , which recently surpassed 1.5 billion downloads . apple has yet to enter the e-book market , and making books as easy to download as music and iphone apps is the logical next step . what can apple do better with e-books ? for textbooks or anthologies , apple can give itunes users the ability to download individual chapters , priced between a few cents to a few bucks each . it would be similar to how you can currently download individual song tracks from an album . it might even have the same earthshaking potential to transform an entire industry by refocusing it on the content people actually want instead of the bundles that publishers want them to buy . ( of course , apple would likely offer the à-la-carte purchase model in addition to the option to purchase the entire book as one download -- a more attractive option for shorter works such as novels . ) college students would love this : teachers rarely assign an entire textbook , so they would save hundreds of dollars by downloading only a few chapters of each textbook . apple is already popular in the education sector , so here 's even more money to milk from students , with the textbook industry worth an estimated $ 9.8 billion . sci-fi fans might only want one story from an anthology , or a historical researcher might target certain subjects . all apple has to do to secure the book publishers'enthusiastic cooperation is to offer them a generous cut of the revenues , like the 70 percent it currently offers app developers . other than having the upper hand with digital distribution , an apple tablet can compensate for other e-book readers'shortcomings . in a previous story , wired.com polled students on their interest in amazon 's large-format kindle dx reader . several of them said they could n't imagine ditching textbooks for a kindle dx , foreseeing challenges with tasks such as notetaking , highlighting and switching between books while writing essays . assuming its computing powers and interface design are anything like the iphone 's , a touchscreen tablet would make these student-oriented tasks as easy as a few swipes and taps -- far more pleasant than clunking around with the kindle 's cheap buttons and sluggish interface . plus , we would imagine students would be able to type their papers on the tablet . then there 's the obvious : an apple tablet would have color , making it better for displaying magazine pages , which could also be purchased through the itunes store . it would n't be saddled with a slow e-ink screen , so it could display video and browse the web with aplomb . let 's not forget to mention the multitude of other tasks an apple tablet will likely be able to perform if developers decide to code applications for it . think along the lines of an interactive remote control to enhance the movie-viewing experience on your tv , or a music video player to accompany the tunes blasting from your stereo . or , heck , even an album-cover display screen for you to gaze at while listening to music . ( for more on an apple tablet 's advantages versus current e-book readers , see dylan tweney 's story large-screen kindle wo n't mean squat if apple tablet arrives . ' ) there 's huge potential in a tablet if apple can pull this off . the challenge lies in establishing the right partnerships . if apple weaves e-books into the itunes store , will book publishers hop on board ? given apple 's success in numbers , we think so . as for a data provider , it would be even better if apple could work with a carrier such as verizon to subsidize the tablet , bringing it closer to $ 500 -- a more attractive price point for students . because the device presumably would not feature a phone , the monthly plans could be priced significantly lower than an iphone -- $ 30 to $ 40 , perhaps , for an unlimited 3-g internet connection . subscribe to wired magazine for less than $ 1 an issue and get a free gift ! click here ! copyright 2009 wired.com . | an apple tablet would have color , making it better for displaying magazine pages |
apple <tsp> ( wired ) -- with rumors piling up about a forthcoming apple tablet , it appears more and more likely that such a device will emerge soon . this illustration imagines what an apple tablet device might look like . but what 's still unclear is how this gadget will set itself apart from apple 's multimedia-savvy product line , including the iphone and ipod touch , as well as the scores of failed tablet pcs that have come and gone . judging from the company 's past moves , we 're betting that apple 's tablet will be a media-centric device , focused -- at least in part -- on shaking up the publishing industry . apple is already prepared to blow amazon and other e-book makers out of the water with one key weapon : itunes . having served more than 6 billion songs to date , the itunes store has flipped the music industry on its head . it also turned mobile software into a lucrative industry , as proven by the booming success of the iphone 's app store , which recently surpassed 1.5 billion downloads . apple has yet to enter the e-book market , and making books as easy to download as music and iphone apps is the logical next step . what can apple do better with e-books ? for textbooks or anthologies , apple can give itunes users the ability to download individual chapters , priced between a few cents to a few bucks each . it would be similar to how you can currently download individual song tracks from an album . it might even have the same earthshaking potential to transform an entire industry by refocusing it on the content people actually want instead of the bundles that publishers want them to buy . ( of course , apple would likely offer the à-la-carte purchase model in addition to the option to purchase the entire book as one download -- a more attractive option for shorter works such as novels . ) college students would love this : teachers rarely assign an entire textbook , so they would save hundreds of dollars by downloading only a few chapters of each textbook . apple is already popular in the education sector , so here 's even more money to milk from students , with the textbook industry worth an estimated $ 9.8 billion . sci-fi fans might only want one story from an anthology , or a historical researcher might target certain subjects . all apple has to do to secure the book publishers'enthusiastic cooperation is to offer them a generous cut of the revenues , like the 70 percent it currently offers app developers . other than having the upper hand with digital distribution , an apple tablet can compensate for other e-book readers'shortcomings . in a previous story , wired.com polled students on their interest in amazon 's large-format kindle dx reader . several of them said they could n't imagine ditching textbooks for a kindle dx , foreseeing challenges with tasks such as notetaking , highlighting and switching between books while writing essays . assuming its computing powers and interface design are anything like the iphone 's , a touchscreen tablet would make these student-oriented tasks as easy as a few swipes and taps -- far more pleasant than clunking around with the kindle 's cheap buttons and sluggish interface . plus , we would imagine students would be able to type their papers on the tablet . then there 's the obvious : an apple tablet would have color , making it better for displaying magazine pages , which could also be purchased through the itunes store . it would n't be saddled with a slow e-ink screen , so it could display video and browse the web with aplomb . let 's not forget to mention the multitude of other tasks an apple tablet will likely be able to perform if developers decide to code applications for it . think along the lines of an interactive remote control to enhance the movie-viewing experience on your tv , or a music video player to accompany the tunes blasting from your stereo . or , heck , even an album-cover display screen for you to gaze at while listening to music . ( for more on an apple tablet 's advantages versus current e-book readers , see dylan tweney 's story large-screen kindle wo n't mean squat if apple tablet arrives . ' ) there 's huge potential in a tablet if apple can pull this off . the challenge lies in establishing the right partnerships . if apple weaves e-books into the itunes store , will book publishers hop on board ? given apple 's success in numbers , we think so . as for a data provider , it would be even better if apple could work with a carrier such as verizon to subsidize the tablet , bringing it closer to $ 500 -- a more attractive price point for students . because the device presumably would not feature a phone , the monthly plans could be priced significantly lower than an iphone -- $ 30 to $ 40 , perhaps , for an unlimited 3-g internet connection . subscribe to wired magazine for less than $ 1 an issue and get a free gift ! click here ! copyright 2009 wired.com . | it appears more and more likely that an apple tablet will emerge soon |
texas <tsp> ( cnn ) -- most beer guts are the result of consuming fermented brew , but a new case study describes a rare syndrome that had one man 's gut fermenting brew , not consuming it . it 's called gut fermentation syndrome or auto-brewery syndrome , and it 's a relatively unknown phenomenon in western medicine ' according to a study published in july 's international journal of clinical medicine . only a few cases have been reported in the last three decades ' according to dr. barbara cordell , the dean of nursing at panola college in carthage , texas , and dr. justin mccarthy , a lubbock gastroenterologist , the study 's authors . the most current case comes courtesy of an unnamed 61-year-old texas man who for five years seemed to be drunk -- all of the time . his wife , a nurse , began to give him breathalyzer tests . even when he had n't been drinking at all , his blood alcohol content was as high 0.40 -- five times the legal driving limit -- according to the study . but the medical community was largely unaware of gut fermentation syndrome then , so the patient was n't always believed . in 2009 he was admitted into an emergency room on a day he had n't had a sip of alcohol and blew a 0.37 . the physicians were not aware of any way that a person could be intoxicated without ingesting alcohol and therefore believed he must be a closet drinker , ' the paper says . finally , after a 24-hour observation period at a gastroenterology practice in 2010 -- one in which he saw no visitors and underwent a battery of tests -- doctors figured out what was ailing him : his stomach was turning food into booze . the underlying mechanism is thought to be an overgrowth of yeast in the gut whereby the yeast ferments carbohydrates into ethanol . ' after a regimen of antifungal medication , his yeast was in check , and he was registering zeroes on the breathalyzer . the authors conclude their paper by imploring their colleagues in the field to take gut fermentation syndrome seriously . this is a rare syndrome but should be recognized because of the social implications such as loss of job , relationship difficulties , stigma , and even possible arrest and incarceration , ' the authors write . | texas man was inexplicably drunk without ingesting alcohol , case study says |
asda <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a british supermarket chain has defended the sale of a wearable england flag that has been compared to a ku klux klan uniform . the white and red flag of st. george in stock at asda outlets features a pointed hood which the store says will allow english fans to show support their national team during the world cup while keeping dry during the notoriously unpredictable british summertime . but some fans have taken to social media sites to register their disapproval of the similarities between the â£3 ( $ 5 ) flags and the hooded outfits worn by the kkk . twitter user @ beyondlimits posted dear asda , your wearable klu klux klan style england flag is not acceptable . ' meanwhile , @ iamnaemaan said i do n't think asda thought the whole'wearable flag'thing through properly . ' pictures of the offending item have since been tweeted and retweeted hundreds of times on the micro-blogging site . a subsidiary of the american retail giant walmart , adsa issued a statement to cnn friday addressing their surprise at the controversy and stressing that their hooded flag product is also available in other country 's national colors . we know there 's chatter on twitter about our wearable world cup flags , but it 's simply a flag with a hood -- nothing more , nothing less , ' the statement read . we opted for a hood on our wearable england and brazilian flags as you never know what the british weather will bring . we want customers to get behind the team without getting wet . ' the flag is just one of numerous world cup themed items asda has been stocking in the run up to the tournament which kicks-off in brazil on june 12 . other british supermarkets such as tesco and sainsbury 's offer similar world cup items which extend into products like beers , food , barbecues and televisions . last year the british retail consortium estimated that the british economy could lose â£2 billion ( $ 3.5 billion ) if england failed to qualify for the world cup . businesses are hence keen to cash in on the event while it lasts . however , it was n't just twitter users suggesting asda might have struck the wrong note with the wearable england flag . in theory it was a good idea because it 's england and it rains , ' simon chadwick , professor of sport business strategy and marketing at coventry university , told cnn . however , i think it does show a lack of good judgment and discretion on the part of people working for asda . ' this is particularly the case in this country as there 's a debate right now about the st george 's cross , about the flag , about immigration and the rise of ukip , ' referring to the success of the euro-skeptic political party in recent local and european union elections . i think this showed a lack of good judgment on the part of the management , ' he said . | british supermarket asda unveils hooded flag for world cup fans |
asda <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a british supermarket chain has defended the sale of a wearable england flag that has been compared to a ku klux klan uniform . the white and red flag of st. george in stock at asda outlets features a pointed hood which the store says will allow english fans to show support their national team during the world cup while keeping dry during the notoriously unpredictable british summertime . but some fans have taken to social media sites to register their disapproval of the similarities between the â£3 ( $ 5 ) flags and the hooded outfits worn by the kkk . twitter user @ beyondlimits posted dear asda , your wearable klu klux klan style england flag is not acceptable . ' meanwhile , @ iamnaemaan said i do n't think asda thought the whole'wearable flag'thing through properly . ' pictures of the offending item have since been tweeted and retweeted hundreds of times on the micro-blogging site . a subsidiary of the american retail giant walmart , adsa issued a statement to cnn friday addressing their surprise at the controversy and stressing that their hooded flag product is also available in other country 's national colors . we know there 's chatter on twitter about our wearable world cup flags , but it 's simply a flag with a hood -- nothing more , nothing less , ' the statement read . we opted for a hood on our wearable england and brazilian flags as you never know what the british weather will bring . we want customers to get behind the team without getting wet . ' the flag is just one of numerous world cup themed items asda has been stocking in the run up to the tournament which kicks-off in brazil on june 12 . other british supermarkets such as tesco and sainsbury 's offer similar world cup items which extend into products like beers , food , barbecues and televisions . last year the british retail consortium estimated that the british economy could lose â£2 billion ( $ 3.5 billion ) if england failed to qualify for the world cup . businesses are hence keen to cash in on the event while it lasts . however , it was n't just twitter users suggesting asda might have struck the wrong note with the wearable england flag . in theory it was a good idea because it 's england and it rains , ' simon chadwick , professor of sport business strategy and marketing at coventry university , told cnn . however , i think it does show a lack of good judgment and discretion on the part of people working for asda . ' this is particularly the case in this country as there 's a debate right now about the st george 's cross , about the flag , about immigration and the rise of ukip , ' referring to the success of the euro-skeptic political party in recent local and european union elections . i think this showed a lack of good judgment on the part of the management , ' he said . | asda defends the product and says it is nothing more than a flag |
british <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a british supermarket chain has defended the sale of a wearable england flag that has been compared to a ku klux klan uniform . the white and red flag of st. george in stock at asda outlets features a pointed hood which the store says will allow english fans to show support their national team during the world cup while keeping dry during the notoriously unpredictable british summertime . but some fans have taken to social media sites to register their disapproval of the similarities between the â£3 ( $ 5 ) flags and the hooded outfits worn by the kkk . twitter user @ beyondlimits posted dear asda , your wearable klu klux klan style england flag is not acceptable . ' meanwhile , @ iamnaemaan said i do n't think asda thought the whole'wearable flag'thing through properly . ' pictures of the offending item have since been tweeted and retweeted hundreds of times on the micro-blogging site . a subsidiary of the american retail giant walmart , adsa issued a statement to cnn friday addressing their surprise at the controversy and stressing that their hooded flag product is also available in other country 's national colors . we know there 's chatter on twitter about our wearable world cup flags , but it 's simply a flag with a hood -- nothing more , nothing less , ' the statement read . we opted for a hood on our wearable england and brazilian flags as you never know what the british weather will bring . we want customers to get behind the team without getting wet . ' the flag is just one of numerous world cup themed items asda has been stocking in the run up to the tournament which kicks-off in brazil on june 12 . other british supermarkets such as tesco and sainsbury 's offer similar world cup items which extend into products like beers , food , barbecues and televisions . last year the british retail consortium estimated that the british economy could lose â£2 billion ( $ 3.5 billion ) if england failed to qualify for the world cup . businesses are hence keen to cash in on the event while it lasts . however , it was n't just twitter users suggesting asda might have struck the wrong note with the wearable england flag . in theory it was a good idea because it 's england and it rains , ' simon chadwick , professor of sport business strategy and marketing at coventry university , told cnn . however , i think it does show a lack of good judgment and discretion on the part of people working for asda . ' this is particularly the case in this country as there 's a debate right now about the st george 's cross , about the flag , about immigration and the rise of ukip , ' referring to the success of the euro-skeptic political party in recent local and european union elections . i think this showed a lack of good judgment on the part of the management , ' he said . | british supermarket asda unveils hooded flag for world cup fans |
taliban <tsp> peshawar , pakistan ( cnn ) -- twenty well-behaved boys sit on the floor in two rows , quietly eating a humble lunch of flat bread , water and beans . the lost boys ' of swat enjoy a humble lunch of flat bread , water and beans . their hair is neatly combed and they are dressed in spotless pakistani shalwar kamiz long shirts and baggy trousers . these boys are orphans , and they are lucky to be alive . sir , it was very dangerous , ' explained 15-year-old mohammad nawaz . last friday , nawaz and his friends escaped from pakistan 's swat valley after their orphanage ended up on the front-line of the government 's war with the taliban . when hostilities resumed in swat two weeks ago , pakistani soldiers from nearby barracks commandeered the roof of the four-story orphanage in swat 's district capital , mingora , to use it as a lookout . they built sandbag bunkers on the roof , and buried landmines in the orphanage 's playground . then , taliban militants laid siege to the building . nawaz said many ' insurgents armed with rocket launchers and kalashnikov assault rifles surrounded the orphanage . watch more on the boys'ordeal » about 50 terrified orphans , accompanied by adult support staff , cowered in a back room on the ground floor . shaken by the explosions and small-arms fire around their building , the older boys , some aged 16 and 17 , tried to console the youngest children , some of whom are as young as seven . they were all crying . it was n't until last friday that the first batch of orphans were able to escape . we had to ride on the roof of a bus , ' said 16-year old mohammad yusuf , a soft-spoken teenager with the beginnings of a beard appearing on his chin . after a creeping , traffic-choked , three-hour drive from mingora , the boys and their teachers begged for a ride from a passing vegetable truck . yusuf said the boys rode the rest of the way to peshawar sitting in the back of a truck on bags of peas , stopping only when the truckers had to remove the cargo to have it washed . watch more on the situation in the swat valley » ' when the peas were washed and loaded again , we all got wet , ' said yusuf , laughing . now the boys are relatively safe and receiving some counseling from therapists at a shelter in peshawar provided by another pakistani charity organization , the dost foundation . the children have seen more then their share of violence during two years of intermittent fighting around the swat valley . when asked about the worst moment two boys immediately responded suicide bombers , ' making explosive gestures with their hands from their chests . due to the orphanage 's close proximity to a pakistani army base in mingora , the boys were often witnesses to the aftermath of taliban attacks . in one incident a suicide bomber blew out all of the glass windows of the orphanage . opinions were split among the boys about the taliban . they want islam , ' said nawaz , referring to the taliban 's demand for the imposition of islamic sharia law across pakistan . the proposal resonates with many pakistanis , who are frustrated with corruption in the country 's judicial system . the taliban dropped the price of public transport , ' nawaz said , adding , plus they used to help sort out traffic jams . ' watch more on the refugee situation » ' we are angry with the taliban , ' argued yusuf , the 16-year-old . there is no rule in islam that allows you to behead someone . ' since the arrival of the boys in pakistan 's western city of peshawar , social workers have been trying to help them relax . they spent the weekend playing cricket in the small yard of their half-way house , watching movies and on sunday getting a tour of the city . several boys said they were looking forward to seeing an airport for the first time in their lives . but orphanage director muhammad ali was wracked with worry about their future . out of sight of the children , he broke down weeping . i am the father of these children , ' ali said . this is not an orphanage , this is our home ... now finished . ' ali spent the afternoon on sunday desperately trying to call a final group of 24 boys who were trying to escape from mingora . they left on foot , because the road out of mingora was mined and there was a shortage of vehicles for the evacuation of refugees . ali said the orphans , accompanied by adult administrators , had split into groups of five , with three older boys equipped with a cell phone and cash leading two younger boys . by nightfall , the orphans had walked for hours . they spent the night on the floor of a religious school outside mingora , after authorities re-imposed a curfew in the swat valley . on monday evening the children arrived exhausted and dirty in peshawar after traveling more than 24 hours . one of their adult chaperones estimated they had to travel on foot for more then 20 miles before eventually finding vehicle transport to complete the journey . administrators said one of the boys , named ubaid , somehow became separated from the rest of the group , and ended up staying behind . they say he is back at the orphanage in mingora , being cared for by the pakistani soldiers stationed there . it was a long , chaotic journey and experience that i will never forget , ' said imran khan , one of the orphanage 's wardens . he said he had spent part of the journey carrying on his back a boy with a spinal problem . swat used to be known as paradise on earth , ' khan said . now it has become hell on earth . ' more than 360,000 people have fled the conflict zone since may 2 . | boys flee their swat valley orphanage after taliban attack their home |
israel <tsp> near the israel-gaza border ( cnn ) -- hours after a cease-fire was declared wednesday in israel 's conflict with gaza , it appeared to be holding , an israeli official said . we assumed it would take a while for the cease-fire to take hold , ' israel 's ambassador to the united states , michael oren , told cnn . i understand now that it has taken hold . there has n't been fire for a while and , of course , we are not firing , so there is a cease-fire . ' his remarks came after an israeli military spokeswoman , lt. col. avital leibovich , told cnn that five rockets had been fired from gaza in violation of the cease-fire . deputy foreign minister danny ayalon , in an interview with cnn , put the number of rockets at 12 . wednesday 's cease-fire followed eight days of violence along israel 's border with gaza and nearly 150 deaths -- the vast majority of them palestinian . egypt 's morsy praised for his key role in talks the cease-fire , announced in a joint news conference in cairo with u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton and egyptian foreign minister mohamed kamel amr , took effect at 9 p.m. ( 2 p.m . et ) . gazans took to the streets , firing guns into the air in celebration of what they considered to be a victory over israel 's military . the agreement calls for israel to halt all acts of aggression on gaza , including incursions and the targeting of people , according to egypt 's state news agency egynews . it also calls for the palestinian factions to cease all hostilities from gaza against israel , including the firing of rockets and attacks on the border . border crossings were to be opened thursday night , and the movement of people and goods across them was to be eased , it said . on the ground : follow updates from cnn 's reporters the agreement came after a day of negotiations that included clinton , egyptian president mohamed morsy and palestinian officials . israeli government spokesman mark regev said the agreement calls for complete and total cessation of all hostile activity initiated in the gaza strip . ' for us , that 's victory . that 's what we wanted , ' he said . prime minister benjamin netanyahu warned of possible additional military action if the cease-fire fails to lead to long-term security . but at this time , the right thing for the state of israel is to exhaust this opportunity to obtain a long-term cease fire , ' he said . netanyahu thanked u.s. president barack obama for his unreserved support ' of israel 's actions . it was the november 14 assassination by israeli forces of ahmed al-ja'abari , the head of hamas'military wing , that ignited the fighting . opinion : will real change come from this cease-fire ? israel launched its offensive with a stated goal of ending the rocket attacks on southern israel from inside gaza by degrading the ability of palestinians to launch such attacks . their attempts backfired against them , ' said khaled meshaal , a hamas political leader . they wanted to destroy the infrastructure of the resistance of hamas . they claim they have done so , and they have not . they are bankrupt . ' he cited israel 's destruction of buildings and killings that included civilians . this is their accomplishment , ' he said . they have nothing else to show . and our rockets continued to strike them until the last minute . ' israel will hold hamas responsible for any attacks from gaza , whether conducted by that organization or any others , regev said . he said the agreement reflects that understanding . ireport : share your stories from the region as he was preparing to return to new york from tel aviv , u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon said late wednesday his biggest concern was for the safety of civilians , no matter where they are . innocent people , including children , have been killed or injured on both sides . families on both sides were forced to cower in fear as the violence raged around them . ' he said that more than 139 palestinians had been killed , more than 70 of them civilians , and more than 900 were injured . in addition , some 10,000 palestinians had lost their homes , he said , adding there was a critical need for humanitarian aid in the territory . idf 's leibovich dismissed such concerns . there is no crisis in gaza , ' she told cnn , adding that she had seen pictures wednesday morning of markets filled with fresh produce . i understand that some things are not convenient , ' she said . during the conflict , rocket fire killed four israeli civilians and wounded 219 other people , most of them civilians , three of them seriously , ban said . in addition , an israeli soldier was killed and 16 were wounded , one critically , he said . smuggling weapons to gaza -- the long way in all , 1,456 rockets were estimated to have been fired from gaza into israel , with three long-range missiles hitting the outskirts of jerusalem , a move he called unprecedented . ' israeli forces reported strikes on more than 1,450 targets in gaza , ban said . they targeted , but were not limited to , attacks on rocket-launching sites , military bases , police stations and tunnels along the border with egypt , he said . hundreds of other buildings were hit , ban said , adding that he condemned indiscriminate rocket fire from gaza into israel , ' but also believed that the excessive and disproportionate use of force that endangers civilian lives is intolerable . ' long-term solutions for gaza and the palestinians in general must be found , he said . once calm is fully restored and the violence ends , a broader cease-fire will have to address all the underlying causes of conflict , including the full opening of crossings , palestinian reconciliation and an end to weapons smuggling . ' how middle east has changed since last gaza conflict regev said the deal calls for talks to begin thursday on easing economic restrictions on gaza . if the border is quiet , that enables us to be more forthcoming , ' he said . clinton , who shuttled among israel , the west bank and egypt to help negotiate the deal , said the united states will continue to work with regional partners to implement and expand the agreement . obama spoke wednesday morning with morsy , thanking the egyptian leader for his leadership in negotiating the proposal . as recently as wednesday afternoon , hamas officials had been calling for more strikes against israel , while that country 's military continued to press its campaign against what it said were suspected rocket-launching sites and terrorist hideouts . ' arab-americans watch conflict with mix of worry , relief the cease-fire talks , held in the west bank , israel and cairo , continued despite a lunchtime bus attack near the defense ministry headquarters in tel aviv . at least two bombs were planted on the bus , israeli police spokesman micky rosenfeld said . one of the bombs exploded , blowing out the windows of the bus , he said . rosenfeld said 24 people were wounded , three of them seriously . aviva shemer with ichilov hospital said pedestrians were among the injured . belief blog : how u.s. jews view the situation police said they were seeking at least one and possibly two suspects . hamas put its own spin on the attack in a banner on al-aqsa , calling it a natural response to the massacre of the al-dalou family and targeting of innocent palestinian civilians . ' nine members of the al-dalou family died sunday in an israeli airstrike , provoking outrage among palestinians . we told you # idf that our blessed hands will reach your leaders and soldiers wherever they are , ' the al qassam brigades , the military wing of hamas , said on twitter . you opened the gates of hell on yourselves . ' diplomats said they were hoping to avoid a repeat of 2008 and 2009 , when at least 1,400 people died as israeli troops invaded gaza after similar rocket attacks . analysis : conflict shifts balance of power in the middle east cnn 's tom watkins , ben brumfield , dana ford , arwa damon , ben wedeman , christiane amanpour , mohamed fadel fahmy , saad abedine , sara sidner , frederik pleitgen , kareem khadder , saad abedine , ingrid formanek , nicki goulding , neda farshbaf , marilia brocchetto and reza sayah contributed to this report . | i understand that it has taken hold , ' israel 's u.s. ambassador says of cease-fire |
israel <tsp> near the israel-gaza border ( cnn ) -- hours after a cease-fire was declared wednesday in israel 's conflict with gaza , it appeared to be holding , an israeli official said . we assumed it would take a while for the cease-fire to take hold , ' israel 's ambassador to the united states , michael oren , told cnn . i understand now that it has taken hold . there has n't been fire for a while and , of course , we are not firing , so there is a cease-fire . ' his remarks came after an israeli military spokeswoman , lt. col. avital leibovich , told cnn that five rockets had been fired from gaza in violation of the cease-fire . deputy foreign minister danny ayalon , in an interview with cnn , put the number of rockets at 12 . wednesday 's cease-fire followed eight days of violence along israel 's border with gaza and nearly 150 deaths -- the vast majority of them palestinian . egypt 's morsy praised for his key role in talks the cease-fire , announced in a joint news conference in cairo with u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton and egyptian foreign minister mohamed kamel amr , took effect at 9 p.m. ( 2 p.m . et ) . gazans took to the streets , firing guns into the air in celebration of what they considered to be a victory over israel 's military . the agreement calls for israel to halt all acts of aggression on gaza , including incursions and the targeting of people , according to egypt 's state news agency egynews . it also calls for the palestinian factions to cease all hostilities from gaza against israel , including the firing of rockets and attacks on the border . border crossings were to be opened thursday night , and the movement of people and goods across them was to be eased , it said . on the ground : follow updates from cnn 's reporters the agreement came after a day of negotiations that included clinton , egyptian president mohamed morsy and palestinian officials . israeli government spokesman mark regev said the agreement calls for complete and total cessation of all hostile activity initiated in the gaza strip . ' for us , that 's victory . that 's what we wanted , ' he said . prime minister benjamin netanyahu warned of possible additional military action if the cease-fire fails to lead to long-term security . but at this time , the right thing for the state of israel is to exhaust this opportunity to obtain a long-term cease fire , ' he said . netanyahu thanked u.s. president barack obama for his unreserved support ' of israel 's actions . it was the november 14 assassination by israeli forces of ahmed al-ja'abari , the head of hamas'military wing , that ignited the fighting . opinion : will real change come from this cease-fire ? israel launched its offensive with a stated goal of ending the rocket attacks on southern israel from inside gaza by degrading the ability of palestinians to launch such attacks . their attempts backfired against them , ' said khaled meshaal , a hamas political leader . they wanted to destroy the infrastructure of the resistance of hamas . they claim they have done so , and they have not . they are bankrupt . ' he cited israel 's destruction of buildings and killings that included civilians . this is their accomplishment , ' he said . they have nothing else to show . and our rockets continued to strike them until the last minute . ' israel will hold hamas responsible for any attacks from gaza , whether conducted by that organization or any others , regev said . he said the agreement reflects that understanding . ireport : share your stories from the region as he was preparing to return to new york from tel aviv , u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon said late wednesday his biggest concern was for the safety of civilians , no matter where they are . innocent people , including children , have been killed or injured on both sides . families on both sides were forced to cower in fear as the violence raged around them . ' he said that more than 139 palestinians had been killed , more than 70 of them civilians , and more than 900 were injured . in addition , some 10,000 palestinians had lost their homes , he said , adding there was a critical need for humanitarian aid in the territory . idf 's leibovich dismissed such concerns . there is no crisis in gaza , ' she told cnn , adding that she had seen pictures wednesday morning of markets filled with fresh produce . i understand that some things are not convenient , ' she said . during the conflict , rocket fire killed four israeli civilians and wounded 219 other people , most of them civilians , three of them seriously , ban said . in addition , an israeli soldier was killed and 16 were wounded , one critically , he said . smuggling weapons to gaza -- the long way in all , 1,456 rockets were estimated to have been fired from gaza into israel , with three long-range missiles hitting the outskirts of jerusalem , a move he called unprecedented . ' israeli forces reported strikes on more than 1,450 targets in gaza , ban said . they targeted , but were not limited to , attacks on rocket-launching sites , military bases , police stations and tunnels along the border with egypt , he said . hundreds of other buildings were hit , ban said , adding that he condemned indiscriminate rocket fire from gaza into israel , ' but also believed that the excessive and disproportionate use of force that endangers civilian lives is intolerable . ' long-term solutions for gaza and the palestinians in general must be found , he said . once calm is fully restored and the violence ends , a broader cease-fire will have to address all the underlying causes of conflict , including the full opening of crossings , palestinian reconciliation and an end to weapons smuggling . ' how middle east has changed since last gaza conflict regev said the deal calls for talks to begin thursday on easing economic restrictions on gaza . if the border is quiet , that enables us to be more forthcoming , ' he said . clinton , who shuttled among israel , the west bank and egypt to help negotiate the deal , said the united states will continue to work with regional partners to implement and expand the agreement . obama spoke wednesday morning with morsy , thanking the egyptian leader for his leadership in negotiating the proposal . as recently as wednesday afternoon , hamas officials had been calling for more strikes against israel , while that country 's military continued to press its campaign against what it said were suspected rocket-launching sites and terrorist hideouts . ' arab-americans watch conflict with mix of worry , relief the cease-fire talks , held in the west bank , israel and cairo , continued despite a lunchtime bus attack near the defense ministry headquarters in tel aviv . at least two bombs were planted on the bus , israeli police spokesman micky rosenfeld said . one of the bombs exploded , blowing out the windows of the bus , he said . rosenfeld said 24 people were wounded , three of them seriously . aviva shemer with ichilov hospital said pedestrians were among the injured . belief blog : how u.s. jews view the situation police said they were seeking at least one and possibly two suspects . hamas put its own spin on the attack in a banner on al-aqsa , calling it a natural response to the massacre of the al-dalou family and targeting of innocent palestinian civilians . ' nine members of the al-dalou family died sunday in an israeli airstrike , provoking outrage among palestinians . we told you # idf that our blessed hands will reach your leaders and soldiers wherever they are , ' the al qassam brigades , the military wing of hamas , said on twitter . you opened the gates of hell on yourselves . ' diplomats said they were hoping to avoid a repeat of 2008 and 2009 , when at least 1,400 people died as israeli troops invaded gaza after similar rocket attacks . analysis : conflict shifts balance of power in the middle east cnn 's tom watkins , ben brumfield , dana ford , arwa damon , ben wedeman , christiane amanpour , mohamed fadel fahmy , saad abedine , sara sidner , frederik pleitgen , kareem khadder , saad abedine , ingrid formanek , nicki goulding , neda farshbaf , marilia brocchetto and reza sayah contributed to this report . | israel alleges violations of the hours-old cease-fire ; one official says five , another 12 |
stonehenge <tsp> ( cnn ) -- stonehenge , an enigma to visitors and scientists alike for so many years , became less of a mystery after a discovery announced to the world this week . a stone circle discovered near stonehenge may suggest the prehistoric monument was part of a funeral route . archaeologists have unearthed a new stone circle near stonehenge that lends credence to the theory that the famous prehistoric monument in britain was part of a funeral complex . university of bristol archaeologist joshua pollard described the new find as incredible ' because it establishes stonehenge as part of a larger ceremonial complex linked to the nearby river avon . no one could have predicted there was another stone circle so close by , ' said pollard , co-director of the excavation project that began in 2004 . this , he said , changes the perception of the popular tourist destination 90 miles west of london . the new find , dubbed bluestonehenge ' after the color of the 25 welsh stones of which it was once composed , sits along the avon a mile away from its famous sister circle , pollard said . neolithic peoples would have come down river by boat and literally stepped off into bluestonehenge , pollard said . they may have congregated at certain times of the year , including the winter solstice , and carried remains of the dead from bluestonehenge down an almost two-mile funeral processional route to a cemetery at stonehenge to bury them . it could be that bluestonehenge was where the dead began their final journey to stonehenge , ' said mike parker pearson , an archaeologist at the university of sheffield who co-directed the project with pollard . not many people know that stonehenge was britain 's largest burial ground at that time , ' he said . maybe the blue stone circle is where people were cremated before their ashes were buried at stonehenge itself . ' proof of life artifacts -- pottery , animal bones , food residues and flint tools used in the stone age -- are decidedly absent at stonehenge but were found upstream in a village discovered by the excavation team in 2005 , leading researchers to believe that stonehenge was indeed a burial ground . but people have debated the purpose of stonehenge for decades . known for its orientation in relation to the rising and setting sun , the circle of stones represented a prehistoric temple to some . others argued it was an astronomical observatory . or that it was a marker of time . but pollard is sticking to his theory . he said others have not based their suppositions on archaeological finds . archaeologists began the latest excavation with the hope of tracking the course of the avenue that led to stonehenge . they had no idea they would stumble upon a second circle that would help uncover the mystery of stonehenge . the stones at bluestonehenge were removed thousands of years ago , pollard said , but the sizes of the remaining pits , about 33 feet in diameter , point to giant blue stones from the preseli mountains of wales , about 150 miles away . pollard said that neolithic people dragged the pillarlike blue stones along the processional route to stonehenge to incorporate them in a major rebuilding that took place around 2500 b.c . archaeologists know that after 2500 , stonehenge consisted of about 60 welsh stones and 83 local sarsen stones . some of the blue stones that once stood on the river 's edge probably now stand within the center of stonehenge , pollard said . scientists plan to use radiocarbon dating techniques to better understand the history of the entire site . stonehenge remains as striking as ever . but with each new find , the enigma fades just a little . | some have viewed stonehenge as temple , astronomical observatory |
stonehenge <tsp> ( cnn ) -- stonehenge , an enigma to visitors and scientists alike for so many years , became less of a mystery after a discovery announced to the world this week . a stone circle discovered near stonehenge may suggest the prehistoric monument was part of a funeral route . archaeologists have unearthed a new stone circle near stonehenge that lends credence to the theory that the famous prehistoric monument in britain was part of a funeral complex . university of bristol archaeologist joshua pollard described the new find as incredible ' because it establishes stonehenge as part of a larger ceremonial complex linked to the nearby river avon . no one could have predicted there was another stone circle so close by , ' said pollard , co-director of the excavation project that began in 2004 . this , he said , changes the perception of the popular tourist destination 90 miles west of london . the new find , dubbed bluestonehenge ' after the color of the 25 welsh stones of which it was once composed , sits along the avon a mile away from its famous sister circle , pollard said . neolithic peoples would have come down river by boat and literally stepped off into bluestonehenge , pollard said . they may have congregated at certain times of the year , including the winter solstice , and carried remains of the dead from bluestonehenge down an almost two-mile funeral processional route to a cemetery at stonehenge to bury them . it could be that bluestonehenge was where the dead began their final journey to stonehenge , ' said mike parker pearson , an archaeologist at the university of sheffield who co-directed the project with pollard . not many people know that stonehenge was britain 's largest burial ground at that time , ' he said . maybe the blue stone circle is where people were cremated before their ashes were buried at stonehenge itself . ' proof of life artifacts -- pottery , animal bones , food residues and flint tools used in the stone age -- are decidedly absent at stonehenge but were found upstream in a village discovered by the excavation team in 2005 , leading researchers to believe that stonehenge was indeed a burial ground . but people have debated the purpose of stonehenge for decades . known for its orientation in relation to the rising and setting sun , the circle of stones represented a prehistoric temple to some . others argued it was an astronomical observatory . or that it was a marker of time . but pollard is sticking to his theory . he said others have not based their suppositions on archaeological finds . archaeologists began the latest excavation with the hope of tracking the course of the avenue that led to stonehenge . they had no idea they would stumble upon a second circle that would help uncover the mystery of stonehenge . the stones at bluestonehenge were removed thousands of years ago , pollard said , but the sizes of the remaining pits , about 33 feet in diameter , point to giant blue stones from the preseli mountains of wales , about 150 miles away . pollard said that neolithic people dragged the pillarlike blue stones along the processional route to stonehenge to incorporate them in a major rebuilding that took place around 2500 b.c . archaeologists know that after 2500 , stonehenge consisted of about 60 welsh stones and 83 local sarsen stones . some of the blue stones that once stood on the river 's edge probably now stand within the center of stonehenge , pollard said . scientists plan to use radiocarbon dating techniques to better understand the history of the entire site . stonehenge remains as striking as ever . but with each new find , the enigma fades just a little . | discovery of lost stone circle sheds new light on stonehenge 's purpose |
mls <tsp> cnn -- spanish champions barcelona have announced that striker thierry henry and midfielder yaya toure will leave the club before the new season . france international henry scored four goals in 15 starts last season for the champions league semifinalists , as he fell down the pecking order following the arrival of zlatan ibrahimovic and , last month , spain star david villa . the 32-year-old recently returned from the world cup in south africa after france failed to win a single game and make it past the group stage of the tournament . right now , he needs to take a step forward . this implies that this coming season , barca will not have to pay his salary , ' barcelona director general joan oliver said of henry , who has a year left on his contract . a world cup winner in 1998 and a losing finalist four years ago , this year he played a minor role as a substitute as his career continued the decline that began with his departure from english club arsenal three years ago . while contributing to barcelona 's unprecedented treble in 2008-09 , capped by a champions league title , he struggled with injury at times and was even usurped by younger players at the nou camp such as winger pedro . toure has also been told he can leave the club , with english side manchester city reportedly favorites to reunite the 27-year-old with his brother and ivory coast international teammate kolo . barcelona director general joan oliver has said that the club has agreed the exits of yaya toure and thierry henry , ' a statement on the club 's website said on tuesday . but at the moment the final moves are in their hands . in case of toure , oliver has recognized an understanding between the club interested in the midfielder , manchester city , and barca , but the transfer can not be made official yet . ' henry has been strongly linked with a move to american major league soccer team new york red bulls in the past . he is a big basketball fan and is often seen with close friend tony parker of nba side san antonio spurs when visiting the u.s . in 2001 , henry flew out to philadelphia to help cover the nba finals for a french television channel . | the 32-year-old has been strongly linked with a move to mls side new york red bulls |
jacoby <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the government 's open . washington is back at work . house republicans , licking their wounds , are asking themselves what 's next . and president barack obama has thrown down the gauntlet : the top item on his agenda is immigration reform . what are the chances that the house will now move ahead on immigration ? the answer will have less to do with immigration than with how the budget battle has changed the larger political dynamic in washington . house republicans'views on immigration are untested , and many advocates for reform believe they are implacably hostile . but the truth is republican opinion has been evolving since the 2012 election . more and more house republicans , perhaps the majority , know that reform is overdue and that the gop must be part of the solution -- to remain competitive with latino voters and because it 's the right thing to do . individual lawmakers and essential staff continued to work on the issue even through the dark days of the shutdown . and members are coalescing around answers to the hardest of the hard questions : what to do about immigrants living in the united states illegally ? house majority leader eric cantor is working on a bill that would create a path to citizenship for dreamers ' brought to the u.s. illegally as children . and one recent informal count found 84 house republicans -- more than one third of the total -- in favor of legal status for the dreamers'parents . bottom line : if it were n't for the rancor of the budget brawl , the house might be in a good place on immigration , with republicans ready to move forward and pass a package of measures they could send to a conference with the senate bill . opinion : key to immigration reform -- worker visas so what exactly is the fallout from the budget battle ? surprisingly , it appears to cut both ways -- both for and against the prospect of an immigration overhaul . even before the government reopened , two different factions were making their voices heard . some , such as rep. raul labrador of idaho -- an opponent of the budget deal but a strong proponent of immigration reform -- argued that the budget battle had made it hard , if not impossible , for house republicans to reach a deal with obama . others , such as rep. aaron schock of illinois , who voted for the budget package , said it 's time to get back to the give and take of governing -- time to sit down with democrats and compromise , including on immigration . opinion : it 's not syria holding up immigration reform which of these two sentiments will prove stronger in the house ? gop lawmakers are reeling from their recent drubbing . skepticism and negativity are at an all-time high . and it will take both kinds of champions -- tough-minded and accommodating -- to negotiate a deal . but if enough other republicans agree with schock and make their views known , that could empower leadership to open the way to consideration of some immigration bills . a handful of hard-line conservatives -- the group that opposed the budget deal -- still hold enormous sway in the house . and just because speaker john boehner waived the so-called hastert rule once -- bringing the legislation that ended the shutdown up for a vote when he knew it lacked support from the majority of the republican majority -- does n't mean he 'll do that again anytime soon . the house republican conference is only as strong as it is cohesive , and the majority-of-the-majority rule has proved a good way to maintain that power and cohesion . still , the complex dynamic that drives republicans in the house may have shifted somewhat in the shutdown . certainly you hear a lot more grumbling , in private and in public , about the power of the hard-line naysayers . other members are tired of being held hostage . many want to get on with governing , making deals on a wide range of issues . and a few , such as schock , are starting to say so , even on tv . opinion : how obama can clinch immigration deal that 's a ray of hope . but there 's still another danger looming . the one thing house republicans are not going to do in the wake of the budget battle -- not on any issue , in any circumstances -- is a favor for obama . and to the degree that immigration reform is seen as obama 's issue , it will be dead on arrival in the house . the question for house republicans , leadership and rank and file : do they want to cede the issue to obama ? can they afford to let him own it ? more and more of the gop grasps that that 's a mistake . it 's a disaster politically for the party and a mistake for the nation , which needs reform , urgently , for the sake of the economy and the rule of law . what 's needed in the house now is not a favor for obama , but a strong conservative answer on one of the most vexing issues facing the nation . will house republicans see it that way ? can they take ownership and move forward ? the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of tamar jacoby . | jacoby : gop must take ownership , provide a strong conservative approach to reform |
jacoby <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the government 's open . washington is back at work . house republicans , licking their wounds , are asking themselves what 's next . and president barack obama has thrown down the gauntlet : the top item on his agenda is immigration reform . what are the chances that the house will now move ahead on immigration ? the answer will have less to do with immigration than with how the budget battle has changed the larger political dynamic in washington . house republicans'views on immigration are untested , and many advocates for reform believe they are implacably hostile . but the truth is republican opinion has been evolving since the 2012 election . more and more house republicans , perhaps the majority , know that reform is overdue and that the gop must be part of the solution -- to remain competitive with latino voters and because it 's the right thing to do . individual lawmakers and essential staff continued to work on the issue even through the dark days of the shutdown . and members are coalescing around answers to the hardest of the hard questions : what to do about immigrants living in the united states illegally ? house majority leader eric cantor is working on a bill that would create a path to citizenship for dreamers ' brought to the u.s. illegally as children . and one recent informal count found 84 house republicans -- more than one third of the total -- in favor of legal status for the dreamers'parents . bottom line : if it were n't for the rancor of the budget brawl , the house might be in a good place on immigration , with republicans ready to move forward and pass a package of measures they could send to a conference with the senate bill . opinion : key to immigration reform -- worker visas so what exactly is the fallout from the budget battle ? surprisingly , it appears to cut both ways -- both for and against the prospect of an immigration overhaul . even before the government reopened , two different factions were making their voices heard . some , such as rep. raul labrador of idaho -- an opponent of the budget deal but a strong proponent of immigration reform -- argued that the budget battle had made it hard , if not impossible , for house republicans to reach a deal with obama . others , such as rep. aaron schock of illinois , who voted for the budget package , said it 's time to get back to the give and take of governing -- time to sit down with democrats and compromise , including on immigration . opinion : it 's not syria holding up immigration reform which of these two sentiments will prove stronger in the house ? gop lawmakers are reeling from their recent drubbing . skepticism and negativity are at an all-time high . and it will take both kinds of champions -- tough-minded and accommodating -- to negotiate a deal . but if enough other republicans agree with schock and make their views known , that could empower leadership to open the way to consideration of some immigration bills . a handful of hard-line conservatives -- the group that opposed the budget deal -- still hold enormous sway in the house . and just because speaker john boehner waived the so-called hastert rule once -- bringing the legislation that ended the shutdown up for a vote when he knew it lacked support from the majority of the republican majority -- does n't mean he 'll do that again anytime soon . the house republican conference is only as strong as it is cohesive , and the majority-of-the-majority rule has proved a good way to maintain that power and cohesion . still , the complex dynamic that drives republicans in the house may have shifted somewhat in the shutdown . certainly you hear a lot more grumbling , in private and in public , about the power of the hard-line naysayers . other members are tired of being held hostage . many want to get on with governing , making deals on a wide range of issues . and a few , such as schock , are starting to say so , even on tv . opinion : how obama can clinch immigration deal that 's a ray of hope . but there 's still another danger looming . the one thing house republicans are not going to do in the wake of the budget battle -- not on any issue , in any circumstances -- is a favor for obama . and to the degree that immigration reform is seen as obama 's issue , it will be dead on arrival in the house . the question for house republicans , leadership and rank and file : do they want to cede the issue to obama ? can they afford to let him own it ? more and more of the gop grasps that that 's a mistake . it 's a disaster politically for the party and a mistake for the nation , which needs reform , urgently , for the sake of the economy and the rule of law . what 's needed in the house now is not a favor for obama , but a strong conservative answer on one of the most vexing issues facing the nation . will house republicans see it that way ? can they take ownership and move forward ? the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of tamar jacoby . | tamar jacoby : after budget battle , gop may be in no mood for immigration overhaul |
western united states <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a new crispness in the air . the red , orange and yellow of the leaves changing colors . the crunch of the first few leaves on the ground . on that inevitable march toward winter , there are still a few weeks for the casual and determined leaf peeper alike to enjoy the leaves changing color before they fall . never mind that it happens every year . it 's because it 's fleeting is why it 's new every year , ' says mel allen , editor of yankee magazine . in each of his 33 years at the magazine leaf peeping has been a fall cover story . first day of autumn : share your photos with ireport ' it 's fall and the leaves are becoming beautiful ; apple orchards ; and the hawks are flying overhead . it 's a sensual experience , ' he says . if you were to talk to someone in new orleans who had had 33 mardi gras , they 'd still be excited about it , ' says allen . this is our party . ' different shades of red , orange and yellow while evergreen trees such as pines and spruces have foliage that has evolved to survive extreme temperature changes , deciduous ( broad-leaved ) trees have evolved to drop their leaves and go dormant for the winter , says ed sharron , a science communication specialist with the national park service 's northeast temperate network in vermont . it 's such stark contrast , ' says sharron , who 's based at marsh billings rockefeller national historical park in woodstock , vermont . there are different shades of green , of course , when you start to get that variation of oranges and reds and purples and greens all together . it 's pretty spectacular . ' ed sharron : why leaves change color trees that have been stressed throughout the year by extensive drought or many other factors , they may decide to pack it in early and go dormant for the winter sooner than during a typical year , ' sharron says . this could cause their leaves to fall off sooner or be browner than normal . every year is different and you never can tell how good the foliage season is going to be until it 's here . ' the northeast 's most popular sites who cares if it 's clichã© to say that first-time leaf peepers should drive new hampshire 's kancamagus highway ; visit woodstock or smuggler 's notch in vermont , or head north to acadia national park in maine ? there 's a reason why they 're so popular , and these are places i try to go to every year , ' says jim salge , a new hampshire-based trained meteorologist and high school physics teacher who blogs about the fall foliage season for yankee magazine . if salge has an extra day this year , he 'll head to dixville notch in far northern new hampshire , where the leaves are likely to peak by late september . the mountains are really jagged and have a feel unlike anywhere else in the northeast . ' photos : fantastic fall foliage between north and south northern and southern trees meet peacefully at the delaware water gap national recreation area , a national park service area that includes the states of new jersey and pennsylvania . in the delaware gap i think we have some of the best fall foliage , ' says kathleen sandt , a park ranger in the national recreation area . we are on the border of northern species that usually do n't come down south and the border for some of the trees that grow in the southern region . ' the gap is also home to trees living at different elevations . there are sycamores , elms , maples , poplars on a fertile flood plain along the river . at higher elevations , there are various types of oaks and maples to see as hikers head up toward the mountains . tree spotters may be pleased to spot the american larch , a deciduous conifer that is n't found much farther south . it 's a rare combination of a deciduous tree , which means it loses its leaves each fall ; and a conifer , which has needles and cones . in the fall the larch 's needles turn bright yellow and fall , like leaves . it grows in wetter areas in the park , and it 's spectacular in the fall , ' sandt says . head north to maine country fall is wanda moran 's favorite season . the acadia national park ranger loves the cold and clear weather that is already coming to the maine island . it smells like fall , the leaves start turning and it gets really pretty , ' says moran , a mainer by birth . it 's a beautiful time to be here , and it 's a nice hiking and biking time . ' prime leaf peeping season varies a lot throughout the state , she says . trees are likely to change colors in northern maine during the last week in september , while central and western maine leaves will likely peak the first week in october . the coast usually peaks the week of columbus day and the week after , and acadia will peak the second or third week in october . moran 's favorite spot at acadia : beech mountain is a nice place to climb if you want to get up high . it 's a pretty easy climb and you get beautiful views all together , looking way out into the ocean . ' she also likes baxter state park and seeing the leaves on the drive from ellsworth to bangor on route 1a . leaf peeping out west although new england tends to dominate articles about leaf peeping , it 's rumored that trees in colder parts of the rest of the united states also have leaves that change colors . as colorado heads toward ski season , its national parks are starting to burst into fall colors . rocky mountain national park is known for trail ridge road , where aspen trees at lower elevations transform to gold among the evergreens . ( trail ridge road is also included in peak to peak , a state-designated scenic byway . ) colorado 's white river national forest , home to the heavily photographed maroon bells and 10 ski areas , is also packed with beautiful leaf peeping areas . it 's also the current home of this year 's capitol christmas tree . check the impressive evergreens out while they 're still firmly rooted . not surprisingly , new mexico 's five national forests also pack a lot of fall foliage at varying elevations . carson national forest is home to wheeler peak , which at 13,161 feet is the highest spot in new mexico . santa fe national forest 's 1.6 million acres includes 13,103-foot-high truchas peak , within the pecos wilderness . do n't stress about peak foliage ' many veteran peepers go searching for the perfect peak foliage ' moment in vermont ( or maine or massachusetts ) when the leaves are the perfect combination of red , brown , orange and yellow , where the red farm house in the distance is perfectly in contrast and the apple cider tastes just crisp enough . it 's a mythical term , ' yankee magazine 's allen says . there is no such thing . ' fifteen miles down the road , the leaves may have already fallen and another 15 miles down the road , the leaves may not be ready to fall . think it of it as a continuum and make it a journey . ' five fabulous fall foliage train rides where are your favorite places to find fall foliage ? does your family have any other fall traditions to mark the end of summer , the harvest and the start of winter ? | do n't forget the mountain ranges of the western united states have spectacular fall seasons |
rising star <tsp> ( cnn ) -- rising star , ' abc 's new singing competition , has n't exactly risen to the top . the series made its debut on sunday with josh groban as the host and ludacris , kesha and brad paisley as the celebrity experts . to set itself apart from the numerous other singing competitions , rising star ' hangs its hat on its revolutionary ' voting method : instead of waiting until after the show is over or leaning heavily on the outlook of the judges , rising star 's ' viewers can vote for contestants in real time through an app . if a contender gets a 70 % approval ( and the celebrity experts each have 7 % of the vote ) , they 're cleared to stick around . during sunday 's two-hour premiere , the format seemed to work well enough , except for those who had the misfortune of living on the west coast and thus were only able to vote for contestants that did n't get enough votes from the east coast to move on . the real glitch , according to critics , was the lackluster talent all around -- the celebrity experts lacked chemistry and the hopeful winners were n't that impressive . variety found it to be generic , inept and occasionally offensive , ' not to mention the definition of trainwreck television . ' entertainment weekly called it a joyless experiment in reality innovation ' that 's saddled with a trio of celebrity experts who show little to no real enthusiasm for the program ' and a contestant lineup that shows little promise for giving'rising star'a coveted slot on your sunday night dvr . ' billboard magazine was more engrossed , falling for the opportunity to hold a person 's fate in the music industry in my very hands ( and ) ... also potentially get my facebook profile picture that i have n't changed in three years on a giant televised wall . ' yet while the voting and interactive aspect worked shockingly well , ' it 's still a singing show , and that 's where abc should focus , ' billboard critiqued , possibly by cutting the live pre-stage interviews and predicting a little more accurately who the at-home audience will respond to well . we really just want to see some good singers and have sole control of their fate , as promised . ' judging from the premiere ratings , abc has room to grow with rising star . ' the competition 's first episode was watched by 5.1 million viewers and achieved a 1.5 rating in the desired adult demo of 18-49 . at the very least , that does make rising star ' abc 's highest-rated summer debut in two years . | new singing competition rising star ' debuted sunday on abc |
americans <tsp> editor 's note : jack cafferty is the author of a new book , now or never : getting down to the business of saving our american dream . ' he provides commentary on cnn 's the situation room ' daily from 4 to 7 p.m . et . you can also visit jack 's cafferty file blog . jack cafferty says people are losing faith in their ability to realize the american dream . new york ( cnn ) -- there is a chill wind blowing across this land of ours . people are losing faith in their ability to realize the american dream . while aig pays out $ 165 million in bonuses to people who arguably contributed to the need for the federal government to hand them $ 170 billion of our money , and while politicians lie about who crafted the language that allowed this kind of stuff to happen ( are you listening chris dodd ? ) , the average american is seeing his future disintegrate in front of his eyes . here are some numbers that suggest we are losing hope : a cnn-opinion research corp. poll shows 39 percent of those surveyed say they 're very confident they 'll be able to keep up their quality of life . that 's down from 45 percent a year ago . fifty percent of homeowners with a mortgage say they 're very confident they can keep making their house payments . again , that 's down from 58 percent a year ago . also down are the percentages of americans who are confident they can pay their other debts , things like credit cards and car loans . when it comes to saving for long-term goals , it 's even worse . only 24 percent of parents say they 're very confident they 'll be able to pay to send their children to college , and only 22 percent of those who are still working think they 'll be able to save enough for retirement . this used to be the country where each succeeding generation could look forward to a better quality of life than their parents enjoyed . in the meantime , as the federal government continues to print money that is n't worth the paper it 's written on and as our national debt soars past $ 11 trillion , a united nations panel is set to recommend that the world ditch the u.s. dollar as its reserve currency in favor of a shared basket of currencies . one of the enduring strengths of the dollar has been that it has always been the currency of choice in times of crisis . but that 's not the case anymore . our ballooning deficits have driven down the value of the dollar so much that the chinese government recently asked for guarantees from washington that the treasury bills they own are safe . all of this is n't lost on the average american . last week there were protests and demonstrations by taxpayers in cities all around the country who are beginning to object in increasing numbers to runaway government spending , taxes , bailouts and our growing national debt . these protests were called tea parties . has a familiar ring to it , does n't it ? the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of jack cafferty . | americans worried about paying off loans and sending children to college , he says |
magnussen <tsp> ( cnn ) -- after months of speculation , one of formula one 's worst kept secrets has finally been confirmed . fernando alonso , the double world champion who recently left ferrari , will rejoin mclaren for the 2015 season , which gets underway in march . the spaniard , who won back-to-back world titles with renault in 2005 and 2006 , joins the british team after ending his four-year association with ferrari . he will be partnered by jenson button , whose services were retained above kevin magnussen , who stays on as a test and reserve driver . between them , alonso and button have won three world titles , 47 grands prix and achieved 147 podium finishes from a combined 500 races . now 33 , alonso will be expected to boost mclaren 's fortunes after a season which saw it struggle to match the pace set by the all-conquering mercedes team . over the past year i have received several offers , some of them really tempting given the current performance of some of the teams that showed interest , ' he said in a statement . but , more than a year ago , mclaren-honda contacted me and asked me to take part , in a very active way , in the return of their partnership -- a partnership that dominated the formula 1 scene for so long . ' between 1988 and 1992 , mclaren and honda won 44 grands prix out of 80 , with ayrton senna and alain prost winning all but one of the 16 races in one season . i still remember , as a kid , the posters in my wardrobe , my toy cars in which i dreamed i would one day emulate ayrton , and the kart that my father built for my older sister , and that i ended up falling in love with , ' alonso added . that kart had the livery of one of the most legendary partnerships in the history of formula 1 , mclaren-honda , the car that ayrton drove , the same partnership to which i am now honored to join . i am joining this project with enormous enthusiasm and determination , knowing that it may require some time to achieve the results we are aiming for , which is no problem for me . ' it remains to be seen whether mclaren 's new engine partnership with honda returns it to the top of the sport . alonso previously joined mclaren in 2007 , but left after just one season due to tensions between him and then rookie teammate lewis hamilton -- the now mercedes driver who was crowned 2014 world champion last month . this time around , alonso will be paired with the vastly experienced button . the briton , who won the 2009 drivers'title with brawn , has signed a new deal to extend his four-year stay with the team . i am extremely excited to be embarking on my 16th year in formula 1 and my sixth season for mclaren , ' said the 34-year-old , whose future had been heavily debated in recent days . like fernando , i am certain that mclaren and honda will achieve great things together , and i feel sure that , working together , all of us will pull incredibly hard to create a brilliantly effective winning team . i admired ayrton senna enormously , but , for me , it was the exploits of alain prost that inspired me most as a boy .'the best driver lineup' ' the way he stroked those beautifully brutal red-and-white cars to grand prix wins and world championships was to my mind poetry in motion , and i have tried to emulate his driving style ever since . being a part of new-look mclaren-honda is a wonderful opportunity for all of us and i am very pleased to have been invited to do my bit . in fact , i am absolutely raring to go . ' i am sure ( fernando and i ) will work extremely well together . ' after plenty of uncertainty over whether button or magnussen would be retained for 2015 , mclaren chairman and ceo ron dennis is delighted with the pairing of two former world champions . i can safely say that we now have by an order of magnitude the best driver lineup of any current formula 1 team , ' he said . we signed fernando a little ago , but we decided not to announce the fact until we had also re-signed jenson as his teammate . for many reasons , our negotiations with jenson took quite a long time . ' the decision to retain button means magnussen loses his seat after just one season in the sport . the dane finished 71 points behind button in this year 's championship . i am very glad that kevin will remain part of the team , ' said button . he is a very quick driver and a really nice guy . ' | magnussen will stay on as reserve and test driver |
magnussen <tsp> ( cnn ) -- after months of speculation , one of formula one 's worst kept secrets has finally been confirmed . fernando alonso , the double world champion who recently left ferrari , will rejoin mclaren for the 2015 season , which gets underway in march . the spaniard , who won back-to-back world titles with renault in 2005 and 2006 , joins the british team after ending his four-year association with ferrari . he will be partnered by jenson button , whose services were retained above kevin magnussen , who stays on as a test and reserve driver . between them , alonso and button have won three world titles , 47 grands prix and achieved 147 podium finishes from a combined 500 races . now 33 , alonso will be expected to boost mclaren 's fortunes after a season which saw it struggle to match the pace set by the all-conquering mercedes team . over the past year i have received several offers , some of them really tempting given the current performance of some of the teams that showed interest , ' he said in a statement . but , more than a year ago , mclaren-honda contacted me and asked me to take part , in a very active way , in the return of their partnership -- a partnership that dominated the formula 1 scene for so long . ' between 1988 and 1992 , mclaren and honda won 44 grands prix out of 80 , with ayrton senna and alain prost winning all but one of the 16 races in one season . i still remember , as a kid , the posters in my wardrobe , my toy cars in which i dreamed i would one day emulate ayrton , and the kart that my father built for my older sister , and that i ended up falling in love with , ' alonso added . that kart had the livery of one of the most legendary partnerships in the history of formula 1 , mclaren-honda , the car that ayrton drove , the same partnership to which i am now honored to join . i am joining this project with enormous enthusiasm and determination , knowing that it may require some time to achieve the results we are aiming for , which is no problem for me . ' it remains to be seen whether mclaren 's new engine partnership with honda returns it to the top of the sport . alonso previously joined mclaren in 2007 , but left after just one season due to tensions between him and then rookie teammate lewis hamilton -- the now mercedes driver who was crowned 2014 world champion last month . this time around , alonso will be paired with the vastly experienced button . the briton , who won the 2009 drivers'title with brawn , has signed a new deal to extend his four-year stay with the team . i am extremely excited to be embarking on my 16th year in formula 1 and my sixth season for mclaren , ' said the 34-year-old , whose future had been heavily debated in recent days . like fernando , i am certain that mclaren and honda will achieve great things together , and i feel sure that , working together , all of us will pull incredibly hard to create a brilliantly effective winning team . i admired ayrton senna enormously , but , for me , it was the exploits of alain prost that inspired me most as a boy .'the best driver lineup' ' the way he stroked those beautifully brutal red-and-white cars to grand prix wins and world championships was to my mind poetry in motion , and i have tried to emulate his driving style ever since . being a part of new-look mclaren-honda is a wonderful opportunity for all of us and i am very pleased to have been invited to do my bit . in fact , i am absolutely raring to go . ' i am sure ( fernando and i ) will work extremely well together . ' after plenty of uncertainty over whether button or magnussen would be retained for 2015 , mclaren chairman and ceo ron dennis is delighted with the pairing of two former world champions . i can safely say that we now have by an order of magnitude the best driver lineup of any current formula 1 team , ' he said . we signed fernando a little ago , but we decided not to announce the fact until we had also re-signed jenson as his teammate . for many reasons , our negotiations with jenson took quite a long time . ' the decision to retain button means magnussen loses his seat after just one season in the sport . the dane finished 71 points behind button in this year 's championship . i am very glad that kevin will remain part of the team , ' said button . he is a very quick driver and a really nice guy . ' | alonso will be partnered by jenson button , retained above rookie kevin magnussen |
f1 <tsp> ( cnn ) -- after months of speculation , one of formula one 's worst kept secrets has finally been confirmed . fernando alonso , the double world champion who recently left ferrari , will rejoin mclaren for the 2015 season , which gets underway in march . the spaniard , who won back-to-back world titles with renault in 2005 and 2006 , joins the british team after ending his four-year association with ferrari . he will be partnered by jenson button , whose services were retained above kevin magnussen , who stays on as a test and reserve driver . between them , alonso and button have won three world titles , 47 grands prix and achieved 147 podium finishes from a combined 500 races . now 33 , alonso will be expected to boost mclaren 's fortunes after a season which saw it struggle to match the pace set by the all-conquering mercedes team . over the past year i have received several offers , some of them really tempting given the current performance of some of the teams that showed interest , ' he said in a statement . but , more than a year ago , mclaren-honda contacted me and asked me to take part , in a very active way , in the return of their partnership -- a partnership that dominated the formula 1 scene for so long . ' between 1988 and 1992 , mclaren and honda won 44 grands prix out of 80 , with ayrton senna and alain prost winning all but one of the 16 races in one season . i still remember , as a kid , the posters in my wardrobe , my toy cars in which i dreamed i would one day emulate ayrton , and the kart that my father built for my older sister , and that i ended up falling in love with , ' alonso added . that kart had the livery of one of the most legendary partnerships in the history of formula 1 , mclaren-honda , the car that ayrton drove , the same partnership to which i am now honored to join . i am joining this project with enormous enthusiasm and determination , knowing that it may require some time to achieve the results we are aiming for , which is no problem for me . ' it remains to be seen whether mclaren 's new engine partnership with honda returns it to the top of the sport . alonso previously joined mclaren in 2007 , but left after just one season due to tensions between him and then rookie teammate lewis hamilton -- the now mercedes driver who was crowned 2014 world champion last month . this time around , alonso will be paired with the vastly experienced button . the briton , who won the 2009 drivers'title with brawn , has signed a new deal to extend his four-year stay with the team . i am extremely excited to be embarking on my 16th year in formula 1 and my sixth season for mclaren , ' said the 34-year-old , whose future had been heavily debated in recent days . like fernando , i am certain that mclaren and honda will achieve great things together , and i feel sure that , working together , all of us will pull incredibly hard to create a brilliantly effective winning team . i admired ayrton senna enormously , but , for me , it was the exploits of alain prost that inspired me most as a boy .'the best driver lineup' ' the way he stroked those beautifully brutal red-and-white cars to grand prix wins and world championships was to my mind poetry in motion , and i have tried to emulate his driving style ever since . being a part of new-look mclaren-honda is a wonderful opportunity for all of us and i am very pleased to have been invited to do my bit . in fact , i am absolutely raring to go . ' i am sure ( fernando and i ) will work extremely well together . ' after plenty of uncertainty over whether button or magnussen would be retained for 2015 , mclaren chairman and ceo ron dennis is delighted with the pairing of two former world champions . i can safely say that we now have by an order of magnitude the best driver lineup of any current formula 1 team , ' he said . we signed fernando a little ago , but we decided not to announce the fact until we had also re-signed jenson as his teammate . for many reasons , our negotiations with jenson took quite a long time . ' the decision to retain button means magnussen loses his seat after just one season in the sport . the dane finished 71 points behind button in this year 's championship . i am very glad that kevin will remain part of the team , ' said button . he is a very quick driver and a really nice guy . ' | mclaren chairman ron dennis labels the duo'the best driver lineup'of any f1 team |
jenny <tsp> hong kong ( cnn ) there 's a booming black market in hong kong , but it 's not for fake apple watches , or the iphone . instead , people are going crazy for tins of butter cookies . tourists and locals line up around the block for several hours just to get their hands on jenny 's cookies -- at $ 9 a tin . its popularity has spurred bakeries to make and sell knockoffs , and the original store has signs warning against buying'fake'jenny 's cookies . the tiny shop , located in tsim sha tsui , one of the city 's main shopping districts , is swarming with people handing over wads of cash for the little bear cookies ' as they are known across asia . people are even hired to stand in line to buy the goods and are later resold at a 70 % mark-up yards away , something the bakery also tries to discourage . a few meters away from the long cookie line , old ladies hold up paper signs advertising the cookies for sale . but when they see cameras approaching , they scurry away , only to reappear on another street corner . the frenzy in hong kong over the buttery treats is by no means an isolated example . in other parts of the world , food mania has erupted , swiftly winning people 's hearts and stomachs , only to fizzle out in a few months . from cronuts to ramen burgers , here are some foods that people around the world have spent hours of their lives waiting for . were they worth it ? | tourists and locals queue for several hours to get their hands on jenny 's butter cookies |
la paz <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it was the soccer foul seen round the world -- a knee to an opponent 's groin . it did n't earn a red card and an ejection for bolivian president evo morales , but it was caught on video -- and in this viral world of youtube , it got him a lot of unwanted attention . morales apologized thursday for his intemperate action , saying he had fallen into a trap . the player he kneed in the groin in a friendly soccer game sunday had kicked him in the leg and then literally added insult to injury , morales said at a news conference . the player who kicked me started to insult me and offend me and i very much regret my reaction , ' morales said . i ask forgiveness to the sportsmen , to the players , to the player . but after kicking me , it was another insult , a reaction . again , i ask for forgiveness . sport is integration , but later i realized it was a trap , ' morales said . la paz mayor luis revilla disputed that assertion thursday , assuring that there was no trap , according to the hoybolivia.com news site . nor did the player in question insult morales , the mayor is reported to have said . it was simply a soccer game that because of those incidents became a situation that drew much attention , ' the news site quotes revilla as saying . but i hope there are more soccer games between authorities and institutions to ratify that sports integrate , that it can be beneficial for all citizens . ' the action unfolded sunday in game between a team put together by morales and a squad of city workers from la paz , the capital of bolivia . morales is seen on the silent video going up to the player , lifting his right leg and pointing at it . the bolivian president then swiftly knees the opponent in the groin , turns around and walks away . the man , identified by the state-run abi news agency as gustavo daniel cartagena , falls on his back , clutching his groin with his left hand . morales said thursday he had been kicked hard on purpose , differentiating the blow from what happens when two players collide going after a loose ball . he also said the foul against him was intentional because it happened within two minutes of the game starting . he said he went to speak with the referee after he was kicked to ask why he would allow such rough play . morales said he then went up to the player to remind him that it was only a soccer game but was met with insults and offenses that made him lose his composure . the president said he has an agreement that when his team plays friendly games against squads from institutions or other agencies , the other side must consist of officials from those places . but abi reported that local media said many members of the team that played against morales on sunday -- including cartagena , the kneed player -- were not government workers and were brought in just for the game . and , morales indicated , at least one member of the opposing team was trying to goad him . after that happened , i thought about what a great error it was , ' morales said . not so much for the kick he gave me , which he made me feel -- sure there was pain -- but for the insult . i complained because his spikes left a mark . i think it was the second time . but it remains clear that i fell into a trap . ' | the la paz mayor , the head of the other team , denies there was a trap or insults |
ansar al sharia islamist <tsp> tripoli , libya ( cnn ) -- at least nine libyan soldiers were killed in fighting between government forces and islamist militants in benghazi on friday , officials said . the fighting began when members of the islamist armed group ansar al sharia and other criminal groups ' attacked the headquarters of the benghazi security directorate early friday , the libyan interim government said in a statement . health officials said 19 soldiers and policemen were wounded , and some of the attackers were also killed , wounded or taken captive , according to the government . residents and activists reported explosions and intense gunfire that lasted about an hour at dawn before army special forces troops took control of the area . the government said the attackers used small , medium and heavy weapons in their assault . the government condemned the attack and praised the special forces and other security personnel in benghazi for their resilience . ' the statement went on to say the government will not allow the presence of terrorists or armed criminal groups that operate outside the legitimacy of the state , it will not allow states within a state . ' security forces in benghazi , libya 's second-largest city , have often been targets of assassinations and bomb attacks blamed on islamist extremist groups . on tuesday , at least two soldiers were killed and a number of others were wounded when a car bomb blew up outside an army base in benghazi . while no group has claimed responsibility for the violence that has gripped the eastern city , residents and officials have blamed it on groups including ansar al sharia , which has clashed with the army in recent months . the united states designated the militant group a terrorist organization this year for its involvement in violence in benghazi , including the u.s. consulate attack in 2012 . the security situation in benghazi has been a major challenge for the libyan government , with near daily assassinations and kidnappings , which mostly target security forces . there has been growing concern about the increasing presence and influence of radical militant groups in the north african country after the 2011 revolution that overthrew the gadhafi regime . a recently released annual report by the u.s. state department on global terrorism trends singled out libya as an area of concern and instability . libya 's porous borders , the weakness of libya 's nascent security institutions , and large amounts of loose small arms create opportunities for violent extremists , ' the report said . during an official visit to the libyan capital last week , deputy secretary of state william burns voiced his concerns about the situation and pledged u.s. support to libya . the rising threat of violent extremism , whether it is people using violence for political purposes or the role of terrorist groups , is an enormous challenge first and foremost to the people of libya , but also to libya 's international partners as well . we recognize the severity of that threat , ' he told reporters in tripoli . we have all suffered from it , whether it is americans or libyans or others around the world , and that is why we have such a sense of urgency , and such a sense of determination , to help libyans build their own security capacity , to deepen counterterrorism cooperation , and also to promote the kind of healthy political process and economic process that increases the chances for greater security over the long term . ' | the attack is blamed on the ansar al sharia islamist group and other criminal groups ' |
benghazi <tsp> tripoli , libya ( cnn ) -- at least nine libyan soldiers were killed in fighting between government forces and islamist militants in benghazi on friday , officials said . the fighting began when members of the islamist armed group ansar al sharia and other criminal groups ' attacked the headquarters of the benghazi security directorate early friday , the libyan interim government said in a statement . health officials said 19 soldiers and policemen were wounded , and some of the attackers were also killed , wounded or taken captive , according to the government . residents and activists reported explosions and intense gunfire that lasted about an hour at dawn before army special forces troops took control of the area . the government said the attackers used small , medium and heavy weapons in their assault . the government condemned the attack and praised the special forces and other security personnel in benghazi for their resilience . ' the statement went on to say the government will not allow the presence of terrorists or armed criminal groups that operate outside the legitimacy of the state , it will not allow states within a state . ' security forces in benghazi , libya 's second-largest city , have often been targets of assassinations and bomb attacks blamed on islamist extremist groups . on tuesday , at least two soldiers were killed and a number of others were wounded when a car bomb blew up outside an army base in benghazi . while no group has claimed responsibility for the violence that has gripped the eastern city , residents and officials have blamed it on groups including ansar al sharia , which has clashed with the army in recent months . the united states designated the militant group a terrorist organization this year for its involvement in violence in benghazi , including the u.s. consulate attack in 2012 . the security situation in benghazi has been a major challenge for the libyan government , with near daily assassinations and kidnappings , which mostly target security forces . there has been growing concern about the increasing presence and influence of radical militant groups in the north african country after the 2011 revolution that overthrew the gadhafi regime . a recently released annual report by the u.s. state department on global terrorism trends singled out libya as an area of concern and instability . libya 's porous borders , the weakness of libya 's nascent security institutions , and large amounts of loose small arms create opportunities for violent extremists , ' the report said . during an official visit to the libyan capital last week , deputy secretary of state william burns voiced his concerns about the situation and pledged u.s. support to libya . the rising threat of violent extremism , whether it is people using violence for political purposes or the role of terrorist groups , is an enormous challenge first and foremost to the people of libya , but also to libya 's international partners as well . we recognize the severity of that threat , ' he told reporters in tripoli . we have all suffered from it , whether it is americans or libyans or others around the world , and that is why we have such a sense of urgency , and such a sense of determination , to help libyans build their own security capacity , to deepen counterterrorism cooperation , and also to promote the kind of healthy political process and economic process that increases the chances for greater security over the long term . ' | benghazi security directorate headquarters attacked early friday , libyan government says |
abdullah gul <tsp> ( cnn ) -- fighting between kurdish rebels and government troops in southeastern turkey left more than two dozen dead tuesday , according to reports from officials and a news agency . eight soldiers and 10 fighters from the kurdistan workers'party , or pkk , were killed when the rebels attacked a military station in the town of yuksekova , about 25 kilometers ( 15 miles ) from the iranian border , according to a statement from the governor 's office in hakkari province . sixteen other soldiers were wounded in the attack , government officials said . eight more rebels died in a counterattack by turkish forces , the semi-official anatolia news agency reported . turkey has been fighting the pkk since 1984 . initially , the movement sought a separate homeland for turkey 's ethnic kurdish minority . but now , the rebels say they are instead fighting for more linguistic and cultural freedoms . turkish women rally against plans to restrict access to abortion turkey , the united states and the european union have formally labeled the pkk a terrorist organization and turkish president abdullah gul had harsh words after the group 's latest violence . i condemn this treacherous attack , ' he said . the terrorist organization is still carrying out its inhumane and bloody acts in an effort to sabotage the atmosphere of trust and stability , and to weaken the strong determination to reinforce peace , reach a resolution , achieve the reign of peace and tranquility , and to put a stop to the pain and tears . ' this is not the first time a military outpost in the area has been targeted . in 2007 , 12 turkish soldiers were killed and eight were kidnapped in an attack on an outpost there . recently , there has been movement on restarting a peace process , with the head of turkey 's leading opposition party signaling his willingness to work toward a resolution with prime minister recep tayyip erdogan . erdogan recently announced that students could elect to take kurdish language lessons under a new educational reform package . leyla zana , a leading kurdish politician and a member of the opposition kurdish bdp , told turkish newspaper hurriyet last week that she hopes that erdogan will act to solve the kurdish issue , saying that he is powerful enough to do so . ' more than 40,000 people , mostly ethnic kurds , have been killed in the conflict . what drives turkey 's new syria stance ? a fear of two kurdistans cnn 's salma abdelaziz contributed to this report . | i condemn this treacherous attack , ' turkish president abdullah gul says |
senate <tsp> des moines , iowa ( cnn ) -- the polls are tight , the ads are flooding the airwaves , the harsh rhetoric is rising , and the surrogates are stumping hard all over the state . there is one x-factor ' that will put one of the iowa senate candidates over the top : good , old-fashioned door-knocking -- except , it 's not old-fashion anymore . political door knocking is now a data-driven operation , making it as critical a piece of high tech campaign strategies as the endless fundraising solicitations delivered daily to supporters'inboxes . canvassers only go to targeted households identified by algorithms using early voting/absentee voting data , party registration , voting history , and other micro-targeting information that create a stronger profile of a person or household 's likelihood to vote for their own candidates . the practice could be the major deciding factor here in one of the country 's closest senate races and whether it goes to democratic congressman bruce braley or republican state sen. joni ernst , and whether democrats can maintain control the senate itself . but these volunteers are n't just trying to get voters for election day . they want to build their lead with early voting before polls open on tuesday . the big advantage for the party , from the party 's perspective , is we do n't have to employ resources on the day of -- on election day -- to get out the vote because we know you 've already voted . and you wo n't get any calls either , ' democrat scott marron explained to a voter who called himself a braley guy ' while canvassing a quiet des moines neighborhood . iowa democrats traditionally dominate this area , giving them a significant lead . republicans say this year they have the competitive edge . in 2012,65,000 more registered democrats voted absentee than registered republicans . on election day , republicans out-voted democrats by over 20,000 , but it was n't enough to stop the hawkeye state from giving president barack obama an important win during his reelection bid . recognizing how detrimental this and other statewide losses were , local campaigns , the state party , and national republicans combined efforts , including employing a smartphone app called advantage ' to increase accuracy and productivity of door knocking this year . it 's a much more efficient , much more personal way for people to connect with their neighbors and get the vote out , ' iowa communications director michael brickman told cnn . in years past the early voting especially was a huge democratic advantage ; we realized we needed to do something to help catch up . ' republican volunteers walk in groups of two or three , with one person solely dedicated to updating the app and directing the others towards houses with information on who lives there , biographical data and voting status . if the person is home and a conversation is had ( so far , no technology to improve that ) , they immediately update the app based on the talk that 's transmitted to the party in real time , who can change their models and update their current map of houses before they even knock on the next door . democrats use similar data to target voters but still use clipboards , known as turf packs ' to write down responses and input them later into a computer . both campaigns say their strategies are fueling their eventual win . democrats insist that instead of focusing on getting out their base who votes consistently , they are trying to turnout sporadic ' voters , or people who do n't normally vote in a midterm election . our strategy this year is to expand the electorate . for us that means turning out non-traditional voters , ' said christina freundlich , communications director of the iowa democratic party . we right now are leading with these nontraditional voters by 14,000 votes . these 14,000 extra votes ... represent over 1 % of the expected final electorate . ' republicans disagree , saying their share of absentee voters have grown , while the democrats'share is shrinking . they maintain democrats have more unreturned ballots than republicans . we 're seeing success like never before . democrats are usually up by tens of thousands of votes , ' brickman said . he pointed to the over 15,000 absentee vote advantage they had in 2010 , which we all know was a good year for republicans ... democrats simply are n't getting those numbers this time around . ' every day , the iowa secretary of state publicly releases data with absentee voting numbers . the campaigns , and other entities that have requested them , receive more detailed reports with names , voter id numbers , and voting status ( those who have requested ballots and returned them , as well as those who have voted early ) . the campaigns then crunch this data and update their models to target potential voters . this filters through to turf reports and app , arming canvassers with the best intelligence available . these tactics are working . over 345,000 absentee votes have been cast so far in this election , according to the iowa secretary of state 's office . that 's about 50,000 more than this point of the 2010 midterm elections . the candidates are doing their part in a more traditional way , encouraging their supporters at every stop to take part . i need you . i need you to go out and vote , i need you to call a friend , i need you to talk to a neighbor and tell them why you 're supporting me in this election and make sure they get out and vote , ' ernst told supporters in tuskaloosa , echoing the same message from her previous stops . i ca n't do it alone . ' both clearly understand the data and how to apply it effectively . we need you to keep knocking on doors , get those absentee ballots returned , ' braley implored volunteers in dubuque . i 'm counting on you to get across the finish line . ' | door-knocking is still playing a role in the campaign for iowa 's open senate seat |
gaza <tsp> ( cnn ) -- palestinians on tuesday urged the united nations to punish ' israel as a scathing u.n. report accused the nation of war crimes during its military offensive in gaza last winter . a palestinian boy kicks a football outside damaged homes in northern gaza in january 2009 . but israel rejected the investigation as one-sided and shameful . the report accused israel of committing actions amounting to war crimes , possibly crimes against humanity ' during its military incursion into gaza from december 27 to january 18 . richard goldstone , the south african judge who headed the u.n. investigation into the conflict , demanded that someone be held responsible for crimes committed during it . the lack of accountability for war crimes and possible crimes against humanity has reached a crisis point , ' goldstone said tuesday . this is the time of action . ' he formally presented the report to the u.n. human rights council in geneva , switzerland on tuesday . it claims that the israeli defense forces failed to take feasible precautions required by international law to avoid or minimize loss of civilian life , injury to civilians and damage to civilian objects . ' ibrahim khraishi , the palestinian authority 's ambassador to the united nations , called the report professional and unbiased . this report should not be another report to just document and archive , ' said khraishi . my people will not forgive this council if they let these criminals go unpunished . ' but israel 's ambassador to the united nations , aharon leshno-yaar , questioned the report in strong language tuesday , calling it one-sided and shameful . this report is based on carefully picked incidents , cherry-picked for political effect , ' leshno-yaar said . the authors of this fact-finding report had little thought about finding facts . ' israel did not cooperate in the u.n. investigation , calling it flawed and biased . there is an ongoing dispute about the number of people killed in the three-week military offensive which israel called operation cast lead . the gaza-based palestinian center for human rights put the death toll at 1,419 and said that 1,167 of those were non-combatants . ' the israeli military released its own figures earlier this year , claiming 1,166 people were killed and that 60 percent of those were terror operatives . ' a separate report released earlier this month by israeli human rights organization b'tselem put the death toll at 1,387 , claiming that more than half of those killed were civilians . israel has said it had both a right and an obligation to take military action against hamas in gaza to stop hamas'almost incessant rocket and mortar attacks upon thousands of israeli civilians and its other acts of terrorism . ' hamas is the militant palestinian movement which governs gaza . it rejects israel 's right to exist . the u.n. report said israel fired the chemical agent white phosphorus in civilian areas , intentionally fired upon hospitals using high-explosive artillery shells , and failed to provide effective warnings to civilians or u.n. workers before attacks , all of which can be war crimes . it also claims that israel used palestinian civilians as human shields and deliberately attacked palestinian food supplies in gaza . the report recommends that the u.n. security council require the government of israel to launch appropriate independent investigations into the findings of the report within three months . the findings also recommend that the alleged israeli war crimes be explored by the international criminal court . israel has launched a number of its own investigations into the conflict . the findings also call on palestinian leadership to investigate alleged war crimes , for militants to respect humanitarian law , and for the release of the israeli soldier gilad shalit , who was kidnapped by palestinian militants in 2006 , on humanitarian grounds . representatives from russia , cuba and egypt applauded the goldstone report . the u.s. representative to the u.n. human rights council , assistant secretary of state michael posner , said some of the recommendations in the report were deeply flawed ' and called for israel and palestinian authorities to be allowed to finish conducting their own investigations before passing judgment . a spokeswoman for u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon has said the human rights council could draft a resolution on the issue by friday . the group that prepared the report is called the u.n . fact finding mission on the gaza conflict . its 500-plus page report was released earlier this month and presented formally on tuesday . cnn 's kevin flower contributed to this report . | u.n. group presents scathing report on israel 's conduct during gaza offensive |
european <tsp> ( cnn ) -- manchester united boss alex ferguson has hailed the champions league as the best football tournament on the planet , describing the world cup as worse than a trip to the dentist . the scot was replying to suggestions that europe 's top club competition was losing its appeal ahead of the english side 's 3-0 win away to turkish champions bursaspor on tuesday night . critics of the uefa-run event claim that there are too many meaningless games and mismatches in the group stage , with the real excitement not starting until the second round when two-leg knockout ties begin . the important thing is the champions league has proved itself since its inception , ' two-time tournament winner ferguson told reporters ahead of united 's match against a side who have lost all four group games so far . it is better than the world cup . it is unbelievable . there are some fantastic games . yes , you have to get through the group stages before you get to the really exciting stage , but it is a fantastic tournament . if you look at the great teams in the european cup now and think of the premier league , you are not going to get the same crowd for arsenal playing a lower team in the league , or the same tension and drama as you would arsenal against manchester united . it is the same in the champions league . inter milan playing one of the smaller teams will not get the same crowd . ' champions inter tumble at tottenham ferguson was less complimentary about fifa 's world cup , with the last staging in south africa this year featuring several dull , poor-quality matches before finally taking off in the knockout stages . have you seen the last six world cups ? it is better going to the dentist , i suppose , ' quipped the 68-year-old , who coached scotland at the 1986 tournament in mexico . united cruised to victory in the northwestern city of bursa , despite resting several regular players , as goals from darren fletcher , young frenchman gabriel obertan and champions league debutant put the 2008 champions three points clear of valencia in group c. the spanish club won 3-0 at home to scottish champions rangers . wednesday night 's highlight will be the clash between group g leaders real madrid and ac milan in italy . the spanish side , who have won the european title a record nine times , will be seeking to become the first club to score 700 goals in the competition , needing one more to reach that milestone . coach jose mourinho has left france midfielder lassana diarra out of his 21-man squad , but young spanish defender david mateos returns . milan trail real by five points after losing 2-0 in the bernabeu two weeks ago , and come into the match following saturday 's 3-1 defeat by italian serie a rivals juventus . we 're going to be more careful tomorrow , ' coach massimiliano allegri told reporters on tuesday . in madrid we started the game a bit frightened and made a lot of mistakes . we must n't play like that again . milan traditionally look to win by playing a good brand of football . we 'll have to take to the field light-hearted and aware of our strength and technical quality . a united group ready to defend can allow its strikers to be decisive . ' | real madrid seeking to become first club to score 700 goals in top european tournament |
european <tsp> ( cnn ) -- manchester united boss alex ferguson has hailed the champions league as the best football tournament on the planet , describing the world cup as worse than a trip to the dentist . the scot was replying to suggestions that europe 's top club competition was losing its appeal ahead of the english side 's 3-0 win away to turkish champions bursaspor on tuesday night . critics of the uefa-run event claim that there are too many meaningless games and mismatches in the group stage , with the real excitement not starting until the second round when two-leg knockout ties begin . the important thing is the champions league has proved itself since its inception , ' two-time tournament winner ferguson told reporters ahead of united 's match against a side who have lost all four group games so far . it is better than the world cup . it is unbelievable . there are some fantastic games . yes , you have to get through the group stages before you get to the really exciting stage , but it is a fantastic tournament . if you look at the great teams in the european cup now and think of the premier league , you are not going to get the same crowd for arsenal playing a lower team in the league , or the same tension and drama as you would arsenal against manchester united . it is the same in the champions league . inter milan playing one of the smaller teams will not get the same crowd . ' champions inter tumble at tottenham ferguson was less complimentary about fifa 's world cup , with the last staging in south africa this year featuring several dull , poor-quality matches before finally taking off in the knockout stages . have you seen the last six world cups ? it is better going to the dentist , i suppose , ' quipped the 68-year-old , who coached scotland at the 1986 tournament in mexico . united cruised to victory in the northwestern city of bursa , despite resting several regular players , as goals from darren fletcher , young frenchman gabriel obertan and champions league debutant put the 2008 champions three points clear of valencia in group c. the spanish club won 3-0 at home to scottish champions rangers . wednesday night 's highlight will be the clash between group g leaders real madrid and ac milan in italy . the spanish side , who have won the european title a record nine times , will be seeking to become the first club to score 700 goals in the competition , needing one more to reach that milestone . coach jose mourinho has left france midfielder lassana diarra out of his 21-man squad , but young spanish defender david mateos returns . milan trail real by five points after losing 2-0 in the bernabeu two weeks ago , and come into the match following saturday 's 3-1 defeat by italian serie a rivals juventus . we 're going to be more careful tomorrow , ' coach massimiliano allegri told reporters on tuesday . in madrid we started the game a bit frightened and made a lot of mistakes . we must n't play like that again . milan traditionally look to win by playing a good brand of football . we 'll have to take to the field light-hearted and aware of our strength and technical quality . a united group ready to defend can allow its strikers to be decisive . ' | manchester united manager says european tournament is better than the world cup |
ted strickland <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- sen. barack obama 's vice presidential search team on tuesday shared with a democratic senator the names of about 20 people under consideration to be the presumptive democratic nominee 's running mate . sen. barack obama has a broad spectrum of candidates as potential running mates . sen. kent conrad , d-north dakota , said that some of those considered are top officials now , ' others are former lawmakers ' and others are former top military leaders . ' he said many of the names already have been bandied about ' in the media , but others were outside the box . ' he declined to give examples . conrad said the team wanted his impressions about the people considered , the respect ' others hold for them and their standing with their colleagues . ' the list may not have included everyone under consideration . two of the three members of the search team , jim johnson and eric holder , came to conrad 's capitol hill office tuesday morning for a wide-ranging ' and free-form ' meeting that lasted about 40 minutes , conrad said . the third member of the team , caroline kennedy , was not there . johnson and holder arrived on capitol hill on monday for several days of meetings with top democrats , including house speaker nancy pelosi and senate majority leader harry reid . watch panelists weigh in on possible vp picks » they spent about 30 minutes with reid on monday before heading over to speak with house leaders , a senior democratic aide said . house majority leader steny hoyer said he had a good , long discussion ' with johnson and holder and added , they mentioned a lot of names . ' obama brushed aside the notion tuesday that johnson , who heads the vice presidential search committee , contradicts the campaign 's message because he has received favorable loans from countrywide financial , one of the companies at the center of the nation 's mortgage crisis . i am not vetting my vp search committees for their mortgages , ' obama said in st. louis , missouri . this is a game that can be played -- everybody , you know , who is anybody who is tangentially related to our campaign , i think , is going to have a whole host of relationships . ' the comments come two days after the wall street journal reported that johnson was the recipient of more than $ 7 million worth of home loans from countrywide , made available through a program for friends of the company 's chief executive officer . ticker : obama beats back criticism over head of vp search obama said last week that he would not respond to pressure from others about his choice of a running mate . we have a committee that 's made up of wonderful people . they are going to go through the procedure and vet and get recommendations . i will meet with a range of a people , and i will ultimately make a decision . ireport.com : who should obama , mccain pick ? i am a big believer in making decisions well , not making them fast and not responding to pressure , ' he said . although obama 's campaign has not released the names of any front-runners for the vp spot , there 's been a lot of speculation about who he will pick . sen. hillary clinton , whose tenacious refusal to surrender the nomination contest turned the democratic race into one of the most nail-biting in modern u.s. political history , has indicated that she would be willing to sign up on a joint ticket . other possible front-runners include former presidential hopefuls joe biden , chris dodd , bill richardson and john edwards . ohio gov . ted strickland , who has often been mentioned as a possible vice presidential pick , said tuesday that if asked , he would absolutely not ' join the party 's presidential ticket this fall . strickland , who backed clinton during the primary season , told national public radio 's michele norris that he was taking himself out of the running . absolutely not . if drafted , i will not run ; nominated , i will not accept ; and if elected , i will not serve , ' he said in an interview scheduled to air tuesday night . so , i do n't know how more crystal clear i can be . ' obama lost the ohio primary to clinton . the swing state governor , who has endorsed obama , dismissed the idea that all potential running mates deny interest in the job . no , i do n't think they all say that . i 've heard people say ,'you know , if i was asked , it would certainly be something i would have to consider .'that does not mean that i am any less committed to helping barack obama become the next president . ' indiana sen. evan bayh , who has served on both armed services and intelligence committees in the senate , has been mentioned as a possible contender . and ever since new york mayor michael bloomberg ruled out his own independent bid for the presidency , he 's been seen as a potential running mate for both obama and john mccain , the presumptive republican nominee . wesley clark , a former nato commander who failed in his bid for the 2004 presidential nomination , could be in the running , along with a slew of current politicians including gov . ed rendell of pennsylvania , gov . kathleen sebelius of kansas and sen. jim webb of virginia . cnn 's kathleen koch , alexander mooney , rebecca sinderbrand and deirdre walsh contributed to this report . | ohio gov . ted strickland takes himself out of the running for vp |
gulf <tsp> ( cnn ) -- bp began deploying pressure sensors on its ruptured undersea well in the gulf of mexico on sunday in an effort to fine-tune estimates of the worst oil spill in u.s. history , government and company officials said . bp used remote-controlled submarines to begin positioning the sensors inside the well , located 5,000 feet below the surface of the gulf , company spokesman mark proegler said . the sensors were requested by federal experts who have been trying to gauge how much oil has been pouring from the well , which experts say could have been spewing as much as 1.7 million gallons of oil a day into the gulf . but proegler said the devices may not yield accurate information for several days . it 's not as if they 'll plug these sensors in and get readings right away , ' he said . researchers recently doubled estimates of how much oil has been flowing from the ruptured well , saying last week that up to 40,000 barrels -- or 1.7 million gallons -- a day may have leaked for weeks . coast guard adm. thad allen , the obama administration 's point man on the disaster , said the sensors will help give those researchers a better picture of the flow rate . we think we need some independent pressure readings to validate the estimates that have been made by the scientists looking at the video and some other acoustic data , ' allen said sunday on cbs 's face the nation . ' allen 's deputy , rear adm. james watson , has given bp until sunday to provide alternative plans that adequately address substantially higher rates of oil flow . the company said saturday that it was reviewing a letter from watson , but no response had been disclosed late sunday . the oil is believed to have been pouring into the gulf since the april 20 explosion that sank the offshore drill rig deepwater horizon , killing 11 workers . the spill now dwarfs the 11 million gallons that were dumped into alaska 's prince william sound when the tanker exxon valdez ran aground in 1989 , and oil in varying amounts and consistencies has hit the shores of louisiana , mississippi , alabama and florida . allen said the battle against the oil continues to widen , ' with efforts now being focused on the stretch of open water between the wellhead and about 15 miles off the coast . rather than trying to capture all around the well head , we 've got to get our skimmers further offshore and protect it so we minimize the amount of oil that comes ashore , ' he said . allen 's comments came on the eve of president barack obama 's fourth scheduled visit to the stricken gulf region , a two-day trip that will be followed by a tuesday night address to the nation . obama is scheduled to visit mississippi , alabama and florida on monday and tuesday , then meet with bp executives on wednesday . bp has captured some of the gushing oil through a containment cap that has been pumping the crude up to a drilling ship for about a week . bp said it collected more than 15,000 barrels of oil on saturday and more than 7,700 by noon sunday . but despite this advancement , pressure has not been removed from bp . white house adviser david axelrod said sunday the obama administration wants bp to set up a massive , independently administered fund for cleaning up the oil-stricken gulf states . the president will use every legal device at his disposal to make sure that this money is escrowed and that there is an independent administrator so that claims are not slow-walked , people can get the relief they need in a timely fashion and that we do n't create more victims from this terrible disaster , ' axelrod told reporters . he said administration lawyers have advised that we have the authority to compel such an escrow fund , if it comes to that . ' estimates of the cleanup costs and the damages bp will owe to businesses and residents on the gulf coast range from $ 3 billion to $ 40 billion . bp said it already has spent more than $ 1 billion trying to cap the spill and clean up the areas affected by the oil . axelrod did not discuss how much money might be set up in the fund . but allen told cbs that bp was a company that 's got a lot of wealth inside it . ' and a group of 54 senate democrats -- nearly all the democratic caucus -- has called on bp to put $ 20 billion in trust for the spill . in a letter to the oil company 's ceo , tony hayward , they note that the 1989 exxon valdez spill in alaska 's prince william sound cost $ 7 billion , but exxon paid far less for damages while continuing to make major profits . alabama gov . bob riley told cnn 's state of the union ' on sunday that he did n't care how the money was paid out . but he said bp owed every one ' of his state 's gulf coast businesses . i do n't think there is a dividing line , ' said riley , a republican . i do n't think you can say that one group is going to get it and another one does n't . if a restaurant in gulf shores , alabama , is off 50 percent because the tourists did n't come , i think he is owed 50 percent of his revenues from last year . the same thing with anyone in these areas , because the whole economy is based on the tourist market , ' he said . and when it goes away , someone 's got to compensate them , because most of these people are not going to be here next year if we do n't . ' riley also criticized the obama administration 's handling of the disaster , saying the unified command ' set up with the federal government and bp is mounting a disjointed response . you ca n't have a committee making the decisions that are going to impact this entire coastal area . you ca n't have someone come in and say ,'well , if it gets onto the beach , we 'll clean it up and we 'll clean it up rapidly ,'and then osha come in and say ,'well , the people ca n't work but 20 minutes out of an hour or two hours a day ,'and get it cleaned up . someone is going to have to be in charge of each one of these operations , ' he said . riley , mississippi gov . haley barbour and florida gov . charlie crist are scheduled to meet with the president during his two-day visit . barbour told cbs he was pleased to hear allen talk of trying to fight the oil offshore rather than on the beaches , but said he would push obama to end the six-month moratorium he slapped on offshore oil exploration since the disaster began . obama has said no drilling should go forward until investigators determine the cause of the explosion aboard the deepwater horizon . but barbour said obama is going to hurt the national economy ' if the temporary ban is n't lifted . there have been more than 30,000 oil wells drilled in the gulf of mexico in the last 50 years . this is the first time something like this has ever happened . and we need to get to the bottom of it , find out what happened , make sure it does n't happen again . but i think it is very reasonable to continue to drill , ' barbour said . | obama visits gulf states monday-tuesday |
bent <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the leader of an apocalyptic new mexico church who claims to be the messiah was arrested tuesday on sex charges , state police said . wayne bent , who also goes by the name michael travesser , was arrested at the compound that is home to his lord our righteousness church , called strong city by members . he was being interviewed , state police spokesman peter olson said . the arrests come after three children were removed from the compound late last month . a post on the group 's web site said bent was arrested tuesday morning . i was told by the agent in charge of the case that the arrest warrant specified charges of three counts of sexual contact with a minor , and three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor , ' said the post , written by an unnamed follower . the bail was set at half a million dollars . ' the writer said sect members were questioned at a state police office in clayton , new mexico , and promised to update the site with a more complete response to these false charges . ' the lord our righteousness church was founded in 1987 by former seventh-day adventists , according to the group 's web site . since that time , many have joined who do not have their roots in adventism . ' bent said on the web site that god revealed to him in 2000 that he is the messiah . a post from monday written by bent said , the current upheaval over me and the present contest is well under way . it was the same for jesus . jesus had not committed any crimes , so the authorities had to invent some crimes to crucify him over . it is the same for me also , ' bent wrote . i have committed no crimes , but many crimes are being imagined and concocted in the minds of men to try and kill me again . men are so stupid , though , for they do not know that they can not kill spirit . ' last month , authorities removed two girls and a boy from the compound . the reasons for their removal are not publicly known , but the removals gained attention because they came after more than 400 children were removed from the texas ranch of an offshoot mormon sect that practices polygamy . those children remain in state custody . bent has acknowledged having sex with his followers , but authorities will not divulge who the alleged victims are . a former member of the lord our righteousness church , however , told cnn affiliate koat that he left because bent wanted to sleep with his daughters . john sayer said he split with the church after 16 years when bent told him he was supposed to sleep with seven virgins -- and that two of them were to be sayer 's daughters , then 14 and 15 years old . he said he told bent that it was n't right and that he , his wife and his daughters left the compound . sayer told koat that his youngest daughter later returned and was one of the three removed by authorities . in posts on the group 's web site , bent wrote that the three children were abducted . ' the state has made its move , and now god will make his , ' he said . the lord our righteousness church is to be featured wednesday on a national geographic channel program , inside the cult . ' in a video clip of the show posted on the channel 's web site , bent and some young female followers admit that the young women lay with him while naked but deny sex took place . it was god , ' bent said in the video clip . god came down on them and told them to do it . ' a posting from a teenage girl on the compound web site denied that she was molested , saying that her lying with ' bent was not sexual . she was one of the three later removed . bent had predicted that the world would end october 31 , 2007 . a post to the site in march said , however : now we are in the time of'the eighth day'-- shemini atzaret -- the day after the feast of tabernacles , when god said ,'stay with me one more day .'now we are in the time that shemini atzaret foreshadowed , and father has been saying to us ,'stay with me one more year .'... it is the time of the'last trump .'in the scriptures , it is'that day'when the final judgment of man is carried out . ' also on the site is a message to the media , saying no interviews will be given . i know very well who the media represents , ' bent wrote . i have no illusions regarding a free press . the press is only an arm of the beast . ' he continued , i do not speak to , nor do i negotiate with terrorists , who are holding my children hostage . i will speak with the media when they let my children go , permanently . ' | wayne bent picked up at the former ranch where he and his followers live |
bent <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the leader of an apocalyptic new mexico church who claims to be the messiah was arrested tuesday on sex charges , state police said . wayne bent , who also goes by the name michael travesser , was arrested at the compound that is home to his lord our righteousness church , called strong city by members . he was being interviewed , state police spokesman peter olson said . the arrests come after three children were removed from the compound late last month . a post on the group 's web site said bent was arrested tuesday morning . i was told by the agent in charge of the case that the arrest warrant specified charges of three counts of sexual contact with a minor , and three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor , ' said the post , written by an unnamed follower . the bail was set at half a million dollars . ' the writer said sect members were questioned at a state police office in clayton , new mexico , and promised to update the site with a more complete response to these false charges . ' the lord our righteousness church was founded in 1987 by former seventh-day adventists , according to the group 's web site . since that time , many have joined who do not have their roots in adventism . ' bent said on the web site that god revealed to him in 2000 that he is the messiah . a post from monday written by bent said , the current upheaval over me and the present contest is well under way . it was the same for jesus . jesus had not committed any crimes , so the authorities had to invent some crimes to crucify him over . it is the same for me also , ' bent wrote . i have committed no crimes , but many crimes are being imagined and concocted in the minds of men to try and kill me again . men are so stupid , though , for they do not know that they can not kill spirit . ' last month , authorities removed two girls and a boy from the compound . the reasons for their removal are not publicly known , but the removals gained attention because they came after more than 400 children were removed from the texas ranch of an offshoot mormon sect that practices polygamy . those children remain in state custody . bent has acknowledged having sex with his followers , but authorities will not divulge who the alleged victims are . a former member of the lord our righteousness church , however , told cnn affiliate koat that he left because bent wanted to sleep with his daughters . john sayer said he split with the church after 16 years when bent told him he was supposed to sleep with seven virgins -- and that two of them were to be sayer 's daughters , then 14 and 15 years old . he said he told bent that it was n't right and that he , his wife and his daughters left the compound . sayer told koat that his youngest daughter later returned and was one of the three removed by authorities . in posts on the group 's web site , bent wrote that the three children were abducted . ' the state has made its move , and now god will make his , ' he said . the lord our righteousness church is to be featured wednesday on a national geographic channel program , inside the cult . ' in a video clip of the show posted on the channel 's web site , bent and some young female followers admit that the young women lay with him while naked but deny sex took place . it was god , ' bent said in the video clip . god came down on them and told them to do it . ' a posting from a teenage girl on the compound web site denied that she was molested , saying that her lying with ' bent was not sexual . she was one of the three later removed . bent had predicted that the world would end october 31 , 2007 . a post to the site in march said , however : now we are in the time of'the eighth day'-- shemini atzaret -- the day after the feast of tabernacles , when god said ,'stay with me one more day .'now we are in the time that shemini atzaret foreshadowed , and father has been saying to us ,'stay with me one more year .'... it is the time of the'last trump .'in the scriptures , it is'that day'when the final judgment of man is carried out . ' also on the site is a message to the media , saying no interviews will be given . i know very well who the media represents , ' bent wrote . i have no illusions regarding a free press . the press is only an arm of the beast . ' he continued , i do not speak to , nor do i negotiate with terrorists , who are holding my children hostage . i will speak with the media when they let my children go , permanently . ' | officials say bent allegedly had inappropriate contact with children at the compound |
bent <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the leader of an apocalyptic new mexico church who claims to be the messiah was arrested tuesday on sex charges , state police said . wayne bent , who also goes by the name michael travesser , was arrested at the compound that is home to his lord our righteousness church , called strong city by members . he was being interviewed , state police spokesman peter olson said . the arrests come after three children were removed from the compound late last month . a post on the group 's web site said bent was arrested tuesday morning . i was told by the agent in charge of the case that the arrest warrant specified charges of three counts of sexual contact with a minor , and three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor , ' said the post , written by an unnamed follower . the bail was set at half a million dollars . ' the writer said sect members were questioned at a state police office in clayton , new mexico , and promised to update the site with a more complete response to these false charges . ' the lord our righteousness church was founded in 1987 by former seventh-day adventists , according to the group 's web site . since that time , many have joined who do not have their roots in adventism . ' bent said on the web site that god revealed to him in 2000 that he is the messiah . a post from monday written by bent said , the current upheaval over me and the present contest is well under way . it was the same for jesus . jesus had not committed any crimes , so the authorities had to invent some crimes to crucify him over . it is the same for me also , ' bent wrote . i have committed no crimes , but many crimes are being imagined and concocted in the minds of men to try and kill me again . men are so stupid , though , for they do not know that they can not kill spirit . ' last month , authorities removed two girls and a boy from the compound . the reasons for their removal are not publicly known , but the removals gained attention because they came after more than 400 children were removed from the texas ranch of an offshoot mormon sect that practices polygamy . those children remain in state custody . bent has acknowledged having sex with his followers , but authorities will not divulge who the alleged victims are . a former member of the lord our righteousness church , however , told cnn affiliate koat that he left because bent wanted to sleep with his daughters . john sayer said he split with the church after 16 years when bent told him he was supposed to sleep with seven virgins -- and that two of them were to be sayer 's daughters , then 14 and 15 years old . he said he told bent that it was n't right and that he , his wife and his daughters left the compound . sayer told koat that his youngest daughter later returned and was one of the three removed by authorities . in posts on the group 's web site , bent wrote that the three children were abducted . ' the state has made its move , and now god will make his , ' he said . the lord our righteousness church is to be featured wednesday on a national geographic channel program , inside the cult . ' in a video clip of the show posted on the channel 's web site , bent and some young female followers admit that the young women lay with him while naked but deny sex took place . it was god , ' bent said in the video clip . god came down on them and told them to do it . ' a posting from a teenage girl on the compound web site denied that she was molested , saying that her lying with ' bent was not sexual . she was one of the three later removed . bent had predicted that the world would end october 31 , 2007 . a post to the site in march said , however : now we are in the time of'the eighth day'-- shemini atzaret -- the day after the feast of tabernacles , when god said ,'stay with me one more day .'now we are in the time that shemini atzaret foreshadowed , and father has been saying to us ,'stay with me one more year .'... it is the time of the'last trump .'in the scriptures , it is'that day'when the final judgment of man is carried out . ' also on the site is a message to the media , saying no interviews will be given . i know very well who the media represents , ' bent wrote . i have no illusions regarding a free press . the press is only an arm of the beast . ' he continued , i do not speak to , nor do i negotiate with terrorists , who are holding my children hostage . i will speak with the media when they let my children go , permanently . ' | on web site , bent compares himself to jesus christ |
american <tsp> rep. steve king said he agrees that the obama administration needs to change its response to hostage situations but does n't think the united states should go down the route of negotiating or paying ransoms . if you negotiate , if you pay ransom , you 're going to get more hostages taken . there will be more kidnappings , ' the iowa republican said tuesday on cnn 's new day . ' president barack obama ordered a review of how the united states handles overseas kidnappings of american citizens by terrorists , including how the families of captives are kept informed . the administration has not indicated a willingness to negotiate or pay sums of money in exchange for hostages , a practice some governments have used to win the release of captives by isis . obama and other u.s. officials have denounced the practice , saying that money has helped the group grow stronger . following the most recent killing american aid worker peter kassig , king said tuesday there are other things the government could do to better its overall response . i do think though that they need to improve their coordination between the agencies and do other things possible to help get these hostages free , ' he told cnn 's chris cuomo . i 'm afraid this is not the last beheading we will see and we need to take a much more aggressive approach towards isis , and take them on in the middle east . ' the u.s. government has seen criticism by at least one family of one of the slain hostages , james foley , whose parents said the administration needed to be more willing to negotiate with isis . rep. peter welch , a democrat from vermont who was also on new day , ' agreed that negotiating with terrorists would not be the right approach . we ca n't negotiate , we ca n't pay ransom . but ... we do have to be as compassionate and as open and as accommodating to these families who find themselves in this incredibly tragic situation , ' he said , suggesting that having a single point of contact that can give real answers in real time ' to the families would be helpful . | president barack obama has ordered a review of american hostage protocol |
missouri <tsp> ( cnn ) -- gov . jay nixon is criticizing the over-militarization ' of the police response to protests that have been spurred by the killing of 18-year-old michael brown in ferguson , missouri . nixon appeared on most of the political talk shows on sunday , calling the tactics of the st. louis county police aggressive ' and expressed relief that the justice department is conducting its own investigation into the young man 's death on august 9 . there are times when force is necessary , but we really felt that push at that time was a little aggressive , obviously , and those images were not what we were trying to get to , ' he said on abc 's this week , ' referring to the policing using heavily armored military vehicles . and in those situations where folks are rolling up heavily armored and they 're pointing guns at folks , that 's impossible to have a dialogue , ' nixon said . the governor , however , offered praise for members of the community who have been protesting brown 's killing during an encounter with police . despite a shooting that left one person wounded and the arrest of seven people after a midnight curfew went into effect saturday night , nixon said the curfew was implemented peacefully and mostly without incident . thousands of people spoke last night . thousands of people marched and not a single gunshot fired by a member of law enforcement last night , and the members of community ( were ) tremendous helpful last night to get through what could have been a very difficult night , ' he said on cnn 's state of the union . ' after days of heavily armed police patrolled the streets of ferguson with a heavy hand and periodic use of force , nixon ordered missouri state highway patrol to take over the police response on thursday . the head of the highway patrol , capt . ronald johnson , is african-american and from the area . he took a different approach than police and dramatically softened the aggressive stance . critical words about harsh tactics nixon is the latest politician to criticize police tactics that created a war zone atmosphere in ferguson , a town of 22,000 near st. louis . missouri sen. claire mccaskill said thursday the situation needs to be demilitarized , ' and on the same day , republican sen. rand paul of kentucky , who is considering a presidential run , released an opinion piece on time 's website saying many police departments around the country are too militarized . democratic rep. lacy clay , who represents ferguson in congress , said on state of the union ' sunday that a militarized police force facing down innocent protesters with sniper rifles and machine guns is totally unacceptable in america . ' u.s. rep. mike rogers , r-michigan , also agreed that the reaction of police to protests was imbalanced . it appears that they may have reacted a little quickly on that force continuum when they decided to deal with ... the protesters , ' he said on cbs news' face the nation . ' while bernard kerik , a former new york city police commissioner , said the show of force was too excessive while protestors peacefully demonstrated , he said the police have a responsibility to protect personal property . you ca n't let thugs take over the city . we saw that the other day . the police had to respond , ' he said on cnn , referring to instances of looting . on police militarization in general , kerik said the increased militarization of the police started in the 1990s during the height of the war on drugs and continued after the 9/11 attacks and has continued because of mass shootings in schools and public places . it 's absolutely needed , ' he said . in tense ferguson , trying to balance security , protesters'rights the legal process accounts of exactly what happened when officer darren wilson confronted brown on august 9 vary widely . police said brown struggled with the officer and reached for his weapon . several witnesses said brown raised his hands and was not attacking the officer . nixon also criticized the police department 's release of a convenience store surveillance video that shows a man fitting brown 's description allegedly stealing a box of cigars just before brown was killed . nixon said he was unaware ' the tape was going to be released and we certainly were not happy . ' nixon said on cbs news' face the nation ' that the tape release is an attempt to besmirch a victim ' and to tarnish him . ' it appeared to , you know , cast aspersions on a young man that was gunned down in the street , ' he added on this week . ' nixon also raised doubts about the special prosecutor in charge of the case , st. louis county prosecuting attorney robert mcculloch , who has been asked by ferguson community leaders , including rep. clay , to step aside because of what people say is his impartiality toward the police . he 's an experienced prosecutor . and this is his opportunity to step up , ' nixon said on cnn of mcculloch , who has been in the position since 1991 . it 's important we get this right . this is a big matter . ' mccolloch has defended the police response and slammed nixon for sidelining the police department and putting the highway patrol in charge of security , calling the move shameful , ' according to the st. louis post-dispatch . offering little confidence to the local investigation , nixon said he is pleased that the justice department is conducting its own parallel inquiry , noting that the fbi is sending 40 investigators . that 's the kind of independent , external , national review and investigation of this that i think will assist everyone in making sure we get to justice , ' he said . nixon 's criticism of the police department and shaky confidence of the local prosecutor sunday comes as the department of justice announced a second , independent autopsy would be conducted on brown 's body . the healing process as the people of ferguson seek answers and demand a fair investigation , the factor of race has once again become part of a national discussion that cuts deeply . we all know there 's been a long history of challenges in these areas ( of missouri ) , ' nixon said . and our hope is that , with the help of the people here , that we can be an example of getting justice and getting peace and using that to move forward . ' but nixon admitted that it will be a challenge because of deep , long-term wounds ' that wo n't be easy to heal . actor and activist jesse williams discussed a dark history that black americans face . police have been beating the hell out of black people for a very , very , very long time before the advent of the video camera and despite the advent of the video camera there are still a lot of incredible trend of police brutality and killing in the street and justice is never served , ' said the grey 's anatomy ' actor and board member of the civil rights organization the advancement project . on nbc 's meet the press , ' rep. john lewis , d-georgia , who was an instrumental figure in the civil rights movement , called on the police chief and ferguson 's mayor to literally apologize to the community . ' michael eric dyson , professor at georgetown university , said he wants more leadership from president barack obama , the country 's first black president who was a community organizer in predominately african-american neighborhoods of chicago . this president knows better than most what happens in poor communities that have been antagonized historically by the hostile relationship between black people and the police department , ' he said on cbs . we need presidential leadership . he needs to step up to the plate and be responsible . ' the white house said the president was briefed on the situation in ferguson again sunday morning , and he is scheduled to meet with attorney general eric holder at the white house on monday . what 's next as authorities probe the killing of michael brown ? cnn 's jim acosta , shimon prokupecz and joshua berlinger contributed to this report . | missouri gov . jay nixon notes the over-militarization ' of police |
boy scouts <tsp> openly gay youths will be allowed to join scouting , a historic decision the boy scouts of america says will keep it unclouded by a single , divisive , and unresolved societal issue . ' more than 60 % of the group 's 1,400-member national council voted thursday at an annual meeting in grapevine , texas , for the change , which takes effect jan. 1 . no youth may be denied membership in the boy scouts of america on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone , ' says the resolution . the bsa , however , will maintain its ban on gay adult leaders . the resolution also reinforces that scouting is a youth program , and any sexual conduct , whether heterosexual or homosexual , by youth of scouting age is contrary to the virtues of scouting , ' the 103-year-old organization said in a statement after the vote . the bsa said there are no plans for further review of the issue . bsa president wayne perry said the vote came after an extensive dialogue within the scouting family ( that ) was exhaustive and ... very respectful . ' no matter how you feel about this issue , kids are better off in scouting , ' perry told reporters . our mission is to serve every kid . ' reaction from interest groups to thursday 's vote was swift . the human rights campaign said the bsa took a historic step forward . ' unfortunately , the new policy does not go far enough , leaving adult eagle scouts , scout leaders , and parents behind , ' the group said . scouts for equality and glaad lauded the bsa 's commitment to creating a more inclusive organization . ' jennifer tyrrell , an ohio mother who was ousted as a den leader in april 2012 because she 's lesbian , called thursday 's vote incredible . ' opinion : boy scouts'decision makes no sense ' they 've never been raised to discriminate against anyone regardless of sex or color or anything , so they ca n't understand why people care so much , ' she said of her children . ... definitely , one day , i hope they look back and think that we 're part of something amazing . ' tyrrell , in an interview with cnn affiliate ktvt , said that the vote energized her for her next push -- to change boy scout policy so that gays and lesbian adults , like herself , can serve as leaders . when we used to exclude women from things , when we used to exclude black people from things , and that never has ever worked , but we continue to do it , ' she said . i 'm going to be around to make sure that that 's not the case . we 're definitely not going to go away . ' conservative groups and some religious organizations argued against making any change in the membership policy , saying it would dilute the boy scout message of morality and potentially destroy the organization . john stemberger , founder of onmyhonor.net , which opposed the resolution , called the vote a sad day for scouting . ' stemberger claimed that boy scout officials did n't foster a robust discussion , ' did n't provide honest information ' and hid information from the delegates . ' he claimed that scouting groups now have two options : to segregate ' gay scouts from heterosexual ones by putting them in separate tents , or put homosexual boys with other boys and put them at risk . ' we would n't put boys and girls sleeping together . why ? because they 're attracted to each other , ' stemberger told reporters . the conservative family research council tweeted : sadly , the @ boyscouts'legacy of producing great leaders has become yet another casualty of moral compromise . ' bsa conducted a survey on the issue the vote followed months of intense debate among interest groups and within the ranks of scouting itself . in february , the boy scouts'national executive board postponed a vote on the issue and ordered a survey of its members . that survey showed an organization divided by age and , in some cases , by region . while a majority of adults in the scouting community support the bsa 's current policy of excluding open and avowed homosexuals , young parents and teens tend to oppose the policy , ' the survey said . survey : should gay and straight boy scouts share a tent ? a bsa spokesman at the time called the issue among the most complex and challenging issues facing the bsa and society today . ' the boy scouts of america will not sacrifice its mission , or the youth served by the movement , by allowing the organization to be consumed by a single , divisive , and unresolved societal issue , ' the group said after thursday 's decision . chief scout executive wayne brock said , our goal through all of this was to put kids first ... it allows us to serve youth who want to be part of scouting . ' a long time grappling with a polarizing issue the bsa for years has been at the center of the debate over gay rights . a recent washington post-abc news poll showed that 63 % of americans said they would support allowing gay youths to join the boy scouts . the vote comes more than a decade after the supreme court ruled that the organization has the right to keep out gays but also at a time of declining participation in the organization . membership in boy scouts has declined nearly 20 % since 1999 . about 2.7 million young people now participate nationwide . the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints , after the vote , said it will continue to work with the bsa . sexual orientation has not previously been -- and is not now -- a disqualifying factor for boys who want to join latter-day saint scout troops , ' it said in a statement . it was too early to tell what impact the decision might have on scout troops , and whether some families may join other organizations . the impending vote did spur action by a new organization called faith based boys . thomas dillingham , an official from that group , said applications will be accepted starting in august for youth members and group leaders . christian churches and organizations will use this program to continue serving god by training young men to have good character through service to their communities , ' dillingham said thursday . the profound need for a nationwide program like this has now been realized and the relevance of such a program will only become more important as time goes on . ' tico perez , the bsa 's national commissioner , said there have been ongoing talks with churches and others opposed to the inclusion of gay scouts . that said , he echoed other boy scout officials in saying they believe that thursday 's vote ultimately helps advance the cause . we 're accepting youth , ' perez said , and we 're excited about where we are . ' | under rules , boy scouts will not exclude youths for sexual orientation |
gates <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the military will phase out its stop-loss ' program , the contentious practice of holding troops beyond the end of their enlistments , for all but extraordinary situations , defense secretary robert gates announced wednesday . robert gates said the pentagon will pay a $ 500-per-month bonus to troops whose tours have been extended . gates also announced at a wide-ranging news conference that the defense department will pay for families of fallen troops to travel to dover air force base in delaware to be present for the return of their deceased family members . the decision to phase out stop loss by 2011 comes in combination with an announcement that soldiers affected by the program will receive a $ 500-a-month bonus while they are in extended service . currently , the army is the only service that uses the stop-loss program . as of january , 13,217 soldiers had tours extended under the stop-loss policy . gates said the change is one he has wanted to implement since he became secretary of defense . while these changes do carry some risk , i believe it is important that we do everything possible to see that soldiers are not unnecessarily forced to stay in the army beyond their end-of-term-of-service date , ' gates said . the stop-loss program was put in place to ensure units remained intact during deployment . for those whose enlistment was due to end , tours of duty could be extended in the middle of their unit 's deployment . the army used the stop-loss policy during operation desert shield in 1990 and reinstated it after the september 11 , 2001 , attacks . gates cited two factors as contributing to the end of the program . first , he said , we will be drawing down in iraq , over the next 18 or 19 months , significantly more than we are building up in afghanistan , in terms of the army . ' in addition , the army has more troops to call on . retention and enlistment are up , gates said , and the service has reached its goal of 547,000 personnel sooner than expected . the defense secretary would not talk about details of the white house 's review of afghanistan strategy , being conducted by the defense department , state department and the white house , but he did said it has not been easy coming up with a promising new strategy . it 's a difficult problem and trying to come up with new approaches and new initiatives that enhance our prospects for success is hard work , ' he explained . he admitted that he has been uncertain ' about the proper direction for the afghanistan strategy . i 've been very concerned about an open-ended commitment of increasing numbers of troops for a variety of reasons , including the size of our footprint in afghanistan , and my worry that the afghans come to see us as not their partners and allies , but as part of their problem , ' gates told reporters . gates defended the continued hunt for osama bin laden , and suggested the expectation that bin laden could be easily found is unrealistic . i think too many people go to too many movies . finding these guys is really hard , especially if they have some kind of a support network , ' gates said . we have , i think , done some serious damage to al qaeda over the last number of months . and everybody continues to look for number one and number two . ' gates also announced he is recommending to the president that he renominate adm. michael g. mullen for a second term as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and gen. james cartwright as vice chairman . the announcement about funding the trips to dover comes as the pentagon prepares to allow the media to record the return of fallen troops from overseas , if the families of the troops permit it . the media has been prevented from doing so since 1989 . we are committed to seeing that america 's fallen heroes are received back to their loved ones and their country with the honor , respect and recognition that they and their families have earned , ' gates said . he briefly talked about his own trip to dover earlier this week , getting emotional as he described going to the back of the plane carrying the coffins . i went to the back of the plane by myself and spent time with each of the transfer cases , ' he said , his voice beginning to choke up . i think i 'll stop there . ' | defense secretary says accelerated recruitment hastening end of stop-loss ' under current stop-loss policy , troops can be retained beyond enlistments'end gates dismisses expectations of finding osama bin laden easily |
gates <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the military will phase out its stop-loss ' program , the contentious practice of holding troops beyond the end of their enlistments , for all but extraordinary situations , defense secretary robert gates announced wednesday . robert gates said the pentagon will pay a $ 500-per-month bonus to troops whose tours have been extended . gates also announced at a wide-ranging news conference that the defense department will pay for families of fallen troops to travel to dover air force base in delaware to be present for the return of their deceased family members . the decision to phase out stop loss by 2011 comes in combination with an announcement that soldiers affected by the program will receive a $ 500-a-month bonus while they are in extended service . currently , the army is the only service that uses the stop-loss program . as of january , 13,217 soldiers had tours extended under the stop-loss policy . gates said the change is one he has wanted to implement since he became secretary of defense . while these changes do carry some risk , i believe it is important that we do everything possible to see that soldiers are not unnecessarily forced to stay in the army beyond their end-of-term-of-service date , ' gates said . the stop-loss program was put in place to ensure units remained intact during deployment . for those whose enlistment was due to end , tours of duty could be extended in the middle of their unit 's deployment . the army used the stop-loss policy during operation desert shield in 1990 and reinstated it after the september 11 , 2001 , attacks . gates cited two factors as contributing to the end of the program . first , he said , we will be drawing down in iraq , over the next 18 or 19 months , significantly more than we are building up in afghanistan , in terms of the army . ' in addition , the army has more troops to call on . retention and enlistment are up , gates said , and the service has reached its goal of 547,000 personnel sooner than expected . the defense secretary would not talk about details of the white house 's review of afghanistan strategy , being conducted by the defense department , state department and the white house , but he did said it has not been easy coming up with a promising new strategy . it 's a difficult problem and trying to come up with new approaches and new initiatives that enhance our prospects for success is hard work , ' he explained . he admitted that he has been uncertain ' about the proper direction for the afghanistan strategy . i 've been very concerned about an open-ended commitment of increasing numbers of troops for a variety of reasons , including the size of our footprint in afghanistan , and my worry that the afghans come to see us as not their partners and allies , but as part of their problem , ' gates told reporters . gates defended the continued hunt for osama bin laden , and suggested the expectation that bin laden could be easily found is unrealistic . i think too many people go to too many movies . finding these guys is really hard , especially if they have some kind of a support network , ' gates said . we have , i think , done some serious damage to al qaeda over the last number of months . and everybody continues to look for number one and number two . ' gates also announced he is recommending to the president that he renominate adm. michael g. mullen for a second term as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and gen. james cartwright as vice chairman . the announcement about funding the trips to dover comes as the pentagon prepares to allow the media to record the return of fallen troops from overseas , if the families of the troops permit it . the media has been prevented from doing so since 1989 . we are committed to seeing that america 's fallen heroes are received back to their loved ones and their country with the honor , respect and recognition that they and their families have earned , ' gates said . he briefly talked about his own trip to dover earlier this week , getting emotional as he described going to the back of the plane carrying the coffins . i went to the back of the plane by myself and spent time with each of the transfer cases , ' he said , his voice beginning to choke up . i think i 'll stop there . ' | new : robert gates says families of fallen soldiers will get travel aid to dover afb |
fdny calendar <tsp> ( cnn ) -- eleven years ago , danae mines ignored her family 's objections and became one of the few female firefighters with the new york city fire department , better known as the fdny . and this week , with her trademark determination , she broke through a different traditionally all-male barrier : the fdny calendar of heroes . mines is the first woman to be featured as eye candy in the calendar 's 11-year history , something that typifies her grit and will . i was n't going to let anyone tell me i could n't do what i wanted to do , ' she said told the new york daily news . i wanted my picture in the calendar so that young girls and young women can see me and know that they can do this job . ' mines is a 14-year veteran of the fdny and a member of engine co. 60 in the south bronx , the department told cnn . she joins 12 male colleagues on the calendar 's steamy pages and will be featured in march . there are about 10,300 firefighters in all ranks of the fdny and 46 of those are women , according to the department . that equals less than half of one percent . when i step foot into the firehouse , i have to be able to tell myself that i 'm willing to risk my life to save someone else , ' mines told the daily news . i always go above and beyond , because that 's my job . ' a positive reaction from the fdny facebook page to the international association of women in fire and emergency services , the reaction to mines'calendar inclusion has been overwhelmingly positive . the consensus : even a calendar with a reputation for showcasing traditional masculinity must catch up with the times . i think it is so so cool that you have a lady in the calendar this year , ' one facebook user said . i am glad that a sexy woman of color is representing not just the fdny but fd ladies all over the country . ' another commenter was equally inspired . can i just say how freakin'awesome it is to see a woman in the fdny ? i know there are female fire fighters but they are so far & few between & even better that she made the calendar ! ! ! keep saving lives girl ! ! ! you are an inspiration to women everywhere ! ' this type of reaction is exactly what angela hughes wants to hear . as a fire lieutenant in baltimore county , maryland , and a trustee at the iawfes , she knows how difficult it can be for women to assimilate in a fire department . it 's not easy to fit in , ' she told cnn . the stereotype is that you 're a fireman . but we 're firefighters and we 're trained to do the job . not everyone needs to be a muscle-bound giant to do the job . it is about technique . ' hughes has been in the fire service for 21 years . like mines , she joined after being an emergency medical technician . i was very fortunate that i worked for a metro department with 18 % female firefighters , when nationwide it 's about 4 % , ' she said . i was well accepted . ... in other departments it can be very difficult . ' she listed several issues the iawfes seeks to address for female firefighters , including the need for personal bathrooms , sleeping quarters and freedom from workplace harassment . still , hughes felt that mines'inclusion in the fdny calendar was a sign of slight progress . i really appreciate that ( mines') goal was to let other women know they can do it , ' hughes said . for me , when little girls come up to me and say'oh , now i know i can do this ,'it 's the best feeling . ' this woman is helping more people understand . ' all proceeds from the 2015 calendar of heroes benefit the nonprofit fdny foundation . | first female firefighter , danae mines , featured in 2015 fdny calendar of heroes |
wisconsin <tsp> ( cnn ) -- last saturday morning , when media crews outside the sikh gurdwara ( house of worship ) in oak creek , wisconsin , packed up their trucks to chase the news of mitt romney 's choice for vice president , sikh americans were left reflecting on six days of unprecedented national attention . after the shooting of six people in a sikh gurdwara , a stream of national leaders , from the rev . jesse jackson to gov . scott walker , came to offer condolences and support . but there was one person missing . it was you , mr. president . let me be clear : your administration 's response to the massacre has been strong and swift . attorney general eric holder addressed mourners with compassion and resolve at the friday memorial . : in the recent past , too many sikhs have been targeted and victimized simply because of who they are , how they look , and what they believe , ' he said .. this is wrong . it is unacceptable . and it will not be tolerated . ' joshua dubois from the white house expressed his full commitment to helping us with sustained interfaith and education outreach . the fbi and department of justice were at the top of their game , investigating the attacks as both an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime . but we need more than government cooperation . our community needs the deeper spiritual and emotional assurance that we are welcome to live , work and worship as fellow americans . the gunman , wade michael page , was a member of a white supremacist group that wishes to destroy our very claim to call this country home . after the attack we endured , sikh americans , and all brown and black people in america for that matter , need our president to directly show the nation that we belong here . watch : volunteers help temple mourners cope president obama , you flew to aurora , colorado , to mourn publicly with the families before the dead were buried . you hugged your daughters closer that night , imagining them in that theater . in response to the massacre of sikhs in oak creek , you and mitt romney issued statements of support , but did not suspend campaigning in wisconsin , as you did in colorado . of the major networks , only cnn sent an anchor to report live from oak creek , and none of the networks covered the murders as extensively as they did in colorado . we worry that because the victims were brown-skinned people with foreign ' names , the tragedy has n't elicited the same attention from public officials and the media . i believe you can help the nation feel our pain . you can show this tragedy is an american tragedy , because none of us should have to fear gunfire in their own churches , synagogues and mosques . if trayvon martin could have been your son , and the kids in the aurora theater your daughters , then the aunts and uncles shot while praying on that sunday could have also been your own . we wish you were there on thursday morning when community members entered their gurdwara for the first time since the massacre . you would have witnessed the spirit of chardi kala in the sikh faith -- even in darkness , a rising resilience -- and shared this spirit , which is also part of the american character . sikh women and men walked into a crime scene : blood on the carpets , there were bullet holes in the walls , and shattered windows . they flew into action , ripping out carpets , painting over bullet holes , scrubbing floors , and within hours , they served the first langar ( open meal ) , breaking bread beneath portraits of those who have died for our faith . opinion : why american sikhs will survive we wish you were there later that night for the town hall meeting organized by your justice department . nearly every sikh american told officials that the attack on sunday was not isolated or senseless , ' but one in a long pattern of intentional acts of hate and discrimination in the last decade and long before . our children are bullied in schools , our men and women are profiled at airports and barred from military service unless they give up their turbans , and our people endure racial slurs and hate crimes that are not specifically tracked by the fbi . you would have heard the community 's cry for help and publicly called upon all americans to recommit to curbing the alarming rise of hate and fear in this country . news : holder calls sikh temple shooting a hate crime we wish you were there on friday morning for the memorial for the dead . three thousand people filled the oak creek high school gymnasium , a sea of people sitting in reverence and sorrow before six open caskets . we are deeply moved that you ordered the flags lowered to half-mast , an expression of respect and honor . but for sikhs , and for muslims who watched eight mosques attacked in eleven days , the threat is not over . all politics aside , a personal visit , even with the victims'families , the temple , the people , for [ the president ] to take pictures with people who have turbans and beards does so much for our safety , ' said amardeep kaleka , whose father was killed bravely fighting the gunman . i returned to new york this week . one cab driver pointed to his brown skin and said to me : this is not just about sikh people . this is an attack on me too . ' belief : sikh ireports speak to long-held fears in their community president obama , i believe you can help our nation find lasting lessons in oak creek . now that we 've had time to grieve , people who care are turning to one another and asking : what do we do now ? it is that fundamental belief that i am my brother 's keeper , [ and ] i am my sister 's keeper , that makes this country work , ' attorney general holder said , repeating your words at the memorial service . president obama , i believe that your wisdom , compassion , and voice can help sikhs and all americans chart the way forward . you may find the starting point when you visit the sikh gurdwara in oak creek -- a single bullet hole remains and below it a sign : we are one . ' the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of valarie kaur . | kaur : shootings in aurora drew obama ; not coming to wisconsin hurts sikhs |
levison wood <tsp> ( cnn ) in december 2013 , photojournalist levison wood set out to become the first person to walk the length of the nile river . during his travels , he was robbed at gunpoint , evacuated out of a war zone and almost eaten by crocodiles . he crossed swamps , climbed mountains , cozied up to scorpions in the sahara desert , and dined on rat stew and grasshoppers . those months , he says , were the best of his life . i 've always been interested in the stories of the great victorian explorers , like livingstone and those guys , ' admits wood . this was an opportunity to try and do something that nobody 's ever done before , but really , it was an opportunity to explore africa in the 21st century and see how things have changed and how they 've stayed the same . ' wood 's journey began in rwanda , took nine months and spanned 3,750 miles . it was necessary to make the trip on foot , he says , because walking is the only way you can really get under the skin of a country . ' occasionally , he was joined by a film crew from the uk 's channel 4 ( the network is planning to air a four-part documentary on his travels ) . sometimes he traveled with a local guide . mainly , though , he walked it alone . the biggest difficult was keeping up the motivation and momentum to wake up every morning , walk 20 miles , and do it over and over again , ' he says . at times , the monotony was crushing . khartoum ( in sudan ) marked the halfway point , and the most difficult time was probably just before i reached it . i was n't halfway there and i still had 2,000 miles left to walk . that was pretty demoralizing , ' he admits . the kindness of strangers wood acknowledges that his survival was often dependent on the hospitality of local villagers , of which there was an abundance . the people of the sudan , he says , were probably the most giving of all . it 's portrayed in the western media as this pariah state , and the government does leave a lot to be desired , but it had by far and away the most incredible hosts i 've ever encountered across the world , ' he says . even sharing water , he says , demonstrated an incredible act of kindness -- given it 's a 20-mile walk to the nearest source for many villagers . half the time he slept outdoors , while the other half he would lodge with a local . food was n't always a given . in uganda , he recalled a two-day period when he went without food completely . my guide had a catapult , ' he recalls . he would shoot pigeons . we ate what we could catch . other times we 'd eat with villagers . the local delicacies could vary , from grasshoppers to rats . ' out of harm 's way ( almost ) the journey was n't without danger . civil war in south sudan broke out shortly after his arrival . as he ventured closer to the country , he started hearing tales of death , destruction , and a steady trail of fleeing refugees . he made it halfway through the country , to bor -- the front line of the war . it was there that he was arrested and brought before an army commander , who told him he was not welcome , and threatened to kill him if he crossed into the rebel side . he was evacuated to the capital , and flew to north sudan . i missed out 400 miles of the journey , but it was a sensible thing to do ; carrying on through would have been tantamount to suicide . ' had he made the trip uninterrupted , he would likely have achieved a guinness world record . now , he 's not so sure , though he says it does n't matter . it was never about breaking records , it was about taking the biggest adventure in my life , and it was certainly that . ' the finish line wood 's journey ended in egypt , where the nile meets the mediterranean sea . it was a cathartic moment , he says , and one that was bittersweet . when you 're doing something every day for months and months , to see it end , there will be some sadness , ' he admits . mainly , though , he remembers it as one of the happiest days of my life . ' the first thing i did was run into the sea , and just enjoy the moment , ' he says . | levison wood spent nine months walking the length of the nile river |
america <tsp> ( cnn student news ) -- march 1 , 2011 march is women 's history month . the following discussion questions and learning activities can be used to help your students learn about the history and achievements of women in america . you may want to adapt each activity to accommodate your curriculum needs as well as the needs of students of different grade levels and learning styles . discussion questions 1 . when is women 's history month ? what are the origins of women 's history month ? what do you think is the goal of recognizing women 's history month ? 2 . do you think that women are underrepresented in any aspects of modern american life ? explain . can you think of any professions in which women outnumber men ? if so , what are they and why do you think that this is the case in these professions ? 3 . what names come to mind when you think of women who have had an impact on u.s. history ? what were their specific contributions or achievements ? what can we learn from each of these women ? 4 . can you think of any female role models that have had an impact on your life ? if so , how have these women influenced you ? learning activities use these activities to encourage your students to learn about and appreciate the history and achievements of women in america . 1 . women 's history month proclamation every year since 1980 , the u.s. president has issued a proclamation regarding women 's history month . have students consult the presidential proclamation section of the white house website to read recent presidential proclamations on women 's history month . instruct students to create proclamations of their own using this year 's theme , our history is our strength ' . 2 . women in government have students conduct online research to generate a list of some of the women currently holding positions in government , including , but not limited to , u.s. supreme court justices , state governors , members of the president 's cabinet , and members of the u.s. house of representatives and the u.s. senate . have each student select one of these women to research . direct students to create a classroom or online exhibit that highlights each woman 's experiences and achievements , and illustrates how her position of power may affect the lives of other americans . 3 . witness to history what if cnn had been there to record the events surrounding the women 's suffrage movement ? guide students as they use the internet to research the struggle for women 's voting rights . tell students to use the following questions as their guide : • what were the major events that led to the ratification of the 19th amendment ? • who were the key players on both sides of the women 's suffrage issue ? • what arguments were presented both for and against women 's voting rights ? have students develop scripts for a broadcast news story on one aspect of this movement , ensuring that students include viewpoints from both the movement 's supporters and its critics . 4 . women 's history memorial divide your class into small teams and assign each team one of the following fields : science , community , government , literature , art , entertainment , the military , sports and medicine . next , instruct teams to research the roles that women have played in their assigned fields throughout american history . after teams present their information , instruct the full class to design a new memorial in washington , d.c. that focuses on the contributions of women to american history . standards social studies ii . time , continuity , and change social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of the ways human beings view themselves in and over time . v. individuals , groups and institutions social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of interactions among individuals , groups , and institutions . the curriculum standards for social studies are published by the national council for the social studies | these questions and activities help students learn about the history and achievements of women in america |
somalia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- clashes between somalia 's transitional government and the al-shabab militia left 103 people dead and 420 others wounded , somali officials said friday . the fighting in mogadishu between the rebel group and the government has raged for nine days . the fighting in mogadishu between the rebel group and the government has raged for nine days , said farhan ali mohamud , information minister of the somali government . human rights groups deplored the high number of casualties , urging both sides to comply with international law in respect to the civilian population . thousands of families have fled the capital , mogadishu , seeking a safer environment in camps south of the city . the people of somalia have once again been subjected to unbearable violence , ' said pascal mauchle , head of the international committee of the red cross in somalia . the daily struggle for survival is exhausting their capacity to cope . ' humanitarian groups expressed concern , too , that somalis will not have access to medical care . the international medical agency doctors without borders said it was forced to close an outpatient clinic in mogadishu to ensure safety for its staff . with so few medical facilities available in somalia , it is crucial that people are able to access those that are still functioning , ' said alfonso laguna , head of the agency in the region . the new round of fighting stems from an interpretation of sharia law , or islamic law , the spokesman said . somalia 's new president sheikh sharif ahmed has recently approved implementing sharia law , but the rebel group wants the country to institute a stricter form . a spokesman for the rebel group said it has recruited many fighters for the battle against the government . it is not only somali jihadists that are fighting in mogadishu against the government . there are also foreign muslim jihadist brothers who are fighting side by side with us , ' said sheikh hassan ya'qub , a spokesman for al-shabaab . abdiraman abdi shakur warsame , minister of international cooperation for somalia 's transitional government , issued a stern warning to the rebels in an address to a young audience celebrating somali youth day at the capital . the government is determined to defend itself from these religious gangs who are covering in the name of islam and i assure you that in the course of coming days , we will eliminate these elements and some of them will be forced out of the country , ' warsame said . the u.s. embassy in kenya released a statement about the fighting . the extremists who are instigating these attacks have no regard for the well-being of somalis and are undermining the peaceful efforts of the legitimate government to further national reconciliation , ' the statement said . the united states is particularly disturbed at reports that foreign fighters and those who rejected dialogue in 2006 are participating in this effort to forcibly remove a legitimate somali government from power . ' journalist mohamed amiin adow contributed to this report . | government forces are fighting a rebel group in somalia 's capital , mogadishu |
somalia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- clashes between somalia 's transitional government and the al-shabab militia left 103 people dead and 420 others wounded , somali officials said friday . the fighting in mogadishu between the rebel group and the government has raged for nine days . the fighting in mogadishu between the rebel group and the government has raged for nine days , said farhan ali mohamud , information minister of the somali government . human rights groups deplored the high number of casualties , urging both sides to comply with international law in respect to the civilian population . thousands of families have fled the capital , mogadishu , seeking a safer environment in camps south of the city . the people of somalia have once again been subjected to unbearable violence , ' said pascal mauchle , head of the international committee of the red cross in somalia . the daily struggle for survival is exhausting their capacity to cope . ' humanitarian groups expressed concern , too , that somalis will not have access to medical care . the international medical agency doctors without borders said it was forced to close an outpatient clinic in mogadishu to ensure safety for its staff . with so few medical facilities available in somalia , it is crucial that people are able to access those that are still functioning , ' said alfonso laguna , head of the agency in the region . the new round of fighting stems from an interpretation of sharia law , or islamic law , the spokesman said . somalia 's new president sheikh sharif ahmed has recently approved implementing sharia law , but the rebel group wants the country to institute a stricter form . a spokesman for the rebel group said it has recruited many fighters for the battle against the government . it is not only somali jihadists that are fighting in mogadishu against the government . there are also foreign muslim jihadist brothers who are fighting side by side with us , ' said sheikh hassan ya'qub , a spokesman for al-shabaab . abdiraman abdi shakur warsame , minister of international cooperation for somalia 's transitional government , issued a stern warning to the rebels in an address to a young audience celebrating somali youth day at the capital . the government is determined to defend itself from these religious gangs who are covering in the name of islam and i assure you that in the course of coming days , we will eliminate these elements and some of them will be forced out of the country , ' warsame said . the u.s. embassy in kenya released a statement about the fighting . the extremists who are instigating these attacks have no regard for the well-being of somalis and are undermining the peaceful efforts of the legitimate government to further national reconciliation , ' the statement said . the united states is particularly disturbed at reports that foreign fighters and those who rejected dialogue in 2006 are participating in this effort to forcibly remove a legitimate somali government from power . ' journalist mohamed amiin adow contributed to this report . | rebel fighters want a stricter form of sharia law introduced in somalia |
zimbabwe <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it was a frigid june night at pickstone mine in zimbabwe when 67-year-old angela campbell -- soaking wet , her arm broken and a gun to her head -- signed a document vowing to give up the fight for her family 's farm . angela campbell , 67 , was beaten and kidnapped days after zimbabwe 's runoff election . the kidnappers demanding her signature at gunpoint were war veterans ' from president robert mugabe 's heyday as a liberation hero , and they made it clear that her refusal would mean more beatings . though campbell signed the document , her son-in-law said she has no intention of giving up her battle ; campbell 's family will be in windhoek , namibia , on wednesday to present arguments to a southern african development community tribunal . in pursuing the case , the campbells and 77 fellow zimbabwean farmers are risking theft , torture and death for what may be their only remaining chance to save the homes and farms so coveted by mugabe and his loyalists . mugabe blames the west for his nation 's soaring inflation and poverty . but analysts say mugabe 's 2000 resettlement ' policy , in which property was snatched from white farmers and redistributed to landless blacks , is more to blame for the country 's turmoil . watch a report from the time of the campbell attack » ' all i want to see is justice , ' said richard etheredge , 72 , a white farmer who was evicted from his farm last month . the world can not carry on with criminals . ' on june 15 , etheredge , who has joined the case , and his family received word that a zimbabwean senator planned to take over his chegutu farm , a process known as jambanja . ' we 're going to murder you if we catch you , ' etheredge recalls an assailant yelling from outside his son 's house two days later . the senator bused criminals ' to his property , etheredge said . etheredge , his wife and one of his twin sons escaped , but the other twin and etheredge 's daughter-in-law were later beaten , he said . looters stole his computers , farm equipment , antiques , custom gun collection and a safe with billions in zimbabwean currency ( hundreds of thousands in u.s. dollars ) . etheredge said he watched the thieves abscond with his possessions in vehicles belonging to the senator . the looters also caused about $ 1 million in damage to his property , which includes three houses and a fruit-packing plant that was once among the most sophisticated in southern africa . the etheredges have been farming for 17 years and , before the attack , were producing 400,000 cartons of navel oranges and kumquats a year , he said . the destruction is absolutely incredible , ' etheredge said . mugabe 's cronies visited the adjacent mount carmel farm about two weeks later , just days after mugabe won a majority of votes in a runoff denounced as a sham ' by the international community . watch how violence persists after the election » like the etheredges , mike and angela campbell were warned that mugabe loyalists , members of his zimbabwe african national union-patriotic front , were planning to invade their farm . the government had given the 1,200-hectare ( 2,965-acre ) tract to a zanu-pf spokesman who also served as mugabe 's biographer , according to the campbells'son-in-law , ben freeth . two nuns went to mount carmel on june 26 , the day before the runoff , wanting to buy sweet potatoes , freeth said . but their quest for tubers was a ruse ; they actually wanted to tell freeth that zanu-pf members were planning to raid the campbell land , where the campbells and freeth and his wife , laura , live . on june 29 , freeth received a phone call : war veterans , ' as the clans of pro-mugabe thugs call themselves , were heading to his in-laws'house . laura and her brother , bruce , gathered their children . laura fled with the children through a fence on the northern boundary of mount carmel farm , freeth said . freeth jumped in his car and sped 1½ kilometers to the campbell house . these guys had already arrived , and they started shooting at me as soon as i drove through the gate , ' he said . the bullets missed , but one of the war veterans hurled a rock through the driver 's side window , smashing freeth 's right eye shut . they dragged me out of the vehicle and began beating me over the head with rifle butts , ' freeth said . the men tied up freeth , he said , and took him to where his in-laws were lying bound on the gravel outside their home . angela campbell was still conscious . the men had caught her on her way to feed a calf . they had beaten her and broken her upper arm in two places , freeth said . mike campbell was in bad shape , just groaning on the ground ; in fact , he remembers nothing . ' the heavily armed men threw the three in the back of mike campbell 's toyota prado truck , and the next nine hours were quite a nightmare , ' freeth said . freeth and the campbells were driven about 50 kilometers ( 31 miles ) to pickstone mine . their captors stopped at a dairy farm on the way and killed a white farmer 's dogs , freeth said . night had fallen by the time they arrived at the mine to find about 60 men in zanu-pf regalia waiting for them . they were pointing guns at us the whole time , telling us they were going to kill us , ' freeth said . freeth and the campbells were doused with cold water and left shivering in the dust on the ground , ' freeth said . they received more beatings , and freeth said one of their captors thrashed the bottom of his feet with a shambock , a whip made of hippopotamus hide . it was during this time that their captors made angela sign a document promising to drop the case scheduled this week before the tribunal . mike campbell moved in and out of consciousness , as ben and angela prayed -- not for their lives , but for their captors . freeth said he had never understood luke 6:28 -- bless those who curse you ' -- until that moment , and a supernatural ' peace came over him . freeth told god , if i 'm going to be with you today , then i 'm ready . ' it was almost midnight when freeth and the campbells -- still bound -- were tossed in the back of the prado . they bounced around the sport-utility vehicle as their captors drove 30 kilometers down a craggy dirt road to kadoma , where they were dumped in the streets . i managed to walk toward a light and knocked on the door of a house and used the phone to phone my wife , ' freeth said . the campbells were released from the hospital last week . both remain weak and still bear considerable scrapes and bruises . angela has a pin in her arm . mike , 75 , suffered four broken ribs , a broken collarbone and a dislocated finger . mike is recovering just enough to sit up , and he can walk a few paces , ' freeth said monday , complaining that his hands were still tingly ' from being bound so tightly . the hospital released freeth at the weekend after neurosurgeons had to drill a 4-centimeter ( 1½-inch ) hole in his skull to relieve pressure from a hematoma stemming from the rock and rifle-butt blows to the head . one thing not battered is the farmers'resolve to remain on the land that the campbells have owned for 34 years . we intend to be there on wednesday , and we just hope for an outcome that is good for everyone , an outcome for justice , ' freeth said of the hearing , which is slated to last through friday . freeth said he believes that the tribunal will carry more clout with mugabe than do western nations and the african and european unions . many of its member nations are led by mugabe 's contemporaries , and mugabe is aware that his status as an african hero is waning , he said . i think it means a lot to him whether sadc is going to isolate him or continue to support him , ' freeth said . once we get to the sadc tribunal and we get a judgment and it 's basically binding in black and white , it 's going to be difficult for mugabe to say ,'we 're abiding by our own law .'it 's going to be very difficult for him to defend what he 's doing . ' | dozens of farmers appeal to 14-nation tribunal for relief from zimbabwe land grabs |
angela campbell <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it was a frigid june night at pickstone mine in zimbabwe when 67-year-old angela campbell -- soaking wet , her arm broken and a gun to her head -- signed a document vowing to give up the fight for her family 's farm . angela campbell , 67 , was beaten and kidnapped days after zimbabwe 's runoff election . the kidnappers demanding her signature at gunpoint were war veterans ' from president robert mugabe 's heyday as a liberation hero , and they made it clear that her refusal would mean more beatings . though campbell signed the document , her son-in-law said she has no intention of giving up her battle ; campbell 's family will be in windhoek , namibia , on wednesday to present arguments to a southern african development community tribunal . in pursuing the case , the campbells and 77 fellow zimbabwean farmers are risking theft , torture and death for what may be their only remaining chance to save the homes and farms so coveted by mugabe and his loyalists . mugabe blames the west for his nation 's soaring inflation and poverty . but analysts say mugabe 's 2000 resettlement ' policy , in which property was snatched from white farmers and redistributed to landless blacks , is more to blame for the country 's turmoil . watch a report from the time of the campbell attack » ' all i want to see is justice , ' said richard etheredge , 72 , a white farmer who was evicted from his farm last month . the world can not carry on with criminals . ' on june 15 , etheredge , who has joined the case , and his family received word that a zimbabwean senator planned to take over his chegutu farm , a process known as jambanja . ' we 're going to murder you if we catch you , ' etheredge recalls an assailant yelling from outside his son 's house two days later . the senator bused criminals ' to his property , etheredge said . etheredge , his wife and one of his twin sons escaped , but the other twin and etheredge 's daughter-in-law were later beaten , he said . looters stole his computers , farm equipment , antiques , custom gun collection and a safe with billions in zimbabwean currency ( hundreds of thousands in u.s. dollars ) . etheredge said he watched the thieves abscond with his possessions in vehicles belonging to the senator . the looters also caused about $ 1 million in damage to his property , which includes three houses and a fruit-packing plant that was once among the most sophisticated in southern africa . the etheredges have been farming for 17 years and , before the attack , were producing 400,000 cartons of navel oranges and kumquats a year , he said . the destruction is absolutely incredible , ' etheredge said . mugabe 's cronies visited the adjacent mount carmel farm about two weeks later , just days after mugabe won a majority of votes in a runoff denounced as a sham ' by the international community . watch how violence persists after the election » like the etheredges , mike and angela campbell were warned that mugabe loyalists , members of his zimbabwe african national union-patriotic front , were planning to invade their farm . the government had given the 1,200-hectare ( 2,965-acre ) tract to a zanu-pf spokesman who also served as mugabe 's biographer , according to the campbells'son-in-law , ben freeth . two nuns went to mount carmel on june 26 , the day before the runoff , wanting to buy sweet potatoes , freeth said . but their quest for tubers was a ruse ; they actually wanted to tell freeth that zanu-pf members were planning to raid the campbell land , where the campbells and freeth and his wife , laura , live . on june 29 , freeth received a phone call : war veterans , ' as the clans of pro-mugabe thugs call themselves , were heading to his in-laws'house . laura and her brother , bruce , gathered their children . laura fled with the children through a fence on the northern boundary of mount carmel farm , freeth said . freeth jumped in his car and sped 1½ kilometers to the campbell house . these guys had already arrived , and they started shooting at me as soon as i drove through the gate , ' he said . the bullets missed , but one of the war veterans hurled a rock through the driver 's side window , smashing freeth 's right eye shut . they dragged me out of the vehicle and began beating me over the head with rifle butts , ' freeth said . the men tied up freeth , he said , and took him to where his in-laws were lying bound on the gravel outside their home . angela campbell was still conscious . the men had caught her on her way to feed a calf . they had beaten her and broken her upper arm in two places , freeth said . mike campbell was in bad shape , just groaning on the ground ; in fact , he remembers nothing . ' the heavily armed men threw the three in the back of mike campbell 's toyota prado truck , and the next nine hours were quite a nightmare , ' freeth said . freeth and the campbells were driven about 50 kilometers ( 31 miles ) to pickstone mine . their captors stopped at a dairy farm on the way and killed a white farmer 's dogs , freeth said . night had fallen by the time they arrived at the mine to find about 60 men in zanu-pf regalia waiting for them . they were pointing guns at us the whole time , telling us they were going to kill us , ' freeth said . freeth and the campbells were doused with cold water and left shivering in the dust on the ground , ' freeth said . they received more beatings , and freeth said one of their captors thrashed the bottom of his feet with a shambock , a whip made of hippopotamus hide . it was during this time that their captors made angela sign a document promising to drop the case scheduled this week before the tribunal . mike campbell moved in and out of consciousness , as ben and angela prayed -- not for their lives , but for their captors . freeth said he had never understood luke 6:28 -- bless those who curse you ' -- until that moment , and a supernatural ' peace came over him . freeth told god , if i 'm going to be with you today , then i 'm ready . ' it was almost midnight when freeth and the campbells -- still bound -- were tossed in the back of the prado . they bounced around the sport-utility vehicle as their captors drove 30 kilometers down a craggy dirt road to kadoma , where they were dumped in the streets . i managed to walk toward a light and knocked on the door of a house and used the phone to phone my wife , ' freeth said . the campbells were released from the hospital last week . both remain weak and still bear considerable scrapes and bruises . angela has a pin in her arm . mike , 75 , suffered four broken ribs , a broken collarbone and a dislocated finger . mike is recovering just enough to sit up , and he can walk a few paces , ' freeth said monday , complaining that his hands were still tingly ' from being bound so tightly . the hospital released freeth at the weekend after neurosurgeons had to drill a 4-centimeter ( 1½-inch ) hole in his skull to relieve pressure from a hematoma stemming from the rock and rifle-butt blows to the head . one thing not battered is the farmers'resolve to remain on the land that the campbells have owned for 34 years . we intend to be there on wednesday , and we just hope for an outcome that is good for everyone , an outcome for justice , ' freeth said of the hearing , which is slated to last through friday . freeth said he believes that the tribunal will carry more clout with mugabe than do western nations and the african and european unions . many of its member nations are led by mugabe 's contemporaries , and mugabe is aware that his status as an african hero is waning , he said . i think it means a lot to him whether sadc is going to isolate him or continue to support him , ' freeth said . once we get to the sadc tribunal and we get a judgment and it 's basically binding in black and white , it 's going to be difficult for mugabe to say ,'we 're abiding by our own law .'it 's going to be very difficult for him to defend what he 's doing . ' | mike and angela campbell -- 75 and 67 -- still recovering from june beating |
colombian <tsp> ( cnn ) -- golf 's forgotten man , colombia 's camilo villegas , gave the galleries a reminder of his prodigious talent with a six-under-par 64 to lead the honda classic thursday villegas won the 2010 edition of the pga tour event at palm beach gardens but a shocking run of form since saw him lose his card at the end of the 2012 season . playing on an invite from the sponsors , the 31-year-old villegas , carded four birdies and a stunning eagle on the 18th to lead rickie fowler , canada 's graham delaet and branden grace of south africa by a stroke . villegas came home in just 30 for the treacherous back nine of the pga national course as he bids for his fourth pga tour win and a return to golf 's top table . honda classic latest leaderboard his 263-yard three-wood approach to the 18th the perfect number for me ' set up his superb finish . it was nice to make it , ' he told sky sports and nice to see the ball going in the hole , i 've been working hard for the last few months and nice to see the result , ' he added . it left him six shots clear of defending champion and world no.1 rory mcilroy , who again battled an errant driver and had to rely on his short game to stay in touch . mcilroy , who missed the cut in his first event of the season since switching to the clubs of his new sponsor nike , then lost in the first round of the wgc world championship last week , got into red fingers on the back nine . but more errant play from tee to green saw him finish with a disappointing bogey six for level par 70 . it left him on the same mark as early starter tiger woods , who recovered from two over at the turn , to recover to level par . woods had to take off his shoes and socks to play a ball half submerged in the water hazard at the sixth , his 15th , but it paid off . he moved the ball forward and his third left him eight foot from the hole , making the putt for a valuable par . but the former no.1 struggled on the greens and he finished with 32 putts . i hit good putts , ' woods told the official pga tour website . i was getting fooled on the grain , the green speeds are a little bit faster than they were but it 's an adjustment i need to make . ' on the european tour , south african darren fichardt continued his blistering early season form , carding eight holes on his way to a seven-under-par 65 and a one-shot lead in the inaugural tshwane open . the 37-year-old won the africa open in east london two weeks ago and found his form again on the copperleaf golf and country estate near pretoria . fichardt 's nearest challenger is bjorn akesson of sweden in the $ 1.970 million tournament . meanwhile , guan tianlang 's bid to make this year 's british open suffered a major setback as the 14-year-old chinese golf prodigy fell seven shots off the lead after the first round of international final qualifying asia thursday . guan will be playing at the u.s.masters after winning the asia-pacific amateur championship last year on the same amata spring country club in thailand where the qualifying is taking place . but a one-over 73 left him with much to do to win won of the four spots available for the july 18-21 british open at muirfield . | colombian has endured form slump since winning tournament in 2010 |
taliban <tsp> ( cnn ) -- october has been the deadliest month for the us and nato militaries fighting in afghanistan as well as un workers trying to organize an election runoff . surely the surge in deaths serves to underscore why afghanistan matters . for all the debate happening away from the battlefield , here are a couple of important bottom-line questions : is the world prepared to see the taliban and their opportunistic allies al qaeda return to power in afghanistan ? are people prepared for the terrorists'dream- photo-op of mullah omar and osama bin laden sitting smiling together in kabul ? and here 's what 's at stake : the west fortunately has been free of terrorist attacks on its major cities in the last few years , but it was not so long ago that the london tube bombings ; mass murder in madrid ; mayhem in mumbai in 2008 ; the murders of benazir bhutto and daniel pearl ; the bali bombing ; the shoe bomber and , of course , 9/11 and the attacks on the world trade center changed our world and our way of life . together , those events created pervasive fear and anxiety , not to mention a change in our lifestyle caused by security measures in airports , trains , banking transactions and office buildings . what all of these events have in common is that the perpetrators all came from , visited , were financed by , or were led by terrorist organizations operating in afghanistan and pakistan , especially the ungovernable territories on those countries'border . the bush administration , in the view of some , may have gone too far in responding to these events by creating an all-encompassing war on terrorism . ' however , for the eight long years america and nato countries have been at war in afghanistan , this war , uniquely in modern history , is still supported by all the world 's major powers , the neighbors of afghanistan , and mostly by the people of afghanistan , who dread both insecurity and a return to the brutal horrors of the taliban . if the threat of new terrorist attacks is not enough , what about the threat of a nuclear catastrophe ? look at pakistan this week . horrific bombings in the frontier town of peshawar and elsewhere have also killed scroes of people , just as u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton arrives to firm up security and development co-operation with that country . while foreign policy and intelligence experts continue to worry that terrorism , islamic extremism , the continued threat of renewed war between pakistan and india , plus the presence of nuclear weapons in the arsenals of both countries , could prove a combustible mix in the not-too-distant future . this is not scare-mongering ; it 's simply the reality that what happens in south asia could affect all of our lives . that 's why all of us must be concerned by the outcome of the war that is being fought today in mountains of the tribal areas in pakistan and the plains of afghanistan . many of the soldiers and officers i speak to in afghanistan say the best way to beat back the threat of taliban insurgents is with boots on the ground and additional military resources , as well as a proper development assistance for the afghan civilians . the afghan people need protecting and enabling . i have been reporting from afghanistan since 1996 and the one thing i 've noticed over the years is that every afghan asks foremost for security . then next on the list is development to help them earn a decent living and raise their families . they also want a decent government . they know this will take years of patience and effort . they know it will be a hard slog . after all , they have been at war for 30 years now , during which the traditional , honor-bound society they had for decades has all but vanished . though it is true that fierce tribal traditions mean some afghans distrust even the tribe next door , not to mention foreign troops , over and again , afghan men , women and children have told me they do not see the u.s. and nato forces as occupiers , rather as armies from countries who came to help them ... but who have fallen short of their promises . this fear and disenchantment is what the taliban feeds on today . they want the u.s. and nato out , they try to convince the people those outsiders are occupiers bent on harming them . and yet , if you look at the current trends and the latest polls in afghanistan , despite massive governmental corruption , abuse and dysfunction , the majority of the people want nothing to do with the taliban . polls show only a tiny minority support them . and that is mostly because they are desperate for security and safety , something the west has failed to follow through on after roundly defeating the taliban and al qaeda in seven weeks after 9/11 . and across the border in pakistan surveys show osama bin laden has lost his luster among muslim youth . support for islamic extremists is dropping . the pakistani government is finally fighting back against the extremists who threaten the future of this mostly moderate muslim country . under pressure , the militants are lashing out in parts of the country . see christiane amanpour 's special report on generation islam ' unfortunately , at this crucial moment , people in america and europe are tiring of their governments'support for the war in afghanistan and the battles in remote parts of pakistan . the agonized debate over strategy in washington hides the sad fact that since sending the taliban and al qaeda packing , shortsighted u.s. vision snatched defeat from the jaws of victory . the bush administration mostly ignored afghanistan while diverting its attention and resources to iraq . now that the u.s. is finally refocusing on the war in afghanistan it 's an opportunity to look at what is at stake : the urgency of finishing the job in afghanistan pitted against the real war-weariness of western voters . this is the dilemma of the modern world where the latest of life 's challenges such as the financial crisis , unemployment , new flu pandemics , health care , and the housing market dominate daily life . getting the job done in afghanistan will take years in time and resources . it will require faith and patience . the mass media is not the best place to reflect that . it does not usually focus on the hard slog , instead it is constantly in search of the new and the now . but the next time there is a major terrorist attack , in all likelihood it will have been generated by an organization somewhere near the border of pakistan and afghanistan . again , people will ask : why were n't our leaders and the media there to warn us of the dangers ? as a member of the media i believe that 's our job : to report the facts . | majority of afghans want nothing to do with the taliban , she says |
taliban <tsp> ( cnn ) -- october has been the deadliest month for the us and nato militaries fighting in afghanistan as well as un workers trying to organize an election runoff . surely the surge in deaths serves to underscore why afghanistan matters . for all the debate happening away from the battlefield , here are a couple of important bottom-line questions : is the world prepared to see the taliban and their opportunistic allies al qaeda return to power in afghanistan ? are people prepared for the terrorists'dream- photo-op of mullah omar and osama bin laden sitting smiling together in kabul ? and here 's what 's at stake : the west fortunately has been free of terrorist attacks on its major cities in the last few years , but it was not so long ago that the london tube bombings ; mass murder in madrid ; mayhem in mumbai in 2008 ; the murders of benazir bhutto and daniel pearl ; the bali bombing ; the shoe bomber and , of course , 9/11 and the attacks on the world trade center changed our world and our way of life . together , those events created pervasive fear and anxiety , not to mention a change in our lifestyle caused by security measures in airports , trains , banking transactions and office buildings . what all of these events have in common is that the perpetrators all came from , visited , were financed by , or were led by terrorist organizations operating in afghanistan and pakistan , especially the ungovernable territories on those countries'border . the bush administration , in the view of some , may have gone too far in responding to these events by creating an all-encompassing war on terrorism . ' however , for the eight long years america and nato countries have been at war in afghanistan , this war , uniquely in modern history , is still supported by all the world 's major powers , the neighbors of afghanistan , and mostly by the people of afghanistan , who dread both insecurity and a return to the brutal horrors of the taliban . if the threat of new terrorist attacks is not enough , what about the threat of a nuclear catastrophe ? look at pakistan this week . horrific bombings in the frontier town of peshawar and elsewhere have also killed scroes of people , just as u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton arrives to firm up security and development co-operation with that country . while foreign policy and intelligence experts continue to worry that terrorism , islamic extremism , the continued threat of renewed war between pakistan and india , plus the presence of nuclear weapons in the arsenals of both countries , could prove a combustible mix in the not-too-distant future . this is not scare-mongering ; it 's simply the reality that what happens in south asia could affect all of our lives . that 's why all of us must be concerned by the outcome of the war that is being fought today in mountains of the tribal areas in pakistan and the plains of afghanistan . many of the soldiers and officers i speak to in afghanistan say the best way to beat back the threat of taliban insurgents is with boots on the ground and additional military resources , as well as a proper development assistance for the afghan civilians . the afghan people need protecting and enabling . i have been reporting from afghanistan since 1996 and the one thing i 've noticed over the years is that every afghan asks foremost for security . then next on the list is development to help them earn a decent living and raise their families . they also want a decent government . they know this will take years of patience and effort . they know it will be a hard slog . after all , they have been at war for 30 years now , during which the traditional , honor-bound society they had for decades has all but vanished . though it is true that fierce tribal traditions mean some afghans distrust even the tribe next door , not to mention foreign troops , over and again , afghan men , women and children have told me they do not see the u.s. and nato forces as occupiers , rather as armies from countries who came to help them ... but who have fallen short of their promises . this fear and disenchantment is what the taliban feeds on today . they want the u.s. and nato out , they try to convince the people those outsiders are occupiers bent on harming them . and yet , if you look at the current trends and the latest polls in afghanistan , despite massive governmental corruption , abuse and dysfunction , the majority of the people want nothing to do with the taliban . polls show only a tiny minority support them . and that is mostly because they are desperate for security and safety , something the west has failed to follow through on after roundly defeating the taliban and al qaeda in seven weeks after 9/11 . and across the border in pakistan surveys show osama bin laden has lost his luster among muslim youth . support for islamic extremists is dropping . the pakistani government is finally fighting back against the extremists who threaten the future of this mostly moderate muslim country . under pressure , the militants are lashing out in parts of the country . see christiane amanpour 's special report on generation islam ' unfortunately , at this crucial moment , people in america and europe are tiring of their governments'support for the war in afghanistan and the battles in remote parts of pakistan . the agonized debate over strategy in washington hides the sad fact that since sending the taliban and al qaeda packing , shortsighted u.s. vision snatched defeat from the jaws of victory . the bush administration mostly ignored afghanistan while diverting its attention and resources to iraq . now that the u.s. is finally refocusing on the war in afghanistan it 's an opportunity to look at what is at stake : the urgency of finishing the job in afghanistan pitted against the real war-weariness of western voters . this is the dilemma of the modern world where the latest of life 's challenges such as the financial crisis , unemployment , new flu pandemics , health care , and the housing market dominate daily life . getting the job done in afghanistan will take years in time and resources . it will require faith and patience . the mass media is not the best place to reflect that . it does not usually focus on the hard slog , instead it is constantly in search of the new and the now . but the next time there is a major terrorist attack , in all likelihood it will have been generated by an organization somewhere near the border of pakistan and afghanistan . again , people will ask : why were n't our leaders and the media there to warn us of the dangers ? as a member of the media i believe that 's our job : to report the facts . | amanpour : is the world prepared to see the taliban return to power ? |
cosby <tsp> bill cosby 's family is rallying around the embattled comedian . on monday , cosby 's wife , camille , released a statement in defense of her husband , who has been accused of sexual assault by a number of women . on tuesday , his daughter evin sent a statement to access hollywood ' standing up for cosby . he is the father you thought you knew .'the cosby show'was my today 's tv reality show , ' she wrote . thank you . that 's all i would like to say : ) . ' on a facebook page reputed to belong to evin cosby , posts cheered her mother and questioned the accusers . cnn has not confirmed the page belongs to evin cosby . over the last month , many women have come forward to accuse cosby of past sexual assault ; the star has never been charged . the los angeles county district attorney 's office said tuesday it wo n't be charging cosby with a crime in one of the alleged incidents that 's emerged in the past month : the case of judy huth , a woman who recently sued cosby , claiming he sexually molested her at the playboy mansion in 1974 , when she was 15 years old . the statute of limitations for any possible misdemeanor or felony charge in the case has run out , the office said . even without any charges filed , the accusations have caused cosby 's public persona to be damaged , resulting in lost projects and tour dates . how will we remember bill cosby ? his camp has repeatedly and vigorously denied the allegations . it defies common sense that so many people would have said nothing , done nothing , and made no reports to law enforcement or asserted civil claims if they thought they had been assaulted over a span of so many years , ' said cosby 's attorney , martin d. singer , in a written statement sent to cnn . cosby has said little , though friday he told a freelance new york post reporter that he appreciates his wife 's strength , and offered expectations on how the media should cover the story . | bill cosby has been accused of sexual assault by a number of women |
cosby <tsp> bill cosby 's family is rallying around the embattled comedian . on monday , cosby 's wife , camille , released a statement in defense of her husband , who has been accused of sexual assault by a number of women . on tuesday , his daughter evin sent a statement to access hollywood ' standing up for cosby . he is the father you thought you knew .'the cosby show'was my today 's tv reality show , ' she wrote . thank you . that 's all i would like to say : ) . ' on a facebook page reputed to belong to evin cosby , posts cheered her mother and questioned the accusers . cnn has not confirmed the page belongs to evin cosby . over the last month , many women have come forward to accuse cosby of past sexual assault ; the star has never been charged . the los angeles county district attorney 's office said tuesday it wo n't be charging cosby with a crime in one of the alleged incidents that 's emerged in the past month : the case of judy huth , a woman who recently sued cosby , claiming he sexually molested her at the playboy mansion in 1974 , when she was 15 years old . the statute of limitations for any possible misdemeanor or felony charge in the case has run out , the office said . even without any charges filed , the accusations have caused cosby 's public persona to be damaged , resulting in lost projects and tour dates . how will we remember bill cosby ? his camp has repeatedly and vigorously denied the allegations . it defies common sense that so many people would have said nothing , done nothing , and made no reports to law enforcement or asserted civil claims if they thought they had been assaulted over a span of so many years , ' said cosby 's attorney , martin d. singer , in a written statement sent to cnn . cosby has said little , though friday he told a freelance new york post reporter that he appreciates his wife 's strength , and offered expectations on how the media should cover the story . | cosby 's camp has repeatedly and vigorously denied the allegations |
cosby <tsp> bill cosby 's family is rallying around the embattled comedian . on monday , cosby 's wife , camille , released a statement in defense of her husband , who has been accused of sexual assault by a number of women . on tuesday , his daughter evin sent a statement to access hollywood ' standing up for cosby . he is the father you thought you knew .'the cosby show'was my today 's tv reality show , ' she wrote . thank you . that 's all i would like to say : ) . ' on a facebook page reputed to belong to evin cosby , posts cheered her mother and questioned the accusers . cnn has not confirmed the page belongs to evin cosby . over the last month , many women have come forward to accuse cosby of past sexual assault ; the star has never been charged . the los angeles county district attorney 's office said tuesday it wo n't be charging cosby with a crime in one of the alleged incidents that 's emerged in the past month : the case of judy huth , a woman who recently sued cosby , claiming he sexually molested her at the playboy mansion in 1974 , when she was 15 years old . the statute of limitations for any possible misdemeanor or felony charge in the case has run out , the office said . even without any charges filed , the accusations have caused cosby 's public persona to be damaged , resulting in lost projects and tour dates . how will we remember bill cosby ? his camp has repeatedly and vigorously denied the allegations . it defies common sense that so many people would have said nothing , done nothing , and made no reports to law enforcement or asserted civil claims if they thought they had been assaulted over a span of so many years , ' said cosby 's attorney , martin d. singer , in a written statement sent to cnn . cosby has said little , though friday he told a freelance new york post reporter that he appreciates his wife 's strength , and offered expectations on how the media should cover the story . | bill cosby 's daughter evin says comedian is father you thought you knew ' |
cosby <tsp> bill cosby 's family is rallying around the embattled comedian . on monday , cosby 's wife , camille , released a statement in defense of her husband , who has been accused of sexual assault by a number of women . on tuesday , his daughter evin sent a statement to access hollywood ' standing up for cosby . he is the father you thought you knew .'the cosby show'was my today 's tv reality show , ' she wrote . thank you . that 's all i would like to say : ) . ' on a facebook page reputed to belong to evin cosby , posts cheered her mother and questioned the accusers . cnn has not confirmed the page belongs to evin cosby . over the last month , many women have come forward to accuse cosby of past sexual assault ; the star has never been charged . the los angeles county district attorney 's office said tuesday it wo n't be charging cosby with a crime in one of the alleged incidents that 's emerged in the past month : the case of judy huth , a woman who recently sued cosby , claiming he sexually molested her at the playboy mansion in 1974 , when she was 15 years old . the statute of limitations for any possible misdemeanor or felony charge in the case has run out , the office said . even without any charges filed , the accusations have caused cosby 's public persona to be damaged , resulting in lost projects and tour dates . how will we remember bill cosby ? his camp has repeatedly and vigorously denied the allegations . it defies common sense that so many people would have said nothing , done nothing , and made no reports to law enforcement or asserted civil claims if they thought they had been assaulted over a span of so many years , ' said cosby 's attorney , martin d. singer , in a written statement sent to cnn . cosby has said little , though friday he told a freelance new york post reporter that he appreciates his wife 's strength , and offered expectations on how the media should cover the story . | los angeles prosecutor says cosby wo n't be charged in 1974 case |
new york times <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in a controversial essay published on his website sunday , popular british graffiti artist banksy criticized the design of one world trade center , referring to the building as a shyscraper ' and a betrayal . ' the famously anonymous british street artist describes the building , which will be completed in 2014 , as vanilla ' and something they would build in canada . ' he added , it looks like it never wanted to be built in the first place . ' according to the new york times , banksy submitted the op-ed -- entitled the biggest eyesore in new york is not the graffiti , argues banksy , it 's under construction at ground zero ' -- and artwork , but the paper declined to publish it . we could n't agree on either the piece or the art , so it was rejected , ' eileen murphy , a spokeswoman for the new york times , told cnn . instead , banksy published the scathing piece on his blog , which he has been using to unveil new works of art around new york from his monthlong series better out than in . ' today 's piece was going to be an op-ed column in the new york times . but they declined to publish what i supplied , ' banksy wrote on his site . instead he took his familiar graffiti medium , stenciling , this site contains blocked messages , ' on a wall in the greenpoint neighborhood of brooklyn . in his essay , banksy writes the tower is a construction sign that says new york has lost its nerve . it would be easy to view one world trade centre as a betrayal of everyone who lost their lives on september 11th , because it so clearly proclaims the terrorists won , ' he wrote . new yorkers who were directly affected by the attacks on september 11 , 2001 , were insulted by banksy 's remarks . i think it 's a disgrace to new york city and all the families who lost loved ones on 9/11 , ' said former fire department deputy chief jim riches , whose firefighter son , jimmy , was one of nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks . the attacks of september 11th were an attack on all of us and we will live out our lives in their shadow . but it 's also how we react to adversity that defines us . and the response ? 104 floors of compromise ? ' wrote banksy . he is looking for publicity , ' riches said , i do n't think anyone should care what he says . ' designed by architect david childs of skidmore , owings and merrill , one world trade center is a 1,776-foot tall , 3.5-million-square-foot building that includes office space , an observation deck and high-end restaurants , according to the world trade center website . it is one of five skyscrapers to be built at the site . to have the marker in the sky is an important thing for people traveling around the city . but as a marker , it also says downtown is back . it now has a place that responds to the midtown of new york that was missing for so long , ' childs told cnn in april 2012 . during his visit to new york , banksy has also referenced september 11 in a street art stencil of the twin towers in tribeca . he placed an orange daisy near where the planes struck the north tower . sally regenhard , a leading voice for families of 9/11 victims , lost her firefighter son , christian in the attacks . to me it was n't a flower . it looked like an explosion , a fire explosion , ' said regenhard . regenhard told cnn she is not against banksy . it 's just a pr thing , ' regenhard said . i 'm more concerned with the safety of the building than design . ' riches looks forward to the new skyscraper . it 's part of our skyline , ' riches said . it 's what future generations will look at . ' century 21 department store had planned to show banksy 's work starting tuesday , but after the artist 's essay , the iconic retailer has reconsidered . due to recent controversial comments , century 21 department store has decided to cancel the banksy exhibit , ' said spokeswoman heather feinmel . the century 21 in downtown manhattan is very close to the world trade center and had to be evacuated after the building was badly damaged on september 11 . the store was closed for five months before reopening at the same location . banksy was not directly involved with the show . | new york times declines to publish op-ed ; bansky posts the essay on website |
united states <tsp> lille , france ( cnn ) former international monetary fund chief dominique strauss-kahn denied knowing that prostitutes were involved in sex parties he joined , as he took the stand tuesday for the first time in his high-profile trial on pimping charges . the trial of strauss-kahn , who saw his stellar career plummet to earth after a separate sex scandal that resulted in his arrest in new york in 2011 , opened in the northern french city of lille a week ago . strauss-kahn , who 's 65 , is charged with aggravated pimping on the grounds that he organized or encouraged group sex parties in both europe and the united states . he has denied aiding and supporting the prostitution of seven women . asked by the judge tuesday if his position had changed , strauss-kahn said he knew nothing of the prostitutional nature ' of the parties in which he took part . he also faced questions over claims by one of the sex workers that he had brutal sexual relations with her and must have known she was being paid . other defendants insist strauss-kahn was n't told . in france , prostitution is legal , but pimping is not . the trial is being closely watched both in his homeland , where strauss-kahn is commonly known as dsk , and around the world . there were dramatic scenes as strauss-kahn 's car arrived at court tuesday , when topless protesters with anti-dsk slogans painted on their bodies clambered onto his car . the activists , from the feminist group femen , were then bundled away by police . prosecutors say the operations of the prostitution ring , organized from the hotel carlton in lille , stretched all the way to new york and washington . sex workers involved in the parties said they were like orgies . strauss-kahn , who was married to french tv journalist anne sinclair until their divorce in 2013 , has never denied that he took part in the parties . but the crux of his defense is that he did not know prostitutes were involved . if the court finds strauss-kahn guilty of the charges , the former imf director could be sentenced up to 10 years in prison and fined 1.5 million euros ( $ 1.7 million . ) a former sex worker who 's one of the plaintiffs in the case , named only as mounia r. , described an encounter with strauss-kahn at the murano hotel in paris when she took the stand tuesday . she told the court she had indicated that she did n't like the sexual practices in which they were engaging and that strauss-kahn registered this . he remained smiling when she cried , she said . however , she said , she consented to the brutal sexual act because she needed the money . the woman also said that her presence at the hotel was essentially for dsk , ' adding , i was told we were there for him . ' the former sex worker contended that none of the participants in the parties could have been unaware that the women involved were prostitutes . questioned by the judge , strauss-kahn denied having seen mounia r. crying while they were having sex , and he said he would have been petrified if he had noticed . he also said he 'd been given no sense of refusal by her . referring to other testimonies in the case , he said other women had refused to have sex with him at the parties and that he 'd accepted their decision . when others said no , it was no , ' he said . asked why fellow defendant fabrice paszkowski , a friend and businessman , would not have told him the women were being paid for sex , strauss-kahn said paszkowski knew he did not like prostitution . his friend wanted to please him by telling him the women were just libertines , ' strauss-kahn said , and did n't realize the risk this represented for him . as to mounia r. 's claim that he must have been aware she was a sex worker , strauss-kahn said that she had provided no concrete evidence to demonstrate that he knew . another defendant in the case , businessman david roquet , denied having told mounia r. that she was essentially there for strauss-kahn , also a friend of his . prosecutors say roquet and paszkowski picked up the bills for the sex parties for their influential friend . another defendant , beatrice legrain , an occasional sex worker who 's also accused of being a pimp , also testified tuesday . paszkowski said she was introduced to strauss-kahn as a restaurant owner and the prostitute she accompanied to a party as a restaurant employee . paszkowski reiterated that the former imf director was not supposed to know the status of the women . the judge asked paszkowski and jean-christophe lagarde , a former senior policeman also accused in the case , if they were expecting professional benefits from their friendship with strauss-kahn , whom many people once saw as a future president of france . they denied that was the case . paszkowski and other defendants have previously been adamant that strauss-kahn was unaware the women were prostitutes and that he never paid them . the prosecutor 's office in late 2013 asked for strauss-kahn 's case to be dismissed , citing lack of evidence . however , the investigating magistrates did not follow their recommendations . altogether , there are 13 defendants in the case besides strauss-kahn , said patricia corbellego from action teams against pimping , one of the plaintiffs in the case . a biographer of strauss-kahn , michel taubman , told cnn that he believes the former imf chief 's story in what is known in france as the carlton affair . ' if he knew that the girls were prostitutes , i think he would not have made them come to washington and he would not have had a picture of one of them in his office , ' said taubman . in the years since his new york arrest , strauss kahn has spent much of his time trying to clear his name . he has tried to revive his reputation and start a new career by creating an economic consultancy , taking on both private and governmental clients . he needs these clients , according to taubman , in order to pay his legal bills . taubman says he does not believe strauss kahn can or will ever be directly involved in politics or policy making again . he is a father , a grandfather , he has suffered a lot , his family has suffered a lot . and i do n't think he will have the energy or the will to come back in politics , you know , ' the biographer said . strauss-kahn said almost as much himself in an interview with cnn 's richard quest , long before the trial opened in lille . so i made this mistake to believe that you could have a public life doing what you had to do in the public life . ... and that you can have a private life , ' he said . and my mistake was certainly to believe that you can have these two things together without any connection between . it was wrong . it was wrong in the way you say because people are not expecting this kind of heterodox behavior from somebody having public responsibility . ' the may 2011 sex scandal not only ended strauss-kahn 's tenure as imf director -- a role that gave him huge influence on the economies of countries around the world -- but dashed his presidential hopes . he was the leading prospective socialist candidate in the french presidential elections of 2012 , an election his party won . strauss-kahn could well have taken the presidency , which instead was claimed by francois hollande . the scandal erupted when strauss-kahn was arrested at new york 's kennedy airport on charges he had sexually assaulted a maid , nafissatou diallo , at a hotel where he had stayed . he resigned in disgrace from the imf , and months of legal battles followed . in the end , he was cleared of the charge and allowed to return to france , only to find that his name had come up in connection with the alleged lille prostitution ring .'i do n't think i have any kind of problem with women ,'strauss-kahn says cnn 's jim bittermann reported from paris and sandrine amiel from lille , while laura smith-spark wrote from london . | the ex-imf chief is accused of organizing sex parties with prostitutes in europe and the united states |
cdc <tsp> ( cnn ) you can dramatically reduce your chances of having heart disease or dying from heart disease if you do six simple things . that 's what a new study in the recent edition of the journal of the american college of cardiology found . and it 's good news since studies from the centers for disease control and prevention found that heart disease is the leading cause of death for american women and men . february is american heart month . this latest study used data came from 88,940 women between age 27 and 44 enrolled in the nurses'health study ii from 1991 to 2011 . the study looked at how many women smoked ( or quit ) , what their body mass index was , what their physical activity level was , how much they watched tv and what their diet was like . in 20 years of follow-up , there were 456 cases of coronary heart disease . researchers noticed that of the women who did n't have coronary heart disease and stayed healthy , the greater majority had six lifestyle habits in common . so , here is what you need to do . and while women were studied in this case , these habits would be good for men 's hearts , too . smoking does n't hurt just your lungs and age your skin prematurely , it also hurts your heart . in fact , nearly as many smokers die of heart disease as they do from lung cancer . smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the united states . the chemicals in cigarettes cause physical damage to your heart , and they mess with your blood cells . there 's a reason the world health organization calls smoking the gradual killer . ' smoking can cause plaque to build up in your heart . that plaque narrows your arteries , making it hard for the blood to circulate . have too much plaque , and you 've got coronary heart disease . if you do n't smoke , do n't start . if you do smoke , ask for help . only about 4 % of people are able to quit without counseling or medicine , according to the american cancer society . body mass index looks at your height and weight to measure how much body fat you have . researchers determined that optimal bmi was 18.5 to 24.9 , which scientists typically characterize as normal weight . ' a normal weight ' is probably a stretch for most americans . the average bmi is 26.5 for women , according to the cdc . the next category could help . these women were n't at an hourlong exercise class class every day . they exercised at least 2.5 hours a week . that 's less time than most people spend in the shower each week . it 's not a high bar , but the study found even a small amount of physical activity made a real difference . what counts as moderate-to-vigorous-intensity exercise ? it means walking at a moderate or brisk pace , backpacking , hiking , bicycling , doing yoga , boxing , tennis or most any team sport . so get out there and get physical . a healthy ' diet was based on the alternative healthy eating index . that 's a fancy term the u.s. department of agriculture 's center for nutrition policy and promotion came up with to determine how well american diets conform to recommended healthy eating patterns . ' what does that mean for you ? if you are active , you can eat about 2,200 calories a day and maintain your weight and still be considered healthy . if you exercise sometimes , try 2,000 . if you have chosen to sit in front of the tv most nights , keep your diet to 1,800 calories . it 's not just about counting calories , though . you should be eating a balance of food from all the major food groups . if it 's been a while since you stared at one of those food posters in health class , that means : • eat 2½ cups a day of vegetables , cooked or raw , or salads . • eat two cups of fruit , raw or cooked . or it can come in the form of a cup of juice if it is 100 % fruit juice , rather than some sugary substitute your kids love . • eat 6 ounces of grains . that could mean half a cup of rice or pasta or a slice of bread . • eat three cups of dairy . it could be yogurt , 2 ounces of cheese , or drink a cup of milk or soy milk . • eat 5½ ounces of protein . that means seafood or nuts or beans or peas . lean meat or eggs or poultry work , too . repeat all that daily . it may sound like a lot , but the good news is that your menu would have variety and give you a lot of options for meals . you 're not stuck eating only grapefruit or doing some crazy diet . that guideline is painful for someone who works for a tv company , but the good news is you do n't have to give up scandal ' and downton abbey ' completely . limited ' television is estimated at about seven hours a week or less . that means there 's room for anderson cooper 360° , ' too . earlier studies have found people who watch more than seven hours of tv tend to sleep less and weigh more . sitting for long periods disrupts your metabolism . too much sitting may kill you , new studies show . so , if you are going to watch television , at least do it standing or exercise a bit while watching . yes , you read that correctly . the women who avoided heart disease drank alcohol . the key , of course , is to be moderate about it . that was defined as about one drink a day for nonpregnant women . earlier studies have shown that women who do drink in moderation have a better chance than nondrinkers of staying healthy as they age . moderate drinking can reduce inflammation , promote healthy cholesterol levels , improve insulin resistance and help blood vessels function properly . the cdc suggests that you should n't start drinking for the health impact if you do n't drink already . there are a lot of extra calories in alcohol . andrea kaye chomistek , the study 's lead author , said an important takeaway from the report is that women who followed just one of these six habits improved their chances of avoiding heart disease . it is not do all or nothing to succeed , ' said chomistek , an assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at indiana university , bloomington . even if you targeted one , two of these behaviors , your chances improve significantly . ' the other takeaway , she said , is that you should start doing one ( or all ) these things while you are still young , long before you may show any signs that you could be heart sick . people in their 30s and 40s often feel invincible and do n't feel they need to worry about heart disease , but that 's not the case , ' she said . we saw plenty of cases of heart disease in that category , not a huge number , but women did develop risks . these are simple things women can do to avoid going in that direction . ' | heart disease is the leading cause of death for american women and men , cdc says |
bates <tsp> ( cnn ) an internal inquiry by the tulsa county sheriff 's office in 2009 concluded that reserve deputy robert bates was shown special treatment and that training policies were violated regarding his role with the agency . bates is the volunteer deputy who fatally shot suspect eric harris instead of stunning him with a taser on april 2 . a harris family lawyer provided documents to cnn from the 2009 inquiry , which also found that supervisors intimidated employees to disregard policies to the benefit of bates . the tulsa county sheriff 's office has not responded to repeated calls for comment from cnn . an attorney for bates , clark o. brewster , told cnn 's anderson cooper on friday that he disputed the findings in the report and maintained that his client had the proper training . bates , 73 , is charged with second-degree manslaughter in the shooting of harris . he pleaded not guilty . bates was working as a reserve deputy for the tulsa county sheriff 's office on april 2 when he was involved the arrest of harris in a weapons sting operation . bates has said he meant to stun harris with a taser after the suspect fled from officers but mistakenly shot harris with a gun instead . bates has said the shooting was accidental . he has apologized to the harris family , as has sheriff stanley glanz . how easy is it to confuse a gun for a taser ? the attorney for the harris family said that bates was n't qualified to be on the force , but received preferential treatment because he 'd made donations to the agency and was a friend of the sheriff . the tulsa world newspaper reported some supervisors in the tulsa county sheriff 's office were told to forge bates'records and were reassigned when they refused . the sheriff 's office denied the allegations in the newspaper 's report . it also declined a cnn interview to respond to the claims . over the weekend , one of bates'attorneys released most of his training documents and said they prove bates had proper law enforcement training . however , the records were incomplete . bates'attorney , brewster , characterized the 2009 memo as something borne out of jealousy by other officers . the allegations made in the report are the result of misunderstandings and misstatements , he said . the memos obtained by cnn show that a special investigation ' was launched in july 2009 at the request of then-undersheriff brian edwards . edwards asked investigators to look at two questions specifically : was bates being treated differently than any other reserve deputies , and were any employees pressured by supervisors to aid bates ? the investigation found that some employees felt pressured to sign off on certificates for training that bates had not completed . police caught on camera : the good and the bad on friday , the tulsa county district attorney 's office said it had received new information -- likely the 2009 memo -- that are worthy of further investigation beyond the scope of the manslaughter case . ' the da 's office is reaching out to independent law enforcement agencies to investigate further . contrary to claims by the sheriff 's office that bates had the required training to be in the field , the 2009 memo indicates otherwise . the document names then-chief deputy tim albin ( currently undersheriff ) and then-capt . tom huckeby ( now a major ) as two supervisors who allegedly pressured lower-ranking officers to make exceptions or falsify records for bates . one deputy reported that he was tasked with providing field training for bates . the written policy is that a reserve deputy is required to have 480 hours of training , but that huckeby and albin pressured the trainer to write that bates was qualified after only 320 hours . the trainer , fearing reassignment if he did not comply , signed a memo stating that bates had completed 328 hours of training , and did not elaborate on details of the training . later , the memo was amended by his superiors to read , in part , that bates was capable of performing the functions of a patrol deputy . ' the training deputy said he initialed the changes , even though he did n't think bates was properly trained . according to the investigation memo , the trainer said that if he was honest , he would have said bates needed remedial training , and that the reserve deputy was not really good at traffic stops or operations . ' the internal investigation only turned up 72 hours of documented training . the trainer maintained that he oversaw 328 hours of training , but that the records were sent not to the records office , but instead to huckeby . brewster denied the claims made by the trainer , and alleged that trainer lost his job in part because of his conduct during the internal inquiry . another deputy said that she signed a driving certificate for bates , even though she believed he had not completed the training . albin asked the deputy to make the certificate , and she did so without questioning him , according to the investigation . the memo lists other instances where bates performed operations that he was n't supposed to , given his stature in the department , but that complaints by other officers were dismissed by supervisors . those who complained about bates , according to the memo , were told to leave him alone or to make an exception , citing that he did a lot of good for the county and was close with the top leaders in the agency . | documents show that officers thought robert bates got special treatment |
bates <tsp> ( cnn ) an internal inquiry by the tulsa county sheriff 's office in 2009 concluded that reserve deputy robert bates was shown special treatment and that training policies were violated regarding his role with the agency . bates is the volunteer deputy who fatally shot suspect eric harris instead of stunning him with a taser on april 2 . a harris family lawyer provided documents to cnn from the 2009 inquiry , which also found that supervisors intimidated employees to disregard policies to the benefit of bates . the tulsa county sheriff 's office has not responded to repeated calls for comment from cnn . an attorney for bates , clark o. brewster , told cnn 's anderson cooper on friday that he disputed the findings in the report and maintained that his client had the proper training . bates , 73 , is charged with second-degree manslaughter in the shooting of harris . he pleaded not guilty . bates was working as a reserve deputy for the tulsa county sheriff 's office on april 2 when he was involved the arrest of harris in a weapons sting operation . bates has said he meant to stun harris with a taser after the suspect fled from officers but mistakenly shot harris with a gun instead . bates has said the shooting was accidental . he has apologized to the harris family , as has sheriff stanley glanz . how easy is it to confuse a gun for a taser ? the attorney for the harris family said that bates was n't qualified to be on the force , but received preferential treatment because he 'd made donations to the agency and was a friend of the sheriff . the tulsa world newspaper reported some supervisors in the tulsa county sheriff 's office were told to forge bates'records and were reassigned when they refused . the sheriff 's office denied the allegations in the newspaper 's report . it also declined a cnn interview to respond to the claims . over the weekend , one of bates'attorneys released most of his training documents and said they prove bates had proper law enforcement training . however , the records were incomplete . bates'attorney , brewster , characterized the 2009 memo as something borne out of jealousy by other officers . the allegations made in the report are the result of misunderstandings and misstatements , he said . the memos obtained by cnn show that a special investigation ' was launched in july 2009 at the request of then-undersheriff brian edwards . edwards asked investigators to look at two questions specifically : was bates being treated differently than any other reserve deputies , and were any employees pressured by supervisors to aid bates ? the investigation found that some employees felt pressured to sign off on certificates for training that bates had not completed . police caught on camera : the good and the bad on friday , the tulsa county district attorney 's office said it had received new information -- likely the 2009 memo -- that are worthy of further investigation beyond the scope of the manslaughter case . ' the da 's office is reaching out to independent law enforcement agencies to investigate further . contrary to claims by the sheriff 's office that bates had the required training to be in the field , the 2009 memo indicates otherwise . the document names then-chief deputy tim albin ( currently undersheriff ) and then-capt . tom huckeby ( now a major ) as two supervisors who allegedly pressured lower-ranking officers to make exceptions or falsify records for bates . one deputy reported that he was tasked with providing field training for bates . the written policy is that a reserve deputy is required to have 480 hours of training , but that huckeby and albin pressured the trainer to write that bates was qualified after only 320 hours . the trainer , fearing reassignment if he did not comply , signed a memo stating that bates had completed 328 hours of training , and did not elaborate on details of the training . later , the memo was amended by his superiors to read , in part , that bates was capable of performing the functions of a patrol deputy . ' the training deputy said he initialed the changes , even though he did n't think bates was properly trained . according to the investigation memo , the trainer said that if he was honest , he would have said bates needed remedial training , and that the reserve deputy was not really good at traffic stops or operations . ' the internal investigation only turned up 72 hours of documented training . the trainer maintained that he oversaw 328 hours of training , but that the records were sent not to the records office , but instead to huckeby . brewster denied the claims made by the trainer , and alleged that trainer lost his job in part because of his conduct during the internal inquiry . another deputy said that she signed a driving certificate for bates , even though she believed he had not completed the training . albin asked the deputy to make the certificate , and she did so without questioning him , according to the investigation . the memo lists other instances where bates performed operations that he was n't supposed to , given his stature in the department , but that complaints by other officers were dismissed by supervisors . those who complained about bates , according to the memo , were told to leave him alone or to make an exception , citing that he did a lot of good for the county and was close with the top leaders in the agency . | bates says meant to use his taser but shot eric harris by mistake |
eric harris <tsp> ( cnn ) an internal inquiry by the tulsa county sheriff 's office in 2009 concluded that reserve deputy robert bates was shown special treatment and that training policies were violated regarding his role with the agency . bates is the volunteer deputy who fatally shot suspect eric harris instead of stunning him with a taser on april 2 . a harris family lawyer provided documents to cnn from the 2009 inquiry , which also found that supervisors intimidated employees to disregard policies to the benefit of bates . the tulsa county sheriff 's office has not responded to repeated calls for comment from cnn . an attorney for bates , clark o. brewster , told cnn 's anderson cooper on friday that he disputed the findings in the report and maintained that his client had the proper training . bates , 73 , is charged with second-degree manslaughter in the shooting of harris . he pleaded not guilty . bates was working as a reserve deputy for the tulsa county sheriff 's office on april 2 when he was involved the arrest of harris in a weapons sting operation . bates has said he meant to stun harris with a taser after the suspect fled from officers but mistakenly shot harris with a gun instead . bates has said the shooting was accidental . he has apologized to the harris family , as has sheriff stanley glanz . how easy is it to confuse a gun for a taser ? the attorney for the harris family said that bates was n't qualified to be on the force , but received preferential treatment because he 'd made donations to the agency and was a friend of the sheriff . the tulsa world newspaper reported some supervisors in the tulsa county sheriff 's office were told to forge bates'records and were reassigned when they refused . the sheriff 's office denied the allegations in the newspaper 's report . it also declined a cnn interview to respond to the claims . over the weekend , one of bates'attorneys released most of his training documents and said they prove bates had proper law enforcement training . however , the records were incomplete . bates'attorney , brewster , characterized the 2009 memo as something borne out of jealousy by other officers . the allegations made in the report are the result of misunderstandings and misstatements , he said . the memos obtained by cnn show that a special investigation ' was launched in july 2009 at the request of then-undersheriff brian edwards . edwards asked investigators to look at two questions specifically : was bates being treated differently than any other reserve deputies , and were any employees pressured by supervisors to aid bates ? the investigation found that some employees felt pressured to sign off on certificates for training that bates had not completed . police caught on camera : the good and the bad on friday , the tulsa county district attorney 's office said it had received new information -- likely the 2009 memo -- that are worthy of further investigation beyond the scope of the manslaughter case . ' the da 's office is reaching out to independent law enforcement agencies to investigate further . contrary to claims by the sheriff 's office that bates had the required training to be in the field , the 2009 memo indicates otherwise . the document names then-chief deputy tim albin ( currently undersheriff ) and then-capt . tom huckeby ( now a major ) as two supervisors who allegedly pressured lower-ranking officers to make exceptions or falsify records for bates . one deputy reported that he was tasked with providing field training for bates . the written policy is that a reserve deputy is required to have 480 hours of training , but that huckeby and albin pressured the trainer to write that bates was qualified after only 320 hours . the trainer , fearing reassignment if he did not comply , signed a memo stating that bates had completed 328 hours of training , and did not elaborate on details of the training . later , the memo was amended by his superiors to read , in part , that bates was capable of performing the functions of a patrol deputy . ' the training deputy said he initialed the changes , even though he did n't think bates was properly trained . according to the investigation memo , the trainer said that if he was honest , he would have said bates needed remedial training , and that the reserve deputy was not really good at traffic stops or operations . ' the internal investigation only turned up 72 hours of documented training . the trainer maintained that he oversaw 328 hours of training , but that the records were sent not to the records office , but instead to huckeby . brewster denied the claims made by the trainer , and alleged that trainer lost his job in part because of his conduct during the internal inquiry . another deputy said that she signed a driving certificate for bates , even though she believed he had not completed the training . albin asked the deputy to make the certificate , and she did so without questioning him , according to the investigation . the memo lists other instances where bates performed operations that he was n't supposed to , given his stature in the department , but that complaints by other officers were dismissed by supervisors . those who complained about bates , according to the memo , were told to leave him alone or to make an exception , citing that he did a lot of good for the county and was close with the top leaders in the agency . | bates says meant to use his taser but shot eric harris by mistake |
comoro islands <tsp> ( cnn ) -- lessons learned from previous successful airliner ditchings helped pilot c.b . sully ' sullenberger save 155 lives when he put his us airways a320 jetliner down in the hudson river , a fellow pilot told cnn . an ethiopian airlines boeing 767 is seen just before it crashes into the sea off the comoro islands in 1996 . twenty-three people died when an overseas national airways dc-9 ditched off the caribbean island of st. croix in 1970 , and 123 were killed in the crash of an ethiopian airlines boeing 767 off the comoro islands near africa in 1996 . but emilio corsetti , an airbus 320 pilot and aviation author , said those ditchings were actually successful because people were able to get out ' -- 40 in the 1970 crash and 52 in the 1996 incident . more may have survived if those planes were equipped like the airbus 320 and if passengers followed standard evacuation procedures , corsetti told cnn . watch how to survive a plane crash » in fact , corsetti said , the 1970 crash helped lead to a redesign of seat belts . the belts aboard the dc-9 were metal-to-fabric , ' corsetti said , depending upon tension to keep passengers strapped in their seats . those things gave out ... people were thrown out of their seats 10 rows up , ' said corsetti , who has written a book , 35 miles from shore , ' about the 1970 crash . on the hudson river on thursday , the impact was like being inside a car that crashes , ' passenger alberto panero said . corsetti also said that the dc-9 did n't have life raft capacity for all those aboard . unlike the a320 's escape slides , which helped dozens of passengers get out , the dc-9s rafts could hold only three or four . in the 1996 crash , the ethiopian airlines 767 was attempting a water landing off the grand comoro island during a hijacking . the plane had run out of fuel . while it is uncertain whether there was a struggle in the cockpit , video shows the 767 nearing the ocean 's surface . as it does , the plane 's left engine hits a reef , corsetti said , sending it into a cartwheel . he said the majority of the 123 who died drowned . they had put on life vests and inflated them before they could get out of the splintered fuselage , he said , and were trapped against the bulkheads as water filled the wreckage . sullenberger had other advantages , too , corsetti said . putting the jetliner down into the placid hudson river probably helped him keep the plane level . the dc-9 pilot faced 8- to 15-foot seas in the 1970 ditching and the ethiopian jet was dealing with offshore waves . watch a pilot describe how plane went down » the a320 also is equipped with a ditching button , corsetti said , which closes all valves below the waterline , enabling it to float more easily . no matter the lessons learned from the earlier crashes , us airways passengers were happy sullenberger was in the cockpit thursday . he 's the man ! he 's absolutely the man ! ' passenger vince spera said . if you want to talk to a hero , get a hold of him because that is the hero in this whole deal . ' cnn 's wayne drash contributed to this report . | lessons from 1970 dc-9 ditching into caribbean , 1996 crash off comoro islands |
erin <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the remnants of tropical storm erin turned central oklahoma into a wash basin sunday , with rescuers on helicopters plucking people from flood waters and rooftops and ferrying them to safety . a flood victim hangs precariously during a rescue flight sunday . two people died and at least two others were hurt , said michelann ooten , a spokesman for the state 's emergency operations center in oklahoma city . a middle-aged man who had stopped to help another person wound up drowning in his vehicle near kingfisher , oklahoma , and an elderly woman in fort cobb , oklahoma , who had sought protection in her storm cellar drowned there , ooten said . the injuries occurred when either straight-line winds or a tornado destroyed a house in watonga , she said . i 'm certain there are many more injured , ' she said . this is all courtesy erin , the new four-letter word , ' she said . officials were searching for three other people who had been traveling together near carnegie , oklahoma , and were reported missing , she said . in kingfisher , oklahoma , the storm dropped five to 11 inches of rain in a short period of time , causing kingfisher creek to rise 25 feet and overflow its banks , said capt . chris west of the oklahoma highway patrol . it 's the highest it 's ever been , ' west said . there 's about 200 to 300 people that are displaced out of their homes . ' by 6 p.m. floodwaters in kingfisher had begun to subside , but the storm system had not yet exited the state , ooten said . flood warnings were issued until midnight for parts of eastern oklahoma , she said . the helicopter rescue operation got under way sunday morning , after authorities got a call alerting them that a pickup truck containing two passengers had been swept from a bridge over kingfisher creek , west said . first , a helicopter dropped life vests to the couple , whose pickup truck was nearly obscured by the water . soon afterward , their truck was simply swept away , and the pair were left to fend for themselves in the water until the rescue helicopter approached . first , a rescuer grabbed the woman and pulled her toward the skid on which he was positioned . for a few seconds , she held on as the helicopter rose , but lost her grip and fell back into the water . the helicopter circled back for a second effort , which this time proved successful . the drama from the town of about 14,000 residents 35 miles northwest of oklahoma city unfolded live on national television . when the lady fell , i was kind of surprised , i hated to see that , ' said west , who watched the rescue on television . we were able to get back around , get her picked up . ' like his partner , the man also fell , was picked up again and taken to safety . the rescue work then focused on removing people stranded atop the roofs of vehicles and buildings . time and again , the pilots positioned their helicopters inches above choppy water as rescuers helped men and women grab the skids . residents of nearby apache , oklahoma , faced similar floods , which caught most people off guard , said lt. bobby claborne of the apache fire department . we never thought we 'd have a tropical storm in our area , ' he said . no evacuation plans were initiated until early sunday , but it was a little late ' by then , he said . for several hours , thousands of people were without power in el reno , which had been inundated by more than six inches of rain in just a few hours . and some vehicles were trapped on interstate 40 in western oklahoma , said capt . ken brown , the state police operations commander in el reno . two different semis were overcome by water and required fire rescue to get the drivers from their vehicles , ' he said . boats and other watercraft were enlisted in the rescue effort . west said the flooded areas have sustained extensive damage -- not only to homes and businesses and automobiles , but to these agricultural areas . ' we have a lot of roadways that will be damaged from this , ' he said . there 's going to be a lot of debris that floated in . and you know , road crews are going to have to get out and clear those . ' meanwhile , floods around the upper midwest washed away roads and bridges , killing four people , the associated press reported . floods killed two in minnesota when their car drove off the road and they could not escape their vehicle . in vernon county , wisconsin , a mudslide was triggered by a foot of rain , the ap said . e-mail to a friend | erin is the new four-letter word ' in oklahoma , said emergency official |
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