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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 . | the army says 12 troops died ; a coptic leader says 17 civilians died ; one official says 23 total |
beatles <tsp> ( cnn ) -- michael jackson 's impact on pop culture is indelible . but perhaps his biggest legacy will be how he changed the music industry . jackson 's impact on the music business still reverberates today . as a performer he changed history ... his singing , his songwriting , his choreography , his dancing , his business acumen , ' said howard bragman , a public relations expert who worked with jackson to launch the singer 's shoe line with l.a. gear . he rewrote the history of the entertainment industry in his time , ' bragman said . jackson crossed color lines and broke down barriers between musical genres . he followed in the footsteps of elvis and the beatles to create a transnational fan base that prefigured the era of globalization . and jackson became a canny power broker who helped lead artists from stage performers into major boardroom players . that gets lost in the last five and 10 years , with all the litigation battles -- what he did the first 30 years to set the landscape for these other artists , ' said james walker , an entertainment attorney . michael transcended race before michael jordan , before oprah , before tiger woods , before barack obama . you ca n't underestimate what his did for black artists -- and artists as a whole -- as a business man , ' walker added . his 1982 album thriller ' has sold more than 50 million records worldwide -- a record that , considering the decline of record sales in the wake of new media , is likely to stand for some years to come . records just do n't sell that much anymore . the industry has changed . ... now it 's in shambles because of technology , ' said gideon yago , head of the ifc media project and a former correspondent for mtv news . videos that accompanied the album became landmarks that set the industry standard , as mtv and cable television began to proliferate , creating ready outlets for a growing marketing tool . at the time , jackson 's label had to fight to get onto mtv , which then featured only rock artists . walter yetnikoff ( former president of cbs records ) drew a line in the sand and said ,'we believe in this guy and you 're going to play his videos or we 're going to pull all our videos ,'' walker said . what he did was so cutting-edge regarding videos ; he defined the video age as we know it , ' said tommy mottola , who succeeded yetnikoff as head of cbs . though his personal finances were in disarray at the end of his life , jackson made some canny business decisions at the height of his power -- most notably buying half the beatles music catalog in 1985 for $ 47.5 million . when you look at his royalties and his copyrights , he 's probably got a half a billion to a billion ( dollar ) catalogue , ' walker added . the current value of his estate is unclear . his debts stood at about $ 500 million , according to a wall street journal story earlier this month . as the music industry model moved more toward live events in the face of dwindling album sales , two billionaire businessmen stepped in to bank on jackson 's comeback with a series of concerts scheduled in london . tom barrack , head of hedge fund colony capital , teamed with philip anschutz , owner of aeg live , to plan a third-act comeback for jackson , with a sold-out 50-date stand at aeg live 's o2 arena scheduled to begin next month . future business plans included a world tour , a broadway musical and even a thriller ' casino . you are talking about a guy who could make $ 500 million a year if he puts his mind to it , ' barrack told the los angeles times in an article last month . there are very few individual artists who are multibillion-dollar businesses . and he is one . ' billboard magazine estimates $ 85 million in ticket sales from the sold-out concert series . additional packages , merchandise and secondary market sales could have raised the total to $ 115 million . aeg live declined to comment . there will be a process put in place for ticketing ( refunds ) . i do n't know what it is at the moment , ' said lucy ellison , spokeswoman for o2 stadium . we 'll leave it for his family to say what they want to say before we discuss ticketing information . ' jackson was expected to earn $ 50 million from the london shows . cnn 's pauline chiou contributed to this report | estate includes ownership of half the beatles catalogue |
vera zvonareva <tsp> ( cnn ) -- petra kvitova dumped caroline wozniacki out of the wta championships with a straight sets victory that sealed her place in the final four . kvitova , the 2011 wimbledon champion , inflicted wozniacki 's second defeat in istanbul , winning 6-4 6-2 to go top of the red group . world number one wozniacki , who called the trainer on during her match after complaining of feeling sick , is rock bottom of the group after playing all three of her round robin games . after her victory kvitova told cnn she was delighted to make the final four : it 's nice when i win and i 'm happy to be in the semi-final . istanbul is a great place and it is great experience for me . i have had a great season and it 's very nice to play here -- it 's like something new for me as i 'm still learning . i am enjoying every match i play and i 'm trying not to think about winning here . ' wozniacki told reporters : i tried my best , but my body did n't want to do the things i asked it today . what i told my brain did n't go to my body . it 's just unfortunate that my body has been feeling tired . to get sick now is not the best time if you want to beat the top players . ' czech kvitova faces agnieszka radwanska on friday -- a match that will determine who grabs the second qualification spot in the red group . radwanska , from poland , currently occupies second spot after she saved three match points to beat russia 's vera zvonareva 1-6 6-2 7-5 . the pole can make sure of her place in the semis as long as she wins a set in her clash with kvitova . in the white group , victoria azarenka sealed her spot in the last four after beating china 's li na 6-2 6-2 . the belarusian added to her victory over australia 's sam stosur to ensure her meeting with marion bartoli , who replaced the injured maria sharapova , is academic . azarenka told the wta 's official web site : li na has such a good return and likes to dominate from the beginning , so i tried to serve well and take that away from her . the crowd here in istanbul just makes me want to play well and show them some good tennis . they 're a fantastic crowd and make me want to play really well . ' the final qualification spot in the white group will go to the winner of friday 's clash between li na and stosur . | agnieszka radwanska beats vera zvonareva to keep hopes of semi berth alive |
jessica heeringa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- blood found on the scene of a michigan kidnapping belonged to the victim , police said thursday . jessica heeringa , 25 , was abducted late last month from an exxon station in norton shores , where she was working alone , sometime around 11 p.m. , police have said . investigators found suspicious substances ' at the station and turned them in to the state 's crime lab , which identified some of it as blood . a dna analysis matched it to heeringa , the norton shores police department said . the amount of blood found was small , police said . authorities notified the family of the findings . suspect 's face police have put a face with the description of a man suspected of kidnapping the gas station cashier . he is a white male , about 6 feet tall , between 30 and 40 years old , with wavy hair parted in the middle . on tuesday evening , police released a sketch of the suspect . police also are looking for a silver minivan -- possibly a chrysler town and country -- that was seen at the gas station . we have one witness who placed that vehicle there and saw the driver . that 's what we based that description on so far , ' norton shores police chief daniel shaw told cnn affiliate wood-tv . video from a nearby business showed the suspected minivan in the area around the time heeringa went missing . the video is blurry , the van is only seen for a few seconds , and neither a driver nor license plate can be seen . i wish i had the technology like you see on tv where you could blow it up and i could see the driver inside . but that does n't exist for me , ' shaw told wood . but it is something . it does give us some hope that we 've got some accurate information out there to work with , ' he told the station . how she disappeared heeringa was scheduled to close the exxon station where she was working alone at 11:30 p.m. on april 26 . but at 11:15 , police got a 911 call that the station was unmanned . it 's very suspicious why there 's nobody here , ' the 911 caller says in a tape . the way the station was left , police say , led them to believe somebody abducted heeringa . her purse and other belongings were undisturbed . in addition , the store 's cash drawer was found out , and no money was missing , ' police said in a statement . heeringa is described as 5 feet 1 inches tall , weighing 110 pounds , with blond hair , blue eyes and wearing wire-rimmed glasses . heeringa 's mother , shelly heeringa , has said that she suspects someone familiar with the gas station and possibly known to jessica took her daughter . i think whoever did this had been in the gas station before and maybe jessie knew him , ' shelly heeringa said . he probably lured her out by saying he needed help , ' she said . jessie would have helped anybody . and that was probably her downfall . ' lack of surveillance images the station did not have security cameras , something that police said has hindered the investigation and that shelly heeringa said always troubled her . when i knew she was working there , when i knew ( the store ) had no security cameras , when she was going to be by herself , i expressed my concern about it all the time to her how worried i was , ' the mother said . but those concerns apparently did n't trouble jessica . she just thought she could handle everything , ' shelly heeringa said . the mother also thanked the community of 22,500 on the shores of lake michigan for its support in the search for her daughter . so many people have been trying to help us find jessie . it 's just been wonderful , ' she said . people with information that may help find jessica heeringa are asked to call norton shores police at 231-733-2691 . | police say blood found at a north shores service station belongs to jessica heeringa |
chairez <tsp> dallas , texas ( cnn ) -- when leo manzano won second place in the 1,500-meters final at the olympics , he celebrated his well-deserved victory by waving two flags , that of the united states and mexico . he has every right to do so : after all , he has dual citizenship for both countries . some observers disagree with manzano 's action . on cnn.com , ruben navarrette voiced his concerns that manzano was showing disloyalty to the united states even while he 's wearing the usa jersey . opinion : u.s. olympic athlete , mexican flag ? judging by the volume of comments in response to navarrette 's opinion , one would think that manzano had committed treason . one reader wrote , he is pathetic . ... go back to mexico . you 're either american or not ! ! ' ok , calm down . let 's not get too worked up here . navarrette was right when he said that it 's all about context . ' like him , i personally do n't like mexican-americans or undocumented mexicans waving mexican flags protesting in the united states . but keep in mind , we live in america : a country where one can voice an opinion , however different it might be . we live in a land that has freedom of speech . but i believe navarrette missed the larger point . manzano is not mexican-american but was born a mexican and became an american . there is a reason one can have dual citizenship ; it means that one can have an allegiance for two countries . there is no conflict of interest . if governments can approve of dual citizenship , why ca n't individuals embrace it ? navarrette asked : where were the italian-american athletes waving the italian flag , or the irish-americans waving the irish flag ? ' maybe we do n't have that because italian and irish families emigrated to the united states much earlier and their ties may not be as strong to their motherland . also , they are too far away from europe . however , mexico is so close to the united states that manzano , or any other mexican or mexican-american , can just drive their car across the border . those people with italian or irish lineage ca n't just drive home : there 's too much water along the way , much more water than the rio grande . i found it interesting that navarrette would say that most mexican-americans he knows would need a whole team of therapists to sort out their views on culture , national identity , ethnic pride and their relationship with mother mexico . ' i do n't see that , though i think some of my fellow mexican-americans need therapists for other reasons . navarrette also thinks that mexican-americans are the orphans of the southwest -- too mexican for the americans , too american for the mexicans . ' i have heard this before . maybe it 's just me , but i would n't need to see a therapist to accept being a second-generation mexican-american and embrace the culture of my grandparents . i am bilingual , bicultural and have two addresses : dallas , texas , and mexico city . i have affinity for both the united states and mexico , and that 's perfectly fine . in this increasingly global world we live in , do n't we have an appreciation for people who do not forget where they came from ? when i am in mexico city , i certainly never forget that i am also an american . on the fourth of july , for example , i once had a party that included american flags , hot dogs and hamburgers in order to educate my mexican friends about american culture . no one made a big deal about it . when i posted navarrette 's commentary about manzano on my facebook page , the reactions were not in navarrette 's favor . my friends , mostly mexican-americans and mexicans , looked at manzano 's victory lap in a positive light . they know that manzano was representing the united states and never doubted his devotion to the country that took him and his family in during hours of need . it 's just that , in a moment of pride , manzano wanted the world to know that he did n't forget his heritage . as one friend aptly put it , identity , like borders , is porous and negotiable . ' i like this statement because even though i was born and raised in dallas , i have no problem crossing borders , loving both dallas and mexico city . if i am ever recognized in mexico for any of my accomplishments , i will not hesitate to wear my u.s. flag in honor of my country . sure , the olympics are a different story . the whole world is watching . while olympic athletes should always rally behind their team , it does not mean they have to subsume their individuality . we should admire individuals for their hard work and respect their decisions in how they wish to be recognized . manzano wanted to thank the united states and also acknowledge mexico , the land of his forefathers . as i see the image of manzano running with two flags and embracing his dual citizenship , i sense no insolence . he did n't take off his usa jersey ; the mexican flag is not prominently hanging over his head , it 's only dangling as some sort of secondary thought . it is clear he loves his adopted country . viva to manzano for being proud of who he is : someone who is american , but also has a part of mexico in him . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of jesús chairez . | chairez : there is no doubt that manzano loves america , his adopted country |
chairez <tsp> dallas , texas ( cnn ) -- when leo manzano won second place in the 1,500-meters final at the olympics , he celebrated his well-deserved victory by waving two flags , that of the united states and mexico . he has every right to do so : after all , he has dual citizenship for both countries . some observers disagree with manzano 's action . on cnn.com , ruben navarrette voiced his concerns that manzano was showing disloyalty to the united states even while he 's wearing the usa jersey . opinion : u.s. olympic athlete , mexican flag ? judging by the volume of comments in response to navarrette 's opinion , one would think that manzano had committed treason . one reader wrote , he is pathetic . ... go back to mexico . you 're either american or not ! ! ' ok , calm down . let 's not get too worked up here . navarrette was right when he said that it 's all about context . ' like him , i personally do n't like mexican-americans or undocumented mexicans waving mexican flags protesting in the united states . but keep in mind , we live in america : a country where one can voice an opinion , however different it might be . we live in a land that has freedom of speech . but i believe navarrette missed the larger point . manzano is not mexican-american but was born a mexican and became an american . there is a reason one can have dual citizenship ; it means that one can have an allegiance for two countries . there is no conflict of interest . if governments can approve of dual citizenship , why ca n't individuals embrace it ? navarrette asked : where were the italian-american athletes waving the italian flag , or the irish-americans waving the irish flag ? ' maybe we do n't have that because italian and irish families emigrated to the united states much earlier and their ties may not be as strong to their motherland . also , they are too far away from europe . however , mexico is so close to the united states that manzano , or any other mexican or mexican-american , can just drive their car across the border . those people with italian or irish lineage ca n't just drive home : there 's too much water along the way , much more water than the rio grande . i found it interesting that navarrette would say that most mexican-americans he knows would need a whole team of therapists to sort out their views on culture , national identity , ethnic pride and their relationship with mother mexico . ' i do n't see that , though i think some of my fellow mexican-americans need therapists for other reasons . navarrette also thinks that mexican-americans are the orphans of the southwest -- too mexican for the americans , too american for the mexicans . ' i have heard this before . maybe it 's just me , but i would n't need to see a therapist to accept being a second-generation mexican-american and embrace the culture of my grandparents . i am bilingual , bicultural and have two addresses : dallas , texas , and mexico city . i have affinity for both the united states and mexico , and that 's perfectly fine . in this increasingly global world we live in , do n't we have an appreciation for people who do not forget where they came from ? when i am in mexico city , i certainly never forget that i am also an american . on the fourth of july , for example , i once had a party that included american flags , hot dogs and hamburgers in order to educate my mexican friends about american culture . no one made a big deal about it . when i posted navarrette 's commentary about manzano on my facebook page , the reactions were not in navarrette 's favor . my friends , mostly mexican-americans and mexicans , looked at manzano 's victory lap in a positive light . they know that manzano was representing the united states and never doubted his devotion to the country that took him and his family in during hours of need . it 's just that , in a moment of pride , manzano wanted the world to know that he did n't forget his heritage . as one friend aptly put it , identity , like borders , is porous and negotiable . ' i like this statement because even though i was born and raised in dallas , i have no problem crossing borders , loving both dallas and mexico city . if i am ever recognized in mexico for any of my accomplishments , i will not hesitate to wear my u.s. flag in honor of my country . sure , the olympics are a different story . the whole world is watching . while olympic athletes should always rally behind their team , it does not mean they have to subsume their individuality . we should admire individuals for their hard work and respect their decisions in how they wish to be recognized . manzano wanted to thank the united states and also acknowledge mexico , the land of his forefathers . as i see the image of manzano running with two flags and embracing his dual citizenship , i sense no insolence . he did n't take off his usa jersey ; the mexican flag is not prominently hanging over his head , it 's only dangling as some sort of secondary thought . it is clear he loves his adopted country . viva to manzano for being proud of who he is : someone who is american , but also has a part of mexico in him . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of jesús chairez . | chairez : manzano has dual citizenship for the u.s. and mexico |
chairez <tsp> dallas , texas ( cnn ) -- when leo manzano won second place in the 1,500-meters final at the olympics , he celebrated his well-deserved victory by waving two flags , that of the united states and mexico . he has every right to do so : after all , he has dual citizenship for both countries . some observers disagree with manzano 's action . on cnn.com , ruben navarrette voiced his concerns that manzano was showing disloyalty to the united states even while he 's wearing the usa jersey . opinion : u.s. olympic athlete , mexican flag ? judging by the volume of comments in response to navarrette 's opinion , one would think that manzano had committed treason . one reader wrote , he is pathetic . ... go back to mexico . you 're either american or not ! ! ' ok , calm down . let 's not get too worked up here . navarrette was right when he said that it 's all about context . ' like him , i personally do n't like mexican-americans or undocumented mexicans waving mexican flags protesting in the united states . but keep in mind , we live in america : a country where one can voice an opinion , however different it might be . we live in a land that has freedom of speech . but i believe navarrette missed the larger point . manzano is not mexican-american but was born a mexican and became an american . there is a reason one can have dual citizenship ; it means that one can have an allegiance for two countries . there is no conflict of interest . if governments can approve of dual citizenship , why ca n't individuals embrace it ? navarrette asked : where were the italian-american athletes waving the italian flag , or the irish-americans waving the irish flag ? ' maybe we do n't have that because italian and irish families emigrated to the united states much earlier and their ties may not be as strong to their motherland . also , they are too far away from europe . however , mexico is so close to the united states that manzano , or any other mexican or mexican-american , can just drive their car across the border . those people with italian or irish lineage ca n't just drive home : there 's too much water along the way , much more water than the rio grande . i found it interesting that navarrette would say that most mexican-americans he knows would need a whole team of therapists to sort out their views on culture , national identity , ethnic pride and their relationship with mother mexico . ' i do n't see that , though i think some of my fellow mexican-americans need therapists for other reasons . navarrette also thinks that mexican-americans are the orphans of the southwest -- too mexican for the americans , too american for the mexicans . ' i have heard this before . maybe it 's just me , but i would n't need to see a therapist to accept being a second-generation mexican-american and embrace the culture of my grandparents . i am bilingual , bicultural and have two addresses : dallas , texas , and mexico city . i have affinity for both the united states and mexico , and that 's perfectly fine . in this increasingly global world we live in , do n't we have an appreciation for people who do not forget where they came from ? when i am in mexico city , i certainly never forget that i am also an american . on the fourth of july , for example , i once had a party that included american flags , hot dogs and hamburgers in order to educate my mexican friends about american culture . no one made a big deal about it . when i posted navarrette 's commentary about manzano on my facebook page , the reactions were not in navarrette 's favor . my friends , mostly mexican-americans and mexicans , looked at manzano 's victory lap in a positive light . they know that manzano was representing the united states and never doubted his devotion to the country that took him and his family in during hours of need . it 's just that , in a moment of pride , manzano wanted the world to know that he did n't forget his heritage . as one friend aptly put it , identity , like borders , is porous and negotiable . ' i like this statement because even though i was born and raised in dallas , i have no problem crossing borders , loving both dallas and mexico city . if i am ever recognized in mexico for any of my accomplishments , i will not hesitate to wear my u.s. flag in honor of my country . sure , the olympics are a different story . the whole world is watching . while olympic athletes should always rally behind their team , it does not mean they have to subsume their individuality . we should admire individuals for their hard work and respect their decisions in how they wish to be recognized . manzano wanted to thank the united states and also acknowledge mexico , the land of his forefathers . as i see the image of manzano running with two flags and embracing his dual citizenship , i sense no insolence . he did n't take off his usa jersey ; the mexican flag is not prominently hanging over his head , it 's only dangling as some sort of secondary thought . it is clear he loves his adopted country . viva to manzano for being proud of who he is : someone who is american , but also has a part of mexico in him . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of jesús chairez . | jesús chairez : leo manzano has a right to wave two flags in his victory lap at the olympics |
america <tsp> los angeles ( cnn ) -- artist thomas kinkade 's death last month was from an accidental overdose of alcohol and valium , according to the santa clara county , california , medical examiner . kinkade , 54 , also suffered from hypertensive and atherosclerotic heart disease , said the autopsy report released monday . the report cited acute ethanol and diazepam intoxication ' as the cause of death and accidental ' as the manner of death . diazepam is a prescription anti-anxiety drug also known as valium . related : alcohol and valium together can shut down the the brain kinkade , one of the most popular artists in america , painted more than 1,000 pieces on various topics , including cabins , nature scenes , seascapes and classic americana . art from the self-described painter of light , ' adorns many living rooms in america . it emphasizes simple pleasures and warm , positive images of idyllic cottages , lighthouses and colorful gardens . he had a rare ability to exude a sense of warmth , a transcendent light , ' said robert goodwin , who wrote the book points of light : a celebration of the american spirit of giving , ' with kinkade . he had a great commitment to inspire others -- one who was nurtured in his early life by family and friends and church to really be an example of selfless acts of service , ' he said saturday . my mission as an artist is to capture those special moments in life adorned with beauty and light , ' kinkade said in a message on his website . i work to create images that project a serene simplicity that can be appreciated and enjoyed by everyone . that 's what i mean by sharing the light . ' in 2006 , the artist recalled one of his earliest lessons during an interview with cnn 's larry king . when i was a young boy , my mother told me ,'your talents are god 's gifts to you , and what you do with those talents are your gift to god ,'' he said . | kinkade , one of the most popular artists in america , painted more than 1,000 pieces |
female vocalist of the year <tsp> ( rollingstone.com ) -- by now , miranda lambert is certainly accustomed to being the belle of the country ball , but she tries not to show it . the country queen took home three trophies at sunday 's academy of country music awards , including a record fifth straight win as female vocalist of the year . i can not believe this ; i really did n't expect it , ' said the denim-clad singer upon besting sheryl crow , kacey musgraves , taylor swift and carrie underwood for the female vocalist honor . i was just hanging out with trisha yearwood back there -- holy crap ! and i was standing next to sheryl crow , a complete and utter rock star . kacey musgraves , she wrote the single of the year . carrie underwood 's my buddy ; she 's a phenomenon . ' rs : taylor swift in wonderland that musgraves-penned , lambert-delivered single of the year is the musical spitfire , mama 's broken heart . ' keith urban shares the country singer 's third win of the evening , vocal event of the year , for their duet , we were us . ' he also shares bragging rights as the night 's top winner , as he collects two trophies for we were us , ' as artist and producer of the song , along with video of the year for highway do n't care , ' his catchy collaboration with tim mcgraw and taylor swift . while urban and lambert led in numbers , it was george strait who took home the night 's top trophy , entertainer of the year . this follows the king of country 's victory in the same category at the cmas last november -- both sweet sentimental wins in that the 61-year-old music icon is retiring from touring after his current cowboy rides away trek . rs : miranda lambert 's best revenge songs ' i 've always said i have the best fans in the world , and i heard this was a fan-voted thing , so i rest my case , ' quipped the legendary singer from the acm 's las vegas stage . the only other fan-voted award of the night was perhaps the night 's only controversial moment . the 2014 acm new artist of the year is justin moore , a singer who first hit the country airwaves in 2008 . with three albums now under his belt , including two gold-sellers , the arkansas native actually does not qualify for the new artist title under the acm 's rules that any solo artist that has sold 500,000 copies of a previously released album ... [ is ] not eligible for this category . ' the academy explained that , in some cases , there are exceptions to the rule . a grateful moore , who stands about 5'6 ' , made light of the situation in his acceptance speech , joking , i was beginning to think there might be a height requirement for this award . ' george strait to record five new albums jason aldean stands tall with his second win in a row for male vocalist of the year , while vocal group of the year went to first-time winners , the band perry . predictable victories included florida georgia line for vocal duo of the year and critic darling kacey musgraves for album of the year . jessi alexander , connie harrington and jimmy yeary -- the songwriters behind lee brice 's i drive your truck ' -- took home song of the year honors . to mark the acm 's 50th anniversary , the awards show will next year broadcast live from at & t stadium , home to the dallas cowboys . see the original story at rollingstone.com . copyright © 2011 rolling stone . | miranda lambert won female vocalist of the year for the fifth year in a row |
cristiano ronaldo <tsp> ( cnn ) -- andres iniesta pipped barcelona teammate lionel messi and real madrid 's cristiano ronaldo to win the uefa best player in europe award thursday . the 28-year-old midfielder was named player of the tournament as spain won euro 2012 and was in brilliant form for the catalan giants all season . iniesta received his trophy from uefa president michel platini at the grimaldi forum in monaco where earlier the champions league draw had been made . i am very honored and i dedicate this award to my barcelona and spain teammates , ' said iniesta . i am privileged to be here with two such great footballers as leo and cristiano . ' iniesta received 19 votes in a poll of sports journalists representing each of uefa 's member associations . goal scoring machines messi and ronaldo were tied for second on 17 votes apiece after the three had formed a final shortlist following an initial round of voting . iniesta broke emilio butragueno 's record of 50 la liga matches without defeat during the course of last season but he was on the losing side in game 56 as ronaldo 's real won 1-0 at the camp nou in april to clinch the la liga crown . he has won every honor in the game in a glittering career , scoring the extra time goal as spain beat the netherlands 1-0 in the 2010 world cup final in south africa . argentina ace messi won the first edition of the new award which is the brainchild of former french international star platini . | barcelona midfielder pips lionel messi and cristiano ronaldo to honor |
iniesta <tsp> ( cnn ) -- andres iniesta pipped barcelona teammate lionel messi and real madrid 's cristiano ronaldo to win the uefa best player in europe award thursday . the 28-year-old midfielder was named player of the tournament as spain won euro 2012 and was in brilliant form for the catalan giants all season . iniesta received his trophy from uefa president michel platini at the grimaldi forum in monaco where earlier the champions league draw had been made . i am very honored and i dedicate this award to my barcelona and spain teammates , ' said iniesta . i am privileged to be here with two such great footballers as leo and cristiano . ' iniesta received 19 votes in a poll of sports journalists representing each of uefa 's member associations . goal scoring machines messi and ronaldo were tied for second on 17 votes apiece after the three had formed a final shortlist following an initial round of voting . iniesta broke emilio butragueno 's record of 50 la liga matches without defeat during the course of last season but he was on the losing side in game 56 as ronaldo 's real won 1-0 at the camp nou in april to clinch the la liga crown . he has won every honor in the game in a glittering career , scoring the extra time goal as spain beat the netherlands 1-0 in the 2010 world cup final in south africa . argentina ace messi won the first edition of the new award which is the brainchild of former french international star platini . | andres iniesta claims uefa 's best player in europe award |
iniesta <tsp> ( cnn ) -- andres iniesta pipped barcelona teammate lionel messi and real madrid 's cristiano ronaldo to win the uefa best player in europe award thursday . the 28-year-old midfielder was named player of the tournament as spain won euro 2012 and was in brilliant form for the catalan giants all season . iniesta received his trophy from uefa president michel platini at the grimaldi forum in monaco where earlier the champions league draw had been made . i am very honored and i dedicate this award to my barcelona and spain teammates , ' said iniesta . i am privileged to be here with two such great footballers as leo and cristiano . ' iniesta received 19 votes in a poll of sports journalists representing each of uefa 's member associations . goal scoring machines messi and ronaldo were tied for second on 17 votes apiece after the three had formed a final shortlist following an initial round of voting . iniesta broke emilio butragueno 's record of 50 la liga matches without defeat during the course of last season but he was on the losing side in game 56 as ronaldo 's real won 1-0 at the camp nou in april to clinch the la liga crown . he has won every honor in the game in a glittering career , scoring the extra time goal as spain beat the netherlands 1-0 in the 2010 world cup final in south africa . argentina ace messi won the first edition of the new award which is the brainchild of former french international star platini . | iniesta was best player of the tournament in spain 's euro 2012 triumph |
wozniacki <tsp> ( cnn ) -- two former world no . 1s . two tennis stars who have been unlucky in love with golfing partners . two women who are getting their careers back on track . caroline wozniacki will take on ana ivanovic in sunday 's final of the pan pacific open in tokyo in a battle of two players who have promised so much , but fallen frustratingly short . wozniacki 's fortunes have taken a remarkable turn for the better since rory mcilroy called off their wedding -- with a phone call -- in may . while the golfer regained his best form immediately , winning two major titles in a month , wozniacki 's resurgence has been more gradual -- culminating in defeat to serena williams in this month 's u.s. open final . the dane , who won the tokyo title in 2010 , is seeking the 23rd wta tour crown of her career , and second this year following july 's istanbul success . she had to show her renowned fighting qualities on saturday before battling to a 6-4 2-6 6-2 win over 20-year-old spaniard garbine muguruza , who this season has reached the first two finals of her career , winning one of them . she was playing really , really well and very aggressively , but i just kept fighting and staying in there , and i think at the end i had just a little bit more energy than she did , ' wozniacki said after her 22nd win in 26 matches since the hard-court swing began . the 24-year-old needs to improve on her 2-4 career record against ivanovic , who holds the last of eight qualifying places in the race to feature at the season-ending championships in singapore -- wozniacki is ninth , with five slots yet to be decided . the serbian , who had an on-off relationship with australian golfer adam scott earlier this decade , has won three of her five finals in 2014 after rebuilding her game and ranking . unlike wozniacki , she has a grand slam title to her name -- the 2008 french open -- but has not done so well in this season 's majors since reaching the australian open quarterfinals in january . ivanovic lost in the 2007 tokyo final before it became a premier-level event on the tour , and the 26-year-old has another chance for japanese success after knocking out top seed angelique kerber in saturday 's semifinals . she came back from 5-3 down in the opening set , winning 10 of the next 13 games to triumph 7-5 6-3 against the german -- who lost to petra kvitova in last year 's final . in the beginning it really took me some time to adjust to her game . it was n't like my previous matches , ' ivanovic said after her 51st win this season , equaling her career best achieved seven years ago . but once i adjusted and got more aggressive it started to go my way , and i 'm really happy with the win today because she 's always such a tough and challenging opponent . ' meanwhile , romania 's monica niculescu won the second wta tour title of her career saturday , beating france 's alize cornet 6-4 6-0 in the final of the guangzhou international women 's open . american varvara lepchenko will play czech karolina pliskova in sunday 's korea open final in seoul . | caroline wozniacki faces ana ivanovic in the final of the tokyo open |
wozniacki <tsp> ( cnn ) -- two former world no . 1s . two tennis stars who have been unlucky in love with golfing partners . two women who are getting their careers back on track . caroline wozniacki will take on ana ivanovic in sunday 's final of the pan pacific open in tokyo in a battle of two players who have promised so much , but fallen frustratingly short . wozniacki 's fortunes have taken a remarkable turn for the better since rory mcilroy called off their wedding -- with a phone call -- in may . while the golfer regained his best form immediately , winning two major titles in a month , wozniacki 's resurgence has been more gradual -- culminating in defeat to serena williams in this month 's u.s. open final . the dane , who won the tokyo title in 2010 , is seeking the 23rd wta tour crown of her career , and second this year following july 's istanbul success . she had to show her renowned fighting qualities on saturday before battling to a 6-4 2-6 6-2 win over 20-year-old spaniard garbine muguruza , who this season has reached the first two finals of her career , winning one of them . she was playing really , really well and very aggressively , but i just kept fighting and staying in there , and i think at the end i had just a little bit more energy than she did , ' wozniacki said after her 22nd win in 26 matches since the hard-court swing began . the 24-year-old needs to improve on her 2-4 career record against ivanovic , who holds the last of eight qualifying places in the race to feature at the season-ending championships in singapore -- wozniacki is ninth , with five slots yet to be decided . the serbian , who had an on-off relationship with australian golfer adam scott earlier this decade , has won three of her five finals in 2014 after rebuilding her game and ranking . unlike wozniacki , she has a grand slam title to her name -- the 2008 french open -- but has not done so well in this season 's majors since reaching the australian open quarterfinals in january . ivanovic lost in the 2007 tokyo final before it became a premier-level event on the tour , and the 26-year-old has another chance for japanese success after knocking out top seed angelique kerber in saturday 's semifinals . she came back from 5-3 down in the opening set , winning 10 of the next 13 games to triumph 7-5 6-3 against the german -- who lost to petra kvitova in last year 's final . in the beginning it really took me some time to adjust to her game . it was n't like my previous matches , ' ivanovic said after her 51st win this season , equaling her career best achieved seven years ago . but once i adjusted and got more aggressive it started to go my way , and i 'm really happy with the win today because she 's always such a tough and challenging opponent . ' meanwhile , romania 's monica niculescu won the second wta tour title of her career saturday , beating france 's alize cornet 6-4 6-0 in the final of the guangzhou international women 's open . american varvara lepchenko will play czech karolina pliskova in sunday 's korea open final in seoul . | wozniacki battles past rising star garbine muguruza in three sets |
australia <tsp> ( cnn ) about a quarter of a million australian homes and businesses have no power after a once in a decade ' storm battered sydney and nearby areas . about 4,500 people have been isolated by flood waters as the roads are cut off and we wo n't be able to reach them for a few days , ' michael langley , spokesman for the new south wales state emergency service said . devastating winds lashed cars and homes . the storm system also brought destructive flooding that washed away houses and brought down trees onto streets and buildings . the emergency services have been slammed with 13,000 calls for help due to flooding and have carried out 144 rescue tasks . the powerful storm has already claimed four lives , according to new south wales police . the dangerous conditions have prompted the police department to issue pleas on social media for people to not attempt driving through flooded areas . the heavy flooding prompted school and college closures and disruptions to public transportation . the adverse weather was caused by an intense low pressure system , said australia 's bureau of meteorology . the strongest wind gusts peaked at 135 km/h ( 85 mph ) and it was estimated that about 200 millimeters ( 7.87 inches ) of rainfall fell in the area on tuesday . transport nsw , which provides public transportation throughout the new south wales area , issued a warning that many public services across the region have been disrupted because of the weather . it also posted a video on its facebook page showing cctv footage of a flood waters rising in a train station . samantha mancuso was driving in her neighborhood of liverpool , a suburb in sydney on wednesday , when she noticed gallons of water pouring into the streets . she said joe broad reserve , a nearby park , was flooded . the severe weather caused a local creek to break its banks and now the flooding is seeping into the neighborhood . water levels at the park reached 2.6 meters ( 8.5 feet ) earlier in the morning , but have slightly receded , she said . | a large storm system brought damaging winds and flooding to parts of australia |
sydney <tsp> ( cnn ) about a quarter of a million australian homes and businesses have no power after a once in a decade ' storm battered sydney and nearby areas . about 4,500 people have been isolated by flood waters as the roads are cut off and we wo n't be able to reach them for a few days , ' michael langley , spokesman for the new south wales state emergency service said . devastating winds lashed cars and homes . the storm system also brought destructive flooding that washed away houses and brought down trees onto streets and buildings . the emergency services have been slammed with 13,000 calls for help due to flooding and have carried out 144 rescue tasks . the powerful storm has already claimed four lives , according to new south wales police . the dangerous conditions have prompted the police department to issue pleas on social media for people to not attempt driving through flooded areas . the heavy flooding prompted school and college closures and disruptions to public transportation . the adverse weather was caused by an intense low pressure system , said australia 's bureau of meteorology . the strongest wind gusts peaked at 135 km/h ( 85 mph ) and it was estimated that about 200 millimeters ( 7.87 inches ) of rainfall fell in the area on tuesday . transport nsw , which provides public transportation throughout the new south wales area , issued a warning that many public services across the region have been disrupted because of the weather . it also posted a video on its facebook page showing cctv footage of a flood waters rising in a train station . samantha mancuso was driving in her neighborhood of liverpool , a suburb in sydney on wednesday , when she noticed gallons of water pouring into the streets . she said joe broad reserve , a nearby park , was flooded . the severe weather caused a local creek to break its banks and now the flooding is seeping into the neighborhood . water levels at the park reached 2.6 meters ( 8.5 feet ) earlier in the morning , but have slightly receded , she said . | quarter million people without power in sydney and nearby areas |
daily curriculum <tsp> ( cnn student news ) -- march 26 , 2014 a landslide , a rescue effort , and a state of emergency : today 's show updates you on a tragic natural disaster in washington state . we also cover how and why the u.s. first lady is encouraging students to study abroad , though it 's not an option for everyone . and if athletes at northwestern university are allowed to unionize , it could change the playing field for college sports . on this page you will find today 's show transcript , the daily curriculum , and a place for you to leave feedback . transcript click here to access the transcript of today 's cnn student news program . please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published . daily curriculum click here for a printable version of the daily curriculum ( pdf ) . media literacy question of the day : if you could interview a famous person , whom would you choose , what would you want to ask , and how would you prepare ? key concepts : identify or explain these subjects you heard about in today 's show : 1. debt load 2 . ncaa 3. unionize fast facts : how well were you listening to today 's program ? 1 . in what u.s. state has the governor declared a state of emergency after a recent landslide killed at least 14 people ? explain how landslides happen . 2 . what advice does first lady michelle obama have for students who want to study abroad ? where did she receive her first passport stamp ? how did she feel about asking her dad to pay for the trip ? how did he respond ? what did she get out of the experience ? 3 . according to the report : what is the median debt load for a student with a graduate degree ? how does this compare to the debt load graduate students carried in 2004 ? what factors may be behind this increase ? 4 . why is former northwestern university football player jeff yarbrough now unable to run ? why does n't he have surgery to correct the problem ? what are members of the northwestern university football team trying to do , and why ? how has the university responded ? what is the ncaa ? how has this organization responded to the players ? why does the law professor in the video argue that unionizing is not the answer to the players'concerns ? discussion questions : 1 . why do you think that the first lady advises young people to be open ' when they study in another country ? have you ever traveled to a place where the people and culture were different from what you knew ? if you have , how did the experience impact you ? 2 . do you plan to attend college ? is graduate school a possibility for you ? if so , how much do you expect to contribute to tuition and other expenses ? what options might help exist you pay for your education ? do you think a college degree is worth the cost ? explain . what do you think you could do to minimize the cost of earning a degree ? 3 . what is your opinion of the northwestern university football players'attempt to unionize ? do you see the players as employees of the university , or do you see them as students ? which way do you think the judge should rule ? explain . cnn student news is created by a team of journalists and educators who consider the common core state standards , national standards in different subject areas , and state standards when producing the show and curriculum . we hope you use our free daily materials along with the program , and we welcome your feedback on them . feedback we 're looking for your feedback about cnn student news . please use this page to leave us comments about today 's program , including what you think about our stories and our resources . also , feel free to tell us how you use them in your classroom . the educators on our staff will monitor this page and may respond to your comments as well . thank you for using cnn student news ! click here to submit your roll call request . | the daily curriculum offers the media literacy question of the day , key concepts , fast facts and discussion questions |
daily curriculum <tsp> ( cnn student news ) -- march 26 , 2014 a landslide , a rescue effort , and a state of emergency : today 's show updates you on a tragic natural disaster in washington state . we also cover how and why the u.s. first lady is encouraging students to study abroad , though it 's not an option for everyone . and if athletes at northwestern university are allowed to unionize , it could change the playing field for college sports . on this page you will find today 's show transcript , the daily curriculum , and a place for you to leave feedback . transcript click here to access the transcript of today 's cnn student news program . please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published . daily curriculum click here for a printable version of the daily curriculum ( pdf ) . media literacy question of the day : if you could interview a famous person , whom would you choose , what would you want to ask , and how would you prepare ? key concepts : identify or explain these subjects you heard about in today 's show : 1. debt load 2 . ncaa 3. unionize fast facts : how well were you listening to today 's program ? 1 . in what u.s. state has the governor declared a state of emergency after a recent landslide killed at least 14 people ? explain how landslides happen . 2 . what advice does first lady michelle obama have for students who want to study abroad ? where did she receive her first passport stamp ? how did she feel about asking her dad to pay for the trip ? how did he respond ? what did she get out of the experience ? 3 . according to the report : what is the median debt load for a student with a graduate degree ? how does this compare to the debt load graduate students carried in 2004 ? what factors may be behind this increase ? 4 . why is former northwestern university football player jeff yarbrough now unable to run ? why does n't he have surgery to correct the problem ? what are members of the northwestern university football team trying to do , and why ? how has the university responded ? what is the ncaa ? how has this organization responded to the players ? why does the law professor in the video argue that unionizing is not the answer to the players'concerns ? discussion questions : 1 . why do you think that the first lady advises young people to be open ' when they study in another country ? have you ever traveled to a place where the people and culture were different from what you knew ? if you have , how did the experience impact you ? 2 . do you plan to attend college ? is graduate school a possibility for you ? if so , how much do you expect to contribute to tuition and other expenses ? what options might help exist you pay for your education ? do you think a college degree is worth the cost ? explain . what do you think you could do to minimize the cost of earning a degree ? 3 . what is your opinion of the northwestern university football players'attempt to unionize ? do you see the players as employees of the university , or do you see them as students ? which way do you think the judge should rule ? explain . cnn student news is created by a team of journalists and educators who consider the common core state standards , national standards in different subject areas , and state standards when producing the show and curriculum . we hope you use our free daily materials along with the program , and we welcome your feedback on them . feedback we 're looking for your feedback about cnn student news . please use this page to leave us comments about today 's program , including what you think about our stories and our resources . also , feel free to tell us how you use them in your classroom . the educators on our staff will monitor this page and may respond to your comments as well . thank you for using cnn student news ! click here to submit your roll call request . | this page includes the show transcript and the daily curriculum |
linkedin <tsp> ( cnn ) -- last week , we gave you digital tips and tricks for surviving a layoff -- the first seven days , at least . now , here we are again , an entire wednesday later , prepared to help you gird your loins for the job search ahead . so , wipe the cheeto dust from your fingers and peel yourself out of that body-shaped imprint you 've made on your bed . your bout in the ranks of the unemployed probably wo n't be short -- on average , unemployed workers have been jobless for 40 weeks , a number that has n't changed much in the last six months . but of course , you should aim to make it as brief as possible . the longer you 're laid off , the harder it is to get back in the market , ' says nicole williams , linkedin 's connection director . act fast to get the ball rolling before you forget what it feels like to wear real pants and chit-chat over a box of donuts ( with other people , that is ) . one positive note : the whole ordeal might not be as miserable as you think ( funemployment , ' anyone ? ) . last year , an australian study found that unemployed folks were actually happier than the drones stuck in miserable jobs . maybe this 'll be the best thing that ever happened to you . ( cheerleader jump ! cheerleader jump ! rah ! rah ! ) read on for a few social network to-dos to get you back in the rat race . target your pleas . last week we covered strategically letting your circles know about the change in employment status ( in short : be brief , be upbeat , and only tell those who could specifically help you ) . a similar principle is at play as you 're seeking out potential business contacts to bug . a mistake a lot of people make is just contacting everyone they can find with a generic note , ' williams says . a better approach : figure out something ( or someone ) you have in common with the individual , and send a personalized note along with your facebook/twitter/linkedin request . you have to get them to be interested in your situation , ' she adds , because people are busy , and why should they worry about your career ? ' stalk potential employers . not literally , of course . but when job-searching online , most people tend to think about job boards such as monster.com and craigslist.com . while there 's nothing wrong with keeping an eye out for appropriate openings ( and plenty of people indeed find new gigs on such sites ) , massive job listings are often a slang word that rhymes with duster-duck ' -- meaning they 're disorganized , crowded and teeming with humanity . sometimes a job will be posted days after the hiring managers have made a decision , when corporate policy requires it . months-old listings will mysteriously float to the top long after they 've been filled . and in the journalism world , for example , a listing on industry tracker mediabistro.com can yield hundreds of enthusiastic applications . go ahead and wade in the morass of job aggregators , but we recommend taking a more targeted approach in the meantime . brainstorm some corporations that should be dying to hire you , and figure out how you can keep dibs on them . that way you 'll be privy to any movement in jobs or anything they 're doing industry-wise , ' williams says . if the company 's striking out on a new project that matches your skills , you have an in to request an informational interview with a higher-up over there , for example . and if you note that someone with your dream job just departed for company x , you can swoop in . poke around their website for an rss feed of company news and add it to your own feed reader ( such as google reader ) for easy stalk-age . follow the company on linkedin ( go to the company tab along the top , search , and follow ) to see who 's leaving ( and who will , presumably , leave behind a vacancy ) , and what current employees are in your circle -- they 're your goldmines in the whom do i address this cover letter to ? ' game . downplay the layoff in your job apps . here 's the thing : if you 're the right candidate , then you 're the right candidate -- whether you 're currently at another company or currently signing up for market research focus groups to pay the bills between rounds of job-searching . while there 's no shame in having been let go ( at this point , we all know upstanding employees who fell victim to the economy ) , your cover letter should shimmer with hireability , not with the grayish braille of woe-is-me teardrops . think of it this way : if you come across as defensive , insecure or bitter about the layoff , you 'll raise all sorts of red flags in a hiring manager 's mind . but if you 're bursting with confidence and talent and good ideas ( and , oh yeah , it comes up in the interview that you 're looking for a new job because you do n't have one but the job termination was circumstantial and , hey , here 's a recommendation letter from your former boss ) , you seem like the kind of employee who always lands on his feet . and in this earthquake of an economy , a little catlike agility is a very good thing . | follow companies on linkedin to see what current employees are in your circle |
sergio garcia <tsp> hoylake , england ( cnn ) -- the british open is rory mcilroy 's to lose . on a day when the weather finally bared its teeth at royal liverpool , so did the northern irishman . at one stage of this historic championship round -- with two tees in operation for the first time ever -- another dynamic 25-year-old threatened the fairytale merseyside had been dreaming of . rickie fowler tied mcilroy for the lead as the two-time major champion toiled amid the thick and unforgiving rough of hoylake 's 12th hole . but that seemed the catalyst for the home favorite to turn on the afterburners , as two eagles on his final three holes wrested the famed claret jug ever closer to his clubhouse locker . the roar that followed his three on the final green was of the pitch one expects to greet the winning putt . it may well prove to be the telling blow . a six-shot lead going into a final round that should see a return to the benign weather of the first two days means a third major of mcilroy 's fledgling career is within touching distance . fowler 's only hope is to recapture the furious pace he set early on saturday . seven birdies drew him level with mcilroy before three bogeys halted a gallant charge . he will make up a final group with a combined age 14 years junior to that of five-time open champion tom watson , who sits on five-over for the tournament . spain 's sergio garcia and dustin johnson , from america , both lie on nine-under with frenchman victor dubuisson a further shot behind . but mcilroy is in such form it 'd take a return to the dark days of his augusta meltdown in 2011 to derail his procession towards hoylake 's honors board , and entry to an exclusive club . only jack nicklaus and tiger woods managed to win three majors in the modern era by the age of 25 . by sunday night , mcilroy could have 75 % of a career grand slam sewn up and make that twosome a supremely talented hat-trick . i never thought i 'd be able to be in this position , ' mcilroy told reporters as torrential rain crashed down on the media centre roof , justifying the decision to send the players out early . i 'm going to try and put all that out of my head because it would be way too much to think about , way too much to ponder . not a lot of people have achieved a career grand slam and if everything goes the right way tomorrow , to get to three-quarters of the way there is some achievement by the age of 25 . i 'd be in pretty illustrious company , i do n't want to get ahead of ourselves but it would mean an awful lot . first things first , play a good solid round tomorrow and if that means i 'm going to augusta with a bit of hype then so be it . ' it was fitting that a biblical downpour erupted just as mcilroy filed in to face the gathered press , for hoylake has proved something of a perfect storm for him . intent on improving his record in golf 's oldest major , mcilroy spent the weeks leading up to the tournament shaping his game on the links courses of his native northern ireland . it has made quite a difference . the 25-year-old has arrested a decline that saw finishes of 25th , 60th and 116th in the last three years and now sits one solid round away from landing his first open title . with savage thunderstorms sweeping northwards , the r & a decided to operate two starting tees for the first time in the tournament 's history , sending groups of three out from 9am . this meant after a twilight finish on friday , mcilroy barely had time to hit the gym and watch a movie , as he has done after both rounds so far , before he was due back at the course . and like yesterday , his start was sluggish . a bogey on the first , coupled with playing partner dustin johnson 's birdie , saw his four-shot lead chopped in half immediately . he canceled out that error with a birdie on the fifth but seemed more content to protect his lead than exert himself to extend it . fowler was the opposite . in weather that would make most californians recoil in horror , the 25-year-old reveled in the hanging cloud and spitting rain that swept across the wirral peninsula . he recorded four birdies in six holes to close the gap on mcilroy , with garcia fighting to keep pace in the same group . when fowler rolled in a 30ft putt on the 11th , a shot for shot sunday battle between the florida neighbors who first met at the amateur walker cup battle between the u.s. and great britain and ireland in 2007 looked likely . another birdie on 12 took fowler to 12-under and when mcilroy missed a short par putt on the same green not 15 minutes later , the open had joint-leaders . if mcilroy was in any way perturbed , he did n't show it . in fact , he seemed to welcome the challenge . the contours of this strip of land on the west coast mean its predators are forever catching glimpses of each other . a huge gallery gathered around the 15th hole speculated as to whether the clamor back on the 14th meant mcilroy had made a birdie . seconds later , the huge scoreboard to the right of the green confirmed he had . that fleeting fowler share had now become a two-shot deficit . mcilroy refused to relinquish his grasp on his rival 's throat . a booming drive down the 16th and perfectly flighted approach offered an eagle chance which was duly swallowed whole . by this stage , fowler had bogeyed three holes out of four -- his round of 68 would include eight birdies and four bogeys in total . despite dropping a shot on the 17th , a ferocious mcilroy drive on the 18th was complemented by a five iron that landed barely 10 feet from the hole . the putt held its line and disappeared . mcilroy fist-pumped as thousands flanking the final hole rose to their feet . the support this week has been fantastic , ' he added . it 's a pleasure to play in front of crowd like this . walking onto the 18th green today i got goose bumps -- how loud it was , how much i support i felt from them . i said yesterday i want to try and give them something to cheer for and i 'll try and do the same thing tomorrow . i was conscious that rickie was getting closer but i never panicked and stayed patient . it was nice to come up with the goods when i needed them . i felt like those two shots on 18 deserved an eagle . ' barring a meltdown of similar proportions to the one mcilroy suffered at the masters in 2011 , when he blew a four-shot lead in the final round , the title is his . the 2012 u.s. pga champion 's lead is the largest at this stage since tiger woods won in 2000 at st andrew 's . but having stormed from seven shots back to win the pga championship at wentworth in may , mcilroy knows how quickly a lead can evaporate . i wanted to try and be as far ahead as i could , that 's why i was grinding over that putt at the last , ' he explained . whenever you have such a big lead you really ca n't think anyone else but yourself . ' few people around hoylake tomorrow will be thinking of anyone else either . read more : mcilroy excels as woods scrapes through on day two read more :'the people 's open ' | america 's rickie fowler second ; sergio garcia and dustin johnson tied for third |
justin rose <tsp> ( cnn ) -- as justin rose emerged onto the 18th fairway and saw his ball just yards from the spot where ben hogan fired his famous one iron to the green in 1950 , he knew it was his moment to seize the u.s. open crown . the 32-year-old knew if he could repeat hogan 's par on the notoriously tricky 18th hole at merion in pennsylvania he could end england 's 43-year wait for a champion in america 's national championship . with thoughts of his late father ken swirling round his mind , rose struck a near-perfect approach shot and duly completed par . when phil mickelson failed to birdie the same hole moments later , rose had sealed his first major triumph . it meant success at the 37th time of asking for rose , who became the first englishman to win a major since nick faldo 's masters success in 1996 . i just had to stand up there and be counted , ' he told cnn world sport . it was a major , it was my moment , it was stand up and deliver . it was a special moment when i walked over the hill and saw my ball sitting right there on the up slope in the middle of the fairway . hogan definitely popped into my mind because i know he hit the green and two-putted to get into a playoff . someone had chirped from the crowd'rose , a good iron shot , two putts and its yours .'and in a sense that was all i was trying to do at that point . ' rose held his nerve at the end of a day that fluctuated wildly , as crowd favorite phil mickelson desperately tried to nail down victory in a tournament he had finished runner up in five times . an audacious chip in for eagle from mickleson at the tenth hole swung the momentum his way but rose responded immediately , with birdies at the 12th and 13th . and as he negotiated the fiendishly difficult closing stretch of holes in just one-over-par , it left mickelson needing a birdie on the last to force a playoff . he could n't , which left an emotional rose with his own special moment on father 's day , as he remembered his dad ken , who lost his battle with cancer in 2002 . i 've thought about my dad quite a bit this week , ' rose explained to living golf anchor shane o'donoghue . saturday i was driving to the course and i looked in the rear view mirror and saw my eyes and that was one thing my dad always knew -- he could tell by the look in my eyes if i was going to play well or not . i thought'i wonder how my dad thinks i 'm going to play today .'i always knew the u.s. open finishes on father 's day and i 'd been in contention most of the week and i really wanted that moment i could share with him and honor him . he sacrificed so much for me and taught me the game . i 've seen rory ( mcilroy ) celebrate with his dad , g-mac ( graeme mcdowell ) celebrate with his dad . i 've always thought that moment must just be so special and for me , today , it was special in my own way . ' the new world no . 3 burst onto the scene as an amateur at the 1998 british open when he finished fourth . but that early promise stalled as he missed 21 cuts in a row after turning professional . he has steadily been working his way towards the summit of the game with notable victories on the pga tour and a stellar showing for europe in the ryder cup at medinah last year . but he revealed it is only recently he has felt his game was equipped to capture one of golf 's major prizes . i 've been a pro a long time now -- 14 or 15 years -- but not until recently have i felt truly ready , ' he said . you try and kid yourself you are ready but this is one of the first majors i 've ever played where i came in knowing if i go about my business i 'm going to be hard to beat . it 's just a really nice feeling to have that cleared off the plate now fairly early and it 's a lot of boyhood dreams paying off . ' | justin rose tells cnn his u.s. open victory is a boyhood dream come true |
father 's day <tsp> ( cnn ) -- as justin rose emerged onto the 18th fairway and saw his ball just yards from the spot where ben hogan fired his famous one iron to the green in 1950 , he knew it was his moment to seize the u.s. open crown . the 32-year-old knew if he could repeat hogan 's par on the notoriously tricky 18th hole at merion in pennsylvania he could end england 's 43-year wait for a champion in america 's national championship . with thoughts of his late father ken swirling round his mind , rose struck a near-perfect approach shot and duly completed par . when phil mickelson failed to birdie the same hole moments later , rose had sealed his first major triumph . it meant success at the 37th time of asking for rose , who became the first englishman to win a major since nick faldo 's masters success in 1996 . i just had to stand up there and be counted , ' he told cnn world sport . it was a major , it was my moment , it was stand up and deliver . it was a special moment when i walked over the hill and saw my ball sitting right there on the up slope in the middle of the fairway . hogan definitely popped into my mind because i know he hit the green and two-putted to get into a playoff . someone had chirped from the crowd'rose , a good iron shot , two putts and its yours .'and in a sense that was all i was trying to do at that point . ' rose held his nerve at the end of a day that fluctuated wildly , as crowd favorite phil mickelson desperately tried to nail down victory in a tournament he had finished runner up in five times . an audacious chip in for eagle from mickleson at the tenth hole swung the momentum his way but rose responded immediately , with birdies at the 12th and 13th . and as he negotiated the fiendishly difficult closing stretch of holes in just one-over-par , it left mickelson needing a birdie on the last to force a playoff . he could n't , which left an emotional rose with his own special moment on father 's day , as he remembered his dad ken , who lost his battle with cancer in 2002 . i 've thought about my dad quite a bit this week , ' rose explained to living golf anchor shane o'donoghue . saturday i was driving to the course and i looked in the rear view mirror and saw my eyes and that was one thing my dad always knew -- he could tell by the look in my eyes if i was going to play well or not . i thought'i wonder how my dad thinks i 'm going to play today .'i always knew the u.s. open finishes on father 's day and i 'd been in contention most of the week and i really wanted that moment i could share with him and honor him . he sacrificed so much for me and taught me the game . i 've seen rory ( mcilroy ) celebrate with his dad , g-mac ( graeme mcdowell ) celebrate with his dad . i 've always thought that moment must just be so special and for me , today , it was special in my own way . ' the new world no . 3 burst onto the scene as an amateur at the 1998 british open when he finished fourth . but that early promise stalled as he missed 21 cuts in a row after turning professional . he has steadily been working his way towards the summit of the game with notable victories on the pga tour and a stellar showing for europe in the ryder cup at medinah last year . but he revealed it is only recently he has felt his game was equipped to capture one of golf 's major prizes . i 've been a pro a long time now -- 14 or 15 years -- but not until recently have i felt truly ready , ' he said . you try and kid yourself you are ready but this is one of the first majors i 've ever played where i came in knowing if i go about my business i 'm going to be hard to beat . it 's just a really nice feeling to have that cleared off the plate now fairly early and it 's a lot of boyhood dreams paying off . ' | rose 's victory poignant on father 's day as he remembered his late dad ken |
united states <tsp> the american red cross says power outages created by recent storms in the east and midwest cut blood donations , which were already low this summer . in june there was a nationwide shortfall , with donations down more than 10 % across the country . we are asking people to please call 1-800-red-cross or visit us at redcrossblood.org to find a way to donate if they can , ' said stephanie millian , red cross director of biomedical communications . we need people 's help . ' one group that would like to help , but legally ca n't , may be moving one step closer to eligibility . since the 1980s , when the aids epidemic decimated their community , gay men -- or msms ( men who have sex with men ) as they are called by federal agencies -- have not been allowed to donate blood . in june , a group of 64 u.s. legislators led by rep. mike quigley , d-illinois , and sen. john kerry , d-massachusetts , sent a letter to the department of health and human services encouraging it to move forward with a study that may lead to the end of the decades-old ban . we remain concerned that a blanket deferral of msm for any length of time both perpetuates the unwarranted discrimination against the bisexual and gay community and prevents healthy men from donating blood without a definitive finding of added benefit to the safety of the blood supply , ' the letter said . china lifts ban on lesbians giving blood ' this is a matter of life and death and we are turning away over 50,000 healthy men who want to donate blood , ' quigley told cnn . a straight person who has unsafe sex with multiple partners can give blood , and that creates a greater risk than a gay person in a monogamous relationship . ' the policy started at a time when people did n't know how the deadly virus that causes aids spread . at the time , there was n't a good test to detect whether hiv was present in donated blood , and hiv was getting into the nation 's blood supply . they knew this because hemophiliacs who were getting blood transfusions started showing symptoms of aids . what scientists also knew was that a disproportionate number of gay men were affected by the virus . to eliminate risk , the food and drug administration added a screening question to the federal guidelines . blood banks were instructed to ask male donors if they had had sex with a man , even once , since 1977 . the fda regards 1977 as the beginning of the aids epidemic in the united states . if the potential donor responded yes , ' he would automatically be removed from the donor pool for life . no similar questions were asked to screen out donors who engaged in other potentially risky sexual behavior . donors were n't asked about the number of partners they had , nor were they asked if their sexual partners had engaged in unprotected sex with other hiv positive partners . while the red cross is obligated by law to follow the fda guidelines , we continue to work with the aabb ( formerly known as the american association of blood banks ) to push through policies that would be much more fair and consistent among donors who engage in similar risk activities , ' millian said . scientists can now screen for most instances of hiv within days of infection , and the nation 's blood banks have called a lifetime ban medically and scientifically unwarranted . ' men who have sex with men still are disproportionately affected by the virus and account for nearly half the approximately 1.2 million people living with hiv in the united states , according to the centers for disease control and prevention . but it is a person 's behavior , not their sexual orientation , that puts them at risk say health experts . while he is a gay man , adam denney thinks he would be the perfect candidate to donate blood . he does n't use iv drugs . he practices safer sex . he even educates people on how to prevent new hiv infections as a regular volunteer educator with aids volunteers inc. in lexington , kentucky . he thinks his exclusion is unfair . yes , gay men are still a high-risk community , but so are minority women , and there are no standards prohibiting them from donating . there would be rightful outrage against that kind of blanket population ban , ' denney said . i am banned based on one reason only , my sexual orientation . it 's totally discriminatory . ' when denney went to donate at a blood drive on the eastern kentucky university campus a few years ago , he said he knew what likely would happen when the nurses asked the sexual history question . i did know what i was getting into , but i was shocked by how it felt to be rejected , ' he said . it was almost like they thought i was n't important enough to give blood , like because i was gay i did n't count . it was a horrible feeling . ' parts of uk lift lifetime ban on gay men donating blood nathan schaefer with gmhc , an aids service organization , said denney normally would be the type of donor blood banks are hungry for . studies show those who give blood when they are young become regular lifetime donors , something most blood banks are struggling to find these days . gmhc has been fighting to change the ban for years . in 2010 gmhc joined a coalition of other nonprofits to encourage congress to send a letter to hhs to end the ban , which some members of congress did . in june of that year , hhs brought together an independent panel of experts . the advisory committee on blood safety and availability reviewed the policy and decided to keep it and concluded the ban was suboptimal , ' because it allows high-risk individuals to donate while keeping low-risk donors out . however , the expert committee also concluded available scientific data are inadequate to support change to a specific alternate policy . ' the panel suggested the policy not be changed and recommended further evaluation . hhs then promised to conduct feasibility studies to determine if there was a subset of the gay male population that would pose little or no threat to the blood supply . we finally got them to stop defending the policy at the very least , which was pretty significant , ' schaefer said . the hhs is still determining the criteria for which part of the population to study . gmhc suggested the population to consider should include gay men who have had only one sex partner in the past six months . spain and italy , two countries with more progressive donor policies , hold everyone to that standard regardless of sexual orientation . schaefer takes the point one step further . a straight person could donate today after having unprotected sex with hundreds of partners , and in the united states they wo n't ask about that behavior , ' he said . he added that four out of five gay men are hiv negative , which he estimated means 2 million additional people could be blood donors . a 2010 study by the williams institute at the university of california-los angeles estimated that if gay men who had not had sexual contact for the past 12 months were allowed to donate blood , more than 53,000 additional men would likely make more than 89,000 blood donations . that number may seem small , but blood banks say it could help enormously , especially now , when blood supply shortages are common . after denney was denied the chance to donate , he asked some of his friends to help him demonstrate outside the blood drive . they produced signs to raise awareness about the ban and distributed educational material . they also escorted people to the drive , because they wanted people to continue to donate . a lot of people in the bible belt assume you have aids if you are a gay man , ' he said . we wanted them to understand that is not the case . we are banned based on an outdated policy . when people questioned us , i told them about how i always heard that people who donate blood are heroes . gay men want to be heroes , too . ' should people be allowed to sell their organs ? | 64 members of congress are urging the united states to end the ban |
congress <tsp> the american red cross says power outages created by recent storms in the east and midwest cut blood donations , which were already low this summer . in june there was a nationwide shortfall , with donations down more than 10 % across the country . we are asking people to please call 1-800-red-cross or visit us at redcrossblood.org to find a way to donate if they can , ' said stephanie millian , red cross director of biomedical communications . we need people 's help . ' one group that would like to help , but legally ca n't , may be moving one step closer to eligibility . since the 1980s , when the aids epidemic decimated their community , gay men -- or msms ( men who have sex with men ) as they are called by federal agencies -- have not been allowed to donate blood . in june , a group of 64 u.s. legislators led by rep. mike quigley , d-illinois , and sen. john kerry , d-massachusetts , sent a letter to the department of health and human services encouraging it to move forward with a study that may lead to the end of the decades-old ban . we remain concerned that a blanket deferral of msm for any length of time both perpetuates the unwarranted discrimination against the bisexual and gay community and prevents healthy men from donating blood without a definitive finding of added benefit to the safety of the blood supply , ' the letter said . china lifts ban on lesbians giving blood ' this is a matter of life and death and we are turning away over 50,000 healthy men who want to donate blood , ' quigley told cnn . a straight person who has unsafe sex with multiple partners can give blood , and that creates a greater risk than a gay person in a monogamous relationship . ' the policy started at a time when people did n't know how the deadly virus that causes aids spread . at the time , there was n't a good test to detect whether hiv was present in donated blood , and hiv was getting into the nation 's blood supply . they knew this because hemophiliacs who were getting blood transfusions started showing symptoms of aids . what scientists also knew was that a disproportionate number of gay men were affected by the virus . to eliminate risk , the food and drug administration added a screening question to the federal guidelines . blood banks were instructed to ask male donors if they had had sex with a man , even once , since 1977 . the fda regards 1977 as the beginning of the aids epidemic in the united states . if the potential donor responded yes , ' he would automatically be removed from the donor pool for life . no similar questions were asked to screen out donors who engaged in other potentially risky sexual behavior . donors were n't asked about the number of partners they had , nor were they asked if their sexual partners had engaged in unprotected sex with other hiv positive partners . while the red cross is obligated by law to follow the fda guidelines , we continue to work with the aabb ( formerly known as the american association of blood banks ) to push through policies that would be much more fair and consistent among donors who engage in similar risk activities , ' millian said . scientists can now screen for most instances of hiv within days of infection , and the nation 's blood banks have called a lifetime ban medically and scientifically unwarranted . ' men who have sex with men still are disproportionately affected by the virus and account for nearly half the approximately 1.2 million people living with hiv in the united states , according to the centers for disease control and prevention . but it is a person 's behavior , not their sexual orientation , that puts them at risk say health experts . while he is a gay man , adam denney thinks he would be the perfect candidate to donate blood . he does n't use iv drugs . he practices safer sex . he even educates people on how to prevent new hiv infections as a regular volunteer educator with aids volunteers inc. in lexington , kentucky . he thinks his exclusion is unfair . yes , gay men are still a high-risk community , but so are minority women , and there are no standards prohibiting them from donating . there would be rightful outrage against that kind of blanket population ban , ' denney said . i am banned based on one reason only , my sexual orientation . it 's totally discriminatory . ' when denney went to donate at a blood drive on the eastern kentucky university campus a few years ago , he said he knew what likely would happen when the nurses asked the sexual history question . i did know what i was getting into , but i was shocked by how it felt to be rejected , ' he said . it was almost like they thought i was n't important enough to give blood , like because i was gay i did n't count . it was a horrible feeling . ' parts of uk lift lifetime ban on gay men donating blood nathan schaefer with gmhc , an aids service organization , said denney normally would be the type of donor blood banks are hungry for . studies show those who give blood when they are young become regular lifetime donors , something most blood banks are struggling to find these days . gmhc has been fighting to change the ban for years . in 2010 gmhc joined a coalition of other nonprofits to encourage congress to send a letter to hhs to end the ban , which some members of congress did . in june of that year , hhs brought together an independent panel of experts . the advisory committee on blood safety and availability reviewed the policy and decided to keep it and concluded the ban was suboptimal , ' because it allows high-risk individuals to donate while keeping low-risk donors out . however , the expert committee also concluded available scientific data are inadequate to support change to a specific alternate policy . ' the panel suggested the policy not be changed and recommended further evaluation . hhs then promised to conduct feasibility studies to determine if there was a subset of the gay male population that would pose little or no threat to the blood supply . we finally got them to stop defending the policy at the very least , which was pretty significant , ' schaefer said . the hhs is still determining the criteria for which part of the population to study . gmhc suggested the population to consider should include gay men who have had only one sex partner in the past six months . spain and italy , two countries with more progressive donor policies , hold everyone to that standard regardless of sexual orientation . schaefer takes the point one step further . a straight person could donate today after having unprotected sex with hundreds of partners , and in the united states they wo n't ask about that behavior , ' he said . he added that four out of five gay men are hiv negative , which he estimated means 2 million additional people could be blood donors . a 2010 study by the williams institute at the university of california-los angeles estimated that if gay men who had not had sexual contact for the past 12 months were allowed to donate blood , more than 53,000 additional men would likely make more than 89,000 blood donations . that number may seem small , but blood banks say it could help enormously , especially now , when blood supply shortages are common . after denney was denied the chance to donate , he asked some of his friends to help him demonstrate outside the blood drive . they produced signs to raise awareness about the ban and distributed educational material . they also escorted people to the drive , because they wanted people to continue to donate . a lot of people in the bible belt assume you have aids if you are a gay man , ' he said . we wanted them to understand that is not the case . we are banned based on an outdated policy . when people questioned us , i told them about how i always heard that people who donate blood are heroes . gay men want to be heroes , too . ' should people be allowed to sell their organs ? | 64 members of congress are urging the united states to end the ban |
house <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the obama administration and many of its national security critics agree that it 's time to revisit the war authorization that congress approved a week after the september 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks . but when to end it and how to replace it is another matter . the house defeated an amendment by rep. adam schiff , d-california , that would have sunsetted ' the so-called never-ending war ' a year from now . attention now turns to the senate and whether a proposal will emerge there . the law authorized a military response to the terrorist attacks by striking back against al qaeda and associated forces , including their taliban allies , who at the time ruled afghanistan . its scope is broad enough that it has been used by successive administrations to carry out military attacks as far afield as africa and yemen . when to end it is a prickly enough issue that the white house has done little to move ahead with president barack obama 's promise , as described in a 2013 speech at the national defense university , to work with congress to refine and ultimately repeal ' the authorization for use of military force , or aumf . as in other national security policy fights -- that of drones , for instance -- the rise of tea party-affiliated libertarians and obama 's sagging popularity have scrambled some of the traditional alliances on the war authorization . liberals and right-leaning libertarians who criticize the war authorization as too much of a blank check to the president are uniting to support a repeal of it as a way to assert congressional authority . some conservatives -- who not long ago supported extending the current aumf -- now suggest replacing it with a law that specifies the groups the u.s. is fighting . i think we have abdicated our responsibility to define the nature of the conflict we 're in , ' schiff said in an interview . his amendment appeared to have gained steam , in part because the white house has struggled to make clear what it thinks should happen . at a senate foreign relations committee hearing wednesday , senior lawyers from the defense and state departments said repealing the law would do no harm to national security or affect military operations , because the president 's executive powers allow a military response to any threats to the nation . and yet , they would n't say whether the administration supported ending the war now . we 're not here to say it should be repealed today , ' said mary mcleod , deputy legal adviser at the state department . the issue matters because u.s. forces are exiting a war in afghanistan that lasted more than twice as long as world war ii . some legal experts believe that development adds some pressure to replace the existing aumf , in part , because the main al qaeda forces that attacked the u.s. have been decimated , even as new offshoots have metastasized the terrorist threat to parts of africa , syria and the arabian peninsula . michael mukasey , attorney general under president george w. bush , said at the wednesday hearing that he supports the idea of congress revisiting the authorization to clarify its intent . harold koh , the state department 's top lawyer under secretary of state hillary clinton , said the law should be narrowed and eventually repealed . administration officials say part of the complication lies in ongoing negotiations with afghanistan over whether the united states will retain forces in that country after this year , a deal that ca n't be reached until after afghanistan elects a new president in june . as we work with the government of afghanistan to identify an appropriate u.s. military presence in afghanistan after 2014 ; as we continue to make progress towards the closure of the detention facility at guantanamo bay ; and as we continue to work with our friends and partners around the world to provide assistance and training to counter al qaeda and its associated forces , we will engage further with congress and the american people on efforts to ensure that the legal authorities for our counterterrorism and detention operations are appropriately tailored , ' said caitlin hayden , spokeswoman for the national security council . in keeping with our ongoing efforts to realign our forces and capabilities after the drawdown in afghanistan , we look forward to engaging the congress on the president 's goal of refining and ultimately repealing the aumf , ' she added . only three years ago , congress was being pressured to expand the authorization . in 2011 , rep. buck mckeon , r-california , tried to pass a new aumf to reaffirm the war against al qaeda and to try to restrict the president 's hand on issues such as the plan to close the guantanamo prison . mckeon 's push to give the existing war authorization more life has partly influenced the obama administration 's effort on the issue . two administration officials told cnn that part of the reason for the white house 's hesitation is the fear that some congressional hawks would use the opportunity to expand the so-called war on terror . or that the administration could end up without any authorization at all . in his state of the union speeches this year and last , obama said he aimed to pull the united states back from its permanent war footing . ' some congressional critics say obama 's policies appear to prematurely declare victory over al qaeda 's core leadership , and ignore the growing threat from affiliates such as al qaeda in the arabian peninsula and groups fighting in syria , iraq and libya . with partisan bickering sowing gridlock in congress , passing any law on the war authorization is a tall order . congress is also debating surveillance law changes in the wake of the leaks about the u.s. government 's spying activities by former nsa contractor edward snowden . schiff scoffs at the notion it 's too hard to tackle . we drafted the aumf in days after 9/11 ; we should be able to do this in a year , ' he said . after all , one of the most important things that congress does is to declare war and define the focus of that war . ' | new : house defeats proposal to end war authorization |
brothers <tsp> joyce brothers , who pioneered the television advice show and was called the mother of media psychology , has died , her daughter said monday . she was 85 . she passed away peacefully and in her home ... with her family all around her , ' lisa brothers arbisser said . brothers , whose charming , reassuring demeanor appealed to television audiences , became a television star as a game show contestant , a sports interviewer , then as a psychologist answering audience questions about relationships and other emotional subjects . she grew her fame as a frequent guest on television talk shows and as an advice columnist for good housekeeping magazine for four decades and for newspapers throughout the united states . she also made many cameo appearances parodying herself on television sitcoms and in movies . she once told a reporter , i do n't give advice . i just tell people ,'this is what we know .' but give advice was what she did , and america listened : ' success is a state of mind . if you want success , start thinking of yourself as a success . ' the best proof of love is trust . ' marriage is not just spiritual communion and passionate embraces ; marriage is also three meals a day , sharing the workload and remembering to carry out the trash . ' dispensing advice on public airwaves did n't please all of her colleagues . some members of the american psychological association asked early in her media career that her membership be revoked because they did n't think dispensing advice outside a one-on-one setting was appropriate . media psychology became part of the organization 's structure in 1986 , according to the apa website . born joyce diane bauer , she married milton brothers in 1949 , according to a biography provided by her family . he died in 1989 . brothers became a practicing psychologist in 1958 , five years after she got her master 's degree at columbia university . by then , she had already caused a stir on television , winning the top prize on the $ 64,000 question ' in 1955 . the topic : boxing . the family biography said she appeared on the show when her husband was in medical school and they were living with her parents . her husband suggested she try out as a boxing expert , seeing that would make her an unusual contestant -- a woman versed in pugilism . when the show asked her to be on , she memorized the encyclopedia of boxing in a few weeks . she repeated her success two years later on the $ 64,000 challenge , ' leading to a job on sports showcase . ' in 1958 , she was the host of a self-titled show on local television that became so popular , nbc syndicated the program nationally . amid the quiz show scandal of the late 1950s , she demonstrated her well-versed knowledge of boxing to a congressional panel , her family biography said . years later , she wrote books and had radio shows . and america saw her often on television , not only giving advice but making fun of herself . on one episode of the abc smash hit happy days , ' she counseled fonzie 's dog , spunky . she made a vocal appearance on the animated series the simpsons ' in the memorable last exit to springfield ' episode . on an episode of frasier , ' a show about one of tv 's famous fictional psychologists , she took frasier crane 's place in a commercial about nuts . brothers also appeared on shows like the love boat ' playing a character , often a doctor . she is survived by her sister , elaine goldsmith ; her daughter ; four grandchildren ; and two great-grandchildren . the family did n't disclose the cause of her death , which happened in fort lee , new jersey . her funeral is scheduled for tuesday at riverside memorial chapel in new york . people we lost in 2013 : the lives they lived | the funeral for brothers , 85 , will be tuesday ; her husband died in 1989 |
brothers <tsp> joyce brothers , who pioneered the television advice show and was called the mother of media psychology , has died , her daughter said monday . she was 85 . she passed away peacefully and in her home ... with her family all around her , ' lisa brothers arbisser said . brothers , whose charming , reassuring demeanor appealed to television audiences , became a television star as a game show contestant , a sports interviewer , then as a psychologist answering audience questions about relationships and other emotional subjects . she grew her fame as a frequent guest on television talk shows and as an advice columnist for good housekeeping magazine for four decades and for newspapers throughout the united states . she also made many cameo appearances parodying herself on television sitcoms and in movies . she once told a reporter , i do n't give advice . i just tell people ,'this is what we know .' but give advice was what she did , and america listened : ' success is a state of mind . if you want success , start thinking of yourself as a success . ' the best proof of love is trust . ' marriage is not just spiritual communion and passionate embraces ; marriage is also three meals a day , sharing the workload and remembering to carry out the trash . ' dispensing advice on public airwaves did n't please all of her colleagues . some members of the american psychological association asked early in her media career that her membership be revoked because they did n't think dispensing advice outside a one-on-one setting was appropriate . media psychology became part of the organization 's structure in 1986 , according to the apa website . born joyce diane bauer , she married milton brothers in 1949 , according to a biography provided by her family . he died in 1989 . brothers became a practicing psychologist in 1958 , five years after she got her master 's degree at columbia university . by then , she had already caused a stir on television , winning the top prize on the $ 64,000 question ' in 1955 . the topic : boxing . the family biography said she appeared on the show when her husband was in medical school and they were living with her parents . her husband suggested she try out as a boxing expert , seeing that would make her an unusual contestant -- a woman versed in pugilism . when the show asked her to be on , she memorized the encyclopedia of boxing in a few weeks . she repeated her success two years later on the $ 64,000 challenge , ' leading to a job on sports showcase . ' in 1958 , she was the host of a self-titled show on local television that became so popular , nbc syndicated the program nationally . amid the quiz show scandal of the late 1950s , she demonstrated her well-versed knowledge of boxing to a congressional panel , her family biography said . years later , she wrote books and had radio shows . and america saw her often on television , not only giving advice but making fun of herself . on one episode of the abc smash hit happy days , ' she counseled fonzie 's dog , spunky . she made a vocal appearance on the animated series the simpsons ' in the memorable last exit to springfield ' episode . on an episode of frasier , ' a show about one of tv 's famous fictional psychologists , she took frasier crane 's place in a commercial about nuts . brothers also appeared on shows like the love boat ' playing a character , often a doctor . she is survived by her sister , elaine goldsmith ; her daughter ; four grandchildren ; and two great-grandchildren . the family did n't disclose the cause of her death , which happened in fort lee , new jersey . her funeral is scheduled for tuesday at riverside memorial chapel in new york . people we lost in 2013 : the lives they lived | brothers first became a national celebrity when she won a game show |
brothers <tsp> joyce brothers , who pioneered the television advice show and was called the mother of media psychology , has died , her daughter said monday . she was 85 . she passed away peacefully and in her home ... with her family all around her , ' lisa brothers arbisser said . brothers , whose charming , reassuring demeanor appealed to television audiences , became a television star as a game show contestant , a sports interviewer , then as a psychologist answering audience questions about relationships and other emotional subjects . she grew her fame as a frequent guest on television talk shows and as an advice columnist for good housekeeping magazine for four decades and for newspapers throughout the united states . she also made many cameo appearances parodying herself on television sitcoms and in movies . she once told a reporter , i do n't give advice . i just tell people ,'this is what we know .' but give advice was what she did , and america listened : ' success is a state of mind . if you want success , start thinking of yourself as a success . ' the best proof of love is trust . ' marriage is not just spiritual communion and passionate embraces ; marriage is also three meals a day , sharing the workload and remembering to carry out the trash . ' dispensing advice on public airwaves did n't please all of her colleagues . some members of the american psychological association asked early in her media career that her membership be revoked because they did n't think dispensing advice outside a one-on-one setting was appropriate . media psychology became part of the organization 's structure in 1986 , according to the apa website . born joyce diane bauer , she married milton brothers in 1949 , according to a biography provided by her family . he died in 1989 . brothers became a practicing psychologist in 1958 , five years after she got her master 's degree at columbia university . by then , she had already caused a stir on television , winning the top prize on the $ 64,000 question ' in 1955 . the topic : boxing . the family biography said she appeared on the show when her husband was in medical school and they were living with her parents . her husband suggested she try out as a boxing expert , seeing that would make her an unusual contestant -- a woman versed in pugilism . when the show asked her to be on , she memorized the encyclopedia of boxing in a few weeks . she repeated her success two years later on the $ 64,000 challenge , ' leading to a job on sports showcase . ' in 1958 , she was the host of a self-titled show on local television that became so popular , nbc syndicated the program nationally . amid the quiz show scandal of the late 1950s , she demonstrated her well-versed knowledge of boxing to a congressional panel , her family biography said . years later , she wrote books and had radio shows . and america saw her often on television , not only giving advice but making fun of herself . on one episode of the abc smash hit happy days , ' she counseled fonzie 's dog , spunky . she made a vocal appearance on the animated series the simpsons ' in the memorable last exit to springfield ' episode . on an episode of frasier , ' a show about one of tv 's famous fictional psychologists , she took frasier crane 's place in a commercial about nuts . brothers also appeared on shows like the love boat ' playing a character , often a doctor . she is survived by her sister , elaine goldsmith ; her daughter ; four grandchildren ; and two great-grandchildren . the family did n't disclose the cause of her death , which happened in fort lee , new jersey . her funeral is scheduled for tuesday at riverside memorial chapel in new york . people we lost in 2013 : the lives they lived | joyce brothers once told a reporter that she did n't give advice , just facts |
miss world <tsp> ( cnn ) -- miss south africa rolene strauss was crowned miss world on sunday in a competition in london . south africa , this is for you , ' she said in an interview after the pageant . i 'm so proud of you , and i 'm proud to be your representative . ' strauss , 22 , inherited the crown from miss world 2013 , megan young of the philippines . she won the title over runner-up miss hungary edina kulcsar . miss united states elizabeth safrit took third place . strauss , a fourth-year medical student at university of the free state , put her studies on hold after being crowned miss south africa in march . in her official miss world 2014 introduction video , she credits former south african president nelson mandela with paving the way for her to pursue a career in medicine by creating a democratic south africa . strauss said she looked forward to continuing the legacy of miss world ceo julia morley , founder of beauty with a purpose , ' a nonprofit that supports humanitarian projects of miss world contestants . those who participate in a charitable contest or cause through the organization compete for the beauty with a purpose ' award , winning points toward their final score . the focus on charitable acts helps counter criticism that the pageant promotes superficial images of women through swimsuit competitions and slinky evening gowns . as miss south africa , strauss has promoted projects in women 's rights , health and education , including one to provide menstruation education to schoolgirls in south africa . what do you think of beauty pageants such as miss world ? tell us in the comments . | miss south africa rolene strauss is crowned miss world on sunday |
south africa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- miss south africa rolene strauss was crowned miss world on sunday in a competition in london . south africa , this is for you , ' she said in an interview after the pageant . i 'm so proud of you , and i 'm proud to be your representative . ' strauss , 22 , inherited the crown from miss world 2013 , megan young of the philippines . she won the title over runner-up miss hungary edina kulcsar . miss united states elizabeth safrit took third place . strauss , a fourth-year medical student at university of the free state , put her studies on hold after being crowned miss south africa in march . in her official miss world 2014 introduction video , she credits former south african president nelson mandela with paving the way for her to pursue a career in medicine by creating a democratic south africa . strauss said she looked forward to continuing the legacy of miss world ceo julia morley , founder of beauty with a purpose , ' a nonprofit that supports humanitarian projects of miss world contestants . those who participate in a charitable contest or cause through the organization compete for the beauty with a purpose ' award , winning points toward their final score . the focus on charitable acts helps counter criticism that the pageant promotes superficial images of women through swimsuit competitions and slinky evening gowns . as miss south africa , strauss has promoted projects in women 's rights , health and education , including one to provide menstruation education to schoolgirls in south africa . what do you think of beauty pageants such as miss world ? tell us in the comments . | miss south africa rolene strauss is crowned miss world on sunday |
rolene strauss <tsp> ( cnn ) -- miss south africa rolene strauss was crowned miss world on sunday in a competition in london . south africa , this is for you , ' she said in an interview after the pageant . i 'm so proud of you , and i 'm proud to be your representative . ' strauss , 22 , inherited the crown from miss world 2013 , megan young of the philippines . she won the title over runner-up miss hungary edina kulcsar . miss united states elizabeth safrit took third place . strauss , a fourth-year medical student at university of the free state , put her studies on hold after being crowned miss south africa in march . in her official miss world 2014 introduction video , she credits former south african president nelson mandela with paving the way for her to pursue a career in medicine by creating a democratic south africa . strauss said she looked forward to continuing the legacy of miss world ceo julia morley , founder of beauty with a purpose , ' a nonprofit that supports humanitarian projects of miss world contestants . those who participate in a charitable contest or cause through the organization compete for the beauty with a purpose ' award , winning points toward their final score . the focus on charitable acts helps counter criticism that the pageant promotes superficial images of women through swimsuit competitions and slinky evening gowns . as miss south africa , strauss has promoted projects in women 's rights , health and education , including one to provide menstruation education to schoolgirls in south africa . what do you think of beauty pageants such as miss world ? tell us in the comments . | miss south africa rolene strauss is crowned miss world on sunday |
usga <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the controversial method of putting whereby the club is anchored ' to a player 's belly or another part of the body is to be banned from 2016 , golf 's law makers announced wednesday . the move follows victories for keegan bradley in last year 's u.s.pga championship , his fellow american webb simpson at this year 's u.s. open and the triumph by south african veteran ernie els at the 2012 british open . all three players were using belly ' or long-handled ' putters with the club fixed on their midriff while putting out on the greens and it has been argued that they gained an unfair advantage using this approach . the decision has been supported by 14-time major winner tiger woods . i believe that the art of putting is swinging the club and controlling nerves , ' he told his official website . having it as a fixed point is something that 's not in the traditions of the game . we swing all the other 13 clubs . i think the putter should be the same , ' added the former world no.1 . claude harmon , swing coach to els , questioned why the decision had been made now despite belly putters being around for many years . i do n't think it is the miracle cure that those in the media are making out , ' he told cnn . remember , the no.1 player in the world ( rory mcilroy ) does not use a long putter , or the majority of those in the top ten , ' he added . mcilroy , who won this year 's u.s.pga title and was top money winner on both the european and pga tours , later tweeted his approval of the decision . fully agree with the anchoring ban , ' he said . better image for the game of golf , skill and nerves are all part of the game . level playing field in'16 ' the northern irishman added . in unveiling their proposed changes , the royal & ancient ( r & a ) and the united states golf association ( usga ) said they would consider any further comments and suggestions from throughout the golf community . ' there have been reports that leading players and club manufacturers could take legal action against the rule changes . throughout the 600-year history of golf , the essence of playing the game has been to grip the club with the hands and swing it freely at the ball , ' usga executive director mike davis said in the joint statement issued with the r & a . our conclusion is that the rules of golf should be amended to preserve the traditional character of the golf swing by eliminating the growing practice of anchoring the club . ' the amendments , which would come into force on january 1 , 2016 , do not mean belly or long-handled putters are banned , but it would be hard to see a use for them without the anchoring ' method . we believe we have considered this issue from every angle but given the wide ranging interest in this subject we would like to give stakeholders in the game the opportunity to put forward any new matters for consideration , ' added r & a chief executive peter dawson . | the r & a and usga announce changes in joint statement |
abbasiya <tsp> cairo ( cnn ) -- one person died and more than 300 were injured friday when clashes broke out in cairo as protests against the country 's military government turned violent , state media reported . video from the scene showed some protesters throwing rocks at security forces , and the security forces spraying water cannons at the demonstrators , who were protesting near the country 's defense ministry . the protests erupted amid a backdrop of frustration about the pace of reform since hosni mubarak was ousted as president last year and over concern that egypt 's military leadership is delaying the transition to civilian rule . one person was killed and 373 were injured in the clashes in the abbasiya area , said ahmed ansari , director of cairo 's emergency medical services . egypt 's ruling supreme council of the armed forces said a curfew will be enforced in abbasiya square and streets leading to it from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. ' those involved in ( the ) abbasiya clashes and inciting them will be dealt with according to the law , ' the supreme council said . egypt 's state-run nile tv showed at least two members of the military police suffering injuries and being carried away from the front line of the clashes . thousands of people descended on downtown cairo on friday after several parties urged supporters to voice their outrage about deadly clashes this week and demand the resignation of egypt 's interim military government . at least 11 people were killed and scores injured wednesday in violence in abbasiya , where a sit-in protest has been going on for a week outside the defense ministry . as the latest clashes gathered steam , nader abdel aziz , a human rights lawyer , reported seeing warning shots fired in the air by security forces , as well as military helicopters hovering over the scene . some military officers have been injured by rocks thrown by protesters , he said . alaa al iraqi , supreme council spokesman , said officials warned protesters that the defense ministry was a red line ' that should n't be crossed . they threw rocks first at the military police soldiers , insulted them and pushed through barbed wire , ' the spokesman said . the rock-throwing injured several soldiers . no live ammunition of any kind was used except for standard protocol for dealing with riots , ' he said . the muslim brotherhood 's political wing , the freedom and justice party , was among those taking part in another protest in tahrir square , the heart of egypt 's protest movement , under the banner of stopping the bloodshed . ' at least three stages had been set up in the square , where a mostly islamist crowd planned to demonstrate , according to nile tv . many are supporters of islamist candidate hazem abu ismael , who is among a number of candidates disqualified from the may 23 presidential election . ahmed maher , founder of the liberal april 6 movement , which was among those to join the protests in abbasiya , said it was urging its supporters to pull back . we are withdrawing from abbasiya to avoid and limit bloodshed . some of our field medics will remain behind to assist only , ' he said . the april 6 movement wants accountability from the supreme council for the armed forces for the deaths of protesters in the abbasiya clashes wednesday . the ministry of health earlier dispatched 70 ambulances to the abbasiya protests , dubbed the final friday ' march . and the arab doctors association set up two makeshift clinics . the al nour salafi party has boycotted the abbasiya protest . the supreme council said on its facebook page thursday that the clashes in abbasiya were aimed at delaying the presidential elections and stalling the formation of a constituent assembly . the supreme council also said that certain unnamed ' groups have used verses from the quran calling for jihad , or holy war , to try to draw the military into an armed conflict . the military had tried to persuade the protesters to move from their position near the ministry of defense to tahrir square , but they refused , the facebook statement said . controversy about the approaching presidential elections has been growing . the muslim brotherhood 's preferred candidate , khairat el shater , who was disqualified from running last month , was referred to the country 's general prosecutor friday for insulting the election commission . abu ismael was also referred to the general prosecutor for alleged forgery . he was disqualified from standing because of evidence that his late mother had u.s. citizenship , an assertion he has denied . on thursday , three other presidential candidates also were referred for alleged violations of election campaign law . the three candidates -- leading independent abdel monein aboul fettouh ; mohamed mursi of the islamist freedom and justice party ; and amre moussa -- were accused of breaking the law by holding meetings on college campuses . these infringements by the presidential candidates will be taken very seriously , and they will be questioned as soon as possible . they could be fined , ' adel saeed , the official spokesman for the general prosecutor , told cnn on thursday . the election commission has disqualified about 10 of the 23 presidential contenders , its chief has said . the disqualifications have prompted widespread anger . international powers urged all sides to exercise restraint after the clashes wednesday . assailants targeted the protesters in cairo early wednesday , medical sources said . at least 150 people were injured , dr. ahmed thabet , a physician working in a field hospital near where the clashes took place , said thursday . it was unclear who the attackers were , but they were not wearing uniforms , witnesses said . the freedom and justice party blamed the supreme council for the deaths and injuries in the abbasiya clashes , and it said that the council , not the protesters , wants to delay the transition of power . a government official denied reports that the military was involved in wednesday 's violence . clashes have erupted in egypt since an uprising led to the toppling of mubarak in february of last year , with protesters demanding the military leaders who took over hand over power to a civilian administration . journalist mohamed fadel fahmy and cnn 's amir ahmed and saad abedine contributed to this report . | death , injuries reported in the abbasiya area , state media says |
georgia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- singer-actress mandy moore and rocker ryan adams were married this week in savannah , georgia , moore 's publicist told cnn on wednesday . mandy moore first found recording success in 1999 with her single candy ' and is now a well-known actress . the wedding took place tuesday , said jillian fowkes , who gave no further details about the nuptials . rumors first surfaced almost a year ago that moore , 24 , and adams , 34 , were dating , as paparazzi photos surfaced of the couple out together in los angeles , california . moore 's first success as a recording artist came in 1999 with her debut album , so real , ' which went platinum with the help of her top-10 single candy . ' adams is known for producing rock music with a country influence . he is best known for his song new york , new york ' , which appeared on his 2001 release gold . ' adams is also an author and has produced music for jesse malin and willie nelson . he recently announced that he was leaving his band , the cardinals , because of inner ear troubles affecting his balance and hearing . adams has fronted the cardinals since 2004 . | mandy moore and ryan adams married quietly in savannah , georgia |
star wars <tsp> ( cnn ) -- that galaxy far , far away is apparently bigger than first thought . the star wars ' franchise will get two spinoff movies , disney chief executive officer bob iger announced tuesday . we are in development of a few standalone films that are not part of the'star wars'saga , ' he said . there are now creative entities working on developing scripts for what would be those standalone films . ' the two films , if they make it out of development , will be released after episode vii , which iger said is on target for summer 2015 . lawrence kasdan and simon kinberg each will write one of the new films and consult on the next three star wars ' sequels . each standalone film will focus on a specific character , ' lucasfilm said on its starwars.com site . lucasfilm will disclose more details about the spinoff in the future , iger said . kasdan wrote the screenplays for the empire strikes back ' and return of the jedi . ' he also penned the script for raiders of the lost ark . ' kinberg has written eight screenplays , according to the internet movie database . his works include mr. & mrs. smith ' and sherlock holmes . ' he also did the screenplay for the next installment in the x-men ' films , according to imdb.com . the announcement comes three months after disney bought lucasfilm for $ 4 billion and just days after it revealed that j.j. abrams has been signed to direct the next star wars ' episode . abrams has experience with movies in blockbuster franchises . he directed the 2009 star trek ' movie and his company , bad robot , produced mission : impossible ghost protocol , ' the 2011 movie in that franchise . in addition to his film work , abrams has a long resume on tv . he created felicity , ' alias , ' lost ' and fringe , ' among others . michael arndt will write the screenplay for episode vii , according to disney . the release of 3-d versions of star wars ' episodes ii and iii , previously planned for next fall , have been postponed while lucasfilm focuses on new episodes , executives announced last week . | next star wars ' film due out is episode vii |
new york times <tsp> beijing ( cnn ) -- in a rare , joint news conference with the global news media inside the heart of beijing , u.s. president barack obama and chinese president xi jinping pledged cooperation on a range of common interests as they concluded an unusually colorful economic summit . asked about anti-american rhetoric in chinese state-run media which accused the united states of backing recent democracy protests in hong kong , obama brushed off the criticism as part of being a public official . ' the united states had no involvement in fostering the protests that took place there , ' obama insisted . xi appeared to grimace when asked by new york times reporter mark landler about international press access in china and whether he viewed obama 's pivot ' to asia as an authentic component of u.s. foreign policy . in a sign of clear annoyance with the setting , xi initially did not answer the question and moved to hear instead from a chinese reporter . in response , xi appeared at times to read a prepared statement . us , china reach historic climate change deal ' we do n't see eye to eye on every issue . both sides should respect each other 's core interests , ' xi said , adding the two nations should manage their differences respectfully . xi , however , went on to take note of international criticism of china 's human rights record . china has made enormous progress in its human rights . that is a fact , ' xi said , conceding that his nation 's work in that area is not mission accomplished . ' before finishing his remarks , xi responded to landler 's question , accusing the new york times of causing its own access problems in china . obama added he had an opportunity to stress to xi that the asia pivot ' is not an attempt to challenge china 's leadership in the region . xi and obama fielded only two questions , one from landler , the other from a reporter representing china 's state-controlled news media . still , the news conference was the culmination of weeks of intense negotiations between high-level white house and chinese officials who initially balked at the idea . u.s. officials were confident the press event marked one of the only known occasions in which a chinese leader had taken an unscripted question from an american journalist in china . us-china relations : can teens succeed where presidents have failed ? following five hours of discussions that included a close circle of chinese and u.s. officials tuesday night , the two leaders also announced a new climate agreement that would cut u.s. greenhouse gas emissions by nearly one-third from 2005 levels by 2025 . china would peak its carbon emissions no later than 2030 and increase the use of nonfossil fuels to 20 % also by 2030 . this is an ambitious goal , but it is an achievable goal , ' obama said about the climate deal . china is ready to work with the u.s. to make progress in a number of priority areas , ' xi added . the obama administration is confident it can avoid any potential stumbling blocks for the climate agreement next year when republicans take control of the senate . congress may try to stop us , but we believe that with control of congress changing hands we can proceed with the authority we already have , ' a senior administration official said on a conference call with reporters . obama arrived in beijing for the asia-pacific economic cooperation summit still wounded politically by his party 's stinging defeat in last week 's congressional midterm elections . but the u.s. president managed to string together a slew of modest trade and diplomatic agreements with beijing that will loosen visa restrictions for chinese travelers and cut tariffs on high-tech american products . china maximized its position as apec summit host , staging an olympics-caliber dinner spectacular complete with fireworks . obama drew howls in the chinese media when he was seen chewing gum as he entered monday night 's festivities . russian president vladimir putin earned a few cringes of his own when he placed a shawl around the shoulders of china 's first lady in an apparent act of chivalry . she promptly removed the garment , creating such a stir the incident was removed from china 's state-run news outlets . chinese censors attempted to further block coverage of the story by blacking out a portion of a cnn segment on the incident on the network 's anderson cooper 360 ' program . obama is scheduled to attend a state banquet with his chinese counterpart before departing for myanmar for a gathering of leaders at this week 's association of southeast asian nations summit . the president 's visit is also designed to check on myanmar 's efforts to expand democratic reforms in the southeast asian nation . 24 hours with president obama in china | presidents only fielded two questions , from new york times and chinese state media |
chinese <tsp> beijing ( cnn ) -- in a rare , joint news conference with the global news media inside the heart of beijing , u.s. president barack obama and chinese president xi jinping pledged cooperation on a range of common interests as they concluded an unusually colorful economic summit . asked about anti-american rhetoric in chinese state-run media which accused the united states of backing recent democracy protests in hong kong , obama brushed off the criticism as part of being a public official . ' the united states had no involvement in fostering the protests that took place there , ' obama insisted . xi appeared to grimace when asked by new york times reporter mark landler about international press access in china and whether he viewed obama 's pivot ' to asia as an authentic component of u.s. foreign policy . in a sign of clear annoyance with the setting , xi initially did not answer the question and moved to hear instead from a chinese reporter . in response , xi appeared at times to read a prepared statement . us , china reach historic climate change deal ' we do n't see eye to eye on every issue . both sides should respect each other 's core interests , ' xi said , adding the two nations should manage their differences respectfully . xi , however , went on to take note of international criticism of china 's human rights record . china has made enormous progress in its human rights . that is a fact , ' xi said , conceding that his nation 's work in that area is not mission accomplished . ' before finishing his remarks , xi responded to landler 's question , accusing the new york times of causing its own access problems in china . obama added he had an opportunity to stress to xi that the asia pivot ' is not an attempt to challenge china 's leadership in the region . xi and obama fielded only two questions , one from landler , the other from a reporter representing china 's state-controlled news media . still , the news conference was the culmination of weeks of intense negotiations between high-level white house and chinese officials who initially balked at the idea . u.s. officials were confident the press event marked one of the only known occasions in which a chinese leader had taken an unscripted question from an american journalist in china . us-china relations : can teens succeed where presidents have failed ? following five hours of discussions that included a close circle of chinese and u.s. officials tuesday night , the two leaders also announced a new climate agreement that would cut u.s. greenhouse gas emissions by nearly one-third from 2005 levels by 2025 . china would peak its carbon emissions no later than 2030 and increase the use of nonfossil fuels to 20 % also by 2030 . this is an ambitious goal , but it is an achievable goal , ' obama said about the climate deal . china is ready to work with the u.s. to make progress in a number of priority areas , ' xi added . the obama administration is confident it can avoid any potential stumbling blocks for the climate agreement next year when republicans take control of the senate . congress may try to stop us , but we believe that with control of congress changing hands we can proceed with the authority we already have , ' a senior administration official said on a conference call with reporters . obama arrived in beijing for the asia-pacific economic cooperation summit still wounded politically by his party 's stinging defeat in last week 's congressional midterm elections . but the u.s. president managed to string together a slew of modest trade and diplomatic agreements with beijing that will loosen visa restrictions for chinese travelers and cut tariffs on high-tech american products . china maximized its position as apec summit host , staging an olympics-caliber dinner spectacular complete with fireworks . obama drew howls in the chinese media when he was seen chewing gum as he entered monday night 's festivities . russian president vladimir putin earned a few cringes of his own when he placed a shawl around the shoulders of china 's first lady in an apparent act of chivalry . she promptly removed the garment , creating such a stir the incident was removed from china 's state-run news outlets . chinese censors attempted to further block coverage of the story by blacking out a portion of a cnn segment on the incident on the network 's anderson cooper 360 ' program . obama is scheduled to attend a state banquet with his chinese counterpart before departing for myanmar for a gathering of leaders at this week 's association of southeast asian nations summit . the president 's visit is also designed to check on myanmar 's efforts to expand democratic reforms in the southeast asian nation . 24 hours with president obama in china | presidents only fielded two questions , from new york times and chinese state media |
chinese <tsp> beijing ( cnn ) -- in a rare , joint news conference with the global news media inside the heart of beijing , u.s. president barack obama and chinese president xi jinping pledged cooperation on a range of common interests as they concluded an unusually colorful economic summit . asked about anti-american rhetoric in chinese state-run media which accused the united states of backing recent democracy protests in hong kong , obama brushed off the criticism as part of being a public official . ' the united states had no involvement in fostering the protests that took place there , ' obama insisted . xi appeared to grimace when asked by new york times reporter mark landler about international press access in china and whether he viewed obama 's pivot ' to asia as an authentic component of u.s. foreign policy . in a sign of clear annoyance with the setting , xi initially did not answer the question and moved to hear instead from a chinese reporter . in response , xi appeared at times to read a prepared statement . us , china reach historic climate change deal ' we do n't see eye to eye on every issue . both sides should respect each other 's core interests , ' xi said , adding the two nations should manage their differences respectfully . xi , however , went on to take note of international criticism of china 's human rights record . china has made enormous progress in its human rights . that is a fact , ' xi said , conceding that his nation 's work in that area is not mission accomplished . ' before finishing his remarks , xi responded to landler 's question , accusing the new york times of causing its own access problems in china . obama added he had an opportunity to stress to xi that the asia pivot ' is not an attempt to challenge china 's leadership in the region . xi and obama fielded only two questions , one from landler , the other from a reporter representing china 's state-controlled news media . still , the news conference was the culmination of weeks of intense negotiations between high-level white house and chinese officials who initially balked at the idea . u.s. officials were confident the press event marked one of the only known occasions in which a chinese leader had taken an unscripted question from an american journalist in china . us-china relations : can teens succeed where presidents have failed ? following five hours of discussions that included a close circle of chinese and u.s. officials tuesday night , the two leaders also announced a new climate agreement that would cut u.s. greenhouse gas emissions by nearly one-third from 2005 levels by 2025 . china would peak its carbon emissions no later than 2030 and increase the use of nonfossil fuels to 20 % also by 2030 . this is an ambitious goal , but it is an achievable goal , ' obama said about the climate deal . china is ready to work with the u.s. to make progress in a number of priority areas , ' xi added . the obama administration is confident it can avoid any potential stumbling blocks for the climate agreement next year when republicans take control of the senate . congress may try to stop us , but we believe that with control of congress changing hands we can proceed with the authority we already have , ' a senior administration official said on a conference call with reporters . obama arrived in beijing for the asia-pacific economic cooperation summit still wounded politically by his party 's stinging defeat in last week 's congressional midterm elections . but the u.s. president managed to string together a slew of modest trade and diplomatic agreements with beijing that will loosen visa restrictions for chinese travelers and cut tariffs on high-tech american products . china maximized its position as apec summit host , staging an olympics-caliber dinner spectacular complete with fireworks . obama drew howls in the chinese media when he was seen chewing gum as he entered monday night 's festivities . russian president vladimir putin earned a few cringes of his own when he placed a shawl around the shoulders of china 's first lady in an apparent act of chivalry . she promptly removed the garment , creating such a stir the incident was removed from china 's state-run news outlets . chinese censors attempted to further block coverage of the story by blacking out a portion of a cnn segment on the incident on the network 's anderson cooper 360 ' program . obama is scheduled to attend a state banquet with his chinese counterpart before departing for myanmar for a gathering of leaders at this week 's association of southeast asian nations summit . the president 's visit is also designed to check on myanmar 's efforts to expand democratic reforms in the southeast asian nation . 24 hours with president obama in china | event only happened after intense negotiations between white house , chinese officials |
chinese <tsp> beijing ( cnn ) -- in a rare , joint news conference with the global news media inside the heart of beijing , u.s. president barack obama and chinese president xi jinping pledged cooperation on a range of common interests as they concluded an unusually colorful economic summit . asked about anti-american rhetoric in chinese state-run media which accused the united states of backing recent democracy protests in hong kong , obama brushed off the criticism as part of being a public official . ' the united states had no involvement in fostering the protests that took place there , ' obama insisted . xi appeared to grimace when asked by new york times reporter mark landler about international press access in china and whether he viewed obama 's pivot ' to asia as an authentic component of u.s. foreign policy . in a sign of clear annoyance with the setting , xi initially did not answer the question and moved to hear instead from a chinese reporter . in response , xi appeared at times to read a prepared statement . us , china reach historic climate change deal ' we do n't see eye to eye on every issue . both sides should respect each other 's core interests , ' xi said , adding the two nations should manage their differences respectfully . xi , however , went on to take note of international criticism of china 's human rights record . china has made enormous progress in its human rights . that is a fact , ' xi said , conceding that his nation 's work in that area is not mission accomplished . ' before finishing his remarks , xi responded to landler 's question , accusing the new york times of causing its own access problems in china . obama added he had an opportunity to stress to xi that the asia pivot ' is not an attempt to challenge china 's leadership in the region . xi and obama fielded only two questions , one from landler , the other from a reporter representing china 's state-controlled news media . still , the news conference was the culmination of weeks of intense negotiations between high-level white house and chinese officials who initially balked at the idea . u.s. officials were confident the press event marked one of the only known occasions in which a chinese leader had taken an unscripted question from an american journalist in china . us-china relations : can teens succeed where presidents have failed ? following five hours of discussions that included a close circle of chinese and u.s. officials tuesday night , the two leaders also announced a new climate agreement that would cut u.s. greenhouse gas emissions by nearly one-third from 2005 levels by 2025 . china would peak its carbon emissions no later than 2030 and increase the use of nonfossil fuels to 20 % also by 2030 . this is an ambitious goal , but it is an achievable goal , ' obama said about the climate deal . china is ready to work with the u.s. to make progress in a number of priority areas , ' xi added . the obama administration is confident it can avoid any potential stumbling blocks for the climate agreement next year when republicans take control of the senate . congress may try to stop us , but we believe that with control of congress changing hands we can proceed with the authority we already have , ' a senior administration official said on a conference call with reporters . obama arrived in beijing for the asia-pacific economic cooperation summit still wounded politically by his party 's stinging defeat in last week 's congressional midterm elections . but the u.s. president managed to string together a slew of modest trade and diplomatic agreements with beijing that will loosen visa restrictions for chinese travelers and cut tariffs on high-tech american products . china maximized its position as apec summit host , staging an olympics-caliber dinner spectacular complete with fireworks . obama drew howls in the chinese media when he was seen chewing gum as he entered monday night 's festivities . russian president vladimir putin earned a few cringes of his own when he placed a shawl around the shoulders of china 's first lady in an apparent act of chivalry . she promptly removed the garment , creating such a stir the incident was removed from china 's state-run news outlets . chinese censors attempted to further block coverage of the story by blacking out a portion of a cnn segment on the incident on the network 's anderson cooper 360 ' program . obama is scheduled to attend a state banquet with his chinese counterpart before departing for myanmar for a gathering of leaders at this week 's association of southeast asian nations summit . the president 's visit is also designed to check on myanmar 's efforts to expand democratic reforms in the southeast asian nation . 24 hours with president obama in china | u.s. , chinese presidents conclude summit with joint news conference |
idaho <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a business jet crashed into a hangar at the santa monica airport on sunday . no one survived the crash and subsequent fire , but authorities did not immediately determine how many were on board . the twin-engine cessna citation ran off the right side of the runway after landing at 6:20 p.m. pt , said federal aviation administration spokesman ian gregor . the hangar collapsed and was too unstable for firefighters to enter , said captain john nevandro of the santa monica fire department . it was an unsurvivable crash , ' nevandro said . there was no communication with the pilot to indicate mechanical failure , van mckenny , an investigator with the national transportation safety board , said monday at a news conference . he added that the agency has not confirmed the number of people on the plane and that the county coroner will release that information . charles muttillo , vice president of morley builders of santa monica , issued a statement monday saying the company 's president and ceo and his son were believed to be on the plane . we are aware of a plane crash at santa monica airport last night . while we do not have specific facts , we believe that our president and ceo , mark benjamin , and his son , luke benjamin , a senior project engineer with us were on board , ' the statement read . we are unable to issue a further statement at this time . we will provide you with more updates as soon as we learn of them . thank you . ' various models of the citation jet carry from seven to nine passengers , according to the manufacturer 's website . a witness , charles thomson , told cnn affiliate kcal-tv a tire on the plane appeared to burst . it was n't an emergency landing , ' thomson said . it was just a landing , and the tire popped afterwards . ' mckenny said he could not confirm that a tire was blown . the plane departed from hailey , idaho , an area popular for vacation homes , kcal reported . children among 4 killed when plane crashes in connecticut houses pilots snooze at 30,000 feet in cockpit of 300-passenger plane ups pilots died of crash injuries , coroner says cnn 's dave alsup and janet digiacomo contributed to this report . | the plane departed from hailey , idaho |
budapest <tsp> ( cnn ) -- imagine the size of the box this one came in -- a lego tower stretching 36 meters into the sky above the hungarian capital budapest . the 34.76- meter ( 114 feet ) tower , which was completed on sunday , has been certified as the world 's tallest toy brick structure by guinness world records . it beat the previous record holder , a 34.4-meter structure constructed last year with the help of u.s. students from a school in delaware . a spokesman for guinness world records confirmed that the tower qualified as the tallest structure built with interlocking plastic bricks . ' he said the record was officially registered to lego store budapest on may 25 . the budapest tower , topped by a rubik 's cube -- a hungarian invention -- was also built with the help of hungarian primary school children , according to local news websites . the structure , built in front of the city 's st. stephen 's basilica , used hundreds of thousands of blocks . cnn travel 's series often carry sponsorship originating from the countries and regions we profile . however , cnn retains full editorial control over all of its reports . read the policy . | lego tower in budapest confirmed as world 's tallest by guinness world records |
justin bieber <tsp> ( cnn ) -- cyndi lauper had a hit in the 1980s called money changes everything . ' she has a point . it may or may not buy happiness , but money -- especially truckloads of it -- does change things , including endowing the holder of the checkbook with power . now , take a teenager and give him that power . what happens ? justin bieber , lindsay lohan and the other teen stars that have crashed to earth in a shower of tabloid sparks , may only be doing what a great many teenagers would be doing -- if they could . there are teenagers like justin bieber on every block . but imagine the kid who cuts your lawn suddenly having a net worth of about $ 130 million . the same teen brain that convinces its host that he wo n't get caught if he throws a party at the house while mom and dad are away now knows it owns the house -- and it 's a mansion , with lamborghinis outside loaned gratis by a friendly dealer . woohoo ! it 's long been said that by age 5 or 6 , a child 's brain is 95 % of its adult size . but neuroscientists , enlightened by mri technology , are discovering it is still changing -- creating connections , adding and shedding cells . that process is particularly active in the prefrontal cortex -- the part that makes judgments like drag racing through residential neighborhoods . dr. jay giedd at the national institute of mental health in bethesda , maryland , led studies that found the teen brain development was a process of adding and pruning . significantly , he said , brain cells at that age are influenced by what the teen does . if he plays sports , the brain cells will make connections that help with that . if he sits on the couch and plays video games , then the cells will be hardwired for those activities . the only real moderating influence -- as it is for any teenager -- is the parents . but instilling discipline and values can be a daunting exercise when the child is the breadwinner . it can be difficult to tell your child they ca n't have the car tonight -- when he 's the one who paid for it . some parents -- like the lohans -- are simply not up to the job . others -- like the parents of britney spears or amanda bynes -- may have had their job complicated by what appear to be mental problems . unfortunately , today , those problems are there for all to see . every failure of a troubled celebrity teen spreads like digital wildfire . still , for every justin bieber , there is a ron howard , natalie portman or jodie foster -- child stars who navigated the rocky shoals of teen years into successful adulthood . actor rance howard , in an interview , said he raised well-adjusted child star sons , clint and academy-award winning ron , by removing their money from the family 's life . we chose not to live on what the boys could afford , ' he said , but what i could afford . ' let 's hope justin will find his way . but romping in a mountain of money like most kids play in a pile of leaves , and surrounded by an entourage of dependent cheerleaders , wo n't make it easy . as the developing cells of his teenage brain react to the world around him -- money does change everything . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of peggy drexler . | peggy drexler : there are teenagers like justin bieber on every block |
baghdad <tsp> baghdad , iraq ( cnn ) -- celebratory gunfire erupted across the capital sunday when iraq 's soccer team won the asian cup , in a 1-0 shutout against three-time champions saudi arabia . a soldier takes position sunday in central baghdad after a vehicle ban was announced in the iraqi capital . stray bullets killed four people and wounded 17 others in the capital , an official with the iraqi interior ministry told cnn . an iraqi woman who was among military workers watching the game from a u.s.-iraqi military base labeled the team members heroes . ' this is our victory , ' said the woman , who was interviewed by cnn but would not allow her face to appear on camera because of security concerns . u.s. soldiers at the base joked that , with the victory , the war was over and they could return home , cnn 's arwa damon reported . iraqi state television showed the players , draped in iraqi flags , hoisting pewter cups aloft as they reached out for the main trophy held by a player on a dais that had been set up in the field . watch iraqis celebrate in baghdad » confetti filled the air and fireworks lit up the night sky after the game , which was played in jakarta . the iraqi team 's players ran a victory lap around the field before posing for photographs . each of the 23 members of the iraqi team is to receive $ 10,000 , a prize promised them by prime minister nuri al-maliki before the final match , whatever its outcome , iraq 's youth and sports minister jasim mohammed jaafar said . the team is scheduled to return wednesday to baghdad , where they will be greeted by government officials and awarded a special gift from the prime minister , jaafar said . during the past week , as the iraqis ascended to the finals , dozens of people died in soccer-related violence , some from celebratory gunfire and some from attacks . in an effort to prevent further violence , authorities on sunday clamped down on security in baghdad . vehicles were banned from the streets of the capital as part of a curfew that began at 4 p.m. ( 8 a.m . et ) and was scheduled to end at 6 a.m. monday ( 10 p.m. sunday et ) . in the jordanian capital of amman , iraqi exiles drove through the streets , waving iraqi flags and honking their horns , cnn 's jomana karadsheh reported . in a western amman neighborhood , hundreds of iraqi women , children and men danced in the street in celebration . a smiling young man in a wheelchair maneuvered himself through the crowds while an old woman who could barely walk held a small iraqi flag aloft . baghdad is victorious ! ' some chanted , while others chanted down with terror ! ' one woman said the team 's victory represents a sign of unity among iraqis . we are shiite , sunni , kurd and christian , we are all united , ' she said . wiping away tears of joy , she said it was the first time in years living outside of iraq that she felt she was at home . about an hour into the spontaneous celebration , the mood in amman was dampened as jordanian security forces used force to disperse the iraqis . as onlookers booed , the forces shoved a middle-aged iraqi man into the back of a police suv . nearby , a jordanian policeman could be seen kicking a young celebrant . a jordanian government spokesman referred cnn to police for comment on the matter . police said the crowds were being dispersed for security reasons . e-mail to a friend | woman at baghdad military base dubs national team heroes ' after historic win |
baghdad <tsp> baghdad , iraq ( cnn ) -- celebratory gunfire erupted across the capital sunday when iraq 's soccer team won the asian cup , in a 1-0 shutout against three-time champions saudi arabia . a soldier takes position sunday in central baghdad after a vehicle ban was announced in the iraqi capital . stray bullets killed four people and wounded 17 others in the capital , an official with the iraqi interior ministry told cnn . an iraqi woman who was among military workers watching the game from a u.s.-iraqi military base labeled the team members heroes . ' this is our victory , ' said the woman , who was interviewed by cnn but would not allow her face to appear on camera because of security concerns . u.s. soldiers at the base joked that , with the victory , the war was over and they could return home , cnn 's arwa damon reported . iraqi state television showed the players , draped in iraqi flags , hoisting pewter cups aloft as they reached out for the main trophy held by a player on a dais that had been set up in the field . watch iraqis celebrate in baghdad » confetti filled the air and fireworks lit up the night sky after the game , which was played in jakarta . the iraqi team 's players ran a victory lap around the field before posing for photographs . each of the 23 members of the iraqi team is to receive $ 10,000 , a prize promised them by prime minister nuri al-maliki before the final match , whatever its outcome , iraq 's youth and sports minister jasim mohammed jaafar said . the team is scheduled to return wednesday to baghdad , where they will be greeted by government officials and awarded a special gift from the prime minister , jaafar said . during the past week , as the iraqis ascended to the finals , dozens of people died in soccer-related violence , some from celebratory gunfire and some from attacks . in an effort to prevent further violence , authorities on sunday clamped down on security in baghdad . vehicles were banned from the streets of the capital as part of a curfew that began at 4 p.m. ( 8 a.m . et ) and was scheduled to end at 6 a.m. monday ( 10 p.m. sunday et ) . in the jordanian capital of amman , iraqi exiles drove through the streets , waving iraqi flags and honking their horns , cnn 's jomana karadsheh reported . in a western amman neighborhood , hundreds of iraqi women , children and men danced in the street in celebration . a smiling young man in a wheelchair maneuvered himself through the crowds while an old woman who could barely walk held a small iraqi flag aloft . baghdad is victorious ! ' some chanted , while others chanted down with terror ! ' one woman said the team 's victory represents a sign of unity among iraqis . we are shiite , sunni , kurd and christian , we are all united , ' she said . wiping away tears of joy , she said it was the first time in years living outside of iraq that she felt she was at home . about an hour into the spontaneous celebration , the mood in amman was dampened as jordanian security forces used force to disperse the iraqis . as onlookers booed , the forces shoved a middle-aged iraqi man into the back of a police suv . nearby , a jordanian policeman could be seen kicking a young celebrant . a jordanian government spokesman referred cnn to police for comment on the matter . police said the crowds were being dispersed for security reasons . e-mail to a friend | jubilant iraqis in baghdad ignore gunfire , vehicle ban after 1-0 win |
saariselka <tsp> saariselka , finland ( cnn ) -- it has been a long and cold winter in europe . you might think an invitation to spend a weekend in northern finland with more icy weather would be the last thing anyone would have wanted . not a bit of it . when the invitation came to attend the lapland retreat deep in the arctic circle i jumped at the chance . finland 's pm jyrki katainen and europe minister alex stubb , host the retreat and this year invited the prime ministers of denmark , croatia and latvia , along with the president of estonia , the deputy pm of turkey and the europe minister from ireland . several more including a member of the ecb and ministers from spain and portugal pulled out at the last moment . this is an eclectic group of countries : two hardline eu members , ( finland and denmark ) , a country about to join in july ( croatia ) , one in the middle of a bailout ( ireland ) and one on the outside wanting to join but so far spurned ( turkey ) . read quest : cypriot disastrous decision the idea was to avoid being bogged down in the crises du jour , this year , cyprus . rather , think big thoughts about the future of europe while wearing slippers , wrapped up in blankets in a remote log cabin . it is a quixotic goal since the very future of europe depends on its ability , or failure , to handle crises , such as cyprus ; which frankly it has spectacularly failed to do . the metaphors were everywhere . the reindeer at the welcome family photocall managed to poop all over the ground , which was quickly shovelled over with fresh white snow in time for the pictures ... like the euro crises , covered up but still smouldering underneath . looking at the reindeers antlers was imaging leaders impaled on the horns of euro-dilemmas . freezing european economies . icy conditions . oh i could go on . read quest : cyprus bailout is nothing more than usual euro nonsense it was striking how strident these leaders were about what needs to be done . austerity with growth , ' said finland 's prime minister , in other words , just as his country has done . finland incidentally has just had a tax-raising budget , cutting spending but still managing to lower corporation tax . it can be done , came the satisfied shrill from the north . follow the rules , ' said denmark 's helle thorning-schmidt . she returned to the theme again and again . if countries had done what they were supposed to do , we would n't be in the mess we are . whatever sympathy there may be for the people of cyprus froze like the lakes outside when they spoke of the cyprus banking system . sobriquets such as unique , ' unusual , ' unprecedented ' were used when what they wanted to say was out-of-control-wild-west-money-laundering banking-industry . ' oh yes , with russian money ( you can always rely on the finns to put the boot in , ever so politely , to russia ) . read quest : u.s. economy to dominate davos 2013 the finnish pm rejected the idea he was a hardliner ( he is ) preferring to call himself a pragmatist . the difference matters not . finland is one of those countries , along with germany , that has had enough of bailouts . alex stubb , its europe minister , made clear the future for european rescues is bailing in with investors'money not bailing out with finland 's taxpayer cash . attending the lapland retreat was fascinating . not because of the reindeer i ate ( it really is a delicious meat ) or because the snow this far north is , well , really white . but because i got to see leaders at their most honest : all the pms had taken their own hard decisions , for instance croatia preparing for euro membership and terrified about italy 's chaotic economy on its doorstep ; estonia , dealing with multi-year recession ; finland with its own anti-europe factions . so they have had enough . they want the 27 member countries to get on with it . sort it out . deal with it . concentrate on issues like digital single market , growth . the only problem , everyone says , is that change comes as quickly as a lapland thaw . just as with the reindeer poop , which as far as i know is still there , covered up , like the euro crises . | finland 's political leaders held an informal summit in saariselka , lapland this weekend |
sony <tsp> ( cnn ) -- sony corp. lost a record $ 5.7 billion in the fiscal year ending in march , the company announced today -- lower than beleaguered electronics giant 's previous estimates of finishing the year $ 6.4 billion in the red . still , it was the fourth straight year the company finished the year with a loss . sony is not the only japanese electronics giant struggling : on friday , panasonic corp. is expected to announce nearly $ 10 billion in annual losses , according to estimates released by the company earlier this year . both companies have struggled with ailing television manufacturing divisions , which have lost to lower cost rivals like samsung and lg , and are hampered by a rising yen which has cut repatriated profits from overseas sales . sony 's television division has lost money for the past eight years . the search for sony 's soul earlier this week , shares of sony stock slipped to its lowest level in 25 years . both sony and panasonic have announced restructuring plans and have new leaders running the company . new ceo kazuo hirai took the helm on april 1 and promised last month to cut 10,000 jobs -- about 6 % of its workforce -- in the next year . the company predicts a 30 billion yen ( $ 376.5 million ) net profit in the current fiscal year . kazuhiro tsuga was appointed new ceo of panasonic earlier this year . both tsuga and hirai have announced plans to cut the volume of televisions the companies produce . the japanese economic newspaper nikkei reported wednesday panasonic may swing to a $ 626 million profit this fiscal year , causing the company 's share price to rise nearly 5 % . the company would n't comment on the report , saying in a statement it would release figures on friday . | sony lost a record $ 5.7 billion in the fiscal year ending in march |
swedish <tsp> ( cnn ) -- henrik stenson kept his cool to collect the biggest paycheck of his career sunday , landing a $ 10 million fedex cup jackpot along with the $ 1.44 million prize for winning the tour championship in atlanta . the swede , who also collected $ 1.44 million for winning the deutsche bank championship earlier this month , finished three shots clear of young american hope jordan spieth and veteran steve stricker . the 37-year-old went into the final day at east lake with a four-stroke advantage , having been nine ahead halfway through saturday 's round , but spieth ate into that as he fired a superb six-under-par 64 . the 20-year-old , who won his first pga tour title in july while still a teen , had carded eight birdies until his second bogey at 17 dimmed his hopes of a remarkable victory . it 's been a dream come true , ' said spieth , who had nine top-10 finishes in his rookie year . stricker , second behind stenson in boston and tied for fourth at last week 's bmw championship , made his charge with an eagle three at the 15th but he could only par from there as he also finished on 10 under . it put the 46-year-old in third place in the fedex cup standings , while spieth was seventh . stenson had given them hope when he dropped a shot at 14 , but allayed any fears of another blowout like saturday as he bounced back immediately with a birdie and finished with pars to complete a memorable wire-to-wire victory . webb simpson shot the round of the day , a flawless seven-birdie 63 that lifted the 2012 u.s. open winner up to fourth on 271 -- two shots ahead of his successor justin rose ( 67 ) . dustin johnson , whose late charge collapsed with a triple-bogey seven at the 17th hole , rebounded with a birdie at the last to claim sixth place . tiger woods had led the fedex cup standings going into the fourth and final playoff event , but ended up second behind stenson after finishing tied for 22nd in the 30-man field . the world no . 1 said he was happy after carding his best round of the week , a five-birdie 67 . there are days where i just do n't have it , ' said the american , who has won five tournaments this year but struggled in the four majors . game does n't feel right . body does n't feel right . things just do n't work . but i still grind it out and post some numbers . i wish i would have been a little more consistent in some of the events , but overall , at the end of the day , to add to the win total for the year , it 's always a good thing . ' woods'old rival phil mickelson was tied for 12th after a 68 , which put the british open champion on four under along with keegan bradley -- who eagled the par-four seventh in his 67 . masters champion adam scott was another shot back tied for 14th after carding a mixed 69 which featured a double bogey and four birdies . last season 's fedex cup winner brandt snedeker , who has battled bone disease this year , tied for 20th after closing with 68 . | swedish golfer henrik stenson wins pga tour 's end-of-season playoffs |
islam <tsp> boynton beach , florida ( cnn ) -- freshman republican congressman allen west clashed with an advocate for muslim-american civil rights at a sometimes-rowdy town hall meeting monday night . the tense exchange drew boos from a standing room only , largely republican crowd . the confrontation came as west , an iraq war veteran who was backed by the tea party in last november 's election , took questions from constituents . nezar hamze , executive director of the council on american-islamic relations in miami , stepped to the microphone and accused west of making anti-muslim comments in the past . me and my children choose to follow the faith of islam . you consistently insult it . how can we expect you to defend our right and practice islam as far as the constitution is concerned ? ' hamze asked . i will always defend your right to practice a free religion under the first amendment , ' west said . but what you must understand , if i am speaking the truth , i am not going to stop speaking the truth . the truth is not subjective , ' he continued to loud applause . west 's comments on islam have stirred controversy in the past . he recently said muslim rep. keith ellison , d-minnesota , represents the antithesis of the principles upon which this country was established . ' the new gop congressman pulled no punches commenting on the political crisis in egypt , drawing parallels between the chaos in that country and the 1979 revolution in iran . west said the u.s. must stop the egyptian militant group , the muslim brotherhood , from seizing power . president carter , president obama , iran , egypt , the shah , mubarak , the ayatollah , the muslim brotherhood . it is a scary parallel . we can not allow the muslim brotherhood to fill the void of leadership that can occur in egypt , ' west said . monday night 's event was one of the country 's first town hall meetings since the near assassination of democratic congresswoman gabrielle giffords at a constituent event in tucson , arizona , in january . the tragedy was followed by calls from republicans and democrats to tone down political rhetoric . determined to meet with his constituents once a month , west says he is taking his own precautions to stay safe . west , who has a permit to carry concealed weapons in florida , also suggested to reporters he will be armed at some of his events . i 've had a concealed weapons license for quite some time , about the last two to three years , and i take it upon myself and my personal responsibility , but i choose the venues in which i 'll carry , ' west told cnn . asked if he was carrying a gun monday night , west replied , i ca n't tell you that . ' the audience at monday 's meeting sounded more like a pep rally than a town hall . west 's promises to oppose the new health care law and efforts to raise the nation 's debt ceiling drew rounds of applause . it was a sign that many tea party activists still plan to attend these constituent events , if only to cheer on members of congress they support . still west encouraged his opponents to speak up at his town halls . if there is someone here who resides in congressional district 22 who did not vote for allen west , i want to hear from you , ' west said . i want to know how i can better serve you and be a better representative . ' | west , an iraq war veteran , has made controversial comments about islam |
west <tsp> boynton beach , florida ( cnn ) -- freshman republican congressman allen west clashed with an advocate for muslim-american civil rights at a sometimes-rowdy town hall meeting monday night . the tense exchange drew boos from a standing room only , largely republican crowd . the confrontation came as west , an iraq war veteran who was backed by the tea party in last november 's election , took questions from constituents . nezar hamze , executive director of the council on american-islamic relations in miami , stepped to the microphone and accused west of making anti-muslim comments in the past . me and my children choose to follow the faith of islam . you consistently insult it . how can we expect you to defend our right and practice islam as far as the constitution is concerned ? ' hamze asked . i will always defend your right to practice a free religion under the first amendment , ' west said . but what you must understand , if i am speaking the truth , i am not going to stop speaking the truth . the truth is not subjective , ' he continued to loud applause . west 's comments on islam have stirred controversy in the past . he recently said muslim rep. keith ellison , d-minnesota , represents the antithesis of the principles upon which this country was established . ' the new gop congressman pulled no punches commenting on the political crisis in egypt , drawing parallels between the chaos in that country and the 1979 revolution in iran . west said the u.s. must stop the egyptian militant group , the muslim brotherhood , from seizing power . president carter , president obama , iran , egypt , the shah , mubarak , the ayatollah , the muslim brotherhood . it is a scary parallel . we can not allow the muslim brotherhood to fill the void of leadership that can occur in egypt , ' west said . monday night 's event was one of the country 's first town hall meetings since the near assassination of democratic congresswoman gabrielle giffords at a constituent event in tucson , arizona , in january . the tragedy was followed by calls from republicans and democrats to tone down political rhetoric . determined to meet with his constituents once a month , west says he is taking his own precautions to stay safe . west , who has a permit to carry concealed weapons in florida , also suggested to reporters he will be armed at some of his events . i 've had a concealed weapons license for quite some time , about the last two to three years , and i take it upon myself and my personal responsibility , but i choose the venues in which i 'll carry , ' west told cnn . asked if he was carrying a gun monday night , west replied , i ca n't tell you that . ' the audience at monday 's meeting sounded more like a pep rally than a town hall . west 's promises to oppose the new health care law and efforts to raise the nation 's debt ceiling drew rounds of applause . it was a sign that many tea party activists still plan to attend these constituent events , if only to cheer on members of congress they support . still west encouraged his opponents to speak up at his town halls . if there is someone here who resides in congressional district 22 who did not vote for allen west , i want to hear from you , ' west said . i want to know how i can better serve you and be a better representative . ' | west , an iraq war veteran , has made controversial comments about islam |
west <tsp> boynton beach , florida ( cnn ) -- freshman republican congressman allen west clashed with an advocate for muslim-american civil rights at a sometimes-rowdy town hall meeting monday night . the tense exchange drew boos from a standing room only , largely republican crowd . the confrontation came as west , an iraq war veteran who was backed by the tea party in last november 's election , took questions from constituents . nezar hamze , executive director of the council on american-islamic relations in miami , stepped to the microphone and accused west of making anti-muslim comments in the past . me and my children choose to follow the faith of islam . you consistently insult it . how can we expect you to defend our right and practice islam as far as the constitution is concerned ? ' hamze asked . i will always defend your right to practice a free religion under the first amendment , ' west said . but what you must understand , if i am speaking the truth , i am not going to stop speaking the truth . the truth is not subjective , ' he continued to loud applause . west 's comments on islam have stirred controversy in the past . he recently said muslim rep. keith ellison , d-minnesota , represents the antithesis of the principles upon which this country was established . ' the new gop congressman pulled no punches commenting on the political crisis in egypt , drawing parallels between the chaos in that country and the 1979 revolution in iran . west said the u.s. must stop the egyptian militant group , the muslim brotherhood , from seizing power . president carter , president obama , iran , egypt , the shah , mubarak , the ayatollah , the muslim brotherhood . it is a scary parallel . we can not allow the muslim brotherhood to fill the void of leadership that can occur in egypt , ' west said . monday night 's event was one of the country 's first town hall meetings since the near assassination of democratic congresswoman gabrielle giffords at a constituent event in tucson , arizona , in january . the tragedy was followed by calls from republicans and democrats to tone down political rhetoric . determined to meet with his constituents once a month , west says he is taking his own precautions to stay safe . west , who has a permit to carry concealed weapons in florida , also suggested to reporters he will be armed at some of his events . i 've had a concealed weapons license for quite some time , about the last two to three years , and i take it upon myself and my personal responsibility , but i choose the venues in which i 'll carry , ' west told cnn . asked if he was carrying a gun monday night , west replied , i ca n't tell you that . ' the audience at monday 's meeting sounded more like a pep rally than a town hall . west 's promises to oppose the new health care law and efforts to raise the nation 's debt ceiling drew rounds of applause . it was a sign that many tea party activists still plan to attend these constituent events , if only to cheer on members of congress they support . still west encouraged his opponents to speak up at his town halls . if there is someone here who resides in congressional district 22 who did not vote for allen west , i want to hear from you , ' west said . i want to know how i can better serve you and be a better representative . ' | islamic activist accused west of making anti-muslim comments |
west <tsp> boynton beach , florida ( cnn ) -- freshman republican congressman allen west clashed with an advocate for muslim-american civil rights at a sometimes-rowdy town hall meeting monday night . the tense exchange drew boos from a standing room only , largely republican crowd . the confrontation came as west , an iraq war veteran who was backed by the tea party in last november 's election , took questions from constituents . nezar hamze , executive director of the council on american-islamic relations in miami , stepped to the microphone and accused west of making anti-muslim comments in the past . me and my children choose to follow the faith of islam . you consistently insult it . how can we expect you to defend our right and practice islam as far as the constitution is concerned ? ' hamze asked . i will always defend your right to practice a free religion under the first amendment , ' west said . but what you must understand , if i am speaking the truth , i am not going to stop speaking the truth . the truth is not subjective , ' he continued to loud applause . west 's comments on islam have stirred controversy in the past . he recently said muslim rep. keith ellison , d-minnesota , represents the antithesis of the principles upon which this country was established . ' the new gop congressman pulled no punches commenting on the political crisis in egypt , drawing parallels between the chaos in that country and the 1979 revolution in iran . west said the u.s. must stop the egyptian militant group , the muslim brotherhood , from seizing power . president carter , president obama , iran , egypt , the shah , mubarak , the ayatollah , the muslim brotherhood . it is a scary parallel . we can not allow the muslim brotherhood to fill the void of leadership that can occur in egypt , ' west said . monday night 's event was one of the country 's first town hall meetings since the near assassination of democratic congresswoman gabrielle giffords at a constituent event in tucson , arizona , in january . the tragedy was followed by calls from republicans and democrats to tone down political rhetoric . determined to meet with his constituents once a month , west says he is taking his own precautions to stay safe . west , who has a permit to carry concealed weapons in florida , also suggested to reporters he will be armed at some of his events . i 've had a concealed weapons license for quite some time , about the last two to three years , and i take it upon myself and my personal responsibility , but i choose the venues in which i 'll carry , ' west told cnn . asked if he was carrying a gun monday night , west replied , i ca n't tell you that . ' the audience at monday 's meeting sounded more like a pep rally than a town hall . west 's promises to oppose the new health care law and efforts to raise the nation 's debt ceiling drew rounds of applause . it was a sign that many tea party activists still plan to attend these constituent events , if only to cheer on members of congress they support . still west encouraged his opponents to speak up at his town halls . if there is someone here who resides in congressional district 22 who did not vote for allen west , i want to hear from you , ' west said . i want to know how i can better serve you and be a better representative . ' | allen west was backed by the tea party in november 's election |
china <tsp> when zhou yuxia , 24 , returned to beijing after studying in the united states , she had real trouble securing a job . she had the right qualifications for the positions she was looking for -- she just was n't a man . i was on a job hunting site and saw this ideal position as a marketing manager . one of the requirements was that i had to be male , ' she told cnn . if i am desperate i will apply anyway because i think i am qualified . but i 'll send them an extra video outlining why i can do the job despite being female . ' this happened a fortnight ago , just weeks after a similar gender discrimination case made headlines in china . recent graduate cao ju took beijing-based private tutor company juren academy to court after they refused to employ her on the basis of being female . the company later settled for 30,000 rmb ( us $ 4,925 ) , in what has been described as the first gender discrimination lawsuit of its kind in the china .'important breakthrough' geoff crothall from china labour bulletin , an ngo that promotes the rights of workers in china , described the beijing case as an important breakthrough . ' he says he expects more women to actively challenge discrimination moving forward but cautioned against being too optimistic . it is very difficult to get courts in china to accept discrimination cases , as cao ju herself experienced , ' crothall told cnn . very often employers blatantly discriminate because demand for a particular job is very high and they can get away with setting strict and discriminatory stipulations . ' wang xiao , 28 , knows a thing or two about this . upon graduating from a top beijing university , she spent a year working as a headhunter . there she was approached by clients who specified only male candidates . factory-based jobs and those within engineering were two professions commonly demanding male applicants , as were roles that involved travel or working overseas . there 's a perception that ( travel ) to certain countries is not safe for women , and also that if a woman is older her priorities will be more home-based , whereas the man 's will still be work first , ' she said . wang experienced discrimination herself upon changing jobs . she was working as a teacher 's assistant at a well-established tutorial company in beijing and when her boss left , he referred wang to the director as the best person to fill his role . the director , though , wanted a man . wang lost out to someone more junior than her . at my company the high-level positions were usually filled by men , ' she noted . these anecdotes are commonplace . data in the third chinese women 's social status investigation , jointly carried out in 2010 by the all-china women 's federation ( acwf ) and the national bureau of statistics of china , revealed that more than 72 % of women had a clear perception of not being hired or promoted because of gender ' discrimination . over 75 % believed they were dismissed due to marriage and childbirth , with fears that this could worsen as china relaxes its one-child policy . meanwhile , the federation calculated that urban chinese women in 2010 earned 0.67 rmb for every 1 rmb men earned , down from 0.78 rmb in 1990 . from overt to recessive women must also compete amongst themselves . in china , where applicants often attach a photograph to their cvs , there are jobs requiring women to measure up to a certain level of attractiveness . in her book , buying beauty : cosmetic surgery in china , anthropologist wen hua noted the prevalence of job ads with detailed appearance and height requirements for women . the chinese government itself is guilty of this , she says . they are trying to attract the tallest or the prettiest people , because it makes ( the government departments ) look good , ' wen wrote . the belief that better looks secure better jobs has pushed more and more chinese college students to spend lavish amounts of money on cosmetic surgery . ' she told cnn the situation has changed since her research back in 2006-7 , saying there are fewer of these ads around nowadays -- but she is also wary . gender discrimination in employment still widely exists in china 's workplace in different ways that are hidden . the discrimination has changed from overt to recessive , whilst the situation might be even worse because hidden prejudice and discrimination against women is harder to avoid and punish . ' leveling the playing field some women adapt to the situation . as a teenager , lin wanru wanted to be a doctor . her mother had other plans , telling her that , medicine is not a good profession for a woman to be in -- it will not attract a man . ' instead lin became a journalist and satisfies herself with writing medical stories . lin 's story touches on a greater phenomenon , namely women are still being engineered to see marriage as their first priority and career as second . those who fail to conform to this stereotype risk being labeled a leftover . ' read more : china 's'leftover women'choose to stay single zhang chao is a member of lean in beijing , a women 's professional development group inspired by facebook chief operating officer sheryl sandberg 's bestselling book lean in . for her , this attitude is troubling . a 25-year-old hr coordinator in the telecommunications industry , she says that plenty of her female counterparts were ambitious at school and college , but their ambition later disappeared . when we step out of school and enter the society , all of the goals turn to the pressure of marrying a good husband . it becomes the major standard of how we evaluate our life , ' she told cnn . this is a far cry from when the communist party came to power in 1949 , when elevating the status of women was central to their manifesto . chairman mao famously declared that women hold up half the sky and , superficially at least , went about promoting women into jobs previously designated to men . but it 's not all bad in today 's china . according to the 2014 hurun global rich list , 17 of the 358 us-dollar billionaires living in greater china are women ( up from 14 a year ago ) , and 19 % of chinese women in management positions are ceos . the perception women are on the rise has even led to the coining of a phrase -- yin sheng , yang shuai -- which means the female ( yin ) is on the up , while the male ( yang ) is moving down . celebrating women the wrong way the chinese treatment of international women 's day , which still features in the chinese annual calendar on march 8 , shows the disparity between rhetoric and reality . once seen as an occasion to highlight the plight of women , it has now become another commercial opportunity , like valentine 's day or mother 's day . some companies give women time off ; others provide presents for their female staff -- often presents that feed into gender stereotypes . in 2013 , a total of 1.72 million men bought gifts for women in the 10 days leading up to international women 's day , according to a report issued by taobao , china 's largest online shopping website . beauty vouchers and kitchen supplies were a dominant theme . retailers commonly offer sales on women 's products as well . with international women 's day approaching , the offers are already on display -- bouquets of flowers , and nice accessories to give to your wife , mother or employee . chinese women are once again being reminded that when it comes to work , there 's a gulf between themselves and their male cohorts . | discrimination against women in rife in china |
china <tsp> when zhou yuxia , 24 , returned to beijing after studying in the united states , she had real trouble securing a job . she had the right qualifications for the positions she was looking for -- she just was n't a man . i was on a job hunting site and saw this ideal position as a marketing manager . one of the requirements was that i had to be male , ' she told cnn . if i am desperate i will apply anyway because i think i am qualified . but i 'll send them an extra video outlining why i can do the job despite being female . ' this happened a fortnight ago , just weeks after a similar gender discrimination case made headlines in china . recent graduate cao ju took beijing-based private tutor company juren academy to court after they refused to employ her on the basis of being female . the company later settled for 30,000 rmb ( us $ 4,925 ) , in what has been described as the first gender discrimination lawsuit of its kind in the china .'important breakthrough' geoff crothall from china labour bulletin , an ngo that promotes the rights of workers in china , described the beijing case as an important breakthrough . ' he says he expects more women to actively challenge discrimination moving forward but cautioned against being too optimistic . it is very difficult to get courts in china to accept discrimination cases , as cao ju herself experienced , ' crothall told cnn . very often employers blatantly discriminate because demand for a particular job is very high and they can get away with setting strict and discriminatory stipulations . ' wang xiao , 28 , knows a thing or two about this . upon graduating from a top beijing university , she spent a year working as a headhunter . there she was approached by clients who specified only male candidates . factory-based jobs and those within engineering were two professions commonly demanding male applicants , as were roles that involved travel or working overseas . there 's a perception that ( travel ) to certain countries is not safe for women , and also that if a woman is older her priorities will be more home-based , whereas the man 's will still be work first , ' she said . wang experienced discrimination herself upon changing jobs . she was working as a teacher 's assistant at a well-established tutorial company in beijing and when her boss left , he referred wang to the director as the best person to fill his role . the director , though , wanted a man . wang lost out to someone more junior than her . at my company the high-level positions were usually filled by men , ' she noted . these anecdotes are commonplace . data in the third chinese women 's social status investigation , jointly carried out in 2010 by the all-china women 's federation ( acwf ) and the national bureau of statistics of china , revealed that more than 72 % of women had a clear perception of not being hired or promoted because of gender ' discrimination . over 75 % believed they were dismissed due to marriage and childbirth , with fears that this could worsen as china relaxes its one-child policy . meanwhile , the federation calculated that urban chinese women in 2010 earned 0.67 rmb for every 1 rmb men earned , down from 0.78 rmb in 1990 . from overt to recessive women must also compete amongst themselves . in china , where applicants often attach a photograph to their cvs , there are jobs requiring women to measure up to a certain level of attractiveness . in her book , buying beauty : cosmetic surgery in china , anthropologist wen hua noted the prevalence of job ads with detailed appearance and height requirements for women . the chinese government itself is guilty of this , she says . they are trying to attract the tallest or the prettiest people , because it makes ( the government departments ) look good , ' wen wrote . the belief that better looks secure better jobs has pushed more and more chinese college students to spend lavish amounts of money on cosmetic surgery . ' she told cnn the situation has changed since her research back in 2006-7 , saying there are fewer of these ads around nowadays -- but she is also wary . gender discrimination in employment still widely exists in china 's workplace in different ways that are hidden . the discrimination has changed from overt to recessive , whilst the situation might be even worse because hidden prejudice and discrimination against women is harder to avoid and punish . ' leveling the playing field some women adapt to the situation . as a teenager , lin wanru wanted to be a doctor . her mother had other plans , telling her that , medicine is not a good profession for a woman to be in -- it will not attract a man . ' instead lin became a journalist and satisfies herself with writing medical stories . lin 's story touches on a greater phenomenon , namely women are still being engineered to see marriage as their first priority and career as second . those who fail to conform to this stereotype risk being labeled a leftover . ' read more : china 's'leftover women'choose to stay single zhang chao is a member of lean in beijing , a women 's professional development group inspired by facebook chief operating officer sheryl sandberg 's bestselling book lean in . for her , this attitude is troubling . a 25-year-old hr coordinator in the telecommunications industry , she says that plenty of her female counterparts were ambitious at school and college , but their ambition later disappeared . when we step out of school and enter the society , all of the goals turn to the pressure of marrying a good husband . it becomes the major standard of how we evaluate our life , ' she told cnn . this is a far cry from when the communist party came to power in 1949 , when elevating the status of women was central to their manifesto . chairman mao famously declared that women hold up half the sky and , superficially at least , went about promoting women into jobs previously designated to men . but it 's not all bad in today 's china . according to the 2014 hurun global rich list , 17 of the 358 us-dollar billionaires living in greater china are women ( up from 14 a year ago ) , and 19 % of chinese women in management positions are ceos . the perception women are on the rise has even led to the coining of a phrase -- yin sheng , yang shuai -- which means the female ( yin ) is on the up , while the male ( yang ) is moving down . celebrating women the wrong way the chinese treatment of international women 's day , which still features in the chinese annual calendar on march 8 , shows the disparity between rhetoric and reality . once seen as an occasion to highlight the plight of women , it has now become another commercial opportunity , like valentine 's day or mother 's day . some companies give women time off ; others provide presents for their female staff -- often presents that feed into gender stereotypes . in 2013 , a total of 1.72 million men bought gifts for women in the 10 days leading up to international women 's day , according to a report issued by taobao , china 's largest online shopping website . beauty vouchers and kitchen supplies were a dominant theme . retailers commonly offer sales on women 's products as well . with international women 's day approaching , the offers are already on display -- bouquets of flowers , and nice accessories to give to your wife , mother or employee . chinese women are once again being reminded that when it comes to work , there 's a gulf between themselves and their male cohorts . | international women 's day celebrations in china can be misguided |
russian <tsp> ( cnn ) -- kremlin critic and former oil tycoon mikhail khodorkovsky , released from more than 10 years of imprisonment in russia last week , praised the two freed pussy riot rockers for enduring months of hell in prison . dear girls . i know that the last months have been a living hell for you , and i am happy to learn that this torture , unworthy of a european country in the 21st century , has ended . releasing political prisoners makes those in power at least a little more humane what is probably most important for you now , is to find the strength not to keep any hatred and anger in your hearts , after your ordeals of imprisonment . congratulations ! ' the punk rockers were thrilled by his comments . it 's amazing . it would be so great for us to work with him , ' nadezhda tolokonnikova said . with the sochi olympics less than two months away , russia has freed high-profile prisoners in recent weeks . a new amnesty law introduced by president vladimir putin allowed two members of pussy riot to leave prison on monday , two months before the end of their two-year sentences for a performance critical of putin . according to russian media , tolokonnikova and maria alyokhina qualified for amnesty under the new law because they have young children . and last week , putin pardoned khodorkovsky , who had been jailed since 2003 and was convicted in 2005 of tax evasion and fraud . russia 's international image has suffered from an anti-gay law passed under putin , and there have been threats of protests and boycotts at the olympics over its bans on homosexual propaganda . ' the arctic 30 ' russia has dropped its case against at least one of the greenpeace arctic 30 , ' the environmental group said tuesday on its arctic sunrise twitter feed . according to greenpeace , crew members of the greenpeace ship arctic sunrise were peacefully protesting at an oil rig to bring attention to the threat of oil drilling and climate change . the oil rig belonged to gazprom , a moscow-based company . the arctic 30 includes 28 greenpeace activists and two freelance journalists . they were detained in september after two activists left their ship and tried to scale the oil platform . russian authorities have accused the activists of trying to take over the oil platform and of endangering the lives of the company 's employees . they say the activists'actions could have led to an environmental disaster . most of the activists were released from jail by late november , but still faced charges of hooliganism . russian authorities release most of greenpeace protest group greenpeace spokesman aaron gray-block said the arctic 30 will be free to leave russia once they get the proper stamps in their passports from the migration service . we know that getting those stamps would be the best christmas present for the arctic 30 , and we hope it can occur quickly , ' gray-block said . cnn 's tom cohen , diana magnay and phillip taylor contributed to this report . | the group was detained after some tried to scale a russian company 's oil platform |
iraqi <tsp> ( cnn ) -- look around . we are living in a heavy metal world . ' -- faisal , lead vocals , acrassicauda four young men start a band in a basement . their music is loud , their t-shirts lurid , their language littered with expletives . big noise ? big deal . but firas , tony , marwan and faisal are n't your average young metalheads . they claim to be iraq 's only heavy metal band , and the documentary film heavy metal in baghdad , ' which premiered at this year 's berlin film festival , gives a harrowing glimpse of their everyday life in a city torn apart by war . directed by eddy moretti and suroosh alvi , with spike jonze sporting an executive producer credit , this feature follows the four young musicians'desperate struggle to make the music they love , from the toppling of saddam hussein in 2003 to the present day . the directors track down acrassicauda ( the band is named after a particularly venomous black desert scorpion ) on the streets of baghdad . we follow them to their bombed-out basement rehearsal space ( obliterated by a scud missile ) and watch their fans embrace them at a rare gig at the al fanar hotel . watch clips from one of the band 's gigs in a baghdad hotel » but as co-director alvi explained to cnn , what started as a short rockumentary evolved into a full-length feature that highlights the plight of so many civilians trying to live a normal life in iraq 's capital . we went over to find the band , ' he said . they were speaking for so many faceless iraqis who were affected by the war , displaced from their homes by the war . ' and that 's where heavy metal in baghdad ' gets its power . as the band struggles to overcome roadblocks , curfews and power cuts just to get to rehearsal , this portrayal of four regular guys surrounded by violence and chaos is a striking picture of a city 's populace caught , quite literally , in the crossfire . nobody could live under the same circumstances that an iraqi could live in , ' says bassist firas . you have to deal with death and fear every day , ' adds singer faisal . that fear is reflected in their music . there 's little room for allegory in their songs , massacre , ' between the ashes ' and orphan child ' : these titles reflect the band 's everyday existence . in baghdad , as fundamentalism begins to flourish post-saddam , acrassicauda and their fans are viewed with suspicion for both their music and their appearance . three years into the documentary , a clerical council issues a bundle of edicts that ban , amongst other vices , long hair on men , improper western clothes ' and music-filled parties and all kinds of singing . ' even acrassicauda 's local guitar emporium has closed , the owners cowed by fundamentalists into shutting up shop . that makes it tough if you want to play american-style heavy metal , condemned by some of their compatriots as satanic . in a country where the number one rule of survival is to keep your head down , bass player firas says , just wearing a united states band t-shirt can get you killed , ' while paying homage to ozzy osbourne guitarist zakk wylde 's flowing locks is out of the question . where is the freedom if i ca n't wear what i want , say what i want ? ' he argues . watch clips from the documentary and hear the band speak about iraq » but the band persists , sweating through 21-hour-long rehearsal sessions and continuing to sport t-shirts emblazoned with their idols : metallica , slayer , slipknot . in such a constrained situation , it 's no surprise that the band feels frustrated . you just feel like you 're caged , like there 's chains all around you , ' says drummer marwan . for acrassicauda , playing at one of their infrequent live performances is an all-too-rare opportunity to find some release . for two hours , we want to free ourselves from those chains , get that rage out , ' he continues . and the film 's surreal scenes of iraqi metallers writhing in a makeshift mosh pit against the shabby genteel backdrop of a hotel function room -- in the middle of the afternoon -- underline the pathos of the reality in which the band exists . watch clips from one of the band 's gigs in a baghdad hotel » surrounded by an ever-increasing band of bodyguards , and strapped into flak jackets , moretti and alvi 's approach often feels reckless , and sometimes a little gung-ho : they 're journalists hooked on the trail of a hot story . that contrasts with the nervy , cautious approach of their subjects , as acrassicauda snatch careful moments to share their lives with the directors . director suroosh alvi told cnn , the story ... is playing out in real time . it 's happening every day for these guys . ' firas , tony , marwan and faisal , who have all lost friends or family members , know too well that baghdad is no playground . the crux of the film sees acrassicauda 's members faced with a hard choice : stay in baghdad and risk getting sucked into the conflict , or flee , abandoning their homes and families , for a slim chance at survival in neighboring syria . but syria is no easy lifeline : they 'll face a perilous 16-hour bus ride , run the gauntlet of barricades , checkpoints , kidnappers and exploitative fixers , and risk their life savings . as they wrestle with their decision , the band members'ways of coping with their plight come to the fore . marwan greets the situation with aggression -- if i do n't play drums , i 'd kill someone ' -- and a growing anger at those who have allowed the situation in baghdad to arise ; firas conceals his feelings behind bravado and laughter ; while singer faisal becomes increasingly withdrawn and introspective . the band has now fled to turkey , their passage funded by well-wishers from the worldwide heavy metal community . their mission -- to make the music they love -- continues . it 's a constant struggle to survive , but one that acrassicauda are n't prepared to abandon -- yet . as firas says , they won a major battle just by proving that they could make their kind of music in a war zone . nobody was expecting that in iraq , heavy metal could exist , ' he says . but we changed that fact . nothing could have stopped us . ' e-mail to a friend | film shows iraqi metal fans writhing in a makeshift mosh pit in a genteel hotel |
assad <tsp> paris , france ( cnn ) -- syrian president bashar assad says peace talks with israel could resume if the jewish state showed willingness to fully engage in the process . this peace process can not only be relaunched by one party . syria wants peace and we have a mediator , turkey , which is ready to use its mediation role as well as the european partnership . what we are missing is the israeli partnership , and we need it in order to renew peace talks and obtain results , ' assad told reporters . assad traveled to france , sat down with president nicolas sarkozy on friday for a one-hour lunch , and held a press briefing , where he blamed israel for the stalled talks with syria . turkey recently had mediated indirect talks between israel and syria , neighboring countries that have been adversaries for years . among their many differences are israel 's occupation of the golan heights from syria in the 1967 six day war and syria 's ties with iran and anti-israel militants . his visit to paris comes days after the visit of israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu . questioned on netanyahu 's statement that israel was ready to relaunch peace talks syria without pre-conditions , assad emphasized that if israel is serious about talks , syria is ready to send experts to turkey and begin discussions with israeli experts . asked if he was ready to meet netanyahu in person at some point without conditions , assad did n't say he would or would n't , but said it would depend on the subject of the discussion . are we talking about the menu or about land restitution ? we must talk about territory restitution . for this matter , mechanisms and a framework exist . the negotiators know the mechanisms . it is neither me nor netanyahu , ' he said . asked about the role of france in the peace process , assad said he hopes france backs the relaunch of the peace negotiations through turkey and persuades israel to accept this mediation process . as for the peace process in the wider middle east , he said it will only work if israel stops tearing down the other side 's rights and demands . assad said he and sarkozy discussed living conditions in the hamas-controlled palestinian territory of gaza -- reeling from the ongoing conflict with israel , including the fierce israeli offensive against militants that began late last year after constant rocket attacks on israel by gaza guerrillas . saying a civilian was shot on friday by israeli troops , assad said he asked sarkozy to stop violence against civilians in the territory . israel defense forces and gaza security sources both confirmed an incident , but the sides had different accounts . the idf said soldiers identified a number of suspected terror operatives who appeared to be planting explosive devices adjacent to the northern gaza security fence near the karni humanitarian crossing . ' the soldiers opened fire and identified hitting two of the suspects -- one of which was transferred to an israeli hospital ; the other operative died of his wounds . three other suspects were taken for questioning . the palestinian security sources said a special force opened fire on a number of youths near the border fence with israel in central gaza . one of the youths was killed and four others were taken by the israeli soldiers . assad said he and sarkozy also discussed iran 's nuclear program and lebanon . journalist claire boube contributed to this report . | syrian president bashar assad : we need israel partnership in order to renew peace talks and obtain results |
assad <tsp> paris , france ( cnn ) -- syrian president bashar assad says peace talks with israel could resume if the jewish state showed willingness to fully engage in the process . this peace process can not only be relaunched by one party . syria wants peace and we have a mediator , turkey , which is ready to use its mediation role as well as the european partnership . what we are missing is the israeli partnership , and we need it in order to renew peace talks and obtain results , ' assad told reporters . assad traveled to france , sat down with president nicolas sarkozy on friday for a one-hour lunch , and held a press briefing , where he blamed israel for the stalled talks with syria . turkey recently had mediated indirect talks between israel and syria , neighboring countries that have been adversaries for years . among their many differences are israel 's occupation of the golan heights from syria in the 1967 six day war and syria 's ties with iran and anti-israel militants . his visit to paris comes days after the visit of israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu . questioned on netanyahu 's statement that israel was ready to relaunch peace talks syria without pre-conditions , assad emphasized that if israel is serious about talks , syria is ready to send experts to turkey and begin discussions with israeli experts . asked if he was ready to meet netanyahu in person at some point without conditions , assad did n't say he would or would n't , but said it would depend on the subject of the discussion . are we talking about the menu or about land restitution ? we must talk about territory restitution . for this matter , mechanisms and a framework exist . the negotiators know the mechanisms . it is neither me nor netanyahu , ' he said . asked about the role of france in the peace process , assad said he hopes france backs the relaunch of the peace negotiations through turkey and persuades israel to accept this mediation process . as for the peace process in the wider middle east , he said it will only work if israel stops tearing down the other side 's rights and demands . assad said he and sarkozy discussed living conditions in the hamas-controlled palestinian territory of gaza -- reeling from the ongoing conflict with israel , including the fierce israeli offensive against militants that began late last year after constant rocket attacks on israel by gaza guerrillas . saying a civilian was shot on friday by israeli troops , assad said he asked sarkozy to stop violence against civilians in the territory . israel defense forces and gaza security sources both confirmed an incident , but the sides had different accounts . the idf said soldiers identified a number of suspected terror operatives who appeared to be planting explosive devices adjacent to the northern gaza security fence near the karni humanitarian crossing . ' the soldiers opened fire and identified hitting two of the suspects -- one of which was transferred to an israeli hospital ; the other operative died of his wounds . three other suspects were taken for questioning . the palestinian security sources said a special force opened fire on a number of youths near the border fence with israel in central gaza . one of the youths was killed and four others were taken by the israeli soldiers . assad said he and sarkozy also discussed iran 's nuclear program and lebanon . journalist claire boube contributed to this report . | assad said he and sarkozy also discussed iran 's nuclear program and lebanon |
assad <tsp> paris , france ( cnn ) -- syrian president bashar assad says peace talks with israel could resume if the jewish state showed willingness to fully engage in the process . this peace process can not only be relaunched by one party . syria wants peace and we have a mediator , turkey , which is ready to use its mediation role as well as the european partnership . what we are missing is the israeli partnership , and we need it in order to renew peace talks and obtain results , ' assad told reporters . assad traveled to france , sat down with president nicolas sarkozy on friday for a one-hour lunch , and held a press briefing , where he blamed israel for the stalled talks with syria . turkey recently had mediated indirect talks between israel and syria , neighboring countries that have been adversaries for years . among their many differences are israel 's occupation of the golan heights from syria in the 1967 six day war and syria 's ties with iran and anti-israel militants . his visit to paris comes days after the visit of israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu . questioned on netanyahu 's statement that israel was ready to relaunch peace talks syria without pre-conditions , assad emphasized that if israel is serious about talks , syria is ready to send experts to turkey and begin discussions with israeli experts . asked if he was ready to meet netanyahu in person at some point without conditions , assad did n't say he would or would n't , but said it would depend on the subject of the discussion . are we talking about the menu or about land restitution ? we must talk about territory restitution . for this matter , mechanisms and a framework exist . the negotiators know the mechanisms . it is neither me nor netanyahu , ' he said . asked about the role of france in the peace process , assad said he hopes france backs the relaunch of the peace negotiations through turkey and persuades israel to accept this mediation process . as for the peace process in the wider middle east , he said it will only work if israel stops tearing down the other side 's rights and demands . assad said he and sarkozy discussed living conditions in the hamas-controlled palestinian territory of gaza -- reeling from the ongoing conflict with israel , including the fierce israeli offensive against militants that began late last year after constant rocket attacks on israel by gaza guerrillas . saying a civilian was shot on friday by israeli troops , assad said he asked sarkozy to stop violence against civilians in the territory . israel defense forces and gaza security sources both confirmed an incident , but the sides had different accounts . the idf said soldiers identified a number of suspected terror operatives who appeared to be planting explosive devices adjacent to the northern gaza security fence near the karni humanitarian crossing . ' the soldiers opened fire and identified hitting two of the suspects -- one of which was transferred to an israeli hospital ; the other operative died of his wounds . three other suspects were taken for questioning . the palestinian security sources said a special force opened fire on a number of youths near the border fence with israel in central gaza . one of the youths was killed and four others were taken by the israeli soldiers . assad said he and sarkozy also discussed iran 's nuclear program and lebanon . journalist claire boube contributed to this report . | assad traveled to france for talks with president nicolas sarkozy , where he blamed israel for the stalled talks with syria |
israel <tsp> paris , france ( cnn ) -- syrian president bashar assad says peace talks with israel could resume if the jewish state showed willingness to fully engage in the process . this peace process can not only be relaunched by one party . syria wants peace and we have a mediator , turkey , which is ready to use its mediation role as well as the european partnership . what we are missing is the israeli partnership , and we need it in order to renew peace talks and obtain results , ' assad told reporters . assad traveled to france , sat down with president nicolas sarkozy on friday for a one-hour lunch , and held a press briefing , where he blamed israel for the stalled talks with syria . turkey recently had mediated indirect talks between israel and syria , neighboring countries that have been adversaries for years . among their many differences are israel 's occupation of the golan heights from syria in the 1967 six day war and syria 's ties with iran and anti-israel militants . his visit to paris comes days after the visit of israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu . questioned on netanyahu 's statement that israel was ready to relaunch peace talks syria without pre-conditions , assad emphasized that if israel is serious about talks , syria is ready to send experts to turkey and begin discussions with israeli experts . asked if he was ready to meet netanyahu in person at some point without conditions , assad did n't say he would or would n't , but said it would depend on the subject of the discussion . are we talking about the menu or about land restitution ? we must talk about territory restitution . for this matter , mechanisms and a framework exist . the negotiators know the mechanisms . it is neither me nor netanyahu , ' he said . asked about the role of france in the peace process , assad said he hopes france backs the relaunch of the peace negotiations through turkey and persuades israel to accept this mediation process . as for the peace process in the wider middle east , he said it will only work if israel stops tearing down the other side 's rights and demands . assad said he and sarkozy discussed living conditions in the hamas-controlled palestinian territory of gaza -- reeling from the ongoing conflict with israel , including the fierce israeli offensive against militants that began late last year after constant rocket attacks on israel by gaza guerrillas . saying a civilian was shot on friday by israeli troops , assad said he asked sarkozy to stop violence against civilians in the territory . israel defense forces and gaza security sources both confirmed an incident , but the sides had different accounts . the idf said soldiers identified a number of suspected terror operatives who appeared to be planting explosive devices adjacent to the northern gaza security fence near the karni humanitarian crossing . ' the soldiers opened fire and identified hitting two of the suspects -- one of which was transferred to an israeli hospital ; the other operative died of his wounds . three other suspects were taken for questioning . the palestinian security sources said a special force opened fire on a number of youths near the border fence with israel in central gaza . one of the youths was killed and four others were taken by the israeli soldiers . assad said he and sarkozy also discussed iran 's nuclear program and lebanon . journalist claire boube contributed to this report . | syrian president bashar assad : we need israel partnership in order to renew peace talks and obtain results |
israel <tsp> paris , france ( cnn ) -- syrian president bashar assad says peace talks with israel could resume if the jewish state showed willingness to fully engage in the process . this peace process can not only be relaunched by one party . syria wants peace and we have a mediator , turkey , which is ready to use its mediation role as well as the european partnership . what we are missing is the israeli partnership , and we need it in order to renew peace talks and obtain results , ' assad told reporters . assad traveled to france , sat down with president nicolas sarkozy on friday for a one-hour lunch , and held a press briefing , where he blamed israel for the stalled talks with syria . turkey recently had mediated indirect talks between israel and syria , neighboring countries that have been adversaries for years . among their many differences are israel 's occupation of the golan heights from syria in the 1967 six day war and syria 's ties with iran and anti-israel militants . his visit to paris comes days after the visit of israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu . questioned on netanyahu 's statement that israel was ready to relaunch peace talks syria without pre-conditions , assad emphasized that if israel is serious about talks , syria is ready to send experts to turkey and begin discussions with israeli experts . asked if he was ready to meet netanyahu in person at some point without conditions , assad did n't say he would or would n't , but said it would depend on the subject of the discussion . are we talking about the menu or about land restitution ? we must talk about territory restitution . for this matter , mechanisms and a framework exist . the negotiators know the mechanisms . it is neither me nor netanyahu , ' he said . asked about the role of france in the peace process , assad said he hopes france backs the relaunch of the peace negotiations through turkey and persuades israel to accept this mediation process . as for the peace process in the wider middle east , he said it will only work if israel stops tearing down the other side 's rights and demands . assad said he and sarkozy discussed living conditions in the hamas-controlled palestinian territory of gaza -- reeling from the ongoing conflict with israel , including the fierce israeli offensive against militants that began late last year after constant rocket attacks on israel by gaza guerrillas . saying a civilian was shot on friday by israeli troops , assad said he asked sarkozy to stop violence against civilians in the territory . israel defense forces and gaza security sources both confirmed an incident , but the sides had different accounts . the idf said soldiers identified a number of suspected terror operatives who appeared to be planting explosive devices adjacent to the northern gaza security fence near the karni humanitarian crossing . ' the soldiers opened fire and identified hitting two of the suspects -- one of which was transferred to an israeli hospital ; the other operative died of his wounds . three other suspects were taken for questioning . the palestinian security sources said a special force opened fire on a number of youths near the border fence with israel in central gaza . one of the youths was killed and four others were taken by the israeli soldiers . assad said he and sarkozy also discussed iran 's nuclear program and lebanon . journalist claire boube contributed to this report . | assad traveled to france for talks with president nicolas sarkozy , where he blamed israel for the stalled talks with syria |
israel <tsp> paris , france ( cnn ) -- syrian president bashar assad says peace talks with israel could resume if the jewish state showed willingness to fully engage in the process . this peace process can not only be relaunched by one party . syria wants peace and we have a mediator , turkey , which is ready to use its mediation role as well as the european partnership . what we are missing is the israeli partnership , and we need it in order to renew peace talks and obtain results , ' assad told reporters . assad traveled to france , sat down with president nicolas sarkozy on friday for a one-hour lunch , and held a press briefing , where he blamed israel for the stalled talks with syria . turkey recently had mediated indirect talks between israel and syria , neighboring countries that have been adversaries for years . among their many differences are israel 's occupation of the golan heights from syria in the 1967 six day war and syria 's ties with iran and anti-israel militants . his visit to paris comes days after the visit of israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu . questioned on netanyahu 's statement that israel was ready to relaunch peace talks syria without pre-conditions , assad emphasized that if israel is serious about talks , syria is ready to send experts to turkey and begin discussions with israeli experts . asked if he was ready to meet netanyahu in person at some point without conditions , assad did n't say he would or would n't , but said it would depend on the subject of the discussion . are we talking about the menu or about land restitution ? we must talk about territory restitution . for this matter , mechanisms and a framework exist . the negotiators know the mechanisms . it is neither me nor netanyahu , ' he said . asked about the role of france in the peace process , assad said he hopes france backs the relaunch of the peace negotiations through turkey and persuades israel to accept this mediation process . as for the peace process in the wider middle east , he said it will only work if israel stops tearing down the other side 's rights and demands . assad said he and sarkozy discussed living conditions in the hamas-controlled palestinian territory of gaza -- reeling from the ongoing conflict with israel , including the fierce israeli offensive against militants that began late last year after constant rocket attacks on israel by gaza guerrillas . saying a civilian was shot on friday by israeli troops , assad said he asked sarkozy to stop violence against civilians in the territory . israel defense forces and gaza security sources both confirmed an incident , but the sides had different accounts . the idf said soldiers identified a number of suspected terror operatives who appeared to be planting explosive devices adjacent to the northern gaza security fence near the karni humanitarian crossing . ' the soldiers opened fire and identified hitting two of the suspects -- one of which was transferred to an israeli hospital ; the other operative died of his wounds . three other suspects were taken for questioning . the palestinian security sources said a special force opened fire on a number of youths near the border fence with israel in central gaza . one of the youths was killed and four others were taken by the israeli soldiers . assad said he and sarkozy also discussed iran 's nuclear program and lebanon . journalist claire boube contributed to this report . | turkey mediated indirect talks between israel and syria , neighboring countries that have been adversaries for years |
olympic <tsp> ( cnn ) -- some people take many years to find their calling in life -- but for adam van koeverden , it was right in front of him in black and white . on a small section of his local newspaper , the canadian boy who would become an olympic champion saw his future flash before him . an advert , in the otherwise unremarkable oakville beaver , had caught his mother 's eye . it was calling out for the next kayak superstar -- and her son had already tried everything else without much success . it was one of those turning points in your life where you look back and you 're like ,'wow that day really changed the rest of my life quite significantly ,' van koeverden told cnn 's human to hero series . it was a long time ago now . i wonder what would have happened with me and where i 'd be today if instead of that newspaper article , my mum was reading something different or brought me down to another sports club ? or did n't at all ? i think about that a lot . ' as a 13-year-old who had tried his hand at a whole host of sports including soccer , basketball and volleyball , it was the kayak which caught the imagination of a determined teenager . after his first foray into the world of paddling , there was never a chance he 'd turn back . every kid wants to have something to brag about . i tried out for all the teams growing up but i just was n't really showing any signs of any athletic prowess , ' van koeverden said . in kayaking it was the sort of a thing i could go out there and practice on my own . it took a lot of concentration . ' unknown quantity some 18 years have passed since he first picked up a paddle , but van koeverden has lost none of the boyish enthusiasm which propelled him from an unknown to one of the sport 's most famous stars . from arriving as a virtual unknown at the 2004 athens olympics , where he won gold in the k1 500-meter event and bronze in the k1 1,000-meter race , he went on to establish himself as an icon of the sport . but even now , with four olympic medals , two world championship wins and 26 world cup stage victories to his name , van koeverden is still desperate for more success . the opportunity to compete at rio in 2016 is a huge lure for the man who grew up dreaming of the day he would compete at the greatest games on earth . and at the age of 31 , that dream still remains -- perhaps burning even stronger . rio games ' i 've definitely committed to rio , ' he said . i 'm training like i 'm training for the olympics , and it 's just difficult committing to something that 's so far away . i really have enjoyed the process of diversification and trying new things but i ca n't really get away from the fact that i 'm a kayaker and i love to race , and there 's a big race happening in brazil in a couple of years'time . i 'm not going to be too old for it . i do n't want to retire ... but i do n't want to be washed up . i do n't want to be the old guy on the water . i do n't want to think about retirement and i hope the next phase of my life is just as rewarding and provides me with the same opportunity to work hard . ' climbing peaks van koeverden has stood on top of the world -- in more ways than one -- but he has not lost sight of the smaller things in life . the man who walked into beijing 's bird nest stadium holding the maple leaf aloft in 2008 is now busy flying the flag for children across the world who can only dream of becoming a olympic hero . in november last year , van koeverden climbed mount kilimanjaro in tanzania for charity right to play . by ascending the world 's tallest freestanding mountain -- its peak is 5,895 meters ( 19,336 feet ) above sea level -- he and six others helped to raise over $ 100,000 for children across the world . the scheme runs a whole host of educational programs which include seminars on aids and hiv , conflict resolution , healthy active living , sanitation and cleanliness . van koeverden proudly sports a right to play ' sticker on his kayak -- something which he is often asked about . when i 'm racing my boat in europe people always ask me ,'is that like a gaming site , are they like your sponsors ?' it 's a good conversation starter because they do n't know it 's a charity that i do some work with . they 're a children-focused charity that is helping to improve lives for those who are n't fortunate enough to be able to say that they can take sport and play for granted . unfortunately it 's not something everybody globally can take for granted . when i was 13 , i just wandered into a canoe club and had access to a competitive sport with great coaching and great facility . that 's just not available to everybody , so it 's great that the right to play is bridging that gap and leveling the playing field . ' a bigger picture despite a hectic competition schedule and his constant traveling , the opportunity to help others remains a driving force for van koeverden . it comes down to priorities , ' he added . i 'm tremendously fortunate to be able to do a sport for my living and be a full-time athlete , so any spare time that i have , i should be able to devote to these sorts of efforts . it 's easy to turn a blind eye or forget when you 're so focused on moving a kayak , like how obscure that is and how selfish it is in the long run because , really , i ca n't think of a more selfish sport . i 'm in a little boat all by myself out on the water paddling as fast i can every single day just so i can go and win a kayak race . while i feel very fortunate , i also know there 's a bigger picture and there 's other things out there that we need to consider and if i can be a part of that then i will . ' | the canadian has won four olympic medals and two world titles |
olympic <tsp> ( cnn ) -- some people take many years to find their calling in life -- but for adam van koeverden , it was right in front of him in black and white . on a small section of his local newspaper , the canadian boy who would become an olympic champion saw his future flash before him . an advert , in the otherwise unremarkable oakville beaver , had caught his mother 's eye . it was calling out for the next kayak superstar -- and her son had already tried everything else without much success . it was one of those turning points in your life where you look back and you 're like ,'wow that day really changed the rest of my life quite significantly ,' van koeverden told cnn 's human to hero series . it was a long time ago now . i wonder what would have happened with me and where i 'd be today if instead of that newspaper article , my mum was reading something different or brought me down to another sports club ? or did n't at all ? i think about that a lot . ' as a 13-year-old who had tried his hand at a whole host of sports including soccer , basketball and volleyball , it was the kayak which caught the imagination of a determined teenager . after his first foray into the world of paddling , there was never a chance he 'd turn back . every kid wants to have something to brag about . i tried out for all the teams growing up but i just was n't really showing any signs of any athletic prowess , ' van koeverden said . in kayaking it was the sort of a thing i could go out there and practice on my own . it took a lot of concentration . ' unknown quantity some 18 years have passed since he first picked up a paddle , but van koeverden has lost none of the boyish enthusiasm which propelled him from an unknown to one of the sport 's most famous stars . from arriving as a virtual unknown at the 2004 athens olympics , where he won gold in the k1 500-meter event and bronze in the k1 1,000-meter race , he went on to establish himself as an icon of the sport . but even now , with four olympic medals , two world championship wins and 26 world cup stage victories to his name , van koeverden is still desperate for more success . the opportunity to compete at rio in 2016 is a huge lure for the man who grew up dreaming of the day he would compete at the greatest games on earth . and at the age of 31 , that dream still remains -- perhaps burning even stronger . rio games ' i 've definitely committed to rio , ' he said . i 'm training like i 'm training for the olympics , and it 's just difficult committing to something that 's so far away . i really have enjoyed the process of diversification and trying new things but i ca n't really get away from the fact that i 'm a kayaker and i love to race , and there 's a big race happening in brazil in a couple of years'time . i 'm not going to be too old for it . i do n't want to retire ... but i do n't want to be washed up . i do n't want to be the old guy on the water . i do n't want to think about retirement and i hope the next phase of my life is just as rewarding and provides me with the same opportunity to work hard . ' climbing peaks van koeverden has stood on top of the world -- in more ways than one -- but he has not lost sight of the smaller things in life . the man who walked into beijing 's bird nest stadium holding the maple leaf aloft in 2008 is now busy flying the flag for children across the world who can only dream of becoming a olympic hero . in november last year , van koeverden climbed mount kilimanjaro in tanzania for charity right to play . by ascending the world 's tallest freestanding mountain -- its peak is 5,895 meters ( 19,336 feet ) above sea level -- he and six others helped to raise over $ 100,000 for children across the world . the scheme runs a whole host of educational programs which include seminars on aids and hiv , conflict resolution , healthy active living , sanitation and cleanliness . van koeverden proudly sports a right to play ' sticker on his kayak -- something which he is often asked about . when i 'm racing my boat in europe people always ask me ,'is that like a gaming site , are they like your sponsors ?' it 's a good conversation starter because they do n't know it 's a charity that i do some work with . they 're a children-focused charity that is helping to improve lives for those who are n't fortunate enough to be able to say that they can take sport and play for granted . unfortunately it 's not something everybody globally can take for granted . when i was 13 , i just wandered into a canoe club and had access to a competitive sport with great coaching and great facility . that 's just not available to everybody , so it 's great that the right to play is bridging that gap and leveling the playing field . ' a bigger picture despite a hectic competition schedule and his constant traveling , the opportunity to help others remains a driving force for van koeverden . it comes down to priorities , ' he added . i 'm tremendously fortunate to be able to do a sport for my living and be a full-time athlete , so any spare time that i have , i should be able to devote to these sorts of efforts . it 's easy to turn a blind eye or forget when you 're so focused on moving a kayak , like how obscure that is and how selfish it is in the long run because , really , i ca n't think of a more selfish sport . i 'm in a little boat all by myself out on the water paddling as fast i can every single day just so i can go and win a kayak race . while i feel very fortunate , i also know there 's a bigger picture and there 's other things out there that we need to consider and if i can be a part of that then i will . ' | adam van koeverden is an olympic kayak champion |
american <tsp> ( cnn ) -- do you prefer to get a text message or a phone call if someone wants to reach you on your cell phone ? according to a new study from the pew internet and american life project , 31 % of american adults prefer text messages to phone calls . an additional 14 % said the contact method they prefer depends on the situation . to put this in perspective , most americans ( but just barely : 53 % ) still generally prefer to get voice calls rather than text messages . also , pew notes that 4 % of cell owners do not make or receive any voice calls on an average day . and 27 % of cell owners do not use text messaging , even occasionally . not surprisingly , younger adults are especially likely to use texting . according to pew , cell owners between the ages of 18 and 24 exchange an average of 109.5 messages on a normal day -- more than 3,200 texts per month . and the typical or median cell owner in this age group sends or receives 50 messages per day ( or 1500 messages per month ) . ' also , the rate of texting for 18- to 24-year-olds is more than double the comparable figure for 25-34 year olds , and 23 times the figure for text messaging users who are 65 or older . ' whether individuals prefer to get text messages rather than voice calls appears to have a large correlation with how heavily they use text messaging . for instance , 55 % of people who send or receive more than 51 texts per day report preferring them to phone calls . however , since younger adults are most likely to be heavy texters , this preference does indirectly correlate with age . why some prefer texting why do some people prefer texting to voice calls ? pew did not speculate on this , but how stuff works suggests some relative advantages of texting . first , privacy : it 's far less likely that an sms conversation can be overheard . ( conversely , this can also be a matter of courtesy ; do n't you wish more people in public settings would use text messaging rather than voice calls , if they must communicate with someone right that minute ? ) also , text messaging provides greater accessibility , not just for people with hearing impairments but also to compensate for ambient noise , weak or spotty cell network connections , or the poor quality of microphones and speakers that plague many cell phones . but perhaps the main reasons why many people prefer getting text messages over voice calls are related to time . typically , text messaging encourages briefer , more efficient exchanges of information . even social grooming ' chitchat often gets abbreviated so it 's quicker to type and read -- although in the context of texting culture , this is n't necessarily viewed as colder or less socially or emotionally significant . similarly , there 's less psychological or social pressure to respond immediately to texts . so you can take a moment to finish a task at hand ( such as parking your car ) or to consider what you want to say before responding to a text message . text messaging also can reduce the discomfort or impatience some people experience with pauses in real-time voice conversations -- or the chance that they may instantly blurt a response that they 'd later regret . a text-messaging decline ? if today 's young adults'taste for text messaging persists as they age , this could spell big changes for how wireless carriers do business in the future . pew notes that voice calls and texting -- the two main services conducted over cell phone carriers'basic networks , rather than their data networks , for which they typically charge extra -- appear to have plateaued in the u.s. ' both text messaging and phone calling on cell phones have leveled off for the adult population as a whole , ' said the report . text messaging users send or receive an average of 41.5 messages on a typical day , with the median user sending or receiving 10 texts daily -- both figures are largely unchanged from what we reported in 2010 . similarly , cell owners make or receive an average of 12 calls on their cells per day , which is unchanged from 2010 . ' a plateau -- or even an eventual decline -- in the popularity of both voice calls and text messages could profoundly change how carriers charge for voice calls and text messaging in coming years . in the long term , this might even lead some wireless carriers to abandon the direct telephony business or to treat it as a specialized service . right now , voice calling and text messaging packages are primary revenue sources for wireless carriers . these services are provided to virtually every cell phone , including the 65 % of u.s. mobile phones that are not smartphones and so do n't necessarily include data plans at this time . internet calling but there are many options for placing voice calls over the internet ( skype , google voice , vonage and more ) using voice over internet protocol ( voip ) technology . these services generally are not tied to a particular device , so you can access your voip account from your computer , tablet or phone -- or even a shared device . voip calling systems tend to be more complex for consumers to set up , learn and use than simply dialing a phone number to make a regular phone call . they also can be quirkier or less reliable than standard phone calls . but in coming years , these services probably will become more user-friendly for typical non-tech-savvy u.s. consumers . meanwhile , more u.s. consumers are buying smartphones that can run apps for voip calling services . by late 2012 or early 2013 , over half of the cell phones in use in the u.s. will probably be smartphones . also , many of the remaining feature phones on the u.s. market are becoming considerably smarter , ' with greater capabilities to handle more advanced internet-based services -- perhaps even voip calling . sms text messaging also has ample competition from the various popular internet-based instant messaging services such as aol im , yahoo messenger , google talk and more . blackberry messenger is another sms alternative popular users of blackberry phones . but the catch with alternative instant messaging services is that each one is a closed system . for instance , you ca n't directly send an instant message to blackberry messenger from google talk . while instant messaging remains such a fragmented communication landscape , sms ( which bridges all phone types and carrier networks ) retains a significant advantage . you can use that one mobile tool to communicate with whoever you want , as long as you have their cell phone number , and they do n't need to be logged in to a site or service at that time to receive your message . confusion for users still , pew 's research hints that the standard u.s. wireless telephony market might be starting a long-term decline . it 's conceivable that u.s. wireless carriers may eventually shift to mainly selling data , rather than telephony . this could mean that someday , standard cell phone calls and text messages might be sold as special add-on services , perhaps handled by separate divisions or companies for extra fees . what might that mean for mobile phone users ? probably a lot more confusion and frustration while the shift sorts out . it would take a few years at least before a communication system based mostly on the internet and wireless data becomes as coherent and simple as the national telephone system most americans grew up with . consumers may eventually see cost savings or service improvements associated with more freedom to choose how they make voice calls or send text messages , but this probably would n't be an easy change for most people to make . the opinions expressed in this post are solely those of amy gahran . | new pew study says 31 % of american adults prefer text messages |
italian super cup <tsp> ( cnn ) -- goals from zlatan ibrahimovic and kevin-prince boateng earned reigning serie a champions ac milan a 2-1 victory over local rivals internazionale in the italian super cup played at the bird 's nest stadium in beijing on saturday . wesley sneijder put inter ahead after 22 minutes with a curling free-kick past milan 's'keeper christian abbiati , before former inter striker , ibrahimovic headed home an equalizer from close range in the 60th minute . milan 's winner came just nine minutes later , as ghanaian international , boateng reacted quickest after substitute alexandre pato 's shot deflected off the post . van der sar says farewell inter , now coached by gian piero gasperini , pressed in vain for an equalizer but could n't stop their great rivals lifting the trophy for a sixth time . ac milan begin the defense of their serie a title on 27 august , away to cagliari . inter , last season 's runners-up , kick off their serie a campaign the following day against lecce . | milan beat rivals inter 2-1 in close fought italian super cup match in beijing |
milan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- goals from zlatan ibrahimovic and kevin-prince boateng earned reigning serie a champions ac milan a 2-1 victory over local rivals internazionale in the italian super cup played at the bird 's nest stadium in beijing on saturday . wesley sneijder put inter ahead after 22 minutes with a curling free-kick past milan 's'keeper christian abbiati , before former inter striker , ibrahimovic headed home an equalizer from close range in the 60th minute . milan 's winner came just nine minutes later , as ghanaian international , boateng reacted quickest after substitute alexandre pato 's shot deflected off the post . van der sar says farewell inter , now coached by gian piero gasperini , pressed in vain for an equalizer but could n't stop their great rivals lifting the trophy for a sixth time . ac milan begin the defense of their serie a title on 27 august , away to cagliari . inter , last season 's runners-up , kick off their serie a campaign the following day against lecce . | milan beat rivals inter 2-1 in close fought italian super cup match in beijing |
russia <tsp> donetsk , ukraine ( cnn ) -- in the city of donetsk , the devastation wrought by weeks of fighting between pro-russia rebels and ukrainian forces is all too apparent . and as the civilians caught in the crossfire sweep up the debris of their homes and livelihoods , they are hardened against a president they say is killing his own people . alexander omelyavenko , a donetsk resident , told cnn , we are ukrainian but they kill us , so we probably need our own country . because these people in kiev , they are not brothers for us . ' another resident , victoria khrushova , wiped away tears as she told how her family had been forced to hide from the shelling in cellars . we live underground . it was so hard for two weeks -- especially 27th , 28th , 29th -- but only today is quiet , ' she said . the husband of a 34-year-old woman killed outside a block of flats last wednesday would n't talk to cnn , saying he was in shock . he made it down to the cellar with their small child but she simply did n't have time . a 50-year-old woman was killed with his wife . it 's a story which repeats itself over and over in dozens of apartment blocks , with civilians being killed by the constant shelling around donetsk . windows are shattered , holes blasted in walls and blackened rafters which once supported the roofs of homes stand in bleak outline against the sky . the victims are the human face of a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding even as diplomatic efforts to curb the fighting plow on . the united nations'refugee agency , unhcr , said tuesday that the number of people displaced in ukraine by the fighting , particularly around donetsk and luhansk , had more than doubled in less than a month . while an estimated 117,000 had fled their homes as of august 5 , the agency puts the number displaced as of september 1 at 260,000 . unhcr believes the actual number displaced is higher , as many are staying with families and friends and choose not to register with the authorities . nearly 95 % of those forced from their homes are from eastern ukraine and most remain in the region , its report said .'be human ... stop this war' donetsk , once-thriving , is now half-empty , shop fronts shattered and its railway station bombed . its trauma hospital is filled with the civilian wounded who were unable to reach safety in time as the shells rained down . medical teams treat market traders with shrapnel embedded in their legs or the broken limbs of pensioners too old or sick to run . there was one war and this is the second war . i was born in 1940 in world war ii and i will probably die before this war is over , ' said elderly resident valentina sergeyevna . valentina popova , in the ward next door , has lost her leg and her arm to indiscriminate artillery shells . switching to the ukrainian language , she made a heartrending plea to ukrainian president petro poroshenko . we used to dance , sing , do everything in ukrainian . poroshenko , mr. poroshenko -- please listen to us . why do n't you understand your people ? be a man . be human . please stop your aggression . stop this war . ' russia accuses the ukrainian government of precipitating the humanitarian crisis by pursuing its campaign to regain territory seized by the rebels . meanwhile , poroshenko and some western allies have said thousands of russian troops are in his nation 's east , helping the separatists . nato members meeting this week in wales are expected to create a very high-readiness force ' to deal with russian aggression in ukraine and other international conflicts , nato secretary general anders fogh rasmussen said monday . european union leaders are expected to decide on further sanctions against russia over its actions in ukraine by friday , italian foreign minister federica mogherini said tuesday . lavrov :'let us sit down and talk' though russia has denied sending its troops to ukraine , it has defended the rebels'action in the east . washington and brussels need to ask kiev authorities to stop shelling the houses , schools , hospitals and so on because you leave militia with no choice but to stand up to protect their people , ' russian foreign minister sergey lavrov said . let 's not ask militia to lay down their weapons and allow themselves to be killed . ' lavrov said negotiations , not threats , would help resolve the crisis between the two neighbors . let us sit down and talk instead of threatening with sanctions and stubbornly making absolutely unrealistic demands of the militia laying down arms , ' he said . this is what the peace plan of poroshenko is about . ' the continued fighting means it 's difficult for humanitarian workers to assess the full scope of the crisis , the unhcr said in its report , while damage to roads and other infrastructure makes it hard to get aid in . as of september 1 , some 2.2 million people remained in conflict areas according to the ukrainian authorities , the agency said , many with limited access to food , water , and other basic necessities . in donetsk , makiivka and gorlovka the regional authorities estimate there are 20,000 people with disabilities and needing help , ' it said . in luhansk , residents have been without proper supplies of food and water , and dealing with electricity shortages and communications problems for a month . ' the number of people using humanitarian corridors ' set up by the authorities to flee has dropped off since a number of civilians died in attacks , the unhcr said . statehood question ? russia annexed ukraine 's crimean peninsula in march following the ouster of president viktor yanukovych the previous month . violence broke out in the eastern donetsk and luhansk regions in april when separatist leaders declared independence from the government in kiev . since then , the conflict between the pro-russia rebels and the ukrainian military has killed more than 2,500 people , according to the united nations . a human rights watch report released monday claimed unlawful government and insurgent attacks ' in and around luhansk were contributing to rising civilian casualties . it cited a luhansk morgue doctor as saying explosive weapons have killed more than 300 civilians in the city since may . hrw researchers spoke to more than a dozen people who had witnessed artillery , mortar or rocket attacks in civilian areas . many of the attacks appeared to be indiscriminate , in that they did not or could not distinguish between civilians and combatants , ' the rights group said . indiscriminate attacks violate international humanitarian law , or the laws of war . ' a report last week by the office of the u.n. high commissioner for human rights documented a wide array of serious human rights abuses ' committed primarily by the rebel fighters . violations have also been committed by members of the ukrainian military as they try to recapture rebel-held territory , it said . opinion : fog lifts to show russia at war the scene in eastern ukraine ukraine crisis : 6 questions and answers cnn 's diana magnay reported from donetsk and laura smith-spark wrote in london . | eu leaders may decide on further sanctions against russia by the end of the week |
steve bruce <tsp> ( cnn ) a convicted rapist needs to rethink ' his strategy as he attempts to resume his professional football career , according to the chief of player welfare in the game in britain . ched evans had been on the cusp of a move to oldham athletic , which plays in english football 's third tier , but the club pulled out of the deal because of unbearable pressure ' on its staff . linked with a return to former club sheffield united last year , evans remains without a club after being released from prison in october having served half of a five-year sentence for raping a 19-year-old girl . both oldham and sheffield united were dissuaded from signing evans due to pressure from sponsors as well as criticism from leading politicians and also the british public , with thousands signing petitions against his proposed moves . asked if evans looked likely to sign for another british side , chief executive of the professional footballers'association gordon taylor told the bbc : at this moment in time , you would have to say you 'd be very doubtful of that . it may well be he would have to go abroad but at the moment because he 's out on license he ca n't go abroad so we need a serious rethink now . ' previously refused leave to appeal , evan 's case is now before the criminal cases review commission , an independent body that reviews potential miscarriages of justice . hull manager steve bruce admitted he had backed oldham to sign evans and also believes the criminal cases review commission will be key to his hopes of playing again . i might be upsetting people but there is a question of the rape and how he 's been convicted by a jury , ' said bruce in his press conference prior to saturday 's english premier league game between hull and west bromwich albion . when you do look at the case and look at the evidence then certainly ched has got a case . for me the appeal ca n't come quick enough for ched . it must be a frustrating and difficult time for him and i think the events of the appeal , for me , will see ched be allowed to play football again . ' sheffield united , whom evans originally joined on leaving manchester city in 2009 , pulled out of their initial approach to sign the player on his release from prison in october following a 160,000-strong petition against the move . and more than 60,000 people signed a petition calling on oldham not sign evans . hartlepool also signaled their interest only to then back away , while a potential move to maltese club hibernians was quashed when the ministry of justice clarified its zero-tolerance policy on sex offenders working abroad . evans'case has also put pfa chief taylor under pressure after he likened the situation with evans to that of the families of the 96 people that lost their lives in the hillsborough disaster in 1989 . the tragedy struck following a crush of people at the fa cup semi-final between liverpool and nottingham forest in sheffield . after years of appeals by the families involved over the miscarriage of justice , an inquest is now ongoing into events and culpability surrounding the tragedy . he would n't have been the first person to be found guilty , maintained their innocence and be proved right. , ' said taylor in an interview with the bbc , referring to evans . we know that happened with hillsborough . it 's now unraveling and very different to how it was portrayed at the time , indeed by the police at the time . ' taylor 's comments led to calls for him to stand down from his post while dr phil scraton , the main author of the hillsborough independent panel report , wrote to him concerning his ill-judged ' remarks . drawing hillsborough into the maelstrom that has surrounded the evans case ... while suggesting a parallel between these two entirely distinct cases demonstrates not only poor judgment but also extraordinary naivety , ' scraton wrote . taylor has since backtracked on his previous remarks apologizing for any offense called . i was n't comparing the case but i was looking for a comparison of the principle really of people looking to have the right to maintaining their innocence and how it 's become a national issue and campaign with regard to ched evans , ' said taylor in an interview with bbc radio . in no way was it a comparison of the offenses , it was the principle of establishing the truth and his right to do that . as it has turned out , i do n't want to upset any of the hillsborough family support groups . we 've always been supportive of them . it 's far from that . i admire the way , the tenacity and determination to get to the truth and that was the point i was looking to make . the last thing i was wanting to do was offend any of them -- quite the opposite . and with ched evans of course he similarly has that right . he 's done his time in prison and has done longer in prison than normal because he 's determined to prove his innocence and has the right to return to work . ' under current rules , evans is permitted to return to playing football despite still serving his conviction on license . but chairman of the football association greg dyke admitted the regulations may change the over eligibility of players to return to the game under certain circumstances . in the first statement from the fa amid the evans furore , dyke said in a statement : rape and sexual violence are abhorrent and unacceptable . this can not be overstated . we have reviewed the ched evans case in some detail at the fa and we have examined both the legal requirements and our rules and regulations , and there is no basis for us to intervene directly in this particular case . that said , it is important that we continue to look at the issue of behaviour and attitudes within football , and recognize the unique privileges and responsibilities that come with being a participating member of the national game . i would encourage the game to consider and discuss this matter and the prospect for future guidelines or codes of conduct . the fa will certainly be considering it in line with our own ongoing review of what constitutes public or private communications and behavior . ' | hull manager steve bruce backs the player over a possible appeal and his playing future |
khan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- an anti-drone activist and journalist from pakistan has been released , more than a week after he was abducted from his home in rawalpindi . kareem khan told reporters friday how he was abducted by armed men who showed up at his family 's home in the early hours of february 5 , and then tortured him while he was in captivity . khan , from the tribal area of north waziristan , lost his son and brother to a 2009 cia drone strike , and had been set to travel to europe to meet with parliamentarians when he disappeared , lawyer shazad akbar said in a news release . he was also involved in legal proceedings against the pakistani police concerning their failure to investigate the killing of his relatives . at a news conference held only hours after he was freed , khan told how between 18 and 20 armed men kidnapped him from his home . the men banged at our house door , broke the lock and barged in , ' he said . they held guns to me and my family and told us to put our hands up . took me to a car , handcuffed me , blindfolded me and drove off . my eyes still hurt from the tightness of the blindfold . my temples , eyes and forehead are all in pain because of how tight the blindfold was . my feet were constantly shackled and my feet were constantly handcuffed . ''hung upside down' khan said he was not able to pinpoint where he was taken , nor who his abductors were . the scene of his torture was an underground room , he said . they abused me using vulgar expletives . hung me upside down and sat on me while one other person beat my feet , ' he said . he could hear other people while he was in the torture cell , he said . khan said his questioners did n't mention drones , did n't mention my family . only asked me about some names i could n't recognize and what connection i had to them . i could not tell if my captors were from the intelligence agencies , they were from all ethnicities and did not give away anything that could identify them . ' khan said he had been told not to speak to the media but that he was unafraid . i brought my children to the city of rawalpindi from waziristan to provide safety to them but now we do n't feel safe anywhere , ' he said . i am going to europe to highlight how my people are being abused by drone strikes . our brothers and children are peaceful citizens who are being targeted . we are not terrorists that are being killed . ' charity : serious questions to answer reprieve , a uk-based charity that provides legal support to prisoners unable to pay for it themselves , said khan intends still to go ahead with his trip to europe this week . he was due to speak with german , dutch and british parliamentarians about his personal experience of drone strikes . reprieve legal director kat craig said it was a huge relief ' that khan had been freed , although his mistreatment was deeply concerning . no one should have to suffer as he and his family have done for simply trying to get to the truth about the deaths of their loved ones , ' she said . serious questions remain for the pakistani government on how this was allowed to happen . ' khan spoke to cnn in december 2010 about the airstrike a year earlier that had targeted his home in machikhel , a village in north waziristan . khan said the missiles killed his 35-year-old brother , a teacher with a master 's degree in english literature ; his 18-year-old son , and several others . he filed a $ 500 million lawsuit against the u.s. government . cnn 's chandrika narayan and saleem mehsud contributed to this report . | khan says he was seized by armed men , taken to a basement and tortured |
khan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- an anti-drone activist and journalist from pakistan has been released , more than a week after he was abducted from his home in rawalpindi . kareem khan told reporters friday how he was abducted by armed men who showed up at his family 's home in the early hours of february 5 , and then tortured him while he was in captivity . khan , from the tribal area of north waziristan , lost his son and brother to a 2009 cia drone strike , and had been set to travel to europe to meet with parliamentarians when he disappeared , lawyer shazad akbar said in a news release . he was also involved in legal proceedings against the pakistani police concerning their failure to investigate the killing of his relatives . at a news conference held only hours after he was freed , khan told how between 18 and 20 armed men kidnapped him from his home . the men banged at our house door , broke the lock and barged in , ' he said . they held guns to me and my family and told us to put our hands up . took me to a car , handcuffed me , blindfolded me and drove off . my eyes still hurt from the tightness of the blindfold . my temples , eyes and forehead are all in pain because of how tight the blindfold was . my feet were constantly shackled and my feet were constantly handcuffed . ''hung upside down' khan said he was not able to pinpoint where he was taken , nor who his abductors were . the scene of his torture was an underground room , he said . they abused me using vulgar expletives . hung me upside down and sat on me while one other person beat my feet , ' he said . he could hear other people while he was in the torture cell , he said . khan said his questioners did n't mention drones , did n't mention my family . only asked me about some names i could n't recognize and what connection i had to them . i could not tell if my captors were from the intelligence agencies , they were from all ethnicities and did not give away anything that could identify them . ' khan said he had been told not to speak to the media but that he was unafraid . i brought my children to the city of rawalpindi from waziristan to provide safety to them but now we do n't feel safe anywhere , ' he said . i am going to europe to highlight how my people are being abused by drone strikes . our brothers and children are peaceful citizens who are being targeted . we are not terrorists that are being killed . ' charity : serious questions to answer reprieve , a uk-based charity that provides legal support to prisoners unable to pay for it themselves , said khan intends still to go ahead with his trip to europe this week . he was due to speak with german , dutch and british parliamentarians about his personal experience of drone strikes . reprieve legal director kat craig said it was a huge relief ' that khan had been freed , although his mistreatment was deeply concerning . no one should have to suffer as he and his family have done for simply trying to get to the truth about the deaths of their loved ones , ' she said . serious questions remain for the pakistani government on how this was allowed to happen . ' khan spoke to cnn in december 2010 about the airstrike a year earlier that had targeted his home in machikhel , a village in north waziristan . khan said the missiles killed his 35-year-old brother , a teacher with a master 's degree in english literature ; his 18-year-old son , and several others . he filed a $ 500 million lawsuit against the u.s. government . cnn 's chandrika narayan and saleem mehsud contributed to this report . | khan was due to travel to europe to talk to lawmakers about drone strikes that killed relatives |
khan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- an anti-drone activist and journalist from pakistan has been released , more than a week after he was abducted from his home in rawalpindi . kareem khan told reporters friday how he was abducted by armed men who showed up at his family 's home in the early hours of february 5 , and then tortured him while he was in captivity . khan , from the tribal area of north waziristan , lost his son and brother to a 2009 cia drone strike , and had been set to travel to europe to meet with parliamentarians when he disappeared , lawyer shazad akbar said in a news release . he was also involved in legal proceedings against the pakistani police concerning their failure to investigate the killing of his relatives . at a news conference held only hours after he was freed , khan told how between 18 and 20 armed men kidnapped him from his home . the men banged at our house door , broke the lock and barged in , ' he said . they held guns to me and my family and told us to put our hands up . took me to a car , handcuffed me , blindfolded me and drove off . my eyes still hurt from the tightness of the blindfold . my temples , eyes and forehead are all in pain because of how tight the blindfold was . my feet were constantly shackled and my feet were constantly handcuffed . ''hung upside down' khan said he was not able to pinpoint where he was taken , nor who his abductors were . the scene of his torture was an underground room , he said . they abused me using vulgar expletives . hung me upside down and sat on me while one other person beat my feet , ' he said . he could hear other people while he was in the torture cell , he said . khan said his questioners did n't mention drones , did n't mention my family . only asked me about some names i could n't recognize and what connection i had to them . i could not tell if my captors were from the intelligence agencies , they were from all ethnicities and did not give away anything that could identify them . ' khan said he had been told not to speak to the media but that he was unafraid . i brought my children to the city of rawalpindi from waziristan to provide safety to them but now we do n't feel safe anywhere , ' he said . i am going to europe to highlight how my people are being abused by drone strikes . our brothers and children are peaceful citizens who are being targeted . we are not terrorists that are being killed . ' charity : serious questions to answer reprieve , a uk-based charity that provides legal support to prisoners unable to pay for it themselves , said khan intends still to go ahead with his trip to europe this week . he was due to speak with german , dutch and british parliamentarians about his personal experience of drone strikes . reprieve legal director kat craig said it was a huge relief ' that khan had been freed , although his mistreatment was deeply concerning . no one should have to suffer as he and his family have done for simply trying to get to the truth about the deaths of their loved ones , ' she said . serious questions remain for the pakistani government on how this was allowed to happen . ' khan spoke to cnn in december 2010 about the airstrike a year earlier that had targeted his home in machikhel , a village in north waziristan . khan said the missiles killed his 35-year-old brother , a teacher with a master 's degree in english literature ; his 18-year-old son , and several others . he filed a $ 500 million lawsuit against the u.s. government . cnn 's chandrika narayan and saleem mehsud contributed to this report . | anti-drone activist and journalist kareem khan is freed , nine days after his abduction |
jackson <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the institution of marriage is unique . it is the one institution that binds women and men together to form a family , and this serves broad societal purposes . in california , a u.s. district court judge last week overturned proposition 8 , the california marriage protection act . it was passed in november 2008 by california voters to recognize only marriage between a man and a woman . ' the majority of californians , including two-thirds of the state 's black voters , have just had their core civil right -- the right to vote -- stripped from them by an openly gay federal judge who has misread history and the constitution to impose his views on the state 's people . the implicit comparison judge vaughn walker made between racism and opposition to same-sex marriage is particularly offensive to me and to all who remember the reality of jim crow . it is not bigotry , it is biology that discriminates between same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples . a marriage requires a husband and a wife , because these unions are necessary to make new life and connect children to their mother and father . judge walker 's decision will not stand the test of time and history . congress and the supreme court must act to protect all americans'right to vote for marriage . advocates of making same-sex marriage a legally recognized right claim that this will have no impact on traditional marriage -- that it can peacefully coexist alongside traditional marriage . on the contrary , it will have profound impacts . it will create a conflict for people of faith ( and nonreligious people as well ) who fervently believe in traditional man-woman marriage and the law . the bible is so clear in its support of heterosexual marriage there is little need for us to go through an exhaustive definition of biblical marriage versus the types of unions allowed by law today . the scriptures say in genesis 2:24 that a man is to leave his family and cleave to his wife . this concept is repeated in matthew 19:5 and mark 10:7 . all the scriptures in the bible concerning marriage presuppose heterosexual marriage . we can teach our kids that there are important spiritual and societal reasons to believe in traditional marriage and oppose same-sex marriage . but if same-sex marriage becomes legally recognized across the country , our kids will be told that gay marriage is a civil rights issue and that those who oppose it are akin to the racists of history who opposed interracial marriage and supported slavery . we can teach our children at home that marriage is between a man and a woman , but our children 's public schools will teach them that marriage includes same-sex couples . both would be equal marriages ' under the law . what might this look like ? in massachusetts , where a ruling legalized same-sex marriage in 2004 , kids in public schools are reading books depicting same-sex families . at a california charter school in 2008 , kindergartners'parents objected when a school newsletter alerted them to national coming out day ; ' a parent told a local abc-tv affiliate that a teacher at the school screened a film to kindergartners the previous year showing gay families . these kinds of ill-advised social experiments may produce a host of unexpected consequences . if gay marriage is allowed , the nation will soon begin to experience an increased degradation of the nuclear family -- resulting in fewer kids being raised by both a mom and a dad . beyond that , those of us who believe in traditional marriage and are in a regulated profession -- such as counselor , physician , attorney or accountant -- and act in concert with our beliefs , may be vulnerable to losing our professional license and our livelihood . we can be a religious charity faithfully fulfilling our mission by serving our community , such as by providing adoption and other services , but if we refuse to provide those services to a same-sex couple , we have the choice of abandoning our beliefs or ending our mission . in 2003 , adoption.com was sued by two california homosexual men , who claimed illegal discrimination because the agency refused to serve homosexual couples . the agency lost the lawsuit and no longer serves adoptive parents in california . an even more substantive danger lies in the consequences of gay marriage on the next generation . redefining marriage redefines family . changing the concept of family will change both the definition and the pattern of parenting . what will the landscape of america look like if same-sex marriage is legalized across our nation ? social scientists report what most americans have always known : both boys and girls are deeply affected in biological and psychological ways by the presence of their fathers . if the american family loses the presence of the birth dad in the home , there will be huge consequences to the growth and stability of the next generation of children in that family . for example , repeatedly , scholarly studies focused on adolescence show that early onset of puberty in girls is associated with negative psychological , social , and health problems including depression , alcohol consumption , and higher teenage pregnancy . an eight-year study of girls and their families showed that a father 's presence in the home , with appropriate involvement in his children 's lives , contributed to daughters'reaching puberty at a later age . despite the incredible adaptability of children , our entire culture should advocate for family structures that promote the most positive environments for coming generations . in addition to fighting the marriage redefinition , leaders from all sectors of our culture , including our churches , must work hard at improving heterosexual marriages . counseling , modeling , and interventions are needed to help ailing marriages . both battles must be fought if our families , which are the incubators of future societal greatness , are to be protected . let 's set our sights high . let 's not fall victim to the circling argument of our opposition . we simply need an army of bipartisan leaders to strategize , organize , and prioritize the protection of marriage . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of harry r. jackson , jr . | bishop harry jackson : the institution of marriage is unique in our society |
jackson <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the institution of marriage is unique . it is the one institution that binds women and men together to form a family , and this serves broad societal purposes . in california , a u.s. district court judge last week overturned proposition 8 , the california marriage protection act . it was passed in november 2008 by california voters to recognize only marriage between a man and a woman . ' the majority of californians , including two-thirds of the state 's black voters , have just had their core civil right -- the right to vote -- stripped from them by an openly gay federal judge who has misread history and the constitution to impose his views on the state 's people . the implicit comparison judge vaughn walker made between racism and opposition to same-sex marriage is particularly offensive to me and to all who remember the reality of jim crow . it is not bigotry , it is biology that discriminates between same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples . a marriage requires a husband and a wife , because these unions are necessary to make new life and connect children to their mother and father . judge walker 's decision will not stand the test of time and history . congress and the supreme court must act to protect all americans'right to vote for marriage . advocates of making same-sex marriage a legally recognized right claim that this will have no impact on traditional marriage -- that it can peacefully coexist alongside traditional marriage . on the contrary , it will have profound impacts . it will create a conflict for people of faith ( and nonreligious people as well ) who fervently believe in traditional man-woman marriage and the law . the bible is so clear in its support of heterosexual marriage there is little need for us to go through an exhaustive definition of biblical marriage versus the types of unions allowed by law today . the scriptures say in genesis 2:24 that a man is to leave his family and cleave to his wife . this concept is repeated in matthew 19:5 and mark 10:7 . all the scriptures in the bible concerning marriage presuppose heterosexual marriage . we can teach our kids that there are important spiritual and societal reasons to believe in traditional marriage and oppose same-sex marriage . but if same-sex marriage becomes legally recognized across the country , our kids will be told that gay marriage is a civil rights issue and that those who oppose it are akin to the racists of history who opposed interracial marriage and supported slavery . we can teach our children at home that marriage is between a man and a woman , but our children 's public schools will teach them that marriage includes same-sex couples . both would be equal marriages ' under the law . what might this look like ? in massachusetts , where a ruling legalized same-sex marriage in 2004 , kids in public schools are reading books depicting same-sex families . at a california charter school in 2008 , kindergartners'parents objected when a school newsletter alerted them to national coming out day ; ' a parent told a local abc-tv affiliate that a teacher at the school screened a film to kindergartners the previous year showing gay families . these kinds of ill-advised social experiments may produce a host of unexpected consequences . if gay marriage is allowed , the nation will soon begin to experience an increased degradation of the nuclear family -- resulting in fewer kids being raised by both a mom and a dad . beyond that , those of us who believe in traditional marriage and are in a regulated profession -- such as counselor , physician , attorney or accountant -- and act in concert with our beliefs , may be vulnerable to losing our professional license and our livelihood . we can be a religious charity faithfully fulfilling our mission by serving our community , such as by providing adoption and other services , but if we refuse to provide those services to a same-sex couple , we have the choice of abandoning our beliefs or ending our mission . in 2003 , adoption.com was sued by two california homosexual men , who claimed illegal discrimination because the agency refused to serve homosexual couples . the agency lost the lawsuit and no longer serves adoptive parents in california . an even more substantive danger lies in the consequences of gay marriage on the next generation . redefining marriage redefines family . changing the concept of family will change both the definition and the pattern of parenting . what will the landscape of america look like if same-sex marriage is legalized across our nation ? social scientists report what most americans have always known : both boys and girls are deeply affected in biological and psychological ways by the presence of their fathers . if the american family loses the presence of the birth dad in the home , there will be huge consequences to the growth and stability of the next generation of children in that family . for example , repeatedly , scholarly studies focused on adolescence show that early onset of puberty in girls is associated with negative psychological , social , and health problems including depression , alcohol consumption , and higher teenage pregnancy . an eight-year study of girls and their families showed that a father 's presence in the home , with appropriate involvement in his children 's lives , contributed to daughters'reaching puberty at a later age . despite the incredible adaptability of children , our entire culture should advocate for family structures that promote the most positive environments for coming generations . in addition to fighting the marriage redefinition , leaders from all sectors of our culture , including our churches , must work hard at improving heterosexual marriages . counseling , modeling , and interventions are needed to help ailing marriages . both battles must be fought if our families , which are the incubators of future societal greatness , are to be protected . let 's set our sights high . let 's not fall victim to the circling argument of our opposition . we simply need an army of bipartisan leaders to strategize , organize , and prioritize the protection of marriage . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of harry r. jackson , jr . | jackson : gay marriage will lead to degradation of the nuclear family |
jackson <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the institution of marriage is unique . it is the one institution that binds women and men together to form a family , and this serves broad societal purposes . in california , a u.s. district court judge last week overturned proposition 8 , the california marriage protection act . it was passed in november 2008 by california voters to recognize only marriage between a man and a woman . ' the majority of californians , including two-thirds of the state 's black voters , have just had their core civil right -- the right to vote -- stripped from them by an openly gay federal judge who has misread history and the constitution to impose his views on the state 's people . the implicit comparison judge vaughn walker made between racism and opposition to same-sex marriage is particularly offensive to me and to all who remember the reality of jim crow . it is not bigotry , it is biology that discriminates between same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples . a marriage requires a husband and a wife , because these unions are necessary to make new life and connect children to their mother and father . judge walker 's decision will not stand the test of time and history . congress and the supreme court must act to protect all americans'right to vote for marriage . advocates of making same-sex marriage a legally recognized right claim that this will have no impact on traditional marriage -- that it can peacefully coexist alongside traditional marriage . on the contrary , it will have profound impacts . it will create a conflict for people of faith ( and nonreligious people as well ) who fervently believe in traditional man-woman marriage and the law . the bible is so clear in its support of heterosexual marriage there is little need for us to go through an exhaustive definition of biblical marriage versus the types of unions allowed by law today . the scriptures say in genesis 2:24 that a man is to leave his family and cleave to his wife . this concept is repeated in matthew 19:5 and mark 10:7 . all the scriptures in the bible concerning marriage presuppose heterosexual marriage . we can teach our kids that there are important spiritual and societal reasons to believe in traditional marriage and oppose same-sex marriage . but if same-sex marriage becomes legally recognized across the country , our kids will be told that gay marriage is a civil rights issue and that those who oppose it are akin to the racists of history who opposed interracial marriage and supported slavery . we can teach our children at home that marriage is between a man and a woman , but our children 's public schools will teach them that marriage includes same-sex couples . both would be equal marriages ' under the law . what might this look like ? in massachusetts , where a ruling legalized same-sex marriage in 2004 , kids in public schools are reading books depicting same-sex families . at a california charter school in 2008 , kindergartners'parents objected when a school newsletter alerted them to national coming out day ; ' a parent told a local abc-tv affiliate that a teacher at the school screened a film to kindergartners the previous year showing gay families . these kinds of ill-advised social experiments may produce a host of unexpected consequences . if gay marriage is allowed , the nation will soon begin to experience an increased degradation of the nuclear family -- resulting in fewer kids being raised by both a mom and a dad . beyond that , those of us who believe in traditional marriage and are in a regulated profession -- such as counselor , physician , attorney or accountant -- and act in concert with our beliefs , may be vulnerable to losing our professional license and our livelihood . we can be a religious charity faithfully fulfilling our mission by serving our community , such as by providing adoption and other services , but if we refuse to provide those services to a same-sex couple , we have the choice of abandoning our beliefs or ending our mission . in 2003 , adoption.com was sued by two california homosexual men , who claimed illegal discrimination because the agency refused to serve homosexual couples . the agency lost the lawsuit and no longer serves adoptive parents in california . an even more substantive danger lies in the consequences of gay marriage on the next generation . redefining marriage redefines family . changing the concept of family will change both the definition and the pattern of parenting . what will the landscape of america look like if same-sex marriage is legalized across our nation ? social scientists report what most americans have always known : both boys and girls are deeply affected in biological and psychological ways by the presence of their fathers . if the american family loses the presence of the birth dad in the home , there will be huge consequences to the growth and stability of the next generation of children in that family . for example , repeatedly , scholarly studies focused on adolescence show that early onset of puberty in girls is associated with negative psychological , social , and health problems including depression , alcohol consumption , and higher teenage pregnancy . an eight-year study of girls and their families showed that a father 's presence in the home , with appropriate involvement in his children 's lives , contributed to daughters'reaching puberty at a later age . despite the incredible adaptability of children , our entire culture should advocate for family structures that promote the most positive environments for coming generations . in addition to fighting the marriage redefinition , leaders from all sectors of our culture , including our churches , must work hard at improving heterosexual marriages . counseling , modeling , and interventions are needed to help ailing marriages . both battles must be fought if our families , which are the incubators of future societal greatness , are to be protected . let 's set our sights high . let 's not fall victim to the circling argument of our opposition . we simply need an army of bipartisan leaders to strategize , organize , and prioritize the protection of marriage . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of harry r. jackson , jr . | the institution serves broad societal purposes , jackson writes |
michael <tsp> los angeles , california ( cnn ) -- michael jackson 's sister , latoya jackson , told a london newspaper she suspects her brother was murdered ' in a conspiracy by a shadowy entourage . ' michael jackson was surrounded by a bad circle , ' latoya jackson told a british newspaper . london 's daily mail newspaper paid for the interview , according to a source close to the jackson family and another source familiar with the interview arrangements . the amount of money paid was not disclosed . latoya jackson was very candid ' throughout the four-hour interview , which took place in los angeles , california , last thursday , said caroline graham , the daily mail reporter who conducted the interview . jackson cited no evidence of a murder conspiracy , graham said , but she did tell the paper the family has seen results from the private autopsy it ordered . she would not reveal the findings , graham said . watch reporter describe latoya 's demeanor » ' there indeed had been concern among several family members about the circumstances around michael 's death , ' said bryan monroe , the last journalist to interview michael jackson . some folks have hesitated to go as far as saying it was murder . ' the los angeles coroner could release his autopsy report on jackson within a week , according to assistant chief coroner ed winter . los angeles police chief william bratton told cnn last week that he was waiting for the coroner to determine the exact cause of jackson 's death . and based on those , we will have an idea of what it is we are dealing ( with ) , ' he said . the jackson family knows that the probe into his june 25 death might turn into a criminal case , a source close to the family told cnn last thursday . the family is aware of a potential criminal prosecution , ' said the source , who did not want to be identified . i believe michael was murdered , i felt that from the start , ' the paper quoted latoya jackson as saying . not just one person was involved , rather it was a conspiracy of people . ' graham said latoya jackson 's choice of words stopped me dead in my tracks . ' i asked her ,'are you sure the word murder ' is what you want to use ,' graham said . jackson told her she chose that word purposely . he was surrounded by a bad circle , ' graham said jackson told her . michael was a very meek , quiet , loving person . people took advantage of that . people fought to be close to him , people who were n't always on his side . ' cnn 's paul vercammen and traci tamura contributed to this report . | jackson : i believe michael was murdered ' |
london <tsp> hong kong ( cnn ) cathay pacific was forced to cancel a scheduled flight from london to hong kong after one of the pilots was arrested after trying to board the airliner with knives in his luggage . the pilot , who has not been identified , was stopped during security checks as the flight prepared to depart on saturday night , the metropolitan police said in a statement monday . at around 21:10 hours police at heathrow airport were called to a staff search area . officers attended and subsequently the member of flight crew , a man , was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and possession of a knife blade / sharp pointed article in a public place . ' he was then taken into custody at a local police station where he was later bailed and ordered to return in may pending an investigation , the police statement added . cathay pacific , which is headquartered in hong kong , told cnn in an email that it would cooperate with authorities , but that it was unable to provide further details as the incident is being investigated by police . it apologized to the 262 people on board flight cx254 , which eventually departed on sunday , adding that it assisted passengers with overnight accommodation in london and alternative flight arrangements . passengers were forced to wait in the seats on board the boeing 777 for more than two hours before the service was canceled . they just told us there were crew issues . the captain said'apologies for everything that has happened'. he said they tried to get another pilot but they could n't get there on time , ' one passenger on the flight told the hong kong-based south china morning post . | cathay pacific runs regular flights between its hong kong hub and london |
hong kong <tsp> hong kong ( cnn ) cathay pacific was forced to cancel a scheduled flight from london to hong kong after one of the pilots was arrested after trying to board the airliner with knives in his luggage . the pilot , who has not been identified , was stopped during security checks as the flight prepared to depart on saturday night , the metropolitan police said in a statement monday . at around 21:10 hours police at heathrow airport were called to a staff search area . officers attended and subsequently the member of flight crew , a man , was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and possession of a knife blade / sharp pointed article in a public place . ' he was then taken into custody at a local police station where he was later bailed and ordered to return in may pending an investigation , the police statement added . cathay pacific , which is headquartered in hong kong , told cnn in an email that it would cooperate with authorities , but that it was unable to provide further details as the incident is being investigated by police . it apologized to the 262 people on board flight cx254 , which eventually departed on sunday , adding that it assisted passengers with overnight accommodation in london and alternative flight arrangements . passengers were forced to wait in the seats on board the boeing 777 for more than two hours before the service was canceled . they just told us there were crew issues . the captain said'apologies for everything that has happened'. he said they tried to get another pilot but they could n't get there on time , ' one passenger on the flight told the hong kong-based south china morning post . | cathay pacific runs regular flights between its hong kong hub and london |
cathay pacific <tsp> hong kong ( cnn ) cathay pacific was forced to cancel a scheduled flight from london to hong kong after one of the pilots was arrested after trying to board the airliner with knives in his luggage . the pilot , who has not been identified , was stopped during security checks as the flight prepared to depart on saturday night , the metropolitan police said in a statement monday . at around 21:10 hours police at heathrow airport were called to a staff search area . officers attended and subsequently the member of flight crew , a man , was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and possession of a knife blade / sharp pointed article in a public place . ' he was then taken into custody at a local police station where he was later bailed and ordered to return in may pending an investigation , the police statement added . cathay pacific , which is headquartered in hong kong , told cnn in an email that it would cooperate with authorities , but that it was unable to provide further details as the incident is being investigated by police . it apologized to the 262 people on board flight cx254 , which eventually departed on sunday , adding that it assisted passengers with overnight accommodation in london and alternative flight arrangements . passengers were forced to wait in the seats on board the boeing 777 for more than two hours before the service was canceled . they just told us there were crew issues . the captain said'apologies for everything that has happened'. he said they tried to get another pilot but they could n't get there on time , ' one passenger on the flight told the hong kong-based south china morning post . | cathay pacific runs regular flights between its hong kong hub and london |
lebanon <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a hot night in beirut and hipsters , dressed to kill , dance the night away . a dj plays in a bar in gemayzeh -- one of the few areas in beirut where nightlife continues a few years ago this scene would have played out across the city . now , soldiers line the pavements and night time revelers are more likely to hear the sporadic crack of gunshots than dance music beats . while trendy districts of beirut like gemayzeh are valiantly carrying on as usual , the nation 's critical political and economic situation is hard to ignore . the lebanese have this vibrance for life , this addiction for life , and the people just really want to exclude themselves from the political scene , ' mazen hajjar , owner of 961 brewery . it is a devastating political scene culminating in the current parliamentary deadlock which has blocked the election of a new president and put the economy on ice . our best export from the country is now exporting our highly educated young men and women . we are losing them at the rate of six to seven thousand a month , ' said fadi abboud , president of the association of lebanese industrialists . the lebanese who have chosen to stay are uncertain and fearful of war . they are staying in and saving money in case the political situation deteriorates . in spite of the discouraging climate , young entrepreneur mazen hajjar is bucking the trend with his 961 micro-brewery . we 're doing very , very well , ' he said , we 're looking very much like a lot of our counterparts to now start expanding internationally , ' continued hajjar . but then hajjar is not short of nerve . he started 961 brewery -- which is named after lebanon 's international dialing code -- during the 2006 hezbollah war with israel . 961 brewery is an example of the complicated economic situation in lebanon where some industries thrive and others fail . construction is another industry which is booming while others go bust . fuelled by low interest rates and gulf oil money , it is growing at around 30 to 40 percent a year . fears of more sectarian violence and another war with israel are ever present -- and they are the kiss of death for sensitive industries like tourism . the lebanese are renowned for their love of a good time and beirut 's club scene used to attract tourists and partygoers from all over the region . tourists from kuwait and bahrain used to spend as much money on lebanon 's ski slopes in the winter as on its beaches in summer . but recently their governments advised tourists not to travel there . saudi arabia , lebanon 's main bankroller , has also warned its citizens to steer clear of the unstable country . shopkeepers are missing the custom of saudis and emiratis who are known for the extravagance of their purchases and hoteliers have noticed a big drop in occupancy rates . according to the general union of arab chambers of commerce , losses in the lebanese tourism sector over the past two and a half years have run to $ 2.2 bn . lebanon 's beleaguered industrialists have also been hit hard by the political turmoil . they claim they are being ruined by high , unsubsidized energy costs and war damage . this has meant factories have closed and workers laid off . we are the phoenicans for god 's sake . we invented glass . it is now not commercial to produce glass , ceramics , plastics , building materials and bricks . all intensive energy industries are suffering and they have no future , ' abboud told cnn . criticisms have been leveled at the greater arab free trade area ( gafta ) for failing to put any measures in place to support lebanon during this time . the complicated nature of lebanon 's economic situation means that relief is coming from an unexpected source -- the country 's huge diaspora . lack of stability may be keeping the expatriate population from returning home but it does n't stop them from sending back money -- roughly $ 6 bn a year which makes up around a quarter of the country 's gdp . this money can not keep the economy afloat indefinitely and the political problems must be solved before any long-term solutions can be found to the economic issues . nicholas chammas , an eminent strategy consultant based in the country thinks lebanon must rethink even more radically than that . we can not defy gravity indefinitely . lebanon has to go back to basics . we can not function as we used to do before the war , or even 10 years ago . we have to change gears . we have to reinvent the lebanese economy . ' e-mail to a friend | it is all part of lebanon 's complex economic landscape -- neither boom nor bust |
lebanon <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a hot night in beirut and hipsters , dressed to kill , dance the night away . a dj plays in a bar in gemayzeh -- one of the few areas in beirut where nightlife continues a few years ago this scene would have played out across the city . now , soldiers line the pavements and night time revelers are more likely to hear the sporadic crack of gunshots than dance music beats . while trendy districts of beirut like gemayzeh are valiantly carrying on as usual , the nation 's critical political and economic situation is hard to ignore . the lebanese have this vibrance for life , this addiction for life , and the people just really want to exclude themselves from the political scene , ' mazen hajjar , owner of 961 brewery . it is a devastating political scene culminating in the current parliamentary deadlock which has blocked the election of a new president and put the economy on ice . our best export from the country is now exporting our highly educated young men and women . we are losing them at the rate of six to seven thousand a month , ' said fadi abboud , president of the association of lebanese industrialists . the lebanese who have chosen to stay are uncertain and fearful of war . they are staying in and saving money in case the political situation deteriorates . in spite of the discouraging climate , young entrepreneur mazen hajjar is bucking the trend with his 961 micro-brewery . we 're doing very , very well , ' he said , we 're looking very much like a lot of our counterparts to now start expanding internationally , ' continued hajjar . but then hajjar is not short of nerve . he started 961 brewery -- which is named after lebanon 's international dialing code -- during the 2006 hezbollah war with israel . 961 brewery is an example of the complicated economic situation in lebanon where some industries thrive and others fail . construction is another industry which is booming while others go bust . fuelled by low interest rates and gulf oil money , it is growing at around 30 to 40 percent a year . fears of more sectarian violence and another war with israel are ever present -- and they are the kiss of death for sensitive industries like tourism . the lebanese are renowned for their love of a good time and beirut 's club scene used to attract tourists and partygoers from all over the region . tourists from kuwait and bahrain used to spend as much money on lebanon 's ski slopes in the winter as on its beaches in summer . but recently their governments advised tourists not to travel there . saudi arabia , lebanon 's main bankroller , has also warned its citizens to steer clear of the unstable country . shopkeepers are missing the custom of saudis and emiratis who are known for the extravagance of their purchases and hoteliers have noticed a big drop in occupancy rates . according to the general union of arab chambers of commerce , losses in the lebanese tourism sector over the past two and a half years have run to $ 2.2 bn . lebanon 's beleaguered industrialists have also been hit hard by the political turmoil . they claim they are being ruined by high , unsubsidized energy costs and war damage . this has meant factories have closed and workers laid off . we are the phoenicans for god 's sake . we invented glass . it is now not commercial to produce glass , ceramics , plastics , building materials and bricks . all intensive energy industries are suffering and they have no future , ' abboud told cnn . criticisms have been leveled at the greater arab free trade area ( gafta ) for failing to put any measures in place to support lebanon during this time . the complicated nature of lebanon 's economic situation means that relief is coming from an unexpected source -- the country 's huge diaspora . lack of stability may be keeping the expatriate population from returning home but it does n't stop them from sending back money -- roughly $ 6 bn a year which makes up around a quarter of the country 's gdp . this money can not keep the economy afloat indefinitely and the political problems must be solved before any long-term solutions can be found to the economic issues . nicholas chammas , an eminent strategy consultant based in the country thinks lebanon must rethink even more radically than that . we can not defy gravity indefinitely . lebanon has to go back to basics . we can not function as we used to do before the war , or even 10 years ago . we have to change gears . we have to reinvent the lebanese economy . ' e-mail to a friend | lebanon is famous for its nightlife but political deadlock is wrecking the sector |
lebanon <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a hot night in beirut and hipsters , dressed to kill , dance the night away . a dj plays in a bar in gemayzeh -- one of the few areas in beirut where nightlife continues a few years ago this scene would have played out across the city . now , soldiers line the pavements and night time revelers are more likely to hear the sporadic crack of gunshots than dance music beats . while trendy districts of beirut like gemayzeh are valiantly carrying on as usual , the nation 's critical political and economic situation is hard to ignore . the lebanese have this vibrance for life , this addiction for life , and the people just really want to exclude themselves from the political scene , ' mazen hajjar , owner of 961 brewery . it is a devastating political scene culminating in the current parliamentary deadlock which has blocked the election of a new president and put the economy on ice . our best export from the country is now exporting our highly educated young men and women . we are losing them at the rate of six to seven thousand a month , ' said fadi abboud , president of the association of lebanese industrialists . the lebanese who have chosen to stay are uncertain and fearful of war . they are staying in and saving money in case the political situation deteriorates . in spite of the discouraging climate , young entrepreneur mazen hajjar is bucking the trend with his 961 micro-brewery . we 're doing very , very well , ' he said , we 're looking very much like a lot of our counterparts to now start expanding internationally , ' continued hajjar . but then hajjar is not short of nerve . he started 961 brewery -- which is named after lebanon 's international dialing code -- during the 2006 hezbollah war with israel . 961 brewery is an example of the complicated economic situation in lebanon where some industries thrive and others fail . construction is another industry which is booming while others go bust . fuelled by low interest rates and gulf oil money , it is growing at around 30 to 40 percent a year . fears of more sectarian violence and another war with israel are ever present -- and they are the kiss of death for sensitive industries like tourism . the lebanese are renowned for their love of a good time and beirut 's club scene used to attract tourists and partygoers from all over the region . tourists from kuwait and bahrain used to spend as much money on lebanon 's ski slopes in the winter as on its beaches in summer . but recently their governments advised tourists not to travel there . saudi arabia , lebanon 's main bankroller , has also warned its citizens to steer clear of the unstable country . shopkeepers are missing the custom of saudis and emiratis who are known for the extravagance of their purchases and hoteliers have noticed a big drop in occupancy rates . according to the general union of arab chambers of commerce , losses in the lebanese tourism sector over the past two and a half years have run to $ 2.2 bn . lebanon 's beleaguered industrialists have also been hit hard by the political turmoil . they claim they are being ruined by high , unsubsidized energy costs and war damage . this has meant factories have closed and workers laid off . we are the phoenicans for god 's sake . we invented glass . it is now not commercial to produce glass , ceramics , plastics , building materials and bricks . all intensive energy industries are suffering and they have no future , ' abboud told cnn . criticisms have been leveled at the greater arab free trade area ( gafta ) for failing to put any measures in place to support lebanon during this time . the complicated nature of lebanon 's economic situation means that relief is coming from an unexpected source -- the country 's huge diaspora . lack of stability may be keeping the expatriate population from returning home but it does n't stop them from sending back money -- roughly $ 6 bn a year which makes up around a quarter of the country 's gdp . this money can not keep the economy afloat indefinitely and the political problems must be solved before any long-term solutions can be found to the economic issues . nicholas chammas , an eminent strategy consultant based in the country thinks lebanon must rethink even more radically than that . we can not defy gravity indefinitely . lebanon has to go back to basics . we can not function as we used to do before the war , or even 10 years ago . we have to change gears . we have to reinvent the lebanese economy . ' e-mail to a friend | what can lebanon do to solve its political problems and get ailing sectors off ice |
sanaa <tsp> sanaa , yemen ( cnn ) -- at least three people were killed and five others injured in a car bomb blast near yemen 's oil ministry , government officials said sunday . the explosions happened near the rear entrance of the ministry , which is located in the capital , sanaa , where security has been tightened in the last few weeks . an oil ministry official told cnn the bomb is believed to have been planted under a car belonging to an officer . security is very tight in the area and we believe those behind the attack were hoping the vehicle would be allowed to enter the ministry compound and explode inside , ' the official told cnn . security is always tight at the ministry , but if the vehicle had exploded inside the compound , there would have been dozens of deaths , ' said sanaa resident bakri al-areqi , who lives near the ministry . yemen 's defense and interior ministry officials confirmed the blast had occurred . it was not immediately clear who was behind the attack . strict checkpoints have been put up on roads leading to the oil and defense ministries . two soldiers were killed and 14 others were injured tuesday when a bomb planted under a military bus exploded in sanaa , authorities said . the soldiers were on their way to work from another district of the capital . violence continues on a daily basis in sanaa , with thousands of troops still stationed on the streets . yemen is home to al qaeda in the arabian peninsula , believed by many analysts to be the most dangerous affiliate of the terror network . cnn 's marie-louise gumuchian contributed to this report . | security has been stepped up in sanaa in last few weeks |
schettino <tsp> grosseto , italy ( cnn ) -- described by one lawyer monday as looking like he walked straight out of a gq magazine , ' the ex-captain of a shipwrecked cruise liner faced about a dozen of the survivors he 's accused of abandoning . it was the first time francesco schettino , 52 , had faced survivors since the luxury ship costa concordia ran aground in january , killing at least 32 people . schettino , 52 , wore a black suit and tie at the preliminary hearing , which was held inside a theater in the tuscan town of grosseto . accompanied by lawyers and technical consultants working on his behalf , the embattled former captain arrived 20 minutes early . he looked like he walked straight out of a gq magazine , ' said john arthur eaves , an american lawyer who is representing 150 of the passengers . schettino faces allegations of manslaughter , causing a shipwreck , abandoning ship , failing to report an accident to the coast guard and destroying a natural habitat . the ship , carrying 3,200 passengers and 1,000 crew members , turned on its side after striking rocks off the italian island of giglio on january 13 . according to passengers'accounts , chaos ensued on the night of the shipwreck , as guests rushed to fill lifeboats and escape . some crew members helped passengers and then jumped overboard , passengers said ; remaining crew members seemed helpless to handle the melee . related story : port authority to captain :'get on board damn it !'like all preliminary hearings in italian courts , monday 's hearing was closed to the news media . but eventually , reports about the hearing made their way out of the theater . one survivor approached schettino at the hearing , saying he hoped the truth would come out soon . ' the captain shook the man 's hand and replied , yes , the truth must be ascertained , ' italian media reported . during the hearing , schettino was seated on the theater stage with eight other defendants under investigation in the case , including his second in command , ciro ambrosio , officer salvatore ursino and roberto ferrarini , the head of the costa cruises fleet . also in attendance were about 12 former passengers , some of whom contributed to the theatrical theme outside the hall , known as teatro moderno . passengers turned the area around the theater into a stage for impromptu news conferences for an international group of about 150 journalists . several german passengers said german newspapers had flown them to grosseto . dozens of police patrolled the area . schettino 's lawyer , paolo bastianini , told cnn his client had received death threats . the case centers on several questions , including why it allegedly took schettino more than an hour to issue an order to abandon ship and why he allegedly left the vessel before all passengers had abandoned it . related story : luxury cruise turns into nightmare retired capt . fredrik j. van wijnen , a friend of schettino 's and a representative of the confederation of european shipmasters'associations , told reporters that schettino felt terrible for the loss of life . though the captain made a mistake by coming too close to giglio , his maneuvers after the accident saved thousands of lives , van wijnen told cnn . schettino , who was released from house arrest in july , was fired last week by the costa crociere parent company , italy 's official ansa news agency reported . he has said that he was wrongfully fired and that his actions prevented additional deaths . during the hearing , which is expected to last up to 10 days , a judge is expected to determine what evidence is admissible for an eventual trial , including the on-board ship data recorder . an attorney for schettino raised objections about an expert and asked that the inquiry be extended while he was brought in from jakarta , but the request was denied . efforts to secure the wreckage are expected to be completed within 10 days , ansa reported . the next phase will involve putting floating platforms inside the half-sunken ship . salvagers plan to remove the wreckage by summer , it said . journalist barbie nadeau reported from grosseto ; cnn 's hada messia reported from rome ; cnn 's josh levs contributed to this report . | francesco schettino is accused of manslaughter , abandoning ship , causing shipwreck |
schettino <tsp> grosseto , italy ( cnn ) -- described by one lawyer monday as looking like he walked straight out of a gq magazine , ' the ex-captain of a shipwrecked cruise liner faced about a dozen of the survivors he 's accused of abandoning . it was the first time francesco schettino , 52 , had faced survivors since the luxury ship costa concordia ran aground in january , killing at least 32 people . schettino , 52 , wore a black suit and tie at the preliminary hearing , which was held inside a theater in the tuscan town of grosseto . accompanied by lawyers and technical consultants working on his behalf , the embattled former captain arrived 20 minutes early . he looked like he walked straight out of a gq magazine , ' said john arthur eaves , an american lawyer who is representing 150 of the passengers . schettino faces allegations of manslaughter , causing a shipwreck , abandoning ship , failing to report an accident to the coast guard and destroying a natural habitat . the ship , carrying 3,200 passengers and 1,000 crew members , turned on its side after striking rocks off the italian island of giglio on january 13 . according to passengers'accounts , chaos ensued on the night of the shipwreck , as guests rushed to fill lifeboats and escape . some crew members helped passengers and then jumped overboard , passengers said ; remaining crew members seemed helpless to handle the melee . related story : port authority to captain :'get on board damn it !'like all preliminary hearings in italian courts , monday 's hearing was closed to the news media . but eventually , reports about the hearing made their way out of the theater . one survivor approached schettino at the hearing , saying he hoped the truth would come out soon . ' the captain shook the man 's hand and replied , yes , the truth must be ascertained , ' italian media reported . during the hearing , schettino was seated on the theater stage with eight other defendants under investigation in the case , including his second in command , ciro ambrosio , officer salvatore ursino and roberto ferrarini , the head of the costa cruises fleet . also in attendance were about 12 former passengers , some of whom contributed to the theatrical theme outside the hall , known as teatro moderno . passengers turned the area around the theater into a stage for impromptu news conferences for an international group of about 150 journalists . several german passengers said german newspapers had flown them to grosseto . dozens of police patrolled the area . schettino 's lawyer , paolo bastianini , told cnn his client had received death threats . the case centers on several questions , including why it allegedly took schettino more than an hour to issue an order to abandon ship and why he allegedly left the vessel before all passengers had abandoned it . related story : luxury cruise turns into nightmare retired capt . fredrik j. van wijnen , a friend of schettino 's and a representative of the confederation of european shipmasters'associations , told reporters that schettino felt terrible for the loss of life . though the captain made a mistake by coming too close to giglio , his maneuvers after the accident saved thousands of lives , van wijnen told cnn . schettino , who was released from house arrest in july , was fired last week by the costa crociere parent company , italy 's official ansa news agency reported . he has said that he was wrongfully fired and that his actions prevented additional deaths . during the hearing , which is expected to last up to 10 days , a judge is expected to determine what evidence is admissible for an eventual trial , including the on-board ship data recorder . an attorney for schettino raised objections about an expert and asked that the inquiry be extended while he was brought in from jakarta , but the request was denied . efforts to secure the wreckage are expected to be completed within 10 days , ansa reported . the next phase will involve putting floating platforms inside the half-sunken ship . salvagers plan to remove the wreckage by summer , it said . journalist barbie nadeau reported from grosseto ; cnn 's hada messia reported from rome ; cnn 's josh levs contributed to this report . | schettino was captain of the costa concordia when it ran aground in january , killing 32 |
eric matthew frein <tsp> investigators found two fully functional pipe bombs and believe that a three-week manhunt may be taking a toll on suspected cop killer eric matthew frein , pennsylvania state police lt. col. george bivens said tuesday . over the last few days we have found several items that undoubtedly confirm eric frein is hiding in our search area , ' bivens told reporters . we have found a number of items belonging to frein , some of which were hastily discarded . ' those items include a pair of pipe bombs found in the last two days that could be detonated via trip wire or fuse -- consistent with what bivens called frein 's non-confrontational and gutless efforts to kill or injure law enforcement from a distance . ' the bombs were capable of causing significant damage , he said . i ca n't get into his head but i 'm sure that he is stressed at this point , ' bivens said . it 's been a couple of weeks and i am certain that he is not sleeping well at night . ' frein may have been spotted within the past 24 hours in the rugged area where he has been sighted numerous times , bivens told reporters . the suspect was wearing dark clothing and was seen between 75 and 100 yards away . we 're confident that he 's in the area , ' bivens said . frein is sought in the death of cpl . bryon dickson in a september 12 ambush outside the state police barracks in blooming grove . trooper alex t. douglass was wounded in the attack . authorities have located several structures where they believe the suspect has stayed . some items were found in a location that frein may have used as an overnight accommodation , ' bivens said .'we are not going anywhere' as he has in the past , bivens , who is spearheading the manhunt , had a personal message for frein : i am calling on you , eric , to surrender . you are clearly stressed . you are making significant mistakes . we continue to take your supplies and your weapon stockpiles . while you are no doubt weakening our troopers'resolve is very strong . we are not going anywhere . ' bivens said frein may have placed other explosive devices in the area and warned people to be very careful , especially since archery hunting season is about to begin . the self-styled survivalist may have planned the ambush and retreat for months or years , police have said . the search area is a wooded area around the border of pike and monroe counties . the area is not far from frein 's family home in canadensis , in the pocono mountains . the suspect has the advantage of knowing the terrain where he is hidden , officials said . poring through a variety of clues last week , police said a review of a computer hard drive used by frein showed he planned the attack and his retreat into the woods for a couple of years . the hard drive which frein had access to indicated extensive internet research on topics such as how to avoid police manhunts , use of various law enforcement technologies and skills related to survival , ' bivens said . police also were able to track frein through his cell phone when he called his parents one time earlier this month , a federal law enforcement official told cnn . frein hung up after one ring , the source said . the search has yielded an empty pack of serbian cigarettes , bivens said . frein claims to have fought with serbians in africa and has studied russian and serbian languages , according to the fbi , which last week named him one of its ten most wanted fugitives . soiled adult diapers were also found , perhaps used by frein to stay in a stationary position for long periods of time . authorities have said that frein hated law enforcement and that they believe that he 's solely focused on hurting more officers but not civilians . i do think that we have significantly degraded his ability ... to adapt , ' bivens said tuesday . who is eric frein ? | discovery of two pipe bomb confirms eric matthew frein 's presence in wooded area , investigator says |
day of the dead <tsp> is it possible to trademark the name of a holiday ? the walt disney company was interested in doing so . on may 1 , the entertainment giant filed an application to the u.s. patent and trademark office to secure the phrase día de los muertos , ' or day of the dead , ' across multiple platforms . disney subsidiary pixar is releasing a film -- for time being called the untitled pixar movie about dia de los muertos ' -- this fall . here 's the problem -- día de los muertos is a traditional holiday celebrated on november 1 and 2 in mexico and across latin america . people honor the lives of lost family members or friends by building altars , holding processions , decorating gravesites and placing offerings for loved ones . over the years , the holiday has gained a foothold in the united states , too . disney hoped to secure the rights to the title day of the dead ' and such themed merchandise as fruit preserves , fruit-based snacks , toys , games , clothing , footwear , backpacks , clocks and jewelry . but the latino community raised a ruckus about the application on social media . tweets included tell @ disney not to trademark day of the dead . culture is not for sale ! ' from presente.org , a national organization that exists to amplify the political voice of latino communities . ' are we okay with @ disneypixar commercializing our culture ? ' tweeted think mexican , a tumblr blog that says it 's aimed at connecting the mexican community through culture and information . ' how could disney allow such a blunder , ' marveled lalo alcaraz , a mexican-american editorial cartoonist and founder of pocho.com . i knew they were n't copyrighting the holiday , but i could n't believe they would let someone in their legal department let this happen . on the surface , it looks like disney is trying to copyright the holiday . ' alcaraz is the author of la cucaracha , a nationally syndicated comic that focuses on the country 's changing cultural and political landscape . his work has appeared in the new york times , the village voice , los angeles times and variety . people on social media pressed alcaraz for an editorial cartoon in response to the disney decision . he responded with muerto mouse . ' on tuesday , a petition went up on change.org to stop the disney effort , stating that the attempt to trademark día de los muertos was cultural appropriation and exploitation at its worst . ' on friday evening , the petition had more than 21,000 signatures . our spiritual traditions are for everyone , not for companies like walt disney to trademark and exploit , ' wrote grace sesma , the petition 's creator . i am deeply offended and dismayed that a family-oriented company like walt disney would seek to own the rights to something that is the rightful heritage of the people of mexico . ' in 2003 , the day of the dead celebration was entered on the unesco list of the masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity . the indigenous festivity dedicated to the dead are deeply rooted in the cultural life of the indigenous peoples of mexico , ' unesco told cnnmexico . but after the backlash , disney withdrew its application this week . the trademark intended to protect any potential title of the movie or related activity , ' a spokeswoman for disney told cnnmexico . since then , it has been determined that the title of the film will change , and therefore we are withdrawing our application for trademark registration . ' disney did not comment on whether social media reactions directly led to the decision to withdraw the application . this is n't the first time disney has sought to trademark a controversial phrase . in 2011 , it tried to secure seal team six , ' the navy seal team that captured and killed osama bin laden , seeking exclusive rights for use on items from video games to backpacks . however , after receiving an overwhelming response from critics , disney withdrew the application out of deference to the navy . ' alcaraz says this blunder ' would n't have happened if there were more people of color at large corporations . it 's just frustrating because i 've spoken to some of these companies begging them to have more people of color in the legal department , behind the camera and greenlighting projects , but they wo n't listen , ' alcaraz said . and not just tokens . it 's got ta be real . ' other companies and individuals have tried to trademark other mexican symbols in the past , including our lady of guadalupe , mexico 's national anthem , montezuma 's headdress , nopal ( cactus ) and tequila . | entertainment giant 's pixar division has day of the dead movie coming this fall |
canadian <tsp> the tooth fairy 's trash became another man 's treasure saturday when a discolored molar that once belonged to john lennon was put up for auction . the winning bid came in at 19,500 pounds ( u.s. $ 31,200 ) , according to auction results posted online . michael zuk , a canadian dentist , is claiming responsibility for the winning bid . omega auction house , which sold the tooth , did not immediately respond to requests for comment saturday . lennon gave the tooth to dorothy dot ' jarlett when she worked as his housekeeper at his kenwood home in weybridge , surrey , according to her son , barry . jarlett , who was employed between 1964 and 1968 , developed a warm relationship with lennon , her son said . she was very close with john , and one day whilst chatting in the kitchen , john gave my mother the tooth ( he had been to the dentist to have it removed that day ) and suggested giving it to my sister as a souvenir , as she was a huge beatles fan , ' he said . it has been in the family ever since . ' with the exception of the past two years , the tooth has been in canada for 40 years after dot jarlett 's daughter married a canadian . barry jarlett , who said his mother is now 90 years old , said it was the right time to pass it on rather than to risk the tooth getting lost . karen fairweather , the owner of omega auction house , told cnn last month that the tooth is too fragile for dna testing but she has no doubt about its authenticity . because it 's coming directly from dot , we do n't doubt the provenance of the item , ' she said . some fans will sink their teeth into anything if they feel it 's worth plunking down thousands to get closer their idols . a clump of hair believed to have been trimmed from elvis presley 's head when he joined the army in 1958 sold for $ 18,300 in 2009 at chicago 's leslie hindman auctioneers . jarlett said lennon gave his family many gifts over the years . he plans to keep a leather wallet , and his mother still has a pearl necklace lennon gave her when he returned from japan . | a canadian dentist says he is responsible for the winning bid |
ebola <tsp> ( cnn ) -- there 's no cure for ebola . so why have some patients walked away healthy while others in the west died ? dr. kent brantly , nancy writebol and dr. rick sacra all contracted the disease while working in liberia -- and all survived . spanish nurse 's aide teresa romero ramos got the virus while tending to stricken patients . she too lived . but like the patients above , thomas eric duncan and spanish priest miguel pajares also received treatment in the west . yet they died . while there might not be a single , conclusive answer , a series of factors may contribute to survival . early , high-quality treatment this may be the most critical factor in beating ebola . the survivors in the united states all have one thing in common -- they were rushed to two of the country 's four hospitals that have been preparing for years to treat a highly infectious disease such as ebola . brantly and writebol were successfully treated at emory university hospital in atlanta ; sacra was released from the nebraska medical center in omaha . duncan did n't go to one of those four hospitals . he went to texas health presbyterian hospital in dallas with a fever and told them he 'd recently returned from liberia . yet the hospital initially sent him home with antibiotics . then , after he returned to the hospital much more ill , two nurses became sick with the virus . they have since been moved to more specialized facilities such as emory and the national institutes of health in maryland . but that does n't mean patients are doomed just because they go to a different hospital . keep in mind that this is still a very deadly disease , ' said dr. sanjay gupta , cnn 's chief medical correspondent . in west africa , the mortality rates are above 60 % . i think it is better in the united states . but they 're not going to be zero , i think no matter where somebody is . ' spanish nurse 's aide found to be ebola-free in third test quick rehydration after finding a hospital capable of treating ebola , those who survive are usually rehydrated quickly . the most important care of patients with ebola is to manage their fluids and electrolytes , to make sure that they do n't get dehydrated , ' said dr. tom frieden , director of the centers for disease control and prevention . and that requires some meticulous attention to detail and aggressive rehydration in many cases . ' and if an infected patient getting proper care normally has a strong immune system , the chance of surviving goes up . but what may seem basic in the united states can be difficult to come by in west africa , where ebola has already killed more than 4,500 people -- largely because access to health care is limited . yet nigeria has successfully eradicated ebola from the country , the world health organization said monday . unlike in guinea , liberia and sierra leone -- the combined epicenter of the oubreak -- all identified contacts in nigeria were physically monitored every day for 21 days , who said . plasma transfusions three ebola patients -- sacra , nbc cameraman ashoka mukpo and texas nurse nina pham -- all received plasma donations from brantly . and all three have survived . the theory is that brantly 's plasma contains the antibodies necessary to fight the virus . it 's very fortunate that the three patients i 've been able to donate to , they and i share the same blood type , ' brantly told cnn 's anderson cooper . i 'll keep doing it as much as it 's needed , as much as i can . ' there was some controversy about why brantly did n't give plasma to duncan . but the problem came down to blood type , texas health presbyterian hospital said . who to review ebola response amid criticism of its efforts experimental drugs medication that has n't gone through clinical trials can be risky . but with a mortality rate of 50 % in the current ebola outbreak , a who panel said it is ethical to offer drugs to fight the virus -- even if their effectiveness or adverse effects are unknown . the experimental drugs at the center of this ebola outbreak are zmapp , favipiravir , brincidofovir and tkm-ebola . brantly and writebol both took zmapp , and both survived . but pajares also took zmapp , and he died . the director of emory 's infectious disease unit cautioned against viewing zmapp as a surefire cure . they are the very first individuals to have ever received this agent , ' dr. bruce ribner said . there is no prior experience with it , and frankly , we do not know whether it helped them , whether it made no difference , or even , theoretically , if it delayed their recovery . ' spanish nurse 's aide teresa romero ramos took the anti-viral drug favipiravir and also received antibodies from a survivor in west africa . she is now free of the virus . in addition to getting a blood transfusion , sacra received an experimental drug called tkm-ebola , which the food and drug administration recently approved for wider use . duncan took a different untested drug , brincidofovir . but he did n't receive it until six days after being admitted to the texas hospital . had he taken it earlier , the outcome might have been different . cnn 's al goodman , elizabeth cohen , faith karimi and catherine e. shoichet contributed to this report . | early treatment at specialized facilities for ebola has netted positive results |
fda <tsp> ( cnn ) the question : how can i know if my food is safe to eat after a specific product recall ? the answer : many of us shed a few tears over the recent sabra hummus recall ( even though we are perfectly capable of making our own at home ) , but that sadness quickly transformed into anxiety when we looked inside our refrigerators and saw the potentially tainted culprit sitting there on the shelf . to assuage any fears , we asked john swartzberg , m.d. , a clinical professor at the university of california at berkeley , to walk us through the process of determining if our favorite dip was still safe to eat . related : amy 's kitchen recalls more than 70,000 cases of food due to fear of listeria contamination the first step , according to swartzberg , is to go to the food and drug administration 's website and find the official report for the recalled product you 're worried about . each report will list recalled items with their product codes , which are typically categorized by the universal product code ( the number adjacent to the barcode ) or the stock keeping unit ( a specific number that would only be valid at the store where the product is being sold ) . they will also include the recalled products'use-by dates , and the geographical areas affected . the recall is not based on the use-by dates , though , ' said swartzberg . if the product is within the use-by date , it should still be recalled . this makes sense , because the product was contaminated prior to purchase and no matter how'fresh'the product is , it still may be contaminated . ' after cross-checking these details , you should have a strong sense of whether your food product is safe to eat or needs to be trashed right away . but as far as avoiding potential problems before learning such details about a food recall , the consumer is at an automatic disadvantage . related : 14 habits of people with a healthy relationship to food ' there 's nothing the consumer can do prior to learning about the recall , ' said dr. swartzberg . discarding or returning the product to the store is all that can be done . ' in the case of this specific hummus recall , while there was no evidence that it caused any consumer illness , the product 's routine sample last month revealed the presence of listeria monocytogenes . consuming such bacteria can lead to listeriosis , a serious infection , and dr. swartzberg recommends that anyone who has consumed a listeria-laden food should let their physician know as soon as possible . listeria survives well at cool temperatures , ' he said . most bacteria and fungi do not -- that 's why we refrigerate . healthy people are at low risk for disease , but it can happen . those at greatest risk for disease are the elderly , immunocompromised and pregnant . ' to learn more about the best food safety practices , visit uc berkeley 's wellness website . related : 8 things nutrition experts wish you would stop saying about food | find the fda 's official report for the recalled product |
republicans <tsp> ( cnn ) -- more than two million americans have already cast ballots for president less than three weeks before election day with a substantial number coming in the battleground state of iowa . the state , which holds six key electoral votes , is on pace to exceed the 1.5 million votes cast early in 2008 -- a trend that is not lost on either political party . while both parties are investing resources in early voting , democrats'push to turn out voters -- and in particular young voters in iowa -- could be paying off . early numbers , which are updated daily , show that almost 20 % more registered democrats than registered republicans have voted so far . of the 463,219 early voting ballots requested in the state as of thursday morning , 45 % came from registered democrats compared to 30 % of registered republicans . in voting , the early bird skips the line experts caution no direct link should be made between requests and how the vote might go . we do n't know if a registered democrat will vote for barack obama and we do n't know if a registered republican will vote for mitt romney , ' said michael mcdonald , associate professor government and politics at george mason university who specializes in elections . but return data coupled with polls that show a slight lead for obama in iowa , he said , can give us some clue . the electoral makeup in iowa looks like it did in 2008 when obama took the state by almost 10 points , according to mcdonald . so far this year , 4 % more democrats have voted early than in 2008 . republican numbers have only risen by 1 % . that 's not enough for romney if he wants to flip the state , mcdonald said . it 's not just enough to recreate the 2008 electorate . romney needs to have improvement , ' mcdonald said . that 's assuming that election day returns mirror 2008 as well . romney 's improvement might come naturally to republicans in linn county , iowa , one of the hawkeye state 's most populous counties . tim box , the deputy commissioner of elections there , said democrats are more naturally inclined to vote early and republicans are more apt to cast ballots on election day . if you paint it with a broad brush , a lot of democrats vote absentee , republicans go to the polls . they always start behind [ in linn county ] , ' box said . he also attributed the democratic success to an organized effort to turnout early voters . democrats , for instance , requested more satellite voting sites for early voting and staffed them more heavily than republicans . there is some good news for romney in the state since early voting requests and returns are slowly closing the gap between republicans and democrats , day-to-day monitoring shows . with some hustling ' and a push at the end , romney could make a race of it , mcdonald said . he could also change the game if he is able to turn out more republicans on election day than the gop did in 2008 . john king : who benefits from early voting ? and while iowa 's electoral votes could be key to winning the white house , what is true of iowa is not true of ohio or of north carolina , two of the 22 states that have begun early voting . each state is like a unique snowflake [ when it comes to early voting ] , ' said mcdonald since the constitution gives each state the right to administer their elections at a state level . what this also means is that with different demographics , democrats and republicans have different strategies for turning out early voters in each state with different results . what 's also different is the way that states collect data , meaning that it is easier to infer conclusions from returns in states that report party registration , like iowa . but in ohio , where registration is required only in primaries , the parties rely on different indicators , like returns in key strongholds . ohio touts early voting numbers and there is encouraging news for both : in hamilton and franklin counties , two urban centers around cincinnati and columbus respectively , early voting shows heavy turnout in the areas that helped secure the state for obama in 2008 . the state is mailing absentee ballot applications to voters for the first time this year and mcdonald said that could be affecting increased returns in rural areas , which are more heavily republican . in rural areas of ohio , absentee ballots sent to each registered voter in the state for the first time in 2012 also show increased turnout . in cuyahoga county , the largest in the state and home to democrat-heavy cleveland , nearly 250,000 absentee ballots have been requested and some 80,000 have been returned . those numbers strongly favor democrats : 47,538 to 16,720 . gop officials say their absentee and in-person voting turnout in franklin county is coming along nicely . republicans account for 16.5 % of registered voters there , but make up 28.6 % of early voting activity so far . still , mcdonald said looking that the numbers now is like reading tea leaves . ' it is also still too early to decipher returns in north carolina , which began early voting on thursday . if voting stays pace with projections from early voting experts , 5 % to 10 % more than the 30 % or 130 million americans who voted early in 2008 will have voted before november 6 , according to early voting experts . here 's a look at the early voting returns so far and the dates that they began voting , according to state and county voting officials : • california ( october 8 ) : the golden state issued more than eight million ballots as of wednesday , but just more than 81,000 -- or 1 % have been returned . • georgia ( october 15 ) : 120,032 ballots have been cast in person and 73,119 ballots via mail . there are still almost 100,000 mail-in ballots outstanding . early voting began in georgia on october 15 . • idaho ( september 21 ) : did not return requests for data . • indiana ( october 8 ) : more than 180,000 applications for early voting ballots have been submitted since the state began early voting . of those , 118,000 have been returned . indiana has in-person absentee voting . • iowa ( september 27 ) : of the almost 450,000 absentee ballots requested , more than half have been returned . democrats lead the pack , requesting more than 200,000 ballots and returning almost 65 % of those . republicans requested almost 140,000 and returned just less than 60 % . ballots requested with no party affiliation or for other party affiliations total about 105,000 and 50 % of those have been returned . • kansas ( october 17 ) : more than 120,000 ballots were requested by the time early voting began . state officials say it 's too early to tabulate an accurate representation of the ballots returned . • maine ( september 24 ) : almost 80,000 ballots have been requested , with 76,330 issued and 29,931 , or almost 38 % , returned . • montana ( october 9 ) : more than a quarter million voters requested ballots . as of wednesday , almost 40,000 or just under 15 % of the ballots had been returned . • nebraska ( october 2 ) : of the almost 80,000 ballots requested , more than 50,000 have been returned . • north dakota ( 27 ) : of the almost 40,000 ballots sent as of wednesday , 15,252 , or almost 40 % , have been returned . • ohio ( october 2 ) : 1.26 million ballots have been requested and just more than 280,000 or 22 % have been returned by mail . that 's almost 20 percent of the 5.7 million ohioans who voted early in 2008 . • south dakota ( september 21 ) : of the nearly 36,000 absentee ballots requested , 35,888 ballots have been sent out and 25,238 or 70 % have been returned . • tennessee ( october 17 ) : already , 105,405 voters have cast ballots since voting began . • new jersey ( september 22 ) : an accurate count of returned ballots will be available beginning next week . • oregon ( october 8 ) : the state is one of the two that votes by mail only . return data is not available until october 22 . • utah ( october 9 ) : data collected at the county level was not immediately available . • vermont ( september 22 ) : data is collected at the county level was not immediately available . • wyoming ( september 27 ) : data was not available . cnn 's peter hamby , adam levy and robert yoon contributed to this report | trends show registered democrats voting early more than republicans in iowa |
republicans <tsp> ( cnn ) -- more than two million americans have already cast ballots for president less than three weeks before election day with a substantial number coming in the battleground state of iowa . the state , which holds six key electoral votes , is on pace to exceed the 1.5 million votes cast early in 2008 -- a trend that is not lost on either political party . while both parties are investing resources in early voting , democrats'push to turn out voters -- and in particular young voters in iowa -- could be paying off . early numbers , which are updated daily , show that almost 20 % more registered democrats than registered republicans have voted so far . of the 463,219 early voting ballots requested in the state as of thursday morning , 45 % came from registered democrats compared to 30 % of registered republicans . in voting , the early bird skips the line experts caution no direct link should be made between requests and how the vote might go . we do n't know if a registered democrat will vote for barack obama and we do n't know if a registered republican will vote for mitt romney , ' said michael mcdonald , associate professor government and politics at george mason university who specializes in elections . but return data coupled with polls that show a slight lead for obama in iowa , he said , can give us some clue . the electoral makeup in iowa looks like it did in 2008 when obama took the state by almost 10 points , according to mcdonald . so far this year , 4 % more democrats have voted early than in 2008 . republican numbers have only risen by 1 % . that 's not enough for romney if he wants to flip the state , mcdonald said . it 's not just enough to recreate the 2008 electorate . romney needs to have improvement , ' mcdonald said . that 's assuming that election day returns mirror 2008 as well . romney 's improvement might come naturally to republicans in linn county , iowa , one of the hawkeye state 's most populous counties . tim box , the deputy commissioner of elections there , said democrats are more naturally inclined to vote early and republicans are more apt to cast ballots on election day . if you paint it with a broad brush , a lot of democrats vote absentee , republicans go to the polls . they always start behind [ in linn county ] , ' box said . he also attributed the democratic success to an organized effort to turnout early voters . democrats , for instance , requested more satellite voting sites for early voting and staffed them more heavily than republicans . there is some good news for romney in the state since early voting requests and returns are slowly closing the gap between republicans and democrats , day-to-day monitoring shows . with some hustling ' and a push at the end , romney could make a race of it , mcdonald said . he could also change the game if he is able to turn out more republicans on election day than the gop did in 2008 . john king : who benefits from early voting ? and while iowa 's electoral votes could be key to winning the white house , what is true of iowa is not true of ohio or of north carolina , two of the 22 states that have begun early voting . each state is like a unique snowflake [ when it comes to early voting ] , ' said mcdonald since the constitution gives each state the right to administer their elections at a state level . what this also means is that with different demographics , democrats and republicans have different strategies for turning out early voters in each state with different results . what 's also different is the way that states collect data , meaning that it is easier to infer conclusions from returns in states that report party registration , like iowa . but in ohio , where registration is required only in primaries , the parties rely on different indicators , like returns in key strongholds . ohio touts early voting numbers and there is encouraging news for both : in hamilton and franklin counties , two urban centers around cincinnati and columbus respectively , early voting shows heavy turnout in the areas that helped secure the state for obama in 2008 . the state is mailing absentee ballot applications to voters for the first time this year and mcdonald said that could be affecting increased returns in rural areas , which are more heavily republican . in rural areas of ohio , absentee ballots sent to each registered voter in the state for the first time in 2012 also show increased turnout . in cuyahoga county , the largest in the state and home to democrat-heavy cleveland , nearly 250,000 absentee ballots have been requested and some 80,000 have been returned . those numbers strongly favor democrats : 47,538 to 16,720 . gop officials say their absentee and in-person voting turnout in franklin county is coming along nicely . republicans account for 16.5 % of registered voters there , but make up 28.6 % of early voting activity so far . still , mcdonald said looking that the numbers now is like reading tea leaves . ' it is also still too early to decipher returns in north carolina , which began early voting on thursday . if voting stays pace with projections from early voting experts , 5 % to 10 % more than the 30 % or 130 million americans who voted early in 2008 will have voted before november 6 , according to early voting experts . here 's a look at the early voting returns so far and the dates that they began voting , according to state and county voting officials : • california ( october 8 ) : the golden state issued more than eight million ballots as of wednesday , but just more than 81,000 -- or 1 % have been returned . • georgia ( october 15 ) : 120,032 ballots have been cast in person and 73,119 ballots via mail . there are still almost 100,000 mail-in ballots outstanding . early voting began in georgia on october 15 . • idaho ( september 21 ) : did not return requests for data . • indiana ( october 8 ) : more than 180,000 applications for early voting ballots have been submitted since the state began early voting . of those , 118,000 have been returned . indiana has in-person absentee voting . • iowa ( september 27 ) : of the almost 450,000 absentee ballots requested , more than half have been returned . democrats lead the pack , requesting more than 200,000 ballots and returning almost 65 % of those . republicans requested almost 140,000 and returned just less than 60 % . ballots requested with no party affiliation or for other party affiliations total about 105,000 and 50 % of those have been returned . • kansas ( october 17 ) : more than 120,000 ballots were requested by the time early voting began . state officials say it 's too early to tabulate an accurate representation of the ballots returned . • maine ( september 24 ) : almost 80,000 ballots have been requested , with 76,330 issued and 29,931 , or almost 38 % , returned . • montana ( october 9 ) : more than a quarter million voters requested ballots . as of wednesday , almost 40,000 or just under 15 % of the ballots had been returned . • nebraska ( october 2 ) : of the almost 80,000 ballots requested , more than 50,000 have been returned . • north dakota ( 27 ) : of the almost 40,000 ballots sent as of wednesday , 15,252 , or almost 40 % , have been returned . • ohio ( october 2 ) : 1.26 million ballots have been requested and just more than 280,000 or 22 % have been returned by mail . that 's almost 20 percent of the 5.7 million ohioans who voted early in 2008 . • south dakota ( september 21 ) : of the nearly 36,000 absentee ballots requested , 35,888 ballots have been sent out and 25,238 or 70 % have been returned . • tennessee ( october 17 ) : already , 105,405 voters have cast ballots since voting began . • new jersey ( september 22 ) : an accurate count of returned ballots will be available beginning next week . • oregon ( october 8 ) : the state is one of the two that votes by mail only . return data is not available until october 22 . • utah ( october 9 ) : data collected at the county level was not immediately available . • vermont ( september 22 ) : data is collected at the county level was not immediately available . • wyoming ( september 27 ) : data was not available . cnn 's peter hamby , adam levy and robert yoon contributed to this report | republicans could close the gap in iowa with strong election day and early voter turnout |
iowa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- more than two million americans have already cast ballots for president less than three weeks before election day with a substantial number coming in the battleground state of iowa . the state , which holds six key electoral votes , is on pace to exceed the 1.5 million votes cast early in 2008 -- a trend that is not lost on either political party . while both parties are investing resources in early voting , democrats'push to turn out voters -- and in particular young voters in iowa -- could be paying off . early numbers , which are updated daily , show that almost 20 % more registered democrats than registered republicans have voted so far . of the 463,219 early voting ballots requested in the state as of thursday morning , 45 % came from registered democrats compared to 30 % of registered republicans . in voting , the early bird skips the line experts caution no direct link should be made between requests and how the vote might go . we do n't know if a registered democrat will vote for barack obama and we do n't know if a registered republican will vote for mitt romney , ' said michael mcdonald , associate professor government and politics at george mason university who specializes in elections . but return data coupled with polls that show a slight lead for obama in iowa , he said , can give us some clue . the electoral makeup in iowa looks like it did in 2008 when obama took the state by almost 10 points , according to mcdonald . so far this year , 4 % more democrats have voted early than in 2008 . republican numbers have only risen by 1 % . that 's not enough for romney if he wants to flip the state , mcdonald said . it 's not just enough to recreate the 2008 electorate . romney needs to have improvement , ' mcdonald said . that 's assuming that election day returns mirror 2008 as well . romney 's improvement might come naturally to republicans in linn county , iowa , one of the hawkeye state 's most populous counties . tim box , the deputy commissioner of elections there , said democrats are more naturally inclined to vote early and republicans are more apt to cast ballots on election day . if you paint it with a broad brush , a lot of democrats vote absentee , republicans go to the polls . they always start behind [ in linn county ] , ' box said . he also attributed the democratic success to an organized effort to turnout early voters . democrats , for instance , requested more satellite voting sites for early voting and staffed them more heavily than republicans . there is some good news for romney in the state since early voting requests and returns are slowly closing the gap between republicans and democrats , day-to-day monitoring shows . with some hustling ' and a push at the end , romney could make a race of it , mcdonald said . he could also change the game if he is able to turn out more republicans on election day than the gop did in 2008 . john king : who benefits from early voting ? and while iowa 's electoral votes could be key to winning the white house , what is true of iowa is not true of ohio or of north carolina , two of the 22 states that have begun early voting . each state is like a unique snowflake [ when it comes to early voting ] , ' said mcdonald since the constitution gives each state the right to administer their elections at a state level . what this also means is that with different demographics , democrats and republicans have different strategies for turning out early voters in each state with different results . what 's also different is the way that states collect data , meaning that it is easier to infer conclusions from returns in states that report party registration , like iowa . but in ohio , where registration is required only in primaries , the parties rely on different indicators , like returns in key strongholds . ohio touts early voting numbers and there is encouraging news for both : in hamilton and franklin counties , two urban centers around cincinnati and columbus respectively , early voting shows heavy turnout in the areas that helped secure the state for obama in 2008 . the state is mailing absentee ballot applications to voters for the first time this year and mcdonald said that could be affecting increased returns in rural areas , which are more heavily republican . in rural areas of ohio , absentee ballots sent to each registered voter in the state for the first time in 2012 also show increased turnout . in cuyahoga county , the largest in the state and home to democrat-heavy cleveland , nearly 250,000 absentee ballots have been requested and some 80,000 have been returned . those numbers strongly favor democrats : 47,538 to 16,720 . gop officials say their absentee and in-person voting turnout in franklin county is coming along nicely . republicans account for 16.5 % of registered voters there , but make up 28.6 % of early voting activity so far . still , mcdonald said looking that the numbers now is like reading tea leaves . ' it is also still too early to decipher returns in north carolina , which began early voting on thursday . if voting stays pace with projections from early voting experts , 5 % to 10 % more than the 30 % or 130 million americans who voted early in 2008 will have voted before november 6 , according to early voting experts . here 's a look at the early voting returns so far and the dates that they began voting , according to state and county voting officials : • california ( october 8 ) : the golden state issued more than eight million ballots as of wednesday , but just more than 81,000 -- or 1 % have been returned . • georgia ( october 15 ) : 120,032 ballots have been cast in person and 73,119 ballots via mail . there are still almost 100,000 mail-in ballots outstanding . early voting began in georgia on october 15 . • idaho ( september 21 ) : did not return requests for data . • indiana ( october 8 ) : more than 180,000 applications for early voting ballots have been submitted since the state began early voting . of those , 118,000 have been returned . indiana has in-person absentee voting . • iowa ( september 27 ) : of the almost 450,000 absentee ballots requested , more than half have been returned . democrats lead the pack , requesting more than 200,000 ballots and returning almost 65 % of those . republicans requested almost 140,000 and returned just less than 60 % . ballots requested with no party affiliation or for other party affiliations total about 105,000 and 50 % of those have been returned . • kansas ( october 17 ) : more than 120,000 ballots were requested by the time early voting began . state officials say it 's too early to tabulate an accurate representation of the ballots returned . • maine ( september 24 ) : almost 80,000 ballots have been requested , with 76,330 issued and 29,931 , or almost 38 % , returned . • montana ( october 9 ) : more than a quarter million voters requested ballots . as of wednesday , almost 40,000 or just under 15 % of the ballots had been returned . • nebraska ( october 2 ) : of the almost 80,000 ballots requested , more than 50,000 have been returned . • north dakota ( 27 ) : of the almost 40,000 ballots sent as of wednesday , 15,252 , or almost 40 % , have been returned . • ohio ( october 2 ) : 1.26 million ballots have been requested and just more than 280,000 or 22 % have been returned by mail . that 's almost 20 percent of the 5.7 million ohioans who voted early in 2008 . • south dakota ( september 21 ) : of the nearly 36,000 absentee ballots requested , 35,888 ballots have been sent out and 25,238 or 70 % have been returned . • tennessee ( october 17 ) : already , 105,405 voters have cast ballots since voting began . • new jersey ( september 22 ) : an accurate count of returned ballots will be available beginning next week . • oregon ( october 8 ) : the state is one of the two that votes by mail only . return data is not available until october 22 . • utah ( october 9 ) : data collected at the county level was not immediately available . • vermont ( september 22 ) : data is collected at the county level was not immediately available . • wyoming ( september 27 ) : data was not available . cnn 's peter hamby , adam levy and robert yoon contributed to this report | trends show registered democrats voting early more than republicans in iowa |
iowa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- more than two million americans have already cast ballots for president less than three weeks before election day with a substantial number coming in the battleground state of iowa . the state , which holds six key electoral votes , is on pace to exceed the 1.5 million votes cast early in 2008 -- a trend that is not lost on either political party . while both parties are investing resources in early voting , democrats'push to turn out voters -- and in particular young voters in iowa -- could be paying off . early numbers , which are updated daily , show that almost 20 % more registered democrats than registered republicans have voted so far . of the 463,219 early voting ballots requested in the state as of thursday morning , 45 % came from registered democrats compared to 30 % of registered republicans . in voting , the early bird skips the line experts caution no direct link should be made between requests and how the vote might go . we do n't know if a registered democrat will vote for barack obama and we do n't know if a registered republican will vote for mitt romney , ' said michael mcdonald , associate professor government and politics at george mason university who specializes in elections . but return data coupled with polls that show a slight lead for obama in iowa , he said , can give us some clue . the electoral makeup in iowa looks like it did in 2008 when obama took the state by almost 10 points , according to mcdonald . so far this year , 4 % more democrats have voted early than in 2008 . republican numbers have only risen by 1 % . that 's not enough for romney if he wants to flip the state , mcdonald said . it 's not just enough to recreate the 2008 electorate . romney needs to have improvement , ' mcdonald said . that 's assuming that election day returns mirror 2008 as well . romney 's improvement might come naturally to republicans in linn county , iowa , one of the hawkeye state 's most populous counties . tim box , the deputy commissioner of elections there , said democrats are more naturally inclined to vote early and republicans are more apt to cast ballots on election day . if you paint it with a broad brush , a lot of democrats vote absentee , republicans go to the polls . they always start behind [ in linn county ] , ' box said . he also attributed the democratic success to an organized effort to turnout early voters . democrats , for instance , requested more satellite voting sites for early voting and staffed them more heavily than republicans . there is some good news for romney in the state since early voting requests and returns are slowly closing the gap between republicans and democrats , day-to-day monitoring shows . with some hustling ' and a push at the end , romney could make a race of it , mcdonald said . he could also change the game if he is able to turn out more republicans on election day than the gop did in 2008 . john king : who benefits from early voting ? and while iowa 's electoral votes could be key to winning the white house , what is true of iowa is not true of ohio or of north carolina , two of the 22 states that have begun early voting . each state is like a unique snowflake [ when it comes to early voting ] , ' said mcdonald since the constitution gives each state the right to administer their elections at a state level . what this also means is that with different demographics , democrats and republicans have different strategies for turning out early voters in each state with different results . what 's also different is the way that states collect data , meaning that it is easier to infer conclusions from returns in states that report party registration , like iowa . but in ohio , where registration is required only in primaries , the parties rely on different indicators , like returns in key strongholds . ohio touts early voting numbers and there is encouraging news for both : in hamilton and franklin counties , two urban centers around cincinnati and columbus respectively , early voting shows heavy turnout in the areas that helped secure the state for obama in 2008 . the state is mailing absentee ballot applications to voters for the first time this year and mcdonald said that could be affecting increased returns in rural areas , which are more heavily republican . in rural areas of ohio , absentee ballots sent to each registered voter in the state for the first time in 2012 also show increased turnout . in cuyahoga county , the largest in the state and home to democrat-heavy cleveland , nearly 250,000 absentee ballots have been requested and some 80,000 have been returned . those numbers strongly favor democrats : 47,538 to 16,720 . gop officials say their absentee and in-person voting turnout in franklin county is coming along nicely . republicans account for 16.5 % of registered voters there , but make up 28.6 % of early voting activity so far . still , mcdonald said looking that the numbers now is like reading tea leaves . ' it is also still too early to decipher returns in north carolina , which began early voting on thursday . if voting stays pace with projections from early voting experts , 5 % to 10 % more than the 30 % or 130 million americans who voted early in 2008 will have voted before november 6 , according to early voting experts . here 's a look at the early voting returns so far and the dates that they began voting , according to state and county voting officials : • california ( october 8 ) : the golden state issued more than eight million ballots as of wednesday , but just more than 81,000 -- or 1 % have been returned . • georgia ( october 15 ) : 120,032 ballots have been cast in person and 73,119 ballots via mail . there are still almost 100,000 mail-in ballots outstanding . early voting began in georgia on october 15 . • idaho ( september 21 ) : did not return requests for data . • indiana ( october 8 ) : more than 180,000 applications for early voting ballots have been submitted since the state began early voting . of those , 118,000 have been returned . indiana has in-person absentee voting . • iowa ( september 27 ) : of the almost 450,000 absentee ballots requested , more than half have been returned . democrats lead the pack , requesting more than 200,000 ballots and returning almost 65 % of those . republicans requested almost 140,000 and returned just less than 60 % . ballots requested with no party affiliation or for other party affiliations total about 105,000 and 50 % of those have been returned . • kansas ( october 17 ) : more than 120,000 ballots were requested by the time early voting began . state officials say it 's too early to tabulate an accurate representation of the ballots returned . • maine ( september 24 ) : almost 80,000 ballots have been requested , with 76,330 issued and 29,931 , or almost 38 % , returned . • montana ( october 9 ) : more than a quarter million voters requested ballots . as of wednesday , almost 40,000 or just under 15 % of the ballots had been returned . • nebraska ( october 2 ) : of the almost 80,000 ballots requested , more than 50,000 have been returned . • north dakota ( 27 ) : of the almost 40,000 ballots sent as of wednesday , 15,252 , or almost 40 % , have been returned . • ohio ( october 2 ) : 1.26 million ballots have been requested and just more than 280,000 or 22 % have been returned by mail . that 's almost 20 percent of the 5.7 million ohioans who voted early in 2008 . • south dakota ( september 21 ) : of the nearly 36,000 absentee ballots requested , 35,888 ballots have been sent out and 25,238 or 70 % have been returned . • tennessee ( october 17 ) : already , 105,405 voters have cast ballots since voting began . • new jersey ( september 22 ) : an accurate count of returned ballots will be available beginning next week . • oregon ( october 8 ) : the state is one of the two that votes by mail only . return data is not available until october 22 . • utah ( october 9 ) : data collected at the county level was not immediately available . • vermont ( september 22 ) : data is collected at the county level was not immediately available . • wyoming ( september 27 ) : data was not available . cnn 's peter hamby , adam levy and robert yoon contributed to this report | of the two million ballots cast early , a quarter of a million were cast in iowa |
iowa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- more than two million americans have already cast ballots for president less than three weeks before election day with a substantial number coming in the battleground state of iowa . the state , which holds six key electoral votes , is on pace to exceed the 1.5 million votes cast early in 2008 -- a trend that is not lost on either political party . while both parties are investing resources in early voting , democrats'push to turn out voters -- and in particular young voters in iowa -- could be paying off . early numbers , which are updated daily , show that almost 20 % more registered democrats than registered republicans have voted so far . of the 463,219 early voting ballots requested in the state as of thursday morning , 45 % came from registered democrats compared to 30 % of registered republicans . in voting , the early bird skips the line experts caution no direct link should be made between requests and how the vote might go . we do n't know if a registered democrat will vote for barack obama and we do n't know if a registered republican will vote for mitt romney , ' said michael mcdonald , associate professor government and politics at george mason university who specializes in elections . but return data coupled with polls that show a slight lead for obama in iowa , he said , can give us some clue . the electoral makeup in iowa looks like it did in 2008 when obama took the state by almost 10 points , according to mcdonald . so far this year , 4 % more democrats have voted early than in 2008 . republican numbers have only risen by 1 % . that 's not enough for romney if he wants to flip the state , mcdonald said . it 's not just enough to recreate the 2008 electorate . romney needs to have improvement , ' mcdonald said . that 's assuming that election day returns mirror 2008 as well . romney 's improvement might come naturally to republicans in linn county , iowa , one of the hawkeye state 's most populous counties . tim box , the deputy commissioner of elections there , said democrats are more naturally inclined to vote early and republicans are more apt to cast ballots on election day . if you paint it with a broad brush , a lot of democrats vote absentee , republicans go to the polls . they always start behind [ in linn county ] , ' box said . he also attributed the democratic success to an organized effort to turnout early voters . democrats , for instance , requested more satellite voting sites for early voting and staffed them more heavily than republicans . there is some good news for romney in the state since early voting requests and returns are slowly closing the gap between republicans and democrats , day-to-day monitoring shows . with some hustling ' and a push at the end , romney could make a race of it , mcdonald said . he could also change the game if he is able to turn out more republicans on election day than the gop did in 2008 . john king : who benefits from early voting ? and while iowa 's electoral votes could be key to winning the white house , what is true of iowa is not true of ohio or of north carolina , two of the 22 states that have begun early voting . each state is like a unique snowflake [ when it comes to early voting ] , ' said mcdonald since the constitution gives each state the right to administer their elections at a state level . what this also means is that with different demographics , democrats and republicans have different strategies for turning out early voters in each state with different results . what 's also different is the way that states collect data , meaning that it is easier to infer conclusions from returns in states that report party registration , like iowa . but in ohio , where registration is required only in primaries , the parties rely on different indicators , like returns in key strongholds . ohio touts early voting numbers and there is encouraging news for both : in hamilton and franklin counties , two urban centers around cincinnati and columbus respectively , early voting shows heavy turnout in the areas that helped secure the state for obama in 2008 . the state is mailing absentee ballot applications to voters for the first time this year and mcdonald said that could be affecting increased returns in rural areas , which are more heavily republican . in rural areas of ohio , absentee ballots sent to each registered voter in the state for the first time in 2012 also show increased turnout . in cuyahoga county , the largest in the state and home to democrat-heavy cleveland , nearly 250,000 absentee ballots have been requested and some 80,000 have been returned . those numbers strongly favor democrats : 47,538 to 16,720 . gop officials say their absentee and in-person voting turnout in franklin county is coming along nicely . republicans account for 16.5 % of registered voters there , but make up 28.6 % of early voting activity so far . still , mcdonald said looking that the numbers now is like reading tea leaves . ' it is also still too early to decipher returns in north carolina , which began early voting on thursday . if voting stays pace with projections from early voting experts , 5 % to 10 % more than the 30 % or 130 million americans who voted early in 2008 will have voted before november 6 , according to early voting experts . here 's a look at the early voting returns so far and the dates that they began voting , according to state and county voting officials : • california ( october 8 ) : the golden state issued more than eight million ballots as of wednesday , but just more than 81,000 -- or 1 % have been returned . • georgia ( october 15 ) : 120,032 ballots have been cast in person and 73,119 ballots via mail . there are still almost 100,000 mail-in ballots outstanding . early voting began in georgia on october 15 . • idaho ( september 21 ) : did not return requests for data . • indiana ( october 8 ) : more than 180,000 applications for early voting ballots have been submitted since the state began early voting . of those , 118,000 have been returned . indiana has in-person absentee voting . • iowa ( september 27 ) : of the almost 450,000 absentee ballots requested , more than half have been returned . democrats lead the pack , requesting more than 200,000 ballots and returning almost 65 % of those . republicans requested almost 140,000 and returned just less than 60 % . ballots requested with no party affiliation or for other party affiliations total about 105,000 and 50 % of those have been returned . • kansas ( october 17 ) : more than 120,000 ballots were requested by the time early voting began . state officials say it 's too early to tabulate an accurate representation of the ballots returned . • maine ( september 24 ) : almost 80,000 ballots have been requested , with 76,330 issued and 29,931 , or almost 38 % , returned . • montana ( october 9 ) : more than a quarter million voters requested ballots . as of wednesday , almost 40,000 or just under 15 % of the ballots had been returned . • nebraska ( october 2 ) : of the almost 80,000 ballots requested , more than 50,000 have been returned . • north dakota ( 27 ) : of the almost 40,000 ballots sent as of wednesday , 15,252 , or almost 40 % , have been returned . • ohio ( october 2 ) : 1.26 million ballots have been requested and just more than 280,000 or 22 % have been returned by mail . that 's almost 20 percent of the 5.7 million ohioans who voted early in 2008 . • south dakota ( september 21 ) : of the nearly 36,000 absentee ballots requested , 35,888 ballots have been sent out and 25,238 or 70 % have been returned . • tennessee ( october 17 ) : already , 105,405 voters have cast ballots since voting began . • new jersey ( september 22 ) : an accurate count of returned ballots will be available beginning next week . • oregon ( october 8 ) : the state is one of the two that votes by mail only . return data is not available until october 22 . • utah ( october 9 ) : data collected at the county level was not immediately available . • vermont ( september 22 ) : data is collected at the county level was not immediately available . • wyoming ( september 27 ) : data was not available . cnn 's peter hamby , adam levy and robert yoon contributed to this report | republicans could close the gap in iowa with strong election day and early voter turnout |
white house <tsp> ( mental floss ) -- president-elect obama 's mother-in-law will be moving to washington with the first family , at least temporarily , his transition team has confirmed . marian robinson will be the latest in a line of presidential in-laws who , for good or ill , lived under the same roof as the president . president dwight eisenhower and his mother-in-law , elivera doud , pose for pictures with some of the grandchildren . here are four stories that confirm the old truism : while america can choose its president , the president ca n't choose his in-laws . 1 . ulysses s. grant and'the colonel' you would think that the civil war was settled at appomattox , and no question of its outcome would have been raised in the white house of ulysses s. grant , who , after all , was the general who won the war . but you would be wrong , because living with ulysses and julia grant was the president 's father-in-law . colonel frederick dent ( his rank seems to have been self-selected ) was an unreconstructed confederate , a st. louis businessman and slaveholder who , when his daughter julia went to the executive mansion early in 1869 , decided to relocate there as well . the colonel did n't hesitate to make himself at home . when his daughter received guests , he sat in a chair just behind her , offering anyone within earshot unsolicited advice . political and business figures alike got a dose of the colonel 's mind as they waited to meet with president grant . when the president 's father , jesse grant , came from kentucky on one of his regular visits to washington , the white house turned into a civil war reenactment . according to first families : the impact of the white house on their lives ' , by bonnie angelo , jesse grant preferred to stay in a hotel rather than sleep under the same roof as the colonel . and when the two old partisans found themselves unavoidably sitting around the same table in the white house , they avoided direct negotiations by using julia and her young son , named for the president 's father , as intermediaries , betty boyd caroli writes in first ladies ' : in the presence of the elder grant , frederick dent would instruct julia to'take better care of that old gentleman [ jesse grant ] . he is feeble and deaf as a post and yet you permit him to wander all over washington alone .'and grant replied [ to his grandson and namesake ] ,'did you hear him ? i hope i shall not live to become as old and infirm as your grandfather dent .'' mental floss : 5 feisty first daughters the colonel remained in the white house -- irascible and unrepentant -- until his death , at age 88 , in 1873 . 2 . harry s truman and the mother-in-law from heck harry truman and bess wallace met as children . he was a farm boy ; she was the well-heeled granddaughter of independence , missouri 's flour king . when they married in 1919 , truman was a struggling haberdasher , and bess 's mother , madge wallace , thought bess had made a colossal social faux pas . until she died in 1952 , madge wallace never changed her mind about harry truman . her bess had married way below her station . madge had plenty of opportunities to let her son-in-law know it . the newlyweds moved into the wallace mansion in independence , and the three lived together under the same roof until the end of madge 's life . when harry truman was elected senator , mother wallace , ' as truman judiciously called her , moved with her daughter and son-in-law to washington . in the family 's apartment , she shared a bedroom with the trumans'daughter , margaret . and when truman became president , she moved with them into the white house , where she cast her cold eye on the new commander-in-chief . why would harry run against that nice mr . dewey ? ' she wondered aloud , as truman was fighting for his political life in the 1948 presidential race , according to first mothers ' by bonnie angelo . and when truman fired gen. douglas macarthur for insubordination , mother wallace was scandalized . imagine a captain from the national guard [ truman ] telling off a west point general ! ' in december 1952 , shortly before truman 's term ended , madge wallace died , at age 90 . for the 33 years they lived together , she never called her son-in-law anything but mr. truman ' to his face . mental floss : presidential siblings and the headaches they caused 3 . dwight d. eisenhower and the mother-in-law of the year if truman 's story sounds like the set-up for a film noir , his successor 's relationship with his mother-in-law might have been a technicolor musical . elivera mathilda carlson doud , mamie eisenhower 's mother , was a witty woman with a tart tongue , ' time magazine wrote , and dwight eisenhower thought she was a hoot . she refuted every mother-in-law joke ever made , ' time wrote . there was no question that she would join her daughter and son-in-law in the white house . ike called her min , ' the name of a character in the andy gump comic strip . ike and min constituted a mutual admiration society , and each took the other 's part whenever a family disagreement would arise , ' said eisenhower 's son , john . the new york times observed , the president frequently looks around him sharply , and inquires ,'where 's min ?'' widowed shortly before eisenhower became president , min spent the winters in the white house and summers at her home in denver . it was while visiting his mother-in-law 's home that eisenhower suffered a heart attack in 1955 . two years later , in failing health , min returned permanently to denver . she died in 1960 , at age 82 . 4 . benjamin harrison and the reverend doctor benjamin harrison 's father-in-law , john witherspoon scott , bore a double title : reverend doctor . ' scott was born in pennsylvania in 1800 , did post-graduate work at yale and took a professorship in mathematics and science at miami university , in ohio . he was also a presbyterian minister and an outspoken abolitionist . the reverend doctor was rumored to have shielded runaway slaves in his home as a stop on the underground railroad . whatever the truth , miami university dismissed him for his anti-slavery beliefs . he accepted a post at farmer 's college , a prep school in cincinnati , where he became a mentor of a student named benjamin harrison . during his visits to the scott home , harrison became friendly with the reverend doctor 's daughter , caroline . young harrison spent so many evenings at the scotts'home that he got the nickname the pious moonlight dude , ' according to the complete book of the presidents ' by william a. degregorio . he and caroline were married in 1853 at the bride 's house . the reverend doctor officiated . john witherspoon scott later became a clerk in the pension office of the interior department . he gave up the position when harrison was elected president in 1888 . a widower since 1876 , scott moved into the white house with his daughter and their family . it was the president 's custom to lead the family in a half-hour of bible reading and prayer after breakfast , anne chieko moore and hester anne hale wrote in benjamin harrison : centennial president . ' when the president was absent , his father-in-law took his place . caroline harrison died in october 1892 , two weeks before her husband lost the presidential election . her father died the next month , at age 92 . an obituary described john witherspoon scott as a man of wonderful physical vigor , tall , broad chested and well preserved mentally . ' mental floss : the bizarre history of white house pets for more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com entire contents of this article copyright , mental floss llc . all rights reserved . | president grant 's father-in-law gave his opinion freely at the white house |
white house <tsp> ( mental floss ) -- president-elect obama 's mother-in-law will be moving to washington with the first family , at least temporarily , his transition team has confirmed . marian robinson will be the latest in a line of presidential in-laws who , for good or ill , lived under the same roof as the president . president dwight eisenhower and his mother-in-law , elivera doud , pose for pictures with some of the grandchildren . here are four stories that confirm the old truism : while america can choose its president , the president ca n't choose his in-laws . 1 . ulysses s. grant and'the colonel' you would think that the civil war was settled at appomattox , and no question of its outcome would have been raised in the white house of ulysses s. grant , who , after all , was the general who won the war . but you would be wrong , because living with ulysses and julia grant was the president 's father-in-law . colonel frederick dent ( his rank seems to have been self-selected ) was an unreconstructed confederate , a st. louis businessman and slaveholder who , when his daughter julia went to the executive mansion early in 1869 , decided to relocate there as well . the colonel did n't hesitate to make himself at home . when his daughter received guests , he sat in a chair just behind her , offering anyone within earshot unsolicited advice . political and business figures alike got a dose of the colonel 's mind as they waited to meet with president grant . when the president 's father , jesse grant , came from kentucky on one of his regular visits to washington , the white house turned into a civil war reenactment . according to first families : the impact of the white house on their lives ' , by bonnie angelo , jesse grant preferred to stay in a hotel rather than sleep under the same roof as the colonel . and when the two old partisans found themselves unavoidably sitting around the same table in the white house , they avoided direct negotiations by using julia and her young son , named for the president 's father , as intermediaries , betty boyd caroli writes in first ladies ' : in the presence of the elder grant , frederick dent would instruct julia to'take better care of that old gentleman [ jesse grant ] . he is feeble and deaf as a post and yet you permit him to wander all over washington alone .'and grant replied [ to his grandson and namesake ] ,'did you hear him ? i hope i shall not live to become as old and infirm as your grandfather dent .'' mental floss : 5 feisty first daughters the colonel remained in the white house -- irascible and unrepentant -- until his death , at age 88 , in 1873 . 2 . harry s truman and the mother-in-law from heck harry truman and bess wallace met as children . he was a farm boy ; she was the well-heeled granddaughter of independence , missouri 's flour king . when they married in 1919 , truman was a struggling haberdasher , and bess 's mother , madge wallace , thought bess had made a colossal social faux pas . until she died in 1952 , madge wallace never changed her mind about harry truman . her bess had married way below her station . madge had plenty of opportunities to let her son-in-law know it . the newlyweds moved into the wallace mansion in independence , and the three lived together under the same roof until the end of madge 's life . when harry truman was elected senator , mother wallace , ' as truman judiciously called her , moved with her daughter and son-in-law to washington . in the family 's apartment , she shared a bedroom with the trumans'daughter , margaret . and when truman became president , she moved with them into the white house , where she cast her cold eye on the new commander-in-chief . why would harry run against that nice mr . dewey ? ' she wondered aloud , as truman was fighting for his political life in the 1948 presidential race , according to first mothers ' by bonnie angelo . and when truman fired gen. douglas macarthur for insubordination , mother wallace was scandalized . imagine a captain from the national guard [ truman ] telling off a west point general ! ' in december 1952 , shortly before truman 's term ended , madge wallace died , at age 90 . for the 33 years they lived together , she never called her son-in-law anything but mr. truman ' to his face . mental floss : presidential siblings and the headaches they caused 3 . dwight d. eisenhower and the mother-in-law of the year if truman 's story sounds like the set-up for a film noir , his successor 's relationship with his mother-in-law might have been a technicolor musical . elivera mathilda carlson doud , mamie eisenhower 's mother , was a witty woman with a tart tongue , ' time magazine wrote , and dwight eisenhower thought she was a hoot . she refuted every mother-in-law joke ever made , ' time wrote . there was no question that she would join her daughter and son-in-law in the white house . ike called her min , ' the name of a character in the andy gump comic strip . ike and min constituted a mutual admiration society , and each took the other 's part whenever a family disagreement would arise , ' said eisenhower 's son , john . the new york times observed , the president frequently looks around him sharply , and inquires ,'where 's min ?'' widowed shortly before eisenhower became president , min spent the winters in the white house and summers at her home in denver . it was while visiting his mother-in-law 's home that eisenhower suffered a heart attack in 1955 . two years later , in failing health , min returned permanently to denver . she died in 1960 , at age 82 . 4 . benjamin harrison and the reverend doctor benjamin harrison 's father-in-law , john witherspoon scott , bore a double title : reverend doctor . ' scott was born in pennsylvania in 1800 , did post-graduate work at yale and took a professorship in mathematics and science at miami university , in ohio . he was also a presbyterian minister and an outspoken abolitionist . the reverend doctor was rumored to have shielded runaway slaves in his home as a stop on the underground railroad . whatever the truth , miami university dismissed him for his anti-slavery beliefs . he accepted a post at farmer 's college , a prep school in cincinnati , where he became a mentor of a student named benjamin harrison . during his visits to the scott home , harrison became friendly with the reverend doctor 's daughter , caroline . young harrison spent so many evenings at the scotts'home that he got the nickname the pious moonlight dude , ' according to the complete book of the presidents ' by william a. degregorio . he and caroline were married in 1853 at the bride 's house . the reverend doctor officiated . john witherspoon scott later became a clerk in the pension office of the interior department . he gave up the position when harrison was elected president in 1888 . a widower since 1876 , scott moved into the white house with his daughter and their family . it was the president 's custom to lead the family in a half-hour of bible reading and prayer after breakfast , anne chieko moore and hester anne hale wrote in benjamin harrison : centennial president . ' when the president was absent , his father-in-law took his place . caroline harrison died in october 1892 , two weeks before her husband lost the presidential election . her father died the next month , at age 92 . an obituary described john witherspoon scott as a man of wonderful physical vigor , tall , broad chested and well preserved mentally . ' mental floss : the bizarre history of white house pets for more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com entire contents of this article copyright , mental floss llc . all rights reserved . | several u.s. presidents had in-laws move into white house with them |
heynckes <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when jupp heynckes made his debut in the bundesliga as a player back in 1965 , the name of bayern munich was a new one for the nascent german soccer league . now as coach of the country 's most successful team , he has reached a significant milestone in what will be his final season in charge . on saturday the 67-year-old became only the second man to rack up 1,000 bundesliga appearances as both player and coach as bayern took another step towards a 23rd national title with a 6-1 thrashing of werder bremen in front of 71,000 fans at allianz arena . it was heynckes'631st bundesliga game as a head coach , coming 48 years after he played his first match for hometown club borussia monchengladbach on the day that bayern made a bundesliga bow against city rival 1860 munich . it 's an imposing total , ' said heynckes , who is behind only former greece coach otto rehgal 's 1,033 bundesliga matches -- 201 of which were as a player . heynckes is on course for a treble of trophies , with bayern poised to reach the quarterfinals of the champions league after the 3-1 midweek win at arsenal , having suffered an agonizing penalty shootout defeat by chelsea in last season 's title match despite home advantage . he rested six key players ahead of wednesday 's german cup clash with two-time defending bundesliga champions borussia dortmund , but still had too much firepower as bremen had a man sent off at 2-0 down and never recovered . mario gomez netted twice in the second half to reach his 100th goal in a red shirt , having earlier forced czech international gebre selassie into diverting a cross into his own net . before that the germany striker was brought down by sebastian prodl as bremen went to the interval a man down . javi martinez , arjen robben and franck ribery were also on the scoresheet . after making those six changes , we needed 20 minutes to find our rhythm , ' said heynckes , who will step down at the end of this season and be replaced by former barcelona boss pep guardiola . those players who came in justified my confidence in them . the game on wednesday will be a real cup battle . ' however , he was annoyed that bayern conceded in the league for the first time since the december 14 draw with monchengladbach . we saw some nice goals out there , but we did n't reckon with conceding one . ' second-placed dortmund will seek to cut the 18-point deficit at gladbach on sunday , when third-placed bayer leverkusen travel to bottom team greuther furth . in saturday 's other games , sixth-placed hamburg crashed 5-1 at fellow european hopefuls hanover , while schalke followed up the midweek champions league draw against galatasaray by beating fortuna dusseldorf as cameroon defender joel matip scored twice . mainz drew 1-1 with fourth-bottom wolfsburg , while augsburg pushed hoffenheim down to second from the foot of the table with a 2-1 win . | heynckes rests key players ahead of cup clash with second-placed champions dortmund |
heynckes <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when jupp heynckes made his debut in the bundesliga as a player back in 1965 , the name of bayern munich was a new one for the nascent german soccer league . now as coach of the country 's most successful team , he has reached a significant milestone in what will be his final season in charge . on saturday the 67-year-old became only the second man to rack up 1,000 bundesliga appearances as both player and coach as bayern took another step towards a 23rd national title with a 6-1 thrashing of werder bremen in front of 71,000 fans at allianz arena . it was heynckes'631st bundesliga game as a head coach , coming 48 years after he played his first match for hometown club borussia monchengladbach on the day that bayern made a bundesliga bow against city rival 1860 munich . it 's an imposing total , ' said heynckes , who is behind only former greece coach otto rehgal 's 1,033 bundesliga matches -- 201 of which were as a player . heynckes is on course for a treble of trophies , with bayern poised to reach the quarterfinals of the champions league after the 3-1 midweek win at arsenal , having suffered an agonizing penalty shootout defeat by chelsea in last season 's title match despite home advantage . he rested six key players ahead of wednesday 's german cup clash with two-time defending bundesliga champions borussia dortmund , but still had too much firepower as bremen had a man sent off at 2-0 down and never recovered . mario gomez netted twice in the second half to reach his 100th goal in a red shirt , having earlier forced czech international gebre selassie into diverting a cross into his own net . before that the germany striker was brought down by sebastian prodl as bremen went to the interval a man down . javi martinez , arjen robben and franck ribery were also on the scoresheet . after making those six changes , we needed 20 minutes to find our rhythm , ' said heynckes , who will step down at the end of this season and be replaced by former barcelona boss pep guardiola . those players who came in justified my confidence in them . the game on wednesday will be a real cup battle . ' however , he was annoyed that bayern conceded in the league for the first time since the december 14 draw with monchengladbach . we saw some nice goals out there , but we did n't reckon with conceding one . ' second-placed dortmund will seek to cut the 18-point deficit at gladbach on sunday , when third-placed bayer leverkusen travel to bottom team greuther furth . in saturday 's other games , sixth-placed hamburg crashed 5-1 at fellow european hopefuls hanover , while schalke followed up the midweek champions league draw against galatasaray by beating fortuna dusseldorf as cameroon defender joel matip scored twice . mainz drew 1-1 with fourth-bottom wolfsburg , while augsburg pushed hoffenheim down to second from the foot of the table with a 2-1 win . | jupp heynckes'celebrates with 6-1 victory over werder bremen in front of home fans |
romney <tsp> the four remaining gop candidates played to their individual strengths on thursday and tried to leave a lasting impression in a final , boisterous debate two days before south carolina 's pivotal primary . in a campaign cycle where debates have had direct consequences on the ebb and flow of the race , former house speaker newt gingrich turned his contempt for the media into one of his strongest performances yet . when cnn chief national correspondent john king opened the debate with a question about open marriage , following an interview by gingrich 's ex-wife saying that he had sought one , the republican chastised him . to take an ex-wife and make it two days before the primary a significant question in a presidential campaign is as close to despicable as anything i can imagine , ' gingrich told king , the moderator of the debate . gingrich 's response elicited loud applause from the audience . the debate came at the end of a ground-shaking day that saw former pennsylvania sen. rick santorum being declared winner of the iowa caucuses more than two weeks after his apparent second-place finish to former massachusetts gov . mitt romney and texas gov . rick perry dropping out of the race and throwing his support to gingrich . texas rep. ron paul was the fourth candidate in the debate . ireporters on debate : fireworks , but little substance an angry gingrich chastised cnn for starting off with the question about his marriage . hours before the debate , abc news and the washington post released interviews with marianne gingrich in which she alleged gingrich asked for an open marriage ' before their divorce . marianne gingrich told the washington post that a day after her husband told her about his affair with callista bisek in may 1999 , the former house speaker delivered a speech titled the demise of american culture ' to a group of republican women in pennsylvania . how could he ask me for a divorce on monday and within 48 hours give a speech on family values and talk about how people treat people ? ' marianne gingrich said in her interview with the post . gingrich said the story was false . the three other presidential candidates on the stage passed on the chance to criticize gingrich over the allegations by his ex-wife . romney took the steady , cautious route that he has throughout the campaign , responding to his rivals only when attacked . santorum presented himself as a more conservative option to romney than gingrich and as the candidate who could draw an effective contrast in the fall with president barack obama . as the debate was going on , gingrich 's campaign released his tax returns as he had promised to do earlier . romney was asked if he would follow his father 's lead in releasing 12 years of tax returns . romney 's father , george , ran for the 1968 republican presidential nomination . maybe , ' romney said , before highlighting his business experience and his personal success . i did n't inherit money from my parents . what i have , i earned . ' as he had earlier this week , santorum said he filed his own returns and they were at home on his computer and he would release them once he returned home . paul said he had no intention to release his returns , arguing that congressional financial statements are revealing enough . the issue of electability was hotly debated . earlier this week , gingrich called for both perry and santorum to drop out of the race and support his candidacy because they did n't have the experience for a large undertaking like a presidential campaign . with perry gone , santorum was left to respond . grandiosity has never been a problem with newt gingrich , ' santorum said , arguing that he 's the steady choice and republicans should n't pick a nominee who might surprise them . while gingrich and santorum debated their records in washington and specifically who was more responsible for the republican revolution of the 1990s , romney raised his hand to argue it 's time for a washington outsider . we need to send to washington someone who has not lived in washington , but someone who 's lived in the real streets of america , ' romney said . every candidate onstage said they opposed the anti-internet piracy bill roiling congress , and criticized the proposal for being too intrusive . however , both romney and santorum said they could support a more narrow law that would help protect intellectual property rights online . displaying the off-the-cuff wit he has used to great effect at a series of gop debates , gingrich joked he was none too sympathetic to movie and music producers who pushed for the legislation . you 're asking a conservative about the economic interest of hollywood , ' gingrich said to laughter in the audience . and i 'm weighing it , i 'm weighing it . i 'm not rushing in . ' meanwhile paul touted his libertarian-leaning views , adding he had been an early detractor of the bill . he said as president he would be unique in his ability to work with leaders on both sides of the aisle to protect civil liberties . the former obstetrician and gynecologist forced his way into the conversation on both health care and abortion , two issues he knows a lot about . i thought maybe you were prejudiced against doctors and a doctor that practiced medicine in the military or something , ' paul told king after a section where the other three candidates answered a question on whether a full repeal of president obama 's health care reform was truly possible . after a lengthy debate among the other three candidates over the legitimacy of criticizing romney 's political conversion from pro-abortion rights to anti-abortion rights , the crowd booed and chanted paul 's name when king moved on without letting paul weigh in . john , once again , it 's a medical subject and i 'm a doctor , ' paul said . four polls over the last two days show romney 's long-held lead in south carolina nearly evaporating into single digits by the time the four took the stage , while gingrich has surged into a virtual tie . gingrich on thursday grabbed a major endorsement when perry announced he was backing gingrich as he suspended his campaign . santorum 's campaign got a boost on thursday when the iowa gop released the final certified results from its january 3 caucuses , which reversed romney 's eight-vote victory and instead determined that santorum had won by 34 votes . | santorum says romney , gingrich played footsies with the left ' |
romney <tsp> the four remaining gop candidates played to their individual strengths on thursday and tried to leave a lasting impression in a final , boisterous debate two days before south carolina 's pivotal primary . in a campaign cycle where debates have had direct consequences on the ebb and flow of the race , former house speaker newt gingrich turned his contempt for the media into one of his strongest performances yet . when cnn chief national correspondent john king opened the debate with a question about open marriage , following an interview by gingrich 's ex-wife saying that he had sought one , the republican chastised him . to take an ex-wife and make it two days before the primary a significant question in a presidential campaign is as close to despicable as anything i can imagine , ' gingrich told king , the moderator of the debate . gingrich 's response elicited loud applause from the audience . the debate came at the end of a ground-shaking day that saw former pennsylvania sen. rick santorum being declared winner of the iowa caucuses more than two weeks after his apparent second-place finish to former massachusetts gov . mitt romney and texas gov . rick perry dropping out of the race and throwing his support to gingrich . texas rep. ron paul was the fourth candidate in the debate . ireporters on debate : fireworks , but little substance an angry gingrich chastised cnn for starting off with the question about his marriage . hours before the debate , abc news and the washington post released interviews with marianne gingrich in which she alleged gingrich asked for an open marriage ' before their divorce . marianne gingrich told the washington post that a day after her husband told her about his affair with callista bisek in may 1999 , the former house speaker delivered a speech titled the demise of american culture ' to a group of republican women in pennsylvania . how could he ask me for a divorce on monday and within 48 hours give a speech on family values and talk about how people treat people ? ' marianne gingrich said in her interview with the post . gingrich said the story was false . the three other presidential candidates on the stage passed on the chance to criticize gingrich over the allegations by his ex-wife . romney took the steady , cautious route that he has throughout the campaign , responding to his rivals only when attacked . santorum presented himself as a more conservative option to romney than gingrich and as the candidate who could draw an effective contrast in the fall with president barack obama . as the debate was going on , gingrich 's campaign released his tax returns as he had promised to do earlier . romney was asked if he would follow his father 's lead in releasing 12 years of tax returns . romney 's father , george , ran for the 1968 republican presidential nomination . maybe , ' romney said , before highlighting his business experience and his personal success . i did n't inherit money from my parents . what i have , i earned . ' as he had earlier this week , santorum said he filed his own returns and they were at home on his computer and he would release them once he returned home . paul said he had no intention to release his returns , arguing that congressional financial statements are revealing enough . the issue of electability was hotly debated . earlier this week , gingrich called for both perry and santorum to drop out of the race and support his candidacy because they did n't have the experience for a large undertaking like a presidential campaign . with perry gone , santorum was left to respond . grandiosity has never been a problem with newt gingrich , ' santorum said , arguing that he 's the steady choice and republicans should n't pick a nominee who might surprise them . while gingrich and santorum debated their records in washington and specifically who was more responsible for the republican revolution of the 1990s , romney raised his hand to argue it 's time for a washington outsider . we need to send to washington someone who has not lived in washington , but someone who 's lived in the real streets of america , ' romney said . every candidate onstage said they opposed the anti-internet piracy bill roiling congress , and criticized the proposal for being too intrusive . however , both romney and santorum said they could support a more narrow law that would help protect intellectual property rights online . displaying the off-the-cuff wit he has used to great effect at a series of gop debates , gingrich joked he was none too sympathetic to movie and music producers who pushed for the legislation . you 're asking a conservative about the economic interest of hollywood , ' gingrich said to laughter in the audience . and i 'm weighing it , i 'm weighing it . i 'm not rushing in . ' meanwhile paul touted his libertarian-leaning views , adding he had been an early detractor of the bill . he said as president he would be unique in his ability to work with leaders on both sides of the aisle to protect civil liberties . the former obstetrician and gynecologist forced his way into the conversation on both health care and abortion , two issues he knows a lot about . i thought maybe you were prejudiced against doctors and a doctor that practiced medicine in the military or something , ' paul told king after a section where the other three candidates answered a question on whether a full repeal of president obama 's health care reform was truly possible . after a lengthy debate among the other three candidates over the legitimacy of criticizing romney 's political conversion from pro-abortion rights to anti-abortion rights , the crowd booed and chanted paul 's name when king moved on without letting paul weigh in . john , once again , it 's a medical subject and i 'm a doctor , ' paul said . four polls over the last two days show romney 's long-held lead in south carolina nearly evaporating into single digits by the time the four took the stage , while gingrich has surged into a virtual tie . gingrich on thursday grabbed a major endorsement when perry announced he was backing gingrich as he suspended his campaign . santorum 's campaign got a boost on thursday when the iowa gop released the final certified results from its january 3 caucuses , which reversed romney 's eight-vote victory and instead determined that santorum had won by 34 votes . | romney has been front-runner but polls say his lead is fading |
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