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mario balotelli <tsp> leading international soccer player mario balotelli has had enough -- the ac milan striker has vowed to walk off the pitch next time he is racially abused at a football game . balotelli , who was subjected to racist chanting during sunday 's italian league game against roma , has told cnn in an exclusive interview that he came close to leaving the field following the abuse at ac milan 's san siro stadium in a match that finished 0-0 . the 22-year-old put his fingers to his lips in front of the visiting supporters'section as a section of fans directed monkey chants ' at him and teammate kevin prince-boateng . i always said that if it ( racism ) happened in the stadium i will just do like'nobody says nothing and i do n't care ,'' balotelli told cnn . but this time i think i 've changed my mind a little bit . if it 's going to happen one more time , then i 'm going to leave the pitch because it 's so stupid . ' the abuse led to the game being halted for two minutes as the stadium 's pa announcer warned the roma supporters to end the abuse or the match would be stopped . balotelli is not the first player from ac milan -- one of europe 's top clubs , having won 18 national titles and seven continental crowns -- -- to face racist abuse this season . in january , boateng did walk off the pitch after being racially abused during a friendly against pro patria . that action prompted governing bodies fifa and uefa to rethink the way clubs and players are punished if they are found guilty of racist abuse . balotelli revealed that his teammate boateng -- who was a guest speaker at the united nation 's international day for the elimination of racial discrimination in march -- persuaded him not to leave the field of play on sunday . i spoke with prince , ' added balotelli . i was about to leave the pitch on sunday , but they thought i wanted to leave because we had some difficulty with the game and then we are going to win 3-0 . i said'no , it 's better we play and i will talk ,'that 's it . but if it was n't for this reason , then i was going to leave the pitch on sunday . ' on monday roma was fined $ 65,000 by the italian football federation ( figc ) -- a punishment that drew sharp criticism from fifa president sepp blatter ' what is $ 65,000 for such an incident ? i 'm not happy and i will call the italian federation , ' the head of football 's world governing body told the fifa website . that 's not a way to deal with such matters . ' throughout the season italian football has been plagued by racist incidents as the country struggles to deal with the problem . only last month , inter milan was fined around $ 60,000 by european governing body uefa after its fans were found guilty of improper conduct ' after racist chants were directed at tottenham 's togolese striker emmanuel adebayor . in february , roma 's fierce city rival , lazio , received its fourth uefa charge of the season for racist behavior with the club accruing fines of up to $ 300,000 mancini 's sacking no surprise for balotelli ' family 's little black boy ' this is not the first time balotelli has suffered racist abuse . the striker was targeted by fans of his former club -- inter milan -- in a serie a game after he joined milan in a $ 30 million deal from manchester city in january . inter was fined $ 65,500 by the figc following the incidents while the player was also hit with a $ 13,000 fine for aiming a gesture at fans as he left the field at the full time whistle . balotelli played for inter between 2006 and 2010 . the 22-year-old was also subjected to racist abuse while on international duty with italy -- croatia fans were found guilty of throwing bananas at the forward during the 2012 european championship finals . there was also embarrassment for milan in february when the club 's vice president paulo berlusconi , the younger brother of former prime minster and team owner silvio berlusconi , was caught on camera referring to balotelli 's arrival by saying : ok , we are all off to see the family 's little black boy . he 's a crazy head . all the young ladies are invited as well -- you can even have a chance to meet the president ( silvio berlusconi ) . ' the video , which was featured on the website of italian newspaper la repubblica , was condemned by anti-racism campaigners . milan have won the italian title 18 times and the european cup ( now known as the champions league ) seven times . | mario balotelli says he will walk off the pitch next time he is racially abused |
ken aurigema <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in an upstate new york town ravaged by the wrathful remnants of hurricane irene in late august , 12 displaced families will break bread together at thanksgiving dinner . we are trying to rebuild , ' said ken aurigema , who with the help of his family will be cooking for at least 30 people thursday at the catskill christian assembly , one of the few structures in the small town of prattsville to survive the devastation of the storm and its enduring aftermath . upstate new york faced some of the worst and most extensive amount of flooding in irene 's fury , along with new jersey and vermont , said chris vaccaro spokesman for the national weather service . over 7 million homes and businesses from north carolina northward up the eastern seaboard lost power in the record-setting 10th billion-dollar disaster for the united states this year , vaccaro said . irene broke the previous record of nine billion-dollar disasters set in 2008 . the estimated damage is more than $ 7.3 billion dollars total . wind is not the only threat -- inland flooding can be one of the deadliest hazards within a tropical storm , ' vaccaro said . most of the families dining together thursday previously lived in one of the 15 now-unoccupied houses along main street , where creek swelling and flood damage turned those structures into wrecked skeletons of homes that need rebuilding , or that have been condemned . the dinner invitation extends across greene county to neighboring towns including lexington and windham , where countless homes and businesses also were destroyed . this was the first time a hurricane made landfall in the new york area since hurricane gloria struck long island in 1985 . hurricane bob in 1991 came just shy of touching down east of the long island 's twin forks . what began as a category 1 hurricane in north carolina had weakened into a tropical storm when it made a second landfall in new york 's coney island , and continued northward through connecticut , massachusetts and then vermont . the northeast is prone to witnessing a tropical storm system , it 's not just florida the gulf or ( the ) carolinas . if you live along ( the ) coastline east or south , you are susceptible , ' vaccaro told cnn . irene was a reminder of that , ' he said . thanksgiving dinner host aurigema , an electrical contractor who lost his truck , tools , and customers to irene , had been living in greene county with his wife and son for 16 years before the storm slashed through his tiny town . irene demolished the first floor of his prattsville home , drowned his foundation in creek backwash and waterlogged his floor with three feet of flooding that soon after became caked mud . having also directed the catskill christian academy for 16 years , aurigema is grateful the ministry has let him and his family take solace on their grounds for the past two months . he hopes to be out during december , by the 15th or by christmas . when he drives down main street , aurigema said , it 's hard to comprehend how you are going to rebuild the town . ' when i leave at night , it 's sad to see none of the stores being open . i think for the most part we are on the mend ; i am worried about how many people are going to move back here . ' some 20 mom-and-pop businesses , even the grocery store , were out of commission for weeks after irene shredded the edges of nearby schoharie creek , prattsville town spokesman al creazzo told cnn . shaun groden , greene county administrator said , there was complete devastation , the entire village , there was not a single building in the entire town that went unscathed . most were half knocked off ( their ) foundation , or worse , collapsed . ' there are still houses boarded up , probably just awaiting the wrecking ball , ' said groden . groden explained that the federal emergency management agency has categorized most of the damaged structures as being in what are now deemed flood zones , and that banks are reluctant to finance rebuilding in these zones , for fear of future flooding . the question is , can you literally pick up a home and move a quarter mile back to get it off the bank ? ' groden asked . from a municipal planning standpoint , he said , the reconstruction could take months . according to spokeswoman rachel racusen , fema has approved a total of more than $ 93 million in assistance to individuals affected by hurricane irene , to date . creazzo said fema would be rolling in houses ' in about two weeks , with between 20 and 22 temporary homes arriving for prattsville residents . he explained that in the meantime , displaced families have been staying with relatives and friends . in these towns , the families go back generations on generations . there is always someone living close by . ' slowly but surely , creazzo said , businesses are beginning to show signs of life . first the supermarket , then beth 's cafã© , and kenny opened up the tavern last week , ' he said , with the ring of small-town familiarity in his words . as it does every year , the town is working hard to finish projects before the winter . the asphalt contractors are closing up shop in time for thanksgiving , and all roads left unpaved will be gravel through the winter months . they have already replaced six of the eight bridges lost in the flood with temporary structures that groden anticipated will hold through spring . aurigema told cnn he is impressed by how the people of the prattsville community have come together . that 's why we decided to stay up here , ' he said . since day one , facing the aftermath of the devastating storm , family , friends and neighbors lent their hands and their shovels to clear the mud out of his family 's home . we are coming back to life , little by little , ' aurigema said . on the more immediate topic of side dishes , table fixings and how to prepare a meal for 30 or more hungry mouths , aurigema said , well , we do n't know ! ' we are a big family and we are used to cooking for large groups . we are just grateful to give back to the community we love . ' on the menu for thanksgiving in prattsville are turkey , corn , beans , potatoes , stuffing , yams , pies and cookies and -- aurigema 's brother 's favorite -- macaroni and cheese . | we are coming back to life , little by little , ' says prattsville resident ken aurigema |
brazil <tsp> the newly-renovated castelao football stadium looms into sight up ahead . driving just past it , we see women standing on street corners , leaning into cars and flashing nearly naked bodies in the low light . we 're in fortaleza in the northeastern corner of brazil , one of the world cup host cities but also known as a magnet for sex tourism . prostitution is legal in brazil for those 18 or older , but government and soccer officials are trying stto crack down on the child sex trade before the tournament kicks off in june . antonio carlos da silva , a social worker with o pequeno nazareno , says the prostitutes around the stadium now cater to truckers but dream about big bucks from visiting fans . ever since brazil was selected to host the world cup in 2014 , it created these huge expectations , ' he says as we drive down a darkened avenue . the girls keep asking me where can i take english classes so i can get more clients ? ' ' we pull up to chat with taina , an 18-year-old transsexual who has been working the streets since she was a minor . sometimes people want trannies , sometimes they want girls , ' she says . hiding down side streets she says that child prostitutes hide down side streets or behind bus stops . according to critics , officials have pushed the child sex trade out of sight , but have n't done enough to eradicate its root causes . they warn underage prostitution could explode during the world cup . these girls come from extreme poverty , a culture of social exclusion and a tradition of profound disrespect for women , ' says antonia lima sousa , a state prosecutor . she says the desperation is so great , some parents even put their own children on the street . but there is also a serious problem with organized crime . it involves a whole tourism network , from agencies to hotels to taxis , ' she says . with these mega events , sexual exploitation is also going to be organized much more via the internet . ' despite promises to eradicate child prostitution , the number of estimated child sex workers in brazil stood at about half a million in 2012 , according to the non-profit national forum for the prevention of child labor . fortaleza is considered a hotspot for child sex tourism , due in part to the widespread poverty as well as a now long-standing reputation that means potential clients continue to seek out the beach resort over other brazilian destinations , often chartering planes direct from europe , according to prosecutors . it will also host six world cup games including teams and fans from germany , greece , mexico and the ivory coast . a total of 600,000 foreign visitors are expected in brazil and another three million brazilian fans are expected to travel around the country . new ad campaign the brazilian government set aside 8 million reais , or about $ 3.3 million , to combat the child sex trade in host cities . footballers have also taken a stand in a new ad campaign ahead of the 2014 world cup , featuring brazil 's david luiz and england 's gary lineker , among others . sadly , some people will use this opportunity to sexually exploit children , ' lineker says in the video . paying for sex with anyone 17 or under is absolutely illegal . ' in fortaleza , there has been a police crackdown on child prostitution and the city government says it has implemented new programs , but officials refused to be interviewed by cnn . we were welcomed by a handful of non-profit groups helping get children and adolescents off the street . o pequeno nazareno works directly with street children , including young boys who have been forced into the sex trade , offering food and shelter and even organizing a football team . the catholic group sisters of remption takes in pregnant teens who have been sexually exploited . there we meet bruna , who was 12 when she ended up on the street , addicted to crack cocaine . she says she tried not to get involved in prostitution . there was a time when i had to , it was my last resort , ' she says . i went to a motel with this guy who was 47 and got my 20 reais . ' that 's about $ 9 . bruna is now 15 and eight months pregnant . she is living in a small , but neat room in the sisters'house , with her own bed , a crib and a private bathroom . sister maria says that last june during the confederations cup , a kind of dry run for the world cup , underage prostitutes and street children were swept up by police and taken to a shelter outside of town . but after the tournament was over , they were turned loose . police refused to speak with cnn for this report . they are n't worried about these children growing up in a healthy environment , with jobs and housing , health and education , ' she says . they 're worried about hiding them . ' job training for victims nearby , the non-profit vira vida provides basic schooling and job training for young victims of sexual exploitation . many turn into cooks , hairdressers and computer technicians . jucileide , now 21 , completed the training and has an internship at a bank . i was a call girl , ' she tells us . i was 13 when i started . ' at first she did n't tell her unemployed mother . when she discovered , i was 15 . she cried and asked me to stop , but i said mom , it 's easy money . ' ' the next day , jucileide takes us to the beach bars where she used to pick up foreign tourists . the ones that have more call girls are those two , ' she says pointing to plastic yellow tables and chairs that line the sidewalk , full of a mix of locals and tourists . at night , they fill with older foreign men , mostly from europe . young women in skimpy clothing hover nearby , exchanging phone numbers or walking off arm-in-arm with the older men . experts say that after hotels started barring girls under 18 , clients began to rent apartments or head to so-called love motels . the late-night scene down the road is much more brazen . prostitutes hang out on corners and even congregate in front of the police station , shaking their backsides at cars as they drive by . fake ids many look like they are barely in their teens , but experts say they use fake ids . down a side alley , we find two girls who say they 're 16 and 17 but look much younger . they do n't smile and talk barely above a whisper . i 've been doing this for two months , ' says one girl . the other one says : we use the money to buy things we need , clothes , school supplies . ' they say they do n't have pimps or protectors and when clients refuse to pay , they have to walk hours to get home . on every corner , another sad story . some girls even tell us they stayed on the streets through teenage pregnancies , including jucileide . she turned her life around with the help of vira vida , but says where she comes from , the sex trade is easy money . | brazil agencies are cracking down on child prostitution ahead of the tournament |
cherry <tsp> ( cnn ) -- for three months , mark cherry lay in a chicago-area hospital room , close to death . he suffered a gunshot wound during a home invasion in gary , indiana -- a crime he is accused of committing , and in which he allegedly shot and killed a 22-year old man . in late february , fully recovered , cherry discharged himself and walked out of the hospital . now , the victim 's family is questioning how an accused killer could just leave , with no one stopping him . law enforcement and the hospital are blaming each other for the mix-up . and cherry is still on the run . why was n't he handcuffed ? why did n't you have a police officer at the door waiting for him to get released ? ' lourdes dejesus correa , mother of the victim , rolando correa , told cnn affiliate wls tuesday . the home invasion lourdes correa 's son was killed more than five months ago . just before midnight on december 1 , cherry and two other men allegedly forced their way into a home where rolando correa was staying . at some point during the home invasion , shots were fired and cherry allegedly shot and killed rolando correa , gary police spokeswoman cpl . gabrielle king told cnn . cherry was also wounded and transported to a local hospital , and then airlifted across state lines to a hospital in illinois , she said . that same month , cherry was charged with murder , attempted murder , criminal confinement , and battery with a deadly weapon . at advocate christ medical center , cherry recovered but was apparently not under police guard during his hospital stay . the hospital told cnn it ca n't hold a patient against their will , and that without prior written consent , ca n't alert another person of a patient 's pending discharge . privacy laws are in place to prevent that type of information from being shared , a hospital spokesman said . if a patient is under suspicion for a serious offense , the police department involved in the case typically posts an officer on site during the period of the hospitalization , ' the hospital said . gary police say that they have no jurisdiction in illinois , and that prevented them from having someone guarding cherry . i do n't know what a better scenario would be , ' king , the police spokeswoman , said , adding that we really do n't know who is responsible ' for cherry slipping through the cracks . gary police could have asked the cook county sheriff 's office in illinois to monitor the suspect . that was n't done . unfortunately , our investigators assumed because he was unconscious that the hospital would give the detective a call before he was released , ' chief wade ingram told wls . police are searching for the murder suspect , though there are few clues other than he was discharged from the hospital , king said . it 's an emotional blow for a family that 's already lost so much . it 's like our whole family is falling apart due to this . we are falling apart , ' lourdes dejesus correa said . please , i just want justice for my son . for my family . that 's all i want . ' | cherry was injured during a home invasion he allegedly committed |
cherry <tsp> ( cnn ) -- for three months , mark cherry lay in a chicago-area hospital room , close to death . he suffered a gunshot wound during a home invasion in gary , indiana -- a crime he is accused of committing , and in which he allegedly shot and killed a 22-year old man . in late february , fully recovered , cherry discharged himself and walked out of the hospital . now , the victim 's family is questioning how an accused killer could just leave , with no one stopping him . law enforcement and the hospital are blaming each other for the mix-up . and cherry is still on the run . why was n't he handcuffed ? why did n't you have a police officer at the door waiting for him to get released ? ' lourdes dejesus correa , mother of the victim , rolando correa , told cnn affiliate wls tuesday . the home invasion lourdes correa 's son was killed more than five months ago . just before midnight on december 1 , cherry and two other men allegedly forced their way into a home where rolando correa was staying . at some point during the home invasion , shots were fired and cherry allegedly shot and killed rolando correa , gary police spokeswoman cpl . gabrielle king told cnn . cherry was also wounded and transported to a local hospital , and then airlifted across state lines to a hospital in illinois , she said . that same month , cherry was charged with murder , attempted murder , criminal confinement , and battery with a deadly weapon . at advocate christ medical center , cherry recovered but was apparently not under police guard during his hospital stay . the hospital told cnn it ca n't hold a patient against their will , and that without prior written consent , ca n't alert another person of a patient 's pending discharge . privacy laws are in place to prevent that type of information from being shared , a hospital spokesman said . if a patient is under suspicion for a serious offense , the police department involved in the case typically posts an officer on site during the period of the hospitalization , ' the hospital said . gary police say that they have no jurisdiction in illinois , and that prevented them from having someone guarding cherry . i do n't know what a better scenario would be , ' king , the police spokeswoman , said , adding that we really do n't know who is responsible ' for cherry slipping through the cracks . gary police could have asked the cook county sheriff 's office in illinois to monitor the suspect . that was n't done . unfortunately , our investigators assumed because he was unconscious that the hospital would give the detective a call before he was released , ' chief wade ingram told wls . police are searching for the murder suspect , though there are few clues other than he was discharged from the hospital , king said . it 's an emotional blow for a family that 's already lost so much . it 's like our whole family is falling apart due to this . we are falling apart , ' lourdes dejesus correa said . please , i just want justice for my son . for my family . that 's all i want . ' | new : we really do n't know who is responsible ' for cherry slipping away , police say |
yemen <tsp> ( cnn ) ' my son served in the army for four years . in iraq . he served because we love our country . as we should . now look at us ? ' muna mansour is gesturing around her at the slatted cargo hold she and her family -- all nine of them -- are trying to get comfortable in . they 're squeezed in with two other families . on the ground by my feet , muna 's middle grandchild is sleeping , curled up beside an oil drum . there 's nowhere to sleep , there 's no food -- you can see how people are just thrown around all over the place , ' she said . muna is from buffalo in upstate new york . her family is among the dozens of americans caught in the crossfire of warring parties in yemen . and although many other countries evacuated their citizens , india most notably ferrying out around 5,000 , the united states has said it is too dangerous for them to directly evacuate american nationals . for more than three weeks , neighboring saudi arabia has been conducting airstrikes in yemen . they want to drive out the shiite houthi rebels , whose opposition to the government grew from protests to a takeover of government buildings and some territory . at one time , the houthis held yemen 's president under house arrest , before he escaped and fled . the bombings have decimated some cities , including aden , and foreigners find themselves trapped . i was there when the indians picked up 200 of their people from the port . it was embarrassing . we were just sitting there waiting for someone to come and say'ok where are the americans , let 's pick them up ,' she said . i called the riyadh embassy , ' she adds , referring to the u.s. embassy in neighboring saudi arabia . i told them there were about 75 families here waiting at the port . my family has been waiting there for two weeks . we ran out of money , we ran out of food . ' the state department said it is too risky to conduct an evacuation of citizens from the area . we have to make a decision based on the security situation and what is feasible to do , ' state department spokeswoman marie harf said earlier this month . and given the situation in yemen is quite dangerous and unpredictable , doing something like sending in military assets even for an evacuation could put u.s. citizen lives at greater risk . ' a group of u.s. organizations , including the council on american-islamic relations and the american-arab anti-discrimination league , have filed a lawsuit against the state department and defense department over the government 's stance on evacuations . it was purely coincidence that led to muna being on board this ship , a wooden vessel chartered by cnn to reach the port city of aden , in yemen . muna was visiting her sick father in aden when fighting broke out around her . with the houthi forces to the north and the waters of the gulf of aden to the south , the city is essentially besieged . it took us over 30 hours of travel -- and a lull in the fighting -- for us to be able to dock at one of aden 's smaller ports . she has a nice , normal life ' in new york and said she could n't wait to get back . our ship was the first the port had seen in over a week . we agreed to take back 60 refugees -- including 15 americans -- who had gathered at the port 's gate when news of our arrival spread . but of course that 's nowhere near enough . so many more are desperate to leave . i asked muna what life in aden was like . my daughter-in-law would crouch down and hide in the kitchen , ' she recalls . it was just bombs all the time . gunshots . people running down the street . ' she trails off into silence . for everyone here with us on the boat , there are families left behind . mothers and fathers . daughters and sons . the first night on board our boat had an almost festive air . our new passengers were laughing and sharing cigarettes , euphoric at their escape . one woman though was sitting alone on deck and i realized she was crying . she told me her 15-year-old son was trapped on the other side of one of the many front lines that are now etched into the city 's streets . they 'd waited for 10 days , but neither her son nor her parents could cross over to the port , in al tawahi district . too scared to risk missing the boat and endangering the lives of their other three children , her husband had convinced her to board . when they called to tell her son he also had news for them : he 'd joined the fight against the houthi forces . for muna , her ordeal ended at djibouti port where christina higgins , the u.s. deputy chief of mission , was among the embassy staff waiting to meet them . i asked higgins about the sense of abandonment muna and many of the other americans trapped in yemen said they felt . we have one of the branches of al qaeda that 's especially active . there 's the houthis -- neither of these two groups friendly to u.s. citizens . we 've had to weigh very , very carefully what is the safest way , the best way for us to help them . ' higgins said ultimately each u.s. citizen is going to have to judge what is best for themselves and their families . for many u.s. citizens , that 's going to mean sheltering in place . for other u.s. citizens , we 're actively working at getting information to them on different avenues for travel out of yemen . ' watching them hand out cookies , water and phones to reassure those waiting at home , it 's clear the staff here are overjoyed to have some of their citizens safe and sound . there are many more though of course who are still in danger . there are no definitive records , but the 15 americans on board our ship said they had counted 75 more families waiting in aden port who could n't afford an exit/transport ' fee being charged to depart aden . in this time of crisis , the $ 300-a-person fee was n't an official tax , but something that local fishermen were charging to ferry passengers to the boat to board . that 's 75 more families waiting for another happy coincidence to dock at aden 's deserted ports . | no official way out for americans stranded amid fighting in yemen |
adam sandler <tsp> ( ew.com ) -- for adam sandler , movie comedy is rock & roll — not just a way to make people laugh , but a way to strike a pose of scruffy defiance . at 45 , he 's still playing overgrown boy-men , but his characters these days are n't just emotionally stunted basket cases . they 're jerks and rubes and loutish vulgarians , the more hideously unpresentable the better . and since we 've all grown used to seeing sandler play these incorrigible idiots , in a sense he has to keep upping the ante . it 's his equivalent of playing that power chord just a little bit louder . watching sandler in that 's my boy , ' his latest assault on subtlety , good taste , and other values that we critics like to trash the star for dumping on , i ca n't say that i laughed a lot ( though when i did laugh , it was big and loud ) . but on some level i marveled at the conviction that adam sandler pours into playing a character like donny berger , a boneheaded , loud-mouthed alcoholic loser from boston . wearing his hair in a greasy '80s shag , sandler does n't phone it in . he delivers every single line with the unspeakably annoying rasp of a rusty nail scraping on your brainpan , and he gives donny what is , in a sense , a full range of moods : angry , irritated , pushy , noodgy , grasping , wheedling , whining . a real charmer . just to make sure we know what kind of role model donny is , hardly a scene goes by in which he does n't have a budweiser in his hand , and the vulgarities , too , spew out of him like beery foam . a lot of actors , by now , have learned to do a boston accent , but sandler gets something else : the blinkered , bellowing high dudgeon of a certain kind of in-your-face leech whom you can still find hovering in boston sports bars . he makes donny the joe six-pack from hell . long ago , donny enjoyed a moment of tabloid infamy . back in 1984 , when he was just a teenager in gold chains , he got seduced by his sexpot high-school teacher , and when it came out that they were sleeping together , the scandal of it all made national headlines . the teacher , sent to prison for statutory rape , even had donny 's baby , whom donny named han solo and ( once he turned 18 ) raised as a single parent . but he was such a dismal father that his son disowned him . he also renamed himself todd . as an adult , todd is played by andy samberg as a persnickety hedge-fund manager about to be married to a stuck-up american princess ( leighton meester ) . and that , of course , is when donny comes crashing back into his life . that 's my boy ' is one of those comedies about a walking irritant , like what about bob ? , in which the joke — ultimately spun off from green acres — is that the mild , ordinary guy at the center of everything keeps trying to distance himself from the pest who has arrived to ruin his life , but everyone around him ... adores the pest ! the more donny disgraces himself , the more he makes the kind of cringe-worthy sexual jokes that andrew dice clay would have turned up his nose at , the more everyone in todd 's circle thinks he 's the life of the party . i only wish it were a fresher party . donny wins everyone over , for instance , by reviving wassup ! ' as a catch phrase . seriously ? that 's what sandler now regards as a mischievous joke ? still , for a while , andy samberg makes a good squirmer . his todd is so neurotically nice that he does n't even experience his own exasperation , even as we see the steam coming out of his ears . where sandler compromises his whole comedy-as-rock- & -roll thing is that he 's so into making donny a big teddy bear inside , a guy who just wants to bond with his son , that the movie starts to lose its edge . it also stretches out far too long . ( did it really need to clock in at nearly two hours ? ) donny takes todd and his friends out for a bachelor party , and it 's on this voyage into the night that todd begins to lose his inhibitions and get won over to the ways of excess — to the donny way . big mistake ! lots of jokes about strippers and happy endings follow , and todd gets so unhinged that he barfs all over his fiancée 's wedding dress . the movie was a lot funnier when donny and todd were foils . of course , never underestimate the importance of guy-on-guy sentimentality in the adam sandler universe . it 's his way of making his fans feel as if he 's high-fiving them , or maybe giving them a group hug . but sandler , bottom line , is too good at playing louts like donny to spend this much energy getting us to like them . grade : b- see full story at ew.com . click here to try 2 risk free issues of entertainment weekly © 2011 entertainment weekly and time inc. all rights reserved . | adam sandler plays character donny berger with conviction |
han solo <tsp> ( ew.com ) -- for adam sandler , movie comedy is rock & roll — not just a way to make people laugh , but a way to strike a pose of scruffy defiance . at 45 , he 's still playing overgrown boy-men , but his characters these days are n't just emotionally stunted basket cases . they 're jerks and rubes and loutish vulgarians , the more hideously unpresentable the better . and since we 've all grown used to seeing sandler play these incorrigible idiots , in a sense he has to keep upping the ante . it 's his equivalent of playing that power chord just a little bit louder . watching sandler in that 's my boy , ' his latest assault on subtlety , good taste , and other values that we critics like to trash the star for dumping on , i ca n't say that i laughed a lot ( though when i did laugh , it was big and loud ) . but on some level i marveled at the conviction that adam sandler pours into playing a character like donny berger , a boneheaded , loud-mouthed alcoholic loser from boston . wearing his hair in a greasy '80s shag , sandler does n't phone it in . he delivers every single line with the unspeakably annoying rasp of a rusty nail scraping on your brainpan , and he gives donny what is , in a sense , a full range of moods : angry , irritated , pushy , noodgy , grasping , wheedling , whining . a real charmer . just to make sure we know what kind of role model donny is , hardly a scene goes by in which he does n't have a budweiser in his hand , and the vulgarities , too , spew out of him like beery foam . a lot of actors , by now , have learned to do a boston accent , but sandler gets something else : the blinkered , bellowing high dudgeon of a certain kind of in-your-face leech whom you can still find hovering in boston sports bars . he makes donny the joe six-pack from hell . long ago , donny enjoyed a moment of tabloid infamy . back in 1984 , when he was just a teenager in gold chains , he got seduced by his sexpot high-school teacher , and when it came out that they were sleeping together , the scandal of it all made national headlines . the teacher , sent to prison for statutory rape , even had donny 's baby , whom donny named han solo and ( once he turned 18 ) raised as a single parent . but he was such a dismal father that his son disowned him . he also renamed himself todd . as an adult , todd is played by andy samberg as a persnickety hedge-fund manager about to be married to a stuck-up american princess ( leighton meester ) . and that , of course , is when donny comes crashing back into his life . that 's my boy ' is one of those comedies about a walking irritant , like what about bob ? , in which the joke — ultimately spun off from green acres — is that the mild , ordinary guy at the center of everything keeps trying to distance himself from the pest who has arrived to ruin his life , but everyone around him ... adores the pest ! the more donny disgraces himself , the more he makes the kind of cringe-worthy sexual jokes that andrew dice clay would have turned up his nose at , the more everyone in todd 's circle thinks he 's the life of the party . i only wish it were a fresher party . donny wins everyone over , for instance , by reviving wassup ! ' as a catch phrase . seriously ? that 's what sandler now regards as a mischievous joke ? still , for a while , andy samberg makes a good squirmer . his todd is so neurotically nice that he does n't even experience his own exasperation , even as we see the steam coming out of his ears . where sandler compromises his whole comedy-as-rock- & -roll thing is that he 's so into making donny a big teddy bear inside , a guy who just wants to bond with his son , that the movie starts to lose its edge . it also stretches out far too long . ( did it really need to clock in at nearly two hours ? ) donny takes todd and his friends out for a bachelor party , and it 's on this voyage into the night that todd begins to lose his inhibitions and get won over to the ways of excess — to the donny way . big mistake ! lots of jokes about strippers and happy endings follow , and todd gets so unhinged that he barfs all over his fiancée 's wedding dress . the movie was a lot funnier when donny and todd were foils . of course , never underestimate the importance of guy-on-guy sentimentality in the adam sandler universe . it 's his way of making his fans feel as if he 's high-fiving them , or maybe giving them a group hug . but sandler , bottom line , is too good at playing louts like donny to spend this much energy getting us to like them . grade : b- see full story at ew.com . click here to try 2 risk free issues of entertainment weekly © 2011 entertainment weekly and time inc. all rights reserved . | a scandal in berger 's high school years resulted in son han solo ( andy samberg ) |
sowell <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the suspect in the september attack on a woman that led to the discovery of 11 bodies at his ohio home pleaded not guilty friday to charges that he raped and choked the woman . bail for registered sex offender anthony sowell was set at $ 1 million on the rape charges . bail had already been set at $ 5 million on five murder charges related to the grisly discovery of the bodies at his home in cleveland . i do n't think a $ 1 million bond is unfair under the circumstances , ' cuyahoga county common pleas judge john o'donnell said at friday 's hearing . sowell was arraigned friday in cuyahoga county common pleas court on multiple charges , -- including attempted murder , rape and kidnapping -- connected to the september 22 assault on the 36-year-old woman . sowell said he could not afford a lawyer , and o'donnell appointed one . the victim encountered sowell while walking in his cleveland neighborhood , and he took her back to his home , where he became violent and raped her , cuyahoga county prosecutors said . while raping her , he strangled her with a cord until she lost consciousness , ' the prosecutors said in a written statement . when she regained consciousness , he led her out of the house . ' police investigating that case searched sowell 's home and yard , finding the 11 bodies . sowell , 50 , is charged with five counts of aggravated murder , rape , felonious assault and kidnapping in connection with those deaths . he served 15 years in prison for a 1989 attempted rape . he was released in 2005 . neighbors and police have told cnn that other women were seen at sowell 's home from time to time , and that he would offer them beer and other alcohol . police say he also might have offered them drugs . neighbors on october 20 reported seeing a naked woman fall from the second floor of the home . firefighters and police responded and later notified police . but the woman told officers she fell off the roof while she was at the home partying , ' and no charges were filed . cnn 's susan candiotti contributed to this report . | sowell , 50 , is a registered sex offender |
sowell <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the suspect in the september attack on a woman that led to the discovery of 11 bodies at his ohio home pleaded not guilty friday to charges that he raped and choked the woman . bail for registered sex offender anthony sowell was set at $ 1 million on the rape charges . bail had already been set at $ 5 million on five murder charges related to the grisly discovery of the bodies at his home in cleveland . i do n't think a $ 1 million bond is unfair under the circumstances , ' cuyahoga county common pleas judge john o'donnell said at friday 's hearing . sowell was arraigned friday in cuyahoga county common pleas court on multiple charges , -- including attempted murder , rape and kidnapping -- connected to the september 22 assault on the 36-year-old woman . sowell said he could not afford a lawyer , and o'donnell appointed one . the victim encountered sowell while walking in his cleveland neighborhood , and he took her back to his home , where he became violent and raped her , cuyahoga county prosecutors said . while raping her , he strangled her with a cord until she lost consciousness , ' the prosecutors said in a written statement . when she regained consciousness , he led her out of the house . ' police investigating that case searched sowell 's home and yard , finding the 11 bodies . sowell , 50 , is charged with five counts of aggravated murder , rape , felonious assault and kidnapping in connection with those deaths . he served 15 years in prison for a 1989 attempted rape . he was released in 2005 . neighbors and police have told cnn that other women were seen at sowell 's home from time to time , and that he would offer them beer and other alcohol . police say he also might have offered them drugs . neighbors on october 20 reported seeing a naked woman fall from the second floor of the home . firefighters and police responded and later notified police . but the woman told officers she fell off the roof while she was at the home partying , ' and no charges were filed . cnn 's susan candiotti contributed to this report . | bail for anthony sowell set at $ 1 million on rape charges |
juventus <tsp> ( cnn ) -- ac milan 's chances of retaining their serie a took a knock on saturday as they went down to a shock 2-1 defeat to fiorentina in the san siro . the loss was capitalized on by nearest rivals juventus who beat palermo 2-0 in the evening kick-off to return to the top of the table . two second-half goals , the first by centre-back leonardo bonucci in the 56th minute and fabio quagliarella 13 minutes later , mean juve go one point clear . earlier , brazilian-born striker amauri fired home in the 89th minute to seal a dramatic win for the fiorentina . zlatan ibrahimovic opened the scoring for milan in the 31st minute , stroking home from the penalty spot after maxi lopez was fouled by matija nastastic . but fiorentina responded with a goal of their own two minutes after the break when lorenzo di silvestri played in stevan jovetic who shot past goalkeeper christain abbiati . amauri 's late winner sees fiorentina move up to 15th place . the defeat caps a disappointing week for milan after they were eliminated from the champions league by barcelona on tuesday . the only bright spot on saturday was the return of antonio cassano to the team following heart surgery . we need to accept the result in the knowledge that there are still a lot of matches left ( seven ) and everything is still wide open , ' said milan coach massimiliano allegri . it 's been a bad week with the defeat to barcelona and this one but we have to regroup because there 's still everything to play for , ' he added . we have to stay calm , we did n't expect to stumble here but we have to be even more fired up because of what we 've wasted . ' a 3-1 win for udinese against parma sees them move up into fourth ahead of napoli who went down to a 3-1 defeat at third-placed lazio . ghana midfielder kwadwo asamoah opened the scoring moments before the break with skipper antonio di natale netting a second 11 minutes into the second half . parma pulled a goal back when alessandro lucarelli scored six minutes from time but asamoah was on hand to grab his second of the match in injury time to make sure of the three points . sixth-placed roma 's bid for champions league football next season was dented by a 4-2 defeat at relegation-threatened lecce . inter milan now trail roma by two points after they grabbed a point in a 2-2 draw at cagliari . cagliari were twice in front in the game thanks to goals from daniele astori and mauricio pinilla in the either half . but goals diego milito and latterly from esteban cambiasso earned a draw for inter . | juventus beat palermo 2-0 to go top of the table |
inter milan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- ac milan 's chances of retaining their serie a took a knock on saturday as they went down to a shock 2-1 defeat to fiorentina in the san siro . the loss was capitalized on by nearest rivals juventus who beat palermo 2-0 in the evening kick-off to return to the top of the table . two second-half goals , the first by centre-back leonardo bonucci in the 56th minute and fabio quagliarella 13 minutes later , mean juve go one point clear . earlier , brazilian-born striker amauri fired home in the 89th minute to seal a dramatic win for the fiorentina . zlatan ibrahimovic opened the scoring for milan in the 31st minute , stroking home from the penalty spot after maxi lopez was fouled by matija nastastic . but fiorentina responded with a goal of their own two minutes after the break when lorenzo di silvestri played in stevan jovetic who shot past goalkeeper christain abbiati . amauri 's late winner sees fiorentina move up to 15th place . the defeat caps a disappointing week for milan after they were eliminated from the champions league by barcelona on tuesday . the only bright spot on saturday was the return of antonio cassano to the team following heart surgery . we need to accept the result in the knowledge that there are still a lot of matches left ( seven ) and everything is still wide open , ' said milan coach massimiliano allegri . it 's been a bad week with the defeat to barcelona and this one but we have to regroup because there 's still everything to play for , ' he added . we have to stay calm , we did n't expect to stumble here but we have to be even more fired up because of what we 've wasted . ' a 3-1 win for udinese against parma sees them move up into fourth ahead of napoli who went down to a 3-1 defeat at third-placed lazio . ghana midfielder kwadwo asamoah opened the scoring moments before the break with skipper antonio di natale netting a second 11 minutes into the second half . parma pulled a goal back when alessandro lucarelli scored six minutes from time but asamoah was on hand to grab his second of the match in injury time to make sure of the three points . sixth-placed roma 's bid for champions league football next season was dented by a 4-2 defeat at relegation-threatened lecce . inter milan now trail roma by two points after they grabbed a point in a 2-2 draw at cagliari . cagliari were twice in front in the game thanks to goals from daniele astori and mauricio pinilla in the either half . but goals diego milito and latterly from esteban cambiasso earned a draw for inter . | fourth-placed udinese beat parma 3-1 : inter milan draw 2-3 against cagliari |
serie a <tsp> ( cnn ) -- ac milan 's chances of retaining their serie a took a knock on saturday as they went down to a shock 2-1 defeat to fiorentina in the san siro . the loss was capitalized on by nearest rivals juventus who beat palermo 2-0 in the evening kick-off to return to the top of the table . two second-half goals , the first by centre-back leonardo bonucci in the 56th minute and fabio quagliarella 13 minutes later , mean juve go one point clear . earlier , brazilian-born striker amauri fired home in the 89th minute to seal a dramatic win for the fiorentina . zlatan ibrahimovic opened the scoring for milan in the 31st minute , stroking home from the penalty spot after maxi lopez was fouled by matija nastastic . but fiorentina responded with a goal of their own two minutes after the break when lorenzo di silvestri played in stevan jovetic who shot past goalkeeper christain abbiati . amauri 's late winner sees fiorentina move up to 15th place . the defeat caps a disappointing week for milan after they were eliminated from the champions league by barcelona on tuesday . the only bright spot on saturday was the return of antonio cassano to the team following heart surgery . we need to accept the result in the knowledge that there are still a lot of matches left ( seven ) and everything is still wide open , ' said milan coach massimiliano allegri . it 's been a bad week with the defeat to barcelona and this one but we have to regroup because there 's still everything to play for , ' he added . we have to stay calm , we did n't expect to stumble here but we have to be even more fired up because of what we 've wasted . ' a 3-1 win for udinese against parma sees them move up into fourth ahead of napoli who went down to a 3-1 defeat at third-placed lazio . ghana midfielder kwadwo asamoah opened the scoring moments before the break with skipper antonio di natale netting a second 11 minutes into the second half . parma pulled a goal back when alessandro lucarelli scored six minutes from time but asamoah was on hand to grab his second of the match in injury time to make sure of the three points . sixth-placed roma 's bid for champions league football next season was dented by a 4-2 defeat at relegation-threatened lecce . inter milan now trail roma by two points after they grabbed a point in a 2-2 draw at cagliari . cagliari were twice in front in the game thanks to goals from daniele astori and mauricio pinilla in the either half . but goals diego milito and latterly from esteban cambiasso earned a draw for inter . | serie a leaders ac milan shocked in san siro as fiorentina win 2-1 |
tim scott <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the chairperson of the congressional black caucus said tuesday that two african-american republicans elected to congress last week were welcome to join the group , but one of the new members-elect -- tim scott of south carolina -- indicated he would decline . i grew up in an environment where we were just very much integrated , and life worked out really well , ' scott told reporters tuesday . i think the best for america is finding a way to fuse all of our communities together and erase all those lines that separate us . ' democratic rep. barbara lee of california , who chairs the black caucus , said in a statement that membership in the traditionally left-leaning group has never been restricted to democrats . ' should either of the two african-american republicans recently elected to the house of representatives request membership in the congressional black caucus , they will be welcomed , ' lee 's statement said . rep.-elect allen west of florida , the other incoming black republican , told cnn on sunday that he intended to join the cbc . scott , who was tapped by house gop leaders to serve on the republican transition team , signaled he might be interested in the new seat at the republican leadership table created for a representative of the incoming freshman class . certainly i am going to keep my eyes open and see what happens , ' scott said , adding he would get back home tonight and figure out what i 'm going to do by tomorrow or thursday and starting working towards it or start working for someone else . ' scott argued his class should wield some real power because of its numbers , adding : i think we should play an important role , a prominent role . ' endorsed by the tea party in his campaign , scott was noncommittal about joining the congressional tea party caucus , saying : i do n't know much about it , but certainly l support the tea party platform . ' he downplayed the importance of congressional caucuses , calling them simply optional at this point . ' in addition , scott said he supported texas republican jeb hensarling over tea party favorite michele bachmann of minnesota for the no . 4 house gop leadership post , saying hensarling has been actively seeking support from new members while he had yet to hear from bachmann . another incoming freshman supported by the tea party , republican rep.-elect adam kinzinger of illinois , also said tuesday that he was supporting hensarling and was not planning to join the tea party caucus that bachmann founded earlier this year . | gop rep.-elect tim scott indicates he would decline |
stephen green <tsp> davos , switzerland ( cnn ) -- the worldwide economic recession has exposed a crisis of global governance ' that can only be addressed by the radical reform of the united nations , former u.n. secretary-general kofi annan said wednesday as the world economic forum got under way in switzerland . kofi annan says the united nations needs to be reformed . the current architecture of managing global affairs is broken and needs to be fixed , ' annan said on the opening morning of the five-day annual meeting of global political and business leaders . we have major new players coming on the scene and they need to be integrated and given a voice . ' referring to the u.n. security council , which gives permanent places and vetoing powers to the u.s. , the uk , russia , china and france , annan said : we can not continue to run the world based on countries that won a war 60 years ago . it 's either destructive competition or cooperation . we live in an interdependent world and the only way to move forward is to cooperate . ' annan is one of six co-chairs at this year 's wef gathering , along with news tycoon rupert murdoch , hsbc chairman stephen green , werner wenning of the german chemical group bayer , indian industrialist anand g. mahindra and maria ramos , chief executive of the south african transport group transnet . he also urged delegates to address three interconnected challenges : the global recession , energy and security , and climate change . it is important leaders work on ways of finding effective , far-reaching policies -- even if they are radical -- that will allow us to create sustainable economic growth and create jobs for those who are out of jobs , ' annan said . newscorp . ceo murdoch said delegates needed to be absolutely honest about where the world is at this point , ' warning that the consequences of $ 50 trillion being wiped off personal fortunes had left people feeling depressed and traumatized . ' we 've been living in the western world way above our means . we 've been on a great binge and it 's come to an end and we have to live though the correction , ' murdoch said . but he said the downturn offered a chance to set about tackling issues of energy sufficiency and pollution . we must treat this crisis , whether it lasts for a year or five years , as an opportunity to set goals for how we want to come out of it . this is a time to shape the policies to help to solve some of those problems . ' hsbc boss green said the banking industry needed to admit that it had not covered itself in glory ' in contributing to the collapse of the financial industry and called for continuing government intervention to stop a nasty recession spiraling down into something else . ' but he said the major banks could contribute to solving the crisis as well : i do not believe for a moment that you can have a successful economy without successful and properly functioning international capital markets . ' wenning said he did n't expect any solutions to emerge from this year 's meeting , but hoped delegates could achieve a joint understanding of the reasons for the financial crisis ' and called for a return to the basics of sustainable behavior . ' if we are really able to address these mega-challenges of the future then we would be able to restore the trust in leadership -- and i believe the world needs leadership . ' political leaders will join the discussions later wednesday with chinese premier wen jiabao and russian prime minister vladimir putin both due to deliver agenda-setting addresses . | hsbc boss stephen green admits banks did n't cover themselves in glory ' |
obama <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in times of crisis , when there are great challenges and sorrow , a nation naturally turns to its leader . we see it in the aftermath of the connecticut school killings , as we have often in the past . that is as it should be , because the president has more power than anyone to shape the course of events . no president embodied that responsibility more fully than abraham lincoln , the decision-maker , consoler-in-chief , and single-minded political pursuer of a just cause . as the movie lincoln ' tops the nomination lists for this year 's film awards , millions more will rush to see it , probably looking for honest abe , ' or some such fictional character , from a sketch designed to shape school children into patriotic citizens . do not expect to find that lincoln in steven spielberg 's sometimes brooding , always passionate , extraordinary film . do not expect to see the giant of the granite monument . this lincoln is much more interesting , much more complicated , and much more relevant . when history speaks : lincoln 's three lessons for a second term ' lincoln ' is brilliant because it shows us that the path of virtue is paved with morally ambiguous choices . the lincoln of tony kushner 's remarkable screenplay is not a man whose every decision radiates righteousness . the movie focuses on a few weeks during the last throes of the civil war as lincoln sought to pressure congress to approve the 13th amendment to the constitution , abolishing slavery forever . in one scene , familiar from the original trailer , daniel day-lewis'lincoln asks about the war eviscerating the nation , shall we stop this bleeding ? ' you might think the answer is yes , of course , the sooner the better . ' the film , however , makes an astonishing argument : that lincoln deliberately allowed the civil war to go on , even as the south sought to make peace . he did it for political reasons , in order to win passage of the amendment . that theory is not universally embraced by historians , but kushner makes a credible case . if true , it means lincoln knowingly allowed thousands to die because he believed that only with the killings unstaunched would he manage to create enough political pressure through the false argument that the amendment was needed to stop the war . think of all the boys who will die if you do n't make peace , ' admonishes preston blair , the elder republican operator ( whose blair house ' home is now the official state guest house ) played by hal holbrook , exuding wisdom and aplomb . lincoln does , and we can only imagine what demons haunt him as he tours battlefields carpeted with the bodies of young soldiers . the movie shows not-always-honest abe driven by the morally impeccable goal of ending slavery but repeatedly taking questionable steps in the process . in this realistic view of a romantic figure , there is no disputing the inspiring words of the rev . martin luther king jr. , a favorite phrase of president obama 's , that the arc of the moral universe ... bends toward justice . ' but we learn that it can take a muscular push by determined individuals to produce a visible curvature during our lifetime . lincoln and his allies behave in ways that today would send investigative journalists on frantic pursuits . they prod members of congress to vote with the president , but often not on the power of the ideal . it is striking just how much america 's values and beliefs have changed . a mere 150 years ago they called radicals ' the ones who held the fringe belief that all men , including slaves , really are created equal . the radicals , by the way , were primarily republicans . to obtain the votes of democrats , lincoln did n't rely on his verbal gifts . glowing with determination , he declares , i am the president of the united states clothed in immense power . you will procure me these votes ! ' from historian doris kearns goodwin , whose biography is one of the main sources of the screenplay , we know lincoln built a cabinet from former opponents . from that team of rivals , ' the man who ran against him for the nomination is now secretary of state william seward , played by david strathairn , as lincoln 's right-hand man in the project . ( that may have inspired obama to bring secretary of state hillary clinton to his cabinet . ) he hires a gang of political operatives to obtain the votes . the president is never to be mentioned , ' seward warns . nothing strictly illegal . ' led by james spader 's shifty character , they offer thinly veiled bribes , lucrative patronage jobs , in exchange for the vote . lincoln allows the radical republican thaddeus stevens , played by tommy lee jones , to engage in his own dishonorable means in pursuit of the most honorable of goals . the lessons are countless , because the story is told with a heavy dose of realism . spielberg knows how to make an audience cry . but this is no capra fairytale ; this is not mr. smith goes to washington . ' this is raw politics . we look at the world through the lens of our time . we see today 's problems transposed like one of those school art books with the transparent sheet where we can trace an outline over a picture . we will see today 's political battles over gun control or the fiscal cliff in the high-pressure machinations . we will see the fight for same-sex marriage in the changing attitudes and the recalcitrant ones . and we will see the challenge , successfully met by lincoln , of bringing together people of different political parties and different ideologies to achieve major goals , along with the indispensable requirement of a clear vision and an unbreakable determination in pursuit of an ideal . the story carries a sobering message for idealists , who would like to hear the violins play as their hero bravely does everything that is right and noble . and cynics will take the message too far , justifying every kind of deviousness and inflexibility . everything lincoln did , at every step , was not free of ethical stain . and yet , his long-term perspective provided a strong moral framework , a context to judge how dark a stain was compared to the one he sought to erase . the lincoln of lincoln ' is brilliant because it shows a political figure navigating the perilous ambiguities of life , making the decisions that history , 150 years later , has judged heroic and correct . now , that deserves a giant granite monument , a flurry of awards and the greatest honor of all : a real-life president who emulates lincoln 's courage in times of crisis . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of frida ghitis . | ghitis : president obama can emulate lincoln 's courage in times of crisis |
premier league <tsp> ( cnn ) -- manchester united have netted a sponsorship deal with american insurance giants aon corporation that will reportedly earn the premier league champions a staggering $ 131 million over four years . united 's worldwide appeal has brought them a reported record $ 131m sponsorship with a u.s. insurance giant . that would send united to the top of football 's sponsorship income league ahead of the likes of bayern munich , real madrid and chelsea . united chief executive david gill did not reveal the figures involved but confirmed that the chicago-based aon brand will take over from another another u.s. company aig on the club shirts from the start of the 2010/11 season . today 's announcement clearly strengthens our position as one of the biggest clubs in world football , ' gill told the united web site after unveiling the global partnership and principal sponsorship agreement . gill confirmed : we are delighted to be entering such an important relationship with a company of the stature of aon and to have its logo adorn our shirts from the start of the 2010/11 season . we look forward to being closely aligned with the world leader in risk management , a firm which shares our values and is an exciting partner for manchester united . ' president and chief executive officer of aon , greg case , added : it is a unique opportunity when two leaders in their respective fields can come together in a partnership such as the one we are announcing today . manchester united has one of the most recognised sports brands in the world . david ( gill ) and his team are all about winning and about excellence ; the same holds true for the aon team . we play to win in our business , and that is why we believe this partnership will create tremendous benefits for both organisations worldwide . while we are delighted that our brand will be showcased to over 330 million fans of manchester united as well as the countless followers of football worldwide , we also are extremely excited about the opportunity to maximise the value of this partnership globally . ' | reports say it will earn premier league champions $ 131million over four years |
henri de castries <tsp> ( cnn ) -- greece 's elections this weekend could trigger the country 's exit from the euro -- but even that might not save europe from splintering , the head of insurance giant axa has warned . henri de castries told cnn a greek exit wo n't solve everything , ' adding the problems in europe are more complex than that . ' de castries , a fan of greek mythology , believes a greek exit would be akin to opening a pandora 's box . opening the box is very tempting before and very disastrous afterwards , ' he said . de castries said there were flaws ' in the construction of the euro which have created the cracks . it was a case of putting the cart before the horse , ' he said . economic policies were not converging enough and the disciplines were not strong enough to allow for a stable position in the long run . ' the worst-case scenario , according to de castries , would be a disorderly default by greece leading to its collapse out of the euro . further , italy and spain could suffer bank runs that could exacerbate the bloc 's pain . however , such an outcome could be avoided should a moderate party win a majority in the greek elections , securing the country 's future in the eurozone , he said . de castries points to the spanish banking crisis as one which must be resolved so europe can allay concerns about the strength of its firewalls . we need to be sure that we do n't just have the fire brigade , ' he said , but that water is coming out of the pipe . the spanish case is a good test for that . ' axa , the second-biggest insurer in europe , has been offloading its investments in greek debt -- at a 78 % write-down -- and no longer buys italian and spanish debt , as it seeks to distance itself from the deepening crisis . de castries said the company 's investment portfolio is being kept diverse : we have approximately 80 % of our assets in bonds , of which half or a little less are in sovereign bonds . the other half is in corporate bonds and 20 % are in other asset classes such as equities and real estate , ' he added . cnn 's anna stewart contributed to this article | henri de castries says the insurer is keen to diversify its investments |
de castries <tsp> ( cnn ) -- greece 's elections this weekend could trigger the country 's exit from the euro -- but even that might not save europe from splintering , the head of insurance giant axa has warned . henri de castries told cnn a greek exit wo n't solve everything , ' adding the problems in europe are more complex than that . ' de castries , a fan of greek mythology , believes a greek exit would be akin to opening a pandora 's box . opening the box is very tempting before and very disastrous afterwards , ' he said . de castries said there were flaws ' in the construction of the euro which have created the cracks . it was a case of putting the cart before the horse , ' he said . economic policies were not converging enough and the disciplines were not strong enough to allow for a stable position in the long run . ' the worst-case scenario , according to de castries , would be a disorderly default by greece leading to its collapse out of the euro . further , italy and spain could suffer bank runs that could exacerbate the bloc 's pain . however , such an outcome could be avoided should a moderate party win a majority in the greek elections , securing the country 's future in the eurozone , he said . de castries points to the spanish banking crisis as one which must be resolved so europe can allay concerns about the strength of its firewalls . we need to be sure that we do n't just have the fire brigade , ' he said , but that water is coming out of the pipe . the spanish case is a good test for that . ' axa , the second-biggest insurer in europe , has been offloading its investments in greek debt -- at a 78 % write-down -- and no longer buys italian and spanish debt , as it seeks to distance itself from the deepening crisis . de castries said the company 's investment portfolio is being kept diverse : we have approximately 80 % of our assets in bonds , of which half or a little less are in sovereign bonds . the other half is in corporate bonds and 20 % are in other asset classes such as equities and real estate , ' he added . cnn 's anna stewart contributed to this article | henri de castries says the insurer is keen to diversify its investments |
de castries <tsp> ( cnn ) -- greece 's elections this weekend could trigger the country 's exit from the euro -- but even that might not save europe from splintering , the head of insurance giant axa has warned . henri de castries told cnn a greek exit wo n't solve everything , ' adding the problems in europe are more complex than that . ' de castries , a fan of greek mythology , believes a greek exit would be akin to opening a pandora 's box . opening the box is very tempting before and very disastrous afterwards , ' he said . de castries said there were flaws ' in the construction of the euro which have created the cracks . it was a case of putting the cart before the horse , ' he said . economic policies were not converging enough and the disciplines were not strong enough to allow for a stable position in the long run . ' the worst-case scenario , according to de castries , would be a disorderly default by greece leading to its collapse out of the euro . further , italy and spain could suffer bank runs that could exacerbate the bloc 's pain . however , such an outcome could be avoided should a moderate party win a majority in the greek elections , securing the country 's future in the eurozone , he said . de castries points to the spanish banking crisis as one which must be resolved so europe can allay concerns about the strength of its firewalls . we need to be sure that we do n't just have the fire brigade , ' he said , but that water is coming out of the pipe . the spanish case is a good test for that . ' axa , the second-biggest insurer in europe , has been offloading its investments in greek debt -- at a 78 % write-down -- and no longer buys italian and spanish debt , as it seeks to distance itself from the deepening crisis . de castries said the company 's investment portfolio is being kept diverse : we have approximately 80 % of our assets in bonds , of which half or a little less are in sovereign bonds . the other half is in corporate bonds and 20 % are in other asset classes such as equities and real estate , ' he added . cnn 's anna stewart contributed to this article | de castries : bank-run in italy and spain is the worst-case scenario |
forbes <tsp> ( budgettravel.com ) -- when americans think of five star ' hotels , they conjure up images of on-site spas , white-gloved service , and pillow menus . that 's no surprise , given that the dominant rating systems in the u.s. are two of the most trust-worthy on the planet -- forbes and aaa . in order to snag forbes 's highest ratings , for example , a hotel 's staff must meet criteria such as greeting arriving guests curbside within 60 seconds and offering tasting samples to drinkers ordering wine by the glass . in italy , on the other hand , where the rating system is government owned and operated , all it takes to score five stars is a 24-hour reception desk , receptionists that speak three foreign languages , and double rooms starting at 172 square feet . budget travel : 10 gorgeous pools you wo n't believe are public there are more scoring systems than most folks realize , and they vary from country to country ( and , in some cases , from city to city ) . that said , most ratings fall into one of four main categories : those operated by private companies such as aaa , those run by hotel booking sites such as hotels.com , user-generated systems , and government-run agencies . bottom line : consistency is an issue . in the past two years , several governments including switzerland 's and germany 's have overhauled their systems to be more uniform , and brazil is following suit this year . plus , in 2009 , europe 's hotelstars union launched with the goal of establishing common classification criteria across the eu . despite the improvements , figuring out which hotel will provide the best value can still feel like cracking the da vinci code . to help you make the most informed decision possible , we scrutinized criteria across the globe to suss out the meaning behind the stars . no matter where you 're going , here is what you need to know before you book . no . 1 : private-company rating systems verdict : independent ownership , consistent criteria , and anonymous inspectors make companies like aaa and forbes ( formerly mobil ) travel guide reliable and unbiased . both aaa and forbes have been rating hotels for more than half a century and provide regular , in-depth reports on what consumers can expect , from how many soaps in the bathroom to bedsheet thread counts . every 12 to 18 months , for example , forbes inspectors make incognito visits to up to 5,000 properties and complete a checklist of 525 questions : are guests arriving in a taxi greeted curbside within 60 seconds ? does wine-by-the-glass service include a tasting sample ? findings are relayed in a 110-page report . five-star spots feature virtually flawless service -- if you only eat the cantaloupe off the breakfast-buffet fruit tray , for example , expect extra melon delivered to your table . diamonds are the currency in the aaa system , where inspectors pay unannounced visits to 32,000 north american properties annually and rank them on a scale from one diamond ( lowest ) to five . but even single-diamond hotels have standards : in order to be aaa-rated , properties must adhere to a basic set of benchmarks relating to cleanliness and management ( bathrooms must have mini soaps , for example ) , but do n't expect a business center or even an elevator . on the other hand , in five-diamond hotels you can bank on a full on-site spa , 24/7 room service , choice of pillow filling ( pick from goose down , silk , cashmere ) , even a personal butler . outside of the u.s. , australia is one of the few other countries in the world with a private rating system , which also happens to be called aaa . the system is operated by the australian automobile association , an organization similar to ( but not affiliated with ) north america 's aaa . no . 2 : hotel booking sites verdict : online booking engines such as hotels.com use a combination of hired scouts and user ratings to review hotels , but generally reviewers are n't anonymous and the standards vary by country and company . these ratings are best used in conjunction with other review sites . orbitz and priceline each has its own rating system , though neither publishes their ratings criteria on their website . the standards vary by company and country -- which means a hotel in london wo n't necessarily be rated by the same criteria as one in new york city . ( one major reason is the difference in room size between europe and america ; rooms tend to be smaller overseas , even in hotels that would otherwise score high marks . ) hotels.com , for example , stations employees on every continent but antarctica to suss out properties . while these scouts are n't anonymous -- they actually work with hoteliers to improve hotels'star ratings -- 2 million unvetted consumer reviews provide another layer of feedback . ratings are based on location , amenities , type of accommodation , and service . budget travel : secret hotels of paris no . 3 : user-generated rating systems verdict : user ratings are more valuable en masse . the key is to focus on what the majority of reports seem to indicate about a property and to ignore extremely positive or negative reviews , which may be biased . use these sites as a reference but not your sole reference . user-generated sites are built on feedback from the masses : tripadvisor , for example , features more than 50 million traveler reviews sounding off on nearly 495,000 hotels worldwide . while the company , which launched in 2000 , bills itself as having world 's most trusted travel advice , ' the sheer volume of sources -- and tripadvisor 's inability to vet them all for accuracy -- make these reviews something to take with a grain of salt . ( a general rule is to ignore the ecstatically positive and totally negative reviews in favor of those in the middle . ) while the site has stringent guidelines ( reviews should contain only original content and no quoted material from other sources ... we do not allow quoted material from personal email correspondence with a property manager ' ) and even has moderators to flag posts that seem fishy ( like a hotelier giving his property rave reviews , for example ) , there 's no way to catch every questionable review . even with the caveat , peer reviews can be helpful , as they 're often more detailed ( the room smelled of moldy hotel carpeting ' ) and straightforward ( the check-in staff was great , but the hotel was on a yucky street ' ) than those from third-party organizations or tourism boards . no . 4 : government-run ratings systems verdict : government-run ratings systems may be self-interested -- the better a destination 's hotels , the more tourists it 'll draw -- and unregulated by a third party . proceed with caution , and always refer to at least one or two other sources . most european countries have their own government-produced ratings , as well as countries in asia , south america , and africa . ( there 's no standardized system across europe , but in 2009 , an organization called the hotelstars union launched a drive to establish a common system across the eu . so far , 11 countries , including austria , germany , and switzerland , are participating . ) in europe , reliability varies by country -- the u.k. 's system is uniform across great britain and fairly trustworthy , though tourist authorities have toyed with the idea of including user reviews . in france , on the other hand , ratings are n't based on quality but on the presence of certain features ( air-conditioning and bathroom facilities , for example ) . in italy , a hotel can earn a single star just for changing the sheets on the beds once a week ( do n't let the bedbugs bite ! ) . also low on the reliability scale : asia , south america , and africa , where national tourism boards have no standardized criteria or oversight . budget travel : 15 places every kid should see before 15 get the best travel deals and tips emailed to you free - click here ! copyright © 2011 newsweek budget travel , inc. , all rights reserved . | consistent criteria and anonymous inspectors make aaa and forbes reliable |
aaa <tsp> ( budgettravel.com ) -- when americans think of five star ' hotels , they conjure up images of on-site spas , white-gloved service , and pillow menus . that 's no surprise , given that the dominant rating systems in the u.s. are two of the most trust-worthy on the planet -- forbes and aaa . in order to snag forbes 's highest ratings , for example , a hotel 's staff must meet criteria such as greeting arriving guests curbside within 60 seconds and offering tasting samples to drinkers ordering wine by the glass . in italy , on the other hand , where the rating system is government owned and operated , all it takes to score five stars is a 24-hour reception desk , receptionists that speak three foreign languages , and double rooms starting at 172 square feet . budget travel : 10 gorgeous pools you wo n't believe are public there are more scoring systems than most folks realize , and they vary from country to country ( and , in some cases , from city to city ) . that said , most ratings fall into one of four main categories : those operated by private companies such as aaa , those run by hotel booking sites such as hotels.com , user-generated systems , and government-run agencies . bottom line : consistency is an issue . in the past two years , several governments including switzerland 's and germany 's have overhauled their systems to be more uniform , and brazil is following suit this year . plus , in 2009 , europe 's hotelstars union launched with the goal of establishing common classification criteria across the eu . despite the improvements , figuring out which hotel will provide the best value can still feel like cracking the da vinci code . to help you make the most informed decision possible , we scrutinized criteria across the globe to suss out the meaning behind the stars . no matter where you 're going , here is what you need to know before you book . no . 1 : private-company rating systems verdict : independent ownership , consistent criteria , and anonymous inspectors make companies like aaa and forbes ( formerly mobil ) travel guide reliable and unbiased . both aaa and forbes have been rating hotels for more than half a century and provide regular , in-depth reports on what consumers can expect , from how many soaps in the bathroom to bedsheet thread counts . every 12 to 18 months , for example , forbes inspectors make incognito visits to up to 5,000 properties and complete a checklist of 525 questions : are guests arriving in a taxi greeted curbside within 60 seconds ? does wine-by-the-glass service include a tasting sample ? findings are relayed in a 110-page report . five-star spots feature virtually flawless service -- if you only eat the cantaloupe off the breakfast-buffet fruit tray , for example , expect extra melon delivered to your table . diamonds are the currency in the aaa system , where inspectors pay unannounced visits to 32,000 north american properties annually and rank them on a scale from one diamond ( lowest ) to five . but even single-diamond hotels have standards : in order to be aaa-rated , properties must adhere to a basic set of benchmarks relating to cleanliness and management ( bathrooms must have mini soaps , for example ) , but do n't expect a business center or even an elevator . on the other hand , in five-diamond hotels you can bank on a full on-site spa , 24/7 room service , choice of pillow filling ( pick from goose down , silk , cashmere ) , even a personal butler . outside of the u.s. , australia is one of the few other countries in the world with a private rating system , which also happens to be called aaa . the system is operated by the australian automobile association , an organization similar to ( but not affiliated with ) north america 's aaa . no . 2 : hotel booking sites verdict : online booking engines such as hotels.com use a combination of hired scouts and user ratings to review hotels , but generally reviewers are n't anonymous and the standards vary by country and company . these ratings are best used in conjunction with other review sites . orbitz and priceline each has its own rating system , though neither publishes their ratings criteria on their website . the standards vary by company and country -- which means a hotel in london wo n't necessarily be rated by the same criteria as one in new york city . ( one major reason is the difference in room size between europe and america ; rooms tend to be smaller overseas , even in hotels that would otherwise score high marks . ) hotels.com , for example , stations employees on every continent but antarctica to suss out properties . while these scouts are n't anonymous -- they actually work with hoteliers to improve hotels'star ratings -- 2 million unvetted consumer reviews provide another layer of feedback . ratings are based on location , amenities , type of accommodation , and service . budget travel : secret hotels of paris no . 3 : user-generated rating systems verdict : user ratings are more valuable en masse . the key is to focus on what the majority of reports seem to indicate about a property and to ignore extremely positive or negative reviews , which may be biased . use these sites as a reference but not your sole reference . user-generated sites are built on feedback from the masses : tripadvisor , for example , features more than 50 million traveler reviews sounding off on nearly 495,000 hotels worldwide . while the company , which launched in 2000 , bills itself as having world 's most trusted travel advice , ' the sheer volume of sources -- and tripadvisor 's inability to vet them all for accuracy -- make these reviews something to take with a grain of salt . ( a general rule is to ignore the ecstatically positive and totally negative reviews in favor of those in the middle . ) while the site has stringent guidelines ( reviews should contain only original content and no quoted material from other sources ... we do not allow quoted material from personal email correspondence with a property manager ' ) and even has moderators to flag posts that seem fishy ( like a hotelier giving his property rave reviews , for example ) , there 's no way to catch every questionable review . even with the caveat , peer reviews can be helpful , as they 're often more detailed ( the room smelled of moldy hotel carpeting ' ) and straightforward ( the check-in staff was great , but the hotel was on a yucky street ' ) than those from third-party organizations or tourism boards . no . 4 : government-run ratings systems verdict : government-run ratings systems may be self-interested -- the better a destination 's hotels , the more tourists it 'll draw -- and unregulated by a third party . proceed with caution , and always refer to at least one or two other sources . most european countries have their own government-produced ratings , as well as countries in asia , south america , and africa . ( there 's no standardized system across europe , but in 2009 , an organization called the hotelstars union launched a drive to establish a common system across the eu . so far , 11 countries , including austria , germany , and switzerland , are participating . ) in europe , reliability varies by country -- the u.k. 's system is uniform across great britain and fairly trustworthy , though tourist authorities have toyed with the idea of including user reviews . in france , on the other hand , ratings are n't based on quality but on the presence of certain features ( air-conditioning and bathroom facilities , for example ) . in italy , a hotel can earn a single star just for changing the sheets on the beds once a week ( do n't let the bedbugs bite ! ) . also low on the reliability scale : asia , south america , and africa , where national tourism boards have no standardized criteria or oversight . budget travel : 15 places every kid should see before 15 get the best travel deals and tips emailed to you free - click here ! copyright © 2011 newsweek budget travel , inc. , all rights reserved . | consistent criteria and anonymous inspectors make aaa and forbes reliable |
india <tsp> ( cnn ) -- at the request of the government of india , the united states will withdraw one official from its embassy in new delhi over tensions involving a case surrounding an indian diplomat . the decision comes as devyani khobragade , whose december arrest and strip search in new york strained ties between new delhi and washington , headed back to india . state department spokeswoman jennifer psaki said she hopes this will help gain closure in the incident . u.s. prosecutors accuse khobragade of lying in a visa application about how much she paid her housekeeper . she was indicted this week by a federal grand jury on one count of visa fraud and one count of making false statements . her house keeper has also publicly come out to criticize her . the indian government denied a request by the state department to waive khobragade 's diplomatic immunity so she can answer the charges , u.s. and indian officials said . the immunity was granted after her controversial arrest . khobragade arrived at the new delhi airport friday , according to an indian official who is not authorized to speak to the media . the indian ministry of external affairs said earlier in the day that she had left the united states . khobragade told cnn , through an intermediary , that the charges against her are false and baseless . ' i look forward to demonstrating that to all of you , ' she said through the intermediary . khobragade affirmed her determination to ensure that the episode would not leave a lasting impact on her family , in particular , her children , who are still in the united states , ' the ministry said . new delhi is demanding that washington apologize and have the charges dropped . allegations denied federal prosecutors allege khobragade promised in the visa application , under which her housekeeper moved from india to the united states , to pay her at least the minimum wage in new york , and to require she work no more than 40 hours per week . they allege that khobragade then had the housekeeper , sangeeta richard , sign a second contract , which set her pay her far below the minimum wage and required that she work much longer hours . i would like to tell other domestic workers who are suffering as i did -- you have rights and do not let anyone exploit you , ' richard said in a statement released thursday . khobragade 's lawyers have repeatedly said the diplomat is not guilty and is entitled to diplomatic immunity . she is pleased to be returning to her country , ' her attorney daniel arshack said thursday . her head is held high . ' khobragade did not make any false statements and she paid her domestic worker what she was entitled to be paid , ' he said . richard fled the diplomat 's home last summer , and khobragade started legal proceedings against her and her husband in the indian courts . richard has been granted permission to remain in the united states . diplomatic status arshack said khobragade and her legal team were pleased that the state department had done the right thing ' thursday by recognizing her diplomatic status . u.s. officials had previously said khobragade was entitled to consular immunity , which is less broad than diplomatic immunity and covers only actions carried out under official duties . khobragade was india 's deputy consul general for political , economic , commercial and women 's affairs . but after her arrest , indian officials appointed her as counselor at the country 's permanent mission to the united nations in new york . through that post , she was accorded the privileges and immunities of a diplomatic envoy , ' the indian ministry of external affairs said . two senior u.s. officials said that the state department had no choice but to grant khobragade full diplomatic immunity once she was accredited to the united nations because she did not pose a national security threat , which is the only reason for which , in very rare cases , immunity is denied . when india refused the u.s. request to waive the immunity so that she could face the charges against her , she had to leave the country , the officials said . father 's gratitude khobragade 's father , uttam , thanked people across india for their support in the case . because of the support from all of you ... my daughter is going to come back to her country and unite with the family , ' he said friday at a news conference in new delhi . he said his daughter had been fighting for the sovereignty of this country and dignity of the judicial system . ' india has expressed outrage over the arrest of khobragade , who was handcuffed and strip-searched by federal agents on december 12 after a complaint filed by richard . some observers have suggested that indian officials'protests and repeated demands for an apology are driven by political concerns . secretary of state john kerry expressed regret ' about the situation last month , but stopped short of saying authorities had done anything wrong . u.s. law enforcement officials have said that khobragade 's strip search was standard procedure and that she received a number of privileges not usually accorded to defendants . pressure from new delhi amid the uproar , indian authorities removed concrete barriers from outside the u.s. embassy and took away american diplomats'identification cards . that was followed recently by an order that the united states shut down commercial activities ' at a recreational facility at the u.s. embassy in new delhi . the u.s. embassy should halt the activities at the property by january 16 , an indian external affairs official said thursday . the property houses a bowling alley , swimming pool and gym . the multipurpose club in the embassy compound was used by nondiplomats , indian officials said , accusing the u.s. of contravening an article of the vienna convention . as the diplomatic fallout deepened , u.s. energy secretary ernest moniz delayed a trip to india that had been planned for next week . we have been in conversation with indian counterparts about the dates , and we have agreed to hold the dialogue in the near future at a mutually convenient date , ' an energy department official said . human rights activists say india 's anger about the strip search misses the bigger issue . they say the mistreatment of domestic workers is a widespread and often overlooked problem worldwide . officials from both nations have repeatedly said that they hope the issue wo n't undermine their relations in the long term . jethro mullen reported and wrote from hong kong . cnn 's kristina sgueglia , elise labott , chelsea j. carter , harmeet singh , faith karimi and kevin liptak contributed to this report . | india 's former deputy consul general in new york was strip-searched after her arrest |
india <tsp> ( cnn ) -- at the request of the government of india , the united states will withdraw one official from its embassy in new delhi over tensions involving a case surrounding an indian diplomat . the decision comes as devyani khobragade , whose december arrest and strip search in new york strained ties between new delhi and washington , headed back to india . state department spokeswoman jennifer psaki said she hopes this will help gain closure in the incident . u.s. prosecutors accuse khobragade of lying in a visa application about how much she paid her housekeeper . she was indicted this week by a federal grand jury on one count of visa fraud and one count of making false statements . her house keeper has also publicly come out to criticize her . the indian government denied a request by the state department to waive khobragade 's diplomatic immunity so she can answer the charges , u.s. and indian officials said . the immunity was granted after her controversial arrest . khobragade arrived at the new delhi airport friday , according to an indian official who is not authorized to speak to the media . the indian ministry of external affairs said earlier in the day that she had left the united states . khobragade told cnn , through an intermediary , that the charges against her are false and baseless . ' i look forward to demonstrating that to all of you , ' she said through the intermediary . khobragade affirmed her determination to ensure that the episode would not leave a lasting impact on her family , in particular , her children , who are still in the united states , ' the ministry said . new delhi is demanding that washington apologize and have the charges dropped . allegations denied federal prosecutors allege khobragade promised in the visa application , under which her housekeeper moved from india to the united states , to pay her at least the minimum wage in new york , and to require she work no more than 40 hours per week . they allege that khobragade then had the housekeeper , sangeeta richard , sign a second contract , which set her pay her far below the minimum wage and required that she work much longer hours . i would like to tell other domestic workers who are suffering as i did -- you have rights and do not let anyone exploit you , ' richard said in a statement released thursday . khobragade 's lawyers have repeatedly said the diplomat is not guilty and is entitled to diplomatic immunity . she is pleased to be returning to her country , ' her attorney daniel arshack said thursday . her head is held high . ' khobragade did not make any false statements and she paid her domestic worker what she was entitled to be paid , ' he said . richard fled the diplomat 's home last summer , and khobragade started legal proceedings against her and her husband in the indian courts . richard has been granted permission to remain in the united states . diplomatic status arshack said khobragade and her legal team were pleased that the state department had done the right thing ' thursday by recognizing her diplomatic status . u.s. officials had previously said khobragade was entitled to consular immunity , which is less broad than diplomatic immunity and covers only actions carried out under official duties . khobragade was india 's deputy consul general for political , economic , commercial and women 's affairs . but after her arrest , indian officials appointed her as counselor at the country 's permanent mission to the united nations in new york . through that post , she was accorded the privileges and immunities of a diplomatic envoy , ' the indian ministry of external affairs said . two senior u.s. officials said that the state department had no choice but to grant khobragade full diplomatic immunity once she was accredited to the united nations because she did not pose a national security threat , which is the only reason for which , in very rare cases , immunity is denied . when india refused the u.s. request to waive the immunity so that she could face the charges against her , she had to leave the country , the officials said . father 's gratitude khobragade 's father , uttam , thanked people across india for their support in the case . because of the support from all of you ... my daughter is going to come back to her country and unite with the family , ' he said friday at a news conference in new delhi . he said his daughter had been fighting for the sovereignty of this country and dignity of the judicial system . ' india has expressed outrage over the arrest of khobragade , who was handcuffed and strip-searched by federal agents on december 12 after a complaint filed by richard . some observers have suggested that indian officials'protests and repeated demands for an apology are driven by political concerns . secretary of state john kerry expressed regret ' about the situation last month , but stopped short of saying authorities had done anything wrong . u.s. law enforcement officials have said that khobragade 's strip search was standard procedure and that she received a number of privileges not usually accorded to defendants . pressure from new delhi amid the uproar , indian authorities removed concrete barriers from outside the u.s. embassy and took away american diplomats'identification cards . that was followed recently by an order that the united states shut down commercial activities ' at a recreational facility at the u.s. embassy in new delhi . the u.s. embassy should halt the activities at the property by january 16 , an indian external affairs official said thursday . the property houses a bowling alley , swimming pool and gym . the multipurpose club in the embassy compound was used by nondiplomats , indian officials said , accusing the u.s. of contravening an article of the vienna convention . as the diplomatic fallout deepened , u.s. energy secretary ernest moniz delayed a trip to india that had been planned for next week . we have been in conversation with indian counterparts about the dates , and we have agreed to hold the dialogue in the near future at a mutually convenient date , ' an energy department official said . human rights activists say india 's anger about the strip search misses the bigger issue . they say the mistreatment of domestic workers is a widespread and often overlooked problem worldwide . officials from both nations have repeatedly said that they hope the issue wo n't undermine their relations in the long term . jethro mullen reported and wrote from hong kong . cnn 's kristina sgueglia , elise labott , chelsea j. carter , harmeet singh , faith karimi and kevin liptak contributed to this report . | devyani khobragade arrives in india after leaving united states |
khobragade <tsp> ( cnn ) -- at the request of the government of india , the united states will withdraw one official from its embassy in new delhi over tensions involving a case surrounding an indian diplomat . the decision comes as devyani khobragade , whose december arrest and strip search in new york strained ties between new delhi and washington , headed back to india . state department spokeswoman jennifer psaki said she hopes this will help gain closure in the incident . u.s. prosecutors accuse khobragade of lying in a visa application about how much she paid her housekeeper . she was indicted this week by a federal grand jury on one count of visa fraud and one count of making false statements . her house keeper has also publicly come out to criticize her . the indian government denied a request by the state department to waive khobragade 's diplomatic immunity so she can answer the charges , u.s. and indian officials said . the immunity was granted after her controversial arrest . khobragade arrived at the new delhi airport friday , according to an indian official who is not authorized to speak to the media . the indian ministry of external affairs said earlier in the day that she had left the united states . khobragade told cnn , through an intermediary , that the charges against her are false and baseless . ' i look forward to demonstrating that to all of you , ' she said through the intermediary . khobragade affirmed her determination to ensure that the episode would not leave a lasting impact on her family , in particular , her children , who are still in the united states , ' the ministry said . new delhi is demanding that washington apologize and have the charges dropped . allegations denied federal prosecutors allege khobragade promised in the visa application , under which her housekeeper moved from india to the united states , to pay her at least the minimum wage in new york , and to require she work no more than 40 hours per week . they allege that khobragade then had the housekeeper , sangeeta richard , sign a second contract , which set her pay her far below the minimum wage and required that she work much longer hours . i would like to tell other domestic workers who are suffering as i did -- you have rights and do not let anyone exploit you , ' richard said in a statement released thursday . khobragade 's lawyers have repeatedly said the diplomat is not guilty and is entitled to diplomatic immunity . she is pleased to be returning to her country , ' her attorney daniel arshack said thursday . her head is held high . ' khobragade did not make any false statements and she paid her domestic worker what she was entitled to be paid , ' he said . richard fled the diplomat 's home last summer , and khobragade started legal proceedings against her and her husband in the indian courts . richard has been granted permission to remain in the united states . diplomatic status arshack said khobragade and her legal team were pleased that the state department had done the right thing ' thursday by recognizing her diplomatic status . u.s. officials had previously said khobragade was entitled to consular immunity , which is less broad than diplomatic immunity and covers only actions carried out under official duties . khobragade was india 's deputy consul general for political , economic , commercial and women 's affairs . but after her arrest , indian officials appointed her as counselor at the country 's permanent mission to the united nations in new york . through that post , she was accorded the privileges and immunities of a diplomatic envoy , ' the indian ministry of external affairs said . two senior u.s. officials said that the state department had no choice but to grant khobragade full diplomatic immunity once she was accredited to the united nations because she did not pose a national security threat , which is the only reason for which , in very rare cases , immunity is denied . when india refused the u.s. request to waive the immunity so that she could face the charges against her , she had to leave the country , the officials said . father 's gratitude khobragade 's father , uttam , thanked people across india for their support in the case . because of the support from all of you ... my daughter is going to come back to her country and unite with the family , ' he said friday at a news conference in new delhi . he said his daughter had been fighting for the sovereignty of this country and dignity of the judicial system . ' india has expressed outrage over the arrest of khobragade , who was handcuffed and strip-searched by federal agents on december 12 after a complaint filed by richard . some observers have suggested that indian officials'protests and repeated demands for an apology are driven by political concerns . secretary of state john kerry expressed regret ' about the situation last month , but stopped short of saying authorities had done anything wrong . u.s. law enforcement officials have said that khobragade 's strip search was standard procedure and that she received a number of privileges not usually accorded to defendants . pressure from new delhi amid the uproar , indian authorities removed concrete barriers from outside the u.s. embassy and took away american diplomats'identification cards . that was followed recently by an order that the united states shut down commercial activities ' at a recreational facility at the u.s. embassy in new delhi . the u.s. embassy should halt the activities at the property by january 16 , an indian external affairs official said thursday . the property houses a bowling alley , swimming pool and gym . the multipurpose club in the embassy compound was used by nondiplomats , indian officials said , accusing the u.s. of contravening an article of the vienna convention . as the diplomatic fallout deepened , u.s. energy secretary ernest moniz delayed a trip to india that had been planned for next week . we have been in conversation with indian counterparts about the dates , and we have agreed to hold the dialogue in the near future at a mutually convenient date , ' an energy department official said . human rights activists say india 's anger about the strip search misses the bigger issue . they say the mistreatment of domestic workers is a widespread and often overlooked problem worldwide . officials from both nations have repeatedly said that they hope the issue wo n't undermine their relations in the long term . jethro mullen reported and wrote from hong kong . cnn 's kristina sgueglia , elise labott , chelsea j. carter , harmeet singh , faith karimi and kevin liptak contributed to this report . | devyani khobragade arrives in india after leaving united states |
khobragade <tsp> ( cnn ) -- at the request of the government of india , the united states will withdraw one official from its embassy in new delhi over tensions involving a case surrounding an indian diplomat . the decision comes as devyani khobragade , whose december arrest and strip search in new york strained ties between new delhi and washington , headed back to india . state department spokeswoman jennifer psaki said she hopes this will help gain closure in the incident . u.s. prosecutors accuse khobragade of lying in a visa application about how much she paid her housekeeper . she was indicted this week by a federal grand jury on one count of visa fraud and one count of making false statements . her house keeper has also publicly come out to criticize her . the indian government denied a request by the state department to waive khobragade 's diplomatic immunity so she can answer the charges , u.s. and indian officials said . the immunity was granted after her controversial arrest . khobragade arrived at the new delhi airport friday , according to an indian official who is not authorized to speak to the media . the indian ministry of external affairs said earlier in the day that she had left the united states . khobragade told cnn , through an intermediary , that the charges against her are false and baseless . ' i look forward to demonstrating that to all of you , ' she said through the intermediary . khobragade affirmed her determination to ensure that the episode would not leave a lasting impact on her family , in particular , her children , who are still in the united states , ' the ministry said . new delhi is demanding that washington apologize and have the charges dropped . allegations denied federal prosecutors allege khobragade promised in the visa application , under which her housekeeper moved from india to the united states , to pay her at least the minimum wage in new york , and to require she work no more than 40 hours per week . they allege that khobragade then had the housekeeper , sangeeta richard , sign a second contract , which set her pay her far below the minimum wage and required that she work much longer hours . i would like to tell other domestic workers who are suffering as i did -- you have rights and do not let anyone exploit you , ' richard said in a statement released thursday . khobragade 's lawyers have repeatedly said the diplomat is not guilty and is entitled to diplomatic immunity . she is pleased to be returning to her country , ' her attorney daniel arshack said thursday . her head is held high . ' khobragade did not make any false statements and she paid her domestic worker what she was entitled to be paid , ' he said . richard fled the diplomat 's home last summer , and khobragade started legal proceedings against her and her husband in the indian courts . richard has been granted permission to remain in the united states . diplomatic status arshack said khobragade and her legal team were pleased that the state department had done the right thing ' thursday by recognizing her diplomatic status . u.s. officials had previously said khobragade was entitled to consular immunity , which is less broad than diplomatic immunity and covers only actions carried out under official duties . khobragade was india 's deputy consul general for political , economic , commercial and women 's affairs . but after her arrest , indian officials appointed her as counselor at the country 's permanent mission to the united nations in new york . through that post , she was accorded the privileges and immunities of a diplomatic envoy , ' the indian ministry of external affairs said . two senior u.s. officials said that the state department had no choice but to grant khobragade full diplomatic immunity once she was accredited to the united nations because she did not pose a national security threat , which is the only reason for which , in very rare cases , immunity is denied . when india refused the u.s. request to waive the immunity so that she could face the charges against her , she had to leave the country , the officials said . father 's gratitude khobragade 's father , uttam , thanked people across india for their support in the case . because of the support from all of you ... my daughter is going to come back to her country and unite with the family , ' he said friday at a news conference in new delhi . he said his daughter had been fighting for the sovereignty of this country and dignity of the judicial system . ' india has expressed outrage over the arrest of khobragade , who was handcuffed and strip-searched by federal agents on december 12 after a complaint filed by richard . some observers have suggested that indian officials'protests and repeated demands for an apology are driven by political concerns . secretary of state john kerry expressed regret ' about the situation last month , but stopped short of saying authorities had done anything wrong . u.s. law enforcement officials have said that khobragade 's strip search was standard procedure and that she received a number of privileges not usually accorded to defendants . pressure from new delhi amid the uproar , indian authorities removed concrete barriers from outside the u.s. embassy and took away american diplomats'identification cards . that was followed recently by an order that the united states shut down commercial activities ' at a recreational facility at the u.s. embassy in new delhi . the u.s. embassy should halt the activities at the property by january 16 , an indian external affairs official said thursday . the property houses a bowling alley , swimming pool and gym . the multipurpose club in the embassy compound was used by nondiplomats , indian officials said , accusing the u.s. of contravening an article of the vienna convention . as the diplomatic fallout deepened , u.s. energy secretary ernest moniz delayed a trip to india that had been planned for next week . we have been in conversation with indian counterparts about the dates , and we have agreed to hold the dialogue in the near future at a mutually convenient date , ' an energy department official said . human rights activists say india 's anger about the strip search misses the bigger issue . they say the mistreatment of domestic workers is a widespread and often overlooked problem worldwide . officials from both nations have repeatedly said that they hope the issue wo n't undermine their relations in the long term . jethro mullen reported and wrote from hong kong . cnn 's kristina sgueglia , elise labott , chelsea j. carter , harmeet singh , faith karimi and kevin liptak contributed to this report . | khobragade was indicted on federal counts of visa fraud and making false statements |
jeju <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the ferry that capsized on april 16 with 459 passengers onboard off the coast of south korea was headed to jeju island , the country 's biggest island and one of south korea 's nine provinces . the island is south korea 's most popular holiday island , attracting 10 million visitors in 2013 , according to government statistics . more than 70 % of visitors are domestic travelers , seeking out what has become known as the hawaii of south korea . ' the island is well known for natural wonders , including waterfalls , white sand beaches and a dormant volcano -- south korea 's highest mountain -- at the center of the island . april to june is prime time for school field trips to jeju island , say korea tourism officials . it 's estimated that more than 300 high school students were on the ferry , traveling from the city of ansan to jeju for a four-day excursion . in 2007 , unesco inscribed jeju volcanic island and lava tubes ' onto its list of world heritage sites , highlighting geomunoreum , regarded as the finest lava tube system of caves anywhere , with its multicoloured carbonate roofs and floors , and dark-coloured lava walls . ' in 2011 , jeju island was named one of the new 7 wonders of nature . jeju is also home to haenyo divers , also known as korean mermaids . ' these women , often elderly , have taken up diving the ocean for abalone , sea urchin , octopus and seaweed . the volcanic landscape -- 90 % of jeju 's surface is basalt -- has given rise to other attractions , such as grandfather stones ( dolharubang ) , massive phallic statues that resemble easter island 's moai . the island is also home to the loveland theme park , dedicated to sex and eroticism . in september 2013 , jeju island was in the news after a chinese luxury cruise ship was detained for issues related to a legal proceeding over outstanding lease payments . quick facts • located 64 kilometers south of the korean peninsula , jeju is one of nine south korean provinces and is the country 's most popular holiday island . • jeju island is 1,848 square kilometers and has a population of about 600,000 people . • in 2013 , more than 10 million tourists visited jeju according to government statistics . more than 70 % were domestic visitors . • the capital of the island is jeju city . • jeju 's city of seogwipo co-hosted the 2002 korea/japan fifa world cup . • jeju is 434 kilometers south of seoul . the flight time between the two locations is just over an hour . jeju international airport services regular direct flights to cities such as tokyo , osaka , beijing and shanghai . | jeju island , or jejudo , is south korea 's most popular holiday island with 10 million visitors in 2013 |
jeju <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the ferry that capsized on april 16 with 459 passengers onboard off the coast of south korea was headed to jeju island , the country 's biggest island and one of south korea 's nine provinces . the island is south korea 's most popular holiday island , attracting 10 million visitors in 2013 , according to government statistics . more than 70 % of visitors are domestic travelers , seeking out what has become known as the hawaii of south korea . ' the island is well known for natural wonders , including waterfalls , white sand beaches and a dormant volcano -- south korea 's highest mountain -- at the center of the island . april to june is prime time for school field trips to jeju island , say korea tourism officials . it 's estimated that more than 300 high school students were on the ferry , traveling from the city of ansan to jeju for a four-day excursion . in 2007 , unesco inscribed jeju volcanic island and lava tubes ' onto its list of world heritage sites , highlighting geomunoreum , regarded as the finest lava tube system of caves anywhere , with its multicoloured carbonate roofs and floors , and dark-coloured lava walls . ' in 2011 , jeju island was named one of the new 7 wonders of nature . jeju is also home to haenyo divers , also known as korean mermaids . ' these women , often elderly , have taken up diving the ocean for abalone , sea urchin , octopus and seaweed . the volcanic landscape -- 90 % of jeju 's surface is basalt -- has given rise to other attractions , such as grandfather stones ( dolharubang ) , massive phallic statues that resemble easter island 's moai . the island is also home to the loveland theme park , dedicated to sex and eroticism . in september 2013 , jeju island was in the news after a chinese luxury cruise ship was detained for issues related to a legal proceeding over outstanding lease payments . quick facts • located 64 kilometers south of the korean peninsula , jeju is one of nine south korean provinces and is the country 's most popular holiday island . • jeju island is 1,848 square kilometers and has a population of about 600,000 people . • in 2013 , more than 10 million tourists visited jeju according to government statistics . more than 70 % were domestic visitors . • the capital of the island is jeju city . • jeju 's city of seogwipo co-hosted the 2002 korea/japan fifa world cup . • jeju is 434 kilometers south of seoul . the flight time between the two locations is just over an hour . jeju international airport services regular direct flights to cities such as tokyo , osaka , beijing and shanghai . | in 2013 a luxury chinese cruise ship was detained for several days in jeju over outstanding lease payments |
frankie dettori <tsp> ( cnn ) -- top jockey richard hughes achieved the remarkable feat of seven winners from an eight-race card in a meeting at windsor monday . hughes , who is heading for the title of champion jockey for the most wins in a season , all but secured the honor for the first time with his remarkable display at the racecourse in the south of england . he came close to going through the card -- only stopped from a clean sweep in the sixth race in which he finished third in a competitive handicap . the odds on his feat were a massive 10,168 to 1 , but british bookmakers reported that their losses were likely to be limited because betting volumes were low on a working day . it would also have been far worse had he rode seven winners on a busy saturday . if we could choose a day for this to happen then monday would be it , ' said a spokesman for a leading firm . the 39-year-old irishman is only the second jockey to achieve seven wins on the same day at a british meeting , the other was frankie dettori at ascot in 1996 . he told broadcaster at the races : i 'm over the moon -- it 's great to do it . i always said i might do it one day at windsor , my lucky track . ' hughes achieved the first two wins on mounts trained by his father-in-law richard hannon , who supplies him with many favorable rides . without richard hannon i would n't be doing any of it , ' he added . the record for most successive wins is 12 , by the great gordon richards , who is the only jockey to be knighted by queen elizabeth ii . | frankie dettori secured seven wins at ascot in 1996 |
meydan racecourse <tsp> ( cnn ) -- for one day a year , a desert outpost in the persian gulf becomes the center of the horse-racing universe . the dubai world cup is the richest horse race on the planet and features the world 's finest thoroughbreds . hosted at the futuristic meydan racecourse every march , upwards of 60,000 people pack the stands , have a flutter and cheer on the action below . the venue is now set to feature at the heart of a much bigger project in the lead up to the world expo which will take place in the emirate in 2020 . the plan is to build a high-end , mini-city around meydan , stretching all the way to dubai 's nearby financial district and the world 's tallest building , the burj khalifa . stage one of this complex process has seen the racecourse transformed into a year-round destination . first came the grandstand , a statement construction over one kilometer long that opened in 2010 . the five-star meydan hotel was completed in the same year . then followed an imax cinema , school , tennis center , school and golf course . ( in ) 2005 i came here ... there was no thought of meydan or developments . it was just horse racing , ' said former ceo of dubai racing club , frank gabriel . all of a sudden within six months we were building a master plan of a race track and a city and the next thing you know we never stopped moving . ' with each addition , meydan 's purpose has extended beyond its equestrian origins . stage two is by far the most ambitious element of the project and will feature the development of 1,500 villas over 16 million square meters ( 172 million sq ft ) . the vast housing site -- named mohammed bin rashid al maktoum city after the ruler of dubai -- will include parks , lagoons , waterways , jogging tracks , beaches and woodlands . the development aims to take the thoroughbred lifestyle meydan seeks to embody and recreate it on a massive scale . horse racing and equestrian is the heart and soul of meydan , ' said saeed al tayer , chairman of meydan group . that will always be in our pedigree . but developing a city ... it puts us on the global map . ' four to eight bedroom villas here will cost $ 6,200 per square meter ( $ 579 per sq ft ) , that 's more 40 % above the dubai average according to real estate consultancy cbre . the next race at meydan , it seems , will be finding the well-to-do residents and investors willing to pay these higher rates for the luxury mini-city experience . see also : can tiny emirate outshine dubai ? see also : building for future in beirut see also : billionaires wasteland | meydan racecourse in dubai is being transformed in to a mini-city |
tariq al-hashimi <tsp> baghdad ( cnn ) -- iraq 's vice president arrived in qatar sunday to meet with leaders of the gulf nation , despite an iraqi government order banning him from international travel . the visit of vice president tariq al-hashimi , who has been living in kurdistan since iraqi authorities issued an arrest warrant for him on terrorism charges , drew sharp criticism from iraqi prime minister nuri al-maliki . arab countries should not host the wanted vice president , al-maliki said , according to al-iraqiya state television . iraq 's shiite , sunni and kurdish political leaders have squared off over an arrest warrant issued last year for the sunni vice president , who has denied the charged and called them politically motivated . ' the iraqi interior ministry has said al-hashimi is banned from leaving the country . and al-maliki has demanded that kurdish lawmakers hand over al-hashimi , who refuses to return to baghdad from northern iraq . in an interview with cnn in january , al-hashimi accused al-maliki -- a shiite -- of pushing the country toward a deep sectarian divide . on his trip to qatar , al-hashimi was scheduled to meet with qatar 's prime minister and emir based on an invitation he had received earlier , ' a statement from his office said . the visit is expected to last a few days , and after that , the vice president will travel to other countries that will be announced later , ' the statement said . following the visits , the vice president will return to his place of residence in iraqi kurdistan region . ' the vice president 's trip comes several days after qatar 's foreign minister said his country had sent a low-ranking representative to last week 's arab league summit in baghdad in order to send a message over factionalism in iraq , ' the state-run qatar news agency reported . in february , iraq 's top judicial committee accused al-hashimi 's security detail of carrying out 150 attacks against security forces and civilians between 2005 and 2011 . al-hashimi said the nine-judge council was under the control of the shiite-dominated central government and the allegations were politically motivated . ' the charges against al-hashimi appear to be based on the purported confessions of three men , identified as the vice president 's security guards . iraqi state-run tv aired video of the men 's confessions in december . cnn has not been able to verify their identities independently . cnn ' s mohammed tawfeeq and saaed abedine contributed to this report . | vice president tariq al-hashimi is wanted on terrorism charges in iraq ; he denies the charges |
iraq <tsp> baghdad ( cnn ) -- iraq 's vice president arrived in qatar sunday to meet with leaders of the gulf nation , despite an iraqi government order banning him from international travel . the visit of vice president tariq al-hashimi , who has been living in kurdistan since iraqi authorities issued an arrest warrant for him on terrorism charges , drew sharp criticism from iraqi prime minister nuri al-maliki . arab countries should not host the wanted vice president , al-maliki said , according to al-iraqiya state television . iraq 's shiite , sunni and kurdish political leaders have squared off over an arrest warrant issued last year for the sunni vice president , who has denied the charged and called them politically motivated . ' the iraqi interior ministry has said al-hashimi is banned from leaving the country . and al-maliki has demanded that kurdish lawmakers hand over al-hashimi , who refuses to return to baghdad from northern iraq . in an interview with cnn in january , al-hashimi accused al-maliki -- a shiite -- of pushing the country toward a deep sectarian divide . on his trip to qatar , al-hashimi was scheduled to meet with qatar 's prime minister and emir based on an invitation he had received earlier , ' a statement from his office said . the visit is expected to last a few days , and after that , the vice president will travel to other countries that will be announced later , ' the statement said . following the visits , the vice president will return to his place of residence in iraqi kurdistan region . ' the vice president 's trip comes several days after qatar 's foreign minister said his country had sent a low-ranking representative to last week 's arab league summit in baghdad in order to send a message over factionalism in iraq , ' the state-run qatar news agency reported . in february , iraq 's top judicial committee accused al-hashimi 's security detail of carrying out 150 attacks against security forces and civilians between 2005 and 2011 . al-hashimi said the nine-judge council was under the control of the shiite-dominated central government and the allegations were politically motivated . ' the charges against al-hashimi appear to be based on the purported confessions of three men , identified as the vice president 's security guards . iraqi state-run tv aired video of the men 's confessions in december . cnn has not been able to verify their identities independently . cnn ' s mohammed tawfeeq and saaed abedine contributed to this report . | iraq 's prime minister says no arab countries should host the wanted vice president |
iraq <tsp> baghdad ( cnn ) -- iraq 's vice president arrived in qatar sunday to meet with leaders of the gulf nation , despite an iraqi government order banning him from international travel . the visit of vice president tariq al-hashimi , who has been living in kurdistan since iraqi authorities issued an arrest warrant for him on terrorism charges , drew sharp criticism from iraqi prime minister nuri al-maliki . arab countries should not host the wanted vice president , al-maliki said , according to al-iraqiya state television . iraq 's shiite , sunni and kurdish political leaders have squared off over an arrest warrant issued last year for the sunni vice president , who has denied the charged and called them politically motivated . ' the iraqi interior ministry has said al-hashimi is banned from leaving the country . and al-maliki has demanded that kurdish lawmakers hand over al-hashimi , who refuses to return to baghdad from northern iraq . in an interview with cnn in january , al-hashimi accused al-maliki -- a shiite -- of pushing the country toward a deep sectarian divide . on his trip to qatar , al-hashimi was scheduled to meet with qatar 's prime minister and emir based on an invitation he had received earlier , ' a statement from his office said . the visit is expected to last a few days , and after that , the vice president will travel to other countries that will be announced later , ' the statement said . following the visits , the vice president will return to his place of residence in iraqi kurdistan region . ' the vice president 's trip comes several days after qatar 's foreign minister said his country had sent a low-ranking representative to last week 's arab league summit in baghdad in order to send a message over factionalism in iraq , ' the state-run qatar news agency reported . in february , iraq 's top judicial committee accused al-hashimi 's security detail of carrying out 150 attacks against security forces and civilians between 2005 and 2011 . al-hashimi said the nine-judge council was under the control of the shiite-dominated central government and the allegations were politically motivated . ' the charges against al-hashimi appear to be based on the purported confessions of three men , identified as the vice president 's security guards . iraqi state-run tv aired video of the men 's confessions in december . cnn has not been able to verify their identities independently . cnn ' s mohammed tawfeeq and saaed abedine contributed to this report . | vice president tariq al-hashimi is wanted on terrorism charges in iraq ; he denies the charges |
malibu <tsp> ( cnn ) -- jennifer lopez is well known for backside , but over the weekend she had a scary experience . the singer posted on instagram after she and her friend , king of queens ' actress leah remini , were rear-ended by an alleged drunk driver . lopez wrote sitting at a light , riding high right before some drunk fool rear ended us in my new whip ! ! ! thank god everyone ok ! ! ! # grateful # thankyougod # dontdrinkanddrive ! ! ! ! # cursedthatfoolout # thebronxcameout # dontmesswithmycocnuts # mamabear # leahstayedcalm # thatwasweird ' tmz reported the pair were traveling along pacific coast highway in malibu on saturday when the accident happened while they were stopped at a light . the gossip site said there were two children in the back seat at the time of the collision . lopez posted a picture of her 6-year-old twins in the back seat along with remini 's 10-year-old daughter , sofia . in the caption , lopez wrote , these three cuties make my day ! ! # coconuts # sofia # lunchwthekiddies # bigpimpin'# brooklynindahouse . ' according to tmz one of the women called 911 and police nabbed the unnamed driver of the small pickup truck and charged him with suspicion of driving under the influence and hit and run . | lopez and remini were in malibu at the time |
hamas <tsp> a hamas official admitted friday that militants from his group abducted three israeli teens in the west bank in june , but the official said the kidnappers did not tell their leaders about the action . the three teens were later found dead . since then , violence has flared in the region . saleh aruri , a hamas political bureau member , said in a statement from doha , qatar , the operation to abduct the teens was not approved by the hamas leadership or its military wing , the qassam brigades . at that time , the hamas leadership had no knowledge about this group or the operation it had just carried , ' aruri said , referring to the abductors . it turned out later , however , that they were members of hamas . ' tensions between israel and hamas ratcheted up june 30 after the bodies of the three were found in the west bank . friday 's statement included no comment on the teens'deaths . israel blamed the disappearances and deaths on hamas . hamas will pay , ' said israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu . meanwhile , the hamas-run al aqsa tv reported friday that the group had executed 18 suspected informants for israel in gaza on friday , the hamas-run al aqsa tv reported . the developments came one day after an israeli strike in the gaza city of rafah killed three senior leaders of the qassam brigades . palestinian militants fired more rockets into israel on friday , and the israeli defense forces kept up airstrikes on gaza . ashraf el-qedra , spokesman for the ministry of health in gaza , said 2,092 palestinians have been killed since the conflict began in early july . that figure did not include the reported executions . the united nations estimates that around 70 % of the dead in the conflict were civilians . the fighting has killed 68 people on the israeli side , almost all of them soldiers . a 4-year-old boy became the latest civilian victim in israel friday , after a mortar shell exploded in the parking lot of a kibbutz close to gaza , israeli rescue services said . the boy is the first civilian casualty in israel since the latest ceasefire collapsed , and the fourth in the recent fighting . el-qedra said friday that 76 palestinians have been killed since the two sides resumed hostilities on tuesday after the collapse of a ceasefire and talks aimed at finding a lasting end to the fighting . the truce fell apart after israel reported that militants had started firing rockets again . since the fighting flared up again this week , 360 rockets have been fired from gaza toward israel , according to the israel defense forces . they have caused some injuries but no deaths . israel 's iron dome missile defense system has intercepted 56 of the rockets , the idf said . the israeli military has attacked around 200 targets in gaza during the same period , the idf said . hamas , the militant group that holds power in gaza , has warned that israel will pay the price ' for killing three high-ranking leaders of its military wing , the qassam brigades , on thursday . seven civilians also were killed in the bombing of the house in southern gaza where the leaders were located . the idf said the military leaders were responsible for major terror attacks against israelis . ' the qassam brigades'threat this week to target ben gurion airport in tel aviv does n't so far appear to have affected flights . six decades of war gaza 's zoo animals caught in crossfire israelis jailed for refusing to serve | operation to abduct the teens was not approved by leadership , hamas official says |
hamas <tsp> a hamas official admitted friday that militants from his group abducted three israeli teens in the west bank in june , but the official said the kidnappers did not tell their leaders about the action . the three teens were later found dead . since then , violence has flared in the region . saleh aruri , a hamas political bureau member , said in a statement from doha , qatar , the operation to abduct the teens was not approved by the hamas leadership or its military wing , the qassam brigades . at that time , the hamas leadership had no knowledge about this group or the operation it had just carried , ' aruri said , referring to the abductors . it turned out later , however , that they were members of hamas . ' tensions between israel and hamas ratcheted up june 30 after the bodies of the three were found in the west bank . friday 's statement included no comment on the teens'deaths . israel blamed the disappearances and deaths on hamas . hamas will pay , ' said israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu . meanwhile , the hamas-run al aqsa tv reported friday that the group had executed 18 suspected informants for israel in gaza on friday , the hamas-run al aqsa tv reported . the developments came one day after an israeli strike in the gaza city of rafah killed three senior leaders of the qassam brigades . palestinian militants fired more rockets into israel on friday , and the israeli defense forces kept up airstrikes on gaza . ashraf el-qedra , spokesman for the ministry of health in gaza , said 2,092 palestinians have been killed since the conflict began in early july . that figure did not include the reported executions . the united nations estimates that around 70 % of the dead in the conflict were civilians . the fighting has killed 68 people on the israeli side , almost all of them soldiers . a 4-year-old boy became the latest civilian victim in israel friday , after a mortar shell exploded in the parking lot of a kibbutz close to gaza , israeli rescue services said . the boy is the first civilian casualty in israel since the latest ceasefire collapsed , and the fourth in the recent fighting . el-qedra said friday that 76 palestinians have been killed since the two sides resumed hostilities on tuesday after the collapse of a ceasefire and talks aimed at finding a lasting end to the fighting . the truce fell apart after israel reported that militants had started firing rockets again . since the fighting flared up again this week , 360 rockets have been fired from gaza toward israel , according to the israel defense forces . they have caused some injuries but no deaths . israel 's iron dome missile defense system has intercepted 56 of the rockets , the idf said . the israeli military has attacked around 200 targets in gaza during the same period , the idf said . hamas , the militant group that holds power in gaza , has warned that israel will pay the price ' for killing three high-ranking leaders of its military wing , the qassam brigades , on thursday . seven civilians also were killed in the bombing of the house in southern gaza where the leaders were located . the idf said the military leaders were responsible for major terror attacks against israelis . ' the qassam brigades'threat this week to target ben gurion airport in tel aviv does n't so far appear to have affected flights . six decades of war gaza 's zoo animals caught in crossfire israelis jailed for refusing to serve | hamas executes 18 suspected informants for israel , tv report says |
bolivian <tsp> santa cruz , bolivia ( cnn ) -- bolivian president evo morales on monday accused a u.s. diplomat of contacting opposition groups , declared him persona non grata ' and ordered he be expelled . francisco martinez , a mexican-u.s. citizen , was in permanent contact with opposition groups during the whole era of conspiracy , ' the leftist president said . he was the u.s. embassy person who contacted ex-police officers , ' morales told reporters , according to the associated press , whose tape of the speech was broadcast on cnn en espanol . the times of the colony will end in latin america , ' morales vowed to reporters . we are in profound transformation . ' martinez was identified in media reports as the second secretary at the embassy in la paz , bolivia 's capital . heidi bronke , a spokeswoman for the u.s. state department 's western hemisphere affairs bureau , acknowledged the move , but said it had not been communicated through diplomatic channels . we reject the accusations made by the government of bolivia , ' she said . this decision is unwarranted and unjustified . it is inconsistent with recent statements by the government of bolivia expressing a desire to improve bilateral relations . ' morales'move comes six months after he declared u.s . ambassador philip goldberg persona non grata for allegedly having encouraged anti-government demonstrators to violence . goldberg denied the charge . journalist gloria carrasco contributed to this story from santa cruz , bolivia | bolivian president evo morales expels u.s. diplomat |
morales <tsp> santa cruz , bolivia ( cnn ) -- bolivian president evo morales on monday accused a u.s. diplomat of contacting opposition groups , declared him persona non grata ' and ordered he be expelled . francisco martinez , a mexican-u.s. citizen , was in permanent contact with opposition groups during the whole era of conspiracy , ' the leftist president said . he was the u.s. embassy person who contacted ex-police officers , ' morales told reporters , according to the associated press , whose tape of the speech was broadcast on cnn en espanol . the times of the colony will end in latin america , ' morales vowed to reporters . we are in profound transformation . ' martinez was identified in media reports as the second secretary at the embassy in la paz , bolivia 's capital . heidi bronke , a spokeswoman for the u.s. state department 's western hemisphere affairs bureau , acknowledged the move , but said it had not been communicated through diplomatic channels . we reject the accusations made by the government of bolivia , ' she said . this decision is unwarranted and unjustified . it is inconsistent with recent statements by the government of bolivia expressing a desire to improve bilateral relations . ' morales'move comes six months after he declared u.s . ambassador philip goldberg persona non grata for allegedly having encouraged anti-government demonstrators to violence . goldberg denied the charge . journalist gloria carrasco contributed to this story from santa cruz , bolivia | diplomat contacted ex-police officers , ' said morales |
morales <tsp> santa cruz , bolivia ( cnn ) -- bolivian president evo morales on monday accused a u.s. diplomat of contacting opposition groups , declared him persona non grata ' and ordered he be expelled . francisco martinez , a mexican-u.s. citizen , was in permanent contact with opposition groups during the whole era of conspiracy , ' the leftist president said . he was the u.s. embassy person who contacted ex-police officers , ' morales told reporters , according to the associated press , whose tape of the speech was broadcast on cnn en espanol . the times of the colony will end in latin america , ' morales vowed to reporters . we are in profound transformation . ' martinez was identified in media reports as the second secretary at the embassy in la paz , bolivia 's capital . heidi bronke , a spokeswoman for the u.s. state department 's western hemisphere affairs bureau , acknowledged the move , but said it had not been communicated through diplomatic channels . we reject the accusations made by the government of bolivia , ' she said . this decision is unwarranted and unjustified . it is inconsistent with recent statements by the government of bolivia expressing a desire to improve bilateral relations . ' morales'move comes six months after he declared u.s . ambassador philip goldberg persona non grata for allegedly having encouraged anti-government demonstrators to violence . goldberg denied the charge . journalist gloria carrasco contributed to this story from santa cruz , bolivia | bolivian president evo morales expels u.s. diplomat |
abdallah <tsp> tripoli , libya ( cnn ) -- cnn photojournalist khalil abdallah was having breakfast saturday in a tripoli hotel that houses foreign press when a woman burst into the restaurant , screaming that she had been raped and beaten for days by moammar gadhafi 's brigades . her sudden entrance startled the group of international journalists , who were about to begin another day covering the crisis in libya . the woman 's face was heavily bruised , a long bruise running down the left side of her cheek . she walked around , sobbing , shouting , lifting her dress to show a bloody thigh . her ankles and wrists were bloody where she said she had been bound . one of the few present who spoke arabic , the photojournalist understood her pleas . she was saying ,'we are all libyans ! why do n't you treat us the same ?' abdallah recounted sunday for cnn.com . the woman told the journalists that she had been picked up at a government checkpoint east of tripoli , tied , beaten and raped for two days . her name was eman al-obeidy , she said . look at what gadhafi 's brigades did to me ! ' she screamed . my honor was violated by them ! ' reporters gathered around her , trying to calm her , abdallah recalled . he and other photojournalists dashed for their cameras . we were all in shock , ' abdallah said , trying to keep a steady hand . he knew that minders -- the men libya 's government assigns to foreign journalists to monitor their every move -- were nearby . reporters had barely asked a few questions before those minders were on them , pushing and shoving reporters to the side , trying to jerk the woman away . some of them were wearing their distinctive red badges , abdallah said , while others were in plain clothes . they threw punches . journalists tried to defend themselves and keep the woman away from the minders . it was like a rugby pileup , ' abdallah said . a correspondent for britain 's channel 4 , jonathan miller , tried to push one of the minders back . the woman was trying to fight back as well , abdallah said . she is pushing him ( a minder ) back saying ,'do n't touch me , leave me alone !' he said . from that point on , everybody in this hotel was against us ( the journalists ) , ' the photojournalist recounted . minders ran after journalists , jumping on them , beating them , he said . at one point a bag was placed over the woman 's head and she was led out to the hotel garden . she was questioned for about 40 minutes , and then minders came back inside . they announced that the woman was crazy and that she was being taken to the hospital . all the minders were telling us she was drunk or had mental problems , ' abdallah said . a short while later , the woman was led through the lobby . journalists followed , protesting , shouting for the men to let her go . a journalist can be heard on video asking her : are you ok ? ' no , ' the woman answers , her voice shaky . she yells into a camera : if you do n't see me tomorrow , then that 's it ! ' the woman is forced into a waiting car . she shouts that she is being taken to jail . the minders told reporters that they could see the woman again , later . we have been told that we 'd see people again , but we never do , ' said abdallah . an image he captured shows a minder pointing his finger at abdallah just before snatching his camera and breaking it . he ripped the microphone off , the viewfinder , his nails sunk into my arm , ' said abdallah . i was pulling the camera one way ; he was pulling it the other way . ' while wrestling for his camera , abdallah saw a minder standing nearby holding a 9 mm handgun . the photojournalist let go and slowly began to back out of the restaurant . then abdallah heard something from the minders that he has come to expect , but that never fails to sting him . 'he is arab !'they were shouting .'why is he doing this to us ?'' once you 're labeled like that , it does n't matter what your citizenship is , ' he said . but what i felt more was terrible for this woman and how the government is going to deal with her . that is the thing that is most disturbing . ' postscript : the libyan woman who stormed into the tripoli hotel saturday to tell foreign reporters that government troops raped her has been released , government spokesman moussa ibrahim told reporters at a news conference sunday . cnn has not been able to independently confirm the spokesman 's announcement . | khalil abdallah understood her cries in arabic : look at what gadhafi 's brigades did to me ! ' |
abdallah <tsp> tripoli , libya ( cnn ) -- cnn photojournalist khalil abdallah was having breakfast saturday in a tripoli hotel that houses foreign press when a woman burst into the restaurant , screaming that she had been raped and beaten for days by moammar gadhafi 's brigades . her sudden entrance startled the group of international journalists , who were about to begin another day covering the crisis in libya . the woman 's face was heavily bruised , a long bruise running down the left side of her cheek . she walked around , sobbing , shouting , lifting her dress to show a bloody thigh . her ankles and wrists were bloody where she said she had been bound . one of the few present who spoke arabic , the photojournalist understood her pleas . she was saying ,'we are all libyans ! why do n't you treat us the same ?' abdallah recounted sunday for cnn.com . the woman told the journalists that she had been picked up at a government checkpoint east of tripoli , tied , beaten and raped for two days . her name was eman al-obeidy , she said . look at what gadhafi 's brigades did to me ! ' she screamed . my honor was violated by them ! ' reporters gathered around her , trying to calm her , abdallah recalled . he and other photojournalists dashed for their cameras . we were all in shock , ' abdallah said , trying to keep a steady hand . he knew that minders -- the men libya 's government assigns to foreign journalists to monitor their every move -- were nearby . reporters had barely asked a few questions before those minders were on them , pushing and shoving reporters to the side , trying to jerk the woman away . some of them were wearing their distinctive red badges , abdallah said , while others were in plain clothes . they threw punches . journalists tried to defend themselves and keep the woman away from the minders . it was like a rugby pileup , ' abdallah said . a correspondent for britain 's channel 4 , jonathan miller , tried to push one of the minders back . the woman was trying to fight back as well , abdallah said . she is pushing him ( a minder ) back saying ,'do n't touch me , leave me alone !' he said . from that point on , everybody in this hotel was against us ( the journalists ) , ' the photojournalist recounted . minders ran after journalists , jumping on them , beating them , he said . at one point a bag was placed over the woman 's head and she was led out to the hotel garden . she was questioned for about 40 minutes , and then minders came back inside . they announced that the woman was crazy and that she was being taken to the hospital . all the minders were telling us she was drunk or had mental problems , ' abdallah said . a short while later , the woman was led through the lobby . journalists followed , protesting , shouting for the men to let her go . a journalist can be heard on video asking her : are you ok ? ' no , ' the woman answers , her voice shaky . she yells into a camera : if you do n't see me tomorrow , then that 's it ! ' the woman is forced into a waiting car . she shouts that she is being taken to jail . the minders told reporters that they could see the woman again , later . we have been told that we 'd see people again , but we never do , ' said abdallah . an image he captured shows a minder pointing his finger at abdallah just before snatching his camera and breaking it . he ripped the microphone off , the viewfinder , his nails sunk into my arm , ' said abdallah . i was pulling the camera one way ; he was pulling it the other way . ' while wrestling for his camera , abdallah saw a minder standing nearby holding a 9 mm handgun . the photojournalist let go and slowly began to back out of the restaurant . then abdallah heard something from the minders that he has come to expect , but that never fails to sting him . 'he is arab !'they were shouting .'why is he doing this to us ?'' once you 're labeled like that , it does n't matter what your citizenship is , ' he said . but what i felt more was terrible for this woman and how the government is going to deal with her . that is the thing that is most disturbing . ' postscript : the libyan woman who stormed into the tripoli hotel saturday to tell foreign reporters that government troops raped her has been released , government spokesman moussa ibrahim told reporters at a news conference sunday . cnn has not been able to independently confirm the spokesman 's announcement . | abdallah says government minders violently blocked journalists , broke his camera |
abdallah <tsp> tripoli , libya ( cnn ) -- cnn photojournalist khalil abdallah was having breakfast saturday in a tripoli hotel that houses foreign press when a woman burst into the restaurant , screaming that she had been raped and beaten for days by moammar gadhafi 's brigades . her sudden entrance startled the group of international journalists , who were about to begin another day covering the crisis in libya . the woman 's face was heavily bruised , a long bruise running down the left side of her cheek . she walked around , sobbing , shouting , lifting her dress to show a bloody thigh . her ankles and wrists were bloody where she said she had been bound . one of the few present who spoke arabic , the photojournalist understood her pleas . she was saying ,'we are all libyans ! why do n't you treat us the same ?' abdallah recounted sunday for cnn.com . the woman told the journalists that she had been picked up at a government checkpoint east of tripoli , tied , beaten and raped for two days . her name was eman al-obeidy , she said . look at what gadhafi 's brigades did to me ! ' she screamed . my honor was violated by them ! ' reporters gathered around her , trying to calm her , abdallah recalled . he and other photojournalists dashed for their cameras . we were all in shock , ' abdallah said , trying to keep a steady hand . he knew that minders -- the men libya 's government assigns to foreign journalists to monitor their every move -- were nearby . reporters had barely asked a few questions before those minders were on them , pushing and shoving reporters to the side , trying to jerk the woman away . some of them were wearing their distinctive red badges , abdallah said , while others were in plain clothes . they threw punches . journalists tried to defend themselves and keep the woman away from the minders . it was like a rugby pileup , ' abdallah said . a correspondent for britain 's channel 4 , jonathan miller , tried to push one of the minders back . the woman was trying to fight back as well , abdallah said . she is pushing him ( a minder ) back saying ,'do n't touch me , leave me alone !' he said . from that point on , everybody in this hotel was against us ( the journalists ) , ' the photojournalist recounted . minders ran after journalists , jumping on them , beating them , he said . at one point a bag was placed over the woman 's head and she was led out to the hotel garden . she was questioned for about 40 minutes , and then minders came back inside . they announced that the woman was crazy and that she was being taken to the hospital . all the minders were telling us she was drunk or had mental problems , ' abdallah said . a short while later , the woman was led through the lobby . journalists followed , protesting , shouting for the men to let her go . a journalist can be heard on video asking her : are you ok ? ' no , ' the woman answers , her voice shaky . she yells into a camera : if you do n't see me tomorrow , then that 's it ! ' the woman is forced into a waiting car . she shouts that she is being taken to jail . the minders told reporters that they could see the woman again , later . we have been told that we 'd see people again , but we never do , ' said abdallah . an image he captured shows a minder pointing his finger at abdallah just before snatching his camera and breaking it . he ripped the microphone off , the viewfinder , his nails sunk into my arm , ' said abdallah . i was pulling the camera one way ; he was pulling it the other way . ' while wrestling for his camera , abdallah saw a minder standing nearby holding a 9 mm handgun . the photojournalist let go and slowly began to back out of the restaurant . then abdallah heard something from the minders that he has come to expect , but that never fails to sting him . 'he is arab !'they were shouting .'why is he doing this to us ?'' once you 're labeled like that , it does n't matter what your citizenship is , ' he said . but what i felt more was terrible for this woman and how the government is going to deal with her . that is the thing that is most disturbing . ' postscript : the libyan woman who stormed into the tripoli hotel saturday to tell foreign reporters that government troops raped her has been released , government spokesman moussa ibrahim told reporters at a news conference sunday . cnn has not been able to independently confirm the spokesman 's announcement . | abdallah saw one minder with a gun in his hand , so the photojournalist backed away |
donetsk <tsp> kiev , ukraine ( cnn ) -- a shell landed near a school as children began their school year in the war-weary eastern ukrainian city of donetsk on wednesday morning , killing at least three adults and shattering what would have been a step toward normalcy for dozens of students . shells also hit a public transit bus in the city about the same time , killing six people in or near the vehicle , city officials said . the shelling in donetsk , held for months by pro-russian rebels , came despite a ceasefire that ukraine 's government reached with separatist leaders last month . a shell landed 5 meters from donetsk 's school 57 about 10 a.m. , shattering windows and doors on the first and second floors , local officials said . it was the first day of the school year in rebel-controlled areas of the donetsk region , a debut that was delayed by a month because of shelling and clashes between separatists and the ukrainian military . conflicting reports emerged over how many people were killed at the school . officials at the rebel-held city office said a biology teacher and two parents died , and five other people were injured . | wednesday was first day of school year in donetsk , rebels say |
donetsk <tsp> kiev , ukraine ( cnn ) -- a shell landed near a school as children began their school year in the war-weary eastern ukrainian city of donetsk on wednesday morning , killing at least three adults and shattering what would have been a step toward normalcy for dozens of students . shells also hit a public transit bus in the city about the same time , killing six people in or near the vehicle , city officials said . the shelling in donetsk , held for months by pro-russian rebels , came despite a ceasefire that ukraine 's government reached with separatist leaders last month . a shell landed 5 meters from donetsk 's school 57 about 10 a.m. , shattering windows and doors on the first and second floors , local officials said . it was the first day of the school year in rebel-controlled areas of the donetsk region , a debut that was delayed by a month because of shelling and clashes between separatists and the ukrainian military . conflicting reports emerged over how many people were killed at the school . officials at the rebel-held city office said a biology teacher and two parents died , and five other people were injured . | shells hit a school and a public transit bus in rebel-held donetsk , ukraine , officials say |
ukrainian <tsp> kiev , ukraine ( cnn ) -- a shell landed near a school as children began their school year in the war-weary eastern ukrainian city of donetsk on wednesday morning , killing at least three adults and shattering what would have been a step toward normalcy for dozens of students . shells also hit a public transit bus in the city about the same time , killing six people in or near the vehicle , city officials said . the shelling in donetsk , held for months by pro-russian rebels , came despite a ceasefire that ukraine 's government reached with separatist leaders last month . a shell landed 5 meters from donetsk 's school 57 about 10 a.m. , shattering windows and doors on the first and second floors , local officials said . it was the first day of the school year in rebel-controlled areas of the donetsk region , a debut that was delayed by a month because of shelling and clashes between separatists and the ukrainian military . conflicting reports emerged over how many people were killed at the school . officials at the rebel-held city office said a biology teacher and two parents died , and five other people were injured . | regional authority blames rebels , who blame ukrainian military |
google <tsp> in a decision that goes strongly against google , europe 's highest court has ruled search engine operators are responsible for the processing they carry out of personal data which appear on web pages published by third parties -- and that a form of the contentious right to be forgotten ' already exists . the european court of justice 's ruling looks like a strong decision in favor of privacy and individual rights , and against the business models of search engines and certain aspects of freedom of speech . it means , for example , that if a web page can be found by searching for a person 's name the search engine is responsible for the contents of that page . in certain circumstances , the search engine operator will be required to remove the search results and links to that page . google can be expected to be very unhappy about this ruling indeed , particularly given that last year 's advocate-general 's opinion suggested the reverse , and the court generally follows such guidance . what is the right to be forgotten ? one of the perennial problems on the internet is the idea that whatever appears is there forever . stories that appear discreditable -- whether they are true or not , whether they are up to date or not , whether they tell the whole story or not -- can always be found and brought to the public attention . the right to be forgotten ' is the idea that we have the right to wipe the slate clean , to remove outdated stories such as spent convictions from the record . there have been versions of this right in a number of european countries -- france , italy , spain and germany , for example -- for some time , but for the most part in pre-internet forms , designed to stop newspapers republishing out-dated stories . the internet has changed things so much that some suggest the law needs to catch up . for most people , google is the main way people find information -- so if you can prevent google from providing links to a story , to a great extent you prevent people from reading that story . many cases have been brought against google -- more than 200 in spain alone -- demanding that links to stories be removed . the particular one that is the subject of the court 's ruling concerned a real estate auction of property belonging to a man who at the time had social security debts . it was a story from 1998 , but still discoverable via google , and despite the fact proceedings relating to the debts had been resolved many years before . the man successfully sued both google spain and google inc. in the spanish courts but google appealed , and it is on that appeal that today 's ruling was made . the ruling covered three issues . firstly , it looked at territory issues , delving into issues such as the ability for google to be sued , as google inc , who operates the search engine and where the data is processed . secondly , it looked at whether google be treated as though it controls the data on pages reachable through its search engine -- or whether it is a kind of neutral intermediary . thirdly , it considered if current law provides for a right to be forgotten that is enforceable on search engines . on all three issues , the court effectively ruled against google . if a search engine 's business is established in a state , then regardless of where the data itself was actually processed , data protection law applies . in effect , if google looks to make money in spain , the search engine itself is subject to local data protection laws . on the data processing issue , the court ruled that google was responsible as controller and on the third issue , that this responsibility implied that google would have to remove links and results where appropriate . specifically , the court ruled that individuals'fundamental rights override , as a rule , not only the economic interest of the search engine but also the interest of the general public in finding that information upon a search relating to the data subject 's name . ' this , essentially , is a right to be forgotten . what happens next ? for google , this result creates a headache , and potentially huge costs . it could open the door to a floodgate of actions , each of which will need resolution . google will no longer be able to claim immunity . the ruling also needs to be seen in the context of the reform of the data protection regime in europe . the data protection directive dates back to 1995 , before google was even founded -- and a new data protection regulation has been going through the tortuous processes through which eu law is formed for the last few years . it appears close to completion -- it passed through the european parliament in march this year -- and includes a formalization of a right to be forgotten . the story is not over , however , and it is not clear how this ruling will feed into the last stages of the debate . that a form of right to be forgotten is deemed to already exist in the current law could bolster the campaign of those who wish for a full right to be forgotten ' in the new regime . the potential chilling effect of the ruling could make those who oppose the right redouble their already considerable lobbying efforts to have the right removed from the new regulation , thus rendering this ruling irrelevant . as it is , however , the court has made a ruling that could have a huge impact on how search engines operate , and how we all use the internet . read more : europe 's top court supports'right to be forgotten'read more : google glass users fight privacy fearsopinion : google , let users opt in on privacy setting | europe 's top court said google is responsible for data it links to |
google <tsp> in a decision that goes strongly against google , europe 's highest court has ruled search engine operators are responsible for the processing they carry out of personal data which appear on web pages published by third parties -- and that a form of the contentious right to be forgotten ' already exists . the european court of justice 's ruling looks like a strong decision in favor of privacy and individual rights , and against the business models of search engines and certain aspects of freedom of speech . it means , for example , that if a web page can be found by searching for a person 's name the search engine is responsible for the contents of that page . in certain circumstances , the search engine operator will be required to remove the search results and links to that page . google can be expected to be very unhappy about this ruling indeed , particularly given that last year 's advocate-general 's opinion suggested the reverse , and the court generally follows such guidance . what is the right to be forgotten ? one of the perennial problems on the internet is the idea that whatever appears is there forever . stories that appear discreditable -- whether they are true or not , whether they are up to date or not , whether they tell the whole story or not -- can always be found and brought to the public attention . the right to be forgotten ' is the idea that we have the right to wipe the slate clean , to remove outdated stories such as spent convictions from the record . there have been versions of this right in a number of european countries -- france , italy , spain and germany , for example -- for some time , but for the most part in pre-internet forms , designed to stop newspapers republishing out-dated stories . the internet has changed things so much that some suggest the law needs to catch up . for most people , google is the main way people find information -- so if you can prevent google from providing links to a story , to a great extent you prevent people from reading that story . many cases have been brought against google -- more than 200 in spain alone -- demanding that links to stories be removed . the particular one that is the subject of the court 's ruling concerned a real estate auction of property belonging to a man who at the time had social security debts . it was a story from 1998 , but still discoverable via google , and despite the fact proceedings relating to the debts had been resolved many years before . the man successfully sued both google spain and google inc. in the spanish courts but google appealed , and it is on that appeal that today 's ruling was made . the ruling covered three issues . firstly , it looked at territory issues , delving into issues such as the ability for google to be sued , as google inc , who operates the search engine and where the data is processed . secondly , it looked at whether google be treated as though it controls the data on pages reachable through its search engine -- or whether it is a kind of neutral intermediary . thirdly , it considered if current law provides for a right to be forgotten that is enforceable on search engines . on all three issues , the court effectively ruled against google . if a search engine 's business is established in a state , then regardless of where the data itself was actually processed , data protection law applies . in effect , if google looks to make money in spain , the search engine itself is subject to local data protection laws . on the data processing issue , the court ruled that google was responsible as controller and on the third issue , that this responsibility implied that google would have to remove links and results where appropriate . specifically , the court ruled that individuals'fundamental rights override , as a rule , not only the economic interest of the search engine but also the interest of the general public in finding that information upon a search relating to the data subject 's name . ' this , essentially , is a right to be forgotten . what happens next ? for google , this result creates a headache , and potentially huge costs . it could open the door to a floodgate of actions , each of which will need resolution . google will no longer be able to claim immunity . the ruling also needs to be seen in the context of the reform of the data protection regime in europe . the data protection directive dates back to 1995 , before google was even founded -- and a new data protection regulation has been going through the tortuous processes through which eu law is formed for the last few years . it appears close to completion -- it passed through the european parliament in march this year -- and includes a formalization of a right to be forgotten . the story is not over , however , and it is not clear how this ruling will feed into the last stages of the debate . that a form of right to be forgotten is deemed to already exist in the current law could bolster the campaign of those who wish for a full right to be forgotten ' in the new regime . the potential chilling effect of the ruling could make those who oppose the right redouble their already considerable lobbying efforts to have the right removed from the new regulation , thus rendering this ruling irrelevant . as it is , however , the court has made a ruling that could have a huge impact on how search engines operate , and how we all use the internet . read more : europe 's top court supports'right to be forgotten'read more : google glass users fight privacy fearsopinion : google , let users opt in on privacy setting | for google , this result creates a headache , and potentially huge costs , paul bernal writes |
oscars <tsp> in terms of online entertainment , the world cup seemed to have it all . there was a cannibalistic luis suarez . tim howard saving ... well ... everything . sad brazilians . and cristiano ronaldo 's hair . oh , yeah ... and the actual matches , which saw the u.s. team make an inspiring run , the powerhouse brazilians unravel in shocking fashion and the germans ultimately capture first prize on sunday . the month-long spectacle also captured another prize : it 's now the biggest social event in web history . on facebook , sunday 's final between germany and argentina alone spurred 280 million interactions by 88 million people , according to the company . that easily surpassed the former champ , last year 's super bowl , with its 245 million interactions . things were similarly fast and furious on twitter , where the match was inspiring more than 618,000 tweets per minute , a new record for the site . there were a total of 32.1 million tweets about the match . take those numbers and tack them onto the huge online engagement the tournament had already inspired and it 's a no-brainer that brazil 2014 enjoyed online fandom like no event before it . from june 12 to july 13 , 350 million people generated a massive 3 billion world cup posts , comments and likes , according to facebok . in just its first week , from june 12-18 , the tournament inspired 459 million facebook interactions -- more than this year 's super bowl , the academy awards in march and the sochi winter olympics combined . fifa , international soccer 's ruling body , says that more than 1 billion people engaged with world cup content through its website , social media accounts and mobile app . the official fifa app became the biggest sports-event app ever , with 28 million downloads , 451 million facebook users were reached by fifa 's page and its instagram account rocketed from 42,000 followers to nearly 1 million in 31 days . this has been the first truly mobile and social world cup , ' fifa president sepp blatter said . the 1 billion attendance in the global stadium created the sense of togetherness the world cup brings and the shared excitement that digital platforms offer . ' certainly , the global appeal of the world cup played a huge part in the tournament 's popularity . but the big numbers were clearly being bolstered by growing interest in the united states , one of the few nations where soccer is n't , hands-down , the most popular sport . during sunday 's final , 10.5 million of the people engaged on facebook were from the united states . compare that to the 7 million people in argentina and 5 million in germany , the match 's actual participants , and you can see that u.s. interest in the tourney did n't disappear when the american side bowed out . in the 28 days before the u.s. team lost to belgium in the knockout round , 36.7 million u.s. fans engaged with the world cup 's online properties , a spokesman for the organization said . that 's 11.2 % of the country 's population and accounted for 23 % of the total activity during that time . in all , 42 million u.s. fans visited fifa web and mobile tools during the entire tournament . as the u.s. men 's team played its way out of a tough opening-round group that included germany , portugal and ghana , u.s . web users spent a total of 847 years and 143 days engaged with fifa content . that 's more than soccer-crazy rivals brazil , germany , england and france combined . the popularity of the world cup in the usa shows what a nation of sports lovers and enthusiasts they are , ' blatter said . the carnival atmosphere experienced at the world cup viewing parties , where fans filled whole city blocks across the u.s. , shows the passion that jürgen klinsmann 's side has instilled in u.s. sports fans . ' | tourney 's first week outpaced super bowl , oscars and olympics |
mark gilliam <tsp> ( cnn ) -- authorities have made a second arrest related to a series of arsons in the coatesville , pennsylvania , area , the chester county arson task force said late thursday . roger leon barlow is one of two people arrested in suspected arsons around coatesville , pennsylvania . mark gilliam , 20 , of west chester , pennsylvania , was arrested thursday on a federal charge of attempted arson in the town of thorndale on january 25 , authorities said . gilliam was arrested at his residence without incident , according to the task force . gilliam is expected to have his initial appearance on friday in u.s. district court in philadelphia , pennsylvania . roger leon barlow , 19 , of downingtown , pennsylvania , was arraigned thursday afternoon on charges that he is responsible for several of the 23 suspected arsons in and around coatesville since january 1 , said chester county district attorney joseph carroll . watch authorities announce his arrest » he is charged with arson and related offenses ' in connection with at least nine of the fires . among them was a spree that destroyed 15 homes in late january , his bail was set at $ 9 million . special agent mark porter of the multi-agency task force that has been investigating the fires said the group is still investigating the other blazes and will continue our efforts until everyone is brought to justice ... and we can bring some sense of peace to the city . ' the task force would not comment on a possible motive , but carroll said he does not suspect barlow of a hate crime , classified as targeting an individual group or gang-related activity . cnn 's deb feyerick and kristen hamill contributed to this report . | new : mark gilliam , 20 , arrested thursday on a federal charge |
india <tsp> ( cnn ) -- computers , cell phones and aeron chairs will only get you so far in life . great outdoors satisfaction still reigns supreme , especially at this collection of wild spaces . 1 . tarkine rainforest , tasmania a rarely visited , ancient and pristine forest wilderness , the tarkine calls to mind myth and legend . it 's in the northwest corner of tasmania and is often referred to as the forgotten wilderness . ' it 's not entirely that . it 's a wonderland of wild rivers , secret waterfalls , giant tree ferns , rare birds and the near-extinct tasmanian devil ( the world 's largest carnivorous marsupial ) . hikers who make it here leave enchanted . how to do it : tasmanian expeditions offers a five-night walk on the tarkine rainforest track , the only multiday rainforest trek of its kind . you 'll be led by professional guides and spend nights camping in haunting and beautiful surroundings . u.s. $ 1,916 per person , excluding flights ; +61 ( 0 ) 3 6331 9000 ; www.tasmanianexpeditions.com.au 2 . knoydart peninsula , scotland rugged , isolated and beautiful knoydart peninsula is often described as scotland 's last wilderness . tucked in the highlands , it 's accessible only by boat or on foot . the journey is worth the effort : there are exhilarating mountain passes to cross and sandy inlets to explore . whether they have soaked in epic sunsets or caught glimpses of the whales , dolphins and porpoises that live in its waters , visitors usually leave feeling spiritually restored . how to do it : wilderness scotland offers extended guided trips . u.s. $ 1,712 per person , including seven nights full board in a wilderness lodge , guided daily walks , boat trips to access remote walks and transfers ; +44 ( 0 ) 1479 420 020 ; www.wildernessscotland.com 3 . salar de uyuni , bolivia the stunning , lunar-like salt flats in the southwest of bolivia are the largest in the world , covering 3,860 square miles . june and july are arguably the best months , when the whole area appears blindingly white . after the rains , the salt desert ' resembles a giant mirror . it is beautifully barren and straight out of sci-fi central casting . you would be hard-pressed to find a more meditative escape . at more than 11,400 feet above sea level , you 'll need to be able to handle high altitudes . how to do it : a 10-night bolivia itinerary taking in the salar de uyuni operated by uk-based sunvil . u.s. $ 2,985 per person , including all transport and transfers , mixed-board accommodation in comfortable hotels and all excursions and permits . ; +44 ( 0 ) 20 8758 4774 ; www.sunvil.co.uk 4 . sossusvlei , namibia few sights are as nourishing as the apricot-colored dunes at sossusvlei , in the southern part of the namib desert . so much of namibia is a natural paradise seemingly drawn by eco-genies . highlights include the white salt pans of etosha national park , the stark beaches of skeleton coast , the remote , little-visited wilderness of kaokoland in the northwest and the lush kunene river . how to do it : wilderness safaris'great namibian journey is an 11-night adventure that captures the best of this astonishing land . from u.s. $ 6,629 per person , including accommodation , all meals , activities and park fees ; +27 11 807 1800 ; www.wilderness-safaris.com 5 . great bear rainforest , british columbia , canada never heard of it ? all the more reason to visit . the great bear might fly under the radar , but this is one of the largest remaining tracks of temperate rainforest left in the world . stretching along british columbia 's island-dotted coastline , its marvels include ancient red cedar cathedrals ( some of the trees are more than a thousand years old ) and other towering trees , glacier-fed fjords and wooded islands . estuaries and rocky beaches are guarded ' by brown and black bears , gray wolves and cougars . eagles soar overhead and humpback whales put in an appearance in summer , joining orcas , dolphins and seabirds . how to do it : great bear is remote , so the best way to access it is from the water . nature trek offers a seven-night , full-board cruising the great bear rainforest ' trip , which includes daily shore excursions to explore the forests , estuaries and coastlines on foot . u.s. $ 5,752 includes one-night b & b stay in vancouver and all guiding , excursions and permits , but excludes international flights ; +44 ( 0 ) 1962 733051 ; www.naturetrek.co.uk 6 . kakadu national park , northern territories , australia the untamed outback , wild and beautiful , is arguably nowhere more picturesque than in kakadu , the largest national park in australia . the park 's aboriginal owners have spent centuries amid its rock art , wetlands , gorges and stunning escarpment scenery . how to do it : audley travel offers a seven-night top end explorer ' package from u.s. $ 2,990 per person , excluding flights . the trip starts in the northern territories'capital of darwin , where guests are picked up in a hired car and taken to the outback . small group walks and boat trips are among the highlights at various stopping points ; +44 ( 0 ) 1993 838 800 ; www.audleytravel.com 7 . the bohuslã¤n coast , west sweden if you 've ever fantasized about gliding silently through the water on a kayak , camping on deserted beaches , enjoying the midnight sun , spotting seals and soaking up the spirit of the sea , you 'll find no shortage of experiences here . this sublime stretch of coastline extends to the border with norway and is dotted with an archipelago of some 8,000 islands and islets . how to do it : nature travels offers self-guided kayaking adventures around the scenic islands of orust and tjorn , a sheltered area on the rocky coast . maps , drop-offs and pick-ups and induction lesson included . from u.s. $ 427 per person for a three-day trip , exclusive of flights ; +44 01929 503 080 ; www.naturetravels.co.uk 8 . dana biosphere reserve , jordan the largest nature reserve in jordan is a protected region about 120 miles to the south of amman . it 's an aladdin 's trove of hills , canyons , gorges and deserts , wildlife ( including the rarely spotted nubian ibex ) and plant species . it 's perfect for hikers , nature lovers and those seeking a slice of serenity . how to do it : base yourself at the award-winning feynan ecolodge on the western border of the dana biosphere reserve . this is no ordinary guest house : set up by jordan 's royal society for the conservation of nature , it 's entirely solar powered and has won awards for its ethical practices . you can hike , ride mountain bikes , stargaze , visit bedouin homes , sip mint tea or unwind in serene courtyards . travel the unknown offers week-long tours , including a four-night stay at the lodge , hikes and bikes . from u.s. $ 1,347 per person ; +1 347 329 5524 ; www.traveltheunknown.com 9 . the isles of scilly , united kingdom for wannabe castaways , little compares with what 's probably the most beautiful spot in the uk , a tranquil sun and windswept archipelago 28 miles off the cornish coast . bryher island , with a population of around 80 ( all trusting locals who leave their doors unlocked ) offers coastal walks , sandy coves , wildflower-strewn bays and rocky outcrops for a wind lashing by atlantic breakers . further away from it all still is the uninhabited samson island , an easy boat ride away . how to do it : isles of scilly holidays offers a package that includes half-board at the magical hell bay hotel and accommodation on neighboring island tresco , as well as helicopter flights from penzance to tresco and boat transfers . u.s. $ 1,838 per person , based on double occupancy ; +44 ( 0 ) 1720 423 239 ; www.islesofscillyholidays.co.uk 10 . uttarakhand , himalayas , india uttarakhand state forms a part of the himalayas , but one that 's often overlooked by tourists . yet two of india 's greatest rivers , the ganges and the yamuna originate in the glaciers here . glittering peaks and vivid landscapes create an environment that can calm the most unsettled of hearts . the region is home to some of the holiest of hindu shrines , rare species of plants and animals and the quixotically named valley of flowers national park . how to do it : full local immersion is available at the gentle dunagiri retreat , an accommodation constructed by villagers with entirely local materials . from here you can embark on wilderness hikes and treks , village walks , practice yoga , learn to paint a mural with a local artist , take a cookery lesson , meditate , deepen your spiritual practice ( or acquire one ) and learn about local medicinal herbs . from u.s. $ 117 per night based on double occupancy and full-board , including transfers and tours ; +44 1924 280808 ; www.hotelsunder100.co.uk | uttarakhand , himalayas , india is home to hindu shrines , rare species of plants and animals |
new girl <tsp> ( ew.com ) -- mindy kaling vs. ellen barkin ! zooey deschanel vs. matthew perry ! tuesday night unleashed a trio of new shows into competitive time slots : fox 's ben & kate , ' cbs' vegas ' and — probably the most buzzed-about of the bunch — fox 's the mindy project . ' here 's how they stacked up . first , kaling 's debut disappointed a bit . the mindy project ' ( 4.7 million viewers , 2.4 ) was down 23 percent from last year 's raising hope ' premiere in this slot and dropped from its lead in . still , mindy project ' fended off its 9:30 p.m. comedy rival , nbc 's the new normal ' ( 5.2 million , 2.0 ) . mindy ' also performed better than fox 's other new sitcom . at 8:30 p.m. , ben & kate ' ( 4.2 million , 2.0 ) opened weak . both mindy project ' and ben & kate ' had the benefit of the same lead-in ( weirdly ) . fox aired a special new girl ' ( 5.3 million , 2.7 ) at 8 p.m. , then aired new girl 's ' official regular time-period debut at 9 p.m. ( 5.2 million , 2.7 ) . both episodes delivered the same demo number , down a steep 44 percent from last fall 's series premiere . the 9 p.m. new girl ' tied nbc 's go on ' ( 7.3 million , 2.7 ) . the matthew perry comedy was down a bit this week , but nbc will gladly accept this outcome against the return of a tough rival . oh , why ca n't all these sitcoms just be friends ? ( friends ? ) .'himym': hints about the'finish line' at 10 p.m. , cbs rolled out vegas . ' i got ta confess : thought i did n't publicly bet on vegas , ' i was starting to think this show could be a ratings surprise . so i was expecting a bigger number here . vegas ( 14.7 million , 2.5 ) delivered a rather huge total audience for this slot , yet a weak adult demo rating ( translation : a lot of older folks watched ) . shows like ncis , ' which we 'll get to in a minute , manage to have the best of both worlds — delivering a ton of older viewers , but also a big enough younger viewers to still kick butt where it counts ( from an advertising perspective , at least ) . the premiere of vegas ' is ... fascinatingly schizophrenic . based on total viewers , vegas ' drew the biggest cbs fall drama premiere audience this time period since judging amy ' in 2002 . vegas is also , based on the 18-49 demo , the lowest-rated cbs tuesday drama premiere since something called century city ' back in 2004 ... i 'm not even convinced that 's a real show . so vegas ' breaks records in two different directions . expect to see a lot of conflicting headlines around the web about this one .'new girl': wild schmidt pics ! so let 's take a step back now : cbs won the night ; abc came in fourth . the return of ncis ' ( 20.2 million viewers , 4.1 ) was the night 's top-rated show and only down a smidgeon from last year , followed by a similar story for ncis : la ( 16.7 million , 3.4 ) . in addition to its comedies , nbc had the voice ' ( 11.3 million , 4.0 ) , down 15 percent , and parenthood ( 4.8 million , 1.8 ) , steady . abc had dancing with the stars ' ( 11.6 million , 2.0 ) , which continued the all-star edition 's bummer ratings story this fall , down 31 percent . the return of private practice ' ( 6.6 million , 1.9 ) was down 32 percent from last fall 's thursday premiere and down somewhat from body of proof in this slot last year — taking private practice ' off its grey 's anatomy ' life support on thursdays firmly hurt it . now let 's taken an even bigger step back : all three of the newbies — mindy , ' vegas ' and even ben & kate ' — launched to a workable number ... ben & kate ' just barely so . comedies sometimes grow from their premieres , while cbs'drama audience is like giant migrating herd that gradually shifts around the schedule as the viewers develop new habits . let 's see what next week holds ... see the original article at ew.com . click here to try 2 risk free issues of entertainment weekly © 2011 entertainment weekly and time inc. all rights reserved . | fox aired one episode of new girl ' at 8 p.m. , and another episode at 9 p.m . |
fox <tsp> ( ew.com ) -- mindy kaling vs. ellen barkin ! zooey deschanel vs. matthew perry ! tuesday night unleashed a trio of new shows into competitive time slots : fox 's ben & kate , ' cbs' vegas ' and — probably the most buzzed-about of the bunch — fox 's the mindy project . ' here 's how they stacked up . first , kaling 's debut disappointed a bit . the mindy project ' ( 4.7 million viewers , 2.4 ) was down 23 percent from last year 's raising hope ' premiere in this slot and dropped from its lead in . still , mindy project ' fended off its 9:30 p.m. comedy rival , nbc 's the new normal ' ( 5.2 million , 2.0 ) . mindy ' also performed better than fox 's other new sitcom . at 8:30 p.m. , ben & kate ' ( 4.2 million , 2.0 ) opened weak . both mindy project ' and ben & kate ' had the benefit of the same lead-in ( weirdly ) . fox aired a special new girl ' ( 5.3 million , 2.7 ) at 8 p.m. , then aired new girl 's ' official regular time-period debut at 9 p.m. ( 5.2 million , 2.7 ) . both episodes delivered the same demo number , down a steep 44 percent from last fall 's series premiere . the 9 p.m. new girl ' tied nbc 's go on ' ( 7.3 million , 2.7 ) . the matthew perry comedy was down a bit this week , but nbc will gladly accept this outcome against the return of a tough rival . oh , why ca n't all these sitcoms just be friends ? ( friends ? ) .'himym': hints about the'finish line' at 10 p.m. , cbs rolled out vegas . ' i got ta confess : thought i did n't publicly bet on vegas , ' i was starting to think this show could be a ratings surprise . so i was expecting a bigger number here . vegas ( 14.7 million , 2.5 ) delivered a rather huge total audience for this slot , yet a weak adult demo rating ( translation : a lot of older folks watched ) . shows like ncis , ' which we 'll get to in a minute , manage to have the best of both worlds — delivering a ton of older viewers , but also a big enough younger viewers to still kick butt where it counts ( from an advertising perspective , at least ) . the premiere of vegas ' is ... fascinatingly schizophrenic . based on total viewers , vegas ' drew the biggest cbs fall drama premiere audience this time period since judging amy ' in 2002 . vegas is also , based on the 18-49 demo , the lowest-rated cbs tuesday drama premiere since something called century city ' back in 2004 ... i 'm not even convinced that 's a real show . so vegas ' breaks records in two different directions . expect to see a lot of conflicting headlines around the web about this one .'new girl': wild schmidt pics ! so let 's take a step back now : cbs won the night ; abc came in fourth . the return of ncis ' ( 20.2 million viewers , 4.1 ) was the night 's top-rated show and only down a smidgeon from last year , followed by a similar story for ncis : la ( 16.7 million , 3.4 ) . in addition to its comedies , nbc had the voice ' ( 11.3 million , 4.0 ) , down 15 percent , and parenthood ( 4.8 million , 1.8 ) , steady . abc had dancing with the stars ' ( 11.6 million , 2.0 ) , which continued the all-star edition 's bummer ratings story this fall , down 31 percent . the return of private practice ' ( 6.6 million , 1.9 ) was down 32 percent from last fall 's thursday premiere and down somewhat from body of proof in this slot last year — taking private practice ' off its grey 's anatomy ' life support on thursdays firmly hurt it . now let 's taken an even bigger step back : all three of the newbies — mindy , ' vegas ' and even ben & kate ' — launched to a workable number ... ben & kate ' just barely so . comedies sometimes grow from their premieres , while cbs'drama audience is like giant migrating herd that gradually shifts around the schedule as the viewers develop new habits . let 's see what next week holds ... see the original article at ew.com . click here to try 2 risk free issues of entertainment weekly © 2011 entertainment weekly and time inc. all rights reserved . | fox aired one episode of new girl ' at 8 p.m. , and another episode at 9 p.m . |
tucson <tsp> ( cnn ) -- arizona schools superintendent john huppenthal has told the tucson district to stop teaching its controversial mexican-american studies program or face losing $ 15 million in annual state aid under a new law , he said tuesday . huppenthal told cnn he was backing this week 's decision by exiting state superintendent tom horne giving the state 's second largest district 60 days to comply with a new 2011 law banning certain ethnic studies programs in public schools . horne is now arizona 's new attorney general , and huppenthal was sworn in monday as the newly elected arizona schools superintendent . both men are republicans . the new schools law is the latest controversy in a state already roiled by an immigration crackdown law , known as sb 1070 , that is being challenged on constitutional grounds in federal court . the arizona-mexico border is considered the nation 's busiest for illegal immigration . tucson school board member adelita grijalva charged that the new law provided no due process and was unconstitutional . she said the new law was part of an anti-immigrant political climate in the arizona statehouse . she and huppenthal said they expected this new law to also end up in court . people of color in the state of arizona are under attack , ' grijalva told cnn . we 're basically going from one battle to the next . ' the law authorizes the state superintendent to stop any ethnic studies classes that promote the overthrow of the u.s. government , promote resentment toward a race or class of people , are designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group or advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals . in written findings monday , horne said the tucson program violated all four criteria . huppenthal said the tucson program is in clear violation ' of the new law because they 're designed for pupils of a particular ethnic group . tucson educators who have challenged the constitutionality of the new law in court have defended the mexican-american studies program as no different than african-american or native american studies classes . added grijalva : what we 're doing is teaching a course that is a history course with a mexican-american perspective . i do n't understand what is so scary about that concept . ' huppenthal , who was a state legislator for 18 years and was the chairman of the arizona senate education committee , said he was serious about enforcing a $ 15 million-a-year penalty that both sides agree would devastate tucson schools , if the district does n't end the ethnic studies program . that penalty is 10 percent of the state 's aid to the tucson system , whose total operating budget is $ 450 million a year , officials said . make no doubt about it . they should n't be under any illusion on this thing , ' huppenthal told cnn . we 're going to proceed forward . these are serious issues . ' the tucson unified school district 's governing board has told the state in a letter that it supports ' the classes , which it says complies with the new law . tusd administration supports its ethnic studies programs , and we are encouraged by the real and lasting impact that these programs provide to all tusd students , ' the letter stated , according to the board 's website . also monday , tucson superintendent john pedicone told administrators and employees that he would n't tolerate any student walkouts protesting the state superintendent 's actions . pedicone also encouraged principals to arrange a time in the school gym for students to express their view and discuss the pros and cons of the new law in a constructive manner , ' he said in a letter that was posted on the system 's website . if a student leaves campus to participate in a protest or walkout , there will be consequences in accordance with school procedure and governing board policy , ' pedicone said . huppenthal said he observed one of tucson 's ethnic studies classes last year . when i came into a classroom , they were portraying ben franklin as a racist , ' huppenthal said . ben franklin was the president of the abolitionist society in pennsylvania . ... so they are vilifying ben franklin in this classroom , and up on the wall , they got a poster of che guevara , and the historical record is that he helped direct the communist death camps in cuba by killing many dissidents . we just have a lot of concerns about the classes , ' huppenthal said . huppenthal said he was going to broaden his public discussion about the tucson district to include how some tucson public schools , particularly those serving low-income minority students , are among the worst in the country . he said he was planning a new accountability system measuring the performance of each school district . when we do our rankings and compare the data , a number of the schools in the tucson unified school district are among the bottom three in the nation , ' huppenthal said . in their failure to serve these kids academically , we see the same failure in their response to the community concerns about these ( ethnic studies ) classes , ' huppenthal added . i 'm a fan of ronald reagan and he primarily relied on persuasion . i want to use the energy associated with this one issue to get the tucson unified school district to examine itself . ' tucson 's ethnic studies program , created in 1998 and initially called mexican american/raza studies , ' has been effective in reducing dropout rates among latino students , as well as discipline problems , poor attendance and failure rates , teachers said . in october , 11 tucson teachers sued the state board of education and superintendent over the new law , calling it an anti-hispanic ' ban on mexican-american studies . | arizona 's new superintendent threatens to withhold $ 15m a year from tucson schools |
tucson <tsp> ( cnn ) -- arizona schools superintendent john huppenthal has told the tucson district to stop teaching its controversial mexican-american studies program or face losing $ 15 million in annual state aid under a new law , he said tuesday . huppenthal told cnn he was backing this week 's decision by exiting state superintendent tom horne giving the state 's second largest district 60 days to comply with a new 2011 law banning certain ethnic studies programs in public schools . horne is now arizona 's new attorney general , and huppenthal was sworn in monday as the newly elected arizona schools superintendent . both men are republicans . the new schools law is the latest controversy in a state already roiled by an immigration crackdown law , known as sb 1070 , that is being challenged on constitutional grounds in federal court . the arizona-mexico border is considered the nation 's busiest for illegal immigration . tucson school board member adelita grijalva charged that the new law provided no due process and was unconstitutional . she said the new law was part of an anti-immigrant political climate in the arizona statehouse . she and huppenthal said they expected this new law to also end up in court . people of color in the state of arizona are under attack , ' grijalva told cnn . we 're basically going from one battle to the next . ' the law authorizes the state superintendent to stop any ethnic studies classes that promote the overthrow of the u.s. government , promote resentment toward a race or class of people , are designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group or advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals . in written findings monday , horne said the tucson program violated all four criteria . huppenthal said the tucson program is in clear violation ' of the new law because they 're designed for pupils of a particular ethnic group . tucson educators who have challenged the constitutionality of the new law in court have defended the mexican-american studies program as no different than african-american or native american studies classes . added grijalva : what we 're doing is teaching a course that is a history course with a mexican-american perspective . i do n't understand what is so scary about that concept . ' huppenthal , who was a state legislator for 18 years and was the chairman of the arizona senate education committee , said he was serious about enforcing a $ 15 million-a-year penalty that both sides agree would devastate tucson schools , if the district does n't end the ethnic studies program . that penalty is 10 percent of the state 's aid to the tucson system , whose total operating budget is $ 450 million a year , officials said . make no doubt about it . they should n't be under any illusion on this thing , ' huppenthal told cnn . we 're going to proceed forward . these are serious issues . ' the tucson unified school district 's governing board has told the state in a letter that it supports ' the classes , which it says complies with the new law . tusd administration supports its ethnic studies programs , and we are encouraged by the real and lasting impact that these programs provide to all tusd students , ' the letter stated , according to the board 's website . also monday , tucson superintendent john pedicone told administrators and employees that he would n't tolerate any student walkouts protesting the state superintendent 's actions . pedicone also encouraged principals to arrange a time in the school gym for students to express their view and discuss the pros and cons of the new law in a constructive manner , ' he said in a letter that was posted on the system 's website . if a student leaves campus to participate in a protest or walkout , there will be consequences in accordance with school procedure and governing board policy , ' pedicone said . huppenthal said he observed one of tucson 's ethnic studies classes last year . when i came into a classroom , they were portraying ben franklin as a racist , ' huppenthal said . ben franklin was the president of the abolitionist society in pennsylvania . ... so they are vilifying ben franklin in this classroom , and up on the wall , they got a poster of che guevara , and the historical record is that he helped direct the communist death camps in cuba by killing many dissidents . we just have a lot of concerns about the classes , ' huppenthal said . huppenthal said he was going to broaden his public discussion about the tucson district to include how some tucson public schools , particularly those serving low-income minority students , are among the worst in the country . he said he was planning a new accountability system measuring the performance of each school district . when we do our rankings and compare the data , a number of the schools in the tucson unified school district are among the bottom three in the nation , ' huppenthal said . in their failure to serve these kids academically , we see the same failure in their response to the community concerns about these ( ethnic studies ) classes , ' huppenthal added . i 'm a fan of ronald reagan and he primarily relied on persuasion . i want to use the energy associated with this one issue to get the tucson unified school district to examine itself . ' tucson 's ethnic studies program , created in 1998 and initially called mexican american/raza studies , ' has been effective in reducing dropout rates among latino students , as well as discipline problems , poor attendance and failure rates , teachers said . in october , 11 tucson teachers sued the state board of education and superintendent over the new law , calling it an anti-hispanic ' ban on mexican-american studies . | the tucson school system has been teaching mexican-american studies since 1998 |
li <tsp> ( cnn ) -- china 's li na recovered from 5-0 down in the opening set to defeat third seed kim clijsters 7-6 6-3 in the final of the sydney international tournament on friday . world number three clijsters looked destined to power through the first set , after taking just 19 minutes to open up her advantage , only for eighth seed li to fight back to eventually win it 7-3 in the tie-break . clijsters , 27 , had won four of her previous five meetings with li , but the world number 11 secured the second set to win her first wta tour title since june 2010 . she 's definitely a player who has every quality to win a grand slam , ' clijsters said of her opponent , a semifinalist at last year 's australian open , on the wta 's website . she 's a contender who probably is n't being focused on enough . mentally she maybe gets a little bit nervous in big matches , but she can beat any top player out there when she 's playing her best . ' u.s. open champion clijsters would have moved up to second in the world rankings with a win , and the belgian admitted she was not on top form at sydney olympic park . i was n't serving great ... gradually you just try to fight , but then it becomes frustrating when you know you 're not playing your best . ' in the men 's draw , serbia 's viktor troicki is set to meet gilles simon of france in saturday 's final after a 6-4 7-6 ( 7-4 ) triumph over florian mayer . despite his win , fourth seed troicki explained how he had struggled with the weather conditions . the australian open should be in february ! i would say the match was pretty bad , ' the world number 30 told the tournament 's website . it was quite windy . we were both struggling with our games . i was n't so happy with my performance , but still i 'm happy that i won . there was a lot mistakes from both sides . ' simon progressed at the expense of latvian third seed ernests gulbis with a 7-6 ( 7-1 ) 6-0 win in 73 minutes . elsewhere , australia 's jarmila groth beat her doubles partner , czech fifth seed klara zakopalova , 6-3 6-2 to progress into the final of the hobart international tournament . it will be sixth seed groth 's first title match on home soil and she will face america 's bethanie mattek-sands , who disposed of china 's peng shuai 4-6 6-1 6-1 to reach her first wta tour final . | li na beats world no . 3 kim clijsters 7-6 6-3 in the final of the sydney international |
li <tsp> ( cnn ) -- china 's li na recovered from 5-0 down in the opening set to defeat third seed kim clijsters 7-6 6-3 in the final of the sydney international tournament on friday . world number three clijsters looked destined to power through the first set , after taking just 19 minutes to open up her advantage , only for eighth seed li to fight back to eventually win it 7-3 in the tie-break . clijsters , 27 , had won four of her previous five meetings with li , but the world number 11 secured the second set to win her first wta tour title since june 2010 . she 's definitely a player who has every quality to win a grand slam , ' clijsters said of her opponent , a semifinalist at last year 's australian open , on the wta 's website . she 's a contender who probably is n't being focused on enough . mentally she maybe gets a little bit nervous in big matches , but she can beat any top player out there when she 's playing her best . ' u.s. open champion clijsters would have moved up to second in the world rankings with a win , and the belgian admitted she was not on top form at sydney olympic park . i was n't serving great ... gradually you just try to fight , but then it becomes frustrating when you know you 're not playing your best . ' in the men 's draw , serbia 's viktor troicki is set to meet gilles simon of france in saturday 's final after a 6-4 7-6 ( 7-4 ) triumph over florian mayer . despite his win , fourth seed troicki explained how he had struggled with the weather conditions . the australian open should be in february ! i would say the match was pretty bad , ' the world number 30 told the tournament 's website . it was quite windy . we were both struggling with our games . i was n't so happy with my performance , but still i 'm happy that i won . there was a lot mistakes from both sides . ' simon progressed at the expense of latvian third seed ernests gulbis with a 7-6 ( 7-1 ) 6-0 win in 73 minutes . elsewhere , australia 's jarmila groth beat her doubles partner , czech fifth seed klara zakopalova , 6-3 6-2 to progress into the final of the hobart international tournament . it will be sixth seed groth 's first title match on home soil and she will face america 's bethanie mattek-sands , who disposed of china 's peng shuai 4-6 6-1 6-1 to reach her first wta tour final . | li recovers from going 5-0 down in 19 minutes to win the first set on a tie-break |
red cross society of china <tsp> ( cnn ) -- rescue teams are scrambling to reach the site of monday morning 's strong and shallow earthquake in northwestern china that has killed at least 89 people , according to state media . another 593 people were injured and five were believed missing after the quake tore through gansu province , china daily reported . the quake hit along the border of two counties -- min and zhang -- at around 7:45 a.m. local time , according to state news agency xinhua . emergency services are converging on the area , including the red cross society of china , which is sending 200 tents and other supplies to shelter and sustain those left without homes . according to state broadcaster cctv , chinese president xi jinping has urged crews to prioritize the rescue of survivors and minimize casualties . the original quake and powerful aftershocks caused roofs to collapse , cut telecommunications lines and damaged a major highway linking the provincial capital of lanzhou to the south , according to the china daily newspaper . more than 300 armed police troops and 64 heavy machines have been dispatched to repair national highway no . 212 , the paper reported . train services in the area have also been suspended . rescue efforts are expected to be hampered by heavy rain that 's soaked the region in recent weeks . more rain is forecast and experts have warned about potential landslides . according to the gansu provincial seismological bureau , the quake registered a magnitude of 6.6 , however the u.s. geological survey said it was a 5.9-magnitude tremor , which struck at the relatively shallow depth of about half a mile ( 1 kilometer ) . the epicenter was eight miles ( 13 kilometers ) east of chabu and 110 miles ( 177 kilometers ) south-southeast of lanzhou , the usgs said . tremors were still being felt from the quake , xinhua said , quoting sources within the min county government . locals said buildings and trees shook for about a minute . residents within the earthquake zone took to weibo -- china 's version of twitter -- soon after to describe how the earth shook . this morning at 7:40 i was brushing my teeth , all of a sudden everything shook for a few moments , i thought i did n't get enough sleep last night and was feeling dizzy , ' @ wyyy wrote . turns out it was an earthquake , sigh , seems that with the huge rain downpour outside , we really do n't know how much longer this planet is going to let us live here . ' another , @ dengdjianjyany , said : gansu earthquake . so many natural disasters in so short a time , another flood , another landslide , another earthquake , another something . and it 's not finished , my god ~ is there any safe place left ? wish everybody a life of peace ' @ heidiping : another earthquake , life really is fragile , survivors , be at peace ! ' earthquake strikes new zealand measuring the magnitude of earthquakes cnn 's elizabeth joseph contributed to this report . | the red cross society of china is sending tents and supplies |
state department <tsp> baghdad ( cnn ) -- a camp housing iranian dissidents in iraq was attacked saturday morning , leaving at least five dead and 40 wounded , iraqi police said . the rocket and mortar attack occurred at camp hurriya , a onetime u.s. base formerly known as camp liberty , which is now the home of the iranian exile group mujahedin-e-khalq . accounts of the number of people killed and wounded in the attack vary . shahriar kia , an mek spokesman , said the incident left six dead and more than 100 injured , some of them critically . he blamed one of the deaths on delays in getting the injured to the hospital . the u.s. state department also listed six fatalities . it urged the iraqi government to investigate the attack promptly and take all appropriate measures to enhance camp security . the terrorists responsible for this attack must be brought to justice , ' said department spokeswoman victoria nuland . residents at the camp were vulnerable both because the attack happened when most were asleep and because many lack adequate shelter , said kia . the residents are squeezed into a small area , without shelter , ' said kia . protective concrete walls have also been removed from the site , he said . it 's not yet known who is responsible for the attack . mek last year moved from camp ashraf in diyala province to camp hurriya in baghdad . leaders of the dissident group had been reluctant to move to the new camp because of the conditions there , calling it more of a prison than a home when they first arrived . the group 's move to the base is intended as a temporary measure before members are resettled in third countries . residents and their representatives and lawyers have appealed to the u.n. secretary-general and u.s. officials to let them return to ashraf , which they say has concrete buildings and shelters that offer more protection . the united states has been working with the u.n. high commissioner of refugees on the resettlement project . martin kobler , special representative for iraq of the u.n. secretary-general , strongly condemned the attack on the camp , which led to the killing and injury of several residents . ' several iraqi police officers were also wounded , he said in a statement . kobler urged the iraqi authorities to ensure that those who were injured get the medical care they need . he also called for the government to ensure the safety and security of the camp residents , as stipulated by the 2011 resettlement agreement , and promptly to investigate the attack and bring those behind it to justice . mek was removed from a u.s. state department terror list in september , following a decision by then-secretary of state hillary clinton . the group was put on the list of foreign terrorist organizations , which includes more than 50 groups like al qaeda and hezbollah , in 1997 because of the killing of six americans in iran in the 1970s and an attempted attack against the iranian mission to the united nations in 1992 . however , since 2004 the united states has considered the group , which spent more than 25 years at the ashraf camp , noncombatants ' and protected persons ' under the geneva conventions . iran still considers the group to be a terrorist organization . cnn 's arwa damon , jen deaton and mohammed tawfeeq contributed to this report . | mujahedin-e-khalq was removed from a state department terror list last year |
melbourne <tsp> ( cnn ) -- talk about going from ecstasy to agony . welsh golfer stuart manley thought he won a new mercedes when he struck a hole in one at the world cup of golf in melbourne . the world no . 346 celebrated wildly and even patted the car -- which was on display . but then manley was told the car only went to those who hit a hole in one in the fourth and final round and he slumped to an 11 on his ensuing hole , the fourth . it 's the highest high and then the lowest low i 've ever experienced on a golf course , ' manley told the tournament website . i thought the car was mine , and with the crowd , all the hype , i was just buzzing . the adrenaline was pumping so much . then i found out about the car and go and have an 11 . i kept asking my caddie ,'how many shots is that now ?'i actually thought it was a 10 but i was not going to argue , because my head was pretty fried at that point . ' despite the disastrous fourth , manley managed to finish the round at one-over 72 and stands at two under , total , entering play sunday . if somebody had told me i would 've finished on two under at the end of the day after taking an 11 , i would have taken it , ' he said . i did n't know whether to laugh or cry at that point , but you 've just got to pick yourself up and get on with it . i wo n't forget this day for a while . ' jason day -- who lost eight of his relatives in the deadly typhoon in the philippines this month -- led on home soil , one shot better than denmark 's thomas bjorn . manley was tied for eighth , seven shots adrift . australia also leads the team standings , with the u.s. one shot behind . | welsh golfer stuart manley hits a hole in one at the world cup of golf in melbourne |
uae <tsp> ( cnn ) -- chalk another record to the united arab emirates'collection . the capital gate building in the desert kingdom 's capital , abu dhabi , has been certified by guinness world records as the world 's furthest leaning man-made tower . ' how far does it lean ? nearly five times farther than the leaning tower of pisa in italy . the 35-story abu dhabi building has an 18-degree slope , compared with four degrees for the freestanding bell tower . but unlike the tower in pisa , the capital gate building has been deliberately engineered to slant . the floor plates are stacked vertically up to the 12th floor , after which they are staggered over each other by between 300 mm to 1,400 mm -- giving the tower its lean , the owners said . it is a signature building which speaks to the foresight of the emirate , ' said sheikh sultan bin tahnoon al nahyan , the chairman of the building 's owner , abu dhabi national exhibitions company . the mixed-use building will be ready for occupancy at the end of the year . it is featured in a new national geographic documentary , called megastructures . ' in january , dubai -- one of seven emirates that make up the uae -- unveiled the world 's tallest skyscraper : the $ 1.5 billion , 160-story burj khalifa , which has a height of more than 800 meters ( 2,625 ft ) . | uae also home to world 's tallest skyscraper |
travis county <tsp> ( cnn ) sarah goodfriend and suzanne bryant , together for more than 30 years , made history thursday by participating in texas'first same-sex marriage , despite a statewide ban . hours later , however , the texas supreme court blocked other gay couples from obtaining marriage licenses after a legal challenge by texas attorney general ken paxton . the state high court did not explicitly say it invalidated the marriage of the two women in austin , but paxton said in a statement that the court voided the marriage license . the same-sex marriage license ... is void , just as any license issued in violation of state law would be , ' the attorney general said . carl tobias , a professor at the university of richmond law school in virginia , said via email that the supreme court stay did not mention the marriage license . he is asserting something that the order does not say on its face , ' tobias said of paxton . he may be correct , but you sure can not tell what he says from the order 's wording . ' a county clerk in austin issued the state 's first marriage license to the same-sex couple , acting on the order of a travis county judge who said health issues prevented the couple from waiting for further court decisions . travis county clerk dana debeauvoir 's office said she issued goodfriend and bryant a marriage license at the order of district judge david wahlberg . goodfriend said she had emergency surgery after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in may . paxton responded by asking the texas supreme court to block any rulings that seek to undermine the constitutionality of texas'marriage law . ' the texas constitution clearly defines marriage as between one man and one woman , as texas voters approved by an overwhelming majority , ' he said in a statement on wednesday . the law of texas has not changed , and will not change due to the whims of any individual judge or county clerk operating on their own capacity anywhere in texas . activist judges do n't change texas law , and we will continue to aggressively defend the laws of our state and will ensure that any licenses issued contrary to law are invalid . ' in a statement , gov . greg abbott said the texas constitution defines marriage as consisting'only of the union of one man and one woman'and was approved by more than three-quarters of texas voters . i am committed to ensuring that the texas constitution is upheld and that the rule of law is maintained in the state of texas . ' thursday 's order applied only to that one couple , and any additional licenses issued to same-sex couples also must be court ordered , ' debeauvoir 's office said in a statement . we 're here today -- two moms , two daughters -- but we 're not different than the thousands and thousands of same sex couples who were recognized in the last census , ' bryant said . there are thousands of gay texans . everybody knows one or two or three . even if you do n't know , you do know them . they may not feel safe to be out but you know them . ' at a news conference , goodfriend and bryant held hands with their daughters , dawn and ting . is this really happening ? ' bryant asked a couple of times . it 's a very important day for our family , ' she told reporters . it 's a very important day for everyone who believes in justice and equality . ' this really is very very meaningful to our family to have the kind of ability to make personal decisions , health decisions and financial decisions as a family , ' goodfriend said of the historic moment . but goodfriend said the moment was bittersweet . there are many other texans , thousands of texans who would like to be able to have their loving committed relationship recognized , ' she said . tobias said the supreme court stay essentially means the issuance of other marriage licenses to gay couples is unlikely . and the county court judge 's ruling does not portend the end of the texas ban . i think that the state court judge seems to be treating this case as a special one ( because ) of the health issues involved , so this appears to be a special exception , ' he said . but ( it 's ) unclear why the ( attorney general ) is so vigorously contesting what seems to be a narrow ruling , which may only apply to the couple before the court . ' texas'ban on same-sex marriage was struck down by a federal judge in january 2014 , though that judge allowed it to remain in effect pending appeals . we did n't want to wait for the supreme court to make a decision -- which in june they probably will allow texans to marry , ' bryant said . we have reasons to need to move a little bit faster . it seems that the judge understood that . ' bryant , an attorney , said she was n't too concerned about the state attorney general 's efforts . if they want to come in and try to undo this they will , ' she told reporters . we have a valid marriage license and i do n't think they can . ' debeauvoir 's statement said her office was ordered to immediately cease and desist relying on the unconstitutional texas prohibitions against same-sex marriage as a basis for not issuing a marriage license . ' in the case of goodfriend and bryant , the statement cited severe and immediate health concerns . ' we are all waiting for a final decision on marriage equality , ' debeauvoir said in the statement . however , this couple may not get the chance to hear the outcome of this issue because ( of ) one person 's health . ... it is important to note that this order applies only to the medically fragile couple who brought the court action . any additional licenses issued to same-sex couples also must be court ordered . ' paxton said his office filed a lawsuit seeking to enjoin the travis county clerk from issuing any other same-sex marriage licenses . bryant told reporters , we 're just very grateful that we 've had this opportunity to crack the door open in texas . we hope it will swing wide for everyone very soon . ' cnn 's jason hanna contributed to this report . | travis county judge said couple could n't wait for court decisions for health reasons |
facebook <tsp> ( cnn ) -- an interpol investigation into social networking groups exchanging child abuse material has targeted 55 key suspects in 20 countries , including the united states , and 12 children have been identified and removed from harm , the agency said tuesday . an unspecified number of the suspects have been arrested , said interpol , the world 's largest international police organization . the international operation , which targeted child sexual abusers trading online images , identified suspects in 19 other countries : australia , bosnia , brazil , chile , costa rica , england , finland , france , germany , indonesia , italy , mexico , norway , saudi arabia , south africa , the netherlands , tunisia , turkey , and venezuela , interpol said . the covert online investigation began in october 2010 in new zealand , where authorities alerted interpol 's crimes against children team after discovering facebook , socialgo and grou.ps were being used to exchange significant amounts of abusive and exploitative pictures , ' interpol said in a statement . working with u.s. authorities , the interpol inquiry found about 80 groups engaged in the display or distribution of previously seen and unseen child sexual abuse images , ' interpol said . facebook officials assisted the investigation after authorities identified key targets and their associated groups , interpol said . maarten quivooy , general manager of new zealand 's regulatory compliance operations , said the internet destroys jurisdictional boundaries and that protecting children is now a global responsibility . trading in or viewing these images is ... offending because it involves real children often being abused both in real time and over time , and when these images of children being sexually abused are released onto the internet , they live on forever , ' quivooy said in a statement . terms such as kiddiporn and child pornography make the physical sexual abuse of a child appear consenting . no child is capable of consenting to sexual activity †” therefore all sexual depiction of children is abuse , ' he said . mick moran , the head of interpol 's crimes against children unit , said the operation highlighted international cooperation . while disrupting these networks is a significant part of the investigation , what is more important is that innocent children and in some cases babies have been rescued from physical abuse , ' moran said in a statement . u.s. immigration and customs enforcement director john morton said his agency will work tirelessly with our international law enforcement partners to protect children wherever they live and to bring justice to criminals wherever they operate . ' the 55 suspects allegedly created groups that posted images of children under age 13 being abused , interpol said . cnn 's michael martinez contributed to this report . | suspects in 20 countries , including u.s. , use facebook and other social network sites |
facebook <tsp> ( cnn ) -- an interpol investigation into social networking groups exchanging child abuse material has targeted 55 key suspects in 20 countries , including the united states , and 12 children have been identified and removed from harm , the agency said tuesday . an unspecified number of the suspects have been arrested , said interpol , the world 's largest international police organization . the international operation , which targeted child sexual abusers trading online images , identified suspects in 19 other countries : australia , bosnia , brazil , chile , costa rica , england , finland , france , germany , indonesia , italy , mexico , norway , saudi arabia , south africa , the netherlands , tunisia , turkey , and venezuela , interpol said . the covert online investigation began in october 2010 in new zealand , where authorities alerted interpol 's crimes against children team after discovering facebook , socialgo and grou.ps were being used to exchange significant amounts of abusive and exploitative pictures , ' interpol said in a statement . working with u.s. authorities , the interpol inquiry found about 80 groups engaged in the display or distribution of previously seen and unseen child sexual abuse images , ' interpol said . facebook officials assisted the investigation after authorities identified key targets and their associated groups , interpol said . maarten quivooy , general manager of new zealand 's regulatory compliance operations , said the internet destroys jurisdictional boundaries and that protecting children is now a global responsibility . trading in or viewing these images is ... offending because it involves real children often being abused both in real time and over time , and when these images of children being sexually abused are released onto the internet , they live on forever , ' quivooy said in a statement . terms such as kiddiporn and child pornography make the physical sexual abuse of a child appear consenting . no child is capable of consenting to sexual activity †” therefore all sexual depiction of children is abuse , ' he said . mick moran , the head of interpol 's crimes against children unit , said the operation highlighted international cooperation . while disrupting these networks is a significant part of the investigation , what is more important is that innocent children and in some cases babies have been rescued from physical abuse , ' moran said in a statement . u.s. immigration and customs enforcement director john morton said his agency will work tirelessly with our international law enforcement partners to protect children wherever they live and to bring justice to criminals wherever they operate . ' the 55 suspects allegedly created groups that posted images of children under age 13 being abused , interpol said . cnn 's michael martinez contributed to this report . | facebook assists in the interpol investigation |
americans <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the obama administration is preparing to announce new rules allowing some travel to cuba , along with an expanded ability for americans to send economic assistance , a senior u.s. official and congressional sources said wednesday . according to two congressional aides briefed informally on the plans , the administration is expected to announce soon ' that it will essentially reinstate measures that were in place under the clinton administration . both aides stressed that the administration is still working through the details and legal language . it 's a return to clinton , plus some , ' one aide said , noting that president george w. bush tightened restrictions on travel and cultural exchanges . the central component of the policy involves people to people ' exchanges that would allow academics , corporations , humanitarian groups and athletic teams to travel to cuba . the administration is not lifting tourist travel limits or the strict trade restrictions currently in place but would promote cultural exchanges and programs with universities or allow u.s. farms to send assistance to cuban farmers as part of the new rules . one of the aides who supports the changes stressed that the goal is to allow travel for people to help cubans build their own economy and culture . the policy is to go down there , give a message of hope , to help the cuban people forge their own future as they want , not necessarily as the way another government wants . ' in addition , the administration is planning to expand the policy it announced last year that allowed cuban-americans to send remittances ' or economic support to family members in cuba . the new regulations would allow any u.s. citizen , as well as universities , churches and businesses , to send money or sponsor a partner in cuba . there would be a cap on the amount of money that could be sent . the new policy would make it easier for universities , sports teams and businesses to set up exchanges . the state department would shift its current policy , which now denies visas for cubans to travel to the u.s. , to one that gives a presumption of approval ' unless a review discovers a problem with the request . although the administration can not change current travel restrictions without congressional approval , it does have the authority to loosen visa rules the congressional aides expected the administration to unveil the changes through a statement by the president or the secretary of state , along with text of the new regulations . state department spokesman mark toner said tuesday that although he had nothing to announce , our overarching goal here is to encourage a more open environment in cuba and increased respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms . and , consistent with that objective , we 've promoted measures to encourage the free flow of information and humanitarian items to the cuban people . ' likewise , white house deputy press secretary bill burton gave no details in response to reporters'questions tuesday but added , the president is going to continue to do things that are in the best interest of the united states and that help to create a more democratic environment and expand freedoms for the cuban people . ' cnn senior state department producer elise labott contributed to this report . | the changes will affect some travel and americans'ability to send economic assistance |
hudson <tsp> chicago ( cnn ) -- more than two dozen people filled a chicago courtroom tuesday , listening to testimony in the case of the murdered relatives of grammy-winning singer jennifer hudson . hudson was seated beside her fiance as witnesses recalled the harrowing events of a rainy day in october 2008 , when the singer 's mother , darnell donerson , 57 , and her brother jason hudson , 29 , were shot dead . the body of hudson 's 7-year-old nephew , julian king , was found three days later in an abandoned vehicle . her former brother-in-law , william balfour , is charged with their murders . he has pleaded not guilty to the charges . sgt . richard dowling , the first police officer to arrive at the murder scene , said he found hudson 's mother lying face down with a gunshot wound to her back . dowling next found her brother on a bed , he testified , though he recalled that he had difficulty identifying the man because he had been wrapped in blankets . police searched the home for julian , issuing an amber alert when their initial sweep failed . police officer jennifer bryk testified that she was next to hudson 's sister , julia , who at the time was separated from balfour , when he called her after the attack . full transcript of tuesday 's morning testimony | afternoon testmony bryk instructed the woman to act normal ' in her conversation to help authorities locate balfour . later tuesday , an acquaintance of balfour 's , abdullah smith , 37 , testified that the defendant had confided in him , telling him that he was having marital problems . balfour showed him a text message from julia hudson , he said , that told him she did n't love him anymore . smith also recalled how balfour once told him that he wished he could beat up jason hudson but never heard of him threatening his wife , donerson or julian . several gruesome crime scene photos were entered into evidence on tuesday , the second day of testimony . they showed the bodies of hudson 's mother and brother . court is expected to resume at 10:30 a.m. ( 11:30 a.m . et ) on wednesday . on monday , hudson -- the prosecution 's first witness -- broke down in tears several times on the stand as she recalled her relatives'murders . none of us wanted her to marry him , ' she said of her sister 's decision to marry balfour . we did not like how he treated her . ' read a full pdf transcript of jennifer hudson 's testimony through tears , she talked about the last time she saw her family together and the day she found out about the deaths . i did everything in my power to get home , ' hudson said . she testified that she identified her relatives'bodies for authorities . during cross-examination , the singer-actress , who was dressed in black , returned to the subject of balfour . where he was , i tried not to be , ' hudson said . in the afternoon , her sister , julia hudson , took the stand . she said balfour threatened to kill her family after she told him she did n't want to be with him . 'if you leave me , you 'll be the last to die . i 'll kill your family first ,' she quoted him as saying . she also said balfour was jealous of her son . julia hudson recounted arriving home the day of the killings , finding a bullet hole in the door and running inside . i 'm saying ,'mama , mama , mama ,'' she said . she did n't answer . ' she testified that she ran screaming from the home after finding her mother lying in blood on the floor . when police asked her who could have done it , julia hudson said , she told them william . ' eighteen people have been selected to serve on the jury : 10 women and eight men . the group includes six alternates . the judge has said he expects the trial to last three to four weeks . balfour was detained for questioning the day after the victims were found at the chicago home . the authorities said at the time that they were holding balfour for an unspecified parole violation , but he was indicted for murder two months later . balfour has also been charged with one count of home invasion . his lawyer has said in court that there is no forensic evidence linking him to the killings . the deaths took place a year after hudson , who rose to fame as a contestant on american idol , ' won an oscar for her role in the movie dreamgirls . ' in a recent interview with cnn 's piers morgan , hudson reflected on the life of her mother . my mother was a very wise and strong person . i feel like she raised us well , and she prepared me well , and so that 's what i live by , ' she said . her career has continued to blossom and remain varied since her relatives'deaths . her recent milestones include penning a memoir detailing her struggles with her weight ; being cast to play nelson mandela 's ex-wife , winnie , in an upcoming movie ; releasing a new album ; and singing a well-received tribute to whitney houston at the most recent grammy awards show in february . | william balfour is accused of fatally shooting hudson 's mother , brother and nephew |
hudson <tsp> chicago ( cnn ) -- more than two dozen people filled a chicago courtroom tuesday , listening to testimony in the case of the murdered relatives of grammy-winning singer jennifer hudson . hudson was seated beside her fiance as witnesses recalled the harrowing events of a rainy day in october 2008 , when the singer 's mother , darnell donerson , 57 , and her brother jason hudson , 29 , were shot dead . the body of hudson 's 7-year-old nephew , julian king , was found three days later in an abandoned vehicle . her former brother-in-law , william balfour , is charged with their murders . he has pleaded not guilty to the charges . sgt . richard dowling , the first police officer to arrive at the murder scene , said he found hudson 's mother lying face down with a gunshot wound to her back . dowling next found her brother on a bed , he testified , though he recalled that he had difficulty identifying the man because he had been wrapped in blankets . police searched the home for julian , issuing an amber alert when their initial sweep failed . police officer jennifer bryk testified that she was next to hudson 's sister , julia , who at the time was separated from balfour , when he called her after the attack . full transcript of tuesday 's morning testimony | afternoon testmony bryk instructed the woman to act normal ' in her conversation to help authorities locate balfour . later tuesday , an acquaintance of balfour 's , abdullah smith , 37 , testified that the defendant had confided in him , telling him that he was having marital problems . balfour showed him a text message from julia hudson , he said , that told him she did n't love him anymore . smith also recalled how balfour once told him that he wished he could beat up jason hudson but never heard of him threatening his wife , donerson or julian . several gruesome crime scene photos were entered into evidence on tuesday , the second day of testimony . they showed the bodies of hudson 's mother and brother . court is expected to resume at 10:30 a.m. ( 11:30 a.m . et ) on wednesday . on monday , hudson -- the prosecution 's first witness -- broke down in tears several times on the stand as she recalled her relatives'murders . none of us wanted her to marry him , ' she said of her sister 's decision to marry balfour . we did not like how he treated her . ' read a full pdf transcript of jennifer hudson 's testimony through tears , she talked about the last time she saw her family together and the day she found out about the deaths . i did everything in my power to get home , ' hudson said . she testified that she identified her relatives'bodies for authorities . during cross-examination , the singer-actress , who was dressed in black , returned to the subject of balfour . where he was , i tried not to be , ' hudson said . in the afternoon , her sister , julia hudson , took the stand . she said balfour threatened to kill her family after she told him she did n't want to be with him . 'if you leave me , you 'll be the last to die . i 'll kill your family first ,' she quoted him as saying . she also said balfour was jealous of her son . julia hudson recounted arriving home the day of the killings , finding a bullet hole in the door and running inside . i 'm saying ,'mama , mama , mama ,'' she said . she did n't answer . ' she testified that she ran screaming from the home after finding her mother lying in blood on the floor . when police asked her who could have done it , julia hudson said , she told them william . ' eighteen people have been selected to serve on the jury : 10 women and eight men . the group includes six alternates . the judge has said he expects the trial to last three to four weeks . balfour was detained for questioning the day after the victims were found at the chicago home . the authorities said at the time that they were holding balfour for an unspecified parole violation , but he was indicted for murder two months later . balfour has also been charged with one count of home invasion . his lawyer has said in court that there is no forensic evidence linking him to the killings . the deaths took place a year after hudson , who rose to fame as a contestant on american idol , ' won an oscar for her role in the movie dreamgirls . ' in a recent interview with cnn 's piers morgan , hudson reflected on the life of her mother . my mother was a very wise and strong person . i feel like she raised us well , and she prepared me well , and so that 's what i live by , ' she said . her career has continued to blossom and remain varied since her relatives'deaths . her recent milestones include penning a memoir detailing her struggles with her weight ; being cast to play nelson mandela 's ex-wife , winnie , in an upcoming movie ; releasing a new album ; and singing a well-received tribute to whitney houston at the most recent grammy awards show in february . | balfour , the estranged husband of hudson 's sister , has denied the charges |
mexico <tsp> ( cnn ) -- gunmen attacked a nightclub in northern mexico on monday night , killing at least nine people , a police spokesman said . the unidentified gunmen entered a nightclub in the city of monterrey late monday , opening fire on the staff and clients of the men 's club matehuala , said jorge domene , a nuevo leon state security spokesman . among the dead was a man who tried to escape through the roof of the bar and fell to his death into a neighboring establishment , domene said . northern mexico is among the areas most affected by drug cartel violence as police crack down and rival gangs attack one another for control of lucrative smuggling routes . | gunmen attacked a nightclub in monterrey , mexico , on monday night |
twitter <tsp> los angeles , california ( cnn ) -- some lucky michael jackson fans got the e-mails they were hoping for sunday , saying they 've won two free tickets to tuesday 's memorial service . some memorial tickets went out to friends and family ' on sunday . omg omg omg omg i got tickets to the michael jackson memorial service ! ! ! ' deka motanya wrote sunday afternoon in a twitter message . the 8,750 fans chosen were summoned to dodger stadium monday to pick up their tickets and have a wristband placed on their arms to prevent them from reselling them . the michael jackson memorial , set for 10 a.m. ( 1 p.m . et ) tuesday in the staples center arena , is expected to be a star-studded and emotional tribute to the entertainer , who died june 25 . twitter.com served as a seismograph sunday as fans anxiously watched their inboxes for an e-mail from aeg live , the memorial organizer and staples center owner . more than five hours after the notifications were to be sent , none had been received . come on and let me know , staples ... did i win tickets to michael jackson 's memorial ? ' read one tweet posted at 3 p.m. , four hours after the e-mails were supposed to start flowing . one woman wrote she is checking her e-mail anxiously to see if she got tickets to the michael jackson memorial at the staples center . ' just before 5 p.m. ( 8 p.m . et ) , twitter erupted with messages of excitement : ' i won the michael jackson tickets for tuesday ! ! ! ! heading to la tmrw ! ! ! ! ' read one tweet that linked to a photo of an iphone screen with the e-mail . watch reporters prepare for tuesday 's service » ' apparently my dad 's friend who hates michael jackson , may have won tickets tu the memorial service ... step-mom 's freaking out .. ! ' other messages came from disappointed fans who did not get the e-mails : ' i guess i didnt make the drawing to win tickets to michael jackson memorial ! ! ! go figure , i 'm sadden and hurt : - ( the odds of winning the tickets were long -- just one of every 182 were chosen . organizers used a computer to choose 8,750 names from 1.6 million who registered online since friday . motanya , 27 , works in a doctor 's office in san francisco , california . she scrambled sunday night to line up plane tickets so she and her boyfriend could fly to los angeles monday to claim her tickets . oh yeah , i 'm going , ' she told cnn . i 'm e-mailing my boss saying i 've got to leave early because i 'm going to l.a. ' each winner gets two tickets , bringing the number awarded in the lottery to 17,500 . just 11,000 of those are for seats inside the staples center , while the other 6,500 are for viewing the memorial telecast across the street at the nokia theater . ireport.com : surreal journey ' to get tickets winner must meet other requirements in order to avoid the reselling of tickets , ' according to a news release from the jackson family . the notification gives them a secret code and instructions to appear at dodger stadium in los angeles between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. monday to claim their tickets . along with their tickets , they will get the wristbands one of which will be placed on their wrist at that time , ' the family statement said . fans attending the memorial service must have both a valid ticket and a wristband , ' the jackson family statement said . wristbands that have been ripped , taped or otherwise mutilated will be void . ' the jackson family set aside 9,000 staples center seats to give out to people they choose , according to organizers . some people were seen picking up those friends and family ' tickets at dodger stadium on sunday afternoon . two wristbands , one blue and one gold , were given out with each ticket . ticketholders were instructed that they must wear the wristbands to validate their tickets . police have said no one will be allowed near the staples center in downtown los angeles without tickets or media credentials . | just before 5 p.m. ( 8 p.m . et ) , twitter erupted with messages of excitement |
amnesty international <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the higher security council , in charge of organizing and securing tripoli , ' announced thursday that courts in the city will start operating next week . people must realize that the country 's system has been destroyed and is being rebuilt now , ' said lt . colonel mustapha nooh , head of the council . he said detained prisoners will be directed toward the general prosecutor for clearer ' due process . the change was announced the same day a report from amnesty international detailed claims of abuse against prisoners by anti-gadhafi forces . for example , last august , fighters in a house in abu salim tied the hands of two brothers from the southern city of sabha and beat them while taking them into custody , according to the report . they beat us several times using their rifles , ' the elder brother told the human rights group . they also whipped us . when they transferred us to mitiga ( the airport detention facility ) , they forced us to walk on our knees to the vehicles while they insulted and beat us . they accused us of being mercenaries . ' the report says that militia members detained as many as 2,500 suspected gadhafi loyalists in the tripoli area and that , in nearly every case , people were arrested without warrants and far from the oversight of the ministry of justice . diana eltahawy , amnesty 's north africa researcher , told cnn on thursday that the arrests were more like abductions -- people taken from their homes by unidentified captors carrying out raids on suspected gadhafi loyalists . we spoke to several guards , ' said eltahawy , who added she heard screams from detainees being whipped as she waited in one of the facilities . they did n't see a problem to beat detainees to extract information . to them it was normal . ' it was the way things had been done for the four decades of gadhafi 's iron-fisted rule . after visiting 11 facilities and interviewing 300 detainees , some of them women and children , the amnesty team found that culture very much in place as tripoli was falling . a 17-year-old boy from chad , accused of rape and of being a mercenary , told amnesty that he was taken from his home in august by armed men who held him in a school where they punched him and beat him with sticks , belts , rifles and rubber cables . the beatings were so severe that i ended up telling them what they wanted to hear , ' he said . i told them i raped women and killed libyans . ' in issuing the report , amnesty international called on libya 's national transitional council to put end such human rights violations . many of the militias are working outside the law , eltahawy said . what the national council needs to do from the very beginning is to send a strong signal that this behavior will not be tolerated , ' she said . nooh acknowledged incidents of abuse but said they were isolated . he said members of his security staff were present during the amnesty international interviews and that they have nothing to hide . he denied the scope and gravity of the abuses depicted in the amnesty international report . yes , there have been infringements related to beating detainees under arrest , but i would not call it torture , ' nooh said . these are isolated incidents caused by rebels who were emotional due to the fighting and losing friends or relatives in the war , but it 's no organized beatings or designed to extract confessions . ' human rights watch has also documented accounts of detainee abuse that amounts to torture . the global monitor issued a report earlier this month that urged libya to ensure that the rule of law prevails as it forges ahead in building a new nation . those interviewed told human rights watch that they were beaten and given electric shocks . some showed their scars as proof of their claims . one man wept openly in telling his story of abuse . a detainee identified as ahmed said this : ' they took an electric cable and started hitting me with it . they did n't use electricity , but they said that if i did n't talk , they would . ... they hit me with a butt of the kalashnikov . they kicked me in the face and in the chest . one scratched me with the knife ( bayonet ) of the kalashnikov . ' human rights watch said none of the detainees has ever faced a judge . after all that libyans suffered in moammar gadhafi 's jails , it 's disheartening that some of the new authorities are subjecting detainees to arbitrary arrest and beatings today , ' said joe stork , deputy middle east and north africa director at human rights watch . as a state party to the international covenant on civil and political rights and the u.n. convention against torture and other cruel , inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment , libya has an obligation to prevent torture and abuse , amnesty international said . libyan authorities , the group said , can not allow such abuses to go on simply because the nation is in a transitional phase . if they do , said the human rights activists , libya 's new leadership will be no better than the old . nooh also spoke thursday against foreign security companies coming into libya . noting that there is no clear visa system for entry and the borders are not fully organized , ' he said that nine foreign security companies , some of them american , have established bases in libya without permission . we have compiled data on them and informed the united nations , ' nooh said . the libyan people ( do ) not want foreign security companies . ' cnn 's mohamed fadel fahmy and moni basu contributed to this report . | new : the announcement comes the same day amnesty international issues damning report |
yemen <tsp> ( cnn ) yemeni officials said saudi airstrikes targeting a military base on tuesday hit a nearby school , injuring at least a half dozen students . the information came from two officials with the governor 's office in ibb province , where the school is located , as well as houthi sources from the rebel group that is fighting for control of the country . a third source , with the education ministry in ibb , said three students had been killed at the al bastain school in maitam , in southwestern yemen , as a result of an airstrike . the officials from ibb 's governor 's office said the al hamza military base was targeted because houthis have been sending reinforcements from ibb to nearby provinces . there were no casualties on the base , the officials said , but it was heavily damaged . the school , which is about 500 meters ( one-third of a mile ) from the base , was not the main target , the officials said . schoolchildren were heading to their lunch break when the attacks took place , the officials said . the incident was another example of what has become evident in recent days : the chaos in yemen , now the scene of some of the most chaotic fighting in the middle east , has left civilians -- noncombatants , both locals and foreigners -- caught in the crossfire . those trying to escape the violence , either by leaving their homes or by leaving the country altogether , have been flung into a vortex of fear , fatigue , flight and death . explosions shattered windows in sanaa , the country 's capital . the fighting has killed hundreds of people in less than two weeks . at least 74 children are known to have been killed and 44 children maimed since the fighting began on march 26 , unicef said monday in a statement . that did not include the children reportedly killed tuesday in maitam . separately , saudi airstrikes wiped out about a fifth of the armored vehicles recently captured by southern separatists opposing the houthis near aden , according to a senior official in the separatist movement . the official expressed frustration about the lack of coordination between the saudi military and friendly forces in the region , including the anti-houthi southern separatists . ( the houthis are also sometimes referred to as southern separatists ) . the saudis have no one on the ground in aden , ' he said , calling for the military to work out a means of coordination . there is very little coordination . ' the group had recently captured about 100 pieces of mixed armor . among the captured weaponry , the official said , were tanks , armored personnel carriers , and some large artillery . about 20 pieces were destroyed in the saudi attack that took place near an old oil refinery . over the weekend , a saudi-led coalition smashed parts of yemen 's defense ministry central command in the capital , senior yemeni officials said . despite the rain of bombs , the houthis still control sanaa . but the airstrikes have destroyed much of the city 's infrastructure . the electricity has gone out on 16 million yemenis living in houthi-held areas , the yemeni officials said . many fear they will lose access to clean water as well . yemenis and foreigners are scrambling to leave . passengers carrying duffel bags and plastic sacks stuffed with clothes were seen boarding an air india flight as they hastened to leave the capital . some of them sprinted to the plane . this was a flight that no one wanted to miss . many were not newcomers to yemen . damodar thakur , a professor at sanaa university , had lived in the capital for 34 years . i never felt like a foreigner , ' he said . he was exhausted by the shelling . at night , my goodness ! ' he said . gunshots being fired every minute . sometimes the sky full of sparkling lights . some women crying , children terrified . really bad . ' over the last few days , india has evacuated 2,500 people from yemen , said vijay kumar singh , the indian deputy foreign minister overseeing the evacuation . the flights are going to djibouti , a small african nation about 430 kilometers ( 265 miles ) away . some evacuees are fleeing on boats from port cities such as aden . more cars in the streets in # aden . scared families rushing away in cars with smashed windows & suitcases & mattresses on the roof , ' tweeted robert mardini , head of operations for the middle east for the international committee of the red cross . why is saudi arabia bombing yemen ? houthi rebels control sanaa , including the airport . but because of the airstrike campaign , the saudis to some extent control air access , so getting people out requires coordination . the saudi air force gave air india a four-hour window to go to and from sanaa and a specific travel route for a safe landing . as the air india plane approached the city , the crew could see the scars of the fighting . there were no cars on the roads . dozens of buildings were destroyed . at the airport , the landing strips and airport terminal were untouched by saudi bombs , but buildings on the outskirts of the airport and planes along the airstrip had been blown to bits . loading of the passengers was swift . they approached the planes carrying boarding passes -- a touch of normalcy in an otherwise abnormal event . they did n't pay for the flight , but they had to purchase exit visas from the houthis . children sat on their parents'laps to maximize the number of people on the plane . some passengers fell asleep as soon as they took their seats before takeoff . everyone seemed to carry the weight of war , especially nurses who had tended the wounded . from djibouti , the evacuees will most likely disperse to their home nations . now i can only pray for yemen and those we left behind , ' thakur said . who 's joining saudi arabia 's fight against the houthis ? yemen has descended into chaos in the weeks since houthi rebels , shiites who complain of being marginalized in the majority sunni country , forced president abdu rabu mansour hadi from power . the houthis put hadi under house arrest when they overran sanaa in january . but hadi escaped in february , fled to aden and declared himself still president . houthis and their allies , including those loyal to hadi 's predecessor , then fought hadi 's forces in the aden area . hadi fled aden in late march , ultimately for saudi arabia , when the rebels and their military allies advanced on the city . the conflict prompted saudi arabia , a predominantly sunni nation and yemen 's neighbor to the north , to intervene with force along with other arab nations . the houthis are allied with iran , saudi arabia 's bitter rival across the persian gulf , and the saudis do not want an iranian proxy in power on their border . at his daily briefing on tuesday , saudi brig . gen. ahmed asiri told reporters that the ties between the rebels and iran were clear . he accused iran of training yemeni youths to use military aircraft and weapons . after the houthis seized sanaa , he said , there were 14 flights a week coming from iran carrying weapons and ammunition for the houthi militia . ' the u.s. role in backing the saudis has grown since the bombing campaign began two weeks ago . we have expedited weapons deliveries , we have increased our intelligence sharing , and we have established a joint coordination planning cell in the saudi operation center , ' deputy secretary of state anthony blinken said . in addition , the united states has promised to resupply the saudi weapons stocks used in the last two weeks . u.s. defense secretary ash carter emphasized the importance of limiting civilian casualties when conducting airstrikes ' when he spoke with saudi defense minister prince mohammed bin salman on monday , the pentagon said . what about sharing intelligence when it comes to identifying targets ? that 's a sensitive issue , given the rebels'ties to iran and concerns about civilian casualties . guidance from u.s. central command stops short of allowing the united states to tell the saudis what targets to bomb , according to two u.s. defense officials who confirmed details of the guidance to cnn , but declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter . the guidance allows the united states to review targets the saudis have selected , the officials said , and advise them if there are civilian areas nearby or other no go ' spots such as mosques and hospitals . cnn 's samira said , joe sheffer and barbara starr contributed to this report . | noncombatants are caught up in yemen 's fighting |
iran <tsp> ( cnn ) yemeni officials said saudi airstrikes targeting a military base on tuesday hit a nearby school , injuring at least a half dozen students . the information came from two officials with the governor 's office in ibb province , where the school is located , as well as houthi sources from the rebel group that is fighting for control of the country . a third source , with the education ministry in ibb , said three students had been killed at the al bastain school in maitam , in southwestern yemen , as a result of an airstrike . the officials from ibb 's governor 's office said the al hamza military base was targeted because houthis have been sending reinforcements from ibb to nearby provinces . there were no casualties on the base , the officials said , but it was heavily damaged . the school , which is about 500 meters ( one-third of a mile ) from the base , was not the main target , the officials said . schoolchildren were heading to their lunch break when the attacks took place , the officials said . the incident was another example of what has become evident in recent days : the chaos in yemen , now the scene of some of the most chaotic fighting in the middle east , has left civilians -- noncombatants , both locals and foreigners -- caught in the crossfire . those trying to escape the violence , either by leaving their homes or by leaving the country altogether , have been flung into a vortex of fear , fatigue , flight and death . explosions shattered windows in sanaa , the country 's capital . the fighting has killed hundreds of people in less than two weeks . at least 74 children are known to have been killed and 44 children maimed since the fighting began on march 26 , unicef said monday in a statement . that did not include the children reportedly killed tuesday in maitam . separately , saudi airstrikes wiped out about a fifth of the armored vehicles recently captured by southern separatists opposing the houthis near aden , according to a senior official in the separatist movement . the official expressed frustration about the lack of coordination between the saudi military and friendly forces in the region , including the anti-houthi southern separatists . ( the houthis are also sometimes referred to as southern separatists ) . the saudis have no one on the ground in aden , ' he said , calling for the military to work out a means of coordination . there is very little coordination . ' the group had recently captured about 100 pieces of mixed armor . among the captured weaponry , the official said , were tanks , armored personnel carriers , and some large artillery . about 20 pieces were destroyed in the saudi attack that took place near an old oil refinery . over the weekend , a saudi-led coalition smashed parts of yemen 's defense ministry central command in the capital , senior yemeni officials said . despite the rain of bombs , the houthis still control sanaa . but the airstrikes have destroyed much of the city 's infrastructure . the electricity has gone out on 16 million yemenis living in houthi-held areas , the yemeni officials said . many fear they will lose access to clean water as well . yemenis and foreigners are scrambling to leave . passengers carrying duffel bags and plastic sacks stuffed with clothes were seen boarding an air india flight as they hastened to leave the capital . some of them sprinted to the plane . this was a flight that no one wanted to miss . many were not newcomers to yemen . damodar thakur , a professor at sanaa university , had lived in the capital for 34 years . i never felt like a foreigner , ' he said . he was exhausted by the shelling . at night , my goodness ! ' he said . gunshots being fired every minute . sometimes the sky full of sparkling lights . some women crying , children terrified . really bad . ' over the last few days , india has evacuated 2,500 people from yemen , said vijay kumar singh , the indian deputy foreign minister overseeing the evacuation . the flights are going to djibouti , a small african nation about 430 kilometers ( 265 miles ) away . some evacuees are fleeing on boats from port cities such as aden . more cars in the streets in # aden . scared families rushing away in cars with smashed windows & suitcases & mattresses on the roof , ' tweeted robert mardini , head of operations for the middle east for the international committee of the red cross . why is saudi arabia bombing yemen ? houthi rebels control sanaa , including the airport . but because of the airstrike campaign , the saudis to some extent control air access , so getting people out requires coordination . the saudi air force gave air india a four-hour window to go to and from sanaa and a specific travel route for a safe landing . as the air india plane approached the city , the crew could see the scars of the fighting . there were no cars on the roads . dozens of buildings were destroyed . at the airport , the landing strips and airport terminal were untouched by saudi bombs , but buildings on the outskirts of the airport and planes along the airstrip had been blown to bits . loading of the passengers was swift . they approached the planes carrying boarding passes -- a touch of normalcy in an otherwise abnormal event . they did n't pay for the flight , but they had to purchase exit visas from the houthis . children sat on their parents'laps to maximize the number of people on the plane . some passengers fell asleep as soon as they took their seats before takeoff . everyone seemed to carry the weight of war , especially nurses who had tended the wounded . from djibouti , the evacuees will most likely disperse to their home nations . now i can only pray for yemen and those we left behind , ' thakur said . who 's joining saudi arabia 's fight against the houthis ? yemen has descended into chaos in the weeks since houthi rebels , shiites who complain of being marginalized in the majority sunni country , forced president abdu rabu mansour hadi from power . the houthis put hadi under house arrest when they overran sanaa in january . but hadi escaped in february , fled to aden and declared himself still president . houthis and their allies , including those loyal to hadi 's predecessor , then fought hadi 's forces in the aden area . hadi fled aden in late march , ultimately for saudi arabia , when the rebels and their military allies advanced on the city . the conflict prompted saudi arabia , a predominantly sunni nation and yemen 's neighbor to the north , to intervene with force along with other arab nations . the houthis are allied with iran , saudi arabia 's bitter rival across the persian gulf , and the saudis do not want an iranian proxy in power on their border . at his daily briefing on tuesday , saudi brig . gen. ahmed asiri told reporters that the ties between the rebels and iran were clear . he accused iran of training yemeni youths to use military aircraft and weapons . after the houthis seized sanaa , he said , there were 14 flights a week coming from iran carrying weapons and ammunition for the houthi militia . ' the u.s. role in backing the saudis has grown since the bombing campaign began two weeks ago . we have expedited weapons deliveries , we have increased our intelligence sharing , and we have established a joint coordination planning cell in the saudi operation center , ' deputy secretary of state anthony blinken said . in addition , the united states has promised to resupply the saudi weapons stocks used in the last two weeks . u.s. defense secretary ash carter emphasized the importance of limiting civilian casualties when conducting airstrikes ' when he spoke with saudi defense minister prince mohammed bin salman on monday , the pentagon said . what about sharing intelligence when it comes to identifying targets ? that 's a sensitive issue , given the rebels'ties to iran and concerns about civilian casualties . guidance from u.s. central command stops short of allowing the united states to tell the saudis what targets to bomb , according to two u.s. defense officials who confirmed details of the guidance to cnn , but declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter . the guidance allows the united states to review targets the saudis have selected , the officials said , and advise them if there are civilian areas nearby or other no go ' spots such as mosques and hospitals . cnn 's samira said , joe sheffer and barbara starr contributed to this report . | saudi military official accuses iran of training and arming rebels |
saudi <tsp> ( cnn ) yemeni officials said saudi airstrikes targeting a military base on tuesday hit a nearby school , injuring at least a half dozen students . the information came from two officials with the governor 's office in ibb province , where the school is located , as well as houthi sources from the rebel group that is fighting for control of the country . a third source , with the education ministry in ibb , said three students had been killed at the al bastain school in maitam , in southwestern yemen , as a result of an airstrike . the officials from ibb 's governor 's office said the al hamza military base was targeted because houthis have been sending reinforcements from ibb to nearby provinces . there were no casualties on the base , the officials said , but it was heavily damaged . the school , which is about 500 meters ( one-third of a mile ) from the base , was not the main target , the officials said . schoolchildren were heading to their lunch break when the attacks took place , the officials said . the incident was another example of what has become evident in recent days : the chaos in yemen , now the scene of some of the most chaotic fighting in the middle east , has left civilians -- noncombatants , both locals and foreigners -- caught in the crossfire . those trying to escape the violence , either by leaving their homes or by leaving the country altogether , have been flung into a vortex of fear , fatigue , flight and death . explosions shattered windows in sanaa , the country 's capital . the fighting has killed hundreds of people in less than two weeks . at least 74 children are known to have been killed and 44 children maimed since the fighting began on march 26 , unicef said monday in a statement . that did not include the children reportedly killed tuesday in maitam . separately , saudi airstrikes wiped out about a fifth of the armored vehicles recently captured by southern separatists opposing the houthis near aden , according to a senior official in the separatist movement . the official expressed frustration about the lack of coordination between the saudi military and friendly forces in the region , including the anti-houthi southern separatists . ( the houthis are also sometimes referred to as southern separatists ) . the saudis have no one on the ground in aden , ' he said , calling for the military to work out a means of coordination . there is very little coordination . ' the group had recently captured about 100 pieces of mixed armor . among the captured weaponry , the official said , were tanks , armored personnel carriers , and some large artillery . about 20 pieces were destroyed in the saudi attack that took place near an old oil refinery . over the weekend , a saudi-led coalition smashed parts of yemen 's defense ministry central command in the capital , senior yemeni officials said . despite the rain of bombs , the houthis still control sanaa . but the airstrikes have destroyed much of the city 's infrastructure . the electricity has gone out on 16 million yemenis living in houthi-held areas , the yemeni officials said . many fear they will lose access to clean water as well . yemenis and foreigners are scrambling to leave . passengers carrying duffel bags and plastic sacks stuffed with clothes were seen boarding an air india flight as they hastened to leave the capital . some of them sprinted to the plane . this was a flight that no one wanted to miss . many were not newcomers to yemen . damodar thakur , a professor at sanaa university , had lived in the capital for 34 years . i never felt like a foreigner , ' he said . he was exhausted by the shelling . at night , my goodness ! ' he said . gunshots being fired every minute . sometimes the sky full of sparkling lights . some women crying , children terrified . really bad . ' over the last few days , india has evacuated 2,500 people from yemen , said vijay kumar singh , the indian deputy foreign minister overseeing the evacuation . the flights are going to djibouti , a small african nation about 430 kilometers ( 265 miles ) away . some evacuees are fleeing on boats from port cities such as aden . more cars in the streets in # aden . scared families rushing away in cars with smashed windows & suitcases & mattresses on the roof , ' tweeted robert mardini , head of operations for the middle east for the international committee of the red cross . why is saudi arabia bombing yemen ? houthi rebels control sanaa , including the airport . but because of the airstrike campaign , the saudis to some extent control air access , so getting people out requires coordination . the saudi air force gave air india a four-hour window to go to and from sanaa and a specific travel route for a safe landing . as the air india plane approached the city , the crew could see the scars of the fighting . there were no cars on the roads . dozens of buildings were destroyed . at the airport , the landing strips and airport terminal were untouched by saudi bombs , but buildings on the outskirts of the airport and planes along the airstrip had been blown to bits . loading of the passengers was swift . they approached the planes carrying boarding passes -- a touch of normalcy in an otherwise abnormal event . they did n't pay for the flight , but they had to purchase exit visas from the houthis . children sat on their parents'laps to maximize the number of people on the plane . some passengers fell asleep as soon as they took their seats before takeoff . everyone seemed to carry the weight of war , especially nurses who had tended the wounded . from djibouti , the evacuees will most likely disperse to their home nations . now i can only pray for yemen and those we left behind , ' thakur said . who 's joining saudi arabia 's fight against the houthis ? yemen has descended into chaos in the weeks since houthi rebels , shiites who complain of being marginalized in the majority sunni country , forced president abdu rabu mansour hadi from power . the houthis put hadi under house arrest when they overran sanaa in january . but hadi escaped in february , fled to aden and declared himself still president . houthis and their allies , including those loyal to hadi 's predecessor , then fought hadi 's forces in the aden area . hadi fled aden in late march , ultimately for saudi arabia , when the rebels and their military allies advanced on the city . the conflict prompted saudi arabia , a predominantly sunni nation and yemen 's neighbor to the north , to intervene with force along with other arab nations . the houthis are allied with iran , saudi arabia 's bitter rival across the persian gulf , and the saudis do not want an iranian proxy in power on their border . at his daily briefing on tuesday , saudi brig . gen. ahmed asiri told reporters that the ties between the rebels and iran were clear . he accused iran of training yemeni youths to use military aircraft and weapons . after the houthis seized sanaa , he said , there were 14 flights a week coming from iran carrying weapons and ammunition for the houthi militia . ' the u.s. role in backing the saudis has grown since the bombing campaign began two weeks ago . we have expedited weapons deliveries , we have increased our intelligence sharing , and we have established a joint coordination planning cell in the saudi operation center , ' deputy secretary of state anthony blinken said . in addition , the united states has promised to resupply the saudi weapons stocks used in the last two weeks . u.s. defense secretary ash carter emphasized the importance of limiting civilian casualties when conducting airstrikes ' when he spoke with saudi defense minister prince mohammed bin salman on monday , the pentagon said . what about sharing intelligence when it comes to identifying targets ? that 's a sensitive issue , given the rebels'ties to iran and concerns about civilian casualties . guidance from u.s. central command stops short of allowing the united states to tell the saudis what targets to bomb , according to two u.s. defense officials who confirmed details of the guidance to cnn , but declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter . the guidance allows the united states to review targets the saudis have selected , the officials said , and advise them if there are civilian areas nearby or other no go ' spots such as mosques and hospitals . cnn 's samira said , joe sheffer and barbara starr contributed to this report . | saudi military official accuses iran of training and arming rebels |
jamie hyneman <tsp> ( cnn ) -- mythbusters ' is looking to the future -- and leaving some of its regulars behind . on thursday night 's episode of the discovery channel show , longtime hosts jamie hyneman and adam savage announced that the members of the build team , also known as m7 -- grant imahara , kari byron and tory belleci -- were leaving the show . moreover , as byron revealed in a tweet afterwards , the show was taking a new direction . ' byron and belleci had been with mythbusters ' since 2004 . imahara joined in 2005 . it is ... the end of an era , ' savage said in a video message . this next season we 're going back to our origins with just adam and me , ' said hyneman . it has been a total pleasure , not only to work with you , but to call you our friends , ' said savage . the trio thanked the show for the experience . it 's been an amazing ride for 10 years ! we could n't have done it without you guys . you 're the best fans anyone could wish for . thank you , ' tweeted belleci . i am sad for an ending but there will be exciting new adventures for us , ' tweeted byron . no reason was given for the change . in a statement , discovery channel said , everyone at discovery wants to thank them for their tireless work busting almost 1000 myths , and we wish them all the best on their future endeavors . ' the show has been on the air since 2003 . | next season we 're going back to our origins , ' said host jamie hyneman |
malaysia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- malaysia says it will send back to new zealand an envoy who used diplomatic immunity to flee a sex charge there , defusing a messy wrangle between the nations . malaysia 's government released a statement wednesday saying it would return second warrant officer muhammad rizalman ismail to new zealand to cooperate fully and assist ' authorities in their investigation into allegations against him ismail , 38 , faces charges of burglary and assault with intent to commit rape , relating to an alleged attack in wellington on may 9 , according to officials in both countries . superintendent sam hoyle , commander of wellington police district where the alleged offenses took place , said in a statement that ismail would be arrested at the new zealand border and taken to the nearest court on his return . no date had yet been set for ismail 's return , he said . new zealand foreign minister murray mccully welcomed the news of ismail 's impending return , saying in a statement that it underlined the good faith and integrity ' with which malaysia had approached the case . ismail was working as a defense staff assistant at malaysia 's high commission in wellington when he allegedly stalked a 21-year-old woman and attacked her in her home . he was apprehended by police and appeared in court the next day , but returned to malaysia with his family on may 22 , malaysia 's ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement . the case caused an outcry when it was reported in the new zealand media , with prime minister john key telling reporters it was his country 's very strong preference ' that the man face justice there , rather than in malaysia . but it later emerged that while at a formal level new zealand had pressed malaysia to waive ismail 's diplomatic immunity , malaysian officials were under the impression after informal discussions that the new zealand government was comfortable with him returning home to face justice , cnn affiliate tvnz reported . mccully apologized wednesday for his ministry 's handling of the case , tvnz reported . it is now clear to me that officials engaged in informal communications over what is a complex case , in a manner that would have been ambiguous to the malaysian government , ' he said in a statement . i can say that the malaysian side have acted entirely in good faith . ' under the 1961 vienna convention , diplomats are granted full immunity from local laws while embassy staff are immune from criminal charges but not from specific civil matters . malaysia 's ministry of foreign affairs said in its statement that it had complete faith in the new zealand legal system ' and full confidence ' ismail would be dealt with fairly . | malaysia said wednesday it would return the official to cooperate with new zealand authorities |
japan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- japanese star pitcher masahiro tanaka is only 25 . he just pitched a perfect 24-0 season with a 1.27 era . for non baseball fans , that 's unbelievable form . it 's thanks to this form that he 's signed a seven-year , $ 155 million contract with the famous new york yankees -- a young player with the best years of his career ahead of him . but some u.s. baseball watchers are skeptical . the reason ? tanaka has thrown a worryingly high number of pitches . according to sports illustrated 's tom verducci , tanaka has thrown more innings at a young age than anybody in the major leagues in few decades . as a pro , the japanese star had thrown 1,315 innings by age 24 , a number unrivaled by virtually any young player today . even as a high schooler tanaka was a powerhouse : during japan 's koshien tournament he set a national record with an astonishing 742 pitches in 6 games . unlike in american baseball , where pitchers are often warned that throwing too many times leads to early injury , tanaka has played for years in a japanese sporting culture that values repetition as a way to achieve perfection . the [ japanese ] philosophy is repetition , hard work : if i put in more , it 's going to make a better pitcher and it 's going to take care of everything , ' explained japan-based pitching instructor lyle yates , to mlb network radio . it 's not in my opinion always focused properly , and the body does need recovery time , ' he added . today , few american pitchers exceed 100 pitches in a game . yet in a recent game in japan , tanaka threw 160 pitches - and topped it off with another 15 pitches the very next day . yankees general manager brian cashman acknowledged in a conference call with reporters there were concerns ' about those two games . but with his age , his talent and the scouting assessment , and with the pitching market the way it is , we were willing to take the risk , ' he said . reaction on social media was divided . yankees overpaid for tanaka 1300+ innings and he 's only 24 . that 's got tommy john written all over it , ' wrote twitter user @ derick_anderson , referencing the nickname for the elbow surgery first undergone by former major league pitcher tommy john . tanaka 's usage is n't that much different than prospects or even major league pitchers of similar pedigree and age . he will be fine , ' argued twitter user @ bkblades . in the end , it 's clear tanaka is ready to prove his own worth . i can not speak english , but i would like to appeal with my performance , ' tanaka told reporters in japan thursday . i hope i can perform what i have built up so far on the pitcher 's mound . ' | yankees'newest pitcher masahiro tanaka , 25 , is a star pitcher in japan |
masahiro tanaka <tsp> ( cnn ) -- japanese star pitcher masahiro tanaka is only 25 . he just pitched a perfect 24-0 season with a 1.27 era . for non baseball fans , that 's unbelievable form . it 's thanks to this form that he 's signed a seven-year , $ 155 million contract with the famous new york yankees -- a young player with the best years of his career ahead of him . but some u.s. baseball watchers are skeptical . the reason ? tanaka has thrown a worryingly high number of pitches . according to sports illustrated 's tom verducci , tanaka has thrown more innings at a young age than anybody in the major leagues in few decades . as a pro , the japanese star had thrown 1,315 innings by age 24 , a number unrivaled by virtually any young player today . even as a high schooler tanaka was a powerhouse : during japan 's koshien tournament he set a national record with an astonishing 742 pitches in 6 games . unlike in american baseball , where pitchers are often warned that throwing too many times leads to early injury , tanaka has played for years in a japanese sporting culture that values repetition as a way to achieve perfection . the [ japanese ] philosophy is repetition , hard work : if i put in more , it 's going to make a better pitcher and it 's going to take care of everything , ' explained japan-based pitching instructor lyle yates , to mlb network radio . it 's not in my opinion always focused properly , and the body does need recovery time , ' he added . today , few american pitchers exceed 100 pitches in a game . yet in a recent game in japan , tanaka threw 160 pitches - and topped it off with another 15 pitches the very next day . yankees general manager brian cashman acknowledged in a conference call with reporters there were concerns ' about those two games . but with his age , his talent and the scouting assessment , and with the pitching market the way it is , we were willing to take the risk , ' he said . reaction on social media was divided . yankees overpaid for tanaka 1300+ innings and he 's only 24 . that 's got tommy john written all over it , ' wrote twitter user @ derick_anderson , referencing the nickname for the elbow surgery first undergone by former major league pitcher tommy john . tanaka 's usage is n't that much different than prospects or even major league pitchers of similar pedigree and age . he will be fine , ' argued twitter user @ bkblades . in the end , it 's clear tanaka is ready to prove his own worth . i can not speak english , but i would like to appeal with my performance , ' tanaka told reporters in japan thursday . i hope i can perform what i have built up so far on the pitcher 's mound . ' | yankees'newest pitcher masahiro tanaka , 25 , is a star pitcher in japan |
diana <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- princess diana 's relationships with two muslim men provoked an outburst from her mother , who called her daughter a whore ' , paul burrell , the princess 's former butler , told an inquest monday . diana once referred to her former butler paul burrell as my rock . ' burrell , who returned to britain from his home in florida to give evidence , was the first star witness of the london inquest , now in its fourth month . his role as confidant to diana , who died in a paris car crash on august 31 , 1997 , along with her boyfriend dodi fayed and hotel security chief henri paul , meant his testimony was eagerly anticipated . burrell , whom the late princess once called my rock , ' cast doubt on whether diana was ready to marry fayed . according to burrell , the princess was still holding a candle ' for former boyfriend and heart surgeon hasnat khan -- who she called her soulmate ' -- when she started dating fayed on the rebound . ' burrell told the inquest that diana asked him to listen in on a conversation in june 1997 with her mother , frances shand kydd , who died in 2004 and who was critical of her relationship with muslim men . she called the princess a'whore'and she said that she was messing around with'effing muslim men'and she was'disgraceful'and said some very nasty things , ' burrell said . he agreed that , as a result of such calls diana , decided not to talk to her mother again . the inquest , which began in october and is expected to last another two or three months , aims to uncover the facts surrounding the deaths of the princess and dodi and determine their cause of death -- whether by accident or otherwise . asked earlier in the day if he believed that fayed was the one , ' burrell said no , i did not have that impression . ' he also cast doubt on claims that fayed and diana were engaged or on the cusp of engagement , saying : i find that difficult to believe . ' asked to explain himself , burrell said : because this was only a 30-day relationship and the princess had just finished a long-term relationship with someone ( khan ) she cared deeply about . i knew that because i was there and i saw it . ' diana 's 18-month relationship with khan ended around the same time she started seeing fayed in july 1997 . burrell said diana had asked him at one point to investigate how a private wedding with khan might take place , given that khan is muslim . watch report on claims about diana 's marriage plans . » khan had not proposed to the princess , burrell said , adding that khan was the man she loved more than any other . ' he said he spoke to diana about the possibility that fayed would give her a ring shortly before her death . burrell said he suggested to the princess that she wear it on the fourth finger of her right hand , rather than the left , as is customary with engagement rings . i need marriage like a bad rash , ' burrell claimed diana told him . last month at the inquest lady annabel goldsmith , a friend of diana , said the princess had remarked that she needed another marriage like a rash on my face . ' burrell also indicated that the ring was not an engagement ring , as the fayed family has maintained . fayed family spokesman michael cole testified last week that dodi 's father , mohamed al fayed , was certain the couple had planned to marry . lawyers at the inquest asked burrell whether he knew whether a special announcement had been planned for the monday following the fatal car crash . there has been speculation the couple planned to announce special news , such as an engagement . but burrell said he knew nothing of such a plan . he said he had actually looked at diana 's schedule for that day and found only mundane items , and nothing to indicate she planned a special announcement . burrell also told the inquest he did not believe prince philip , queen elizabeth 's , husband was involved in diana 's death . mohamed al fayed , father of dodi and the owner of harrods department store , has long claimed that senior members of the royal family -- specifically the queen 's husband , prince philip -- ordered the pair be murdered . he also claims that diana was pregnant at the time of her death . but burrell said that he knew prince philip very well and that he could not have been behind the deaths . i can tell you that is not prince philip 's nature , he said . plus the princess was the mother of his grandchildren . why would he want to harm her ? it 's not possible . ' the inquest has seen and heard about correspondence which prince philip sent to diana , with some witnesses claiming that he wrote cruel and hurtful letters . but other correspondence shown to the jury appeared to be friendly and was affectionately signed , pa. ' burrell explained that philip could sometimes come across as terse because he says what he thinks . prince philip does n't mix his words , ' burrell said . he says it as it is , but he is not a nasty man . prince philip is n't known for his diplomacy . he was fond of the princess . ' burrell worked for the british royals for 21 years and became close to diana after her separation from prince charles . he has written two books about his time with the princess . in his second book , burrell told of a letter from diana which indicated she feared for her life . the princess wrote that prince charles planned 'an accident'in my car , brake failure and serious head injury . ' one of diana 's close friends , however , testified last month that she believed the letter could have been forged . lucia flecha de lima said on december 18 that burrell was capable of imitating the princess 's handwriting . lawyers questioned burrell about the date of the letter . burrell said it was written in october 1996 , two months , after diana and charles divorced -- yet the letter refers to charles as my husband . ' burrell responded that diana always referred to charles that way , even after the divorce . the inquest has revealed that diana was a prolific letter-writer who also received a lot of correspondence . witnesses , including burrell , recall that the princess kept the letters in her desk , with the more important ones stored in a special box . burrell testified that after diana 's death , her mother , frances shand-kidd , worked every day for a week shredding the papers from diana 's desk . he said he expressed concern about the shredding during a meeting he had with the queen on december 19 , 1997 . it was at this meeting that queen elizabeth told burrell : there are powers at work in this country about which we have no knowledge . ' that comment , which has been widely reported , was meant to warn him to be careful , burrell said , and was not a warning about any one person or group of people . at the same meeting burrell also told the queen that he had taken some of diana 's belongings to keep safe . the details of the conversation emerged when burrell stood trial for their alleged theft in 2002 , causing the case against him to collapse . e-mail to a friend cnn 's emily chang and heidi berger contributed to this report . | describes phone call in which diana 's mother called her daughter ' a whore ' |
diana <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- princess diana 's relationships with two muslim men provoked an outburst from her mother , who called her daughter a whore ' , paul burrell , the princess 's former butler , told an inquest monday . diana once referred to her former butler paul burrell as my rock . ' burrell , who returned to britain from his home in florida to give evidence , was the first star witness of the london inquest , now in its fourth month . his role as confidant to diana , who died in a paris car crash on august 31 , 1997 , along with her boyfriend dodi fayed and hotel security chief henri paul , meant his testimony was eagerly anticipated . burrell , whom the late princess once called my rock , ' cast doubt on whether diana was ready to marry fayed . according to burrell , the princess was still holding a candle ' for former boyfriend and heart surgeon hasnat khan -- who she called her soulmate ' -- when she started dating fayed on the rebound . ' burrell told the inquest that diana asked him to listen in on a conversation in june 1997 with her mother , frances shand kydd , who died in 2004 and who was critical of her relationship with muslim men . she called the princess a'whore'and she said that she was messing around with'effing muslim men'and she was'disgraceful'and said some very nasty things , ' burrell said . he agreed that , as a result of such calls diana , decided not to talk to her mother again . the inquest , which began in october and is expected to last another two or three months , aims to uncover the facts surrounding the deaths of the princess and dodi and determine their cause of death -- whether by accident or otherwise . asked earlier in the day if he believed that fayed was the one , ' burrell said no , i did not have that impression . ' he also cast doubt on claims that fayed and diana were engaged or on the cusp of engagement , saying : i find that difficult to believe . ' asked to explain himself , burrell said : because this was only a 30-day relationship and the princess had just finished a long-term relationship with someone ( khan ) she cared deeply about . i knew that because i was there and i saw it . ' diana 's 18-month relationship with khan ended around the same time she started seeing fayed in july 1997 . burrell said diana had asked him at one point to investigate how a private wedding with khan might take place , given that khan is muslim . watch report on claims about diana 's marriage plans . » khan had not proposed to the princess , burrell said , adding that khan was the man she loved more than any other . ' he said he spoke to diana about the possibility that fayed would give her a ring shortly before her death . burrell said he suggested to the princess that she wear it on the fourth finger of her right hand , rather than the left , as is customary with engagement rings . i need marriage like a bad rash , ' burrell claimed diana told him . last month at the inquest lady annabel goldsmith , a friend of diana , said the princess had remarked that she needed another marriage like a rash on my face . ' burrell also indicated that the ring was not an engagement ring , as the fayed family has maintained . fayed family spokesman michael cole testified last week that dodi 's father , mohamed al fayed , was certain the couple had planned to marry . lawyers at the inquest asked burrell whether he knew whether a special announcement had been planned for the monday following the fatal car crash . there has been speculation the couple planned to announce special news , such as an engagement . but burrell said he knew nothing of such a plan . he said he had actually looked at diana 's schedule for that day and found only mundane items , and nothing to indicate she planned a special announcement . burrell also told the inquest he did not believe prince philip , queen elizabeth 's , husband was involved in diana 's death . mohamed al fayed , father of dodi and the owner of harrods department store , has long claimed that senior members of the royal family -- specifically the queen 's husband , prince philip -- ordered the pair be murdered . he also claims that diana was pregnant at the time of her death . but burrell said that he knew prince philip very well and that he could not have been behind the deaths . i can tell you that is not prince philip 's nature , he said . plus the princess was the mother of his grandchildren . why would he want to harm her ? it 's not possible . ' the inquest has seen and heard about correspondence which prince philip sent to diana , with some witnesses claiming that he wrote cruel and hurtful letters . but other correspondence shown to the jury appeared to be friendly and was affectionately signed , pa. ' burrell explained that philip could sometimes come across as terse because he says what he thinks . prince philip does n't mix his words , ' burrell said . he says it as it is , but he is not a nasty man . prince philip is n't known for his diplomacy . he was fond of the princess . ' burrell worked for the british royals for 21 years and became close to diana after her separation from prince charles . he has written two books about his time with the princess . in his second book , burrell told of a letter from diana which indicated she feared for her life . the princess wrote that prince charles planned 'an accident'in my car , brake failure and serious head injury . ' one of diana 's close friends , however , testified last month that she believed the letter could have been forged . lucia flecha de lima said on december 18 that burrell was capable of imitating the princess 's handwriting . lawyers questioned burrell about the date of the letter . burrell said it was written in october 1996 , two months , after diana and charles divorced -- yet the letter refers to charles as my husband . ' burrell responded that diana always referred to charles that way , even after the divorce . the inquest has revealed that diana was a prolific letter-writer who also received a lot of correspondence . witnesses , including burrell , recall that the princess kept the letters in her desk , with the more important ones stored in a special box . burrell testified that after diana 's death , her mother , frances shand-kidd , worked every day for a week shredding the papers from diana 's desk . he said he expressed concern about the shredding during a meeting he had with the queen on december 19 , 1997 . it was at this meeting that queen elizabeth told burrell : there are powers at work in this country about which we have no knowledge . ' that comment , which has been widely reported , was meant to warn him to be careful , burrell said , and was not a warning about any one person or group of people . at the same meeting burrell also told the queen that he had taken some of diana 's belongings to keep safe . the details of the conversation emerged when burrell stood trial for their alleged theft in 2002 , causing the case against him to collapse . e-mail to a friend cnn 's emily chang and heidi berger contributed to this report . | also claims that diana told him : i need marriage like a bad rash ' |
diana <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- princess diana 's relationships with two muslim men provoked an outburst from her mother , who called her daughter a whore ' , paul burrell , the princess 's former butler , told an inquest monday . diana once referred to her former butler paul burrell as my rock . ' burrell , who returned to britain from his home in florida to give evidence , was the first star witness of the london inquest , now in its fourth month . his role as confidant to diana , who died in a paris car crash on august 31 , 1997 , along with her boyfriend dodi fayed and hotel security chief henri paul , meant his testimony was eagerly anticipated . burrell , whom the late princess once called my rock , ' cast doubt on whether diana was ready to marry fayed . according to burrell , the princess was still holding a candle ' for former boyfriend and heart surgeon hasnat khan -- who she called her soulmate ' -- when she started dating fayed on the rebound . ' burrell told the inquest that diana asked him to listen in on a conversation in june 1997 with her mother , frances shand kydd , who died in 2004 and who was critical of her relationship with muslim men . she called the princess a'whore'and she said that she was messing around with'effing muslim men'and she was'disgraceful'and said some very nasty things , ' burrell said . he agreed that , as a result of such calls diana , decided not to talk to her mother again . the inquest , which began in october and is expected to last another two or three months , aims to uncover the facts surrounding the deaths of the princess and dodi and determine their cause of death -- whether by accident or otherwise . asked earlier in the day if he believed that fayed was the one , ' burrell said no , i did not have that impression . ' he also cast doubt on claims that fayed and diana were engaged or on the cusp of engagement , saying : i find that difficult to believe . ' asked to explain himself , burrell said : because this was only a 30-day relationship and the princess had just finished a long-term relationship with someone ( khan ) she cared deeply about . i knew that because i was there and i saw it . ' diana 's 18-month relationship with khan ended around the same time she started seeing fayed in july 1997 . burrell said diana had asked him at one point to investigate how a private wedding with khan might take place , given that khan is muslim . watch report on claims about diana 's marriage plans . » khan had not proposed to the princess , burrell said , adding that khan was the man she loved more than any other . ' he said he spoke to diana about the possibility that fayed would give her a ring shortly before her death . burrell said he suggested to the princess that she wear it on the fourth finger of her right hand , rather than the left , as is customary with engagement rings . i need marriage like a bad rash , ' burrell claimed diana told him . last month at the inquest lady annabel goldsmith , a friend of diana , said the princess had remarked that she needed another marriage like a rash on my face . ' burrell also indicated that the ring was not an engagement ring , as the fayed family has maintained . fayed family spokesman michael cole testified last week that dodi 's father , mohamed al fayed , was certain the couple had planned to marry . lawyers at the inquest asked burrell whether he knew whether a special announcement had been planned for the monday following the fatal car crash . there has been speculation the couple planned to announce special news , such as an engagement . but burrell said he knew nothing of such a plan . he said he had actually looked at diana 's schedule for that day and found only mundane items , and nothing to indicate she planned a special announcement . burrell also told the inquest he did not believe prince philip , queen elizabeth 's , husband was involved in diana 's death . mohamed al fayed , father of dodi and the owner of harrods department store , has long claimed that senior members of the royal family -- specifically the queen 's husband , prince philip -- ordered the pair be murdered . he also claims that diana was pregnant at the time of her death . but burrell said that he knew prince philip very well and that he could not have been behind the deaths . i can tell you that is not prince philip 's nature , he said . plus the princess was the mother of his grandchildren . why would he want to harm her ? it 's not possible . ' the inquest has seen and heard about correspondence which prince philip sent to diana , with some witnesses claiming that he wrote cruel and hurtful letters . but other correspondence shown to the jury appeared to be friendly and was affectionately signed , pa. ' burrell explained that philip could sometimes come across as terse because he says what he thinks . prince philip does n't mix his words , ' burrell said . he says it as it is , but he is not a nasty man . prince philip is n't known for his diplomacy . he was fond of the princess . ' burrell worked for the british royals for 21 years and became close to diana after her separation from prince charles . he has written two books about his time with the princess . in his second book , burrell told of a letter from diana which indicated she feared for her life . the princess wrote that prince charles planned 'an accident'in my car , brake failure and serious head injury . ' one of diana 's close friends , however , testified last month that she believed the letter could have been forged . lucia flecha de lima said on december 18 that burrell was capable of imitating the princess 's handwriting . lawyers questioned burrell about the date of the letter . burrell said it was written in october 1996 , two months , after diana and charles divorced -- yet the letter refers to charles as my husband . ' burrell responded that diana always referred to charles that way , even after the divorce . the inquest has revealed that diana was a prolific letter-writer who also received a lot of correspondence . witnesses , including burrell , recall that the princess kept the letters in her desk , with the more important ones stored in a special box . burrell testified that after diana 's death , her mother , frances shand-kidd , worked every day for a week shredding the papers from diana 's desk . he said he expressed concern about the shredding during a meeting he had with the queen on december 19 , 1997 . it was at this meeting that queen elizabeth told burrell : there are powers at work in this country about which we have no knowledge . ' that comment , which has been widely reported , was meant to warn him to be careful , burrell said , and was not a warning about any one person or group of people . at the same meeting burrell also told the queen that he had taken some of diana 's belongings to keep safe . the details of the conversation emerged when burrell stood trial for their alleged theft in 2002 , causing the case against him to collapse . e-mail to a friend cnn 's emily chang and heidi berger contributed to this report . | paul burrell , princess diana 's former butler , gives evidence at inquest |
diana <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- princess diana 's relationships with two muslim men provoked an outburst from her mother , who called her daughter a whore ' , paul burrell , the princess 's former butler , told an inquest monday . diana once referred to her former butler paul burrell as my rock . ' burrell , who returned to britain from his home in florida to give evidence , was the first star witness of the london inquest , now in its fourth month . his role as confidant to diana , who died in a paris car crash on august 31 , 1997 , along with her boyfriend dodi fayed and hotel security chief henri paul , meant his testimony was eagerly anticipated . burrell , whom the late princess once called my rock , ' cast doubt on whether diana was ready to marry fayed . according to burrell , the princess was still holding a candle ' for former boyfriend and heart surgeon hasnat khan -- who she called her soulmate ' -- when she started dating fayed on the rebound . ' burrell told the inquest that diana asked him to listen in on a conversation in june 1997 with her mother , frances shand kydd , who died in 2004 and who was critical of her relationship with muslim men . she called the princess a'whore'and she said that she was messing around with'effing muslim men'and she was'disgraceful'and said some very nasty things , ' burrell said . he agreed that , as a result of such calls diana , decided not to talk to her mother again . the inquest , which began in october and is expected to last another two or three months , aims to uncover the facts surrounding the deaths of the princess and dodi and determine their cause of death -- whether by accident or otherwise . asked earlier in the day if he believed that fayed was the one , ' burrell said no , i did not have that impression . ' he also cast doubt on claims that fayed and diana were engaged or on the cusp of engagement , saying : i find that difficult to believe . ' asked to explain himself , burrell said : because this was only a 30-day relationship and the princess had just finished a long-term relationship with someone ( khan ) she cared deeply about . i knew that because i was there and i saw it . ' diana 's 18-month relationship with khan ended around the same time she started seeing fayed in july 1997 . burrell said diana had asked him at one point to investigate how a private wedding with khan might take place , given that khan is muslim . watch report on claims about diana 's marriage plans . » khan had not proposed to the princess , burrell said , adding that khan was the man she loved more than any other . ' he said he spoke to diana about the possibility that fayed would give her a ring shortly before her death . burrell said he suggested to the princess that she wear it on the fourth finger of her right hand , rather than the left , as is customary with engagement rings . i need marriage like a bad rash , ' burrell claimed diana told him . last month at the inquest lady annabel goldsmith , a friend of diana , said the princess had remarked that she needed another marriage like a rash on my face . ' burrell also indicated that the ring was not an engagement ring , as the fayed family has maintained . fayed family spokesman michael cole testified last week that dodi 's father , mohamed al fayed , was certain the couple had planned to marry . lawyers at the inquest asked burrell whether he knew whether a special announcement had been planned for the monday following the fatal car crash . there has been speculation the couple planned to announce special news , such as an engagement . but burrell said he knew nothing of such a plan . he said he had actually looked at diana 's schedule for that day and found only mundane items , and nothing to indicate she planned a special announcement . burrell also told the inquest he did not believe prince philip , queen elizabeth 's , husband was involved in diana 's death . mohamed al fayed , father of dodi and the owner of harrods department store , has long claimed that senior members of the royal family -- specifically the queen 's husband , prince philip -- ordered the pair be murdered . he also claims that diana was pregnant at the time of her death . but burrell said that he knew prince philip very well and that he could not have been behind the deaths . i can tell you that is not prince philip 's nature , he said . plus the princess was the mother of his grandchildren . why would he want to harm her ? it 's not possible . ' the inquest has seen and heard about correspondence which prince philip sent to diana , with some witnesses claiming that he wrote cruel and hurtful letters . but other correspondence shown to the jury appeared to be friendly and was affectionately signed , pa. ' burrell explained that philip could sometimes come across as terse because he says what he thinks . prince philip does n't mix his words , ' burrell said . he says it as it is , but he is not a nasty man . prince philip is n't known for his diplomacy . he was fond of the princess . ' burrell worked for the british royals for 21 years and became close to diana after her separation from prince charles . he has written two books about his time with the princess . in his second book , burrell told of a letter from diana which indicated she feared for her life . the princess wrote that prince charles planned 'an accident'in my car , brake failure and serious head injury . ' one of diana 's close friends , however , testified last month that she believed the letter could have been forged . lucia flecha de lima said on december 18 that burrell was capable of imitating the princess 's handwriting . lawyers questioned burrell about the date of the letter . burrell said it was written in october 1996 , two months , after diana and charles divorced -- yet the letter refers to charles as my husband . ' burrell responded that diana always referred to charles that way , even after the divorce . the inquest has revealed that diana was a prolific letter-writer who also received a lot of correspondence . witnesses , including burrell , recall that the princess kept the letters in her desk , with the more important ones stored in a special box . burrell testified that after diana 's death , her mother , frances shand-kidd , worked every day for a week shredding the papers from diana 's desk . he said he expressed concern about the shredding during a meeting he had with the queen on december 19 , 1997 . it was at this meeting that queen elizabeth told burrell : there are powers at work in this country about which we have no knowledge . ' that comment , which has been widely reported , was meant to warn him to be careful , burrell said , and was not a warning about any one person or group of people . at the same meeting burrell also told the queen that he had taken some of diana 's belongings to keep safe . the details of the conversation emerged when burrell stood trial for their alleged theft in 2002 , causing the case against him to collapse . e-mail to a friend cnn 's emily chang and heidi berger contributed to this report . | burrell says queen elizabeth 's husband was not involved in diana 's death |
meryl streep <tsp> ( cnn ) -- joan rivers could turn anything into a joke , and that includes her own funeral . as unearthed by mashable 's brian ries , the comedian concocted a very specific , and very funny , burial service wish list in her 2012 book , i hate everyone ... starting with me . ' needless to say , rivers was not planning a simple farewell . when i die ... i want my funeral to be a huge showbiz affair with lights , cameras , action , ' rivers says in the book . joan rivers was a pointed , pioneering comedian ' i want craft services , i want paparazzi and i want publicists making a scene ! i want it to be hollywood all the way , ' she continues . i do n't want some rabbi rambling on ; i want meryl streep crying , in five different accents . ' mourners can skip the eulogy , because rivers would rather have bobby vinton to pick up my head and sing'mr . lonely .'i want to look gorgeous , better dead than i do alive . i want to be buried in a valentino gown and i want harry winston to make me a toe tag . ' and , last but definitely not least , i want a wind machine so that even in the casket my hair is blowing just like beyoncã© 's . ' we can only hope rivers gets her wish . as of friday , rivers'service was set for sunday at manhattan 's temple emanu-el . | rivers : i want meryl streep crying , in five different accents ' |
khyber agency <tsp> islamabad , pakistan ( cnn ) -- three suspected u.s. drone strikes in pakistan 's tribal region killed at least 21 suspected militants friday , pakistani intelligence officials said . all three strikes occurred in the khyber agency , one of the seven districts of pakistan 's volatile tribal region bordering afghanistan . the attacks come as the strikes are expanding into new areas of pakistan for the first time , and they may signal an extension of the hunt for terrorists along the border with afghanistan . two pakistani intelligence officials said the first attack was on a militant hideout in sippah village , in the area of the tirah valley , where seven people died . the second was on a militant hideout in the village of nakai , where eight more were killed . in the third strike , two missiles were fired on a militant training center in the village of sangana in tirah valley , killing six suspected militants , the two intelligence officials said . the strikes targeted a local militant group , lashkar-e-islam ( mangal bagh group ) in khyber agency , the officials said . ali marjan , an important local commander of lashkar-e-islam , was killed in the first strike . the intelligence officials asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak to the media . u.s. officials normally do not comment on suspected drone strikes , but the united states is the only country known to have the ability to launch missiles in the region from remote-controlled aircraft . in the past , the strikes have focused on north and south waziristan , but the intelligence officials said many militant leaders have been pushed out of those areas by the drone activity , relocating to areas further north like khyber . on thursday , a pakistani intelligence official confirmed the first drone strike in khyber , where a suspected drone fired two missiles and killed 7 militants . based on a count by the cnn islamabad bureau , friday 's strikes bring the total for the year to 106 this year , compared to 52 in all of 2009 . cnn 's nasir habib and journalist nasir dawar contributed to this report . | new : three strikes occur in the khyber agency |
khyber agency <tsp> islamabad , pakistan ( cnn ) -- three suspected u.s. drone strikes in pakistan 's tribal region killed at least 21 suspected militants friday , pakistani intelligence officials said . all three strikes occurred in the khyber agency , one of the seven districts of pakistan 's volatile tribal region bordering afghanistan . the attacks come as the strikes are expanding into new areas of pakistan for the first time , and they may signal an extension of the hunt for terrorists along the border with afghanistan . two pakistani intelligence officials said the first attack was on a militant hideout in sippah village , in the area of the tirah valley , where seven people died . the second was on a militant hideout in the village of nakai , where eight more were killed . in the third strike , two missiles were fired on a militant training center in the village of sangana in tirah valley , killing six suspected militants , the two intelligence officials said . the strikes targeted a local militant group , lashkar-e-islam ( mangal bagh group ) in khyber agency , the officials said . ali marjan , an important local commander of lashkar-e-islam , was killed in the first strike . the intelligence officials asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak to the media . u.s. officials normally do not comment on suspected drone strikes , but the united states is the only country known to have the ability to launch missiles in the region from remote-controlled aircraft . in the past , the strikes have focused on north and south waziristan , but the intelligence officials said many militant leaders have been pushed out of those areas by the drone activity , relocating to areas further north like khyber . on thursday , a pakistani intelligence official confirmed the first drone strike in khyber , where a suspected drone fired two missiles and killed 7 militants . based on a count by the cnn islamabad bureau , friday 's strikes bring the total for the year to 106 this year , compared to 52 in all of 2009 . cnn 's nasir habib and journalist nasir dawar contributed to this report . | thursday marks the first suspected drone strike in the khyber agency |
blinknow foundation <tsp> surkhet , nepal ( cnn ) ten years ago , with her high school diploma and a backpack , maggie doyne left her new jersey hometown to travel the world before college . she lived in a buddhist monastery , helped rebuild a sea wall in fiji , then went to india and worked with nepalese refugees . there , she met a young girl who wanted to find her family in nepal . doyne went with her . that 's when doyne 's life took an unexpected turn . do you know a hero ? nominations are open for cnn heroes 2015 a decade-long civil war had just ended in the country , and doyne witnessed its effects firsthand . she met women and children who were suffering , struggling to survive . it changed me , ' said doyne , now 28 . there were children with mallets that would go into the riverbed , pick up a big stone and break it into little , little pieces ( to sell ) . and they were doing that all day , every day . ' doyne called her parents and asked them to wire her the $ 5,000 she had earned babysitting . in 2006 , she purchased land in surkhet , a district in western nepal . she worked for two years with the local community to build the kopila valley children 's home . today , kopila -- which means flower bud ' in nepali -- is home to about 50 children , from infants to teenagers . doyne started the blinknow foundation to support and grow her efforts . in 2010 , the group opened its kopila valley school , which today educates more than 350 students . doyne lives in nepal year-round , traveling to the u.s. a few times a year . see more cnn heroes the cnn heroes team traveled to surkhet and talked to doyne about her work and the community she supports . below is an edited version of their conversation . cnn : how does it work , raising nearly 50 kids ? maggie doyne : it 's communal living , for sure ! we 're a family of almost 50 kids ages 8 months to 16 years . everybody just pitches in and helps each other . they all have their chores . they all have their duties . and everybody cooks the meals together and makes sure that they do their part to make the home run smoothly . the staff at the home , we call them the aunties and the uncles . we wake up in the morning and go off to school . and then come home and do homework and eat our meals together , and everybody goes to bed at night . cnn : how does a child come to live in your home ? doyne : our first priority as an organization is to keep a child with their family if at all possible . in order to come into the home , you need to have lost both parents , or in some rare cases have suffered extreme neglect , abuse or have a parent who 's incarcerated . we have to conduct a full investigation . so usually that involves going to the child 's village , making calls , doing police checks , getting documentation and paperwork . we have to dig up birth certificates , death certificates , make sure that everything lines up the way that they say it does . cnn : meanwhile , you have 350 children attending your school . what is their background ? doyne : every single year we 'll get from 1,000 to 1,500 applicants . and we choose the ones who are the most needful and really wo n't be in school without us . most of them live in one room , a mud hut . a lot of them are just in survival mode . we try to relieve the burden from the family , so that the child has food , medical care , books , zero fees for education . cnn : what have you learned working with the local community in nepal ? doyne : i learned very early on , from the beginning , that i could n't come in and just be like , here , i have a vision . this is what we 're going to do . ' that does n't work . it has to be slow ; it has to be organic . and it has to come from the community and be a we ' thing . it 's really important to me that this is a nepali project , working for nepal , for the community . so the faces that you see are strong nepali women and amazing nepali role-model men . cnn : how does the project continue to grow ? doyne : we started with the home and then school . we run the school lunch program . then we needed to keep our kids really healthy , so we started a small clinic and then a counseling center . from there we started getting more sustainable and growing our own food . and then from there we decided to start a women 's center . we just bought a new piece of property to create a totally green and sustainable off-the-grid campus . this year we converted to solar energy . so we 'll have a high school and then a day care , preschool , elementary , all the way up , and a vocational center where kids can become a thriving young adult with everything they need to succeed moving forward . it 's become so much more than just a little girl with a backpack and a big dream . it 's become a community . and i want to teach and have other people take this example and hope this sets a precedent for what our world can be and look like . want to get involved ? check out the blinknow foundation website at www.blinknow.org and see how to help . | doyne 's blinknow foundation supports a home for 50 children and a school that educates hundreds more . |
nepal <tsp> surkhet , nepal ( cnn ) ten years ago , with her high school diploma and a backpack , maggie doyne left her new jersey hometown to travel the world before college . she lived in a buddhist monastery , helped rebuild a sea wall in fiji , then went to india and worked with nepalese refugees . there , she met a young girl who wanted to find her family in nepal . doyne went with her . that 's when doyne 's life took an unexpected turn . do you know a hero ? nominations are open for cnn heroes 2015 a decade-long civil war had just ended in the country , and doyne witnessed its effects firsthand . she met women and children who were suffering , struggling to survive . it changed me , ' said doyne , now 28 . there were children with mallets that would go into the riverbed , pick up a big stone and break it into little , little pieces ( to sell ) . and they were doing that all day , every day . ' doyne called her parents and asked them to wire her the $ 5,000 she had earned babysitting . in 2006 , she purchased land in surkhet , a district in western nepal . she worked for two years with the local community to build the kopila valley children 's home . today , kopila -- which means flower bud ' in nepali -- is home to about 50 children , from infants to teenagers . doyne started the blinknow foundation to support and grow her efforts . in 2010 , the group opened its kopila valley school , which today educates more than 350 students . doyne lives in nepal year-round , traveling to the u.s. a few times a year . see more cnn heroes the cnn heroes team traveled to surkhet and talked to doyne about her work and the community she supports . below is an edited version of their conversation . cnn : how does it work , raising nearly 50 kids ? maggie doyne : it 's communal living , for sure ! we 're a family of almost 50 kids ages 8 months to 16 years . everybody just pitches in and helps each other . they all have their chores . they all have their duties . and everybody cooks the meals together and makes sure that they do their part to make the home run smoothly . the staff at the home , we call them the aunties and the uncles . we wake up in the morning and go off to school . and then come home and do homework and eat our meals together , and everybody goes to bed at night . cnn : how does a child come to live in your home ? doyne : our first priority as an organization is to keep a child with their family if at all possible . in order to come into the home , you need to have lost both parents , or in some rare cases have suffered extreme neglect , abuse or have a parent who 's incarcerated . we have to conduct a full investigation . so usually that involves going to the child 's village , making calls , doing police checks , getting documentation and paperwork . we have to dig up birth certificates , death certificates , make sure that everything lines up the way that they say it does . cnn : meanwhile , you have 350 children attending your school . what is their background ? doyne : every single year we 'll get from 1,000 to 1,500 applicants . and we choose the ones who are the most needful and really wo n't be in school without us . most of them live in one room , a mud hut . a lot of them are just in survival mode . we try to relieve the burden from the family , so that the child has food , medical care , books , zero fees for education . cnn : what have you learned working with the local community in nepal ? doyne : i learned very early on , from the beginning , that i could n't come in and just be like , here , i have a vision . this is what we 're going to do . ' that does n't work . it has to be slow ; it has to be organic . and it has to come from the community and be a we ' thing . it 's really important to me that this is a nepali project , working for nepal , for the community . so the faces that you see are strong nepali women and amazing nepali role-model men . cnn : how does the project continue to grow ? doyne : we started with the home and then school . we run the school lunch program . then we needed to keep our kids really healthy , so we started a small clinic and then a counseling center . from there we started getting more sustainable and growing our own food . and then from there we decided to start a women 's center . we just bought a new piece of property to create a totally green and sustainable off-the-grid campus . this year we converted to solar energy . so we 'll have a high school and then a day care , preschool , elementary , all the way up , and a vocational center where kids can become a thriving young adult with everything they need to succeed moving forward . it 's become so much more than just a little girl with a backpack and a big dream . it 's become a community . and i want to teach and have other people take this example and hope this sets a precedent for what our world can be and look like . want to get involved ? check out the blinknow foundation website at www.blinknow.org and see how to help . | nepal civil war aftermath inspired maggie doyne to help children |
doyne <tsp> surkhet , nepal ( cnn ) ten years ago , with her high school diploma and a backpack , maggie doyne left her new jersey hometown to travel the world before college . she lived in a buddhist monastery , helped rebuild a sea wall in fiji , then went to india and worked with nepalese refugees . there , she met a young girl who wanted to find her family in nepal . doyne went with her . that 's when doyne 's life took an unexpected turn . do you know a hero ? nominations are open for cnn heroes 2015 a decade-long civil war had just ended in the country , and doyne witnessed its effects firsthand . she met women and children who were suffering , struggling to survive . it changed me , ' said doyne , now 28 . there were children with mallets that would go into the riverbed , pick up a big stone and break it into little , little pieces ( to sell ) . and they were doing that all day , every day . ' doyne called her parents and asked them to wire her the $ 5,000 she had earned babysitting . in 2006 , she purchased land in surkhet , a district in western nepal . she worked for two years with the local community to build the kopila valley children 's home . today , kopila -- which means flower bud ' in nepali -- is home to about 50 children , from infants to teenagers . doyne started the blinknow foundation to support and grow her efforts . in 2010 , the group opened its kopila valley school , which today educates more than 350 students . doyne lives in nepal year-round , traveling to the u.s. a few times a year . see more cnn heroes the cnn heroes team traveled to surkhet and talked to doyne about her work and the community she supports . below is an edited version of their conversation . cnn : how does it work , raising nearly 50 kids ? maggie doyne : it 's communal living , for sure ! we 're a family of almost 50 kids ages 8 months to 16 years . everybody just pitches in and helps each other . they all have their chores . they all have their duties . and everybody cooks the meals together and makes sure that they do their part to make the home run smoothly . the staff at the home , we call them the aunties and the uncles . we wake up in the morning and go off to school . and then come home and do homework and eat our meals together , and everybody goes to bed at night . cnn : how does a child come to live in your home ? doyne : our first priority as an organization is to keep a child with their family if at all possible . in order to come into the home , you need to have lost both parents , or in some rare cases have suffered extreme neglect , abuse or have a parent who 's incarcerated . we have to conduct a full investigation . so usually that involves going to the child 's village , making calls , doing police checks , getting documentation and paperwork . we have to dig up birth certificates , death certificates , make sure that everything lines up the way that they say it does . cnn : meanwhile , you have 350 children attending your school . what is their background ? doyne : every single year we 'll get from 1,000 to 1,500 applicants . and we choose the ones who are the most needful and really wo n't be in school without us . most of them live in one room , a mud hut . a lot of them are just in survival mode . we try to relieve the burden from the family , so that the child has food , medical care , books , zero fees for education . cnn : what have you learned working with the local community in nepal ? doyne : i learned very early on , from the beginning , that i could n't come in and just be like , here , i have a vision . this is what we 're going to do . ' that does n't work . it has to be slow ; it has to be organic . and it has to come from the community and be a we ' thing . it 's really important to me that this is a nepali project , working for nepal , for the community . so the faces that you see are strong nepali women and amazing nepali role-model men . cnn : how does the project continue to grow ? doyne : we started with the home and then school . we run the school lunch program . then we needed to keep our kids really healthy , so we started a small clinic and then a counseling center . from there we started getting more sustainable and growing our own food . and then from there we decided to start a women 's center . we just bought a new piece of property to create a totally green and sustainable off-the-grid campus . this year we converted to solar energy . so we 'll have a high school and then a day care , preschool , elementary , all the way up , and a vocational center where kids can become a thriving young adult with everything they need to succeed moving forward . it 's become so much more than just a little girl with a backpack and a big dream . it 's become a community . and i want to teach and have other people take this example and hope this sets a precedent for what our world can be and look like . want to get involved ? check out the blinknow foundation website at www.blinknow.org and see how to help . | nepal civil war aftermath inspired maggie doyne to help children |
doyne <tsp> surkhet , nepal ( cnn ) ten years ago , with her high school diploma and a backpack , maggie doyne left her new jersey hometown to travel the world before college . she lived in a buddhist monastery , helped rebuild a sea wall in fiji , then went to india and worked with nepalese refugees . there , she met a young girl who wanted to find her family in nepal . doyne went with her . that 's when doyne 's life took an unexpected turn . do you know a hero ? nominations are open for cnn heroes 2015 a decade-long civil war had just ended in the country , and doyne witnessed its effects firsthand . she met women and children who were suffering , struggling to survive . it changed me , ' said doyne , now 28 . there were children with mallets that would go into the riverbed , pick up a big stone and break it into little , little pieces ( to sell ) . and they were doing that all day , every day . ' doyne called her parents and asked them to wire her the $ 5,000 she had earned babysitting . in 2006 , she purchased land in surkhet , a district in western nepal . she worked for two years with the local community to build the kopila valley children 's home . today , kopila -- which means flower bud ' in nepali -- is home to about 50 children , from infants to teenagers . doyne started the blinknow foundation to support and grow her efforts . in 2010 , the group opened its kopila valley school , which today educates more than 350 students . doyne lives in nepal year-round , traveling to the u.s. a few times a year . see more cnn heroes the cnn heroes team traveled to surkhet and talked to doyne about her work and the community she supports . below is an edited version of their conversation . cnn : how does it work , raising nearly 50 kids ? maggie doyne : it 's communal living , for sure ! we 're a family of almost 50 kids ages 8 months to 16 years . everybody just pitches in and helps each other . they all have their chores . they all have their duties . and everybody cooks the meals together and makes sure that they do their part to make the home run smoothly . the staff at the home , we call them the aunties and the uncles . we wake up in the morning and go off to school . and then come home and do homework and eat our meals together , and everybody goes to bed at night . cnn : how does a child come to live in your home ? doyne : our first priority as an organization is to keep a child with their family if at all possible . in order to come into the home , you need to have lost both parents , or in some rare cases have suffered extreme neglect , abuse or have a parent who 's incarcerated . we have to conduct a full investigation . so usually that involves going to the child 's village , making calls , doing police checks , getting documentation and paperwork . we have to dig up birth certificates , death certificates , make sure that everything lines up the way that they say it does . cnn : meanwhile , you have 350 children attending your school . what is their background ? doyne : every single year we 'll get from 1,000 to 1,500 applicants . and we choose the ones who are the most needful and really wo n't be in school without us . most of them live in one room , a mud hut . a lot of them are just in survival mode . we try to relieve the burden from the family , so that the child has food , medical care , books , zero fees for education . cnn : what have you learned working with the local community in nepal ? doyne : i learned very early on , from the beginning , that i could n't come in and just be like , here , i have a vision . this is what we 're going to do . ' that does n't work . it has to be slow ; it has to be organic . and it has to come from the community and be a we ' thing . it 's really important to me that this is a nepali project , working for nepal , for the community . so the faces that you see are strong nepali women and amazing nepali role-model men . cnn : how does the project continue to grow ? doyne : we started with the home and then school . we run the school lunch program . then we needed to keep our kids really healthy , so we started a small clinic and then a counseling center . from there we started getting more sustainable and growing our own food . and then from there we decided to start a women 's center . we just bought a new piece of property to create a totally green and sustainable off-the-grid campus . this year we converted to solar energy . so we 'll have a high school and then a day care , preschool , elementary , all the way up , and a vocational center where kids can become a thriving young adult with everything they need to succeed moving forward . it 's become so much more than just a little girl with a backpack and a big dream . it 's become a community . and i want to teach and have other people take this example and hope this sets a precedent for what our world can be and look like . want to get involved ? check out the blinknow foundation website at www.blinknow.org and see how to help . | doyne 's blinknow foundation supports a home for 50 children and a school that educates hundreds more . |
cnn heroes <tsp> surkhet , nepal ( cnn ) ten years ago , with her high school diploma and a backpack , maggie doyne left her new jersey hometown to travel the world before college . she lived in a buddhist monastery , helped rebuild a sea wall in fiji , then went to india and worked with nepalese refugees . there , she met a young girl who wanted to find her family in nepal . doyne went with her . that 's when doyne 's life took an unexpected turn . do you know a hero ? nominations are open for cnn heroes 2015 a decade-long civil war had just ended in the country , and doyne witnessed its effects firsthand . she met women and children who were suffering , struggling to survive . it changed me , ' said doyne , now 28 . there were children with mallets that would go into the riverbed , pick up a big stone and break it into little , little pieces ( to sell ) . and they were doing that all day , every day . ' doyne called her parents and asked them to wire her the $ 5,000 she had earned babysitting . in 2006 , she purchased land in surkhet , a district in western nepal . she worked for two years with the local community to build the kopila valley children 's home . today , kopila -- which means flower bud ' in nepali -- is home to about 50 children , from infants to teenagers . doyne started the blinknow foundation to support and grow her efforts . in 2010 , the group opened its kopila valley school , which today educates more than 350 students . doyne lives in nepal year-round , traveling to the u.s. a few times a year . see more cnn heroes the cnn heroes team traveled to surkhet and talked to doyne about her work and the community she supports . below is an edited version of their conversation . cnn : how does it work , raising nearly 50 kids ? maggie doyne : it 's communal living , for sure ! we 're a family of almost 50 kids ages 8 months to 16 years . everybody just pitches in and helps each other . they all have their chores . they all have their duties . and everybody cooks the meals together and makes sure that they do their part to make the home run smoothly . the staff at the home , we call them the aunties and the uncles . we wake up in the morning and go off to school . and then come home and do homework and eat our meals together , and everybody goes to bed at night . cnn : how does a child come to live in your home ? doyne : our first priority as an organization is to keep a child with their family if at all possible . in order to come into the home , you need to have lost both parents , or in some rare cases have suffered extreme neglect , abuse or have a parent who 's incarcerated . we have to conduct a full investigation . so usually that involves going to the child 's village , making calls , doing police checks , getting documentation and paperwork . we have to dig up birth certificates , death certificates , make sure that everything lines up the way that they say it does . cnn : meanwhile , you have 350 children attending your school . what is their background ? doyne : every single year we 'll get from 1,000 to 1,500 applicants . and we choose the ones who are the most needful and really wo n't be in school without us . most of them live in one room , a mud hut . a lot of them are just in survival mode . we try to relieve the burden from the family , so that the child has food , medical care , books , zero fees for education . cnn : what have you learned working with the local community in nepal ? doyne : i learned very early on , from the beginning , that i could n't come in and just be like , here , i have a vision . this is what we 're going to do . ' that does n't work . it has to be slow ; it has to be organic . and it has to come from the community and be a we ' thing . it 's really important to me that this is a nepali project , working for nepal , for the community . so the faces that you see are strong nepali women and amazing nepali role-model men . cnn : how does the project continue to grow ? doyne : we started with the home and then school . we run the school lunch program . then we needed to keep our kids really healthy , so we started a small clinic and then a counseling center . from there we started getting more sustainable and growing our own food . and then from there we decided to start a women 's center . we just bought a new piece of property to create a totally green and sustainable off-the-grid campus . this year we converted to solar energy . so we 'll have a high school and then a day care , preschool , elementary , all the way up , and a vocational center where kids can become a thriving young adult with everything they need to succeed moving forward . it 's become so much more than just a little girl with a backpack and a big dream . it 's become a community . and i want to teach and have other people take this example and hope this sets a precedent for what our world can be and look like . want to get involved ? check out the blinknow foundation website at www.blinknow.org and see how to help . | do you know a hero ? nominations are open for 2015 cnn heroes |
virgin records <tsp> ( cnn ) -- tony fernandes is the ceo of air asia , asia 's leading low fare , no frills airline , flying to destinations across the region . after graduating from the london school of economics in 1987 , he worked as an accountant for richard branson 's virgin records from 1987 to 1989 . the amateur guitarist went on to become vice-president for southeast asia for warner music group from 1992-2001 . in a dramatic change of direction , fernandes left the music industry to buy air asia , a bankrupt carrier -- the purchase cost him a token fee of 26 cents . since taking over air asia he has become known as the richard branson of asian air travel . e-mail to a friend | he studied in the uk and joined richard branson 's virgin records |
sweden <tsp> ( cnn ) -- u.s. star mikaela shiffrin produced a stunning slalom run to claim her first ever world cup race victory at are , sweden on thursday . the 17-year-old clocked the fastest aggregate time over two legs to see off home favorite frida hansdotter and championship leader tina maze of slovenia . the teenager , racing in the absence of leading american lindsey vonn , finished with a combined time of one minute 45.36 seconds to stun her opponents . shiffrin , who came home 00.29 seconds ahead of hansdotter , had trailed after the first leg before roaring back to claim top spot . i 'll need for some time to be able to take this in , ' shiffrin , who did not finish wednesday 's giant slalom , told reporters . i really enjoyed myself out there . i just tried to fly and sometimes it is easier like that . i will need to calm myself down before the next race at semmering . ' shiffrin became the second youngest american to win a world cup race , after judy nagel . my mom is my biggest help . she keeps me focused and grounded . i 'm sure she 'll talk to me in the next couple of days to make sure my head does n't get too big , ' she said . right now i want to hug her a lot . she 'll be here for christmas with my dad . right now i just need to calm down and regroup . ' maze , who was forced to settle for third place , was more than happy with her performance as she continued to dominate the overall standings . she said : the second leg was very fast and i am happy with that performance before christmas and a little break that i feel i need . i gave everything i had today and it worked out well . ' maze sits top of the overall table on 919 points with germany 's maria hofl-riesch second with 532 points and kathrin zettel of austria third on 466 points . shiffrin , who last year became the youngest american to win a national alpine skiing championship , heads the slalom standings by 22 points from hofl-riesch -- the overall world cup champion in 2011 and a double olympic gold medalist . | mikaela shiffrin won her first ever world cup race after finishing first in sweden |
al qaeda <tsp> ( cnn ) -- accused enemy combatant ali al-marri was served with an arrest warrant tuesday and transferred out of u.s. military custody for the first time since 2003 , according to the u.s. justice department . ali saleh kahlah al-marri was a student at bradley university in illinois when he was arrested in 2001 . al-marri 's initial court appearance is scheduled for tuesday . defense secretary robert gates released the qatari man to the u.s . marshals service in preparation for the hearing . on friday , the u.s. supreme court granted the obama administration 's request to dismiss al-marri 's challenge of the president 's unilateral authority to detain him indefinitely and without charges . the high court ruled that al-marri 's case was rendered moot by a decision to indict him on federal conspiracy charges . the court 's ruling means there is no resolution of the larger constitutional issue of the president 's power to detain people accused of terrorism and other crimes in the united states . the decision by the obama administration to criminally charge al-marri after he spent seven years in custody -- more than five years in virtual isolation in a navy brig in charleston , south carolina -- is the latest twist in the ongoing legal saga of the only remaining enemy combatant ' held in the united states . al-marri had been accused of being an al qaeda sleeper agent , ' but until the indictment had never been charged with a criminal or terrorism-related offense . the 43-year-old man will be sent at some point to peoria , illinois , to face a criminal trial . president obama last month ordered a prompt and thorough review of the factual and legal basis ' for the continued detention of al-marri . he subsequently issued a presidential memorandum ordering gates to facilitate al-marri 's transfer , saying it was in the interest of the united states . ' since his initial arrest on credit card fraud charges in december 2001 , al-marri -- a legal resident of the united states -- had remained in virtual isolation in the brig , ' his attorneys said . they were suing the government to improve his jail conditions and were challenging the constitutionality of his detention . the pentagon asserts al-marri had trained at a terror camp in afghanistan , met al qaeda leaders osama bin laden and khalid sheikh mohammed , and volunteered for a martyr mission , ' according to a government filing with the supreme court . | he 's accused of being a sleeper agent ' for al qaeda who trained at terror camp |
gadhafi <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a year ago , libyans celebrated the death of dictator moammar gadhafi . i wrote then that despite enormous challenges , the country 's prospects were actually pretty good . its small , relatively well-educated population and abundant oil wealth certainly gave it a leg up on neighboring egypt , which has to make its transition under dire economic circumstances . libya 's path was never going to be easy , but its trajectory since gadhafi 's death has defied the worst predictions of chaos and civil war . the transitional national council , headed by mahmoud jibril , oversaw the first phase of transition . it managed to bring all of libya 's factions to the bargaining table , crafted an electoral law and held successful elections on july 7 . despite security concerns , some 3,700 candidates contested 200 seats with a minimal violence . turnout was high among the 1.8 million libyans who registered to vote in the country 's first election since 1965 . bucking the islamist tide that swept tunisia and egypt , libya 's secularists fared well , with the relatively progressive national forces alliance winning 39 out of the 80 seats . news : rights group recounts gadhafi 's last bloody moments , calls for justice there has also been a flowering of civil society in a country that for decades had almost none . dozens of new organizations focusing on issues such as democracy building , the environment and women 's rights have formed in the past year . some groups played an important role in advocating for a female quota in the electoral law . as a result of that preference -- which required political parties to alternate male and female candidates on their ballots -- women won 33 of the 200 seats . and thousands of libyans shared their opinions of the draft law through the council 's website and phone line and through social media . libyans went from being barred from any kind of organized activity outside the reach of gadhafi 's network to creating a rich civic dialogue in a matter of months . but libya faces profound challenges , most notably the threat from armed militias that still control parts of the country . some of those militias adhere to radical , jihadi ideologies . the terrorist attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi in which four americans died , including ambassador chris stevens , is a stark reminder of the danger posed by heavily armed militias and extremists . the government 's inability to bring these militias under state control has contributed to an environment of lawlessness . gadhafi timeline : a long 8 months in libya much of the violence is fueled by bitter tribal rivalries . over the past few weeks , competing militias have fought to take control of the town of bani walid from gadhafi loyalists . in some places , the militias are given free rein by a government that can not provide security . the prevalence of weapons -- many of them looted from gadhafi 's arsenals -- makes things worse . still , especially after the benghazi attack , thousands of libyans have protested the rise of the militias , demanding that the government disarm them . undoubtedly , this is an important inflection point in libya 's transition -- a moment when the government must rein in the militias or see them become more deeply entrenched , more emboldened and harder to dislodge . photos : a silent libya after gadhafi libya 's next challenge is the writing of a new constitution , and it has set itself an ambitious , perhaps impossible , timeline of a draft within 60 days of the constitutional committee 's first meeting . the country needs time to debate the big issues , and the more actively involved a broad cross-section of civil society is , the better the outcome . as is true in egypt and tunisia , religion will be a flashpoint in the constitution . already , various groups are pressing to make islam a central source of law , while others are trying to restrict the role of religion . how islam is reconciled with human rights in general , and women 's rights in particular , will be a litmus test for which path forward libya chooses . the division of power between the central government and the regions will also be critical to resolve , especially since significant oil resources are at stake . libyans rightly fear a scenario of civil war fought along regional lines , reminiscent of the tragedy in iraq . clearly , libya must overcome many political pitfalls and security challenges before it can successfully emerge from its transition . but it has already made significant progress with a legitimate first election , a flowering of civil society and a briskly recovering economy . the united states should continue to support the libyans with technical assistance , capacity building , military intelligence and critical training of security forces . amanpour : the libyan who knew too much the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of isobel coleman . | isobel coleman : a year after gadhafi 's death , libya defied predictions , has made gains |
ciu <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- it 's september 11 , 2012 . the national day of catalonia . and an estimated 1.5 million people are on the streets of barcelona waving banners catalonia -- the next state in europe ' and independencia . ' separatist catalans are calling for sovereignty from madrid and the rule of the conservative popular party , led by prime minister mariano rajoy . losing 20 % of the economy is the last thing the spanish government needs right now . but if those calling for independence get their way , that could be exactly what happens when catalans go to the polls this weekend . catalonia -- a region in the northeast of spain and home to global brands and tourist attractions including barcelona football club and the gaudi house museum -- represents one fifth of the spanish economy . the catalonia issue comes at an inconvenient time for rajoy 's government , which opposes any talk of independence . spain , part of the eurozone mainstay , is grappling with unsustainable borrowing costs and a soaring public deficit while trying to placate public anger over a lack of jobs and stringent austerity . out of the hardship , regional disputes in northern spain have started to resurface , particularly in catalonia . economists at deutsche bank say the political turmoil in such a prosperous region could be the catalyst that forces the spanish central government into seeking aid from europe 's permanent bailout fund , the european stability mechanism . as the industrial heartbeat of the eurozone 's fourth largest economy , catalonia is the most important economic region in spain . situated on the mediterranean and bordering france , the area is home to seven million people and made up of four provinces : barcelona , lleida , tarragona and girona . calls for independence the debate over catalan independence is not new . strained tensions between madrid and catalonia have been around for centuries . but salvador giner , sociologist and president of the intitut d'estudis catalans , told cnn the vehemence of the debate fluctuates depending on the political and economic zeitgeist . artur mas , head of the catalan government , has announced a snap regional election on november 25 . if his nationalist ciu party win , a referendum on catalan independence is expected to follow shortly after , according to gilles moec , co-head of european economic research at deutsche bank . giner told cnn that a victory for mas and ciu should be considered a certainty . he said : the socialist party in catalonia is in disarray . he [ mas ] knows that he 'll win hands down . ' however , xavier sala-i-martin , a professor in economics at columbia university , says that mas is simply following the crowd ' on calls for sovereignty . he said : up until september 11 his strategy was to go to madrid and ask for a better financial deal or fiscal pact ' as he called it . i guess that the massive demonstrations convinced him that his people no longer want a better financial deal from spain . they want independence . and he joined the bandwagon ... mas does n't lead . he follows . ' catalonia 's nearby regions , the basque country , and galicia in the northwest of spain also have self-governance mandates under the spanish constitution of 1978 . and while not wholly independent from spanish state law , they are still considered autonomous . on october 21 , both the basque country and galicia held regional elections . rajoy received a boost in his home region of galicia where his centre-right party won a majority of the parliamentary seats against two nationalist groups and a socialist party . the win represented support for rajoy 's government as it tries to reduce spain 's deficit through a rigorous austerity program . the basque elections presented a very different outcome . the nationalist party -- known as pnv [ partido nacionalista vasco ] won 27 seats while the pro-independence party , bildu , secured 21 and rajoy 's popular party won just 10 seats of the 75 . for over 50 years , the basque region was home to a paramilitary group known by the acronym eta ' and in english basque homeland and freedom . ' the terrorist group -- formed in 1958 -- carried out a number of attacks on spanish citizens in the name of sovereignty and but declared a permanent cease-fire last year . giner says their activities failed to help the basque country 's cause and he would like to see catalan independence achieved peacefully . he told cnn : i believe full sovereignty for catalonia is absolutely possible and we can achieve this in a civilized manner , without the use of terrorist groups . ' spain 's austerity drive today , spain is suffering . the madrid-based popular party is introducing deeply unpopular policies . these include a fiscal cocktail of severe budget cuts and rising taxes on a population already afflicted by the highest rate of unemployment in europe at 25.1 % , according to eurostat figures . the ciu is raising the debate on sovereignty at a time of public frustration over taxes in catalonia . moec said in a note that the ciu blames the central government for disproportionate taxes levied at catalans -- with the wealth then re-distributed to spain 's poorer regions . salvador giner says he understands the need for spanish solidarity and to help struggling regions , but says a large proportion of the revenue generated from taxes is not being reinvested in catalonia . he added : catalans are fed up with the current situation on taxes . catalonia gets back only about 19 % to 21 % of our contribution to the central government . ' according to sala-i-martin , taxes and regional distribution of wealth are a large part of the problem for catalans -- but the biggest tensions are steeped in the country 's modern history . catalonia 's past after the country 's military dictator , franco , died in 1975 , catalans thought that they could be part of a country that recognized its different cultures , languages and nations , sala-i-martin said . initially , that looked possible . but then : in 1981 , after the military coup attempt , the monster woke up , ' the columbia professor added . all the spanish institutions reinterpreted the constitution in ways that did not allow catalunya to feel comfortable within that country . ' in 2010 , the spanish constitutional courts ruled that although the term nation ' could be applied to catalonia , the description had no legal validity . the recession and financial crisis of 2008 then exacerbated the tensions between catalonia and madrid , sala-i-martin said . this forced the catalan administration to make a plea to the central government in madrid for a regional bailout of five billion euros from an 18 billion euro credit line set up for debt-ridden spanish regions . employment in catalonia is also causing a political headache for the ciu and the national governing popular party . according to a report by the organization of cooperation and development [ oecd ] , unemployment in catalonia has jumped by 8.6 % to 16.3 % , since the collapse of the housing market and the global financial crisis began in 2008 . salvador giner says the unemployment rate is in part due to immigrants -- largely from southern spain and north africa -- settling in the region . the situation has been aggravated by an extended period of low economic growth . the catalan people are becoming steadily disillusioned with the economic management from madrid , says sala-i-martin . he said : if spain came back today with an offer to solve the financial problems , most catalans would still like to be given the right to vote for independence . ' | the ciu is raising the debate on sovereignty at a time of public frustration over taxes in catalonia |
kevin chappell <tsp> ( cnn ) -- there are only two multiple winners on the pga tour this season -- one of them is in top form ahead of the u.s. open , and the other is tiger woods . matt kuchar moved up to second place in the fedex cup standings with victory at jack nicklaus'memorial tournament on sunday , having finished runner-up last weekend at the crowne plaza invitational . it is the first time the american has won more than once in one season , having also claimed the world golf championships match play title in february . his four-under-par 68 in the final round was crowned by a 21-foot birdie at the last hole which left him two shots clear of fast-finishing kevin chappell , who is still waiting for his breakthrough win . the biggest names in the field -- world no . 1 woods and second-ranked rory mcilroy -- were respectively nine and 13 shots off the pace after both carded par 72 . for defending champion woods , sunday 's effort was a relative relief after saturday 's nightmare 79 -- his equal second-worst score as a professional -- but he triple-bogeyed the par-three 12th hole that he had doubled in the third round . he also had a triple on saturday . the american has won this event five times , but is struggling to regain the form that has already brought him four victories this season ahead of the second scheduled major at merion in pennsylvania starting june 13 . you want everything clicking on all cylinders , especially at the u.s. open , because everything is tested in the u.s. open , ' he said . woods is still four short of nicklaus'record 18 major titles , and has not won one since the 2008 u.s. open . he was eight over the card at muirfield village . it was n't that bad today , ' woods said . it was just one hole that cost me obviously a few shots . it happens , it happens to us all . ' mcilroy is also struggling for form ahead of the tournament that provided his first major win in 2011 . i hit the ball much better today . i actually putted a little better , too . a little bit of work next week -- yeah , it 's not that far away , ' the northern irishman said after finishing in a tie for 57th . it 's just a little bit of an adjustment and something i can work on and something it was good to figure out this week , so i can work on it next week . ' kuchar , who has yet to win a major , was delighted after taking home the $ 1.16 million first prize in front of his wife and two children . it 's such an amazing feeling , this stuff never gets old , ' the 34-year-old ryder cup player said after his sixth pga tour victory . to win this and have jack nicklaus congratulate me is a real treat . ' | matt kuchar wins memorial tournament by two shots from compatriot kevin chappell |
memorial tournament <tsp> ( cnn ) -- there are only two multiple winners on the pga tour this season -- one of them is in top form ahead of the u.s. open , and the other is tiger woods . matt kuchar moved up to second place in the fedex cup standings with victory at jack nicklaus'memorial tournament on sunday , having finished runner-up last weekend at the crowne plaza invitational . it is the first time the american has won more than once in one season , having also claimed the world golf championships match play title in february . his four-under-par 68 in the final round was crowned by a 21-foot birdie at the last hole which left him two shots clear of fast-finishing kevin chappell , who is still waiting for his breakthrough win . the biggest names in the field -- world no . 1 woods and second-ranked rory mcilroy -- were respectively nine and 13 shots off the pace after both carded par 72 . for defending champion woods , sunday 's effort was a relative relief after saturday 's nightmare 79 -- his equal second-worst score as a professional -- but he triple-bogeyed the par-three 12th hole that he had doubled in the third round . he also had a triple on saturday . the american has won this event five times , but is struggling to regain the form that has already brought him four victories this season ahead of the second scheduled major at merion in pennsylvania starting june 13 . you want everything clicking on all cylinders , especially at the u.s. open , because everything is tested in the u.s. open , ' he said . woods is still four short of nicklaus'record 18 major titles , and has not won one since the 2008 u.s. open . he was eight over the card at muirfield village . it was n't that bad today , ' woods said . it was just one hole that cost me obviously a few shots . it happens , it happens to us all . ' mcilroy is also struggling for form ahead of the tournament that provided his first major win in 2011 . i hit the ball much better today . i actually putted a little better , too . a little bit of work next week -- yeah , it 's not that far away , ' the northern irishman said after finishing in a tie for 57th . it 's just a little bit of an adjustment and something i can work on and something it was good to figure out this week , so i can work on it next week . ' kuchar , who has yet to win a major , was delighted after taking home the $ 1.16 million first prize in front of his wife and two children . it 's such an amazing feeling , this stuff never gets old , ' the 34-year-old ryder cup player said after his sixth pga tour victory . to win this and have jack nicklaus congratulate me is a real treat . ' | matt kuchar wins memorial tournament by two shots from compatriot kevin chappell |
kuykendall <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a south carolina woman battling a rare flesh-eating bacteria infection has been upgraded to fair condition and is tentatively scheduled for skin-grafting surgery , her family said thursday . lana kuykendall has been in greenville memorial hospital since she was admitted on may 11 , four days after giving birth to twins , ian and abigail , in atlanta . she has improved tremendously over the last week , ' said her husband , darren kuykendall . although she is still in icu , we believe she is on the road to recovery . ' wyff : new mom with flesh-eating bacteria sees twins the constant iv drips of sedative and pain medicine have stopped and she is receiving them only as needed , kuykendall said . she looks more and more like herself . ' she has undergone almost 20 surgical procedures to treat and contain the spread of the necrotizing fasciitis , according to a statement from the hospital . advocate : story of rare bacterial infection raising awareness ' the treatment required aggressive surgical intervention , but not amputations , ' the statement said . in addition to surgeries , she also underwent extensive hyperbaric oxygen therapy . ' the recovery process will be slow , according to the hospital 's epidemiologist . however , we believe she has turned the corner , ' dr. bill kelly said . kuykendall has had longer periods of alertness and tries to respond to the people in the room and the conversations going on around her ' over the last few days , the statement said . she is able to communicate by blinking her eyes , raising her eyebrows , pointing and mouthing words . ' the 1-month-old twins , a boy and a girl , visited their mother for the first time at the hospital on wednesday , the statement said . they are being cared for by relatives . georgia flesh-eating bacteria victim speaks , jokes , father says ' lana grinned from ear to ear when she was holding them , ' her husband said . kuykendall , a paramedic , went to the hospital after noticing a rapidly expanding bruise on her leg , her husband , a firefighter , said last month . she was diagnosed then with necrotizing fasciitis , according the hospital . a number of bacteria , which are common in the environment but rarely cause serious infections , can lead to the disease . when it gets into the bloodstream -- such as through a cut -- doctors typically move aggressively to excise even healthy tissue near the infection site in hopes of ensuring none of the dangerous bacteria remains . ireport : surviving a flesh-eating disease the disease attacks and destroys healthy tissue and is fatal about 20 % of the time , according to the centers for disease control and prevention . dr. william schaffner , chairman of the department of preventive medicine at the vanderbilt university medical center , estimated that fewer than 250 such cases occur each year in the united states , though estimates are imprecise because doctors do not have to report the cases to health authorities . cnn 's jennifer bixler contributed to this report . | kuykendall has had almost 20 surgical procedures to treat the necrotizing fasciitis |
kuykendall <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a south carolina woman battling a rare flesh-eating bacteria infection has been upgraded to fair condition and is tentatively scheduled for skin-grafting surgery , her family said thursday . lana kuykendall has been in greenville memorial hospital since she was admitted on may 11 , four days after giving birth to twins , ian and abigail , in atlanta . she has improved tremendously over the last week , ' said her husband , darren kuykendall . although she is still in icu , we believe she is on the road to recovery . ' wyff : new mom with flesh-eating bacteria sees twins the constant iv drips of sedative and pain medicine have stopped and she is receiving them only as needed , kuykendall said . she looks more and more like herself . ' she has undergone almost 20 surgical procedures to treat and contain the spread of the necrotizing fasciitis , according to a statement from the hospital . advocate : story of rare bacterial infection raising awareness ' the treatment required aggressive surgical intervention , but not amputations , ' the statement said . in addition to surgeries , she also underwent extensive hyperbaric oxygen therapy . ' the recovery process will be slow , according to the hospital 's epidemiologist . however , we believe she has turned the corner , ' dr. bill kelly said . kuykendall has had longer periods of alertness and tries to respond to the people in the room and the conversations going on around her ' over the last few days , the statement said . she is able to communicate by blinking her eyes , raising her eyebrows , pointing and mouthing words . ' the 1-month-old twins , a boy and a girl , visited their mother for the first time at the hospital on wednesday , the statement said . they are being cared for by relatives . georgia flesh-eating bacteria victim speaks , jokes , father says ' lana grinned from ear to ear when she was holding them , ' her husband said . kuykendall , a paramedic , went to the hospital after noticing a rapidly expanding bruise on her leg , her husband , a firefighter , said last month . she was diagnosed then with necrotizing fasciitis , according the hospital . a number of bacteria , which are common in the environment but rarely cause serious infections , can lead to the disease . when it gets into the bloodstream -- such as through a cut -- doctors typically move aggressively to excise even healthy tissue near the infection site in hopes of ensuring none of the dangerous bacteria remains . ireport : surviving a flesh-eating disease the disease attacks and destroys healthy tissue and is fatal about 20 % of the time , according to the centers for disease control and prevention . dr. william schaffner , chairman of the department of preventive medicine at the vanderbilt university medical center , estimated that fewer than 250 such cases occur each year in the united states , though estimates are imprecise because doctors do not have to report the cases to health authorities . cnn 's jennifer bixler contributed to this report . | lana kuykendall has had a rare flesh-eating bacteria since may 11 |
tsa <tsp> los angeles , california ( cnn ) -- in response to a video of a california man 's dispute with airport security officials , the transportation security administration said monday it tries to be sensitive to individuals , but everyone getting on a flight must be screened . the video , in which software engineer john tyner refuses an x-ray scan at the san diego , california , airport , has sparked a debate over screening procedures . tyner told cnn on sunday that he was surprised to see so many people take an interest in his refusal and the dispute with airport screeners that followed it . but he said he hoped the video will focus attention on what he calls a government invasion of privacy . obviously , everybody has their own perspective about their personal screening , ' tsa administrator john pistole told cnn . the question is , how do we best address those issues ... while providing the best possible security ? ' tyner , 31 , said his hunting trip to south dakota was cut short before it even started saturday morning -- when tsa agents asked him to go through an x-ray machine . i do n't think that the government has any business seeing me naked as a condition of traveling about the country , ' tyner said . pistole said the agency is trying to be sensitive to individuals issues and concerns , ' but added , the bottom line is , everybody who gets on that flight has been properly screened . ' the cell phone video tyner recorded of his arguments with security screeners over the scan and pat-down they proposed had garnered than 200,000 hits on youtube by monday afternoon . tyner said that after he declined the body scan , a tsa agent told him he could have a pat-down instead . once the procedure was described , tyner said he responded , if you touch my junk , i 'll have you arrested . ' the dispute that followed , tyner said , included police escorting him from the screening area and a supervisor saying he could face a civil lawsuit for leaving the airport before security had finished screening him . in fact , tyner could face a civil penalty as high as $ 11,000 , according to michael aguilar , the tsa 's federal security director in san diego , who defended the behavior of his officers during the confrontation . he 's violated federal law and federal regulations , which states once you enter and start the process you have to complete it , ' he said . tyner called the whole incident ridiculous and said he will not fly until these machines go away . ' advanced imaging technology screening is optional for all passengers , ' the tsa said in a statement released monday . passengers who opt out of [ advanced imaging ] screening will receive alternative screening , including a physical pat-down . ' but anyone who refuses to complete the screening process will be denied access to airport secure areas and could be subject to civil penalties , the administration said , citing a federal appeals court ruling in support of the rule . the ruling , from the 9th u.s . circuit court of appeals , says that requiring that a potential passenger be allowed to revoke consent to an ongoing airport security search makes little sense in a post-9/11 world . such a rule would afford terrorists multiple opportunities to attempt to penetrate airport security by'electing not to fly'on the cusp of detection until a vulnerable portal is found . ' the tsa 's advanced imaging technology machines use two separate means of creating images of passengers -- backscatter x-ray technology and millimeter-wave technology . at the end of october , 189 backscatter units and 152 millimeter-wave machines were in use in more than 65 airports . the total number of imaging machines is expected to be near 1,000 by the end of 2011 , according to the tsa . the agency has previously said that the new technology is safe and protects passenger privacy . strict privacy safeguards are built into the foundation of tsa 's use of advanced imaging technology to protect passenger privacy and ensure anonymity , ' the agency says in a statement on its website . images from the scans can not be saved or printed , according to the agency . facial features are blurred . and agents who directly interact with passengers do not see the scans . but tyner is n't the only one with concerns about the new security procedures . grass-roots groups are urging travelers either not to fly or to protest by opting out of the full-body scanners and undergoing time-consuming pat-downs instead . industry leaders are worried about the backlash . homeland security secretary janet napolitano met with leaders of travel industry groups to discuss the concerns . we certainly understand the challenges that dhs confronts , but the question remains , where do we draw the line ? our country desperately needs a long-term vision for aviation security screening , rather than an endless reaction to yesterday 's threat , ' the u.s. travel association said in a statement after the meeting . at the same time , fundamental american values must be protected . ' during a press conference in which napolitano announced the expansion of a security awareness campaign , she also reiterated the need for hand searches should a passenger decline electronic screening . if you refuse the [ advanced imaging technology ] altogether , then you can go to a separate area for a same-gender pat down , ' she told reporters on monday . if there are adjustments we need to make as we move forward , we have an open ear , ' she said . we will listen . ' cnn 's catherine e. shoichet , phil gast , marnie hunter and greg morrison contributed to this report . | new : the california man involved in a tsa dispute could face an $ 11,000 fine |
tsa <tsp> los angeles , california ( cnn ) -- in response to a video of a california man 's dispute with airport security officials , the transportation security administration said monday it tries to be sensitive to individuals , but everyone getting on a flight must be screened . the video , in which software engineer john tyner refuses an x-ray scan at the san diego , california , airport , has sparked a debate over screening procedures . tyner told cnn on sunday that he was surprised to see so many people take an interest in his refusal and the dispute with airport screeners that followed it . but he said he hoped the video will focus attention on what he calls a government invasion of privacy . obviously , everybody has their own perspective about their personal screening , ' tsa administrator john pistole told cnn . the question is , how do we best address those issues ... while providing the best possible security ? ' tyner , 31 , said his hunting trip to south dakota was cut short before it even started saturday morning -- when tsa agents asked him to go through an x-ray machine . i do n't think that the government has any business seeing me naked as a condition of traveling about the country , ' tyner said . pistole said the agency is trying to be sensitive to individuals issues and concerns , ' but added , the bottom line is , everybody who gets on that flight has been properly screened . ' the cell phone video tyner recorded of his arguments with security screeners over the scan and pat-down they proposed had garnered than 200,000 hits on youtube by monday afternoon . tyner said that after he declined the body scan , a tsa agent told him he could have a pat-down instead . once the procedure was described , tyner said he responded , if you touch my junk , i 'll have you arrested . ' the dispute that followed , tyner said , included police escorting him from the screening area and a supervisor saying he could face a civil lawsuit for leaving the airport before security had finished screening him . in fact , tyner could face a civil penalty as high as $ 11,000 , according to michael aguilar , the tsa 's federal security director in san diego , who defended the behavior of his officers during the confrontation . he 's violated federal law and federal regulations , which states once you enter and start the process you have to complete it , ' he said . tyner called the whole incident ridiculous and said he will not fly until these machines go away . ' advanced imaging technology screening is optional for all passengers , ' the tsa said in a statement released monday . passengers who opt out of [ advanced imaging ] screening will receive alternative screening , including a physical pat-down . ' but anyone who refuses to complete the screening process will be denied access to airport secure areas and could be subject to civil penalties , the administration said , citing a federal appeals court ruling in support of the rule . the ruling , from the 9th u.s . circuit court of appeals , says that requiring that a potential passenger be allowed to revoke consent to an ongoing airport security search makes little sense in a post-9/11 world . such a rule would afford terrorists multiple opportunities to attempt to penetrate airport security by'electing not to fly'on the cusp of detection until a vulnerable portal is found . ' the tsa 's advanced imaging technology machines use two separate means of creating images of passengers -- backscatter x-ray technology and millimeter-wave technology . at the end of october , 189 backscatter units and 152 millimeter-wave machines were in use in more than 65 airports . the total number of imaging machines is expected to be near 1,000 by the end of 2011 , according to the tsa . the agency has previously said that the new technology is safe and protects passenger privacy . strict privacy safeguards are built into the foundation of tsa 's use of advanced imaging technology to protect passenger privacy and ensure anonymity , ' the agency says in a statement on its website . images from the scans can not be saved or printed , according to the agency . facial features are blurred . and agents who directly interact with passengers do not see the scans . but tyner is n't the only one with concerns about the new security procedures . grass-roots groups are urging travelers either not to fly or to protest by opting out of the full-body scanners and undergoing time-consuming pat-downs instead . industry leaders are worried about the backlash . homeland security secretary janet napolitano met with leaders of travel industry groups to discuss the concerns . we certainly understand the challenges that dhs confronts , but the question remains , where do we draw the line ? our country desperately needs a long-term vision for aviation security screening , rather than an endless reaction to yesterday 's threat , ' the u.s. travel association said in a statement after the meeting . at the same time , fundamental american values must be protected . ' during a press conference in which napolitano announced the expansion of a security awareness campaign , she also reiterated the need for hand searches should a passenger decline electronic screening . if you refuse the [ advanced imaging technology ] altogether , then you can go to a separate area for a same-gender pat down , ' she told reporters on monday . if there are adjustments we need to make as we move forward , we have an open ear , ' she said . we will listen . ' cnn 's catherine e. shoichet , phil gast , marnie hunter and greg morrison contributed to this report . | tsa says screening is mandatory for all airline passengers |
coptic <tsp> cairo ( cnn ) -- egyptian prime minister essam sharaf said monday that clashes hours earlier between army forces and pro-coptic christian protesters had brought us back ' to the tense , violent period at the onset of the recent revolution . instead of going forward , we found ourselves scrambling for security , ' sharaf said on state television in an early morning speech , noting that the incident had produced martyrs , both civilian and from the military . ' the bloodshed in cairo occurred just over a week after the burning of a coptic christian church in southern egypt . the burning prompted the sunday protest demanding equality and protection of coptic places of worship . dr. sheriff doss , the head of egypt 's chief association of coptics , said 17 civilians died and 40 were injured . an additional 12 army troops were killed and over 50 were injured , according to lt. col. amr imam , an army spokesman . meanwhile , health ministry spokesman adel al dawi said late sunday that there were a total of 23 people dead and more than 180 injured . the protesters -- many of them coptics or supportive of their cause -- said they had been marching peacefully toward the egyptian state television building when the violence erupted . suddenly , we were attacked by thugs carrying swords and clubs , ' one protester , magdi hanna , told cnn . according to alla mahmoud , an interior ministry spokesman , some protesters began firing live ammunition at the army . ' this is the first time protesters fired at the army , ' added imam , the military spokesman . there must be a hidden hand behind this . egyptians do n't do that . ' mohammed abdel jabaar , a spokesman for the egyptian rebels coalition that claims to have been part of the movement that led to former president hosni mubarak 's ouster , blamed interference from outside ' for spurring the violent chain of events . the january 25 youth revolution coalition , which has been involved in various anti-government protests including sunday 's demonstration , denied that any participants shot at the egyptian forces . samir bolos , one of the demonstrators , added sunday that some unknown people may have fired at the army , but not us . ' witnesses said the army forces fired on the protesters near the state television headquarters . meanwhile , military trucks could be seen burning on the street . hundreds of demonstrators also went to tahrir square , the hub of the revolutionary movement earlier this year , according to bolos . he claimed military police stormed the square with sticks , while protesters fought back with rocks . a curfew has been imposed for between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. monday around tahrir square and central cairo , said imam . egypt 's national justice committee also plans to hold an emergency meeting monday involving representatives from the supreme council of the armed forces , the al-azhar mosque and the coptic church to discuss the developments , prime ministry spokesman mohamed hegazy said . those talks will be held in the prime minister 's building . meanwhile , state tv reported sunday night that ahmed al-tayyeb , a prominent egyptian muslim leader and grand imam of al-azhar , has been reaching out to coptic church leaders in hopes of containing the crisis . the protests and clashes follow the september 30 burning of the mar girgis church in edfu , a city in aswan governorate in southern egypt . that attack marked the latest of several examples in which coptic christians have been targeted in the north african nation . about 9 % of egypt 's 80 million residents are coptic christians . they base their theology on the teachings of the apostle mark , who introduced christianity to egypt , according to st. takla church in alexandria , the capital of coptic christianity . the religion split with other christians in the 5th century over the definition of the divinity of jesus christ . in egypt , they have been targeted of late , including the new year 's day bombing of a coptic church in alexandria that left 23 people dead . there have also been sectarian clashes , including one in cairo on may 7 in which at least 12 people were killed . the u.s. commission on international religious freedom , an independent bipartisan federal agency , earlier this year added egypt to a list of countries named as the worst violators of religious freedom . sunday 's incident also marks the latest skirmish between protesters and government forces . an incident last tuesday outside a military court in nasr city resulted in the arrests of two protesters . journalists covering the demonstration were assaulted , according to witnesses . the same day , military police fired shots into the air to disperse about 400 pro-coptic demonstrators who had attempted to stage a sit-in in front of the state television building after marching through the streets of cairo . | an emergency meeting with army and coptic leaders will be monday , an official says |
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