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(CNN)Lewis Hamilton showed why he's a seven-time world champion on Sunday, claiming his 97th career victory with a win at the Portuguese Grand Prix over Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Mercedes teammate Valteri Bottas. Hamilton had slipped to third after a Safety Car restart caused when Alfa Romeo's Kimi Raikkonen collided with Antonio Giovinazzi's left rear wheel on lap seven. But the 36-year-old Hamilton overtook Verstappen on lap 11, eventually racing past Bottas, who had started in pole, for the lead nine laps later.Once he had pulled ahead at the Algarve International Circuit, Hamilton never looked back, winning by a comfortable 29.148 second margin.The victory for Hamilton is his second of the season and puts him eight points ahead of Red Bull's Verstappen in the title standings.Read More"That was such a tough race physically and mentally," Hamilton told reporters after the race. "Today wasn't all perfect so we'll look at those areas and turn over the stones." Hamilton celebrates on the podium after winning the Portuguese Grand Prix.The seven-time world champion will look to extend his lead in the title standings at the Spanish Grand Prix on May 9. | 7 |
Story highlights Four members of a family from northeastern France confirmed dead10 children or adolescents among the 84 dead (CNN)A day after a terrorist mowed down dozens of people celebrating Bastille Day in the coastal French city of Nice, investigators dug into the life of the man they say was the killer: A 31-year-old delivery driver and Nice resident who was born in Tunisia.Authorities said Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel drove a rented, refrigerated truck weighing about 20 tons into crowds along a roughly 2-kilometer stretch of Promenade des Anglais on Thursday night, killing 84 people -- including 10 children and adolescents -- and injuring 202 others.Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel's ID Card The attack ended when police shot into the truck, killing Bouhlel, French prosecutor François Molins said Friday.Of the injured, 52 were in critical condition, and 25 were in a coma, Molins said. President Francois Hollande described the most seriously injured as being "between life and death."Staff at the Lenval Hospital in Nice said 28 children remained hospitalized. Read MoreLIVE: Follow rolling updates from Nice terror attack Hollande, addressing his country following its third major terrorist attack in 18 months, described the assault as an "unspeakable act" and vowed that France would "be able to overcome all trials." "We have an enemy who is going to continue to strike all the people, all the countries who have freedom as a fundamental value," Hollande said. Photos: Bastille Day terror: Harrowing images of truck attack in Nice Photos: Bastille Day terror: Harrowing images of truck attack in NiceBaby strollers are seen on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, France, on Friday, July 15. A 31-year-old native of Tunisia and resident of Nice drove into a crowd during the southern French city's Bastille Day celebrations around 10:45 p.m. on Thursday, July 14, killing at least 84 people and leaving around 202 injured.Hide Caption 1 of 25 Photos: Bastille Day terror: Harrowing images of truck attack in NiceA woman cries, asking for her son, as she walks near the scene of the attack.Hide Caption 2 of 25 Photos: Bastille Day terror: Harrowing images of truck attack in NiceA forensics team inspects the scene of the attack.Hide Caption 3 of 25 Photos: Bastille Day terror: Harrowing images of truck attack in NiceA man looks at the scene of the attack on the Promenade des Anglais.Hide Caption 4 of 25 Photos: Bastille Day terror: Harrowing images of truck attack in NiceForensics investigators examine a truck at the scene of the attack.Hide Caption 5 of 25 Photos: Bastille Day terror: Harrowing images of truck attack in NiceHide Caption 6 of 25 Photos: Bastille Day terror: Harrowing images of truck attack in NiceBodies of victims covered by sheets remained at the scene of the attack early Friday.Hide Caption 7 of 25 Photos: Bastille Day terror: Harrowing images of truck attack in NiceA man sits next to the body of a victim following the attack.Hide Caption 8 of 25 Photos: Bastille Day terror: Harrowing images of truck attack in NiceAuthorities confirmed that the driver of the truck was killed by police. Hide Caption 9 of 25 Photos: Bastille Day terror: Harrowing images of truck attack in NiceThe truck plowed into a crowd leaving a Bastille Day fireworks display in the French resort city of Nice. One witness, an American who was about 15 feet from the truck, said the driver accelerated and pointed his tractor-trailer into the crowd, mowing people over. Hide Caption 10 of 25 Photos: Bastille Day terror: Harrowing images of truck attack in NiceA man lies near a covered body at the scene of the attack on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice. Hide Caption 11 of 25 Photos: Bastille Day terror: Harrowing images of truck attack in NiceEmergency teams assist wounded people at the scene. Hide Caption 12 of 25 Photos: Bastille Day terror: Harrowing images of truck attack in NiceA photo from the Twitter account of a reporter for CNN affiliate France 2 shows witnesses being interviewed inside the Hotel Negresco after the attack. According to Alban Mikoczy, these people are not injured.Hide Caption 13 of 25 Photos: Bastille Day terror: Harrowing images of truck attack in NiceWounded people are evacuated from the scene where the truck drove into the crowd during the Bastille Day celebrations.Hide Caption 14 of 25 Photos: Bastille Day terror: Harrowing images of truck attack in NiceArmed French police move people away from the Promenade des Anglais in Nice in the aftermath of Thursday's attack.Hide Caption 15 of 25 Photos: Bastille Day terror: Harrowing images of truck attack in NiceMedical workers attend to an injured woman. Hide Caption 16 of 25 Photos: Bastille Day terror: Harrowing images of truck attack in NicePolice security forces deployed in the center of Nice. Hide Caption 17 of 25 Photos: Bastille Day terror: Harrowing images of truck attack in NiceTony Molina, a U.S. police officer on vacation in Nice, witnessed the terrible scene from his hotel room. He told CNN he thought he heard between 30 and 40 gunshots. "I saw the truck right below us and it had already driven down the boardwalk for a half a mile."Hide Caption 18 of 25 Photos: Bastille Day terror: Harrowing images of truck attack in NiceBFM-TV, a CNN affiliate in France, reported that police shot at the truck to try to stop it.Hide Caption 19 of 25 Photos: Bastille Day terror: Harrowing images of truck attack in NiceRescue workers move a victim from the scene. Hide Caption 20 of 25 Photos: Bastille Day terror: Harrowing images of truck attack in NiceSoldiers, police officers and firefighters walk among bodies covered with blue sheets on the seafront Promenade des Anglais.Hide Caption 21 of 25 Photos: Bastille Day terror: Harrowing images of truck attack in NicePolice seal off the area around the scene. A witness said at first it seemed like an accident, but then it became obvious it was a deliberate act.Hide Caption 22 of 25 Photos: Bastille Day terror: Harrowing images of truck attack in Nice"I wasn't sure what to do, in that situation. No one knew what was going on. We just knew we had to run for our lives," said Paul Delane, an American who witnessed the attack. Hide Caption 23 of 25 Photos: Bastille Day terror: Harrowing images of truck attack in NiceFrench President François Hollande said the country would now extend its state of emergency for three months.Hide Caption 24 of 25 Photos: Bastille Day terror: Harrowing images of truck attack in NiceA doll is seen at the scene of the attack on the Promenade des Anglais.Hide Caption 25 of 25Bouhlel was identified by fingerprints after his identification card was found in the truck, Molins said. Authorities began searching an apartment building where Bouhlel apparently lived, and Molins said Bouhlel's ex-wife had been detained.No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and authorities did not release information about a motive. Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said that so far, the investigation has not uncovered any evidence of jihadism. But Molins said the attack fits with calls that "terrorist organizations regularly give out on their videos and elsewhere."Bouhlel was known to police because of allegations of threats, violence and thefts over the last six years, and he was given a suspended six-month prison sentence this year after being convicted of violence with a weapon, Molins said.Bouhlel's father, who lives in Tunisia, has revealed that his son showed signs of mental health issues -- having had multiple nervous breakdowns and volatile behavior, said CNN terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank. Nice truck attack: Full coverageLive updatesWitnesses: Bodies everywhereTruck plowed into crowdsNew tool of terror?Outpouring of shockNice: Idyllic seaside cityShould tourists stay away from Nice? 30 days of terrorWhy France again? Photos: Celebrations shatteredTrump, Clinton: Different takesWorld leaders respond to terror Truck driver in attack identified American victims: Father and son killed in attackThe man was "entirely unknown by the intelligence services, whether nationally or locally," Molins said. "He had never been the subject of any kind of file or indication of radicalization," Molins said.Dead in the streetThe attack was launched on a popular street that would normally be packed with tourists and residents on a sunny afternoon in July.On a normal day, the stunning beach here in #Nice would've been packed. Instead, it's closed as #France mourns again pic.twitter.com/rjFswa9yT5— Will Ripley (@willripleyCNN) July 15, 2016
But on Friday, screens blocked off more than a mile of the famous boulevard along the Mediterranean as authorities removed bodies and evidence from the bloody attack.Just before the carnage Thursday night, hundreds, if not thousands, had gathered on the promenade to watch a colorful display of fireworks and live music for the national holiday.Wounded victims of the attack in Nice, France, are evacuated from the scene.But as the last firework fizzled, gunfire rang out -- authorities and witnesses say the driver shot from the cab of the truck -- and the truck accelerated down the crowded street.Bouhlel began the attack at about 10:45 p.m., driving the truck into people, Molins said. At one point, he fired a gun several times at three police officers close to a hotel, the prosecutor explained said.Officers gave chase for about 300 meters until they shot him, Molins said.The truck was rented on Monday and was supposed to have been returned Wednesday, Molins said, without saying who rented it. Surveillance video shows that about two hours before the attack Thursday, Bouhlel rode a bicycle to pick up the truck east of the city, the prosecutor said.After Bouhlel was shot, police found a handgun and some ammunition in the truck's cab, as well as a replica handgun, two replica assault rifles, a cell phone and various documents, Molins said. In the trailer was the bicycle and some empty pallets.Crews covered the dead in the street with blue sheets so emergency vehicles could both avoid running over them and spot them for evacuation.Slowly, authorities are putting names to the bodies. Four members of one family have been identified as killed, according to the mayor of the Herserange municipality in the suburbs of Longwy, where the family lived. Michael Pellegrini, 28, was a professor of economics at a private school in Longwy, in northeastern France. Pellegrini died along with his mother, Véronique Lyon, and his grandparents, Francis and Christiane Locatelli.Teacher, Mickaël Pellegrini was killed in Nice attackThree Germans are among the dead, Mayor Reinhard Naumann of Berlin's Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district said in a statement. They were all women -- two students and a teacher from the Paula-Fürst-School.Sean Copeland, 51, and his son Brodie, 11, both of Texas, were killed in Thursday's attack, their family said."They were just about to graduate at our school, completing the German A levels. We mourn with the parents of the school, their relatives and their friends," the statement said. "We stand with them side by side and we will provide all the necessary support that is now needed."Americans Sean Copeland, 51, and his son, Brodie, 11, of Texas also were killed in the attack, a statement from the family said. U.S. officials confirmed that at least two Americans were killed in the attack, but did not name them.Apart from those confirmed dead, three Australians, two Chinese and one British national were injured, officials said. Learn to live with terrorismHollande declared a national mourning period from Saturday to Monday.France was just preparing to lift its state of emergency, which was put into place in the wake of the November terror attacks in Paris that killed 130 people, the deadliest attack in France's history. The state of emergency would have expired later this month, but Prime Minister Manuel Valls said Friday that a bill to extend it would be submitted to parliament by Tuesday."France has been struck once again in her flesh, on the 14th of July, on the day of our national celebration," Valls said. The attacker wanted to "harm the very idea of national unity," he said, adding grimly that France will have to "learn to live with terrorism." Truck attacks -- a frightening tool of terror, with a historyJUST WATCHEDFrench president: Horror has struck France ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHFrench president: Horror has struck France 00:48Tired of attacksNice is just the latest city to be hit by a terror attack. Istanbul, Orlando, Baghdad, Brussels and Dhaka in Bangladesh are among targets hit in recent months. Je suis vraiement désolé... A photo posted by Murat Selcuk (@mrtinstgrm) on Jul 14, 2016 at 11:46pm PDT Twitter user Rabia Chaudry described the recent attacks as "a global, asymmetric war that can't be won."Last week Madina, before that Istanbul, Dhaka, Baghdad, Orlando, now Paris & Nice. A global, asymetric war that can't be won. Our world now— rabia chaudry (@rabiasquared) July 14, 2016
One user claimed "Je suis Nice," modifying the phrase that was adopted when staff at the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo were gunned down in a coordinated shooting in January 2015.L'hôtel de ville est illuminé aux couleurs de la #France. #Montréal, solidaire avec le peuple français. #JesuisNice pic.twitter.com/xaqZVWEYAR— Ville de Montréal (@MTL_Ville) July 15, 2016
Landmarks around the world were once again lit up in blue, white and red, as they were after the deadly attacks in the French capital in November.Leaders around the globe have denounced the brutal incident. 30 days of terror attacksWitnesses describe horrorAccording to witnesses and a blurry cell phone video, the white truck rolled purposefully toward the crowds just after the fireworks display finished. The video shows the vehicle accelerating as people scattered in front of it and a few people chased it from behind.The truck plowed through the crowds for more than a mile before police were able to intervene and fatally shoot the driver.JUST WATCHEDHillary Clinton on France attack: I am sick at heartReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHHillary Clinton on France attack: I am sick at heart 07:13Andy McArdy told CNN he saw the truck driving at high speed along the promenade and the driver "was firing a machine gun while driving." He said everyone ran, many into a restaurant. "They didn't know where to go, they were looking for an exit -- they were hoping they'd find an exit out the back. They had to stay there for a couple of hours, but people wouldn't even come out -- they were so frightened -- until the police came and said it was OK to come out," he said.MORE: 'We had to run for our lives'Eric Dartell was eating at a restaurant on the street where the attack was launched. "You can see wreckage all along the way: a body, bicycles, street lamps and debris everywhere," he said. People in the French towon of Nice comfort each other after an attack taht killed at least 84 people. American Dominique Molina, who was watching from a balcony, said the fireworks had just ended and the crowd on the beach was dispersing. "People were flooding the streets, just walking away from the show, and I heard a lot of loud noises and people were screaming and so to the west, a big moving truck was driving on the promenade, just barreling over people and hitting -- running people over." She estimated the truck moved at 20 to 25 mph. Police secure an area in Nice, France, where a man carried out an attack on people, shooting at a crowd and ramming into them with a truck .A tourist from Dallas, Kristen Crouch, lamented the climate of violence that spans the globe, from her hometown to the French city, which she was visiting for a friend's wedding. "It's really sad when you've been marked safe twice on Facebook in the last week. We shouldn't live in a world like that," she said.'Big step back'CNN terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank said "no country in the Western world is threatened more by jihadis and terrorism than France.""This is a big step back here. They are absolutely exhausted after a year and a half of intense efforts to try and protect this country," Cruickshank said."The painful reality here is that if it wasn't going to be this promenade, it would have been any other promenade."Truck attacks -- a frightening tool of terror, with a historyFrance had put intense security in place for Euro 2016, the international soccer tournament that just ended. No major attacks occurred during the event. While the police response to Thursday's attack appeared to be speedy, questions are now being raised about how the man was able to breach security at the event.Shock, sympathy as world leaders respond to terror attack in NiceInterior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said he was deploying 70 police, medical and technical specialists in order to make sure that the remains of those killed were quickly returned to the families. Hospitals in the city have launched an urgent appeal for blood donors.The French city of Nice is in shock after a deadly attack.Are you in Nice? Did you see what happened on the Promenade des Anglais? If it's ok for you to do so, WhatsApp us on +44 7435 939 154 to share your photos, comments and video. Please tag #CNNiReport in your message.CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Paul Cruickshank, Richard Allen Greene, Steve Almasy, Ralph Ellis and Farida Fawzy, and journalists Cristiana Moisescu and Bianca Britton contributed to this report. | 4 |
Story highlightsFIFA provisionally ban Executive Committee member Chuck Blazer for maximum of 90 daysMove follows CONCACAF investigation into organization's former general secretary in AprilAmerican, 68, had been set to quit FIFA Executive Committee at end of MayFootball's world governing body FIFA has provisionally suspended outgoing Executive Committee member Chuck Blazer for 90 days "based on the fact that various breaches of the Code of Ethics appear to have been committed" by the American. The former general secretary of CONCACAF, the body which governs football in North and Central America and the Caribbean, has been barred from taking part in "any kind of football-related activity" for a maximum period of 90 days. The decision was taken by Hans-Joachim Eckert, the chairman of the adjudicatory chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee -- which opened investigation proceedings against Blazer, 68, in response to a report filed by the CONCACAF Integrity Committee last month. "The decision was taken following a request made by the acting deputy chairman of the investigatory chamber of the Ethics Committee, Robert Torres, based on the fact that various breaches of the FIFA Code of Ethics appear to have been committed by Chuck Blazer and that a decision on the main issue could not be taken early enough," read a Fifa statement.Read: Blazer to step down from CONCACAFJUST WATCHEDWebb: Racism sanctions will send messageReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWebb: Racism sanctions will send message 00:57JUST WATCHED'Slavery' accusations hit Qatar footballReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCH'Slavery' accusations hit Qatar football 03:34JUST WATCHEDCNN Football Club: Bayern dominate BarcaReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHCNN Football Club: Bayern dominate Barca 23:03The announcement comes less than one week after fellow FIFA executive committee member Vernon Manilal Fernando of Sri Lanka was banned for eight years for unethical behaviour.The CONCACAF report alleged that Blazer, who has been provisionally banned pending a full disciplinary hearing, received at least $15 million in addition to other funds that were used to buy and rent luxury apartments. Blazer, who has been the most senior American official at FIFA for the last 16 years, had previously said that he will give up his seat on the Executive Committee when his term expires at the end of this month. He resigned as CONCACAF's general secretary in 2011, after serving with the body for 21 years. In April, the head of CONCACAF's integrity committee, David Simmons, described Blazer and his former boss, Trinidadian Jack Warner, as being 'fraudulent in their management' of the continental organization. The former colleagues fell out in 2011 when Blazer reported Warner and Asian Football Confederation chief Mohamed bin Hammam to FIFA's Ethics Committee, accusing the duo of trying to bribe Caribbean delegated to support the Qatari bin Hammam in that year's FIFA presidential election. Blazer's accusations led to the downfall of bin Hammam, the resignation of Warner as a FIFA vice president and CONCACAF leader, and sanctions against several Caribbean football officials.Now however, Blazer finds himself in the dock alongside Warner. Last month, Simmons accused both men of abusing their "position and power" -- with Warner said to have failed to disclose the creation of a $25.9 million CONCACAF center of excellence on his land, while Blazer was accused of mismanaging funds. Both men have denied any wrongdoing. Read: Provisional ban for ExCo member ManilalFIFA has been affected by numerous corruption scandals in recent times, which do not only involve the likes of Warner, Blazer and Manilal. Last week, former president Joao Havelange - who ruled the organization between 1974 and 1988 - resigned as FIFA's honorary president after the 96-year-old was ruled to have taken bribes in a report by ethics chairman Eckert. | 7 |
Story highlightsF1 test driver leaves UK hospital and returns to Spain to continue rehabilitation The 32-year-old lost sight in right eye following crash at UK's Duxford AirfieldMarussia team praise Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge for "remarkable care and attention"Maria de Villota, the Formula One test driver who lost the sight in her right eye in a crash earlier this month, has left hospital and returned home to Spain. The Marussia test driver was discharged from Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, UK on Friday, the F1 team said. The 32-year-old suffered severe facial and neck injuries which required two operations after her car plowed into a stationary truck at the Duxford Airfield on July 3. "Over the course of the past two weeks Maria has made significant progress. More comfortable and familiar surroundings, plus the support of her wider family and friends, will undoubtedly provide a more conducive environment in which Maria can commence the next phase of her recovery," Marussia said in a statement. JUST WATCHEDFemale F1 driver De Villota in profileReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHFemale F1 driver De Villota in profile 02:42"Marussia have remained in close contact with the medical team at Addenbrooke's Hospital since Maria's admittance and would like to express their gratitude for the remarkable care and attention she has received there.Marussia F1: car not a factor in crash"Marussia - the staff, race drivers Timo Glock and Charles Pic, and all those associated with the team - wish Maria well with the next stage of her recovery."The management team will continue to liaise closely with Maria and her family and provide any assistance possible during the coming months."De Villota joined Britain-based Marussia in July after a career which has included spells in Spanish Formula Three, the Euroseries 3000 and the Daytona 24 Hours.The Madrid-born racer is the daughter of former March team Formula One driver Emilio de Villota. | 7 |
Boston (CNN)I'm a big fan of closing arguments. It's that time in a trial when the lawyers wax rhetorical and either rise to the occasion or stumble as they try to convince the jury to buy into their version of the case.This week, at the penalty phase of the Boston Marathon bomber's trial, the closing arguments were dramatic and emotionally compelling. The 13th JurorNo cameras have been allowed at the Tsarnaev trial. But CNN's Ann O'Neill has been there every day. Think of her as The 13th Juror, bringing insights here weekly. And follow @AnnoCNN on Twitter daily.A good lawyer uses a closing argument to expound on big concepts and little details alike. The best arguments frame the toughest issues of our times in masterful oratory that finds a permanent place in our cultural lexicon. Atticus Finch wasn't real, but I wish he were -- and I wish there were more lawyers like him. His case in Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" nailed a social issue that still haunts us a half-century later: racism in the criminal justice system. The motives behind the prosecution of a black man who kissed a white woman were cynical and racist, and he called them out on it. But Finch's argument cut through the cynicism:Read More"In this country," he said, "our courts are the great levelers, and in our courts, all men are created equal. I'm no idealist to believe firmly in the integrity of our courts and of our jury system. That's no ideal to me. That is a living, working reality." That enduring belief in the legal system drove Clarence Darrow, whose closing argument probably saved Leopold and Loeb from the gallows in the 1920s; prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi, whose closing took on the murderous, helter skelter madness that was Charles Manson; Bobby DeLaughter, who brought the killer of civil rights leader Medgar Evers to justice after 30 years; and William Kunstler, who challenged the establishment in defense of the Chicago Seven: JUST WATCHEDLife in a Supermax prisonReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHLife in a Supermax prison 01:46"You can crucify a Jesus, you can poison a Socrates, you can hang John Brown or Nathan Hale, you can kill a Che Guevara, you can jail a Eugene Debs or a Bobby Seale. You can assassinate John Kennedy or a Martin Luther King, but the problems remain," Kunstler said in defense of yippies charged with inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. "The hangman's rope never solved a single problem except that of one man." It's a frequently quoted one-liner from a closing argument that perfectly captured the flavor of its time even if the Chicago Seven trial wasn't a capital case. But perhaps the best one-liner to come out of a closing argument, though, stems from a bloody glove and Johnnie Cochran's defense of O.J. Simpson: "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit." We don't know yet where United States vs. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will land in the legal history books, but the closing arguments were among the best I've seen. There were no cameras in the courtroom, so they won't be making the rounds on YouTube. You'll have to listen with your eyes, just as I did when I read "To Kill a Mockingbird" as a child. I didn't have an iPad, I had a library card. Listen with your eyes and you will hear more than any Twitter feed can give. Steve Mellin, a prosecutor with the Justice Department's capital punishment unit, brilliantly contrasted the havoc and heartbreak with the man who caused it. Photos: Boston bombing: The dead and injured Photos: Boston bombing: The dead and injuredMartin Richard, 8, was in the second grade and loved the Red Sox. He was the middle of three children and is best known for a school project in which he made a poster with a peace sign and the words "No more hurting people." He was less than 4 feet from the second bomb. He bled to death as his mother leaned over him, begging him to live. Hide Caption 1 of 20 Photos: Boston bombing: The dead and injuredLingzi Lu, 23, was a graduate student from China, studying statistics. A gifted musician and public speaker, she was enjoying her time in the United States. She decided to watch the Boston Marathon as a study break. The second bomb sliced her leg open from hip to toe, and she bled to death. Her aunt called her "a beautiful nerd."Hide Caption 2 of 20 Photos: Boston bombing: The dead and injuredKrystle Campbell, 29, was remembered by her father as his "Princess," but she loved sports and the outdoors and "wasn't a girly girl," he said. She put on big family parties and was close to her brother. She was working as a restaurant manager. She was burned and cut by hot shrapnel from the first bomb and bled to death.Hide Caption 3 of 20 Photos: Boston bombing: The dead and injuredSean Collier, 26, grew up in a big "Brady Bunch"-blended family and always wanted to be a police officer. He viewed the world from a moral stance, and felt a strong sense of right and wrong. He loved to race cars with his brother and go on family vacations. He was shot to death in his patrol car on the MIT campus because the Tsarnaev brothers wanted his gun to use in their escape.Hide Caption 4 of 20 Photos: Boston bombing: The dead and injuredCeleste Corcoran, left, and her daughter, Sydney Corcoran, recovered in the same hospital room. Doctors were able to save Sydney's leg, but Celeste lost both of hers. Sydney recalled how she felt the life drain from her body and believed she was dying. Celeste felt great frustration when she couldn't rush to her daughter's side. "I never forget I'm a double amputee," Celeste said. "There's always a level of discomfort."Hide Caption 5 of 20 Photos: Boston bombing: The dead and injuredAdrianne Haslet-Davis is a ballroom dancer. She remembers walking through the crowd on Boylston Street, holding hands with her husband, Adam, and feeling happy and in love. Then the bombs went off. Her husband, who is in the military, told her they'd been in a terrorist attack. But the second bomb went off before they could leave. She knew immediately something was wrong with her foot, and could see blood everywhere. She couldn't hear her own screams and thought she was dead. They were dragged into the Forum restaurant, and a first responder recalled hearing her husband apologize to her over and over for bringing her to the event. She testified that he recently checked himself into a Veterans Affairs mental health program. Hide Caption 6 of 20 Photos: Boston bombing: The dead and injuredErika Brannock was the last bomb survivor to leave the hospital. She came to the marathon from her home in suburban Maryland to cheer her mother on and was excited about being able to get so close to the finish line. Her sister, Nicole Gross, testified that she recalled pushing Brannock through the crowd so they could get closer. "I said, 'One, two, three, go,' and as soon as I said, 'Go,' the bomb went off," Gross said. Brannock told reporters in 2013 that she saw flashes of orange and yellow light and was knocked to the pavement. She couldn't move her foot and thought she was going to die. She said she's had moments when she was angry with the bombers but "I can't waste my energy being angry. I need to save energy for getting well and for being with people who care about me and want me to get better."Hide Caption 7 of 20 Photos: Boston bombing: The dead and injuredJeff Bauman remembers looking down at his legs. "It was just pure carnage. I could see my bones and the flesh sticking out, and I just went into tunnel vision. I thought this is really messed up, this is messed up, that's all I said in my head. This is how it's going to end. This is it. I had a great life. I saw the world. I played sports growing up. I had a lot of friends ... I made peace with myself at that point."Hide Caption 8 of 20 Photos: Boston bombing: The dead and injuredHeather Abbott was outside the Forum restaurant when the second bomb went off. "I was catapulted through the doors of the restaurant, which was open. I landed in a puddle of chaos and blood and glass. People were running in herds by me, through the restaurant to get to the back exit, away from where the bomb was." Her foot was badly mangled, and she decided to amputate below the knee. She wears a prosthetic with toes and a high heel. Hide Caption 9 of 20 Photos: Boston bombing: The dead and injuredJ.P. Norden, left, and his brother, Paul Norden, did not testify during the trial, preferring to put the bombing behind them. Their mother, Liz, is outspoken in the survivor community. Hide Caption 10 of 20 Photos: Boston bombing: The dead and injuredKaren Rand McWatters lost a leg -- and one of her best friends. She and Krystle Campbell spent the day laughing and posting selfies on Facebook before heading to the finish line. She was knocked to the ground by the first blast, and heard the second before she could understand what was happening. Her foot was turned in the wrong direction, but she dragged herself toward Campbell. She couldn't see how badly hurt her friend was. "I got close to her head, and we put our faces together. She very slowly said her legs hurt, and we held hands and very shortly after her hand went limp and we never spoke again."Hide Caption 11 of 20 Photos: Boston bombing: The dead and injuredMery Daniel, a young mother from Haiti, was attending her second marathon when she was knocked to the pavement. She lost a leg, and the other leg was also damaged. She had pushed herself from ESL classes all the way to medical school, and instead found herself relearning how to walk with a prosthesis. She wears her "Boston Strong" T-shirt proudly.Hide Caption 12 of 20 Photos: Boston bombing: The dead and injuredMarc Fucarile was at the marathon with friends, and was struck by hot shrapnel from the second bomb. His pants caught fire, and he suffered burns over 90% of his lower body. His belt buckle was so hot, it burned his hand when he tried to undo it. One leg was blown off at the scene, and he's still trying to save the other, but might not win that battle, he said. He's had more skin grafts than he can remember.Hide Caption 13 of 20 Photos: Boston bombing: The dead and injuredPatrick Downes and Jessica Kensky Downes met when they were interns on Capitol Hill. She lost both legs and was pushed into court in a wheelchair. Her aide dog, Rescue, lay beside her as she testified. "I remember being happy, I remember feeling sunlight on my face. I remember feeling free." And then the bomb went off. Because she is a nurse, she focused on saving her husband. His foot and part of his leg were hanging by a thread. She remembers screaming, and not being able to hear anything. This photo was taken before she decided to amputate her second leg in January. "I wanted to paint my toenails and put my feet in the sand. I wanted all of those things, and to lose my second leg was a gut-wrenching decision."Hide Caption 14 of 20 Photos: Boston bombing: The dead and injuredRebekah Gregory was celebrating her birthday weekend at the marathon with family and friends. She remembers coming to after the blast and reaching for her 5-year-old son, Noah. She could see bones protruding from her arm. She also lost a leg below the knee. Like many bomb survivors, she was convinced she was going to die that day. She is using a blade to run again. After she testified, she wrote a note to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on her Facebook page saying she is not afraid of him.Hide Caption 15 of 20 Photos: Boston bombing: The dead and injuredRoseann Sdoia had run a 5K the day before the marathon. She heard the first bomb and decided to run for it. Then she saw two explosions of white light at her feet. She knew she'd lost a leg before she hit the ground. She saw a severed foot with a sock and remembers asking herself if she wore socks that day. "It was somebody else's foot." She thought she'd rather die than live as an amputee but then considered all the people she'd be leaving behind. So she willed herself to stay conscious and fight.Hide Caption 16 of 20 Photos: Boston bombing: The dead and injuredJane Richard, in the pink skirt, lost her leg. She holds the hand of her brother Henry as they walk down Boylston Street with their parents and others after an April 15 ceremony this year. She was standing next to her brother Martin behind a metal barricade when the second bomb went off. Her father, Bill, took one look at Martin, knew he wouldn't make it and focused his efforts on saving Jane. She sang in April at Fenway Park on opening day. Hide Caption 17 of 20 Photos: Boston bombing: The dead and injuredMary Jo White and Bill White, right, had gone with son Kevin into the city for lunch and were on their way back to "the T," as Boston's public transportation system is called, when they decided to stop by the finish line. They were just feet away from the first bomb. Bill, a veteran who earned a Purple Heart in Vietnam, lost his leg above the knee. Kevin, who serves as the family spokesman, says his parents, who are in their 70s, don't like to talk about the events of April 15, 2013. He told his local newspaper he "really has no feelings" for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.Hide Caption 18 of 20 Photos: Boston bombing: The dead and injuredSteve Woolfenden, a biomedical researcher, was pushing his son, Leo, in a stroller along Boylston Street. His wife was running the marathon, and they were making their way to the finish line when the first bomb went off. He started to turn the stroller around in the crowd, but the second blast caught them. Woolfenden's leg was severed on the scene. He could see it still in the boot next to him, the tibia protruding. His focus was on Leo and getting him help. Hide Caption 19 of 20 Photos: Boston bombing: The dead and injuredLeo Woolfenden was lifted from his stroller by a first responder as the boy's father lay on the ground with a severed leg. Leo suffered a skull fracture. Hide Caption 20 of 20Mellin's performance was classic. He took long, dramatic pauses, solemnly named the dead and wounded, described "a river of blood" and even seemed to choke up as he spoke of one of the bombing victims. "There is so much death and loss and devastation in this case, it's hard to know where to begin," he said. "The defendant planted a bomb that led to painful eulogies and terrifying memories. Surviving family members were left to attend to funerals and live lives with bittersweet memories of those lost forever and painful reminders of what could have been."And then he struggled to maintain his composure as he read from a poem written by the father of Lingzi Lu, a 23-year-old grad student from China: In tears, we hear you say, the forever young,"Dear Dad and Mom, don't cry,I love you!If there is an after-life, I will be your daughter again!""Her father said, 'She's gone. How can our living go on?' So unbelievably sad, and yet so true. Their pain will never go away." And then there was Tsarnaev, a man he said was a terrorist convinced he had done right, caught on camera in a courthouse holding cell three months later. "The defendant comes into court to be formally charged with murdering a little boy, murdering two women and a police officer," Mellin said. "He has had months to reflect on the pain and suffering that he has caused. But when he's put in that holding cell, you cannot see a trace of remorse on his face. He paces, he fluffs his hair, and he makes obscene gestures at the marshals watching over him." Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidence Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceA jury condemned Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death on Friday, May 15, for his role in killing four people and wounding hundreds more in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. See photos that were released as evidence in his trial.Hide Caption 1 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceThis undated photo of a young Tsarnaev with his brother, Tamerlan, was shown by the defense in the sentencing phase of the trial. Tamerlan died after being shot by police and run over by a car driven by his brother in the massive manhunt that followed the bombings.Hide Caption 2 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceKatie Russell met Tamerlan Tsarnaev at a nightclub and dropped out of college to marry him. Her mother, Judith Russell, testified that Tamerlan came between Katie and her family and that Katie became isolated. She eventually converted to Islam and changed her name to Karima Tsarnaeva. She was the breadwinner. But when company came for dinner, she cooked, served the men and then retired to another room.Hide Caption 3 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceThis collection of photos of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in his wrestling days was introduced by the defense.Hide Caption 4 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceThis photo of Tamerlan Tsarnaev, recovered from his computer, was shown during the sentencing phase.Hide Caption 5 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceThis image shows victims' positions in the crowd prior to the Boston Marathon bombings on April 15, 2013.Hide Caption 6 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceTsarnaev "flips the bird" in a jail cell during his first arraignment on July 10, 2013. The image was presented to jurors in the sentencing phase of his trial.Hide Caption 7 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceTsarnaev poses in front of a black standard adopted by various militant Islamist groups in this Instagram photo that was entered as evidence.Hide Caption 8 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceProsecutors say Tsarnaev was a self-radicalized jihadist who pored over militant writings, including the article "How to Build a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom." It was found on his laptop and other devices, part of a full-edition download of Inspire magazine, a glossy English-language propaganda tool put out by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.Hide Caption 9 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceThis Russian manual on how to fire a handgun was found in the apartment where Tsarnaev's brother, Tamerlan, lived. Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed in a shootout with police in Watertown, Massachusetts, on April 19, 2013.Hide Caption 10 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceThis copy of The Sovereign, which calls itself the "newspaper of the resistance," was also found in Tamerlan Tsarnaev's apartment.Hide Caption 11 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidencePictured here is a box of bullets found on a street after the shootout in Watertown. The brothers' fingerprints were on the box, prosecutors said.Hide Caption 12 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceA pressure cooker was embedded in the side of a resident's Honda during the Watertown shootout.Hide Caption 13 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidencePhotos of the Watertown shootout were entered into evidence. Neighbors came to their windows and then retreated. One grabbed his infant son and headed toward the back of his house with his wife. Another grabbed a camera and took photographs from an upstairs window.Hide Caption 14 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceThe Tsarnaevs had carjacked a Mercedes SUV in Watertown before the shootout. The vehicle was covered in bulletholes, and the rear window was shattered.Hide Caption 15 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceThis unexploded pipe bomb was found at the scene of the shootout between police and the Tsarnaev brothers in Watertown.Hide Caption 16 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceProsecutors said these boards were attached to the boat where police found Dzhokhar Tsarnaev hiding. A carved message reads, "Stop killing our innocent people and we will stop."Hide Caption 17 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceSmashed phones and an ATM card owned by carjacking victim Dun Meng were in the yard where Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was found.Hide Caption 18 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceProsecutors say this surveillance image shows Tsarnaev visiting an ATM hours before a police chase and chaotic shootout in which more than 200 rounds were fired.Hide Caption 19 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceAnother view of Tsarnaev's visit to the ATM.Hide Caption 20 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceExhibits related to the shooting death of MIT Officer Sean Collier were introduced to the jury on Wednesday, March 11. This image from the crime scene appears to show a bloody gun.Hide Caption 21 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceThis burned tank top and yellow hoodie belonged to bombing survivor Jessica Kensky.Hide Caption 22 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceProsecutors say this Fox Racing logo was from one of the backpacks containing a bomb.Hide Caption 23 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceProsecutors say this still image from surveillance video shows Tsarnaev in the UMass Dartmouth gym the day after the bombings.Hide Caption 24 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceProsecutors showed the jury photos of what they say are Tsarnaev's writings inside the boat he was captured in.Hide Caption 25 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceThis image is from a surveillance camera outside the Forum restaurant in Boston's Copley Square just after the bombing.Hide Caption 26 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceProsecutors presented two Twitter accounts linked to Tsarnaev that, they said, showed targeting the marathon had been on his mind for at least a year. One account, @J_tsar, contained 1,100 tweets and was the more mainstream of the two. On the day of the 2012 Boston Marathon, a tweet from the account read, "They will spend their money & they will regret it & they will be defeated."Hide Caption 27 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceProsecutors said the second Twitter account is evidence that Tsarnaev led a double life. By day, he was a slacker college sophomore. By night, he was a wannabe jihadist, posting on the account @Al_firdausiA. In one tweet, he urged people to listen to radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki's lectures. "You will gain an unbelievable amount of knowledge," he said in March 2013, just weeks before the bombings. Prosecutors also allege in an indictment that Tsarnaev downloaded al-Awlaki's writings, calling him a "well-known al Qaeda propagandist." Al-Awlaki had been killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2011.Hide Caption 28 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceHide Caption 29 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceA Boston Marathon bombing victim is tended to in the street.Hide Caption 30 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceVictims at the finish line just after the bombing.Hide Caption 31 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceEight-year-old Martin Richard, the youngest victim, can be seen standing on the rail in the front row.Hide Caption 32 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceA closer view of 8-year-old Martin Richard in the crowd before the bombing.Hide Caption 33 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceBoston police tend to a wounded child. CNN has chosen not to show the young victim's face.Hide Caption 34 of 35 Photos: Boston Marathon bombing evidenceMayhem along Boylston Street.Hide Caption 35 of 35He described Tsarnaev and his brother Tamerlan as "partners in crime and brothers in arms." Tamerlan died a martyr's death, Mellin said, walking into a wall of police bullets. But Dzhokhar survived. "A death sentence is not giving him what he wants. It is giving him what he deserves," Mellin said. "Frankly, it's not even close." Or is it? Defense attorney Judy Clarke has saved several people convicted of hideous crimes from death row. And this week we got to see how. Her closing argument started off slowly, and some of the reporters, myself included, wondered if she'd lost her magic touch. But Clarke was building quiet thunder. She has always owned the defense case by telling it like it is. It's how she maintains credibility while defending people who commit horrible crimes. There's no sugar-coating, no fairy dust. Yes, he did it and it was awful. "We've told you that Dzhokhar followed his brother down Boylston because that is the tragic truth," she said. "But if not for Tamerlan, this wouldn't have happened. Dzhokhar would never have done this but for Tamerlan. The tragedy would never have occurred but for Tamerlan. None of it." Like everyone else, Clarke says, she's wondering how an immigrant "kid" everybody liked became the Boston Marathon bomber. She can offer no answers. Photos: Judy Clarke and her clients Photos: Judy Clarke and her clientsJudy Clarke has defended some of the most notorious criminals in recent American history and has managed to keep several off death row. Click through to see some of the San Diego lawyer's most high-profile cases:Hide Caption 1 of 8 Photos: Judy Clarke and her clientsClarke joined the defense team for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. He was arrested on April 19, 2013, after a massive manhunt following an overnight shootout with police that left his brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev -- the other man wanted in the bombings -- dead. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was found guilty of all 30 counts that he faced in the Boston bombing trial on April 8, 2015. Seventeen of those counts were capital charges, meaning he is eligible for the death penalty.Hide Caption 2 of 8 Photos: Judy Clarke and her clientsJared Lee Loughner pleaded guilty to the January 2011 attempted assassination of then-U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. The Arizona shooting killed six people and wounded 13 others, including Giffords. He was diagnosed by two mental health experts as paranoid schizophrenic, and he was sentenced to life in prison under a plea bargain.Hide Caption 3 of 8 Photos: Judy Clarke and her clientsEric Robert Rudolph was defended by Clarke after he pleaded guilty in 2005 to bombing a women's clinic in Birmingham, Alabama, and other bombings, including at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Prosecutors dropped the death penalty after he led them to dynamite caches in North Carolina.Hide Caption 4 of 8 Photos: Judy Clarke and her clientsZacarias Moussaoui, also known as the 20th hijacker in the 9/11 attacks, was defended by Clarke only briefly since he repeatedly fired his lawyers. He abruptly pleaded guilty to terror conspiracy charges in July 2002, though he was not given the death penalty.Hide Caption 5 of 8 Photos: Judy Clarke and her clientsBuford O. Furrow was sentenced to five life terms for a shooting spree at a Jewish Community Center in Los Angeles and the fatal shooting of a Filipino-American postal worker in 1999. Prosecutors dropped the death penalty when the defense documented and charted Furrow's long history of psychiatric treatment for bipolar disorder.Hide Caption 6 of 8 Photos: Judy Clarke and her clientsClarke kept Ted Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber, off death row. He pleaded guilty in January 1998 to making and transporting bomb materials that killed three people. Federal prosecutors backed away from the death penalty after their own expert diagnosed him as a paranoid schizophrenic.Hide Caption 7 of 8 Photos: Judy Clarke and her clientsSusan Smith was convicted of murdering her two sons by strapping them into a car and rolling the car into a lake in 1994. Clarke portrayed Smith as a woman so tormented by her failures in life that she even failed at her own suicide and jumped out of the car. Smith did not receive the death penalty.Hide Caption 8 of 8"If you're looking to me for a simple and clean answer as to why this young man, who had never been arrested, who had never sassed a teacher, who spent his free time in school working with disabled kids -- if you ask me -- if you expect me to have an answer, a simple, clean answer as to how this could happen, I don't have it. I don't have it." And then she makes the plea to spare his life, putting the decision squarely on the shoulders of each juror. The federal death penalty requires a unanimous vote by all 12 jurors. A lone holdout means a life sentence and a victory for Clarke.As she is fond of saying, "It only takes one." And so, the final moments of her argument were targeted at the "one." She asked, "Is his a life worth saving? Is there hope for him? Is there hope for redemption?" And she pointed out that the law never demands a death sentence. "The law values life, and you have no obligation to vote for death. Each one of you, individually, each one of you is a safeguard against the death penalty."She urged jurors not to act out of a need for retribution because "that's not who we are." A life sentence, she argued, "allows the possibility of redemption." It's a sentence that reflects justice and mercy."Mercy's never earned," Clarke said. "It's bestowed. And the law allows you to choose justice and mercy. I ask you to make a decision of strength, a choice that demonstrates the resilience of this community. We ask you to choose life." Atticus Finch would have been proud. But Clarke didn't get the last word. That privilege belongs to the prosecution in any capital case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney William Weinreb has stood as the fatherly moral conscience of this trial. His closing argument came like a punch in the gut after Clarke's "choose life" idealism. Photos: Boston bombings: The week in photos Photos: Boston bombings: The week in photosThe second of two explosions goes off near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. Three people were killed and at least 264 were injured in the double bombings.Hide Caption 1 of 23 Photos: Boston bombings: The week in photosA man comforts a victim at the scene of the first explosion.Hide Caption 2 of 23 Photos: Boston bombings: The week in photosRunners react near Kenmore Square after the explosions.Hide Caption 3 of 23 Photos: Boston bombings: The week in photosRescue workers tend to the wounded on the scene. First responders tried to save lives and limbs before transporting victims to hospitals.Hide Caption 4 of 23 Photos: Boston bombings: The week in photosOn April 16, 2013, a vigil was held at Boston's Garvey Park for 8-year-old bombing victim Martin Richard. The other victims were Krystle Campbell, a 29-year-old restaurant manager from Medford, Massachusetts, and Lingzi Lu, a 23-year-old Chinese national attending graduate school at Boston University.Hide Caption 5 of 23 Photos: Boston bombings: The week in photosThe city was quiet the day after the tragedy. Here, a young runner, left, sits in a church near the scene of the attack.Hide Caption 6 of 23 Photos: Boston bombings: The week in photosOn April 17, 2013, a federal law enforcement source with firsthand knowledge of the investigation told CNN that a lid to a pressure cooker -- thought to have been used in the bombings -- had been found on a roof of a building near the scene. It was one of several pieces of evidence authorities found.Hide Caption 7 of 23 Photos: Boston bombings: The week in photosThe device also had fragments such as nails, BBs and ball bearings, the FBI said.Hide Caption 8 of 23 Photos: Boston bombings: The week in photosOn April 18, 2013, the FBI released photos and video of two suspects in the bombings and asked for the public's help in identifying them. Hide Caption 9 of 23 Photos: Boston bombings: The week in photosThe FBI later identified the suspects as Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, left, and his brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev.Hide Caption 10 of 23 Photos: Boston bombings: The week in photosFBI Suspect No. 2, later said to be Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, is apparently seen in this picture, far left in white cap. The photo was taken by Boston Marathon runner David Green at the scene of the bombings.Hide Caption 11 of 23 Photos: Boston bombings: The week in photosThe man identified as Dzhokhar Tsarnaev appears in a tighter crop of Green's photo. Green submitted the photo to the FBI, he told CNN's Piers Morgan in an interview.Hide Caption 12 of 23 Photos: Boston bombings: The week in photosLate on the night of April 18, 2013, police responded to a call that a campus officer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was shot and killed. Police said a man later reported being carjacked by the brothers. The two were stopped in Watertown, Massachusetts, where police said they threw explosives and shot at the officers. One man, assumed to be Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, drove off. The other, later identified as Tamerlan Tsarnaev, was injured. He died at the hospital.Hide Caption 13 of 23 Photos: Boston bombings: The week in photosBoston Police Commissioner Edward Davis speaks to the media on April 19, 2013, and explains that the city is on lockdown until the surviving suspect is found.Hide Caption 14 of 23 Photos: Boston bombings: The week in photosOfficers scoured Watertown, Massachusetts, where Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was last seen.Hide Caption 15 of 23 Photos: Boston bombings: The week in photosFrightened residents were questioned near Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's home in Cambridge, Massachusetts.Hide Caption 16 of 23 Photos: Boston bombings: The week in photosSWAT teams conducted door-to-door searches in Watertown while looking for the suspect.Hide Caption 17 of 23 Photos: Boston bombings: The week in photosRuslan Tsarni, uncle of the Tsarnaev brothers, gave an interview April 19, 2013, outside his home in Montgomery Village, Maryland. He urged Tsarnaev to turn himself in.Hide Caption 18 of 23 Photos: Boston bombings: The week in photosSWAT teams continue to search in Watertown on April 19, 2013.Hide Caption 19 of 23 Photos: Boston bombings: The week in photosOn the evening of April 19, 2013, a Watertown resident called the police and reported seeing a man on a boat in his backyard. Residents ran from the area where police said Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was hiding on Franklin Street.Hide Caption 20 of 23 Photos: Boston bombings: The week in photosHelicopters with infrared devices detected a man under the boat tarp. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's frame is seen in this thermal image released by Massachusetts State Police.Hide Caption 21 of 23 Photos: Boston bombings: The week in photosPolice threw "flash-bangs" -- devices meant to stun people with a loud noise -- and started negotiations with Tsarnaev. He eventually surrendered and was transported to a local hospital in serious condition.Hide Caption 22 of 23 Photos: Boston bombings: The week in photosPeople wave U.S. flags in Watertown after it was announced that Tsarnaev had been captured.Hide Caption 23 of 23"If you want to know why the defendant committed these crimes, that's the question Ms. Clarke just told you is unanswerable. If you want to know -- if you want an explanation of how he became this person, of what made him do it? What better place to look for the answer than in his own handwritten explanation of his actions?" Weinreb said. During the 18 hours he hid from police in a tarp-covered pleasure boat in a Watertown backyard, Tsarnaev scrawled what prosecutors refer to as the "boat manifesto." Tsarnaev's message, written with a pencil on the sides, was streaked with blood and pocked with bullet holes. Jurors viewed the boat for themselves. "He wrote in the boat, 'I'm jealous of my brother who has received the reward of martyrdom, but God has a plan for each person. Mine was to hide in this boat and shed some light on our actions,'" Weinreb said. "'God has a plan for each person.' That's who he believed he was doing this for. His god, not Tamerlan Tsarnaev." He said Tsarnaev deserves the death penalty "not because he's inhuman, but because he's inhumane."And then he planted the notion that anything short of a death sentence is letting a callous terrorist off the hook. "If you sentence the defendant to life imprisonment, you will be giving him the minimum punishment authorized by law for these crimes," Weinreb said. "It is a lesser punishment than death. Does he deserve the minimum punishment or do these crimes, these four deaths, demand something more?"I don't know if these closing arguments will be taught in law school some day. I don't know if they'll eventually wind up in movies or books. All I know is I was lucky to witness three lawyers who are among the best in the country at what they do, playing at the top of their game. | 4 |
Story highlightsFerrari taking fight to Mercedes in 2017Bahrain GP takes place on Sunday (CNN)With a win apiece and level on points, the battle between Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel could not be more finely poised heading into this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix.Vettel's storming win for Ferrari at the opening race in Melbourne was matched by Hamilton's masterful drive to the checkered flag in Shanghai last weekend leaving both men on 43 points. And for added spice, both Hamilton and Vettel have also won twice at the Bahrain International Circuit.As the pair prepare to duel again under the lights in Sunday's 57-lap race there is a growing sense that Ferrari can genuinely challenge Mercedes for the 2017 Formula One world title. Sebastian Vettel (left) and Lewis Hamilton embrace at last weekend's Chinese Grand Prix."Ferrari have done a great job catching up with Mercedes and it's great to see Ferrari winning races," Haas F1 Team driver Romain Grosjean told CNN.Read More"I'm biased because I want Ferrari to win for the fans, for F1, for everyone but I think it could be a great battle."Bahrain has been a happy hunting ground for Grosjean who has finished on the podium twice for Lotus and last year he recorded Haas' best F1 result finishing fifth in a race won by Mercedes Nico Rosberg.This season's rivalry between Mercedes and Ferrari has been welcomed in the F1 paddock and by fans following three years of dominance by the German team. Even Lewis Hamilton is relishing the battle -- "I love this fight that we are having," the Briton said after embracing Vettel in parc ferme last weekend.'It's more exciting racing another team'Hamilton comfortably kept the Ferrari challenge at bay, winning by six seconds in cool, damp conditions at the Shanghai International Circuit.But Bahrain is a different proposition. "I think Ferrari have shown tremendous pace and I think obviously in the first race, particularly in race trim, they're very, very quick, particularly on the hotter circuit," Hamilton told reporters on Thursday. "So, being that it is a hotter race here I think the gap is going to be even closer, if not different that to perhaps it was before, but we shall see.READ: Alonso skips Monaco GP for Indy 500WATCH: Lewis Hamilton's first car was a ..."It's more exciting racing another team, very much like I experienced in 2007 and 2008," Hamilton said, referring to the title battle with Ferrari during his time at McLaren. Grosjean's aims will be more modest as he tries to track down for his first points of the year in Bahrain. Romain Grosjean finished fifth at last year's Bahrain Grand Prix but has yet to score a point in 2017.It's a circuit he enjoys driving -- he has finished on the podium twice for former team Lotus and 12 months ago he notched his and Haas' best F1 result to date.Visit cnn.com/motorsport for more news and videos"It's always super exciting to come here, you know I had that fifth place last year, as well as the podium here in 2012 and 2013," the 30-year-old says."(The circuit layout requires) big braking which I enjoy and it's always a fun race, so I'm looking forward to going on track." | 7 |
Story highlightsPakistan playing first home match since gun attack on visiting Sri Lankan team in 2009International teams refused to tour Pakistan because of security concernsPakistan has been fighting a brutal campaign against Islamic militantsLahore, Pakistan (CNN)It's no secret that Pakistan is cricket crazy.But over the next few days, this passion for the game is expected to go into overdrive because for the first time in six years, the Pakistani national team is coming home.On March 3, 2009, the cricket world was left stunned when Sri Lanka's visiting cricket team was attacked by militants on their way to a match in the northeastern city of Lahore. The gunmen sprayed their tour bus with bullets as it neared the stadium, killing eight people -- six policemen and two civilians -- and leaving several of the visiting players wounded. The incident was a huge blow for the future of international cricket in the country. In the years that followed international teams backed out of playing here citing security concerns, as Pakistan entered one of the darkest periods in its struggle with an increasingly violent militant insurgency."It's as if cricket's darkest era had coincided with the country's darkest era," sports journalist Ahmer Naqvi tells CNN. "Now that things are looking up for cricket, people are hoping it could foretell something better for the nation's future."Read MorePakistan's Twenty20 cricket captain Shahid Afridi (R) and his Zimbabwe counterpart Elton Chigumbura shake hands after unveiling the Twenty20 International trophy in Lahore on May 21.Fast forward to 2015 and although Pakistan's militant problem has not been defeated, there's been a noticeable sense of hope and celebration across the nation since Zimbabwe announced they would be coming to play two T20 matches and three one-day internationals (ODI) in Lahore, the scene of the 2009 horror.Along the city's Mall road, huge posters welcome the visitors. The matches are due to be held in the imposing fort-like Gaddafi Stadium. The Pakistan Cricket Board said the first two matches at the 60,000-capacity arena are completely sold out.READ: Pakistan at turning point on terror? In nearby Liberty market, close to where the attack on the Sri Lankan team took place, Khan Muhammad is buying groceries but when asked about the upcoming games he whips out a neatly folded ticket from his shirt pocket. He's kept it with him ever since he bought it two days ago.JUST WATCHEDThe Taliban in Pakistan's terror legacyReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHThe Taliban in Pakistan's terror legacy 01:41"I bought this with a friend," he tells CNN, proudly brandishing the ticket. "I can't tell you how happy I am that international cricket has come back to Pakistan."High securityOutside Gaddafi Stadium, police officials and paramilitary troops are out in force -- a huge security operation. Every few steps there is a black police van with policemen sipping mango juice in the sweltering Punjab heat, black Labradors sniff the grounds of the stadium alert for any possible threat. Thousands of security officials have been deployed across the city in anticipation of the event.Sitting in a sunlit room overlooking the pitch where all the sporting drama is soon to take place, Sharyaar Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, tells CNN that he's confident that "nothing will happen; there will be utmost security for the teams."With international teams previously unwilling to travel to Pakistan, the home team has had to play matches in the UAE, which has really cost the PCB. But the chairman is quick to point out why this tournament is so important for the country."It's not only cricket, it goes beyond the cricketing arena," he says. "If a huge crowd can watch cricket safely in Pakistan, it will send a message across the world that Pakistan is getting safer."READ: Pakistan: 'We'll eliminate terrorism ... from our soil' As dusk settles on the last day before the first game is due to begin, both the Pakistani and Zimbabwean squads practice under the whirring buzz of security helicopters hovering above.Young hopesJUST WATCHEDPakistan pledges continued Taliban warReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHPakistan pledges continued Taliban war 12:50The Pakistan team is a young one, a new generation of players who have the hopes of so many on them. The hash tag #CricketComesHome is trending on social media here, with fans traveling from across the country to watch their heroes play. These young men are waiting in the wings to make their mark on the nation's cricket psyche. They have come of age in turbulent times and many of them have never played an international match in front of a home crowd before.Azhar Ali, 30, is the captain for the country's one day team and when he walks out to the pitch next week to lead his players, it will be the first time he will do so on his home turf -- making one of his childhood dreams turn to reality."I think cricket is like second to religion in Pakistan," Azhar says. "International cricket coming back to Pakistan is a very important thing, we have all missed that in the last few years."As the sun sets and the bright lights switch on at Gaddafi stadium, the scene is set for a nation to show their love for the game, away from the shadow of militancy. Photos: After six years, cricket match returns to Pakistani soilPakistan is expected to go into overdrive Friday as the Pakistani cricket team will play on its home turf for the first time in almost a decade. Here, Khan Muhammad cheerfully brandishes the ticket he bought with his friend for the match -- which is completely sold out.Hide Caption 1 of 10 Photos: After six years, cricket match returns to Pakistani soilSince March 3, 2009 when Sri Lanka's cricket team was assaulted by militants, killing 8 people and injuring several visiting players, no international cricket competition has been held in cricket-crazy Pakistan.Hide Caption 2 of 10 Photos: After six years, cricket match returns to Pakistani soilSix years later, Zimbabwe has arrived in Pakistan to play an international match -- Massive color posters welcome their arrival.Hide Caption 3 of 10 Photos: After six years, cricket match returns to Pakistani soilA poster with the hashtag #CricketComesHome trended on social media this week. Fans are traveling from across the country to watch the national team play. Hide Caption 4 of 10 Photos: After six years, cricket match returns to Pakistani soilSharyaar Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, is confident the match will be free of incidents as security is tight. For him, the match is not only about cricket, but a message to the world that Pakistan is getting safer.Hide Caption 5 of 10 Photos: After six years, cricket match returns to Pakistani soilThe Zimbabwe and Pakistani cricket teams have relied on escorts from security teams in order to attend practice sessions.Hide Caption 6 of 10 Photos: After six years, cricket match returns to Pakistani soilThe matches are due to be held in an imposing fort-like stadium, with the capacity to seat over 22,000 spectators.Hide Caption 7 of 10 Photos: After six years, cricket match returns to Pakistani soilPakistani cricket team members attend a practice session.Hide Caption 8 of 10 Photos: After six years, cricket match returns to Pakistani soilPolice officials and paramilitary troops can be seen patrolling outside Gaddafi Stadium, where the attack on the Sri Lankan team took place in 2009. Hide Caption 9 of 10 Photos: After six years, cricket match returns to Pakistani soilThousands of security officials have been deployed across the city in anticipation of the event. Hide Caption 10 of 10 | 7 |
Story highlightsTrump is tentatively scheduled to unveil his plan during remarks a week from ThursdayThe decision stops short of completely scrapping the Iran dealWashington (CNN)President Donald Trump plans to "decertify" the Iran nuclear deal next week, declaring the Obama-era pact not in US interests and launching a congressional review period on the accord, according to two senior US officials.Trump is tentatively scheduled to unveil his plan during remarks a week from Thursday, though one official cautioned the timing could shift.Trump said Thursday that Iran has not "lived up" to the spirit of the deal.Speaking ahead of a dinner with military officers, Trump said it was imperative Iran not obtain nuclear weapons.Trump said Tehran was a supporter of terror and violence, and indicated the deal would be a topic of discussion among the military leaders.Read More"You'll be hearing about Iran very shortly," he said.The decision, which was first reported by The Washington Free Beacon and The Washington Post, stops short of completely scrapping the Iran deal, which Trump railed against on the campaign trail.By decertifying the deal, Trump would kick the matter to Congress, which would then have 60 days to determine a path forward.White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Thursday the President had made a decision on the agreement and would announce it "soon.""The President's team has presented a united strategy that the national security team all stands behind and supports," she said.Mattis: In US national security interest to stay in Iran dealTrump will spell out a broader strategy for confronting Iran, including its ballistic missile program and support for terror networks in the Middle East, as he unveils his decision on the Iran deal, according to one senior US official. The official didn't specify what precise steps he may take.Under the new Iran strategy the current deal will stay in place, with efforts being made within the framework of the existing agreement to try and strengthen inspections and plan for what happens when it expires, a senior US official told CNN on Thursday. But a senior Democratic aide told CNN on Thursday that lawmakers on the other side of the aisle "believe the President should make the certification, full stop.""We are not participating in preemptive negotiations, with no text, based on the assumption that the President is not going to make the certification," the aide said. "The maximum point of leverage to address Iran's nefarious activities is now, before his expected terrible decision -- not after, when he undermines America's credibility to uphold its commitments with our allies and partners." How will European nations react?European diplomats, anticipating Trump's move, have already been meeting with Democrats and Republicans in Congress to take lawmakers' temperature and lobby them on the merits of the agreement. They're seeing little appetite to reopen the deal, but say that some in Congress worry that hawkish Republicans may introduce legislation to force the issue.The message these diplomats have gotten from administration officials is that they were "looking for a middle way" and didn't want to "kill the deal," one envoy said. Amending the US law provided a way out, but the envoy said there is little appetite in Congress for the hot potato Trump had handed them. Once Trump decertifies the pact, Congress has 60 days to re-impose sanctions, but that is something only the majority and minority party leaders can initiate.Democrats back the deal and even the few who voted against it, including Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, have now said they will support it, the envoy said. What's in the Iran nuclear deal?Stockpiles & centrifuges: The deal has curbed Iran's nuclear program, reducing its stockpiles of enriched uranium by 97 percent and cutting the number of its centrifuges by two-thirds.Uranium enrichment: It still allows Iran to continue enrichment -- enough for civil use to power parts of the country, but not enough to build a nuclear bomb.Inspections: Iran is required to provide inspectors from the UN's nuclear watchdog access to monitor its declared nuclear facilities.Compliance: Every 90 days, the US President must certify to Congress that Iran is keeping up its end of the deal. If the President does not certify the agreement, Congress has a statutory 60-day period to decide whether to reimpose sanctions.Sanctions: If Iran doesn't comply, US, European Union, and UN nuclear-related sanctions on the Iranian economy would be reinstated. A number of non-nuclear-related sanctions currently remain in place. Sources: White House, State Department, Congress, CNNAnd most Republicans aren't interested in re-opening the Iran debate either, the envoy said. "The majority of the GOP aren't excited about this," the envoy said, comparing GOP attitudes toward the pact to the unwanted card in the game Old Maid, which players try to get rid of as quickly as possible.Conveying what Republicans are saying, the envoy said, "they want to avoid a crisis and they don't want to kill the agreement" and be saddled with the blame for that. European diplomats are seeing no appetite in the GOP leadership for a fight to reopen the Iran deal, either. Referring to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, the envoy said they "aren't going to do anything dangerous."The wild card, the envoy said, is whether hawkish Republicans, such as Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, or Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, will introduce legislation on Iran to force the issue, "and whether McConnell will be in a position to derail" them. Last month, foreign ministers representing countries that are party to the deal -- Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China and Iran -- argued that the agreement was designed to address issues solely related to Iran's nuclear program, according to several diplomats who attended the meeting that took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.By all accounts -- even that of the United States -- Iran had lived up to its commitments under the agreement, and European leaders signaled they were not interested in expanding the scope of its implementation, they said."Not certifying would pass the decision on the JCPOA over to Congress, with the risk that they decide to re-impose nuclear sanctions leading to US abrogation of the JCPOA," one European diplomat told CNN on Thursday. Macron could become one of Trump's greatest assets"If not certifying is part of a larger plan with Congress to stay within the deal, this would not be a direct breach. However, all the evidence to date is that Iran is in compliance with the terms of the JCPOA," the diplomat added. "The JCPOA is a hard-fought international agreement that is vital to our security and that of our allies; our priority is working with the deal and making it deliver for our shared security interests," the diplomat said.What will Congress do?On Tuesday, CNN reported that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Bob Corker were spearheading efforts to amend US legislation regarding Iran to shift focus away from the nuclear issue -- a move that could allow the US to stay in the multilateral nuclear deal forged in 2015 and also push back against Iran's other destabilizing behavior, officials and diplomats said.Tillerson's dramatic plan to save Iran deal, keep up pressure"Tillerson has said the problem with the JCPOA is not the JCPOA," one senior administration official said, using the acronym for the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action."It's the legislation," the official said. "Every 90 days the President must certify and its creates a political crisis. If the administration could put the nuclear deal in a corner, everyone could happily get back to work on dealing with everything else that is a problem with Iran."Instead of certifying that Iran is meeting its technical commitments under the nuclear deal, the administration would report to Congress regularly about broader aggressive Iranian behavior -- such as support for terrorism and its ballistic missile program -- and what the administration is doing to counter it.This approach could allow the US to stay in the deal but help Trump avoid the political headache of having to re-certify it every 90 days.It might also keep the Europeans, who want to keep the deal, on board with administration efforts to fight Iran's other destabilizing activities.HR McMaster, Trump's national security adviser, invited a small group of Democratic senators to the White House Wednesday to discuss the President's plans on the Iran deal, and hinted that he did not think decertifying is the right way to go, according to two sources familiar with the meeting.The sources said the meeting was clearly intended for McMaster to get ideas from key Senate Democrats on how to avoid decertifying the Iran deal, which many in both parties think would destabilize relations with allies and make it harder to confront foes well beyond Iran.These sources said McMaster never explicitly said he disagrees with the President, nor that he wants the President to certify that the Iran deal is in America's national interest. But the sources say McMaster repeatedly responded to Democratic Senators entreaties not to decertify Iran and instead look for bipartisan alternatives by saying that he is not the one they have to convince, suggesting they were preaching to the choir.McMaster's apparent unease with decertifying the Iran deal puts him on the same side of other top members of the Trump national security team.During a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Defense Secretary James Mattis said that he believes it is in the US national security interest to remain in the agreement.Sen. Angus King asked Mattis: "Do you believe it is in our national security interest at the present time to remain in the (agreement)? That is a yes or no question."Mattis replied, "Yes, senator, I do.""The point I would make is if we can confirm that Iran is living by the agreement, if we can determine that this is in our best interests then clearly we should stay with it," Mattis added. "I believe at this point in time absent indications to the contrary, it is something the President should consider staying with."But Mattis went on to explain that he also supports a rigorous review of national security issues related to Iran that may fall outside the exact terms of the agreement."The President has to consider more broadly things that rightly fall under his portfolio of looking out for the American people in areas that go beyond the specific letters of the JCPOA -- in that regard I support the rigorous review that he has got going on right now," he said.CNN's Nicole Gaouette, Dana Bash and Jim Sciutto contributed to this report. | 5 |
(CNN)French police have launched a manhunt for the suspect in Friday's explosion in Lyon, which injured at least 13 people.No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz said Saturday on French news channel BFM TV. An investigation into "terrorist conspiracy" was opened hours after the explosion in the city's central shopping area, which saw 11 people, including a 10-year-old child, admitted to hospital.At least 13 people were injured in the explosion Friday evening. Heitz said 90 police investigators and 30 technicians were working on this case.CCTV footage shows the suspect dropping a paper bag in front of a Brioche Dorée bakery on Victor Hugo Street, before leaving the street at 5.27 pm local time, Heitz said. The explosion occurred a minute later. Near the explosion site, police found small screws, metal ball bearings, a printed circuit board, seven batteries, a remote trigger and white plastic "that could be part of the explosive device," he said. Read MoreExplosion à #Lyon angle rue Victor Hugo et rue Sala. Périmètre de sécurité mis en place. Pour votre sécurité éviter le secteur. pic.twitter.com/g9bAgH2oaf— Préfet de région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes et du Rhône (@prefetrhone) May 24, 2019
The suspect wore light green bermuda shorts, a dark green shirt, black shoes and a black backpack, covering his face with a khaki cap and sunglasses. New photos of the suspect will be released soon, Heitz said.The city's second district mayor, Denis Broliquier, said on BFM TV that the explosion did not result in major damage, as "the load of the parcel bomb" did not cause much of an impact. Victims' injuries, he said, were caused by "pieces of metal and glass."On Twitter, French President Emmanuel Macron wrote: "Tonight I think of the wounded in the explosion in Lyon, their families affected by the violence that has befallen their loved ones in the street, and all of Lyon. We are by your side." | 4 |
(CNN)A Louisiana State Police trooper was captured on video repeatedly beating a Black motorist with a flashlight more than two years ago, according to body camera footage of the incident obtained by CNN -- the latest footage linked to a state police division that is under investigation for possible systemic abuses against Black motorists. Seven minutes of footage from the officer's body-worn camera from the May 2019 incident was recently turned over to attorneys for the motorist, Aaron Larry Bowman, pursuant to a court order last week. CNN obtained a copy of that video Wednesday from Bowman's attorneys.The trooper in the video, Jacob Brown, was charged in December with aggravated second-degree battery and malfeasance in office. He has not entered a plea. State prosecutors said that case remains on hold as federal investigators are conducting their own investigation into Brown's actions. Louisiana State Police Trooper Jacob Brown is seen in this December 10, 2020, photo provided by the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office.The Department of Justice said this case is the subject of a criminal investigation being handled by the FBI, "along with career prosecutors in the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice."Attempts to reach Brown were not successful. He doesn't have an attorney listed. Brown resigned from the state police in March, according to a spokesman.Read MoreBody camera footage of Bowman being beaten shows officers running toward other officers who have him on the ground, attempting to arrest him. The body-worn camera footage shows Brown swinging what appears to be a flashlight and repeatedly striking Bowman while he's facedown on the ground with his hands behind his head for part of the beating as he tells them, "I'm not resisting."California DOJ to investigate fired officer's role in Oscar Grant's 2009 killing "Fighting us ain't gonna help you bud," an officer says."I'm not fighting you," Bowman responds.He can later be heard moaning and saying, "They hit me in the head with a flashlight. I'm on dialysis, man, it hurt me. It hurt me. I don't have nothing."The division of the Louisiana State Police where Brown worked, Troop F, is under investigation for potential abuses committed by troopers against Black motorists. That investigation followed the death of Ronald Greene, a Black motorist who died after he was beaten and tased following a car chase that began when Greene didn't stop for officers.Louisiana supervisors reviewing video from a state police unit to investigate whether there's a history of abuse in its interactions with Black people, sources sayAs part of the probe, investigators are working to determine whether there's a history of abuse in interactions between troopers in Troop F and Black people, two sources familiar with the process previously confirmed to CNN.The video was first obtained by The Associated Press. What's known of the cases involving this unit within the Louisiana State Police is largely the result of reporting by the AP, which has exposed various issues with the conduct and covering up of that conduct by state troopers.According to court records, as a result of the beating, "(Bowman) sustained multiple lacerations," that include "a cut to the top of his head, a fractured arm, and broken ribs amongst other ailments."Ron Haley, one of Bowman's attorneys, said Brown beat his client with an 8-inch aluminum flashlight. Brown hit him within seconds of initial contact and hit Bowman at least 18 times in 24 seconds, Haley said. CNN affiliate WBRZ reported that an arrest affidavit says Brown went on to strike Bowman 18 times in the span of about 24 seconds.It wasn't immediately clear to Bowman's attorneys or prosecutors that body-worn camera footage of the beating existed.Former Minneapolis officers charged with violating George Floyd's civil rights want their federal cases separated from Derek Chauvin A statement from Louisiana State Police said the agency found the footage after Bowman's attorneys filed a lawsuit, adding that after investigators located the footage, they began administrative and criminal investigations.State police have said at the time of Brown's arrest "detectives learned that Brown engaged in excessive and unjustifiable actions during the incident and failed to report the use of force to his supervisors."The result of the criminal investigation was turned over to the district attorney's office, and Brown was charged in December. Robert Tew, the district attorney in Monroe, said it is being continued until the US Department of Justice decides whether to charge him with federal crimes.Eric Garner's family commemorates his death as judge allows litigation against police and city officialsLast week, a judge in Bowman's criminal case ordered the video turned over to Bowman's attorneys."Prior to (the investigation into Brown), no one knew about the body camera footage," said Keith Whiddon, one of Bowman's attorneys. "When my office learned of it, we filed our motion to ask the state to turn it over, and the judge ordered it turned over in seven days."The incident began when an Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office deputy attempted to pull over Bowman, while using lights and sirens on his vehicle, according to an affidavit. Deputies from that agency don't wear body cameras, according to the district attorney and according to Bowman's defense attorney. Bowman fought with at least one of those deputies, according to an affidavit filed in the case against Bowman. According to the affidavit filed by a Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office deputy, Bowman "began swinging his arms at me and screaming he did not do anything wrong. (Bowman) then struck me on top of the head with a closed fist."Bowman disputed the police version of events in his civil suit. He "asserts that the published police report is fabricated, and aspects of Deputy (Donovan) Ginn's narrative is untrue."Bowman was charged with resisting arrest following the traffic stop. That case remains open.CNN's Evan Perez and Christina Carrega contributed to this report. | 4 |
Story highlightsPalace forced to announce Duchess of Cambridge's pregnancy after hospital tripUnclear when senior members of royal family, including the queen, were toldSaunders: Pregnancy could be one of most significant in the UK royal historyThe news the Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a child marks a dramatic departure from previous royal pregnancies. For it is believed even the queen may not have been given the happy news. Buckingham Palace were forced to make the announcement only after Catherine was taken to hospital suffering from acute morning sickness. Usually proclamations of royal births are posted on the gates at Buckingham Palace only after the 12th week of pregnancy. But knowing it would be impossible to keep Catherine's visit to hospital a secret, Buckingham Palace took the unusual step of pre-empting press speculation and revealing the news immediately. The announcement is in stark contrast to Princess Diana's first pregnancy, which was announced some six weeks after the queen had been informed, and after months of intense press speculation. Royal advisors are being surprisingly open about Catherine's condition, despite recent intrusions into her private life, including the publication of topless photos, which were condemned by Buckingham Palace. It is believed a new spirit of openness has been embraced by William and Catherine in an attempt to prevent the massive press interest and speculation that surrounded Princess Diana. JUST WATCHEDWith royal baby, three wait for throneReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWith royal baby, three wait for throne 02:28JUST WATCHEDA royal baby on the wayReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHA royal baby on the way 02:07 Photos: Photos: Kate's love for kids Photos: Photos: Kate's love for kidsKate's love for kids – Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, left, meets 5-month-old James William Davies as she arrives at the Guildhall during her visit to Cambridge on November 28, 2012. Prince William and his wife, Catherine, are expecting their first child, the palace announced Monday, December 3. Click through this gallery to see the her interacting with the younger generation.Hide Caption 1 of 15 Photos: Photos: Kate's love for kidsKate's love for kids – Prince William and Kate kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London after their wedding at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011. Two young bridesmaids, Grace Van Cutsem, left, and Margarita Armstrong-Jones, right, seem to have differing views of being in the public eye.Hide Caption 2 of 15 Photos: Photos: Kate's love for kidsKate's love for kids – Catherine speaks with two young girls as she presents shamrocks to members of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards at the St Patrick's Day Parade on March 17, 2012, at Mons Barracks in Aldershot. Hide Caption 3 of 15 Photos: Photos: Kate's love for kidsKate's love for kids – Catherine joins in a music class during a visit to The Treehouse in Ipswich, eastern England, on March 19, 2012. Her visited marked the formal opening of The Treehouse, a children's hospice service for the counties of Suffolk and Essex. Hide Caption 4 of 15 Photos: Photos: Kate's love for kidsKate's love for kids – A young child holds up a banner as Catherine visits Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust on February 14, 2012, in Liverpool, England. Hide Caption 5 of 15 Photos: Photos: Kate's love for kidsKate's love for kids – A young girl offers Catherine a toy rose as the Duchess visits Alder Hey Children's Hospital on February 14, 2012, in Liverpool, England. Interacting with children during visits to hospital or charities is a part of official duties that Catherine seems to enjoy.Hide Caption 6 of 15 Photos: Photos: Kate's love for kidsKate's love for kids – Catherine meets children at Nauti Primary School during the couple's Diamond Jubilee tour of the Far East on September 18, 2012, in Funafuti, Tuvalu. Since her marriage with Prince William, the Duchess has reached out to children and schools all over the world.Hide Caption 7 of 15 Photos: Photos: Kate's love for kidsKate's love for kids – Eloise Taylor, Catherine and Margarita Armstrong-Jones stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Colour Parade on June 11, 2011, in London. The parade is a celebration of the sovereign's official birthday, although the queen's actual birthday is on April 21. Hide Caption 8 of 15 Photos: Photos: Kate's love for kidsKate's love for kids – Catherine greets a young girl during a walkabout as she visits Alder Hey Children's Hospital on February 14, 2012, in Liverpool, England. Hide Caption 9 of 15 Photos: Photos: Kate's love for kidsKate's love for kids – Catherine talks with flag-waving schoolchildren as she arrives for a visit to The Art Room's classroom at Rose Hill Primary School on February 21, 2012, in Oxford, England. Since the beginning of the year, Catherine has become patron of four charities, including the Art Room. Hide Caption 10 of 15 Photos: Photos: Kate's love for kidsKate's love for kids – Catherine receives a bouquet of flowers from a young girl during her visit to the UNICEF Centre on November 2, 2011, in Copenhagen, Denmark. Hide Caption 11 of 15 Photos: Photos: Kate's love for kidsKate's love for kids – Catherine laughs as she receives flowers from 2-year-old Lola Mackay, who refused to let go of them, during a visit to the CRI Stockton Recovery Service on October 10, 2012, in Stockton-on-Tees, England. Hide Caption 12 of 15 Photos: Photos: Kate's love for kidsKate's love for kids – Catherine, right, speaks with schoolchildren during an official visit to the Art Room facilities at Rose Hill Primary School in Oxford on February 21, 2012.Hide Caption 13 of 15 Photos: Photos: Kate's love for kidsKate's love for kids – Catherine talks with a young girl as she arrives for a visit to Alder Hey Children's Hospital on February 14, 2012, in Liverpool, England. Hide Caption 14 of 15 Photos: Photos: Kate's love for kidsKate's love for kids – Prince William and Catherine help pack care packages for military children at the Mission Serve: Hiring Our Heroes event on July 10, 2011, in Culver City, California. Hide Caption 15 of 15Prince William drove his wife to hospital earlier today and spent hours by her bedside. He left tonight looking tense but happy. Catherine is expected to stay in hospital for several days. Catherine and William baby news sparks media frenzySources said the couple are "incredibly happy but nervous." In a statement on their website William and Catherine said they were "delighted with the news." It is unclear when senior members of the royal family, including the queen, were told about the pregnancy -- but a palace insider says Catherine's parents were already aware their eldest daughter was expecting because she was taken ill whilst staying at their family home in Berkshire this weekend. Catherine's pregnancy could turn out to be one of the most significant in the history of the British royal family, for the child will accede to the throne even if she is a girl. The child will not be subject to the centuries old law of primogeniture, which puts male heirs ahead of women. Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron has agreed a deal to change the rules on the royal line of succession, which means male heirs will no longer be given priority. News of the pregnancy was met with joy throughout the UK. Within minutes of the announcement being published on the royal couple's website it had crashed under the weight of traffic.Photos: The Duchess of Cambridge's best looks | 4 |
(CNN)"I came, I saw, I conquered," read Zlatan Ibrahimovic's tweet confirming he was leaving MLS at the end of last season. The Swedish soccer star might be confident he conquered North American football, but Ibrahimovic is a notable omission in the MLS' list of its 25 greatest ever players.Reaching its landmark 25th season in 2020, MLS released "The 25 Greatest" on Wednesday to acknowledge the players who, in the words of the league, "achieved the most on the field, drove the narrative off the field and helped lay the foundation or set the course going forward." And with the likes of David Beckham, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan and Carlos Valderrama making the cut, Ibrahmovic was squeezed out.Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored 52 goals in 56 appearances for LA Galaxy.It was in March 2018 that Ibrahimovic announced himself to American sports fans with a ludicrous long-range volley on his MLS debut as he helped his Los Angeles Galaxy side beat crosstown rivals LAFC. Until his departure at the end of the 2019 season, Ibrahimovic feasted on defenses at the rate of nearly a goal (52) every game (56) and undoubtedly helped raise the profile of the league globally, just as Beckham did during his spell in Los Angeles a decade earlier.'I came, I saw, I conquered': Zlatan Ibrahimovic confirms LA Galaxy exit Read MoreCocksure swaggerIbrahimovic's brief spell in the league will forever be remembered for not just his trademark goals but cocksure swagger. Not for nothing did the Swede make his stateside move official by taking out a signed full-page advert in the Los Angeles Times, with only the words "Dear Los Angeles, you're welcome" above his name.Ibrahimovic cared little for the observation that foreign footballers join MLS in the twilight of their careers, with a twinkle in his eye telling CNN Sport in early 2019, "imagine what will happen this season" when it was pointed out that he once said, "the older I get, the better I get, like red wine." The goals flowed, with his vintage performances often leaving supporters drooling in admiration. But Ibrahimovic could not bring trophies to Los Angeles, unlike his spells in the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, France and England.Aged 39 now, Ibrahimovic is currently top scorer in Serie A with 10 goals in six appearances.Now aged 39 and playing for AC Milan, Ibrahimovic continues to make good on his prophesy that he improves with age.Milan are undefeated and five points clear at the top of Serie A, and Ibrahimovic is the league's top scorer, with 10 goals in only six appearances.He is not the only notable foreign name missing from "The 25 Greatest." Thierry Henry, David Villa, Carlos Vela and Wayne Rooney are all missing too, with domestic talents such as Michael Bradley omitted as well. Don Garber, Commissioner of MLS, said he thought Ibrahimovic should have made the list of the league's 25 greatest players.Older generationOne unabashed supporter of the Swede making "The 25 Greatest" was MLS Commissioner Don Garber, who admitted to CNN Sport that he thought "Zlatan should have been on that list."While noting that he did not get a vote, Garber felt the forward was "one of the more exciting and productive players in the short time that he was in MLS."The former US Men's National Team midfielder and two-time MLS Cup winner Cobi Jones -- who did make the list -- told CNN Sport this week that "it looks like they [MLS] are giving a little bit of love to some of that older generation within MLS that helped kick it off, even though there is a sprinkling of others along the way." Ibrahimovic certainly sprinkled his magic over the best part of two years but it was not deemed enough. Perhaps he will take out another newspaper advert to express any updated thoughts on the matter. The 25 players to make the list are:• Jeff Agoos• Kyle Beckerman• David Beckham• Carlos Bocanegra• Dwayne De Rosario• Clint Dempsey• Landon Donovan• Marco Etcheverry• Robin Fraser• Sebastian Giovinco• Kevin Hartman• Cobi Jones• Robbie Keane• Chad Marshall• Josef Martinez• Tony Meola• Jaime Moreno• Eddie Pope• Preki• Steve Ralston• Nick Rimando• Carlos Valderrama• Diego Valeri• Chris Wondolowski• Bradley Wright-Phillips | 7 |
Story highlights Six current or former journalists are arrested in connection with alleged phone hackingPolice say the alleged phone-hacking conspiracy is separate from one already being probedLondon's Metropolitan Police is running three investigations into alleged wrongdoingRupert Murdoch shut down the News of the World after the scandal broke in 2011Six people were arrested Wednesday in what London's Metropolitan Police is calling a separate phone-hacking conspiracy at Rupert Murdoch's defunct News of the World newspaper.All of them are journalists or former journalists, police said.Tabloid hacking report: Who won? Who lost?Dozens of people, including Murdoch protégé Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson, a former adviser to prime Minister David Cameron, already have been arrested and several have been charged with phone hacking and related crimes. Police say Wednesday's arrests are part of a separate conspiracy to hack phones, primarily from 2005 to 2006, at the News of the World.How Murdoch bounced back from his 'most humble day'JUST WATCHEDReport rips Murdoch papersReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHReport rips Murdoch papers 05:46JUST WATCHEDInside the UK phone hacking scandalReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHInside the UK phone hacking scandal 04:54JUST WATCHEDExplain it to me: UK tabloid scandalReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHExplain it to me: UK tabloid scandal 03:36Three men and two women were arrested in London and one woman in Cheshire, in northern England.Searches are being carried out at several addresses, police said."In due course officers will be making contact with people they believe have been victims of the suspected voicemail interceptions," a police statement said.Murdoch closed the Sunday tabloid, one of the world's best-selling English-language newspapers, in 2011 over the phone-hacking scandal.Three police investigations were created to look into allegations of phone hacking, bribery of public officials and computer hacking.Rupert Murdoch: The last press baronBrooks and Coulson are both former News of the World editors. Brooks later became chief executive of News International, a UK subsidiary of Murdoch's News Corp. empire. Coulson went on to become Cameron's director of communications before resigning early in 2011.The hacking scandal prompted Cameron to set up an independent, judge-led inquiry -- named for Lord Justice Leveson, its chairman -- to make recommendations on journalistic ethics and examine the relationship of the press with the public, police and politicians. | 4 |
Story highlightsLiverpool move up to second in English Premier League with 3-1 win over SunderlandLuis Suarez scores twice with England's Daniel Sturridge also on the score sheetItalian Emanuele Giaccherini grabs consolation goal for rock bottom SunderlandNorwich collect a 1-0 away win at Stoke City as Jonathan Howson scoresLove him or loathe him, controversial striker Luis Suarez proved just why Liverpool find it hard to live without him.The mercurial Uruguayan returned to reignite Liverpool's Premier League campaign as the Reds moved up to second with a 3-1 victory over Sunderland.Suarez was playing in his first league game since serving a 10 match ban for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic last April.But Sunday was a day of celebrations not recriminations as Suarez dedicated his two goals to his newborn son Benjamin.After collecting Daniel Sturridge's pass across the box to slot in his first goal, Suarez lifted his Liverpool top to reveal a t-shirt dedicated to his wife, daughter and new son "Benja."A black vest top bearing the same message was proudly on display when Sturridge and Suarez repeated their feat on the break in the closing stages of the match.JUST WATCHEDLiverpool stands by biting SuarezReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHLiverpool stands by biting Suarez 03:37JUST WATCHEDFootball association walking tight rope ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHFootball association walking tight rope 04:24JUST WATCHEDMichael Owen's Liverpool regret?ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHMichael Owen's Liverpool regret? 02:05Suarez needed just one touch as he stroked in his strike partner's cross in the 88th minute.Sturridge was the first name on the score sheet at the Stadium of Light when he bundled in Steven Gerrard's corner in the first half.The ball glanced off the England striker's arm and into the net but the incident was not deemed to be a deliberate hand ball by the match officials and the goal stood.Sunderland, playing their first match since manager Paolo di Canio was axed seven days ago, may have felt luck was not quite on their side.Italian summer signing Emanuele Giaccherini raced on to a loose ball, scoring early in the second half to give Sunderland hope.The home side pressed on, creating chances, but interim manager Kevin Ball had to watch another defeat from the sidelines for England's rock bottom club.Sunderland continue the season still searching for a first win.In Sunday's first Premier League match, Norwich City earned a 1-0 away win at Stoke City thanks to a solitary goal from Jonathan Howson.The midfielder sent a dipping low drive from 25 yards out past Stoke keeer Asmir Begovic.Stoke had a penalty appeal turned down in the second half when Leroy Fer appeared to pull back Kenwyne Jones inside the area."It's a penalty," said Stoke manager Mark Hughes after the match. "But we're not going to hide behind that decision."If we're honest, Norwich deserved to win because we didn't do enough."In Italy, Juventus came out on top in the Turin derby with a slender 1-0 victory over hometown rivals Torino.France midfielder Paul Pogba nodded in a second half header to keep Juve level on points with Serie A leaders Napoli.Inter Milan were on the verge of closing the gap on the league leaders before Radja Nainggolan equalized for Cagliari, meaning Inter had to settle for a 1-1 draw. | 7 |
Story highlights "The solution for Syria should be made by the Syrian people," says one officialWednesday's session an important "first, small step," U.N. chief saysU.S. Secretary of State Kerry says Bashar al-Assad has lost "legitimacy to govern"Dozens of world powers are meeting to try to help end a war that has killed 100,000A preliminary session of Syrian peace talks meant to end three years of bloodshed was an important "first, small step," U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday after a morning of bitter exchanges.Speaking to reporters after the first leg of talks, Ban said a "difficult road" lay ahead, but the time had come for negotiations."We did not expect instant breakthroughs from today's conference, but the seriousness and horror of the situation has focused all minds, and there is a determination that all parties will find a way to peace," he said. "We have a difficult road ahead, but it can be done and it must be done. It is still not too late to end the bloodshed and find the peaceful and democratic future. The moment to act decisively and courageously is now."Syria earlier had struck a defiant tone, laying a record of atrocities -- rape, arson, even the destruction of Syrian culture itself -- at the feet of rebels and chiding outsiders for trying to interfere."This is a Syrian conflict, and it will remain as such," Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem told the conference. His remarks came after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the path to peace had to involve the world community, and could not include Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whom he accused of widespread human rights abuses.JUST WATCHEDDeep divides in Syria peace talksReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHDeep divides in Syria peace talks 02:36JUST WATCHEDU.N.: Iran not attending Syria peace talksReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHU.N.: Iran not attending Syria peace talks 01:54JUST WATCHEDMedvedev: Syria torture photos 'crimes'ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHMedvedev: Syria torture photos 'crimes' 02:58"Mr. Kerry," al-Moallem said, "nobody in the world has the right to get rid of the legitimacy of a president or a constitution or a law or anything in Syria except the Syrian people themselves."His comments were echoed by Bouthaina Shaaban, a senior adviser to al-Assad."Why do they decide from the Western world that Bashar al-Assad stands in the way for peace? Do we have the right to decide that any Western leader is not good for his people? Or is it the people usually who decide in every country who should be president?" she asked CNN."Put a mechanism for a political process after putting an end to this terrorism. And then let the Syrian people decide for themselves," Shaaban said.The State Department later issued a statement saying that, "Instead of laying out a positive vision for the future of Syria that is diverse, inclusive and respectful of the rights of all, the Syrian regime chose inflammatory rhetoric.""The fact remains the devastating circumstances created by the regime on the ground in Syria will not be changed by inaccurate words, they will only change through the implementation of the Geneva communique including the creation (of) a transitional governing body and by the regime taking real, concrete steps to increase humanitarian access and improve the lives of the people suffering the most," the State Department said.The back-and-forth helped to deflate already sagging hopes that the conference will find a way to end the violence in Syria. But analysts say there is hope that progress can be made on improving the situation for the most vulnerable victims of the civil war.The violence has claimed more than 100,000 lives since 2011. The war has become increasingly sectarian, drawing in Syria's regional neighbors and forcing out more than 2 million refugees, many of them children.Syria: Photos charging mass torture by regime 'fake'Kerry, al-Moallem and Ban joined diplomats from Russia and other world powers in Montreux to take part in the talks, which seek to set up a transitional government under a plan hashed out in Geneva in 2012 to end the conflict.The preliminary international session started Wednesday. Direct talks between the Syrian government and opposition delegations are scheduled for Friday in Geneva. "The solution for Syria should be made by the Syrian people inside Syria -- not in Geneva," Shaaban, the adviser to al-Assad, told CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.""We have to acknowledge that there is a huge campaign against the Syrian government for the last three years and the aim is not the Syrian government. The aim is the destruction of Syria, the destruction of the Syrian people for only the benefit of Israel. That is the true story that is happening in Syria," she said.In his opening comments, Kerry accused the al-Assad government of using unspeakable brutality against its own people to maintain its grip on power."The right to lead a country does not come from torture, nor barrel bombs, nor Scud missiles," Kerry said. "It comes from the consent of the people."His comments drew applause from Syrian National Coalition President Ahmad Jarba, who said on Twitter, "We thank Secretary Kerry for his strong comments in support of the Syrian people's struggle for freedom & dignity."At the talks, Jarba held pictures of victims of alleged regime abuse. He made clear that the SNC, the main Syrian opposition group, sees no role for al-Assad in a transitional government.Al-Moallem, however, blamed rebels for the atrocities, accusing them of killing and raping civilians, burning down libraries and looting artifacts from museums.In the only specific instance he offered, he told the tale of one man who he said blew up himself and his family rather than face rebels, whom he called "the barbaric people.""Don't be misled by the campaign of lies," he said, lashing out, over Ban's objections, at Turkey and other nations that have supported Syrian rebels.Shaaban told CNN that Syrian authorities have not used chemical weapons."Chemical weapons were used by these terrorists, and we know the countries who have been helping them. It is a terrible crime what's happening against the Syrian people, and it is basically through foreign intervention," she said.In what appeared to be a first, Syrian state television carried the speeches live -- including many derogatory references to al-Assad -- albeit with wording on the screen ridiculing the speakers or painting them as puppets acting against Syrian interests.In a sign of the Syrian regime's disdain for the Arab League -- which suspended the regime's membership after its crackdown in 2011 -- Syrian state-run TV labeled the League's secretary-general with a scornful caption Wednesday: "Nabil Al-Arabi is speaking on behalf of the Saudi-Qatari petro-dollar that dictates him and the Arab League." Most outside support for rebel forces has come from the Gulf monarchies of Saudi Arabia and Qatar.Could Syria 'torture photos' be a game-changer for peace talks?'Nothing is going to be easy' At the press conference, Kerry stressed that the Geneva communique, with its call for political transition, was the paramount focus of the summit."It's no secret that getting to where we are now has been difficult. Peace and stability will not arrive overnight," he said."But it is important that this process is now in place, it's important that the government and opposition will sit down in these next days."He said while a sudden breakthrough should not be expected, "what we do expect is a crystallizing of the difference: Who stands for what? Who is really fighting for what? Whose arguments are based on truth? Whose arguments are based on facts?"U.N. mediator Lakhdar Brahimi acknowledged "nothing is going to be easy" as he expressed hope both sides would meet on Friday.The opposition and IranSeveral high-profile complications emerged even before the talks started, setting the tone for a challenging conference. The Syrian National Coalition didn't decide until Saturday whether it would attend, finally agreeing in a vote that revealed deep divisions within its ranks. One of the groups in the coalition blasted it for agreeing to participate in the talks, accusing it of heading to Geneva with "a folder of concessions and withdrawals."And furor has surrounded the embarrassing public announcements by Ban, who invited -- and then disinvited -- Iran to the conference.Iran is a key supporter of al-Assad's regime. Western leaders believe Iran has provided military and intelligence support to Syrian government forces. In addition, fighters from the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah have seen combat in Syria on the side of the government.The controversy over Iran threatened to derail the talks at one point. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov chided the United Nations on Tuesday for its abrupt U-turn on Iran, following pressure from the main Syrian opposition group and the United States.Iran had already announced that it wouldn't be attending the peace conference because it would not tolerate any preconditions for joining the talks -- including acceptance of the framework laid out in the 2012 Geneva conference that foresees a transitional government.Lavrov called Ban's reversal a mistake, but "not a catastrophe," adding that Russia and others will push for balanced talks between those representing al-Assad and the rebels. Moscow has been a longtime ally of the Syrian government.He pointed out that Kerry, among others, recognized publicly that Iran is an important player in resolving the Syrian conflict.Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that the talks cannot be taken seriously without Iran involved. "The thing that has happened with the withdrawal of the invitation to Iran, I believe that's unacceptable," Medvedev said in an exclusive interview that aired Wednesday on CNN's "Amanpour." "Can someone think the Syrian problem can be seriously discussed without the Iranian factor and their account of it?"Besides the United States and Russia, the other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- Britain, France and China -- are attending the conference, along with more than 25 other countries. Representatives of the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the European Union will also take part. Iran out of peace conference on SyriaGruesome Syria photos may prove torture by Assad regimeSyrian approachAl-Assad, whose forces have regained momentum against a now-fractured opposition, has said he's not looking at the talks as a way to transition out of power.Syrian officials have talked instead about the conference as a way to arrange a cease-fire in Syria's largest city, Aleppo, with hopes of extending that truce to other parts of the country.4 things to know about SyriaAl-Assad has called for the conference to include a focus on fighting "terrorism," his government's term for rebel forces."The war has caused horrible suffering to the Syrian people and I think that the question is why do these countries support terrorism in our country," Shaaban, al-Assad's adviser, told CNN."The objective is to destroy a secular, moderate beautiful example in the Arab world," she said.In a meeting with Syria's delegates to the talks, al-Assad directed them to preserve their nation's sovereignty by "preventing and rejecting any foreign interference no matter its form and context," the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported Monday.Al-Assad also said no political solution could be reached without the agreement of the Syrian people and "first and foremost the complete cessation of terrorism" and its support by other countries, the news agency said.How Syria talks were derailed before they startedOpinion: Syrian genocide needs justiceOpinion: Syria shows peril of Iran's growing power | 4 |
(CNN)The migrant rescue vessel Sea-Watch 3 was stopped outside the island of Lampedusa by Italian authorities on Wednesday after it defied an order from Rome blocking it from coming ashore.The German-owned ship, which flies under the Dutch flag, had been stranded in the Mediterranean Sea for two weeks.Facing an increasingly desperate situation on board, the captain of the boat said she had decided to ignore Italy's decree and head to port."I know what I'm risking," Carola Rackete said on Twitter. "But the 42 survivors I have on board are exhausted. I'm taking them to safety."Migrant rescue ship captains could face $57,000 fines in Italian crackdownAnd, given Italy's increasingly hard-line stance on immigration, the risks are high.Read MoreUnder populist Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, Italy shuttered its ports to migrant rescue vessels in June 2018. And, earlier this month, it adopted a decree that could see ships docking without authorization face fines of up to $57,000. Though the decree does not mention migrant rescue ships specifically, it is a clear attempt to deter such vessels -- which pluck thousands of migrants from the Mediterranean each year -- from docking in Italian ports.The Sea-Watch 3 is one of the first vessels to test the new rule. By Wednesday evening, Italian authorities had come aboard the vessel to check the crew's documentation -- providing the starkest example yet of the decree's intent. "They have checked our ship certificate and the passports of the crew and now they are awaiting further instructions from their superiors," Rackete said, referring to the Italian financial police."I really hope they will take the rescuees off the ship soon," she added.But the reaction from Salvini suggested otherwise."Lampedusa and Italy need paying tourists, not illegal immigrants whom we need to support," the interior minister said on Twitter.Salvini has been 'following' Trump's immigration policies, but he will not separate childrenSalvini's office released a press statement calling the move a "provocation and hostile act," while urging Holland to "take charge of the migrants on board."But so far, no European governments have come forward to accept the migrants. Human Rights Watch has demanded that EU countries take joint accountability for the migrant crisis, and urgently agree a mechanism that ensures the predictable disembarkation of people rescued at sea."Having stranded people at sea for weeks, Italy should not compound that abuse by prosecuting the Sea Watch captain for the vessel's lifesaving efforts," said Judith Sunderland, associate Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "It's high time that European Union institutions and members started looking at their own responsibility for a heartless policy that would rather see people die at sea or tortured in Libya than delivered to safety in Europe." | 4 |
(CNN)They were billed as innovative, next-generation banknotes with added security -- but Australia's new $50 note also contain another feature: An unfortunate typo.The $50 note (US$34.9) which entered general circulation last October has anti-counterfeiting measures including a swan that appears to fly and a holographic 50 that reverses when the note is moved.Around 400 million new notes were printed -- and 46 million of them are in circulation, according to the central bank the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). The total value of the notes in circulation is around $2.3 billion (US$1.6 billion).But an eagle-eyed observer has spotted a problem with the new notes: The word "Responsibility" is missing an "i." View this post on Instagram After a hot tip from the @triplemmelb family, we've found the spelling mistake on the new $50 note! #BreakingNews A post shared by Hot Breakfast (@mmmhotbreakfast) on May 8, 2019 at 2:36pm PDT
Australia's Triple M radio station Thursday posted a close-up photo of the note on its Instagram account, showing the error.Read MoreThe mistake -- which would be hard to spot with the naked eye -- is in microprint beside Edith Cowan, the first female member of an Australian parliament. The microprint next to her features excerpts from her maiden speech to the Western Australia state Parliament.The RBA said it became aware of the issue last December, and the spelling would be corrected for the next print run around the middle of this year."These banknotes are legal tender and can continue to be used as normal. It does not affect their validity and functionality in any way," a spokeswoman said in a statement to CNN. "We have reviewed our processes to remove the likelihood of such an error occurring in the future."An image of the $50 note, featuring Edith Cowan.David Unaipon, Australia's first published Aboriginal author, is also pictured on the notes alongside excerpts of Unaipon's book "Legendary Tales of the Australian Aborigines."An RBA release last October described the $50 note as the "most popular note," accounting for nearly half of the total value of all those in circulation.The RBA has already released new versions of the $5 and $10 banknotes, and an upgraded $20 note is expected later this year. | 4 |
Story highlightsNeon sign shows a sailor in white underpants with the message "Welcome to Sweden"It also emits a message in Morse code saying: "This way if you are gay"It's the brainchild of peace activists concerned by Sweden's response to a submarine incursion (CNN)Ever wondered how to keep suspected Russian submarines out of your territorial waters?Never mind expensive naval hardware -- Swedish peace activists have come up with a novel method: lowering a "Singing Sailor" device emitting a gay-friendly message via Morse code into the Baltic Sea.The unlikely sounding device is the brainchild of the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society, which describes itself as the world's oldest peace organization.In an effort to combat military aggression and homophobia in one fell swoop, it's created the "subsurface sonar system" to greet any Russian submariners who might find themselves lost in Swedish waters. The animated neon sign shows a man wearing only a sailor's hat and white underpants thrusting his hips, with little love hearts flashing. It bears the message: "Welcome to Sweden" in both Russian and English, with the text "Gay since 1944" -- a reference to the year that Sweden legalized homosexuality -- added in English.Read MoreA Morse code message simultaneously calls out: "This way if you are gay."The headline-grabbing move is a response to the Swedish government's stepped-up military efforts after a suspected Russian submarine incursion into Swedish waters last year.The Swedish military carried out an intense sweep of the waters off Stockholm but later said it was not able to confirm the nationality of the intruding submarine.Last month, the government proposed a defense bill that would see military spending grow by 11% over the next five years -- the first such increase in more than two decades. The additional spending would allow "additional reinforcement of anti-submarine warfare capability," among other measures, it said.The activists' move is also a comment on Russia's perceived homophobia, centered on its "gay propaganda" law, which makes it illegal to tell children about gay equality. The law, passed in 2013, has been widely criticized not only by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocates but also by Western leaders, who have called it archaic and discriminatory.In a statement, the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society invited any submarine crew -- Swedish or foreign -- that picked up the message to join them at Stockholm's Gay Pride parade in August."In times of unrest, love and peace across boundaries is more important than ever. We want to break up with the violence," said Daniel Holking, the society's communications and fundraising manager."If military actions and weapons had functioned as conflict-resolution methods there would be peace in the world a long time ago," added Anna Ek, the group's president. | 4 |
(CNN)When you think of a factory, you might imagine a giant facility with huge chimneys belching steam. But consumer goods giant Unilever has developed a fully functioning production line inside a shipping container.The company has over 300 factories in 69 countries, but this is its first experiment with what it calls a "nano" or "travel" factory. Mass production lines allow manufacturers to make large quantities of products but using the same facilities to produce smaller batches of goods -- to test new ideas or to meet seasonal demand -- can be wasteful and inefficient.Because of its size, the 40-foot container can be transported by cargo ship or truck to any location, says Unilever. It just needs a source of water and access to electricity to begin production. The nano factory is currently in the Netherlands, in the middle of its first trial producing liquid bouillon, a cooked stock packed in a bottle. Unilever says the factory is making around 300 tons of bouillon per eight-hour shift.Read More Photos: The robots running our warehousesRobots are an increasingly familiar presence in warehouses. At the south-east London warehouse run by British online supermarket Ocado, 3,000 robots fulfill shopping orders. When an order is sent to the warehouse, the bots spring to life and head towards the container they require. Scroll through to see more robots that are revolutionizing warehouses.Hide Caption 1 of 8 Photos: The robots running our warehousesIn response to the coronavirus pandemic, MIT collaborated with Ava Robotics and the Greater Boston Food Bank to design a robot that can use UV light to sanitize the floor of a 4,000-square foot warehouse in just 30 minutes. Hide Caption 2 of 8 Photos: The robots running our warehousesSeven-foot "Model-T" robots produced by Japanese startup Telexistence have been stacking shelves in two of Tokyo's largest convenience store franchises. Featuring cameras, microphones and sensors, the Model-T uses three "fingers" to stock items such as bottled drinks, cans and rice bowls. The robot is controlled by shop staff remotely.Hide Caption 3 of 8 Photos: The robots running our warehousesUS company Boston Dynamics has become known for its advanced work robots. "Handle" is made for the warehouse and equipped with an on-board vision system. It can lift boxes weighing over 30 pounds. Hide Caption 4 of 8 Photos: The robots running our warehousesStretch is the latest robot from Boston Dynamics and can work in warehouses and distribution centers. Designed to keep human workers out of harm's way, Stretch's tentacle-like grippers mean it can manipulate boxes. Hide Caption 5 of 8 Photos: The robots running our warehousesAlthough not specifically designed for warehouses, Boston Dynamics' dog-like robot "Spot" can lift objects, pick itself up after a fall, open and walk through doors, and even remind people to practice social distancing. Hide Caption 6 of 8 Photos: The robots running our warehousesThis robot is used to plant seeds and check plants at the "Nordic Harvest" vertical farm based in Taastrup, Denmark. The indoor farm is one of the biggest in Europe.Hide Caption 7 of 8 Photos: The robots running our warehousesRobots sort packages at a warehouse run by JD.com -- one of China's largest e-commerce firms, in Wuhan, China, ahead of the annual Singles Day online shopping bonanza, in 2019.Hide Caption 8 of 8 Greater flexibilityAccording to Marc Engel, Unilever's chief supply chain officer, the whole manufacturing process happens inside the container, starting with processing the raw ingredients, and including packaging the finished product. As the equipment has been specifically developed for small spaces, he says there are some differences to a standard factory, such as using electricity for heat instead of steam.Engel says the nano factory is fully digitized and has sensors that send live production data to a central control room. While some processes are fully automated, he says three on-site operators are required per shift -- two to activate the production and manage the line and one to manage packaging and take away the final product. For Engel, one of the most important features of the nano factory is that it's mobile. This allows for greater flexibility to tailor to demand in local markets and to source local ingredients, meaning resources and emissions aren't wasted shipping ingredients and products from faraway, he says.Unilever's nano factory being maneuvered into position in Wageningen, Netherlands. "Having the nano factory in a shipping container lets us get our production to where it needs to be," Engel says. "Products can be rolled out faster and scale can be ramped up or down quickly to match consumer trends." Scaling up The trial of the nano factory started in June, after delays due to Covid-19 restrictions, and will run for the next few weeks, according to Engel. This swarm of robots gets smarter the more it worksIf the trial is successful, he says Unilever hopes to use the factory to make other products, as well as looking to create new nano factories. "This small-scale production approach can definitely go beyond liquid bouillon and be used to produce mayonnaise, ice cream and even beauty or home care products," he says. "We are also exploring plans to lease, rent or sell these units to young entrepreneurs." Richard Wilding, professor of supply chain strategy at Cranfield University, in England, says that if rolled out in greater numbers, these kinds of nano factories could help make manufacturing networks stronger and more specialized, but could also create problems further down the line. "You are distributing your manufacturing base and that is going to be more resilient, particularly in a Covid world," he says. "But one of the things you have to think about is once the items are actually produced, how do you manage the supply chain to the actual customers?"Wilding adds that nano factories will require workers to have new skills, which may be challenging to find in some locations. However, he can see a future for these kinds of facilities responding to local needs.A robotic 'Ironhand' could protect factory workers from injuries"What we could start envisaging, if you've got a large retail outlet or retail complex, why not have a nano factory located at the complex? So it is producing precisely what the customer wants -- more or less on demand," he says. Engel says a network of nano factories with local supply lines and a centralized controller could be part of Unilever's future. "The purpose of the nano factory is not to match the output of a big factory with large-scale facilities, but a network of these nano factories would give Unilever greater innovation flexibility," he says. "The future could potentially see a new, dynamic model with local, distributed production lines all over the world, run from a central mothership." | 4 |
(CNN)If you rock up to the first grand slam of the year in a spotted two-piece tracksuit, you probably have to back it up on the court.Grigor Dimitrov did just that, defeating Argentine Juan Ignacio Londero 4-6 6-2 6-0 6-4 in the Bulgarian's opening game of the Australian Open.But it was Dimitrov's colorful fashion choice that stole the headlines in Melbourne -- a navy top and bottoms with striking yellow splodges dotted throughout. Think a starry night sky and you're not a million miles away. Visit CNN.com/sport for more news, videos and featuresTracksuit game 💯@GrigorDimitrov!Have you spotted any other fashion statements on Day 1? #AO2020 | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/d6c8enLxqg— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2020 "I think the outfit is fun. I don't want to be vanilla," the 28-year-old said after the match. "I actually love it. I love colors ... I love experimenting as well and when (I'm) out there, I don't really think that much of the outfit. Read More"I already had a couple of friends who were like, '(We) knew you were going to wear it before, we weren't sure you were going to wear the whole thing.'"READ: Coco Gauff defeats Venus Williams -- againGrigor Dimitrov in action against Juan Ignacio Londero at the Australian Open.Luckily for Dimitrov, the Nike tracksuit got the thumbs up from his coach, eight-time grand slam winner Andre Agassi."Andre was very happy with it," added the Bulgarian. "He was impressed."Needless to say, the getup caused quite a stir on social media. "This should be at the Louvre," tweeted one user. "And by THIS, I mean not the clothing Grigor is wearing, but the full picture with the faces of those baffled, amazed spectators (in the background)."Grigor Dimitrov practices in style ahead of the Australian Open.One viewer thought it would have been better put to use as pajamas, while another was disappointed he didn't go for a matching headband to complete the set. Dimitrov has hardly been playing it safe with the rest of his wardrobe, either. The T-shirt he wore during Monday's game was made up of salmon pink, red and black patches, and during a practice session ahead of the tournament he wore a bright red top with a black floral design. | 7 |
(CNN)Max Verstappen regained the top spot of the Formula One championship standings as he won the Dutch Grand Prix in front of raucous home support.A sea of fans dressed in orange roared loudly as Red Bull's Verstappen took the checkered flag at Zandvoort, while orange flares were also set off from the stands following the conclusion of the first Dutch GP since 1985. Verstappen started the race in pole and finished more than 20 seconds ahead of championship rival Hamilton, whose Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas completed the podium in third.AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly was fourth, while Charles Leclerc of Ferrari was fifth. Visit CNN.com/sport for more news, videos and featuresRead MoreVerstappen celebrates victory on home soil. "Of course, the expectations were very high going into the weekend and it's never easy to fulfill that," 23-year-old Verstappen said after the win. "I'm so happy to win here and to take the lead in the championship. It's just an amazing day with the whole crowd here. It's incredible."In a closely-fought championship, Verstappen moves to the top of the driver standings with 224.5 points, while Hamilton is second on 221.5 points. Fans show their support for Verstappen in the Netherlands. While Bottas led briefly at one point as Verstappen and Hamilton both pitted, the race always looked set to be a shootout between the two championship leaders, who soon caught up with the Finn after their pit stops. Tailing his rival throughout the 72-lap race as both drivers' teams settled on a two-stop strategy, Hamilton admitted afterward that his Mercedes just wasn't fast enough on the day."I gave it absolutely everything today, flat out, I pushed as hard as I could, but they were just too quick for us," the seven-time F1 champion said. Verstappen had the backing of passionate home support at Zandvoort.Hamilton did pick up an extra point for the championship standings by recording the fastest lap time of the day over Bottas with his final lap after pitting for soft tires.The victory was Verstappen's seventh of the season and fifth from the last seven races as he chases his first F1 championship title -- although the win he was awarded at last week's Belgian GP was only worth half the usual points amid rainswept conditions. Three consecutive weekends of F1 action conclude next week at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, the 14th race of the season. | 7 |
Story highlightsAt least 11 people injured near London's Natural History Museum Police say crash into pedestrians "not a terrorist-related incident" (CNN)A man arrested in a London car collision that injured at least 11 people has been released and is under investigation.The 47-year-old man was arrested on "suspicion of dangerous driving" after a car jumped the pavement and hit pedestrians near London's Natural History Museum Saturday, London's Metropolitan Police said. The incident is not terrorist-related, police said.Eleven people were treated at the scene, mostly for leg and head injuries, with nine transported to a hospital, according to the London Ambulance Service. "The majority of those injured have now been discharged, and there are no serious injuries," police said in a statement Sunday.The Natural History Museum is in the bustling section of South Kensington, popular with both Londoners and tourists. The area was cordoned off Saturday by heavily armed police, according to video posted on social media. Helicopters buzzed overhead as ambulances rushed to the scene on Exhibition Road.Read MoreSaturday's crash raised concerns after a series of terror attacks this year in London involving vehicles ramming pedestrians.The attacker is neutralised on the floor pic.twitter.com/bUT0jHkU3I— Stefano Sutter (@StefanoSutter) October 7, 2017
In June, three men drove a van into pedestrians on London Bridge before going on a stabbing rampage at bars at nearby Borough Market. The attack killed eight people and injured more than 40 others. The attackers were fatally shot by police.Later that month, a van plowed into pedestrians near a mosque in north London, killing one man and injuring 11 people. The driver, Darren Osborne, 47, a resident of Cardiff in Wales, was arrested at the scene. In March, a man drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, killing four people. The suspect, identified as a 52-year-old British man named Khalid Masood, also stabbed an unarmed police officer. Masood then was shot dead by police.An ISIS-affiliated news agency later claimed the extremist group was behind the attack that injured 50 people. Masood acted alone, police said, but may have been inspired by ISIS. Police are asking for witnesses of Saturday's incident."We would ask anybody who saw what happened, or who have any pictures or moving footage that could help us gain a greater understanding of what happened, to get in touch with us," the police said in Sunday's statement. CNN's Ray Sanchez, Max Foster, Zahra Ullah and Laura Goehler contributed to this report. | 4 |
(CNN)India is going into the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland with a strong message for wealthy nations: get your house in order first when it comes to increasing climate action. The South Asian country on Wednesday rejected calls to announce a net zero carbon emissions target, saying historical blame for the climate crisis lay with developed nations. India, the world's third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after China and the United States, is under pressure to announce plans to become carbon neutral by mid-century or thereabouts at next week's climate conference in Glasgow.But environment secretary R.P.Gupta said India was a "victim" of global warming, and "not a contributor." He told reporters that announcing net zero was not the solution to the climate crisis."It is how much carbon you are going to put in the atmosphere before reaching net zero that is more important," he said, adding it was more important for the world to lay out a pathway to reduce such emissions and avert a dangerous rise in global temperatures.Read MoreThe United States, Britain and the European Union have set a target date of 2050 to reach net zero, by which point they will only emit an amount of greenhouse gases that can be absorbed by forests, crops, soils and still-embryonic carbon capture technology.Changes in India's monsoon rainfall could bring serious consequences to more than a billion peopleChina and Saudi Arabia have both set targets of 2060, but these are largely meaningless without tangible action now, critics say.Between now and the middle of the century the United States will release 92 gigatons of carbon into the atmosphere and the EU 62 gigatons, Gupta said, citing Indian government calculations. China would have added a staggering 450 gigatons by its net zero target date, he added.Representatives of nearly 200 countries will meet in Glasgow, Scotland, from October 31- November 12 for climate talks to strengthen action to tackle global warming under the 2015 Paris Agreement.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the conference in a sign of how the country is taking climate change seriously, officials say. Chinese President Xi Jinping is not expected.While working towards net zero, countries are expected to announce new and strengthened intermediate targets for cutting emissions.Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav said India was on track to achieve targets set at the 2015 Paris conference and left the door open to revising them. "All options are on the table," he said.India has committed to cutting the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33%-35% by 2030 from 2005 levels, achieving a 24% reduction by 2016.Some environment experts say India could consider lowering its emissions intensity by as much as 40 percent dependent on finance and whether it has access to newer technologies.Why China and India shouldn't let coronavirus justify walking back climate actionYadav said he would measure the success of the Glasgow conference by how much it delivered on climate finance to help the developing world cut their emissions while ensuring economic growth. "We can't do it on our own as we need to think about our economy as well," he said. But Yadav made it clear that India would not be pressured to do more to cut emissions, when developed nations were not meeting their own climate targets. "We feel historical responsibility must be taken in a serious way. Because India has almost achieved its NDCs in proper timing," he said, referring to Nationally Determined Contributions -- a term used by the UN for each country's individual national plan to slash greenhouse gas emissions.Coal is the dirtiest form of energy and scientists say phasing out the use of coal is key to tackling the climate crisis. But more than 70% of India's electricity is still generated by coal-fired thermal power plants.Yadav said it was not reasonable for India to drastically cut coal production and "even developed countries are taking time to exit coal and gas sectors."Even with India's growing energy needs to accommodate its 1.3 billion population, environment secretary Gupta said, "the share of energy from coal and installed capacity in percentage terms will keep reducing."This, in part, will come from retiring and decommissioning old and inefficient power plants, even as new ones are being built, Gupta said. "Forcing a sectoral agenda is not good. We will (take a call on coal production) at our own pace," he added. | 4 |
Rome (CNN)Italian police have arrested an American citizen on suspicion of brutally murdering a shopkeeper in the city of Viterbo, near Rome, authorities told CNN Sunday.Michael Aaron Pang, 22, from Overland Park, Kansas, is accused of beating 74-year-old shop worker Norveo Fedeli to death after being unable to pay for clothes, according to Lt. Col. Guglielmo Trombetta of Italy's paramilitary police, the Carabinieri.Pang arrived in Italy in mid-February and rented a bed and breakfast in the village of Capodimonte, the officer said."He was gentle with everyone and always greeted everyone," Trombetta said, adding that the young man doesn't speak Italian and used his mobile phone translator to communicate. But he was arrested over the killing of Fedeli, who was struck with an iron stool and had his face trampled with a shoe, in a crime committed in daylight that has stunned the normally quiet town. Read MorePang is pictured on surveillence footage after the killing.Investigators say Pang had already purchased clothes for 600 euros (about $673) in the shop, mainly sweatshirts and brand-name jeans, on April 30 and May 2, using credit cards.But the payments were blocked so "probably ... when the boy returned and the shopkeeper refused to sell him the merchandise, they started fighting," Trombetta said.Pang was born in South Korea on March 22, 1997, authorities said. He was identified in security camera footage after the killing, according to Trombetta.CCTV footage appears to show Pang walking in the street out of the shop with a plastic bag covering his left foot. Investigators say they found the wallet of the victim and many new garments from the victim's shop in Pang's room.Trombetta added that Pang, now in prison in Viterbo, declined to answer magistrates' questions. His court-appointed lawyers did not respond to CNN's request for comment on Sunday.Paolo Auriemma, a prosecutor in Viterbo, told journalists that Pang had no criminal records during his two and a half months in Italy. | 4 |
(CNN)The wildfire season "is coming quickly and it's coming earlier." That's the message from meteorologist Eric Kurth and the National Weather Service in Sacramento, California, as the state deals with a crippling drought and vegetation and grasses that are already beginning to brown. "We are seeing record levels of dryness for this time of year. It's more like what we would see later in June than mid-April," said Kurth. He is concerned about this year's fire season on the heels of an extremely dry year in 2020, and the most active fire season that California has ever recorded. Vegetation still dormant, making fires more likely Read MoreSomeone who gets up close to California's vegetation is Craig Clements. He's a professor of meteorology and director of the Fire Weather Research Laboratory at San Jose State University. He and his students visit various sites every two weeks to take samplings of the plants to study their moisture content. On April 1 they noticed something quite alarming when they went to Blackberry Hill just outside of San Jose. He tweeted this graph that illustrates the grim discovery.Fire season 2021 is looking grim. Our region's FMCs are tracking lower than the minimum-- a new record low. This is caused by the lack/delay of new growth. Average is 137%, low is 115%, 2021= 97% #wildfire #CAwx @wildfirecenter pic.twitter.com/u7ekJ2phjv— SJSU FireWeatherLab (@FireWeatherLab) April 5, 2021
"April 1 is usually the time of year we have the highest fuel moisture content, and this year they are still dormant because lack of rain," said Clements."They are stressed and there's no new growth. The plants aren't responding because of the lack of moisture." In fact, two out of the three sites they visited, plants were showing no new growth. Moisture in plants and new growth are what California depends on to help keep wildfires at bay. When the plants lack moisture, fires ignite much more easily and spread faster. The lack of rain this season has severely impacted our chaparral live fuel moistures. Wow, never seen April fuels look so... dry. No new growth anywhere in this Chamise. April is climatologically the highest live FMC of the season. Very Scary! #CAwx #firedanger pic.twitter.com/clJ92b3DiX— SJSU FireWeatherLab (@FireWeatherLab) April 3, 2021
Clements' trip up to Blackberry Hill uncovered a record low for new growth. A dire situation, but one he isn't surprised by. "It's a telling sign of the impact of drought," said Clements. He said the plants still have a small window of time to sprout new growth, but because of the delay in new growth, the plants most likely won't reach their peak and will dry out faster. Clements said this could lead to more large fires in June than California typically would see.California's worsening droughtCW3E End of Winter Summary: Total precipitation during WY 2021 has been well below-normal across much of California. Drought conditions have persisted over Northern CA and worsened elsewhere in the state.For more information, visit: https://t.co/8Ix7KO6s5o. pic.twitter.com/v38mCb14Fm— CW3E Scripps (@CW3E_Scripps) April 7, 2021
California depends on atmospheric rivers, or plumes of moisture, streaming in off the Pacific to bring in much needed rain each year. This year, most of the rain events followed a more northerly track, sending a huge majority of the rain and moisture to the Pacific Northwest.Clements watched these weather events miss Central California time and time again. "It was dry in January and February, then there was no miracle March," he said. The result is that 92% of the state is now under drought conditions, which is the largest percentage since March 2016. An American flag blows in the wind in front of a burning home in Vacaville, California, during the LNU Lightning Complex fire on August 19, 2020. "It could be a big year when it comes to fire acres," he said. "Climate change has impacted our fire season." Climate change is causing tremendous variations in our day-to-day weather. The world is experiencing more weather extremes, and California is feeling the effects. The state is 70% below normal for total precipitation this water year. The water year begins October 1 and last through September 30 of the following year. The rainfall deficit is 50 inches below normal, leaving many of the reservoirs extremely low. The California Department of Water Resources is forecasting the statewide reservoir storage to be about 60% of normal after the snowpack melts. Lake Oroville, the SWP's largest reservoir, is at 53% of average. Statewide CA's major reservoirs are at just 50% of overall capacity. The amount of water expected to enter CA's reservoirs when the snowpack melts is only projected to be 58% of average. https://t.co/kPrs0ZqqWi pic.twitter.com/7jRVNRwkPH— CA - DWR (@CA_DWR) April 2, 2021
The Sacramento Valley usually receives about 85% of its water supply by April 1. This year it has only received just 43%. Many of the streams in this region are flowing at less than 10% of normal. It's a huge wake-up call for the area as it stares head-on at the upcoming fire season."We're seeing more extremes in terms of year-to-year -- big pendulum swings from wet to dry. It's very unusual," said Kurth. He worries that these extremes are making the vegetation more vulnerable and unable to recover from one year to the next. "We get these extremes and in recent years it's been even more extreme," he says. A satellite image shows a close-up of an active fire line in the August Complex fire in California on September 14, 2020.Last year, California wildfires burned more than 4.2 million acres. The August complex Fire alone, burned more than 1 million acres -- something California hasn't seen before. In response, California's Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a landmark $536 million wildfire package that will accelerate projects to protect high-risk communities.'Every year we keep topping the year before'Chief Jesse Alexander is with the Yuba City Fire Department, north of Sacramento. He along with 51 other firefighters have been on the front lines of some of the most devastating fires in California's history. He lists several of the most horrific fires that California has ever seen. He fought the Camp Fire within his own community and explains the toll it takes on the department. Paradise Elementary School burned down during the Camp Fire in Paradise, California, in 2018."The Camp Fire impacted you because of the loss of life and devastation, it's overwhelming." The Camp Fire was the most deadly and destructive wildfire in California's history -- killing 85 people and nearly wiping the town of Paradise off the map. It burned nearly 19,000 structures. Luckily Alexander's home was spared. "Every fire is different, but it seems to keep escalating. Every year we keep topping the year before," said Alexander. Alexander said his department will deploy for several weeks at a time. "Especially when there is a fire with a large loss of life, those start to take a toll on you." He and his colleagues are many times fighting fires while they don't know if their own families are safe or if they will have a home to return to. It's a grim reality they face, yet they continue to fight on the front lines. Staying fire awareClements and his students will continue their bi-weekly treks, visiting sites to check for growth. They hope in the tiny window that's left for growth, plants will quickly begin to sprout. "Fuel moisture content is one of the most important factors of fire behavior. It's very critical, so we are constantly monitoring," said Clements. Omar Franklin walks around the site where his home once stood in Paradise, California, in December, 2018.But in the meantime, Clements stresses the importance of the public staying vigilant. "If we don't have an ignition, then we don't have a fire," he said.Check the fire weather in your areaThat's a sentiment the weather service in Sacramento echos. "People need to be aware there is a high threat and this year that threat is coming earlier. The grasses are drying out sooner, so things are quicker in terms of us getting into that extreme fire season. Be careful you aren't a part of starting these fires," said Kurth. The weather service also suggests that people who live in California should make a defensible space if they live in vulnerable areas. Create a buffer between vegetation and your home. Also, have a "go bag" and a plan ready in case you need to evacuate. The time to plan is now, before it's too late.CNN meteorologist Haley Brink contributed to this report. | 4 |
(CNN)NASA intends to keep operating the International Space Station until the end of 2030, after which the ISS would be crashed into a remote part of the Pacific Ocean known as Point Nemo, according to newly published plans outlining its future. Launched in 2000, the space lab has orbited 227 nautical miles above Earth with more than 200 astronauts from 19 different countries enjoying stints aboard -- representing a continuous human presence in space.NASA said that commercially operated space platforms would replace the ISS as a venue for collaboration and scientific research. "The private sector is technically and financially capable of developing and operating commercial low-Earth orbit destinations, with NASA's assistance. We look forward to sharing our lessons learned and operations experience with the private sector to help them develop safe, reliable, and cost-effective destinations in space," said Phil McAlister, director of commercial space at NASA Headquarters in a statement. "The report we have delivered to Congress describes, in detail, our comprehensive plan for ensuring a smooth transition to commercial destinations after retirement of the International Space Station in 2030."Read MoreSpace graveyardIn the International Space Station Transition Report, NASA said the plan was for the ISS to fall to Earth in an area known as the South Pacific Oceanic Uninhabited Area -- also known as Point Nemo. The report said that its budget estimate assumed that the deorbit would happen in January 2031. Named after the submarine sailor in Jules Verne's novel "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea," Point Nemo is the point in the ocean that is farthest from land and has been a watery grave for many other spacecraft. The area is approximately 3,000 miles off of New Zealand's eastern coast and 2,000 miles north of Antarctica and it's estimated that space-faring nations such as the US, Russia, Japan and European countries have sunk more than 263 pieces of space debris there since 1971.The report said the ISS would perform thrusting maneuvers that would ensure "safe atmospheric entry."Third decadeThe ISS won't rest on its laurels for the next eight years. NASA said goals for the next decade including using the ISS as "analog for a Mars transit mission," according to the report. "The International Space Station is entering its third and most productive decade as a groundbreaking scientific platform in microgravity," said Robyn Gatens, director of the International Space Station at NASA Headquarters, said in the statement. "This third decade is one of results, building on our successful global partnership to verify exploration and human research technologies to support deep space exploration, continue to return medical and environmental benefits to humanity, and lay the groundwork for a commercial future in low-Earth orbit." Tensions with Russia worry former US astronauts about the partnership in space "We look forward to maximizing these returns from the space station through 2030 while planning for transition to commercial space destinations that will follow." The space station has been home to many scientific firsts. The first item to be 3D-printed on the space station occurred in 2014. NASA astronaut Kate Rubins sequenced DNA in space for the first time in 2016. And the fifth state of matter, called a Bose-Einstein condensate, was produced in space by NASA's Cold Atom Lab on the station in 2018.Astronauts have learned how to grow lettuces and leafy greens in space. The first space-grown salad was sampled by astronauts in 2015. Now, they're even growing radishes and chilis on the station. This could be used to one day help astronauts grow their own food on deep space missions.China, whose astronauts have long been excluded from the ISS, launched the first module of its planned space station last year. While not as large as the ISS, the Chinese space station is expected to be fully operational by the end of this year. Russia has said it will leave the ISS project in 2025 and plans to build its own space station that could launch in 2030.CNN's Ashley Strickland contributed to this report | 4 |
(CNN)Kamaru Usman believes he was born to fight and on Saturday, the 31-year-old proved it by becoming the first African Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champion after defeating title holder Tyron Woodley, at a flagship event in Las Vegas."If Tyron Woodley doesn't bring his A-game, it's going to be a short night," Usman had said about the man who had been welterweight champion since 2016.For Usman, the UFC presents the perfect arena to showcase his talent for a sport he joined at elite level in 2015. Since joining the UFC, Usman has slowly worked his way up the ranks from rookie to title challenger in the space of just a few years.Born in Auchi, in the midwestern Edo state of Nigeria, Usman moved to the United States when he was seven, finding a passion for wrestling in high school.Read MoreIn 2010, he won a national title while in college at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. He hasn't looked back since and now has a record 14 wins and just one loss in his mixed martial arts career, also known as MMA. A fighting chanceLike many Nigerian fighters before him, Usman is nicknamed the 'Nigerian Nightmare,' and is one of around five Africans in the UFC.Usman's rise has also brought attention from some friends in high places, notably, Dana White, president of the UFC, who said in a recent interview: "I was impressed. I'm telling you, I want to see him fight Woodley now. I want to see the Woodley fight. That's what I want," he said in a post-fight interview with Fox Sports. On Saturday, he got his wish in the eagerly-awaited showdown with the American fighter Woodley. In a CNN interview, Usman says he believes he could be welterweight champion by now if he had gotten the chance to fight Woodley as planned in September last year. JUST WATCHEDUFC fighter takes a sweaty path to the titleReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHUFC fighter takes a sweaty path to the title 01:39Usman was penciled in as the backup for a fight between Woodley and English challenger Darren Till in America last year, amid fears that Till would not make the weight required to fight in the division. Follow CNN Africa on social mediaSee more stories on African Voices and share your thoughts with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Usman says he went on a grueling training camp and a strict diet to prepare for the potential fight.In the end, the fight never happened as Till made the weight just a day before his bout with Woodley, which he eventually lost.Though disappointed not to get the chance, Usman is sanguine about the experience."I believe in fate. I believe in karma. I believe in things like that,' he says."I was ready and fully waiting to take full opportunity of that, but it didn't happen, so hey, it's not in God's plan for me. Maybe God wanted me to get it a certain other way, but I'm gonna do everything in my power to make sure that I'm a champion." Usman went into the bout with Woodley in good shape after dominating Rafael dos Anjos, a former lightweight champion, over five rounds in December. Tough love growing up in NigeriaUsman believes growing up in Nigeria has been instrumental in his steady rise to the top of his sport."I remember the streets, I remember having to walk what seemed like miles and miles and miles to fetch water from the wells with my grandmother," he says."I lived with my grandmother for a year when I was very young, and even to this day when I tell my mother events that took place, she can't believe that I can recall that far."I recall a lot of it. I recall the hard work that my family went through just to continue to live the lifestyle that we were living, which wasn't by any means a great lifestyle. "It was just an amazing lifestyle to instill certain values in a child."Fighting familyUsman is not the only fighter in his family. His younger brother, Mohammed, is also a fighter on the MMA heavyweight circuit with three wins and a loss to his name.When Usman isn't preparing for career-defining fights, he attends to family duties such as looking after his daughter and taking her to daycare."You have to be able to find a balance [with your family]," he says. Although the odds were stacked against him, Usman fought to the end on Saturday to make history because that's the only way he knows how to. | 7 |
(CNN)President Joe Biden urged Americans not to panic Monday as scientists and public health officials assess the threat of the new Omicron coronavirus variant, asking Americans to redouble their commitment to measures that could halt the spread of virusBiden's Monday afternoon update on Omnicron represented the administration's latest attempt to assure Americans that they are moving swiftly to try to contain the spread of the new variant. His first move last week was to announce new US restrictions on travel from South Africa and seven other countries that took effect Monday. "This variant is a cause for concern, not a cause for panic," Biden said Monday. "We have the best vaccine in the world, the best medicines, the best scientists, and we're learning more every single day.""We'll fight this variant with scientific and knowledgeable actions and speed -- not chaos and confusion. We have more tools today to fight the variant than we've ever had before, from vaccines to boosters, to vaccines for children, five years and older, and much more."The President also urged Americans to enahnce their level of protection with booster shots and getting fully vaccinated if they have not done so thus far.Read MoreBiden acknowledged that much is still unknown about the transmissibility of the new variant and how effective vaccines will be in protecting Americans against it, but the administration is attempting to strike a more proactive stance than they did this summer when they appeared to be caught flat-footed by the highly contagious Delta variant, which now accounts for the vast majority of cases in the United States -- and blunted Biden's efforts to speed the country back to normalcy in the first year of his term.In his haste to turn the page from the pandemic, Biden predicted a "summer of freedom" at the same time the Delta variant was taking hold across the United States and went so far as to proclaim that America was "closer than ever to declaring our independence from a deadly virus" at a July Fourth event. With those missteps in mind, Biden huddled with health advisers both Sunday and Monday morning to track the latest developments. He moved rapidly to announce the new travel restrictions Friday after the World Health Organization labeled Omicron a "variant of concern," a signal that the White House was taking the new variant first identified by scientists in South Africa seriously. The travel bans, however, may offer little comfort to Americans given the widespread debate among public health officials about their effectiveness. Anxiety over this new Covid threat is particularly high after a week of heavy travel and a Thanksgiving holiday that had offered a fleeting sense that the nation was returning to normalcy. On Sunday, Americans set a new pandemic-era air travel record with the Transportation Security Administration reporting that it screened 2.4 million passengers at airports. Overall the TSA said it screened 20.9 million travelers during Thanksgiving week -- about 89% of the level of pre-pandemic travel during that period. Canadian health officials confirmed the country's first two cases of the Omicron Covid-19 variant in Ottawa on Sunday. Omicron has also been detected in Hong Kong, Australia, Belgium, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Denmark and Israel. On Sunday, UK officials announced that face coverings will be mandatory in shops and on public transport, while all travelers returning to the UK will be required to undergo PCR testing for Covid-19. Scientists are especially concerned about the fact that Omicron has more than 30 mutations in a part of the virus called the spike protein, a structure the coronavirus uses to enter the cells it attacks -- raising fears that that it could evade the protections offered by the vaccines currently available in the United States. The uncertainty around the new variant has served as yet another setback for Biden and for the Democratic-controlled Congress given that their political success in next year's elections will hinge in part on showing that they have successfully led the nation out of the pandemic. Biden's poll numbers have slumped amid concerns about the economy, rising inflation and the supply chain crisis -- but the erosion of confidence among Americans about his handling of Covid-19 has been particularly notable given that it was once the area where voters gave him the highest marks. As he seeks to restore faith in his administration's handling of Covid, Biden's biggest challenge may be the stubborn resistance among the approximately 60 million American adults who remain unvaccinated and the political polarization around the tools at his disposal, including mask and vaccine mandates. Public health officials expressed fresh urgency Sunday about the need for unvaccinated Americans to get their shots -- and for those who are eligible for booster shots to get them. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, has warned that Omicron could already be present in the United States. On NBC's "Meet The Press" on Sunday, Fauci called the threat of the new variant "a clarion call" for the country to "put aside all of these differences that we have and say if you're not vaccinated, get vaccinated; if you're fully vaccinated, get boosted; and get the children vaccinated."Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, acknowledged that many Americans feel a sense of exhaustion with pandemic mitigation strategies like masking and social distancing, but he said it was time to redouble those efforts and guard against complacency in the face of the new threat. "We have to use every kind of tool in our toolbox to keep (Omicron) from getting in a situation that makes this worse," he told CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union" Sunday, adding that officials are working with vaccine manufacturers to try to assess their effectiveness against the new strain. "There's no reason to panic. But it is a great reason to go get boosted."Many unanswered questions remain Moderna's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Paul Burton said Sunday that Americans should brace for several weeks of uncertainty as scientists and vaccine manufacturers investigate the transmissibility of the new variant, the level of illness that it causes and whether the antibodies produced in response to the current vaccines will be effective in thwarting it. Moderna is exploring the possibility of an Omicron-specific vaccine booster should that become necessary, Burton said. "This is a virus now with at least 50 mutations, many of them spanning the previous variants of concern, Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta. At least 30 mutations in the spike protein alone that we know lead to immune evasion and escape, and also increased replication," Burton said on CNN's "Newsroom." "This is a new wrench that has been thrown into the fight against Covid."Brown University School of Public Health Dean Dr. Ashish Jha has warned that the data about transmissibility of the new variant has looked "worrisome" thus far, in part because it has taken off quickly in South Africa. He warned in a guest essay in The New York Times this weekend that there is no time to waste, because if it "turns out to be as contagious and immune-evasive as many experts worry it might be, waiting until all the facts are in will leave us hopelessly far behind."In an interview on CNN's "Inside Politics" on Sunday, he explained that "we see all of these mutations in the spike protein in areas that our vaccines and our immune system target -- and that makes a lot of us concerned about immune evasion. We don't think that our vaccines are going to be rendered useless, but at the same time, we don't know how much of a hit the vaccines are going to take," he said. Jha argued that the effect of the travel ban against foreign nationals from the eight African countries would be "modest at best" and urged the Biden administration ramp up genomic surveillance, work with vaccine makers to create Omicron-specific vaccines -- a step Biden said the administration is already taking -- and to push for a more robust effort to get more people vaccinated in Africa. Dr. Leana Wen, a CNN medical analyst who is the former Baltimore health commissioner, said she believed the travel restrictions for the eight countries were necessary but added that the Biden administration should go even further by quarantining and re-testing all international travelers. As the US allows permanent residents and American citizens to return from the African nations affected by the restrictions, she added, they should also be required to re-test and quarantine to prevent the variant from spreading. "Otherwise, there are just too many loopholes and we're not really accomplishing our goal, which is to contain Omicron and try to prevent it from getting to this country, recognizing that it may already be in the US," she said. Some of the sharpest criticism of the travel bans enforced by the US and other countries came Sunday from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. "These restrictions are completely unjustified and unfairly discriminate against our country and our southern African sister countries," Ramaphosa said in an address on Sunday. "The prohibition of travel is not informed by science, nor will it be effective in preventing the spread of this variant. The only thing the prohibition on travel will do is to further damage the economies of the affected countries and undermine their ability to respond to and also to recover from the pandemic."Biden on Monday will have to answer those criticisms and whether there are more effective steps he can pursue against the new variant when he faces a nation looking for answers. | 5 |
(CNN)Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been named the Most Valuable Player for the 2020-21 NBA season. The NBA announced on Tuesday that the Serbian big man had received the award for the first time in his career, becoming the first Nuggets player to earn the honor. Drafted with the 41st pick in the 2014 NBA draft, Jokic becomes the lowest-drafted player to ever win the award, the previous lowest being Steve Nash and next closest being Giannis Antetokounmpo with the 15th pick. "To be honest, I didn't even think about being in the NBA," Jokic said on TNT's "Inside The NBA" show after winning the award. "My goal when I started to play basketball back home was to play in the EuroLeague because that was the closest top league to my country. I could play in some big clubs in Serbia and grind my way up. But then the Denver Nuggets drafted me, and it was an opportunity for me to become an NBA player."Read MoreREAD: NBA star Kyrie Irving says fans are treating players like 'they're in a human zoo' after latest incidentJokic shoots the ball against the Phoenix Suns.Jokic, nicknamed 'The Joker', joins Dirk Nowitzki and Antetokounmpo as MVP winners from Europe.The MVP award is voted on by a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters, as well as one fan vote, making for 101 ballots. Jokic received 91 first-place votes, earning 971 total points. Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid finished in second place with 586 points, followed by Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry in third place with 453 points.Players received 10 points for each first-place vote, seven points for each second-place vote, five points for each third-place vote, three points for each fourth-place vote and one point for each fifth-place vote.In a shortened season because of the disruption the coronavirus pandemic had on the previous campaign, Jokic has been ever present. While other players have rested or missed time through injury, Jokic has played in all 72 games for the Nuggets, leading his team to a 47-25 record and the third seed in the Western Conference for the playoffs. Over the 72 games, the 26-year-old averaged a career-high 26.4 points, 10.9 rebounds, a career-high 8.4 assists and 1.32 steals. He became the third player in NBA history to average at least 26.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists in a season, joining Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook.Visit CNN.com/sport for more news, features, and videosJokic throws a no-look pass to Monte Morris as Robert Covington of the Portland Trail Blazers defends.Jokic received the news of the award from NBA commissioner Adam Silver during a team meeting at the Nuggets' hotel ahead of Game Two of their second-round series with the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. "It's a big accomplishment," Jokic said. "But it's something that, like I said to the guys, it's not just me. I couldn't do it by myself. It's something that it is an individual award but it's the effort of everybody who is part of the Denver Nuggets organization."He also became the first center since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000 to win the league's top individual honor.Jokic will need to keep up his excellent form if the Nuggets have any hopes of advancing in the playoffs, having lost Game One of their series with the Suns already. | 7 |
What do you think about the new pope? Tell usHomily of the Holy Father at the Inauguration of his Papal Ministry19 March 2013Dear Brothers and Sisters, I thank the Lord that I can celebrate this Holy Mass for the inauguration of my Petrine ministry on the solemnity of Saint Joseph, the spouse of the Virgin Mary and the patron of the universal Church. It is a significant coincidence, and it is also the name-day of my venerable predecessor: we are close to him with our prayers, full of affection and gratitude. I offer a warm greeting to my brother cardinals and bishops, the priests, deacons, men and women religious, and all the lay faithful. I thank the representatives of the other Churches and ecclesial Communities, as well as the representatives of the Jewish community and the other religious communities, for their presence. My cordial greetings go to the Heads of State and Government, the members of the official Delegations from many countries throughout the world, and the Diplomatic Corps.JUST WATCHEDPapal installations of the pastReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHPapal installations of the past 01:00JUST WATCHEDProtecting the pontiffReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHProtecting the pontiff 02:19JUST WATCHEDSecret vote for pope was in the cardsReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHSecret vote for pope was in the cards 02:05JUST WATCHEDThe new pope and Argentina's 'dirty war'ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHThe new pope and Argentina's 'dirty war' 02:48 In the Gospel we heard that "Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary as his wife" (Mt 1:24). These words already point to the mission which God entrusts to Joseph: he is to be the custos, the protector. The protector of whom? Of Mary and Jesus; but this protection is then extended to the Church, as Blessed John Paul II pointed out: "Just as Saint Joseph took loving care of Mary and gladly dedicated himself to Jesus Christ's upbringing, he likewise watches over and protects Christ's Mystical Body, the Church, of which the Virgin Mary is the exemplar and model" (Redemptoris Custos, 1). How does Joseph exercise his role as protector? Discreetly, humbly and silently, but with an unfailing presence and utter fidelity, even when he finds it hard to understand. From the time of his betrothal to Mary until the finding of the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem, he is there at every moment with loving care. As the spouse of Mary, he is at her side in good times and bad, on the journey to Bethlehem for the census and in the anxious and joyful hours when she gave birth; amid the drama of the flight into Egypt and during the frantic search for their child in the Temple; and later in the day-to-day life of the home of Nazareth, in the workshop where he taught his trade to Jesus. How does Joseph respond to his calling to be the protector of Mary, Jesus and the Church? By being constantly attentive to God, open to the signs of God's presence and receptive to God's plans, and not simply to his own. This is what God asked of David, as we heard in the first reading. God does not want a house built by men, but faithfulness to his word, to his plan. It is God himself who builds the house, but from living stones sealed by his Spirit. Joseph is a "protector" because he is able to hear God's voice and be guided by his will; and for this reason he is all the more sensitive to the persons entrusted to his safekeeping. He can look at things realistically, he is in touch with his surroundings, he can make truly wise decisions. In him, dear friends, we learn how to respond to God's call, readily and willingly, but we also see the core of the Christian vocation, which is Christ! Let us protect Christ in our lives, so that we can protect others, so that we can protect creation! The vocation of being a "protector", however, is not just something involving us Christians alone; it also has a prior dimension which is simply human, involving everyone. It means protecting all creation, the beauty of the created world, as the Book of Genesis tells us and as Saint Francis of Assisi showed us. It means respecting each of God's creatures and respecting the environment in which we live. It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about. It means caring for one another in our families: husbands and wives first protect one another, and then, as parents, they care for their children, and children themselves, in time, protect their parents. It means building sincere friendships in which we protect one another in trust, respect, and goodness. In the end, everything has been entrusted to our protection, and all of us are responsible for it. Be protectors of God's gifts! Whenever human beings fail to live up to this responsibility, whenever we fail to care for creation and for our brothers and sisters, the way is opened to destruction and hearts are hardened. Tragically, in every period of history there are "Herods" who plot death, wreak havoc, and mar the countenance of men and women. Please, I would like to ask all those who have positions of responsibility in economic, political and social life, and all men and women of goodwill: let us be "protectors" of creation, protectors of God's plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment. Let us not allow omens of destruction and death to accompany the advance of this world! But to be "protectors", we also have to keep watch over ourselves! Let us not forget that hatred, envy and pride defile our lives! Being protectors, then, also means keeping watch over our emotions, over our hearts, because they are the seat of good and evil intentions: intentions that build up and tear down! We must not be afraid of goodness or even tenderness! Here I would add one more thing: caring, protecting, demands goodness, it calls for a certain tenderness. In the Gospels, Saint Joseph appears as a strong and courageous man, a working man, yet in his heart we see great tenderness, which is not the virtue of the weak but rather a sign of strength of spirit and a capacity for concern, for compassion, for genuine openness to others, for love. We must not be afraid of goodness, of tenderness! Today, together with the feast of Saint Joseph, we are celebrating the beginning of the ministry of the new Bishop of Rome, the Successor of Peter, which also involves a certain power. Certainly, Jesus Christ conferred power upon Peter, but what sort of power was it? Jesus' three questions to Peter about love are followed by three commands: feed my lambs, feed my sheep. Let us never forget that authentic power is service, and that the Pope too, when exercising power, must enter ever more fully into that service which has its radiant culmination on the Cross. He must be inspired by the lowly, concrete and faithful service which marked Saint Joseph and, like him, he must open his arms to protect all of God's people and embrace with tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important, those whom Matthew lists in the final judgment on love: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison (cf. Mt 25:31-46). Only those who serve with love are able to protect! In the second reading, Saint Paul speaks of Abraham, who, "hoping against hope, believed" (Rom 4:18). Hoping against hope! Today too, amid so much darkness, we need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to others. To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman, to look upon them with tenderness and love, is to open up a horizon of hope; it is to let a shaft of light break through the heavy clouds; it is to bring the warmth of hope! For believers, for us Christians, like Abraham, like Saint Joseph, the hope that we bring is set against the horizon of God, which has opened up before us in Christ. It is a hope built on the rock which is God. To protect Jesus with Mary, to protect the whole of creation, to protect each person, especially the poorest, to protect ourselves: this is a service that the Bishop of Rome is called to carry out, yet one to which all of us are called, so that the star of hope will shine brightly. Let us protect with love all that God has given us! I implore the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, Saints Peter and Paul, and Saint Francis, that the Holy Spirit may accompany my ministry, and I ask all of you to pray for me! Amen. | 4 |
Story highlightsA lawyer calls Amanda Knox two-faced, with a "diabolical" sideAnother lawyer shows the court photos of the victim's bloodied bodyKnox and Raffaele Sollecito are fighting their murder convictionsTheir lawyers are due to make final arguments this weekThe lawyer for Meredith Kercher's family showed photos of the British murder victim's bloodied body Monday, pointing out multiple stab wounds, as he urged an Italian jury not to overturn the murder convictions of Amanda Knox and Rafaelle Sollecito."I show you these pictures to show you the pain of Meredith," Francesco Maresca said."She didn't have defensive wounds. It means that she was tied up, that she had more than one aggressor," the lawyer said."Given the type, number and locations of the wounds, there had to be multiple attackers," he insisted.He attacked as "useless" a review of DNA evidence that may cast doubt on the original convictions.JUST WATCHEDAmanda Knox appeal in final stretchReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHAmanda Knox appeal in final stretch 04:50JUST WATCHEDAmanda Knox appeal nears end ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHAmanda Knox appeal nears end 02:39American student Knox and her former boyfriend Sollecito were convicted of the killing in 2009 and are now fighting to have the verdicts overturned. Knox was sentenced to 26 years in prison, while Sollecito got 25.A third man, Rudy Guede, was convicted separately and is serving 16 years. Knox and Sollecito's defense teams have suggested he could have been the sole killer.Lawyers for the civil suits related to the case presented their closing arguments Monday. Knox avoided looking at the photographs of Kercher's body as they were shown.Another lawyer called Knox two-faced and "diabolical.""Within her lives a double soul: one which is angelic, good, compassionate ... tender and ingenuous," Carlo Pacelli said.But she had another side, he said: "And a Lucifer-like, demonic, satanic, diabolical one which sometimes leads her to borderline and dissolute behavior," saying that was the Knox who had killed her roommate.Pacelli sought to portray Knox as sexually promiscuous and a difficult roommate as he fights for damages for Patrick Lumumba. His closing arguments were based on earlier testimony by friends of Kercher's.Curt Knox, Amanda Knox's father, said the language used by the lawyer "was extraordinarily hard to listen to.""What I find very hard to believe is how this person can start calling her that when he's never even talked to her, never met her," Curt Knox told CNN's Brooke Baldwin on Monday night.Knox accused Lumumba of the murder in 2007. He was arrested but released after his alibi checked out. He later sued Knox for libel, winning 40,000 euros ($54,000) in damages.Knox's accusation of Lumumba shows that she committed the crime, Pacelli argued. "Knox told lies," he said, adding that she was guilty and her conviction should stand.He urged the court not to "fall under the spell of the defendant" but to "stick to the proof."Knox testified in the initial trial that comments she made to police the night of the killing were the result of stress, mistreatment by police and inadequate translation help.Lawyers are making closing arguments this week, and a verdict could come as soon as October 3.Curt Knox said the defense will begin presenting its final arguments Tuesday, "and I think we're going to see a very different picture of what this case is all about, and so will the world.""What we saw and what we heard in the first three hearings is really all circumstantial evidence," Curt Knox said. "When it really comes down to the nuts and bolts of this case, you're going to hear in the next couple of days there really is no forensic case."Knox was in court Monday, wearing an off-white top and black hooded sweater as the months-long process nears its conclusion.Curt Knox said his daughter has had trouble sleeping and has lost weight in recent weeks."These two judges and six jurors really have her life in their hands, and these last three hearings have been extraordinarily hard," he said.Sollecito was also present at Monday's hearing, with his hair cut short. He wore a long-sleeved shirt with a geometric pattern.The defense has sought to discredit DNA evidence linking the two of them to the killing, in which Kercher's throat was slashed. Her semi-clothed body was found in the house they shared in Perugia, a picturesque central Italian university town.An Italian prosecutor put forward a vigorous defense in closing arguments Saturday of the DNA evidence used to find her guilty. Prosecutor Manuela Comodi rejected testimony from independent forensics experts that cast doubt on the reliability of the evidence, insisting police forensic officers had handled the DNA material properly. And she urged the court to increase Knox and Sollecito's sentences to life. Comodi's appearance came on the second day of closing arguments for prosecutors in the appeal.On Saturday, she told jurors that the original court had concluded "beyond any reasonable doubt" that blood from both Knox and Kercher found in the bathroom sink had been left there when Knox washed herself after the killing. The prosecutor also pointed to a partial footprint with Kercher's blood found on a bathroom mat, saying analysis had shown that it was most likely to have been left by Sollecito.He and Knox say they were at Sollecito's house on the night Kercher died, not the villa the two girls shared.But Maresca disputed that Monday, calling their claim the "false alibi." Under Italian law, he said, in a trial based on circumstantial evidence, a defendant's alibi that turns out to be false can be used against them. The computer from Sollecito's house showed no activity on the night in question, he said, suggesting that he and Knox were not there.Defense attorneys for Sollecito are expected to present their final arguments Tuesday, to be followed by Knox's attorneys Thursday.Knox will be allowed to address the court one more time before the jury begins its deliberations, an opportunity her father says she has been thinking about the past three months."This is really her final opportunity to express her heartfelt thoughts as it relates to how she's being judged and the fact that she had nothing to do with this horrific crime and that Meredith was her friend," Curt Knox said.Knox and Sollecito are appealing their convictions together, having been convicted in a joint trial. | 4 |
(CNN)The Environmental Protection Agency has restored California's authority to implement its own greenhouse gas emission standards and zero-emission vehicle sales mandates, the agency announced Wednesday. It is also allowing other states to adopt California's stricter standards in lieu of the federal rules.This move officially reverses a Trump-era action that had revoked the Golden State's authority to set its own vehicle emission standards, amid an environmental battle between the Trump administration and the state. In 2019, the Trump administration rolled back California's decades-old waiver that had allowed it to set its own air pollution standards.The EPA signaled last month that the move was coming.Biden administration rolls out new regulations and funding for cleaner trucks and buses"Today we proudly reaffirm California's longstanding authority to lead in addressing pollution from cars and trucks," EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement. "Our partnership with states to confront the climate crisis has never been more important. With today's action, we reinstate an approach that for years has helped advance clean technologies and cut air pollution for people not just in California, but for the U.S. as a whole."In 2021, President Joe Biden issued an executive order on public health and the climate crisis, which included instructing agencies to review the Trump-era fuel emissions action, known as SAFE-1.Read MoreAs part of Wednesday's announcement, the EPA has decided to rescind the SAFE-1 action, the agency said. As a result, the waiver granted to California "to implement its Advanced Clean Car (ACC) program in 2013 is back in force," according to an EPA fact sheet.In rescinding the SAFE-1 action, the EPA said Wednesday, it is "withdrawing the SAFE-1 interpretation of the Clean Air Act that would prohibit other states from adopting the California [greenhouse gas] emission standards," according to the fact sheet. This means other states are now allowed to adopt California's emission standards in lieu of federal standards, in accordance with the Clean Air Act."When you clear a traffic jam, the first thing you do is take your foot off the brake. That's exactly what the Biden Administration is doing by reinstating California's long-standing authority under the Clean Air Act to set tailpipe standards and allow other states, like Delaware, to adopt them," said Democratic Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware, who chairs the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.Chevron Phillips will pay nearly $120 million to clean up 3 chemical plants after allegations it violated Clean Air ActCalifornia Air Resources Board member Daniel Sperling previously told CNN the state won't use its waiver to implement stronger standards for cars and light trucks, and the state will instead implement Biden's national EPA standards, which will increase the fuel mileage rule for cars and trucks to 40 miles per gallon by the 2026 model year.Where California will likely go further than the federal government is in standards for heavy-duty trucks, Sperling said. "I would say California wants everyone to go forward fast" on zero-emission vehicles, Sperling said. "If you look at political realities, the attitude is yes, we have to be the leader because the feds are not, and other states are not following fast."Biden's national climate adviser, Gina McCarthy, said in a statement that Wednesday's announcement along with the EPA's new tailpipe rules "provide the opportunity for the Biden-Harris Administration and the State of California under Governor Newsom's leadership, to once again move forward in the direction of a harmonized national program that will benefit families all across America."The increase of fuel mileage standards -- nationally and in California -- plays a pivotal role in Biden's climate agenda. Transportation emissions account for nearly 30% of US greenhouse gas emissions. The new national standards will prevent billions of tons of planet-warming carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere, according to the EPA."In addition to helping us meet our climate goals, this action will reduce pollution in communities across the country, save Americans money at the gas pump, and strengthen our nation's energy independence," said Carper.CNN's Ella Nilsen contributed to this report. | 5 |
(CNN)A New York woman was punched more than 125 times in the head and face and stomped on seven times by a man who had allegedly called her an "Asian b*tch," the Yonkers Police Department said in a news release Monday. The victim, a 67-year-old Asian woman, was returning home Friday evening when she saw the suspect, whom police identified as Tammel Esco, 42, in front of her building. Esco allegedly used the racial slur as she passed him, police said in the release.Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, thousands of people in the US have been victims of anti-Asian incidents, from verbal abuse to physical attacks. From March 19, 2020, to December 31, 2021, a total of 10,905 hate incidents against Asian American and Pacific Islander people were reported to Stop AAPI Hate, an organization that tracks reports of racism and discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Read More In the Friday incident, the victim ignored Esco and entered the vestibule of her apartment building, according to the police. But as she attempted to open the second door to enter the lobby, Esco allegedly approached her from behind and punched her in the head, knocking her to the floor, the release said. The department provided surveillance a video of the assault. Asian Americans are feeling on edge. How you can get help or help those in need In it, a man is seen punching a woman in both the head and face more than 125 times and then stomping her with his foot seven times. Police said he then spat on her. The woman suffered multiple contusions and lacerations to her head and face, facial bone fractures, and bleeding on the brain, according to the news release. She was taken to a trauma center and is listed in stable condition, according to police. Police responded to the scene at around 6:11 p.m. Friday, found Esco outside the apartment building and placed him into custody without incident, according to the release. He was arraigned in a Yonkers City Court on Saturday and held in custody at Westchester County Jail, the release said. Esco is charged with two felonies -- attempted murder and assault in the second degree involving a victim 65 or older -- online court records show.Each count is charged as a hate crime, according to the release. His next court date is slated for March 25. CNN reached out to the Legal Aid Society of Westchester County, which represents Esco, for comment but hasn't received a reply. Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano said in the release he expects the suspect to be charged to the fullest extent possible for his "heinous actions." "Hate crimes are beyond intolerable in our city," the mayor said. Individual charged with hate crimes for allegedly assaulting Asian man with a hammerYonkers is a city of more than 211,000 people in the New York City suburbs, about 17 miles north of Manhattan. "This is one of the most appalling attacks I have ever seen; to beat a helpless woman is despicable and targeting her because of her race makes it more so," Yonkers Police Commissioner John J. Mueller said in the release. "This defendant must be held to the maximum punishment allowed by law to send a clear message that hateful, violent behavior will not be tolerated in our communities." | 4 |
(CNN)The Chicago Police Department is lowering hiring standards for new recruits by dropping the college credit requirement for some candidates, as the agency like others in the country continues to face Covid-related staffing shortages and national and local reckoning that's driven potential new police officers away from the profession.Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown announced last week that the department would waive a college-credit requirement for recruits who have two years of military or peace officer experience, or three years in corrections, social services, health care, trades, or education. Under the old policy, those candidates were required to have 60 hours of college credits. Chicago police officers won't be charged in shootings of Adam Toledo and Anthony AlvarezAbout 3,800 people took the Chicago police department's entrance exam over the four months it was offered last year, compared to as many as 22,000 in recent years. At least two other big-city police departments have made similar moves in recent years. Philadelphia used to require some college for officers, but changed that policy to help ease a staffing shortage. That city's former commissioner called the lowering of standards an "embarrassment." New Orleans police also jettisoned a 60-hour requirement, and the education requirement for new recruits is a GED or high school diploma. That move was also in response to staffing shortages. During a news conference this week, New York City Mayor Eric Adams applauded Chicago's recruitment practices after a trip to the city to meet with Mayor Lori Lightfoot.Read More"We're hearing all over the country that there is a requirement problem with police officers," he said. "There were historical barriers that were preventing people from using life experiences to have waivers.""We're going to look to duplicate that in New York City and so in the brief conversation I had, I know that this is an entry way to learn from each other," he added. "We want to look at best practices of how do we finally turn the generational problem of crime in our cities.""I think this is all about enlarging the pool of applicants you can choose from," said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum. "Some cities are really strapped for candidates, so they have to take a second look, 'What do we have to do to expand the applicant pool?' And also, how do you make sure the candidate pool reflects the community you're serving."There's a broader trend of relaxing standardsPolice departments across the country are struggling to maintain their workforces, according to recent survey data compiled by the Police Executive Research Forum. According to their findings, collected from about 180 police departments of various sizes: • There were 42.7% more resignations in 2021 than in 2019.• Agencies of all sizes reported substantial increases in resignations from 2019 to 2021. • There were 23.6% more retirements in 2021 than in 2019.• Agencies of all sizes reported an increase in retirements from 2019 to 2020, and large agencies saw the largest increase. NYPD top cop pick highlights the slow rise of female police chiefs nationwide"The job has become much more demanding, complicated, sophisticated in terms of technology, in terms of writing, all of the tools -- judgment, decision making -- all of the things we expect that translates into police officers of future," Wexler said. "If you want to change American police culture, you need to hire the best and the brightest. I'm not sure that's where we are today given what we're seeing." Wexler said that not everyone who's gone to college goes on to become a good police officer -- "I know some people who've gone to college and they're complete idiots, absolutely no common sense" -- and there's value in hiring older candidates with life experience who've been in the workforce or couldn't go to school because they're raising a family. But broadly, dropping the education requirement is "worrisome," he said. "We do know a more educated workforce is, you're getting a candidate pool (that) recognizes importance of education." The Chicago move is part of a broader trend of relaxing standards to entice more people into becoming police officers. Relaxing standards could mean allowing tattoos or prior use of marijuana. "But also looking at things, like, how do you attract a larger base of candidates to choose from. If you talk to any chief today, they will tell you they're just not seeing the same number of people they've seen in years," Wexler said. Life experience makes 'a very big difference'In Chicago, about 3,800 people took the police department's entry exam over the four months it was offered in 2021. As many as 22,000 took the exam in 2018, about 14,000 applicants in 2016, and about 19,000 applicants in 2013. The Chicago Police Department's attrition rate more than doubled from 4% in 2020 to 8.5% in 2021, according to Brown. Chicago police declined to comment on how many people took recent entrance exams, or were hired from those exams, but called the pool of candidates "very small." "The 60 hours of college credit requirement can be prohibitive," Brown said last week at a news conference. A deputy chief, at the same news conference, said that "life experience really does make a very big difference." Homicides in 22 US cities continue to rise in 2021 but at a slower pace, report saysBrown said the restrictions on recruit class sizes early in the pandemic to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 had an impact on the overall attrition rate, as well as an outbreak of Covid-19 in the summer of 2020 that prompted a shutdown of the police academy.Chicago's most recent recruit class in February was 48% female, 65% Hispanic, Brown said. The racial and ethnic makeup of the department in its entirety includes 20% African American, 4% Asian, 45% White, 30% Hispanic and "various other categories of diversity" that account for 1% of officers, he added. The city, as of the most recent census, is 33% White, 29.2% Black, and 28.6% Hispanic or Latino. That changed slightly from 10 years earlier, when the city's Black population was larger. Migdalia Bulnes, deputy chief of the newly created recruiting team for the agency, said that their goal was to open the pool of applicants to people who have work experience but were not able to attend college to obtain the 60 credit hours required for the job."There are many, many people just like that in our communities," she said. "They are leaders, they have a job, they have experience, they have communication, they're making decisions, they're filling out reports. So those were the individuals that we thought of when we started talking about this program and exactly what we wanted to see come into this police department."CNN's Sam Romano, Priya Krishnakumar and Laura Studley contributed to this report. | 4 |
(CNN)Russian authorities say they have detected what is believed to be "human infection with avian influenza H5N8," the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed to CNN.Russia notified WHO of the possible strain. "If confirmed, this would be the first time H5N8 has infected people," a WHO Europe spokesperson said in a statement Saturday.The reported cases were workers exposed to bird flocks, according to preliminary information, the statement added. The workers were "asymptomatic and no onward human to human transmission was reported," the spokesperson said.India begins mass bird cull in response to avian flu outbreakSpeaking during a televised briefing on Saturday, Anna Popova, the head of Russia's Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing, said that the strain had been detected in seven poultry farm workers in the south of the country, state-run news agency TASS reported. Read MoreWhile still not confirmed by the WHO, the Russian health authority has said it is in discussion with national authorities to gather more information and "assess the public health impact" of the incident.Avian flu usually affects only birds and there are many different strains of it.Most cases of human infection are due to contact with infected poultry or surfaces that are contaminated with infected bird excretions: saliva, nasal secretions or feces. In 2014 an H5N8 outbreak infected poultry on farms in Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. | 4 |
Story highlightsWorld Aquatics Championships start July 14Championships run until July 30Russia tops world championships medal table (CNN)If you want to get ahead in synchronized swimming it pays to be able to multitask. Described as "ballet in water," the strength and flexibility required to deliver routines that can be up to five minutes long might look effortless in competition, but this is a discipline that takes up to six hours a day of daily practice."The training is going on in the gym as well as the water," Hungarian synchronized swimming team's head coach Natalia Tarasova told CNN Sport's Christina Macfarlane ahead of the FINA World Aquatics Championships which start Friday in Budapest. "There is usually one and a half hours in the gym. We are doing a lot of counting with the music as well, so we are doing music training in the gym as well as in the water."Strong legs, eye coordination and teamwork are key, says Tarasova.Read More"It's a lot of leg work and a lot of looking, so you have to be really careful with the other girls and you have to be a team member to do all this hard work underwater."READ: The secret to Katinka Hosszú's success? Mind over waterREAD: All you need to know about the World Aquatics ChampionshipsMembers of the Hungarian synchronized swimming team perform during halftime of the Water Polo European Championships match between Hungary and Spain.'Kicking each other'Synchronized swimming debuted at the Olympics in 1984, with both team and duet events currently contested. At the world championships solo, duet, team and mixed duet synchro swimmers compete in technical and free routines. However, the pursuit of perfection can be painful -- both mentally and physically."First we're learning how to count and the exact moves and then we're practicing moving closer together and the girls are having a lot of problems as they are kicking each other," adds Tarasova."They have a lot of bruises everywhere and sometimes they are fighting saying 'Oh you kicked me here and there!'"Finally at the last hour of competition ... we're smiling so it must look easy by the end. And if it looks easy then our work is complete."Hungary perform during the Women's Free Combination Synchronised Swimming final at Berlin's Europa-Sportpark in August 2014.ChoreographyAs regards total medals won at world championships, Russia tops the table (49), followed by Japan (42) and Spain (35).Even when swimmers are lifting one another their feet aren't allowed to touch the bottom of the pool, with judges awarding points for technical merit and synchronization, artistic impression as well as difficulty in free routines and performing the required elements in technical routines. "They're looking for the difficulty," says Tarasova. "How many times the girls have two legs out of the water, or maybe just one leg and the number of rotations they are doing."How fast they are moving around the pool, how they are covering the pool area. Choreography: how the routine fits with the music. Everything -- they are looking at everything." Photos: Synchronized swimmers Anita Alvarez and Mariya Koroleva, who will represent the United States in next month's Olympics, train in the pool along with their alternate, Alison Williams.Hide Caption 1 of 11 Photos: This will be the second Olympics for Koroleva, who also competed in 2012. It will be the first Olympics for Alvarez.Hide Caption 2 of 11 Photos: Koroleva takes a ballet class with her teammates in June. They train eight to nine hours a day for six days a week.Hide Caption 3 of 11 Photos: The team does strengthening exercises in the weight room.Hide Caption 4 of 11 Photos: Koroleva lifts weights. She also just got her master's degree and is working several hours a week at a retail sport company, photographer Aude Guerrucci said.Hide Caption 5 of 11 Photos: Koroleva, right, does exercises with U.S. team member Phoebe Coffin.Hide Caption 6 of 11 Photos: Alvarez lies down for some physical therapy.Hide Caption 7 of 11 Photos: Guerrucci also spent time photographing the U.S. junior team as it prepared for this month's World Championships.Hide Caption 8 of 11 Photos: A member of the U.S. junior team practices in the pool.Hide Caption 9 of 11 Photos: The junior team listens to comments from their coach, Jenny Ekhilevsky.Hide Caption 10 of 11 Photos: Because Guerrucci knows the sport, shooting it was easy for her. "I know how they move," she said. "I know what to expect." She even got in the water to show what happens beneath the surface.Hide Caption 11 of 11Visit cnn.com/swimming for more news and videosThe championships in Budapest finish on July 30. | 7 |
(CNN)The first day in a new school or job is never easy, especially trying to navigate those awkward meet and greets as you get to know potential new friends.It's even trickier when you're an Olympic gold medal medalist. For snowboarder Chloe Kim, it made starting life at Princeton a very different challenge from the frontside 1080 she pulled on the halfpipe at the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang."Everyone was kind of staring at me, taking pictures," Kim recently told CNN's Don Riddell. "It was kind of a struggle for me. I just felt like I was never going to be able to adapt and stay because I just felt like everyone was watching me and knew who I was, when I didn't know anyone."If figuring life out at 19 can be daunting, it's equally ambitious to reach the pinnacle of your sport and put it aside to pursue an Ivy League education.Kim says she was delighted to receive her acceptance letter from her "dream school" and the initial trappings of fame soon wore off as she settled into student life.Read More"I thought it was going to be challenging to make friends because of that," Kim acknowledged as she reflected on the transition to Princeton."But I honestly met some amazing people. And it's funny because a lot of my best friends from school had no idea who I was." Chloe Kim training in Park City, Utah. 'Present and future of women's snowboarding'In the year of her Olympic triumph, Time Magazine listed Kim in their Time 100: The Most Influential People of 2018, but her rapid ascension to stardom was a surprise to the young woman from Long Beach."It changed my life quite a bit," Kim admits. "I don't think I expected like so many people to watch, so many people to know or care afterwards; but they did, which was really, really funny for me."I kind of just expected to go there and compete and then just come back and go back to my normal everyday life. But that wasn't the case."At the 2018 Olympics some commentators described the then 17-year-old Kim as "the present and future of women's snowboarding." She subsequently discovered that when you are front and center of that type of media exposure it can lead to some interesting encounters."It's so funny because I'll be walking somewhere and there's like someone ... 'Oh my gosh, are you that snowboarder?' says Kim. "I was at the grocery store yesterday and they're like, 'Oh, my God, is that you?'"It's just funny, you know, because I never expected that to happen from snowboarding." USA's gold medallist Chloe Kim poses on the podium at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.Her biggest fansShortly after her Olympics win, Kim appeared as a guest on NBC's The Tonight Show and was shocked by host Jimmy Fallon, who unveiled a blown-up replica of a Gold Medal Edition box of Kellogg's Corn Flakes with her on the cover, smiling and holding her gold medal.When she next visited her parents' house, Kim found they had bought the boxes of cereal in bulk."I'm pretty sure they bought about 40 of them," Kim says. "Because they were like, this is the best gift to anyone!"Her parents, according to Kim, are her biggest fans.Originally from South Korea, the story goes that her father, Jong Jin Kim, emigrated to the US in 1982 with only $800 in cash, and as his daughter's talent emerged, gave up his job to help her travel around the globe as she chased her snowboarding dreams."My dad gave up so much," says the 20-year-old Kim. "He came with so little and he sacrificed everything for me to help me pursue this dream of mine."If things didn't go well, I might have not been able to continue snowboarding after I was 13 because it was straight up just too expensive for us because we're competing in like Aspen and Vail, Colorado and Switzerland; like we're doing all these trips and it's expensive."My parents put everything into me and my career, I guess, and it worked out, and I'm so thankful every day."READ: Claressa Shields takes jab at boxing over coverage, treatment of female fightersWith parents from South Korea, Kim of Team USA was a poster child at the 2018 Winter Games.VISIT: CNN.com/sport for more news, features and videos'Never give up'That parental support and sacrifice perhaps helps explains why Kim is so driven to be the best in everything she does."It's taught me that if you believe in something, then to never give up. I was like seven years old when I started competing in snowboarding, rookie events and stuff, and the fact that they saw that and believed in me and believed that I could become like an Olympian one day is just insane."The fact that I did it when I was 17 is just even crazier."There were a lot of struggles along the way, too," she added. "There was a lot of pressure. And so I just think, like even though times get tough, rough sometimes, [it's important] to keep going, to keep pushing."And they've also taught me that, like, when I have kids of my own one day to just support them in whatever they're passionate about because I love snowboarding and then this happened."U.S. Olympian Chloe Kim poses for a photo with her family at the USA House in PyeongChang.Schools out for snowboardingLooking ahead to the Winter Olympics in Beijing next year, student life is on hold as Kim recently returned to the sport she loves, winning her fifth X Games title in January.Her focus is on "getting back in snowboarding shape," and aside from suppressing her craving for sweets, it's a welcome change for someone who, quite noticeably likes to keep busy."I'm so, so happy and grateful that I've been able to come back and compete again against all of these amazing, talented, hardworking women," said Kim. "It was nice to kind of get out and start competing again."Kim admits that it's a demanding schedule in the countdown to the games and combining it with Princeton was not going to help her chances of success."I got a leave of absence," she said. "There's no way I can handle going to school while being a professional snowboarder, especially before the Olympics."I plan on going back, but right now, I'm a full-time snowboarder and one day I'll be back to being a full-time student. But, yeah, I don't think I can juggle it."Asked whether she believes the Summer Olympics in Tokyo and the Winter Olympics in Beijing will go ahead, Kim is staying positive, having emerged from lockdown to compete in recent events made safe by strict protocols. "It's every person's responsibility to be safe," she emphasizes. "And I think all the athletes, especially at the Olympics, will be very respectful and aware of that. "They have to be responsible for their own actions, and, you know, if someone gets it, then they go home, and I don't think any athlete wants to risk that at the Olympics. You wait four years to be there. "So I really think it will be able to happen very smoothly, honestly."US fans cheer on Kim.Olympic playbookThe International Olympic Committee recently outlined safety measures for the Tokyo Games that included no shouting or cheering, alongside the need for masks and social distancing. It's a small price to pay, says Kim, as the joy of the games and the opportunity for athletes to compete after years of hard work is worth putting up with any extra restrictions. "I think everyone will be so happy and grateful that the Olympics were able to happen in the first place. So what if people can't shout or scream or clap or hug or high five or whatever. So be it."We're able to compete at the Olympics, we're able to have an Olympics, and I know for a fact that none of those athletes want to wait another four years just because they couldn't high five or clap or whatever. "So I think that, you know, they're there to compete at the Olympics, represent their countries and support each other, and if you have to do that from a distance, then that's fine. You feel the love. Everyone's going through it." | 7 |
(CNN)Seth Meyers says if President Donald Trump stopped giving comedians so much material, they would simply "move on to something else.""Look, I would happily push aside what he gives us every day for a more balanced leadership for the country, Meyers said on CNN's "The Van Jones Show." "I don't value my show's success over the country's."Since becoming President, Trump has been the butt of many late-night jokes. Meyers, however, says comedians are more focused on calling out hypocrisy, not Trump, when cracking jokes."Look I could understand that (conservatives) don't like it. And I certainly respect their opinion to choose not to watch," Meyers, the host of "Late Night with Seth Meyers," told Jones. "With that said, most comedians are pretty consistent in calling out hypocrisy and lying. I don't think, we don't every day just say, 'Hey, we have to attack Donald Trump, what is there?' It's the opposite. The thing comes first and then we realize in order to talk about, it is in some degree to attack Donald Trump."Like the day he stops giving us stuff to talk about, we will move on to something else, Meyers continued. "But it's not like we have to go searching through the corners of the internet to find something crazy." | 5 |
Story highlightsA Tennessee golf club is home to two nesting bald eagles Pair named Elliott and Eloise recently joined by two eaglets Eagle Cam set up in 2012 has been viewed by nearly one million worldwideCourse has been recipient of several environmental awards Eagles may be thin on the ground for most golfers at the Bear Trace course at Harrison Bay. But up in the treetops, it's a different matter.Bald eagles Elliott and Eloise have been par for the course at the Tennessee club for the past three and a half years, scoring highly with both local and global audiences thanks to a camera installed by their nest in a pine tree behind the 10th green."The eagles came in and started building a nest in December 2010," explains golf course superintendent Paul Carter."The first year they had two eaglets and both fledged successfully. We were just watching them from the ground not really knowing what was going on until about mid-May when two black heads popped up out of the nest."The discovery prompted Carter to install an Eagle Cam which has been live since early 2012. This year, the pair -- who were given their names by Carter's daughter -- welcomed two more eaglets who go by the more functional names of HB5 and HB6. JUST WATCHEDHold still! Golfer tries dangerous shotReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHHold still! Golfer tries dangerous shot 00:55JUST WATCHEDGary Player on the MastersReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHGary Player on the Masters 02:35JUST WATCHEDSecret behind the 'Bubba Long'ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHSecret behind the 'Bubba Long' 03:57Bald eagles were once on the U.S. endangered species list, but numbers of the nation's symbol have risen since the government banned the pesticide DDT -- which contaminated the birds' food sources. The wingspans of the female eagles, which are larger than the males, can be up to eight feet."Tennessee has had some good success with its eagle population, but this is the only one on a golf course that I know of. We are trying to show that golf courses can be a sustainable habitat for wildlife," Carter told CNN ahead of Earth Day -- an initiative started in 1970 aimed at improving the world's environment, and marked globally this year on April 22. Bear Trace's round-the-clock live feed has received almost a million views to date. The virtual presence has also helped business at the club. "I've been in the pro shop several times and people come in and ask which hole Eagle Cam is on," Carter says. "We've definitely had a considerable amount of play off it."The project is one of many environmentally-minded measures Carter and his colleagues have tended to in recent years."It's not just about how we mow the grass or what fertilizer we're putting down. We have an education center which has environmental information, awards and pictures of the course," he says.Carter, who also writes about environmental improvements on a blog and gives talks, was recently recognized for his green leadership.Last November, Golf Digest magazine awarded the course its Green Star Award and in February Carter was crowned overall winner of the Environmental Leaders in Golf Award for 2013. The prestigious prize, which is open to golf courses around the world, is jointly run by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and Golf Digest.JUST WATCHEDCrenshaw's best Augusta momentsReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHCrenshaw's best Augusta moments 04:38JUST WATCHEDPGA's new young gun: Patrick ReedReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHPGA's new young gun: Patrick Reed 02:45JUST WATCHEDAlister MacKenzie's road to AugustaReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHAlister MacKenzie's road to Augusta 05:24Historically, golf courses haven't attracted praise for their green credentials but rather criticism, often being held up as examples of resource profligacy for over-watering and widespread use of chemicals.But this view may now be outdated says Ray Semlitsch, curators professor of biological sciences at the University of Missouri."Golf courses are aware of some of these negative things and actually they have done a very good job over the last 10-20 years of trying to improve environmental practices," says Semlitsch, who recently led a study on the effects of golf course development on salamander populations in the southern Appalachians."We studied 10 golf courses interviewing golf superintendents and managers. These were young, highly educated people -- many had degrees in biology, turf science or wildlife management."They are well aware of these problems and very excited and very willing to make changes and use environmentally sound practices."Carter says things have shifted "180 degrees" since 2001 when he started at Bear Trace, a Jack Nicklaus-designed course -- noting that the club has substantially reduced mowing, fertilizer use and water consumption."We've removed over 50 acres of highly maintained earth in the last decade. When you figure that out from a water standpoint, we save 7.39 million gallons annually."As individuals and organizations around the globe mark Earth Day, it's good to know that people like Carter are keeping an eagle eye on the environment not just today but all-year-round.Read more: How many more majors can Bubba win? Read more: Hornet attack 'my scariest moment' | 7 |
(CNN)Chicago faced a disturbing number of shootings over the first weekend in August. Chicago police say 12 people died and 66 were wounded in 33 separate shootings across the city. Fourteen of those shot were juveniles, including an 11- and a 13-year-old.There are many community-based organizations in Chicago devoted to building a better city, and you can support their efforts by clicking the button below or by going directly to the Public Good campaign here. Chicago has struggled with high shooting and murder rates for years, but those numbers had recently decreased. That's why after this weekend's uptick the city's mayor, Rahm Emanuel, is calling on the community to do something about it."All of us know that this is not Chicago -- what we saw," Emanuel said at a press conference Monday. "Therefore, all of us who love this city and call it home have a responsibility to heal our neighborhoods." | 4 |
Story highlightsMikhail Prokhorov concedes he runs the risk of ending up in prisonThe New Jersey Nets owner is worth $18 billionSupporters of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin march to back himTens of thousands demonstrate against parliamentary election results on SaturdayRussian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov -- the owner of the New Jersey Nets basketball team and one of the world's richest men -- said Monday that he will run for president of Russia next year.Calling his decision to run for president "probably the most important decision of my life," he acknowledged the risks of challenging Russia's rulers."There is saying in Russia: Never say never, anyone can end up behind bars. But I am not afraid," he said in a press conference in Moscow.Prokhorov, 45, is worth $18 billion, Forbes estimated in March, making him Russia's third richest man.Profile: Who is Mikhail Prokhorov?His announcement set off a frenzy of speculation about whether he was running with the Kremlin's tacit backing, to give the impression there was a genuine contest for president, or whether he really seeks to defeat Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who also says he will run.He told reporters he had not discussed his decision with Putin or President Dmitry Medvedev, state-run news agency RIA Novosti reported.JUST WATCHEDNBA owner to challenge Putin in RussiaReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHNBA owner to challenge Putin in Russia 03:29JUST WATCHEDAnti-Putin protesters rally in LondonReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHAnti-Putin protesters rally in London 01:42Prokhorov, who has dabbled in opposition politics before, wrote just last week that Putin was the only person who could run the country."You may like it or not but Putin is the only person who can somehow manage this ineffective state machine," he wrote on his LiveJournal blog.A Prokhorov representative declined a CNN interview request on the businessman's behalf, saying Monday he wanted to focus on communicating with Russians via Russian media.Prokhorov's Onexim Group has interests in metal, financial services, media, real estate, utilities and high-tech businesses, according to the Nets.He weathered the 2008 global financial meltdown particularly well, and told CNN the following year it was partly due to luck.But, he also said, "I like business. It's my profession. I spend, like, 15 hours a day in the office. It's the great joy in my life. And I never think about money."He laughed when CNN's Matthew Chance asked him what he thought of his reputation as a playboy."I don't care. I try to act natural," he said, adding he had "no time" to think about having a family.Forbes magazine described him as a "six-foot-eight bachelor and martial arts buff" in March, when it listed him as the 32nd richest man in the world.Separately, Putin backers demonstrated in support of his government Monday, after enormous crowds protested against the government over the weekend.Tens of thousands turned out Saturday to protest against election results that returned Putin's United Russia party to power.Police estimated crowds in Moscow at 25,000, while organizers said it would be 40,000, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported. Either figure would make the protests the largest in the Russian capital for decades.Claiming the results of parliamentary elections were rigged, protesters chanted "Putin out," according to RIA Novosti. Protesters also braved freezing temperatures in other Russian cities to demonstrate against what they said was vote fraud.A day after the protests, Medvedev called for a probe into the allegations."I agree neither with the slogans nor the statements voiced at the protests," the statement on Medvedev's Facebook page said. "Nevertheless, I have ordered checks into all the reports from polling stations, regarding the compliance with the election laws." Critics piled ridicule on the Facebook post."It's awful," Elena Panina wrote. "Really. He was drunk when he wrote that or he didn't read what he wrote. ... What slogans does our president disagree with? 'We are for fair elections?'"Vladimir Kaganovich said the statement showed Medvedev is in the wrong job."The president of the country isn't an individual person and doesn't have a right to show his disagreement with dozens of thousands of citizens," Kaganovich wrote. And he asked what it meant to launch a probe with no investigators and no time limit on the investigation."Please forgive me but it I wouldn't trust you even to manage a group in my department," Kaganovich wrote.And, addressing the president in the formal Russian manner, Sergey Pavlyuchenko simply wrote: "Dear Dmitry Anatolievich! Are you ever ashamed?"Putin's United Russia party suffered big losses in the election but retained its parliamentary majority, according to official results.The protesters demanded an annulment of the December 4 election and a new vote. Around 7,000 people rallied in St. Petersburg, Russia's second largest city, RIA Novosti said, citing police.Hundreds of protesters were arrested during demonstrations last week. Police said they cracked down on those demonstrations because the turnouts were not legal and the protesters were being disorderly.Election officials on Friday released the official election results: 238 seats for United Russia; 92 seats for the Communists; 64 seats for Fair Russia; and 56 seats for the Liberal Democrats. Putin has announced plans to run for president -- the office he used to hold -- when Medvedev's term expires early next year. | 4 |
(CNN)As Jamal Knox's conviction for rapping that he would kill two Pittsburgh police officers made its way through the appellate courts, the US Supreme Court ruled that another rapper was protected in saying he wanted to kill a federal agent.Yet in ruling in Anthony Elonis' favor, legal analysts worried, the high court had muddied what constitutes a true threat, the issue at hand in Knox's case. Justice Samuel Alito expressed a similar concern -- particularly in regard to social media postings -- in his partial dissent to the 2015 ruling. Chance the Rapper and other rhymesmiths are asking the Supreme Court to hear Knox's case. Where Alito held that song lyrics performed live or in a studio were unlikely to be regarded as a real threat, "statements on social media that are pointedly directed at their victims, by contrast, are much more likely to be taken seriously," he wrote. Knox's legal team nodded to the confusion. In their petition to the US Supreme Court, his lawyers said that where most courts have ruled the standard is objective and requires only that a "reasonable person" would regard the speech as a sincere threat, "other courts have held that the standard is subjective and assess only whether the speaker intended to communicate such a threat."Killer Mike: Free speech unless it's rap?Read MoreRappers are rallying around Knox, but it's unclear if Alito and company will hear his case, despite a who's who of the hip-hop community urging the high court to do so. To them, rap music is being singled out, again, where other genres and forms of expression have been given a pass. The Supreme Court has docketed the case, but justices have not determined whether they will hear it. The Knox caseKnox, 25, who goes by the rap moniker Mayhem Mal, and his buddy, Rashee Beasley, aka Soulja Beaz, were arrested in 2012 after police found several bags of heroin, a gun and $1,489 in their vehicle. As the pair awaited trial, they produced a rap song, "F*** the Police," and posted a video to social media. Where Elonis had invoked violence in a more abstract manner -- at times indicating he was testing the bounds of free speech -- Knox and Beasley were specific in their targets and aims. They referred to the arresting Pittsburgh officers by name, boasted knowledge of the officers' schedules and laid out the violence they were willing to exact. "I'ma jam this rusty knife all in his guts and chop his feet/You taking money away from Beaz and all my s*** away from me/Well your shift over at 3 and I'm gonna f*** up where you sleep," Knox rhymed at one point. JUST WATCHEDMeek Mill launches prison reform movementReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHMeek Mill launches prison reform movement 01:21Beasley went on to say he was "strapped nasty" like Richard Poplawski, a reference to the heavily armed man who killed three Pittsburgh police officers in 2009. The song closes with Knox rapping, "Let's kill these cops cuz they don't do us no good/Pullin' your Glock out cause I live in the hood."One of the officers testified that he was shocked by the lyrics, and he retired from the police force and relocated because of the song, while the other officer found the video "very upsetting," leaving him concerned for his and his family's safety. He required time off and a security detail, he testified. Knox was convicted on two counts of terroristic threats and two counts of witness intimidation, which has been upheld by appeals courts, including the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which cited the specificity of the threats, the use of the officers' names and the Poplawski reference. The song, the trial court ruled, constituted a "true threat to the victims" and warranted no First Amendment protection.Elonis' case Elonis, too, employed a sobriquet -- Tone Dougie -- and social media in posting an array of threats in a skit and in rap lyrics he posted online. Among his purported targets were employees of an amusement park from which he'd been fired, his estranged wife and elementary schools, court documents indicate. Per the latter, he wrote, "Hell hath no fury like a crazy man in a kindergarten class."After FBI agents visited his home, he took to Facebook to post, "Little Agent lady stood so close/Took all the strength I had not to turn the b**** ghost/Pull my knife, flick my wrist, and slit her throat/Leave her bleedin' from her jugular in the arms of her partner." He also claimed that if the agents patted him down, he would "touch the detonator in my pocket and we're all goin' (BOOM!)"Amid posting the lyrics, Elonis alluded to a First Amendment battle, saying, "Art is about pushing limits. I'm willing to go to jail for my Constitutional rights. Are you?" In court, he contended his songwriting was cathartic, a form of therapy, and compared his lyrics to those of Eminem, who has repeatedly threatened to kill his wife and others in his music.JUST WATCHEDRBG's health and the future of SCOTUSReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHRBG's health and the future of SCOTUS 04:01"The First Amendment's basic command is that the government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds it offensive or disagreeable," defense attorney John Elwood wrote in a brief. Elonis' case -- considered the US Supreme Court's first dealings in true threats on social media -- drew the support of the American Civil Liberties Union. Despite Elonis' claim he was a poet and entertainer and that his lyrics were a form of self-expression, he was convicted on four counts of violating a federal threat statute and sentenced to 44 months in prison, a ruling upheld on appeal until it reached the US Supreme Court. The justices ruled 8-1 that the lower court had erred in convicting Elonis based on the assertion that a reasonable person would consider his posts threatening. Such a legal standard was too low to convict him, the court ruled. "Our holding makes clear that negligence is not sufficient to support a conviction," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote. The confusion laid bareIn ruling in Elonis' favor, the high court left open what the standard should be. It was a narrow ruling and the court did not address the larger constitutional issue, which analysts at the time predicted would result in disparate rulings among lower courts. Analyst Lyle Denniston wrote for SCOTUSblog at the time that the ruling "was based solely on the premise that he was convicted without proof that he knew what he was writing and that the ordinary meaning of his words would be a threat."The 1939 federal law dealing with true threats is clear in its requirement that a communication containing a threat be transmitted and that the accused is aware. JUST WATCHEDCardi B and Tomi Lahren feud on TwitterReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHCardi B and Tomi Lahren feud on Twitter 02:04Denniston wrote, however, the ruling failed to set a standard for future rulings, as mentioned in Justice Clarence Thomas' dissent and Alito's partial dissent. Alito predicted the ruling would "cause confusion and serious problems" because the majority provided only a partial answer as to what mental state was required for conviction under the law, Denniston wrote. Thomas lamented the ruling left lower courts "to guess at the appropriate mental state" required for conviction. It discarded the approach of the previous federal appeals court "and leaves nothing in its place," Thomas wrote in his dissent. While those might seem like heady issues, the rap community sees it in simpler terms. This is about expression, they say, and if Knox's conviction is upheld, it will show that a different standard is being applied to rap music than to other forms of entertainment. Rap attack?In their legal brief filed last week, scholars joined forces with rhymesmiths including Chance the Rapper, Killer Mike, 21 Savage, Meek Mill, Fat Joe and Luther Campbell, whose 2 Live Crew was integral in shaping the nation's obscenity laws in the 1990s.They called Knox's song a political statement "that no reasonable person familiar with rap music would have interpreted as a true threat of violence."The name of the song itself, they said, pays homage to N.W.A.'s "F*** tha Police," which they dubbed "one of the most important protest songs ever written."JUST WATCHED'This Is America' video has more than 75M viewsReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCH'This Is America' video has more than 75M views 01:00Knox's song, thus, provides the perfect vehicle for establishing the standards for whether speech is threatening and not worthy of First Amendment protection because it "not only is political in character, but is a complex form of expression characterized by multilayered messages, which leads to the possibility of misinterpretation," they wrote. The sounds of protest"Furthermore, rappers famously rely on exaggeration and hyperbole as they craft the larger-than-life characters that have entertained fans (and offended critics) for decades." But while imploring the Supreme Court to take up the case and set a discernible standard, the rappers' and scholars' minds are already made up. "A person unfamiliar with what today is the nation's most dominant musical genre or one who hears music through the auditory lens of older genres such as jazz, country, or symphony, may mistakenly interpret a rap song as a true threat of violence and may falsely conclude a rapper intended to convey a true threat of violence when he did not," the brief said.CNN's Ariane de Vogue, Veronica Stracqualursi and Joan Biskupic contributed to this report. | 4 |
Story highlightsJack Nicklaus' grandson made a hole-in-one ahead of the MastersGT aced the final hole of Masters Par-3 contest (CNN)As the world of golf reflects on another astounding week at Augusta, the highlight for many took place before a ball was even struck in anger by the likes of Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth.The Par-3 contest on Wednesday is a bit of fun that sees the leading players compete against former winners on more or less even terms. No 300-yard plus drives are required, just touch and skill.Follow @cnnsport
So seeing Tom Watson, a mere stripling at 68, the 82-year-old Gary Player and all-time majors record holder Jack Nicklaus, now 78, feature at the top of the leaderboard was a throwback to the 1970s, when they dominated which such style, panache and sportsmanship.JUST WATCHEDPatrick Reed wins the 82nd MastersReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHPatrick Reed wins the 82nd Masters 00:10READ: "I am who I am," Masters champion Patrick ReedREAD: Reed holds off Spieth, McIlroy to win first majorRead MoreNicklaus, winner of 18 majors, had promised his 15-year-old grandson, Gary Nicklaus Jr, known by everyone as GT, that he could take his tee shot on the final hole of the competition. "He said sure I'd love to hit a ball, it would be fun. I said OK,'" explained the man known as "the Golden Bear". "I said if you're going to do that you'll probably make a hole-in-one. "He said that would be great. He said it might be my first hole-in-one and wouldn't it be great to make my first hole-in-one at Augusta."READ: Seve Ballesteros: The Spanish master of AugustaGT, a budding young talent in the family tradition, had a few practice swings, still wearing his white caddy uniform, before sending the ball on its way.The perfectly-flighted iron shot landed on the green and, after what seemed an age, trickled slowly into the hole.Cue pandemonium. The patrons cheered while Watson, Player and Nicklaus took turns to embrace and share a tear or two."Jack was in tears and he got me choked up and Tom choked because we're all there," said Player. "I have 22 grandchildren and I know what it's like when they achieve anything."JUST WATCHEDGolf icons remember Arnold PalmerReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHGolf icons remember Arnold Palmer 02:52READ: Duel in the Sun -- remembering one of sport's great contestsAnd how much did it mean to Nicklaus, an Augusta legend with six victories, the last of which at the age of 46 in 1986 has gone down in golfing folklore?"I hope I'm not showing disrespect to my six Masters victories because they were certainly exciting to me," he revealed, "but when your grandchild or your children do things, that to me is more important than what you ever did yourself."For the record, team Nicklaus, aided by the ace, finished four-under, with Watson winning on six-under-par.No golfer claiming victory in the Par-3 tournament has ever gone on to win the Masters and that record is still intact as Watson had to forgo his place in the main field as a former winner two years ago.Nicklaus and Player have long since given up their spots, acting now as the honorary starters on the first morning.Both admit to missing their other great rival, Arnold Palmer, who last performed the duty with them in 2016 before passing away later that year, but still get a thrill from performing the task. What was your highlight of this year's Masters? Have your say say on CNN Sport's Facebook pageVisit CNN.com/golf for more news and features"We've been given the honor to start it out," said Nicklaus. "Gary actually because he's the elder gets to hit the first shot and I follow up, and we both think it's a great privilege to be able to do that."Nicklaus will be back next year, but it is unlikely GT will be on his bag . The golf legend rotates the duty among his 22 grandchildren. | 7 |
(CNN)Fresh satellite images of North Korea obtained by CNN show new work and the expansion of buildings associated with the production of long-range intercontinental ballistic missile launchers in Pyongsong, North Korea.The March 16 factory in Pyongsong produces trucks for North Korea's military and was involved in modifying launchers imported from China and producing domestic vehicles for North Korea's ICBM programs, according to Jeff Lewis, the director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Project at the Middlebury Institute.Lewis told CNN that North Korea in the past has been forced to import the heavy-duty chassis strong enough to transport massive missiles."The expansion of the factory may represent a growing capability of North Korea to produce these trucks domestically," Lewis said in explaining the significance. The revelation of the new expansion comes amid threats that North Korea may be getting closer to a long-range missile test or some other provocative act. Earlier in December, Pyongyang had ominously threatened to send the US a "Christmas gift."Read MoreA US administration official told CNN on Friday that North Korea may be preparing to test engines and other components of its missile program. But senior military commanders said Friday that the US is ready for "whatever" Pyongyang might do.For months, US intelligence has said that the working assumption was always that Pyongyang is still researching and manufacturing missiles, and has been all along, but that much of it was not visible.The Trump administration has been trying to negotiate with North Korea to dismantle its nuclear program, which poses a threat to US allies South Korea and Japan, and thousands of US troops based in both countries. Those talks have been stalled, even as Pyongyang has pursued technical improvements to its program that increasingly could put the US within range of its rockets.Asked about recent comments and indicators from North Korea that Pyongyang may be getting closer to a long-range missile test or some other provocative act, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley said Friday that the Pentagon does not "discuss any intelligence or indicators" on what the US may be seeing in the way of preparations by North Korea. CNN's Veronica Stracqualursi contributed to this report. | 5 |
(CNN)Nico Ali Walsh used to wear a jacket to cover the tattoo on his forearm to avoid drawing attention to it.It's not a controversial tattoo. It is just a face of boxing legend Muhammad Ali.But questions arose when people asked about his connection to the great man -- he is his grandson.Not only did his association with Ali bring attention, but as an aspiring boxer, being the grandson of one of the greatest to ever step into the ring brought pressure and expectations.Ali Walsh touches a tattoo on his arm of his grandfather, Muhammad Ali.However, Walsh didn't let that pressure get to him as he won his professional debut, beating Jordan Weeks with a first-round stoppage at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Catoosa, Oklahoma, in August.Read MoreAnd ahead of his second bout on Saturday, October 23 at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Walsh told CNN that he is finally starting to embrace the pressure that has been there his "whole life" being related to Ali."I've always felt the need to be on my best behavior. And it's really annoying at times but that's how it's been," the 21-year-old told CNN."And I've just recently started to embrace the name because I've been hiding from it for so long ... and I was just running from the name so much. But I cannot run from it, especially in the sport I'm in now. So I've really been trying to embrace it. And so I would say it's more pride now and I'm blessed that that's the way it's turned out because it hasn't always been that way."But in his debut victory, Walsh says he's had fans of his iconic grandfather reaching out to him saying he'd "brought him back to life.""It's kind of been a funny thing between me, SugarHill (Steward, his trainer) and my strength and conditioning coach, they've been calling me 'The Ghost' because I brought him back. It's just really humbling and it's something that I'm very happy to do."READ: The boxing championships aimed at 'disrupting homophobia, transphobia, hatred in sport'Lucky charmWhen Walsh stepped into the ring for his professional debut, he was wearing an item of clothing he thought might bring him luck.Ducking under the ropes and into the ring in Oklahoma, Walsh was wearing white Everlast shorts which had previously belonged to Ali and were passed down after he died in 2016.Walsh never planned to wear the shorts though; they were only initially meant to be an item of memorabilia.However, after his custom shorts were not ready in time, it just so happened that the only other shorts he had to fight in were the ones his grandfather had given him.And just having something so closely connected to his grandfather with him for the fight gave him that extra little bit of motivation he needed."It gave me so much extra pep. It was just a crazy, crazy night," he remembers. "And that was one of the many things that brought my grandfather to life on Saturday night."I really do feel that he was alive that night. And in so many ways, through the chants in the crowd, they were chanting: 'Ali,' which I've never seen before. I've only seen that on black and white clips on YouTube. But he was alive on Saturday night and it was through me, it was through the shorts and it was just such a blessing the whole night was. I couldn't have dreamt of a better night."While the shorts brought him some good luck and a little extra energy, after the fight, Walsh said he wouldn't be wearing them again, although he wasn't ruling out finishing his career in them."I wasn't supposed to wear them my first fight, but destiny and fate had it that I had to wear them. And it's locked in history forever now. That's my pro debut. That was the biggest night of my life. That was the greatest night of my life. And I want to remember the shorts for being just that, and that's why I'm probably not going to ever wear them again."Ali Walsh punches Jordan Weeks during their fight.AdviceLiving in the shadow of one of sport's biggest names isn't something most have to deal with.For Walsh, when he was growing up, Ali -- who had a 56-5 professional boxing record in which he beat such legends as Joe Frazier, George Foreman and Sonny Liston -- was just "grandpa."Although his amateur opponents upped their game when they realized who they were sharing the ring with -- "If I fought an average Joe amateur fighter, he would turn into Joe Frazier when he fought me," Walsh remembers -- it was Ali's 70th birthday party when he realized how much people outside his family loved his grandfather."I went to his birthday party and I was seeing a bunch of celebrities that I only looked up to on TV. The main one that I saw was Ken Jeong. He played Mr. Chow from The Hangover. And I saw him and I said: 'Mr. Chow was saying Happy birthday to my grandfather.' I was only 11 years old and I loved him. And I was like: 'Wow, my grandfather must be a special guy.'"Given his grandfather's success, being a boxer felt like "destiny" for Walsh. He remembers trying football for about "48 hours" before he figured the sport wasn't for him.After committing himself to boxing, Walsh made sure to tap into the knowledge his grandfather accrued over his stellar career."I always showed him my videos. I always showed him my sparring and my training clips," Walsh said."And I asked him for advice one particular day that he was talking real well. Because of his condition, he didn't always talk the best, but one day he was talking so sharp and so clear and he just was saying that moving and dancing makes a fighter. And I was just getting advice about what makes a fighter and what I should do to be a good fighter. And he just said: 'Eat right, do plenty of road work.' And that's all things that I remember to this day."Ali Walsh visits with boxing promoter Bob Arum and poses in front of a photo of his grandfather.The futureBefore a media session ahead of his debut professional, Walsh lounged confidently wearing a t-shirt with Ali's face and with his quote -- "When you're as great as I am, it's hard to be humble" -- emblazoned on it.And with the benefit of hindsight, he had a good reason to be, beating Weeks in the first round.Trained by SugarHill Steward, Tyson Fury's trainer, and managed by Bob Arum, who promoted 27 of Ali's fights, Walsh's performance belied his experience.Steward doesn't reveal to Walsh the identity of his opponent until a few days before his fights, and the young boxer sees the positives behind the strategy.Although he's at the beginning of his boxing journey, not getting ahead of himself is what's important to him."My biggest goal is to take one fight at a time and be the greatest Nico that I can be, and because I have such a high expectation for myself and obviously the whole public has a high expectation for me as well. That is a great goal to have, to be the best that I can be."Visit CNN.com/sport for more news, features, and videosAli Walsh trains at the Top Rank gym in Las Vegas, Nevada with SugarHill Steward.Outside of the ring, Ali wasn't afraid to stand up for what he believed in, even if there were consequences, a trait that has been passed on to Walsh."That's what I've always been passionate about, things outside of the ring. The causes that my grandfather stood for are parallel to the causes that I would stand for today," he said."And unfortunately, there are still issues, social issues, social injustices that take place in America with African-Americans and minorities in general. And it's very unfortunate that it's still a thing. The injustices that he was fighting for back in the 1960s are still prevalent today, just at a different level. That's more important to me than the fight inside the ring. It's the fight outside the ring." | 7 |
Story highlightsRadovan Karadzic found guilty of 10 of 11 charges, including genocide over Srebrenica massacreThe "Butcher of Bosnia" was the leader of the breakaway Serb Republic in Bosnia in the 1990sA trained psychiatrist and published poet, he spent a dozen years on the run before trial (CNN)Radovan Karadzic, whose Interpol charges listed "flamboyant behavior" as a distinguishing characteristic, was a practicing psychiatrist who came to be nicknamed the "Butcher of Bosnia."On Thursday he was found guilty of genocide and other crimes against humanity, in what was seen as one of the most important war crimes trials since World War II.A special U.N. court in The Hague, Netherlands, sentenced the 70-year-old to 40 years in prison for his participation in four "joint criminal enterprises," including an overarching plot from October 1991 to November 1995 "to permanently remove Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats from Bosnian Serb-claimed territory."JUST WATCHEDRemembering the siege of SarajevoReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHRemembering the siege of Sarajevo 06:12He was found guilty of 10 of the 11 charges against him, including extermination, persecution, forcible transfer, terror, hostage taking and genocide.The latter charge related to his role in the Srebrenica massacre, in which more than 7,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were slaughtered by Bosnian Serb forces under his command.Read MoreAs the leader of the breakaway Serb Republic in Bosnia, Karadzic commanded troops who carried out widespread massacres of Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats during a campaign of ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia.The verdicts -- which can be appealed -- are the result of a trial process that began in 2008, when he was arrested after 12 years as a fugitive.Rise to powerKaradzic was born on June 19, 1945, in Petnjica, Montenegro. He studied psychiatry and medicine at the University of Sarajevo during the 1960s and took courses in psychiatry and poetry at Columbia University from 1974 to 1975.JUST WATCHEDThe Srebrenica massacre: A defining momentReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHThe Srebrenica massacre: A defining moment 04:40Karadzic, a Serb-Croat, in 1990 helped found the Serbian Democratic Party, a party aimed at unifying Serbs into a common state, and became its president.Two years later, he became president of the newly declared Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, later called "Republika Srpska." During the next three years, he ordered Bosnian Serb forces to seize the majority of Bosnia and Herzegovina.He also announced, according to his U.N. indictment, six "strategic objectives" for the Serbian people. They included the establishment of state borders between the Serbs and the other two ethnic communities, Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats.Answering to him, according to the indictment, was Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic.JUST WATCHEDIn 1993, CNN followed a man telling his wife their child had died as a casualty of the Bosnian War.ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHIn 1993, CNN followed a man telling his wife their child had died as a casualty of the Bosnian War. 02:04From May 1992, the indictment said, Bosnian Serb forces under Mladic's command targeted civilian areas of Sarajevo with shelling and sniping during a three-year conflict within the city.In July 1995, according to the U.N. indictment, troops under Mladic's command executed an estimated 8,000 Bosnian Muslim male prisoners in Srebrenica, a U.N. safe area, and then participated in a comprehensive effort to conceal the killings. The massacre is considered the worst in Europe since World War II.The indictment states that Bosnian Serb forces acted under Karadzic's direction and worked to "significantly reduce the Bosnian Muslim, Bosnian Croat and other non-Serb populations" in municipalities that were seized.Years in hidingWhen Karadzic was found, he'd grown a long beard and wore spectacles to disguise himself.Karadzic disappeared from the public eye in September 1996, a year after the Dayton Peace Accords brought a formal end to the conflict and banned anyone accused of war crimes, including him, from office.He reportedly shaved his trademark bushy hair, grew a beard and donned priest's robes, moving from monastery to monastery in the mountains to avoid capture.CNN correspondent Alessio Vinci said in 2008: "He enjoyed protection from the local population, wherever he was hiding. Legend has it he disguised himself as a priest to take part in his mother's funeral."In 2002, after NATO launched one of its many failed raids to try to arrest Karadzic in Bosnia, I interviewed his mother. At that time she said: 'Serbs are righteous people and I can see that they support him, and that they adore him the way he is. They would lose their lives to protect him.'" Photos: Sarajevo: Then and nowTwenty years after the Dayton Peace Accords brought an end to fighting in the Bosnian War, Pope Francis visits Sarajevo to pray for long-lasting reconciliation. Three years of bloody fighting in the early 1990s left the region and its people deeply battle-scarred, and repairing the damage is still a work in progress. The parliament building in Sarajevo was shelled, shot at, and set on fire; today it is once again home to lawmakers. Hide Caption 1 of 11 Photos: Sarajevo: Then and nowToday many of the buildings which were damaged in the fighting -- such as the Holiday Inn hotel, overlooking "Sniper Alley," where the international media, including CNN's team, was based while reporting on the war -- have been renovated or rebuilt.Hide Caption 2 of 11 Photos: Sarajevo: Then and nowOthers have been razed to the ground and replaced with shiny new buildings -- a sign of some of the progress made in the two decades since the guns fell silent after Bosnia's Muslims, Eastern Orthodox Serbs and Catholic Croatians agreed to end the fighting.Hide Caption 3 of 11 Photos: Sarajevo: Then and nowSo much blood spilled: More than 11,000 people were killed in Sarajevo alone; estimates suggest between 100,000 and 150,00 died across the country. Here, children were killed while playing outside a U.N. office.Hide Caption 4 of 11 Photos: Sarajevo: Then and nowWhen CNN was reporting from here during the siege of Sarajevo, the U.N. ran the airport, and aid flights were targeted by shells as they came in to land; driving along the road into the city meant crossing the front line through No Man's Land.Hide Caption 5 of 11 Photos: Sarajevo: Then and nowThose who made the journey passed tanks along the way, and risked death or serious injury from snipers' bullets -- ABC producer David Kaplan was shot dead on his way from the airport to the city. In one 14-day period in the summer of 1992, 12 journalists reporting on the war were killed or wounded.Hide Caption 6 of 11 Photos: Sarajevo: Then and nowThis hotel and a branch of fast food chain McDonald's have been built alongside Sarajevo's "Sniper Alley" -- CNN camerawoman Margaret Moth was shot and seriously wounded nearby.Hide Caption 7 of 11 Photos: Sarajevo: Then and nowThis intersection was once deserted, with local residents forced off the streets for fear of snipers and shelling. Today it's a bustling area, but while there's no longer any danger of being shot, people in the city are concerned about continuing peace in the region, and about corruption.Hide Caption 8 of 11 Photos: Sarajevo: Then and nowOne man told us he hoped the Pope's visit would help: "I want peace between Muslims and other religions, that's it. I want to stop war." But another said the pontiff's visit was unlikely to change anything: "We have a lot of politicians, corrupted and everything. If someone sends us money from other countries, they take it."Hide Caption 9 of 11 Photos: Sarajevo: Then and nowLion Cemetery was once a football field. Now it is the resting place of thousands of victims of the siege of Sarajevo, including the city's "Romeo and Juliet," Bosko Brkic and Admira Ismic, who were shot as they tried to cross the Vrbanja Bridge, and died in each other's arms in May 1993. Kurt Schork, the journalist who first told their story, was also buried here after he died on assignment in Sierra Leone in 2000.Hide Caption 10 of 11 Photos: Sarajevo: Then and nowPope Francis says he is coming to Bosnia to encourage "peaceful coexistence," but two decades on from the war, one Sarajevo woman told us things were still looking bleak: "Twenty years later we are still suffering here," she said. "I can't see any future here. I have three children and I still can't see any future for them."Hide Caption 11 of 11Despite years on the run, Karadzic wrote a book of poetry, "Miraculous Chronicles of the Night" -- 1,200 copies of which sold out at the 2004 Belgrade International Book Fair.After his arrest was announced, Serb officials revealed the final chapter of his life on the run had seen Karadzic reprise his medical role, working in a clinic in Belgrade under a false identity and heavily disguised by a white beard, long hair and spectacles. | 4 |
Story highlightsKaepernick sparked a national movement in sports by not standing during the national anthem His first start of the season will come against the Buffalo Bills San Francisco, California (CNN)San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who sparked a national movement in sports by not standing during the national anthem to protest racial injustice, will make his first start of the season Sunday.The announcement was made by 49ers head coach Chip Kelly on Tuesday. Kaepernick replaces Blaine Gabbert."We need to improve on the offensive side of the ball, and this is the decision we've made," Kelly said.Kelly added that he and his staff were "very analytical" about the decision to switch quarterbacks and wanted to make the move earlier in the week so Kaepernick could get more repetitions with the first team.Chip Kelly: "@Kaepernick7 will start this week." #SFvsBUF pic.twitter.com/rFipkerwK3— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) October 11, 2016
"We've had a couple of days to digest everything from where we are, and I think offensively we need to be better and we need to just make a move," Kelly said. "It's not Blaine's fault. I think it's just as a group, offensively, we need to be better in a lot of ways, so we're going to see what we can do and make a move here. It's really one of the only maneuvers we can make based on our depth."Read MoreThis will be Kaepernick's first start this season. The 49ers, who are 1-4, are on the road Sunday at the Buffalo Bills at 1 p.m. ET.Kaepernick once was seen as a rising star, leading the 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans, a game they lost to the Baltimore Ravens. But he hasn't started a game since last November 1, when the 49ers lost 27-6 to the Rams. Later that month he was shut down for the remainder of the season because of a shoulder injury. He had multiple surgeries during the offseason and was limited in the preseason because of arm fatigue.Kaepernick, who is biracial, first made waves during a preseason game in August when he sat during the national anthem to raise awareness about racial issues such as controversial police shootings of African American men. He has said he's received death threats for his stance, which some see as unpatriotic."A lot of mail has come in. I really don't spend too much time going through it, i still have a job to do, still have to focus on football," Kaepernick told CNN's Dan Simon.But his protest also has gained positive traction in the NFL and beyond in recent weeks, with college, high school and even youth football players taking a knee or sitting during the anthem. Kaepernick last month was featured kneeling on the cover of TIME magazine. "It's to protest the injustices that are happening in America, the oppression that is happening in America, and these things need to be addressed on many different levels," Kaepernick told reporters Tuesday.Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Kaepernick protests: 'I think it's dumb and disrespectful'Kaepernick has a notable supporter in President Barack Obama. The president weighed in last month on Kaepernick, saying, "I think he cares about some real, legitimate issues that need to be talked about and if nothing else what he's doing has generated more conversation around some topics that need to be talked about."Kaepernick said last month he intended to donate the first $1 million he earns this year to different organizations that help communities, although he did not name specific ones."I'm not anti-America," he said. "I love America. I love people. That's why I'm doing this. I want to help make America better."CNN's Max Blau contributed to this report. | 7 |
(CNN)It's tough to turn on the news these days without seeing stories about rising violent crime rates. Violent crime (whether it be homicide or even carjackings) does seem to have climbed significantly during the coronavirus pandemic. This has changed perceptions of crime, as an average of Gallup polling over the last two years shows more Americans think crime has risen nationally than at any point since the early 1990s.But a closer look at the data reveals that crime, for the most part, remains a back-burner national issue for Americans, unlike in the 1990s. Crime does, however, have the ability to shape local and state politics. Again, let's examine Gallup polling. It has, for a very long time, asked Americans what the most important problem facing the country is. Americans can give multiple responses. Police converge on the scene of a shooting in Brooklyn on July 14, 2021, in New York. Although crime is up nationally, voters are putting it on the back burner as a national issue.Just 2% of Americans right now say crime or violence is the most important problem. Last month, it was the same 2%. More than 10 issues rank higher than crime and violence. Some, such as the coronavirus (20%) or economic problems (22%), rank well above it. Read MoreThese polls are no outliers. A Quinnipiac University poll from November showed a mere 1% put crime or violence as the top problem. To put this 1% and 2% in some historical perspective, we can go back in time with Gallup. In the mid-1990s, during some of the highest levels of crime this country has ever seen, crime consistently ranked as one of the top problems. From about 1992 to 2000, at least 10% of Americans put crime or violence as a top problem. This peaked in early 1994, when 52% of Americans put crime as their most important problem in Gallup polling. Indeed, voters in the 1994 midterm elections put crime as their most important issue in both preelection polling from CBS News and an exit poll conducted by Mitofsky International, which had also conducted exit polls for the major news networks. In preelection polling, Americans indicated by a double-digit margin that they trusted Republicans most on the crime issue. This year, Republicans retain that edge on the crime issue. A recent Fox poll, for example, showed that voters think they'd do a better job on crime by a 15-point margin. President Joe Biden's approval rating on crime was a low 36% in a December ABC News/Ipsos poll. This marks a big difference with late 2020, when Biden held a single-digit advantage over then-President Donald Trump on who was more trusted on crime. 'It's a disturbing trend.' Cities see large increases in carjackings during pandemicAdditionally, 76% of Americans said in a December CNN/SSRS poll that the federal government is not doing enough to address the rate of violent crime.The problem for Republicans trying to take advantage of this issue in the campaign is it's not clear at all that this is something that will change the way a lot of people will vote. There's just so much else out there that Americans fear. Beyond crime not being seen as a top problem in the country, it's not an issue that most Americans think the federal government should be working on. Just 10% said it's something the government should do something about in a December AP-NORC poll. There were more than 10 other problems that Americans listed higher than crime or violence that the government should address.Is it possible that the dislike of Biden coupled with crime and the feeling that the government isn't doing enough about it is contributing to the President's bad polling overall? Sure. I'd bet, though, that the Republicans would still be in a strong position heading into the midterms even if voters were satisfied with crime levels, given how unsatisfied they are with so much else. The state and local politics of crime are something altogether different. Consider New York state, where rising violent crime in its largest city (New York) is playing a big role in everyday politics. There have been early showdowns between newly elected Democratic officials such as New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Adams won last year, in part, because of a tough-on-crime message. Bragg has had a considerably more progressive view of the subject. A recent Siena College poll reflects how important crime has become. Fighting crime (26%) was tied for the top issue that New York voters statewide said should be addressed by the legislature in 2022. Among New York City voters, it came in as the top issue at 30%. This actually beat out creating economic opportunities (22%). The economy has been at the top of the list for voters nationally. In Minneapolis, where George Floyd was murdered by police officers in spring 2020, voters got to choose the city's mayor in November 2021 and whether to replace the city's police department with a department of public safety.10 of the country's most populous cities set homicide records last yearVoters decided to keep the police department by a double-digit margin. They also kept a mayor (Democrat Jacob Frey) who opposed the ballot initiative overhauling the police department. There can be little doubt that a near-record homicide rate in 2021 in the city played a big role in those votes. Now, not every city and not every state is going to be the same. In Georgia, for instance, crime is seen as a top problem by 11% of the state's voters in a new Quinnipiac University poll. That's higher than a lot of other issues, but lower than inflation, the coronavirus and election laws. The variability among states is the point, though.Although crime is up nationally, it's not seen at this time as a national issue. It's a local one, and the impact it has on voter feelings changes depending on local conditions. | 5 |
Story highlightsPolitician defends father-in-law Corrections minister submits resignationU.S. Embassy says images shockingHuman Rights Watch calls abuse tortureVideos purportedly showing guards abusing prisoners, including one male inmate being raped with a broom handle, have led to arrests and outrage both inside and outside the Eurasian country of Georgia.President Mikheil Saakashvili said Wednesday what occurred at Gldani Number 8 penitentiary in Tbilisi is "a horrific affront to human rights and human dignity."Georgia television stations, including TV9, broadcast the videos Tuesday night. The government has not questioned their authenticity."The police have already arrested most of those identified as involved in these gross abuses," Saakashvili said in a statement. "Others are on the run but (are) being actively pursued by police."The faces of those being filmed were obscured. One man cries out while he is being raped with a broom handle. Another video shows an inmate being punched.The country's interior ministry on Tuesday blamed certain prison employees for the degrading treatment.The ministry said a prisoner at the facility offered "substantial reimbursement" to employees for their actions and the video recordings. Its statement did not elaborate on the prisoner's motivation.The interior ministry identified that prisoner as Tamaz Tamazashvili, father-in-law of Irlakli Garibashvili, a member of the opposition Georgian Dream party.Garibashvili said Tamazashvili's life was in danger and that he was being held "hostage" by the president.Tamazashvili had nothing to do with the taped incidents, Garibashvili said.Georgia's minister of corrections and legal assistance, meanwhile, tendered her resignation."During my time in the office I tried my best and did everything possible to ensure the protection of human rights and to bring the corrections system, as much as possible, in conformity with the European standards," Khatuna Kalmakhelidze said in a statement. "It seems, however, that this effort was not enough, since such facts have taken place. I am very sorry about what happened and it does not matter who orchestrated these events."Human Rights Watch said Gldani Number 8 has been referred to as one of Georgia's "most problematic prison facilities.""The abuse captured in this footage is profoundly disturbing," said Giorgi Gogia, senior Europe and Central Asia researcher for the organization. "The authorities need to ensure full accountability -- including criminal accountability -- for this abuse and take measures to prevent it from ever happening again."Read more about Human Rights Watch on CNNVictims of the abuse are entitled to legal remedies, according to Human Rights Watch."Sexual assault on a detainee constitutes torture," Gogia said in a statement. "The prohibition on torture is absolute, and the government should ensure that the justice is done."The U.S. Embassy in Georgia said it was shocked and revolted by the images and noted the government's investigation."Abuse of prisoners is a serious issue that needs to be addressed," the embassy said in a statement issued Wednesday. "We urge that the government conduct this investigation in a thorough and transparent manner and ensure that all those responsible are brought to justice as soon as possible." | 4 |
New York (CNN Business)Russia's attack on Ukraine is causing wheat prices to spike, exacerbating already high food prices. Wheat futures were up about 5.35% Tuesday, reaching prices not seen since 2008. The higher prices make wheat more expensive for food makers, who will likely pass those costs on to consumers. Ukraine and Russia together are responsible for about 14% of global wheat production, according to Gro Intelligence, an agricultural data analytics firm. The two countries supply about 29% of all wheat exports. Prior to the Russian invasion, Ukraine was on track for a record year of wheat exports, while Russia's wheat exports were slowing, according to the US Department of Agriculture."This could not come have come in the worse time," said Robb MacKie, president and CEO of American Bakers Association. With wheat prices already on the rise, the conflict abroad is placing even more pressure on a still ailing supply chain. Russia is the top exporter or wheat, while Ukraine is in the top 5. The two counties compete in export markets like Egypt, Turkey, and Bangladesh.Read More"Depending on how this comes out and how long it goes, wheat farmers [in Ukraine] may not be able to plant spring wheat, corn and other things. So, they might go a year without any crops," MacKie added.That will likely push prices on US consumer items like cereal and bread higher. Cereal and baked goods were up 6.8% in the last year because of inflation, according to the US Labor Department. Consumer prices usually lag market prices of wheat, corn, grain -- as these commodity prices are contracted in advance. That means the impact may not be felt for weeks or months.
Russia's actions also have caused a major disruption to Ukrainian ports, hobbling the export market. "You've got all kinds of logistical restrictions," said Jim Heneghan, SVP of Agribusiness at Gro Intelligence. For example, "Ukrainian ports [are] closed to commercial traffic," Heneghan said. And there also are reports of commercial ships being attacked. The disruptions are tightening global wheat supplies, even as demand stays the same or spikes. And with less supply, prices are rising even more than they have during the pandemic. Global food prices rose as much as 28% in 2021, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Supply chain disruptions and extreme weather contributed to the higher prices. The current situation "is just adding to additional food price inflation that we've been witnessing," Heneghan said. US food prices are not immune Most US consumer brands don't rely on imported ingredients, said Katie Denis, who leads communications and research for the Consumer Brands Association, a US trade group. "For the US market, we only import about 8% of the total stuff needed for the [consumer packaged goods] industry," she said. "It's pretty minimal." Most imported items come from Mexico and Canada, she added. Higher wheat prices are good news for US farmers, as more demand could shift to the US. Even so, although US companies may not have direct exposure to disruptions in Ukraine, they aren't immune from them, either. "This is a global economy," Denis said. "The pricing pressure will be something felt across the entire world." Gro Intellligence's Heneghan said that as global supply tightens, US wheat farmers could export more product. "A lot of times, you'll see the demand come back to the US ... when you have global events that shut down exportable surpluses," he said. "But it comes at a higher price." That could be good news for US farmers, he added, but not for consumers.Wheat grows in a field near Uzhhorod, in the Zakarpattia region of Western Ukraine, in July 2020."Over the next few months, you'll see what food companies ... will have to do with the higher prices they're having to contend with," Heneghan said. Food and consumer goods producers may choose to absorb some of the price hikes, but they are more likely to continue to pass them onto consumers, he noted. The producer price index, which tracks average price changes America's producers get paid for their goods and services, rose 9.7% in the 12 months ended in January, not adjusted for seasonal swings, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in February.And they're likely to raise prices further as input costs rise, Heneghan said, especially because wheat isn't the only crop that's getting more expensive.Other agricultural commodity prices are going up, such as corn and soybeans, not to mention oil. "It's going to give [consumer goods makers] even more reason to think about moving forward with those price increases," Heneghan said. CNN's Anneken Tappe and Julia Horowitz contributed to this report. | 1 |
Brisbane, Australia (CNN)Nearly three years after the release of a damning national report into child sexual abuse, the Australian government has published dozens of previously redacted pages of text relating to Cardinal George Pell. Three unredacted reports published Thursday reveal for the first time the commission's findings into what Pell knew about allegations of child sex abuse committed by priests decades ago in the Australian state of Victoria. The commission found that, as early as 1973, the former Vatican Treasurer "was not only conscious of child sex abuse by clergy but that he also had considered measures of avoiding situations which might provoke gossip about it." The commission's findings had been redacted to avoid prejudicing a trial involving Pell on five charges of child sexual assault allegedly committed in the mid-1990s. Pell was convicted in December 2018, but the decision was overturned by Australia's High Court in a unanimous ruling by the full bench of seven judges in April. The redacted pages appeared in the final report of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Assault, which was published in December 2017. Black lines obscured multiple pages of Case Studies 16, 28 and 35, which examined allegations of abuse in the Diocese of Ballarat, the Archdiocese of Melbourne, and the church's mechanism to address assault claims. Read MoreLarge portions of the report relate to one of Australia's most notorious pedophiles, Gerald Ridsdale, who is serving a 34-year prison sentence for a string of child sex attacks spanning decades. In 2017, the commission found former Bishop Ronald Mulkearns knew about Ridsdale's offending from 1975 and failed to stop it. Instead, he moved him between parishes, which gave the priest access to more victims, the commission found. Cardinal George Pell freed from prison after High Court overturns sex abuse convictionFor a time, Pell served under Bishop Mulkearns as one of his consultors, a small group of priests tasked with advising the bishop on the movement of parish priests and other matters. Pell has consistently denied ever being involved in any decision to move Ridsdale. In a statement to the commission in May 2015, Pell said, "I would never have condoned or participated in a decision to transfer Ridsdale in the knowledge that he had abused children, and I did not do so." The unredacted report released Thursday said the commission was "satisfied" that in 1973 Pell had "turned his mind to the prudence of Ridsdale taking boys on overnight camps." It said the most likely reason for this was the possibility that "if priests were one-on-one with a child then they could sexually abuse a child or at least provoke gossip about such a prospect.""By this time, child sexual abuse was on his radar," the unredacted report said. The reports released Thursday also said Pell should have acted sooner to advise Archbishop Frank Little to remove Father Peter Searson, a parish priest who had been accused of a litany of abuse. The commission previously concluded that a "prevailing culture of secrecy" existed under Little, who was Archbishop of Melbourne from 1974 to 1996. Little ordained Pell as an Auxiliary Bishop in 1987 and put him in charge of the Southern Region of Victoria, which included the parish of Doveton, where Searson worked. When Pell replaced Little as Archbishop of Melbourne in 1996 he placed Searson on administrative leave. Searson was never charged with child sexual abuse and died in 2009. Pell declined CNN's request to comment on the unredacted reports. The release of the unredacted documents is another marker in the decades-long Catholic Church sex abuse scandal that has devastated thousands of lives in Australia and around the world. Launched by the Gillard government in 2012, the Australian inquiry heard thousands of allegations of child sexual assault committed by people in positions of trust in a range of institutions from schools to care homes, churches and youth detention centers. It described the scale of the abuse as a "national tragedy." | 4 |
(CNN)A week after miraculously avoiding a flying motorcycle that almost hit him at high speed, Yamaha MotoGP rider Maverick Viñales was counting his lucky stars for a second time after a terrifying incident during Sunday's Styrian MotoGP in Austria.Tearing along the home straight at 228 kph towards turn one of the Red Bull Ring on lap 16, the Spaniard realized that his brakes had completely gone, and he would be unable to stop.Faced with the prospect of crashing off the track and into the safety barriers, Viñales instead elected to jump from his bike, sliding along the track and into the gravel. His Yamaha carried on, slamming into the fences and bursting into flames.🚩 RED FLAG 🚩Scary crash for @mvkoficial12 at Turn 1! The Spaniard is unhurt! 💢#AustrianGP 🏁 pic.twitter.com/fgxOulkzKO— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) August 23, 2020 BewilderedIncredibly, the 25-year-old leapt straight to his feet, looking around in disbelief at what had happened. The race was immediately red flagged, while Safety Officers replaced the damaged air fence.Read MoreThe visibly shaken Yamaha rider was examined by medics and then watched the restarted race from the team box.After the race a still-bewildered Viñales admitted he had been losing the brakes from the fourth lap onwards. "For sure, today's crash was amazing, he told reporters. "I never had that feeling before, where I completely lose the brakes and have to jump off."The previous weekend Johann Zarco's Ducati collided with Franco Morbidelli's Yamaha with the riders racing at full throttle at the Austrian MotoGP. Zarco and Morbidelli were sent flying, while their bikes carried on, becoming potentially lethal projectiles.That both motorcycles missed hitting Yamaha's Valentino Rossi and Viñales was as miraculous as it was extraordinary. Rossi later admitted that the "saint of motorcyclists" must have been watching over him and his teammate. Of Sunday's incident, Rossi described it as a "very scary moment."The cause of the malfunction seemed to be excessive heat in the brakes, a problem that appeared to dog other Yamaha riders during the afternoon, but not to such a dramatic extent."I understand how it happened," Viñales explained, "The brake overheated, but for sure it's not a common problem. Luckily, I'm okay. This is the most important thing."Viñales (front) led the race before the incident. Split second decisionMovistar Yamaha Team Director Massimo Meregalli promised a full investigation of the brake failure."Maverick had a problem with his bike's brakes (during the race). He decided to keep riding, hoping to salvage some crucial points for the championship, but when he approached turn one without brakes, he had to make the split-second decision to jump off the bike," he told reporters."We are thankful he wasn't hurt, and we will investigate the issue most thoroughly in the coming two weeks."Even without Viñales' incident, this was another race high on drama in a season packed with wild sub-plots.After the restart, Portugal's Miguel Olivera clinched his first ever MotoGP victory, the first by a Portuguese, and the first for the satellite KTM Tech 3 team in its 20-year premier class history.Oliveira (left) celebrates with Hervé Poncharal.Delirious celebrationIt was a pulsating end to what was the 900th MotoGP contest, with a last corner finish that had race commentators running out of octaves as the riders reached the line.Lying in third approaching the final bend, behind Spain's Pol Espargaro on his Factory KTM, and Australia's Jack Miller on his Pramac Ducati, Oliveira seized the narrowest of opportunities when both riders ran wide, firing his bike past them to take victory as his pit crew erupted in delirious celebration.Tech 3's Team Principal, Hervé Poncharal, an immensely popular figure in the paddock, admitted after the race that he had almost resigned himself to never winning a MotoGP after a racing career spanning 40 years.Dreaming"Honestly, I've heard a lot of (race winners) saying I still don't really realize what we've done, and this is what I'm feeling right now," Poncharal told MotoGP.com."When you've been dreaming of something like this for forty years ... I thought it was never going to happen." The Frenchman even tossed his phone away during the post-race interview it was ringing so often with well-wishers.Oliveira (left) overtakes Espargaro (right) and Miller on the final corner for victory.MotoGP now has a two-week break before heading to Italy for the Gran Premio di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, from September 11-13.There will be a new champion this year after reigning title holder Marc Marquez announced on Sunday that his return to racing will be delayed by a further two months as he struggles to recover from a broken arm. Petronas Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo leads the standings with 70 points, just three ahead of Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso. | 7 |
(CNN)Sweden has charged a 49-year-old Tibetan man with spying on fellow exiles on behalf of Beijing. The man -- who has not been named -- is suspected of gathering information about exiles' family relationships, addresses, political affiliations and meetings with the intent to "pass this information to representatives of the Chinese state," authorities said Wednesday, according to CNN affiliate Expressen. Prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said the man's alleged spying occurred between July 2015 and February 2017, and the information was transmitted to Chinese officials in Poland and Finland.Ljungqvist said the man was himself of Tibetan descent and had been spying "for a long time, and may have caused or may cause a large number of persons serious harm." China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Thursday it was "not aware of the situation." Swedish authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Read MoreJamyang Choedon, president of the Tibetan Community in Sweden organization, told CNN many in the community were left feeling "very, very scared" by the news. "We were all shocked," she said. "There are only about 140 Tibetans in Sweden. That the (Chinese government) is sending a spy for just 140 people is almost comical." But many exiles still have family in Tibet, she added, and they could be at risk if they were deemed to be engaged in activities critical of Beijing. Swedish citizen Gui Minhai was abducted by Chinese police while traveling with Swedish diplomats in China. Swedish citizen still in custodyAlleged spying by China on Swedish residents could further damage relations between Stockholm and Beijing, which were already damaged by the continued detention of Swedish citizen Gui Minhai. Gui, one of several Hong Kong-based booksellers detained by China since 2014, was seized by plainclothes police on a train in January in front of Swedish diplomats. "The brutal intervention in January against a Swedish support operation was conducted in spite of repeated assurances from the Chinese authorities that Mr. Gui was free at that time," Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom said in February after Beijing confirmed it had detained Gui. "The current situation also raises questions about the application of the rule of law, including the prohibition of arbitrary deprivation of liberty. We demand that our citizen be given the opportunity to meet Swedish diplomatic and medical staff, and that he be released so that he can be reunited with his daughter and family."Gui, 53, who wrote and published numerous titles critical of the Communist leadership, was traveling to Beijing to be examined by a Swedish doctor at the embassy when he was taken, his daughter Angela told Radio Sweden last month.JUST WATCHEDChinese human rights lawyer sentencedReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHChinese human rights lawyer sentenced 03:53Cyber espionage Swedish media reported on the arrest of a man last year for similar spying activities. Tibetan exiles in Sweden have long complained of surveillance and harassment from China, which regards the community with suspicion, accusing them of supporting separatists within Tibet. The Tibetan community in India -- where the majority of exiles live -- has been targeted for over a decade by cyber espionage operations most analysts link to China. In January, the Toronto-based Citizen Lab uncovered a hacking operation that "ran for 19 months, and which targeted the Tibetan community, and potentially other groups including ethnic minorities, social movements related to China, a media group, and government agencies in South and Southeast Asia." Choedon said she was aware of the hacking risk, but said it was just one element in a broader intimidation campaign against Tibetans abroad. "Even though they are living in a free country, still they cannot really enjoy their full free democratic rights," she said. CNN's Serenitie Wang and Lauren Kent contributed reporting. | 4 |
(CNN)Following his first singles match since hip surgery, Andy Murray has confirmed he will not play singles at the forthcoming US Open.Murray lost his first-round match against Richard Gasquet at the Western & Southern Open 6-4 6-4, ending a seven-month absence from singles tennis.After the match, the three-time grand slam winner admitted that he had needed more time to consider playing singles at the final major of the year, which starts in New York later this month, but was unable to delay his decision to accept a wild card offered by the United States Tennis Association."We were hoping to maybe hold a wild card until a little bit closer to the time to see how I feel and get some matches hopefully and a bit of practice," the 32-year-old told reporters. "I didn't want to take a wild card today [Monday] because I just didn't know how I was going to feel after a match. I felt like I wanted to be fair for me to maybe try and get a couple of matches in before making a decision like that."Read MoreREAD: Serena Williams leaves tournament final injuredAn uphill battleIt's been a long road back for Murray, who broke down in tears following his exit from January's Australian Open, fearing his career might be over. Murray in tears following his first round defeat to Roberto Bautista Agut at the Australian Open.But playing pain free, Murray believed there were positives to take from the loss to Gasquet in Cincinnati. "I think I did okay. I think there was a lot of things I would like to have done better in the match, but you also have to be somewhat realistic, as well, in terms of what you can expect in terms of how you actually play and hit the ball," the Briton said. "Richard, he uses all of the angles on the court. He's one of the best at doing that. So I was having to move quite a lot laterally, and I didn't move forward particularly well. "When he drop-shotted, there was a few times I didn't even run to the ball, didn't react to it, and that's nothing to do with my hip. "That's just me not running for a ball, which I did do that better at the end of the match. I reacted and got to a few and won points."READ: Kyrgios enjoys one of the 'favorite weeks' of his lifeStill participatingThe former world No.1 has added two ATP singles events in China to his schedule -- the inaugural Zhuhai Championships and the Beijing Open -- with the former starting in late September.He has been competing in doubles and mixed doubles since returning from hip surgery this summer, marking his return to tennis by winning the doubles in the Fever-Tree Championships at Queen's Club in June with Feliciano Lopez. Visit CNN.com/sport for more news, features, and videosThe Scot was partnered by Pierre-Hugues Herbert at Wimbledon in the doubles while he played with Serena Williams -- dubbed 'SerAndy' -- in the mixed doubles. The 2012 US Open champion confirmed his intentions to play doubles and mixed doubles in Flushing Meadows, which begins on 26 August. | 7 |
Since you're so great at your job, your boss now wants to promote you to manager of a small team.It's certainly flattering -- and who isn't attracted to a higher paycheck?But don't accept the offer before considering how it would change your daily experience and whether you would truly enjoy the responsibilities and opportunities that come with the new role.Would I rather do work myself or be responsible for others' work?Don't think hard about this. Give the first response that comes to mind.Read More"This is the simple question that really sorts the world into two kinds of people," said Marcus Buckingham, head of people and performance research at the ADP Research Institute and coauthor of "Nine Lies About Work."If you really enjoy managing, you have an innate love of investing in others." Jim Harter, chief workplace scientist at GallupYou can always develop management skills. (And employers should provide practical training for new managers.) But if your innate preference is to do your own projects with all the expertise building and solo time that entails, you'll risk being unhappy in a management role.In evaluating managers based on their team's feedback and their own self-assessments, Leigh Steere, cofounder of research group Managing People Better LLC, has seen some people who should not be in the role because they're happier working on their own."Deep down [managing] is not where their passion is," Steere said. "They're ignoring their people ... to do their own projects."Do I get real satisfaction helping others succeed?Have you ever thought you'd make a good coach and talent agent?You'll wear several hats as a manager. But coaching and championing your team members will do more to boost their engagement and loyalty than anything else.That means helping them develop skills, giving them growth opportunities and having their backs when talking with your higher-ups.To climb the career ladder, you shouldn't have to be a manager "If you really enjoy managing, you have an innate love of investing in others," said Jim Harter, chief workplace scientist at Gallup. "You can build long-term relationships and a [professional] reputation off of that."And much like a team coach, the best managers figure out how to motivate each employee and keep them engaged with a compelling mission and vision, according to Gallup's research.Can I handle different personalities and work styles?If you have a seven-member team, that means you'll be managing seven distinct personalities, each with their own work styles and quirks. You'll need to figure out what they are and accommodate them if you want to get the best work from everyone."Everyone comes with their own stuff. Two people can come to the same answer by different paths. You have to respect that. If you're a good manager, you look forward to that. You get the whole person," Harter said.How do I respond to pressure and disappointment?Managers are under pressure to deliver excellence from their teams and to do so on deadline. The No. 1 task that managers shy away from is confronting poor performance." Leigh Steere, cofounder, Managing People Better LLCSo Steere suggests considering how you're most likely to respond when you're under the gun and someone on your team messes up.Will you lose your temper and shame that person? Or are you likely to keep your cool, realize it's not the end of the world and figure out a workaround? A good manager chooses the latter most often.Am I willing to be seen as the bad guy?All managers should be trained in how to offer feedback effectively. It's not an innate skill, Steere said.But you do need to bring courage to the table. "The No. 1 task that managers shy away from is confronting poor performance," she said. "They may be conflict avoidant. Some say 'I'm not comfortable judging others.' Or they want to be viewed as a nice manager. [But] it is not nice to withhold feedback from somebody that they need to learn and grow."Can I listen to my gut?You'll be faced with more decisions and more pressure to get things done as a manager. And it is helpful to be decisive.But you also need to be self-aware enough to realize when you're not ready to make a decision, said Janice Marturano, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Institute for Mindful Leadership and a former vice president at General Mills. And that means having to live with the ambiguity of not knowing what to do until you can make a call that feels right. Who has inspired me the most and why?Marturano always asks those in her workshops around the world to describe who in their own lives has been the most inspiring and influential. More from Success More CEOs under pressure to do better by the world. But it's complicated.These apps are changing the way we talk about moneyThe electric pickup wars are about to beginThe most frequent responses describe someone who is kind, compassionate, respectful and humble. They have a sense of humor. They know how to communicate well. They're present. And they're visionary. "Leadership is about influence," Marturano said, regardless of your title or position in an org chart.And the higher you go, the more potential influence you can have. That's the opportunity that comes with your promotion.Used well, your influence will get people to go the extra mile for you. And as a manager, that's invaluable. | 1 |
Story highlightsWelsh footballer Ched Evans has appeal for 2012 rape conviction upheldJudge orders retrial, citing "fresh evidence"Evans releases short statement, saying he is "extremely grateful" that his conviction for rape has been quashed (CNN)Welsh footballer Ched Evans, who was convicted in 2012 of the rape of a 19-year-old woman, has had his conviction overturned on appeal. The former English Premier League and Championship player, who played for Sheffield United, Manchester City and Norwich before his conviction, was released from jail on license in October 2014. He has not played professionally since then.Evans, who has insisted he is innocent, served two-and-a-half years of a five year sentence.Lady Justice Hallett, announcing the decision on behalf of the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), said it was "in the interests of justice" to order a retrial after new evidence emerged. Evans must be re-arraigned on the fresh indictment within two months.Read More'Extremely grateful'In a statement, Evans expressed his gratitude to the court of appeal, as well as his legal representation, family and supporters. "Ched Evans is extremely grateful that the Court of Appeal has ruled that his conviction for rape was unsafe and should be quashed."He wants to thank his lawyers... for their hard work and commitment in relation to the CCRC application and the appeal, as well as his partner Natasha, their families and friends and all those members of the public who have offered him support throughout."No further statement will be made as it is acknowledged by Mr Evans that the legal process has not reached a final conclusion and there will be further hearings of significance on dates to be fixed in due course."Both third-tier Oldham Athletic and his former club, 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. | 7 |
Story highlightsChelsea are through to the Champions League last 16 after 3-0 win over ValenciaDidier Drogba scores twice as the Premier League side qualify as Group E winnersMarseille score two late goals to win 3-2 at Dortmund and qualify from Group FZenit St Petersburg draw 0-0 in Porto to secure their qualification from Group GChelsea have qualified for the last 16 of the European Champions League after two Didier Drogba goals helped them to a 3-0 Group E victory over Valencia at Stamford Bridge.The English Premier League side needed a victory to guarantee their place in the knockout stage and they got the perfect start when Drogba scored in the third minute -- Chelsea's fastest ever Champions League goal.Midfielder Ramires doubled their advantage midway through the half after capitalizing on some hesitant Valencia defending.Real Madrid to topple Barcelona in 'El Clasico' clash?And Drogba sealed the victory 14 minutes from time when sliding the ball home from Juan Mata's slide-rule pass.The result also means Chelsea top the group with 11 points after Bayer Leverkusen -- who had already qualified -- were held to a 1-1 draw by Genk in Belgium.Jelle Vossen put the home side ahead in the first half with a superb volley, but Swiss striker Eren Derdiyok leveled for the Bundesliga side 11 minutes from time.Leverkusen go through as group runners-up on 10 points, with third-placed Valencia going into the Europa League and Genk eliminated from Europe.There was late drama in Group F, where Marseille came back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Dortmund, a result that saw them go through to the last 16 in second place behind already-qualified Arsenal.Poland midfielder Jakub Blaszczykowski put the home side ahead from close range in the 23rd minute and Mats Hummels doubled Dortmund's advantage nine minutes later from the penalty spot, after captain Sebastian Kehl received a nasty kick in the face from defender Stephane Mbia.But Marseille gave themselves hope on the stroke of half-time when Loic Remy headed home Morgan Amalfitano's right-wing cross.The score stayed that way until five minutes from the end when Andre Ayew powerfully headed home Amalfitano's corner.And a sensational comeback was completed just two minutes later when substitute Mathieu Valbuena skipped past a couple of challenges before curling home a delightful winner.Marseille's victory was bad news for Olympiakos, who beat a depleted Arsenal side 3-1 in Piraeus.Rafik Djebbour put the hosts ahead from a tight angle after a defensive mix-up and David Fuster made it 2-0 when goalkeeper Vito Mannone's headed clearance fell to his feet -- and he found the net from outside the area.Yossi Benayoun pulled a goal back early in the second half with a fine strike from just inside the area but Olympiakos secured the win when Francois Modesto scored from close range after Olof Mellberg's header had come back off the post.Despite the win, Marseille's comeback means Olympiakos (9 points) have to settle for the Europa League. Arsenal finish top on 11 points with Marseille just a point behind and German champions Dortmund out of Europe on just four points.Surprise packages APOEL Nicosia had already qualified from Group G, but they ended the group with a defeat as Shakhtar Donetsk claimed a 2-0 away victory.The Ukrainian side had already been eliminated, but they inflicted a first defeat on the Cypriot side courtesy of goals from Luiz Adriano and Yevhen Seleznyov.Porto needed to beat Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg at home to qualify alongside APOEL, but the visitors defended solidly to secure a 0-0 draw.It meant APOEL and Zenit both qualified with nine points, with the Cypriot side top virtue of a better head-to-head record. Porto (eight points) have to settle for the Europa League.Barcelona and AC Milan had already qualified from Group H, but they enjoyed contrasting fortunes on Tuesday.Defending champions Barca thumped BATE Borisov 4-0 at the Nou Camp despite coach Pep Guardiola resting a host of key players ahead of 'El Clasico' against Real Madrid on Saturday.Real Madrid to topple Barcelona in 'El Clasico' clash?It may have been an unfamiliar line-up, but the style of football was completely familiar as Barca scored at will against the Belarussians.Sergi Roberto opened the scoring in the 35th minute from the edge of the area and Martin Montoya made it 2-0 on the hour mark with his first senior goal.The more familiar face of Pedro added a third when he flicked home a cross -- and the Spanish international scored his second of the evening from the penalty spot.So Barcelona strolled through as group winners with an impressive 16 points, while BATE are eliminated in bottom place.In the other match, Italian champions AC Milan wasted a two-goal lead as Czech side Viktoria Plzen scored twice in the final minute to snatch an unlikely 2-2 draw.Alexandre Pato put Milan ahead two minutes after the break when controlling Robinho's pass on his chest before rounding the keeper to score.And a minute later, the two Brazilians combined again, this time for Robinho to fire home.But, in a dramatic finale, Marek Bakos crossed for David Bystron to tap home from close range. Then Michal Duris burst into the Milan area in injury time to score a dramatic equalizer.Milan qualify for the last 16 in second place with nine points, while Plzen go into the Europa League after finishing with five points. | 7 |
Story highlightsWorld sailor of the year Peter Burling speaks to CNN Kiwi helmsman hopes to win round-the-world Volvo Ocean RaceBurling could become first to win sailing's "triple crown" (CNN)He's just been named World Sailor of the Year for the second time in three years, but Peter Burling was nowhere to be seen at this week's glitzy Mexican award ceremony.Instead the Kiwi helmsman is some 10,000km away, guiding Team Brunel through tough seas from Lisbon to Cape Town on the second leg of the ongoing Volvo Ocean Race (VOR).Follow @cnnsport
He isn't a man to hang about. At the age of just 26, Burling has already proven his credentials in both fleet racing and match racing -- winning Olympic gold in the 49er class, and the 35th Americas Cup with Emirates Team New Zealand.Now he's stepped right out of his comfort zone, battling day and night in a bid to conquer an event so tough it's known as the "Everest of the Seas".Burling and his crew will visit 12 host cities on six continents over the coming months, covering more than 46,000 nautical miles (85,000km).Read More"Any yacht race you go into, you want to win," Burling told CNN Sport. "There are plenty in the world that are incredibly prestigious and this is one of them." Peter Burling holds aloft the oldest trophy in sportShould Team Brunel reach the Hague, on the western coast of the Netherlands, in the quickest time later next year, Burling will become the first person in history to have won the VOR, America's Cup and an Olympic title.To have any hope of doing so, he'll have to sleep in four-hour shifts, subsisting on little more than freeze dried food and chocolate bars. But Burling is more than ready for the challenge. In this environment it's a lot more of a race of attrition.Peter Burling"I've done little bits of offshore racing, but there's not really any way of getting experience of the longer legs — like the 30, 35-day legs — without going out there and doing it," he said."It's obviously very different but in the same light it's similar. The same things make you win a yacht race or lose a yacht race. Photos: Sustainability key for sailing raceThe 2017-2018 Volvo Ocean Race is under way with a united push for increased global sustainability and an improvement in ocean health.Hide Caption 1 of 14 Photos: Sustainability key for sailing raceBriton Dee Caffari skippers the Turn the Tide on Plastic team, which aims to campaign for a reduction in the amount of plastic dumped in our oceans.Hide Caption 2 of 14 Photos: Sustainability key for sailing raceAccording to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, eight million tonnes of plastic waste reaches our seas each year. Hide Caption 3 of 14 Photos: Sustainability key for sailing raceCaffari's team will monitor daily water quality and micro-plastic levels on their 45,000-nautical-mile trip around the world. Hide Caption 4 of 14 Photos: Sustainability key for sailing raceThe crew on Team AkzoNobel are also collecting water samples and passing the micro-filters to shore-based scientists to analyze.Hide Caption 5 of 14 Photos: Sustainability key for sailing raceMicro-plastics are small (less than five millimeters in diameter) pieces of plastic which are eaten by fish and other sea life and birds in mistake for food. It eventually ends up in the human food chain.Hide Caption 6 of 14 Photos: Sustainability key for sailing raceBy 2050, there could be more plastic in the sea than fish (by weight), according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.Hide Caption 7 of 14 Photos: Sustainability key for sailing raceCaffari is the first woman to have sailed single-handed around the world non stop and in both directions.Hide Caption 8 of 14 Photos: Sustainability key for sailing race"I feel very privileged to have the ocean as a playground and a work office, and yet I can see first-hand some of the damage we're doing," Caffari told CNN.Hide Caption 9 of 14 Photos: Sustainability key for sailing raceDane Nicolai Sehested is foregoing sleep for science to save the planet. ""If I can sacrifice a bit of sleep and people can stop using single-use plastic and dumping it in the ocean, I think it's all worth it," he told CNN. Hide Caption 10 of 14 Photos: Sustainability key for sailing raceThis year's edition of the Volvo Ocean Race began in Alicante, Spain and will take in 11 legs around the world, ending in The Hague in June.Hide Caption 11 of 14 Photos: Sustainability key for sailing raceRace organizers are keen to promote the environmental message with all seven teams and their sailors pledging to do their bit to help the planet. Hide Caption 12 of 14 Photos: Sustainability key for sailing raceSailors will see some spectacular sights during their ocean passages.Hide Caption 13 of 14 Photos: Sustainability key for sailing race"If we actually don't do anything about it our planet is doomed," said Caffari, talking about the impact of plastic pollution and global warming.Hide Caption 14 of 14"In this environment it just goes on for a lot longer and it's a lot more of a race of attrition. You just have to make sure you don't make any mistakes over a seriously long period."It's all about making the right decisions during that set time and working together as a team to make the boat go fast."'It's our goal to win'Until now, Burling has almost always had close friend and compatriot Blair Tuke at his side on the water. It is testament to the duo's success that they were named New Zealand's Team of the Year at the 54th Halberg Awards, ahead of the indomitable All Blacks. JUST WATCHEDBlair Tuke's pursuit of historyReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHBlair Tuke's pursuit of history 03:04"Winning that gold medal in Rio with Blair was something that was incredibly special," said Burling, looking back to their Rio 2016 victory in the 49er class. "To follow that with the America's Cup was special not only for ourselves but also an amazing part of New Zealand sailing history." Now though, with Tuke teaming up with rival boat Mapfre, they go head to head. Only one man can become the first to win the so-called Triple Crown of Sailing, but Burling has no intention of getting carried away. "I'm really happy with the bunch of people I've gone with, and Blair's pretty similar," he said, dismissing the competition between them as something driven by the media. "You just have to look across the lineup to know there are a lot of Kiwis all across the field. I'm looking forward to catching up with friends and sharing stories from other people's experience of the legs." ✔️ Two best mates✔️ Olympic🥇duo✔️ Rivals in 2017-18@desafioMAPFRE @BlairTuke & @brunelsailing @peteburling go head-to-head on #LegZero pic.twitter.com/ziO7bYKjhE— Volvo Ocean Race (@volvooceanrace) August 12, 2017
Which team will win the Volvo Ocean Race? Have your say on CNN Sport's Facebook pageNot that he'll be holding anything back in his pursuit of victory. "For myself, I'm just looking to learn as much as i can from some pretty experienced guys and chip in wherever I can," he said. "It's definitely our goal to win this thing and I'm looking forward to the challenge of the months ahead." | 7 |
Story highlightsNIO EP9 breaks Nürburgring lap record for road-legal vehiclesElectric supercars boasts megawatt of power, equivalent to 1342 BHP (CNN)When you're going through "The Green Hell," keep going.An electric supercar has completed a lap of the legendary Nürburgring in six minutes 45.90 seconds, shaving off 2.1 seconds off the previous best time by a road-legal vehicle -- set by the Radical SR8LM in 2009.The NIO EP9 is a full half-minute quicker than the nearest EV challenger -- Toyota's TMG EV P002 -- and can now lay claim to being the fastest electric road car on the planet."This is a fabulous achievement for NIO," Gerry Hughes, head of performance and Next EV Formula E team principal said in a statement. "I am very proud of the team that has worked tirelessly to achieve this accolade."READ: Supercar feels 'supersonic' Read MoreThe EP9 boasts one megawatt of power, equivalent to 1342 BHP, and a top speed of 194 mph (312 kph).Top Five Nürburgring Lap Times1 - NextEV NIO EP9 (6:45.90)2 - Radical SR8LM (6:48.00)3 - Lamborghini Huracan Performante (6:52.01) 4 - Radical SR8 (6:56.08)5 - Porsche 918 Spyder (6:57.00)At full throttle, it can accelerate from standstill to 124 mph (200 kph) in just 7.1 seconds. The new lap record illustrates the importance of favorable conditions, with driver Peter Dumbreck taking 19.22 seconds off the EP9's previous time, recorded last October in "inclement" weather. The NIO EP9 and I broke the production car record around the Nordschleife today. Mega (Watt) effort by all in production of this car! pic.twitter.com/0UOcyyujqd— Peter Dumbreck (@AhLovejoy) May 12, 2017
NIO EP9 Records2:40.33 — Circuit of the Americas, Autonomous Lap Record6:45.90 — Nürburgring, Lap RecordHis new lap of the 12.9-mile (20.7-kilometer) German circuit is 35.73 seconds faster than the nearest Ferrari and more than 47 seconds faster than a Koenigsegg CCX. Powered by four inboard electric motors, the EP9 also tops the four-wheel drive leaderboard, edging out the Lamborghini Huracan Performante.READ: BMW joins Formula E electric revolutionBut the absolute lap record holder at the Nurburgring remains the Porsche 956, built in 1980s for the FIA World Sportscar Championship. During the 1983 "1000 km of Nürburgring" endurance race, Germany's Stefan Bellof recorded a still-unbeaten six minutes 11.13 seconds.The 73-turn circuit that winds its way through the Eifel mountains was nicknamed "The Green Hell" by triple Formula One world champion Jackie Stewart -- winner of three German Grand Prix when races were staged at the track during the 1960s and 1970s.Is the future of racing electric? Have your say on CNN Sport's Facebook page.Going forward, NIO plans to produce a limited run of ten EP9 supercars, made to order.The price? $1.48 million. | 7 |
Story highlights Committee head: "Guesswork has turned into hard facts and obscurity... into clarity"Eric Betzig, Stefan W. Hell and William E. Moerner share the Nobel Prize for chemistryTheir work has shifted optical microscopy boundaries into the nanoworldHell says he was "totally surprised" to receive the call that told him he'd wonTwo Americans and a German won the Nobel Prize in chemistry this year for their work on optical microscopy that has opened up our understanding of molecules by allowing us to see how they work close up. The winners are Eric Betzig, Stefan W. Hell and William E. Moerner, the Nobel committee in Sweden announced Wednesday. Back in 1873, science believed it had reached a limit in how much more of a detailed picture a microscope could provide. At the time, microscopist Ernst Abbe said the maximum resolution had been attained. This year's winners proved that contention wrong. JUST WATCHEDBlue LED inventors win Nobel PrizeReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHBlue LED inventors win Nobel Prize 04:14Physics Nobel Prize goes to scientists who perfected LED light"Due to their achievements, the optical microscope can now peer into the nanoworld," the committee said. The importance can't be overemphasized: Now, scientists can see how proteins in fertilized eggs divide into embryos, or they can track proteins involved in Alzheimer's or Parkinson's diseases, the committee said.Hell, of the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, both in Germany, developed a way to use two laser beams to make individual molecules glow on and off.Speaking to the Nobel committee by phone after the prize was announced, Hell said the development of nanoscopy was "very important to life scientists" because the use of focused light is the only way to see how the body works at a cellular level.He said he was "totally surprised" by the call from the Nobel committee and that it took a while for the news to sink in.Betzig, of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, in Ashburn, Virginia, and Moerner, of Stanford University in California, worked separately to develop the basis for single-molecule microscopy.Medicine Nobel Prize goes for work on cells that form brain's GPS systemThis uses light to make individual molecules glow and allows a dense super-image to be resolved at the nanolevel.Committee chairman Sven Lidin said that thanks to their development of super-resolution fluorescence microscopy, cells could be studied close up and the boundary between chemistry and biology had blurred."Guesswork has turned into hard facts and obscurity has turned into clarity," he added.Last year's prize in chemistry rewarded three scientists, Martin Karplus, Michael Levitt and Arieh Warshel, for work leading to the computer programs used today to predict the outcomes of very complex chemical reactions. | 4 |
Story highlights State media: Provincial governor says poor weather, not terror attack, is to blame17 military personnel died in the helicopter crash, state media sayThe incident occurred in Turkey's southeastern Siirt provinceThe helicopter is thought to have crashed into a mountainside in fogSeventeen military personnel died in a helicopter crash in Turkey, state media reported Saturday.The Sikorsky-type helicopter, which was carrying soldiers to an operation, crashed in Pervari district, in Turkey's southeastern Siirt province, official broadcaster TRT said.The military helicopter is believed to have plowed into a mountain because of fog, the broadcaster said. Four of those killed were crew members, the other 13 soldiers, the semi-official Anadolu Agency cited Siirt governor Ahmet Aydin as saying.The governor stressed that the crash was caused by poor weather conditions, not a terrorist attack, the news agency said.Turkey's military has been combating a long-running insurgency by Kurdish militants in the southeast of the country.The conflict has claimed more than 30,000 lives over the past three decades. | 4 |
Story highlightsLiverpool 0-0 Manchester UnitedUnited has de Gea to thank for picking up a point (CNN)Manchester United had an inspired David de Gea to thank for coming away from Monday's Premier League clash against Liverpool with a point.The Spanish goalkeeper denied Jurgen Klopp's side the chance to go level with league leader Manchester City, pulling off two magnificent saves from Philippe Coutinho and Emre Can.Follow @cnnsport
Zlatan Ibrahimovic had the visiting side's best chance of the game, but failed to get his header on target from six yards out."It's difficult, I have mixed emotions but I'm not happy about the game," Klopp told British broadcaster Sky Sports after the match.#DaveSaves 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/IaaqUC4Yy1— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 17, 2016
"We started -- how I saw from our body language -- okay and then immediately with their kind of defending, we weren't brave anymore.Read More"They didn't create chances, they had two maybe in the second half but we had two or three great saves from de Gea. Our performance was not as it should have been but we have a clean sheet, so yippee," he said with more than a hint of sarcasm. For all the talk of the two sides' contrasting form coming into the match -- Liverpool had enjoyed six consecutive wins -- it was United which started in the ascendancy. Read: Lionel Messi scores on return from injury Liverpool's high-tempo gengenpress was efficiently countered with short, sharp passes in midfield, while it was United's own pressing which disrupted the home side's usually fluid attacks.Marcus Rashford was the beneficiary of the away side's passing, consistently finding space on the right but too often his touch or final pass let his teammates down.Mourinho and United's early game plan was executed to perfection, stifling Liverpool's creativity and reducing the often raucous Anfield atmosphere to nothing more than a quiet hush.Not the result we were after.#LFCvMUFC pic.twitter.com/El968KZFUg— Liverpool FC (@LFC) October 17, 2016
"I think we controlled the emotion of the game well," Mourinho said. "We could influence the atmosphere in the stadium, always showing their (the fans') disappointment. "I think they were waiting for an easy match and it wasn't. We had a big chance, I thought Zlatan would score and that's it -- 1-0, goodbye, finished."And, in typical Mourinho fashion, he couldn't leave without a parting blow to the opposing manager."They're not the last wonder of the world like you (the pundits) say they are, but they are a good side."Read: Arsenal goes level at top of Premier League as Manchester City stuttersAfter half an hour, with neither side able to conjure up a clear-cut chance, it was the tackles in midfield as opposed to goalmouth action that began to get the crowd on its feet.Ander Herrera against Coutinho became a recurring battle, and Anfield's fabled Kop End led the stadium's uproar when the Spaniard scythed down his Brazilian counterpart on more than one occasion.It spoke volumes about the lack of entertainment on display that talk on social media was dominated by the stadium's new camera angle.But while it may not have been easy on the eyes, United deserved credit for restraining a free-flowing team that has created goal-scoring chances at a rate of knots this season."We cannot be 100 per cent happy, but we can be proud." - Ander Herrera on #MUTVHD #MUFC https://t.co/X7dA6YRS6X— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 17, 2016
It took until 10 minutes into the second for either side to create an opening. Paul Pogba's inviting cross into the box found Ibrahimovic unmarked at the far post, but the Swedish international could only direct his header back across goal without troubling Loris Karius.With that, the game finally burst into life.Liverpool's passing became quicker and more accurate and began to carve the United defense open. Emre Can was on the receiving end of Coutinho's through ball, but he was denied by the outstretched palm of de Gea.Again the stadium descended into a quiet murmur but before it fell completely silent, Coutinho unleashed a strike that de Gea acrobatically clawed around the post to lift the 54,000 watching fans back to their feet.Read: Philippe Coutinho -- The secret life of 'O Mágico'The 'magician' was at the center of everything Liverpool created and a sublime back heel looked to have given compatriot Roberto Firmino one final chance, but Antonio Valencia's blistering pace got him back into position to make a last-ditch tackle.Despite the best efforts of the home players to finish with a flurry, the game petered out in a manner befitting of the match as a whole.While disappointed with the overall performance, a diplomatic Klopp was on hand to put the result into perspective in what has been an excellent season thus far. "We got a point against Manchester United," he said. "I've heard about worse things in the world." | 7 |
Story highlightsFour people connected to gunman Amedy Coulibaly have been arrested, official saysA policewoman is among those in custodyParis (CNN)French police have arrested four people linked to Amedy Coulibaly, the gunman and hostage-taker at a Parisian kosher supermarket on January 9, a Paris prosecutor's spokesman said. A French policewoman is among the four taken into custody, French national police said. The policewoman worked at the Fort de Rosny-sous-Bois, northeast of Paris, the spokesman said. According to Le Figaro newspaper, the Fort de Rosny-sous-Bois is the location of an important intelligence center. Coulibaly killed four hostages in the grocery store before police shot and killed him. Read MoreHis attack followed one on the office of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. France has been under a heightened state of alert since January's terror attacks in Paris that killed 17 people.Brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi, authors of the deadly attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices, were killed days later after two violent standoffs. The brothers were accused of killing 12 people in a massacre at the magazine offices.Coulibaly, suspected in the slaying of a police officer, was killed by security forces after he shot and killed four hostages during the siege at the kosher market.Charlie Hebdo has a controversial history of depicting the Prophet Mohammed, often in an unfavorable light, which has angered many Muslims around the world.Earlier cartoons depicting Mohammed spurred protests and the burning of the magazine's office three years ago.Since the attack, European nations have carried out raids on suspected terror cells with links to ISIS in Syria. | 4 |
Story highlightsManziel is facing misdemeanor assault charges related to his ex-girlfriend, who says he threatened and hit herThe free agent NFL quarterback turned himself in to police in Texas on Wednesday (CNN)Johnny Manziel was ordered to have no contact with his former girlfriend and to stay away from firearms at a Thursday court appearance in Dallas. The free agent NFL quarterback turned himself in Wednesday to police in Highland Park, Texas, where he was booked on misdemeanor assault charges, said Lt. Lance Koppa with the Highland Park Department of Public Safety.Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel turned himself in to the Highland Park Police Wednesday afternoon on charges of domestic violence stemming from an incident at a Dallas hotel on Janaury 29, according to Lt. Lance Koppa with the Highland Park Dept of Public Safety. A Texas grand jury indicted the troubled football star in connection with a January incident involving ex-girlfriend Colleen Crowley. Crowley said Manziel threatened her, restrained her and hit her in the head, causing her to lose hearing in one ear. Read MoreManziel has denied hitting Crowley, and "looks forward to defending himself against the misdemeanor allegation and focusing on the next phases of his life, both personally and professionally," said his attorney, Jim Darnell. A docket hearing in the case is scheduled for June 24. Photos: Celebrity mugshots Photos: Celebrity mugshotsSinger Trey Songz was charged with aggravated assault and assaulting a police officer causing injury after an incident at his concert in Detroit Wednesday, December 28.Hide Caption 1 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsFormer "Saved by the Bell" actor Dustin Diamond was arrested Wednesday, May 25 in Ozaukee, Wisconsin, on a probation hold.Hide Caption 2 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsFootball player Johnny Manziel turned himself turned himself in to police in Highland Park, Texas, on Wednesday, May 4, and was booked on misdemeanor assault charges, said Lt. Lance Koppa with the Highland Park Department of Public Safety. Manziel is accused of assaulting his former girlfriend in January. He has denied hitting her, and his lawyer said he'll plead not guilty.Hide Caption 3 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsAmerican soccer star Abby Wambach was arrested on a driving under the influence charge Sunday, April 3, in Portland, Oregon. Wambach, who recently retired, was arrested shortly after 2 a.m. ET, according to the Multnomah County Jail. She was released on her own recognizance.Hide Caption 4 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsAustin Lee Russell, aka "Chumlee" from the TV show "Pawn Stars," was arrested Wednesday, March 9, in Las Vegas. He was charged with possession of a firearm and numerous narcotics charges.Hide Caption 5 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsComedian Micah "Katt" Williams was arrested in Georgia on Monday, February 29, in connection with an assault, according to authorities.Hide Caption 6 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsAngela Renee White, also known as Blac Chyna, was arrested on charges of public intoxication at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Friday, January 29.Hide Caption 7 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsThe former Louisiana children's TV show personality known as "Mr. Wonder" was arrested in California on charges that he sexually abused children at a camping retreat in 1979. Frank John Selas III was arrested on Monday, January 25, after he had been on the run for nearly four decades.Hide Caption 8 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsModel Stephanie Seymour was arrested on DUI charges on Friday, January 15, in Connecticut. She was released on $500 bail and is scheduled to appear in court in February.Hide Caption 9 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsSinger Don McLean appears in a booking photo after being charged with domestic violence assault on Monday, January 18, at Knox County Jail in Rockland, Maine. McLean is best known for his 1972 hit "American Pie."Hide Caption 10 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsBackstreet Boys singer Nick Carter was arrested Wednesday, January 13, in Key West, Florida. He is charged with battery, a misdemeanor, according to his arrest record with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.Hide Caption 11 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsRobert Downey Jr.'s drug problems are almost as famous as his talent. He served time in the late 1990s on a drug conviction, was arrested in November 2000 for drug possession and was busted again in April 2001 in Culver City, California. He received a Christmas Eve pardon in 2015 from California Gov. Jerry Brown for his 1996 convictions for possessing drugs and a weapon. Hide Caption 12 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsIn his latest run-in with the law, actor Shia LaBeouf was arrested in Austin, Texas, on October 9 on charges of public intoxication.Hide Caption 13 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsActor Nicholas Brendon ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Criminal Minds") was arrested for the fourth time in a year on September 30. He was accused of choking a girlfriend in Saratoga Springs, New York.Hide Caption 14 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsJennifer Ann Lien, who played Kes on "Star Trek: Voyager," was arrested on September 3 in Harriman, Tennessee. She was charged with indecent exposure.Hide Caption 15 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsManu Bennett, best known for playing antagonists in the "Hobbit" trilogy and the TV series "Arrow," was arrested in San Antonio, Texas, and charged with misdemeanor assault.Hide Caption 16 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsJake Broadbent, best known for playing Anakin Skywalker (as Jake Lloyd) in "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace" in 1999, was arrested in South Carolina after police said he led them on a high-speed chase on June 17. He was charged with failure to stop for a blue light and resisting arrest, he remained at the Colleton County Detention Center awaiting a bail hearing.Hide Caption 17 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsRapper Rick Ross was picked up by sheriffs in Fayette County, Georgia, on suspicion of marijuana possession. Ross was released after posting $2,400 bail.Hide Caption 18 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsDustin Diamond, best known as Screech from the TV show "Saved by the Bell," was arrested on multiple charges in Port Washington, Wisconsin, on December 26, 2014. He was found guilty in May 2015 on two misdemeanor charges.Hide Caption 19 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsOscar-nominated actor and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Sam Shepard was arrested Monday, May 25, on suspicion of drunken driving in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He spent the night in jail and pleaded not guilty to aggravated DUI charges. Hide Caption 20 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsPublic Enemy's William Jonathan Drayton Jr. -- better known as Flavor Flav -- was arrested May 21 in Las Vegas. The list of charges includes speeding, driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license and having an open container of alcohol. He posted $7,000 bail.Hide Caption 21 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsActor Seth Gilliam, who joined the "Walking Dead" cast last season, was arrested May 3 in Peachtree City, Georgia. Police said that Gilliam was going 107 mph in a 55-mph zone and that a marijuana cigarette was found in the car.Hide Caption 22 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsRapper Nelly was arrested April 11 in Tennessee and charged with felony drug possession, authorities said.Hide Caption 23 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsActor Darius McCrary, who played Eddie Winslow on the sitcom "Family Matters," was arrested and released on March 25 for failure to pay child support.Hide Caption 24 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshots"Criminal Minds'" actor Nicholas Brendon was arrested (PDF) March 13 in Tallahassee, Florida, for allegedly trashing a hotel room. He was arrested under similar circumstances in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in February, and in Boise, Idaho, in October. Brendon is also known for his role on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."Hide Caption 25 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsSinger Angie Stone was arrested March 10 on domestic aggravated assault charges after an alleged altercation with her daughter, according to CNN affiliate WGCL.Hide Caption 26 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsJoseph Edgar Foreman, better known as Afroman, was arrested in Biloxi, Mississippi, on an assault charge February 17.Hide Caption 27 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsVanilla Ice, aka Robert Van Winkle, was charged February 18 with burglary and grand theft in Lantana, Florida.Hide Caption 28 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsFormer NFL player Warren Sapp was arrested by Phoenix police officers on prostitution and assault charges February 2, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department.Hide Caption 29 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsA photo of Phil Spector released in September shows the toll that prison has taken on the former music mogul. The picture was taken of Spector -- who is serving time for the 2003 killing of actress Lana Clarkson -- in 2013 at a prison in Corcoran, California. Hide Caption 30 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsWill Hayden -- Red Jacket Firearms owner and the Discovery Channel's "Sons of Guns" reality star -- was arrested in East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on August 8. He was accused of child molestation and was charged with a crime against nature. Hayden was released on $150,000 bail. On August 27, Discovery canceled his show after Hayden was arrested on a charge of aggravated rape.Hide Caption 31 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsRapper Gucci Mane turned himself in to authorities in March 2013 after a warrant was issued for his arrest on aggravated assault charges in Atlanta. In August, he was sentenced to three years and three months in federal prison on firearm charges. Hide Caption 32 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsGregg Jarrett, an anchor with Fox News, was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of the legal process and interfering with a peace officer at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. He was released on $300 bail. Hide Caption 33 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsTV's Judge Joe Brown was jailed on a contempt of court charge issued by a Tennessee juvenile judge on March 24, 2014, according to a court spokesman. He was later released on his own recognizance, CNN affiliate WMC in Memphis reported. Brown was in court to represent a client in a child-support case and allegedly became upset when he was told the case was not on the afternoon docket.Hide Caption 34 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshots"The Partridge Family" star David Cassidy was ordered to three months of rehab on March 24, 2014, after pleading no contest to a DUI charge from January. It was his second DUI arrest in six months and third since 2011.Hide Caption 35 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsTyler, the Creator was charged with a misdemeanor in March 2014. The rapper is accused of inciting a riot at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. Hide Caption 36 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsJustin Bieber was charged with drunken driving, resisting arrest and driving without a valid license after police saw the pop star street racing in a yellow Lamborghini in Miami in January 2014. "What the f*** did I do?" he asked the officer. "Why did you stop me?" He was booked into a Miami jail after failing a sobriety test. Hide Caption 37 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsSinger Bruno Mars was arrested on September 19, 2010, in Las Vegas, Nevada, on a drug charge. He accepted a "deferred adjudication" deal in 2011.Hide Caption 38 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsYoung Jeezy, real name Jay Wayne Jenkins, was arrested in January 2014 in Alpharetta, a suburb of Atlanta, and charged with obstruction of a law enforcement officer. He was also arrested in California in August.Hide Caption 39 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsRapper DMX was arrested in South Carolina and held for three hours in November 2013 before posting bail on charges of driving with a suspended license and having no car tag or insurance, according to the Spartanburg County Detention Center website. DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, has been arrested three times in the state since July 2013.Hide Caption 40 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsDina Lohan, the mother of actress Lindsay Lohan, was arrested in September 2013 in New York on two DWI charges. New York State Police said a breath test showed her blood alcohol concentration to be more than twice the legal limit. Hide Caption 41 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsSinger-actress Pia Zadora was charged with domestic violence battery and coercion for allegedly scratching her 16-year-old son's ear as she tried to take his cell phone when he dialed 911 on June 1, 2013, according to a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police report.Hide Caption 42 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsActress Amanda Bynes was arrested again May 23, 2013, in New York after she allegedly tossed drug paraphernalia out the window of her Manhattan apartment. The actress had been booked for suspicion of driving under the influence in Hollywood, California, on April 6, 2012, after she got into a fender bender with a marked police car. The California arrest is the source of this mug shot.Hide Caption 43 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsActor Edward Furlong was arrested again on May 17, 2013, after allegedly violating a protective order filed against him by an ex-girlfriend. Furlong is seen here in a police booking photo after his arrest for alleged domestic violence, the arrest which resulted in the protective order, on January 13, 2013, in Los Angeles. Hide Caption 44 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsActress Reese Witherspoon and husband Jim Toth were arrested in April 2013 after Toth was pulled over for suspected drunken driving with Witherspoon in the car, the Georgia State Patrol said.Hide Caption 45 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsCountry music star Billy Currington has been indicted on charges of terroristic threats and abuse of an elderly person in April 2013 in his native state of Georgia. In September 2013, he pleaded no contest to the abuse charge; the terroristic threats charge was dropped. Hide Caption 46 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsLindsay Lohan poses for a mug shot in March 2013 after accepting 90 days in a "locked in" drug rehab facility for misdemeanor charges. This was not her first brush with the law. The list includes a 2011 arrest for violating her probation for a 2007 drunken driving conviction.Hide Caption 47 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsStanley Kirk Burrell, aka MC Hammer, was arrested in February 2013 in Dublin, California, for allegedly obstructing an officer.Hide Caption 48 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsActor Stephen Baldwin was arrested December 6, 2012, on a charge of failing to file New York state personal income tax returns for three years, according to a statement released by the Rockland County district attorney's office.Hide Caption 49 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsFlavor Flav was also arrested October 17, 2012, in Las Vegas and charged with assault with a deadly weapon and battery in a case involving his fiancee of eight years, police said. He pleaded guilty and was ordered to attend counseling.Hide Caption 50 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsBorder Patrol agents in Texas arrested singer Fiona Apple in 2012, saying they found marijuana and hashish on her tour bus.Hide Caption 51 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsMusician Randy Travis was arrested in 2012 for misdemeanor DWI and felony retaliation after he was involved in a one-vehicle accident and found naked in the road. He was later released on bail. Hide Caption 52 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsFunnyman Russell Brand landed himself in to the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office in 2012 when he snatched a photographer's iPhone and threw it at a window. Brand was free on bail after turning himself in to New Orleans police. Hide Caption 53 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsOlympic gold medalist Shaun White, 26, was charged with vandalism and public intoxication in Nashville, Tennessee, on September 16, 2012.Hide Caption 54 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshots"Gossip Girl" star Chase Crawford was arrested in June 2010 in Austin, Texas, and charged with possession of marijuana. He was charged with a misdemeanor because he had less than 2 ounces, according to a police report.Hide Caption 55 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsBad boy actor Charlie Sheen is no stranger to Hollywood scandal. He posed for this mug shot after a 2009 arrest related to a domestic violence dispute. Hide Caption 56 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsWayne "Lil Wayne" Carter was booked on drug charges in Arizona in 2008 and sentenced to a year in prison. He released an album during his incarceration, which lasted eight months.Hide Caption 57 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsNicole Richie was sentenced to four days in jail for DUI in August 2007. She spent 82 minutes in custody. Hide Caption 58 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsIn 2007, Kiefer Sutherland got this mug shot after surrendering to serve a 48-day sentence for his third DUI arrest. Hide Caption 59 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsThis mug shot was snapped after Mel Gibson, now notorious for getting himself into trouble, was arrested and charged with drunken driving in 2006. Hide Caption 60 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsBackstreet Boy Nick Carter was arrested for drunken driving after failing a field sobriety test in 2005.Hide Caption 61 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsSinger James Brown was arrested in Aiken, South Carolina, on January 28, 2004, and charged with Criminal Domestic Violence. Hide Caption 62 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsThe Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, Sheriff's office took this mug shot of "Home Alone" star Macaulay Culkin in 2004 after they found marijuana, Xanax and sleeping pills in his possession. He was briefly jailed before being released on bail. Hide Caption 63 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsCountry singer Glen Campbell was arrested in Phoenix on November 25, 2003, on drunken driving and hit-and-run charges. Campbell posed for his mugshot in 2004 after checking into a Phoenix lockup to serve his first of 10 nights in jail. He pleaded guilty to the charges.Hide Caption 64 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsActor Nick Nolte was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol on September 11, 2002. A California Highway Patrol officer saw the actor's car swerving across the highway. Nolte was described as "drooling" and "droopy-eyed."Hide Caption 65 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsMarshall Mathers, aka Eminem, was booked on gun charges twice in June 2000. Police said both arrests stemmed from fights -- the first over his estranged wife, Kim, and the second against rival rap group Insane Clown Posse. Hide Caption 66 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsRapper Jay Z was arrested in 1999 for allegedly stabbing a record executive in a New York nightclub. He pleaded guilty in 2001 and was sentenced to three years of probation. Hide Caption 67 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsMatthew McConaughey was arrested in Austin, Texas, in 1999 after police allegedly found him dancing naked and playing bongo drums in his house. He paid a $50 fine for disturbing his neighbors with the show. Hide Caption 68 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsCurtis Jackson, aka 50 Cent, posed for this mug shot in 1994 when he was arrested at 19 for allegedly dealing heroin and crack cocaine. Hide Caption 69 of 70 Photos: Celebrity mugshotsJane Fonda was arrested in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1970 after a scuffle with police in the airport. U.S. Customs agents allegedly found a large quantity of pills in her possession. Hide Caption 70 of 70A timeline of the troubled football starManziel won the 2012 Heisman Trophy while playing at Texas A&M University and was picked by the Cleveland Browns in the 2014 NFL draft. While he showed flashes of promise, he ultimately couldn't retain the starting quarterback job. The Browns cut him March 11, two days after the start of the 2016 NFL calendar year. Bleacher Report: Ryan Leaf on Johnny Manziel | 7 |
(CNN)An Iranian PhD student who'd planned to continue his studies at Michigan State University was detained by Customs and Border Protection at Detroit Metro Airport and is being sent back to Iran, his attorney told CNN on Monday.Alireza Yazdani, 27, was on a flight leaving Detroit on Monday, a day after he was detained and questioned by authorities, his attorney Bradley Maze said.Yazdani's removal comes a week after another Iranian who'd arrived with a student visa was detained and denied entry into the US at Boston's Logan International Airport. Immigrant rights advocates have said they're concerned students are being targeted as tensions mount between the United States and Iran. The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts said last week that at least 10 students had been sent back to Iran upon arriving to US airports since August, with seven of them having flown into the Boston airport. Yazdani flew into Detroit Sunday, eager to continue his studies in an agricultural sciences doctoral program at Michigan State, Maze said. He was admitted to the program in September, Maze said, and the US government issued him a student visa earlier this month.Read MoreIn a statement, Customs and Border Protection said Yazdani was deemed inadmissible after applying for entry into the United States on Sunday, but did not specify why. "On January 26, Alireza Yazdani Esfidajani applied for entry into the United States, and was later deemed inadmissible at which time he withdrew his application for admission into the United States," CBP said. "The traveler was not arrested, rather held until a return flight could be arranged to his place of departure."Yazdani told his attorneys he "eventually gave up" after facing more than six hours of questioning. Maze described CBP's reasons for denying his client's entry as "spurious," but said the aggressive questioning left Yazdani feeling he had no choice.A spokeswoman for Michigan State said Monday evening that the university had been working for the past 24 hours with federal agencies, members of the Michigan congressional delegation and the student's lawyer "to help through this difficult situation.""We want international students to know we value and welcome them to our campus, and we are committed to global engagement, educating international students and collaborating with partners across the world in higher education efforts. MSU's international students make tremendous contributions to fueling discoveries and scholarship," spokeswoman Emily Gerkin Guerrant said in a statement. "Global leadership can only be maintained if talented people from across the globe are encouraged to come here to study and work."A Northeastern University student from Iran was removed from the US despite an emergency stay. CBP says it was not aware of the judge's orderLast week, Northeastern University student Mohammad Shahab Dehghani Hossein's case in Boston drew widespread attention and criticism from immigrant rights advocates after he was removed from the United States despite a federal judge's order barring his removal.Every day about 790 travelers are refused entry to the United States out of more than 1 million travelers processed at ports of entry, CBP said. Being issued a visa doesn't guarantee entry into the United States, the agency said."Applicants must demonstrate they are admissible into the US by overcoming all grounds of inadmissibility including health-related grounds, criminality, security reasons, public charge, labor certification, illegal entrants and immigration violations, documentation requirements and miscellaneous grounds," CBP said.CNN's Geneva Sands contributed to this report. | 4 |
(CNN)He may be battling time, an ailing body and a raft of young guns inspired by his past heroics, but Tiger Woods is once again the talk of the town ahead of the 83rd Masters at Augusta this week.The fact is, Woods is the hot topic any time he tees it up at Augusta -- four Green Jackets in a devastating spell from 1997 to 2005 are proof enough of his credentials. Plus, in the 10 Masters he has played since that last win, he has finished out of the top six only three times.The question that put a smile on @TigerWoods' face today. #themasters pic.twitter.com/hAaMGZZCs6— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 9, 2019
But this year, Woods is the fittest he has been in years after spine-fusion surgery in 2017 halted what threatened to be a sad demise to a remarkable career, and he is forging a fresh era into his 40s off the back of an 80th PGA Tour title and first victory since 2013 at the season-ending Tour Championship in September. "I've got a pretty good library in my head of how to play the golf course," said Woods, who last year also briefly led the Open before finishing tied sixth and was runner up at the US PGA. "I've had some success here." He added: "Winning at East Lake confirmed to me I can still win again."Read MoreHe may not be the favorite -- Rory McIlroy is the leading fancy -- but the possibility of Woods resuming his major quest by adding a 15th, 11 years after his last, is quite the redemption tale. Victory at the revered Augusta National this week would put him just one Green Jacket behind record holder Jack Nicklaus, whose mark of 18 majors Woods is also chasing. "I would just never rule him [Woods] out. Greatness is still in him," said Phil Mickelson, who is chasing a fourth Masters title, of his old adversary.Visit CNN.com/Sport for more news, features and videosJUST WATCHEDTiger Woods grabs first tour win in five years.ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHTiger Woods grabs first tour win in five years. 01:19'Very special place'The last 43-year-old to win the Masters was Ben Crenshaw in 1995, while the oldest Masters champion was Nicklaus, who put the gloss on his illustrious major career with a sixth Green Jacket at the age of 46 in 1986. But if age is against him, Woods is the highest-ranked player (at 12th) of all former champions in the field."I don't need to win again, but I really want to," said Woods, who will tee off at 11:04 a.m. EDT alongside China's Haotong Li and Spaniard Jon Rahm for the first two rounds. Nothing defines Augusta National more than its incomparable greens. #themasters pic.twitter.com/VcqHBlDx6W— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 8, 2019
Even without Woods, the Masters is the one golf event even non golfers are glued to. It's a spring rite, a sporting spectacle at a revered venue layered in rich history and dripping in tradition. The vivid greens, ice-white sand of the bunkers and explosions of iridescent pinks and reds of blooming azaelas make for a brilliant backdrop, in stark contrast to the raffish Washington Road strip beyond the fence. It's a bucket-list event and the difficulty of getting tickets -- a yearly lottery offers a limited number of day passes, but the waiting list for weekly badges is long-since closed -- adds to the allure.For the players, Augusta places a premium on length and second-shot accuracy -- knowing where to miss is often touted as one of the keys -- while a sharp short game and deft putting stroke is required on the slick, sloping greens. When the tournament really hots up on Sunday afternoon, the roars accompanying great shots will explode like incendiaries and reverberate around the towering pines like nowhere else in golf."This is unlike any other golf tournament. It's just a very special place," said Woods. READ: Tiger Woods on track for 15th major, says close friend Begay Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsTiger Woods clinched his fifth Masters and 15th major title with victory at Augusta in April. Hide Caption 1 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsThe former world No. 1 had not won the Masters since 2005, and it was his first major win since 2008.Hide Caption 2 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsA month after winning the Masters, Woods received the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, from President Donald Trump.Hide Caption 3 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsWoods won the season-ending Tour Championship in September 2018. It was his first title in five years following a succession of back injuries. Hide Caption 4 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsSigns that Woods was back to his best were obvious at August's PGA Championship, where he finished runner-up to Brooks Koepka. It followed an impressive showing at July's British Open, where he briefly topped the leaderboard.Hide Caption 5 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsWoods made an impressive return to competitive golf in 2018 after multiple back surgeries in recent years. He played his first Masters in three years in April 2018. Hide Caption 6 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsThe four-time champion had back fusion surgery -- his fourth procedure -- in April 2017 and returned to the game pain-free in December. He finished tied 32nd at Augusta.Hide Caption 7 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsWoods was touted as one of the favorites after impressing in his early-season events. He also set tongues wagging by playing a practice round with old rival Phil Mickelson, right.Hide Caption 8 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsWoods finished tied second at the Valspar Championship in March 2018 and followed it up with a tie for fifth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. The hype needle moved into overdrive.Hide Caption 9 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsWoods set out on his legendary path by becoming the youngest winner of the Masters -- at 21 -- with a record 12-shot win in 1997. Hide Caption 10 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsOne of his most remarkable feats was winning his first US Open by an unprecedented 15 shots at Pebble Beach, California, in 2000, sparking a streak never seen before or since.Hide Caption 11 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsWoods' victory in the 2001 Masters meant he held all four of golf's major titles at the same time, dubbed the "Tiger Slam." Hide Caption 12 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsWoods' win rate, his dedication to fitness training and his desire to succeed were changing golf. Prize money rocketed because of Woods. Off the course, he married girlfriend Elin Nordegren in 2004. Hide Caption 13 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsWoods showed rare emotion when he broke down in tears on the shoulder of caddie Steve Williams following his win in the 2006 British Open at Hoylake, months after his father and mentor Earl passed away. Hide Caption 14 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsDespite being visibly hampered and in pain from a knee injury, Woods won the US Open in breathtaking fashion at Torrey Pines, California, in 2008. It was his 14th major title to leave him only four behind the record of Jack Nicklaus. He was later diagnosed with knee ligament damage and two fractures of his left tibia. He missed the rest of the season after surgery. It is still his last major title. Hide Caption 15 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsIn December 2009, Woods crashed his car into a fire hydrant outside his home. As the big picture emerged it was discovered Woods had been conducting a series of extra martial affairs. He took three months away from the game to sort out his private life. Hide Caption 16 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsIn February 2010 Woods addressed the world's media to explain and apologise for his actions. His infidelity led to divorce and was the beginning of a downhill slide in Woods' playing career. By October he lost the world No. 1 ranking, a position he had held for 281 consecutive weeksHide Caption 17 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsBack in the fold, Woods earned his first win in two years at the Chevron World Challenge in December 2011, a charity tournament he hosts that does not count on the PGA Tour money list.Hide Caption 18 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsWoods was back in the winner's circle in 2013, lifting five titles, including the Arnold Palmer Invitational, to get back to the top of the rankings.Hide Caption 19 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsIn March 2013, Woods and Lindsey Vonn announced they were dating on Facebook. In January that year, the champion skier had finalized her divorce from Thomas Vonn, after initializing proceedings in 2011. In May 2015, Woods and Vonn announced their breakup, with the golfer claiming he "hadn't slept" in the days following. Hide Caption 20 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsLater in 2013 there were signs all was not well as Woods was seen to be in pain as he picked the ball out of the hole at the Barclays tournament in August. He missed the Masters the following April for the first time since 1994 to undergo back surgery.Hide Caption 21 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsWoods pulled out of the Farmers Insurance Open in February 2015, and struggled with injury and form for the rest of the season. Hide Caption 22 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsWoods cut a dejected figure at that year's US Open as he struggled with his game and carded rounds of 80 and 76 to miss the cut.Hide Caption 23 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsIn August 2015 Woods made his last appearance for 15 months to undergo follow-up back surgeries. At one stage during his rehabilitation, Woods spoke of there being "no light at the end of the tunnel" -- and with one eye on his fading career, he suggested "everything beyond this will be gravy."Hide Caption 24 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsWoods made a much-anticipated return to golf in December 2016, showing signs of promise with the highest number of birdies in the field -- 24 -- but he also made a number of costly errors to finish third from last in the 18-man event.Hide Caption 25 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsHe missed the cut in his first event of 2017 in the US and pulled out after the first round of the Dubai Desert Classic in February, citing back spasms. He underwent a fourth back prodecure in April. Hide Caption 26 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsThe golf legend was arrested Monday, May 29, on suspicion of driving under the influence. He was booked into a local jail in Florida and released a few hours later. He said in a statement he had "an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications." Hide Caption 27 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsIn August Woods entered a first-offender program and pleaded guilty to reckless driving on October 28. He will avoid jail unless he commits major violations of his probation. Hide Caption 28 of 29 Photos: Tiger Woods: From highs to lowsWoods returned to golf after 301 days at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas on November 30 2017. He carded a three-under first-round 69 and appeared pain-free and hungry to resume his career. Hide Caption 29 of 29Grand slam questAway from Woods mania, the other main narrative at Augusta is McIlroy's ongoing quest to become just the sixth player in history to win golf's grand slam of all four majors titles. Tiger on the Masters 💬Part 4: Another Green Jacket? pic.twitter.com/Hz6VLGlpWW— GOLFTV (@GOLFTV) April 7, 2019
Inclusion in golf's ultra elite club alongside Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Nicklaus and Woods would convey greatness, but Augusta has become McIlroy's semi nemesis. Since putting himself on the brink of the grand slam when he won the 2014 Open Championship, McIlroy has struggled to properly contend despite finishing in the top 10 each time. Last year, he began the final day three shots behind Patrick Reed in the final group but slipped back as the American clinched his first major. However, McIlroy has been in sublime form this season, culminating in victory in the Players Championship at Sawgrass, and many suspect this is the week he will add to his tally of four majors for the first time since 2014.The Northern Irishman has been reading books on sports psychology of late, and credits a new mental attitude with his stellar start to the year."Look, I'm not going to go live with the monks for a couple of months in Nepal," said McIlroy, who tees off with Rickie Fowler and Australian Cameron Smith in the group behind Woods Thursday."I meditated for 20 minutes on the Sunday morning of the Players Championship. My routine now consists of meditation, juggling and mind training, doing all the stuff to get you in the right place."READ: Patrick Reed holds nerve to clinch maiden MastersRory McIlroy just needs the Masters to complete golf's grand slam. Masters traditionsThe Masters, which began in 1934 on a new course on the site of a former fruit nursery, is the youngest of golf's majors but as the only one at the same venue every year it has built up its own unique traditions.Tuesday's Champions Dinner is one, when the defending champion chooses the menu and hosts the previous winners in the clubhouse -- Reed is serving bone-in ribeye steak and macaroni cheese as mains. "I'm definitely going to fatten everyone up," he said..@JackNicklaus' most memorable moment at the Masters came on a Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/3C1w7o58Qe— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 10, 2019
Another is the Par-3 contest over the short course around Ike's Pond on the eve of the Masters, before honorary starters Nicklaus, 79, and Player, 83, get the tournament under way on the first tee Thursday. Among other fancied contenders in the 87-man field -- the smallest since 1997 -- is England's Justin Rose, who regained his world No.1 crown from Dustin Johnson at the beginning of the week and is a two-time runner-up."I've had enough good golf to give me confidence and I've had enough poor golf to keep me working hard," Rose, the 2013 US Open champion, told reporters at Augusta of his year so far. Then there's the powerful Johnson himself, a two-time winner already this year with a best of fourth at Augusta. JUST WATCHEDTiger Woods on his 2008 US Open triumphReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHTiger Woods on his 2008 US Open triumph 01:43Electric atmosphereOne player who would surprise no one should he be in contention on Sunday would be world No. 33 Jordan Spieth.The Texan, a three-time major champion, has struggled of late, but in five Masters appearances he has won, finished second twice, come third and 11th. Spieth's wire-to-wire victory in 2015 and dominance for three rounds in 2016 suggested he was the new king at Augusta. But a meltdown on the treacherous short 12th scuppered his bid for back-to-back titles. A final-round 64 to finish third behind Reed last year showed Spieth can plot his way around even when he isn't at his best. In truth, the tournament is wide open, and a coveted Green Jacket beckons for the man who can get in position and withstand the crackling atmosphere of a Masters Sunday afternoon. "It's electric. I've heard it and I've felt it and it's exciting to be part of," added Woods."I get a rush out of pulling off shots sometimes I've only dreamed of pulling off."I know I can play this golf course, I've had some success here." | 7 |
Story highlightsDay after terror attacks, a dark mood envelopes the City of LightStreets half empty; stores and cinemas closedJim Bittermann is CNN's senior European correspondent based in Paris. (CNN)In sunnier times the French called it joie de vivre -- a carefree joy of life. Millions come here looking for it; but these are not sunnier times.These days they have another expression that fits: mal au coeur, which means both nausea and heartache. Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksPresident Barack Obama, French President Francois Hollande, second from right, and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo arrive at the Bataclan, site of one of the Paris terrorists attacks, to pay their respects to the victims after Obama arrived in town for the COP21 climate change conference early on Monday, November 30, in Paris. Hide Caption 1 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksThe Eiffel Tower in Paris is illuminated in the French national colors on Monday, November 16. Displays of support for the French people were evident at landmarks around the globe after the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday, November 13.Hide Caption 2 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksPeople hold hands as they observe a minute of silence in Lyon, France, on November 16, three days after the Paris attacks. A minute of silence was observed throughout the country in memory of the victims of the country's deadliest violence since World War II.Hide Caption 3 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksFrench President Francois Hollande, center, flanked by French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, right, and French Education Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, center left, stands among students during a minute of silence in the courtyard of the Sorbonne University in Paris on November 16.Hide Caption 4 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksA large crowd gathers to lay flowers and candles in front of the Carillon restaurant in Paris on Sunday, November 15. Hide Caption 5 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksA man sits next to candles lit as homage to the victims of the deadly attacks in Paris at a square in Rio de Janeiro on November 15.Hide Caption 6 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksPeople light candles in tribute to the Paris victims on November 15 in Budapest, Hungary. Hide Caption 7 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksPeople gather outside Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on November 15 for a national service for the victims of the city's terror attacks.Hide Caption 8 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksPeople write messages on the ground at Place de la Republique in Paris on November 15. Hide Caption 9 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksPeople pray during a candlelight vigil for victims of the Paris attacks at a church in Islamabad, Pakistan, on November 15. Hide Caption 10 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksFrench golfer Gregory Bourdy passes a peace symbol for the Paris victims during the BMW Shanghai Masters tournament November 15 in Shanghai, China. Hide Caption 11 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksA man offers a prayer in memory of victims of the Paris attacks at the French Embassy in Tokyo on November 15. Hide Caption 12 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksA woman holds a candle atop a miniature replica of the Eiffel Tower during a candlelight vigil Saturday, November 14, in Vancouver, British Columbia.Hide Caption 13 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksFront pages of Japanese newspapers in Tokyo show coverage and photos of the Paris attacks on November 14.Hide Caption 14 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksAn electronic billboard on a canal in Milan, Italy reads, in French, "I'm Paris," on November 14.Hide Caption 15 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksThe Eiffel Tower stands dark as a mourning gesture on November 14, in Paris. More than 125 people were killed in a series of coordinated attacks in Paris on Friday. People around the world reacted in horror to the deadly terrorist assaults.Hide Caption 16 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksLithuanians hold a candlelight vigil in front of the French Embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania, on November 14.Hide Caption 17 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksThousands gather in London's Trafalgar Square for a candlelit vigil on November 14 to honor the victims of the Paris attacks. Hide Caption 18 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksA woman lights candles at a memorial near the Bataclan theater in Paris on November 14.Hide Caption 19 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksA man places a candle in front of Le Carillon cafe in Paris on November 14.Hide Caption 20 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksA woman holds a French flag during a gathering in Stockholm, Sweden, on November 14.Hide Caption 21 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksNancy Acevedo prays for France during the opening prayer for the Sunshine Summit being held at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Florida on November 14.Hide Caption 22 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksFrench soldiers of the United Nations' interim forces in Lebanon observe the national flag at half-staff at the contingent headquarters in the village of Deir Kifa on November 14.Hide Caption 23 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksA couple surveys the signature sails of the Sydney Opera House lit in the colors of the French flag in Sydney on November 14.Hide Caption 24 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksA woman places flowers in front of the French Consulate in St. Petersburg, Russia, on November 14.Hide Caption 25 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksCandles are lit in Hong Kong on November 14 to remember the scores who died in France.Hide Caption 26 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksA woman lights a candle outside the French Consulate in Barcelona, Spain, on November 14.Hide Caption 27 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksBritain's Prince Charles expresses solidarity with France at a birthday barbecue in his honor near Perth, Australia, on November 14. Hide Caption 28 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksThe French national flag flutters at half-staff on November 14 at its embassy in Beijing.Hide Caption 29 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksDutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte after a speech on November 14 in The Hague following the attacks.Hide Caption 30 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksJapanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe becomes emotional after his speech on the French attacks during the opening ceremony of a Japanese garden in Istanbul, Turkey, on November 14.Hide Caption 31 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksA woman mourns outside Le Carillon bar in the 10th district of Paris on November 14. The attackers ruthlessly sought out soft targets where people were getting their weekends underway.Hide Caption 32 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksPeople lay flowers outside the French Embassy in Moscow on November 14.Hide Caption 33 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksMourners gather outside Le Carillon bar in the 10th district of Paris on November 14. "We were listening to music when we heard what we thought were the sounds of firecrackers," a doctor from a nearby hospital who was drinking in the bar with colleagues told Le Monde. "A few moments later, it was a scene straight out of a war. Blood everywhere."Hide Caption 34 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksPeople attend a vigil outside the French Consulate in Montreal. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered "all of Canada's support" to France on Friday, November 13, in the wake of the attacks.Hide Caption 35 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksPolice show a heightened presence in Times Square in New York on November 13, following the terrorist attacks in Paris. Hide Caption 36 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksPeople light candles at a vigil outside the French Consulate in Montreal on November 13. Hide Caption 37 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas, fans observe a moment of silence for the victims of the terrorist attacks in Paris before a basketball game November 13.Hide Caption 38 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksThe house lights are shut off and scoreboard dark as Boston Celtics players pause for a moment of silence for the Paris victims before an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks in Boston on November 13.Hide Caption 39 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacksPeople light candles at a vigil outside the French Consulate in Montreal on November 13.Hide Caption 40 of 40Terror in Paris: Social media reactsTo be sure there were still plenty of people Saturday posing for selfies in front of the Eiffel Tower and finding a lover's lips along the Seine. But there were also the police stops in front of the closed shops. In fact, all of the Christmas markets in town have been closed down. The terrorists have managed to steal a little bit of joy out of Christmas. Barack Obama on Paris attacks: 'The skies have been darkened'Read MoreThe carousel horses were covered and stopped. Other horses with policemen on their backs have taken their place along the Champs Elysees, the avenue the French think is the most beautiful in the world.ISIS claims responsibility for 129 deadHere and there restaurants remained open, and you could still hear a laugh or two. But cinemas were dark and shuttered; flags flew at half staff over half empty streets; the gates were locked at the upscale stores.Innocence taken awaySome commentators have called this the French 9/11, just like they did after the attacks in January at the magazine Charlie Hebdo. In sheer numbers the New York tragedy was clearly much worse that those in France, but all three share some things in common: they all make people feel vulnerable -- just like they do in Paris today -- they all took away a little innocence and sucked the joie de vivre right out of the air. Photos: Paris portraits: In their own wordsVigils are being held across Paris in the aftermath of the terror attacks that took more than 125 lives on Friday, November 13. Photographer Gillian Laub met people who were out honoring the victims and reflecting on the tragedy the next day. Among them were 30-year-old Paquita Mboni, left, and Laurent Farre, 40, at the Place de la Republique square. "In the United States I don't know if this would have happened," Farre said. "People would have been able to defend themselves because they are allowed to carry guns. We aren't, so we are defenseless. But we won't give in to fear. It's not an option."Hide Caption 1 of 11 Photos: Paris portraits: In their own wordsLaurent Masseau – "I came here with all my friends tonight. I am in shock. I never saw Paris like this," said Masseau, 36. He was attending a vigil at La Republique. "We are in a state of emergency. It's a kind of civil war. I have felt this coming on for a long time and now it's been confirmed. I am worried that some politicians are going to use this for their own profits and create more hatred."Hide Caption 2 of 11 Photos: Paris portraits: In their own wordsCarla Crenn – "I came here to pay my respects to the people who we lost. Today was very hard," said 20-year-old Crenn. "I felt like everyone was staring at me as if I was a terrorist. There is a big difference between being a practicing Muslim and a terrorist. ... I had friends here last night who were killed. That could have been me."Hide Caption 3 of 11 Photos: Paris portraits: In their own wordsJoe Adelaide and Felicity Ben Rejeb Price – "I was coming home from work last night and my girlfriend texted saying don't go home, something terrible happened," said Adelaide, 26. "I had to go see; I couldn't help it. But I wasn't even allowed near my apartment because it's across the street from Bataclan and there were barricades."Hide Caption 4 of 11 Photos: Paris portraits: In their own wordsSara Bouden – "My friend Hyacinthe was killed here last night," 28-year-old Bouden said outside the restaurant La Belle Equipe. "I live in the neighborhood and have met her here before. I could have been here with her last night. I am still in shock. It doesn't seem real and I don't know what is going to happen. We all came out here tonight in solidarity to pray for better times."Hide Caption 5 of 11 Photos: Paris portraits: In their own wordsPierre Carol – "I walk by (La Belle Equipe) every day on my way to work," said Carol, 32. "How can this be? Young people just enjoying life and relaxing after a long week at work. Why the young innocent people? ... It's hard to describe how sad I feel right now."Hide Caption 6 of 11 Photos: Paris portraits: In their own wordsAwa Diabate – "I am a Muslim and starting to doubt my religion when these people who kill other human beings also call themselves Muslims," 32-year-old Diabate said outside the Bataclan. "But I won't ever lose my faith. I will fight for my beliefs and for my family."Hide Caption 7 of 11 Photos: Paris portraits: In their own wordsMoira Rosabrunetto – "I came here to show my respect and reflect on this tragedy," 18-year-old Rosabrunetto said at the Place de la Republique square. "I hope all the Islamaphobia ends in this country. ... Everyone deserves some dignity."Hide Caption 8 of 11 Photos: Paris portraits: In their own wordsMazr Marzouk – "I came here from Egypt in 2002 and raised my three children here, so they are French," said 38-year-old Marzouk. "I am so devastated about what happened, and I am scared for my children. ... I don't want my kids to be filled with hate or fear."Hide Caption 9 of 11 Photos: Paris portraits: In their own wordsClea Mbaki Maboliaa – "I came here with my mom tonight to take photos and to show that we are here and not scared," said Maboliaa, 16. "It is my rebellion. I couldn't sit home and do nothing. ... I almost went to the concert (at the Bataclan) last night and now I am grateful my parents didn't let me."Hide Caption 10 of 11 Photos: Paris portraits: In their own wordsCandles, flowers and signs are placed at a makeshift memorial in Paris. French President Francois Hollande has called the deadly attacks "an act of war." ISIS claimed responsibility.Hide Caption 11 of 11French official: One suicide bomber entered EU by hiding in tide of refugeesWhen the Eiffel Tower -- the symbol of Paris -- went up, it materialized that joie de vivre. It was a called at the time a "folie" -- a crazy idea.The tower Saturday night was closed and dark. No one seems in the mood just now for crazy ideas. | 4 |
Story highlightsNYC should be commended for mandating sex education, Roland Martin saysSafe sex and abstinence must be dealt with in an educational setting, he saysMartin: While abstinence is definitely safest, we have to accept realityRoland S. Martin is a syndicated columnist and author of "The First: President Barack Obama's Road to the White House." He is a commentator for TV One cable network and host/managing editor of its Sunday morning news show, "Washington Watch with Roland Martin." (CNN)There are few things more annoying than listening to ignorant, whiny parents complain about a school district teaching their children about sex.How in the world do we say it's OK for schools to teach our children about math, science, history, and numerous other subjects, yet then get high and mighty with righteous indignation when biology is taken a step further to focus on sex?Too many parents live in denial about their children having sex, and somehow saying you'll handle the tough stuff is living in fantasy land.The city of New York should be commended for not bowing to the blowhards and confronting the reality of sex in America by mandating a sex education curriculum beginning in 2012.Whether it's safe sex practices or even abstinence, all of these issues must be dealt with in an educational setting, because when we look at the teen pregnancy rates, sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, it only makes sense to have as much education as possible.Read MoreTaxes and death are considered two undeniably realities of life. I would say that sex is right behind those two.I recall as an elementary student, as well as in middle school and high school, taking classes that dealt with sex. Yes, elementary school. It was done properly and smartly, and was needed. Did it prevent children from getting pregnant too soon? I can't say for sure. But I can definitely say knowing more about a topic than less is crucial.Now let's deal with the abstinence-only nuts who act as if anything else shouldn't be taught. Yes, I'm talking directly to The NYC Parents' Choice Coalition. They are upset with videos demonstrating how to put on a condom, as well as other aspects of the sex education curriculum.Folks, y'all are flat out crazy if you want to encourage parents to opt out of sex education by making it more about abstinence and nothing else. Why can't both take place? Abstinence is definitely the safest of all safe sex measures, but there is also a point when we have to accept reality.Talk to school teachers and administrators and they will tell you that students as young as middle school are engaging in oral sex, and there is the belief that that really doesn't count as sex. Yet anyone with half a brain knows that to be the case.If kids are out there having oral sex, they sure as heck need to know that doing so without protection can be life-altering.But such parents groups prefer to stick their heads in the sand. They find such talk unseemly and think such frankness should be left between child and parent.Not me. As a Jesus lovin' Christian, I'm about real talk, and if that means dealing with sex directly, let's go for it.Educators and city officials in New York should fully brace themselves for the onslaught. Right-thinking folks are tired of seeing young folks coming back HIV-positive or dealing with a pregnancy at 16.I have nine nieces and four nephews, and I would be fully supportive of them being taught about sex education in school. Forget shying from a tough subject. If we are going to equip our children for tomorrow, then sex needs to be dealt with in a smart, productive and educational setting by professionals.It's clear that parents aren't as dependable on some matters as they like to delude themselves into believing.The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Roland Martin. | 4 |
(CNN)A Japanese tourist has died while trying to climb Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock, in Australia's Northern Territory. The 76-year-old man collapsed on Tuesday afternoon while ascending one of the steepest parts of the climb, ABC News reported.He was lifted by helicopter to a clinic in nearby town of Yulara, where he was later confirmed dead.He is the 37th person to die climbing Uluru since the 1950s, when authorities began keeping records. The last death was in 2010.Tourists climb the monolith of Uluru to reach the 340m summit.A sacred siteRead MoreThe Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park board has long urged visitors not to climb Uluru, and an official ban will come into effect on October 26, 2019.The date coincides with the 34th anniversary of Uluru's handover; in 1985, the Australian government formally transferred ownership back to the local Indigenous population, the land's traditional owners.Uluru is sacred to Australia's Indigenous peoples because it's believed to have been formed during the Dreamtime, which is the ancient period when all living things were created, and whose spirits continue into the present.The massive rock is thought to have once been a Dreamtime ancestor who roamed the Earth and created the features of the landscape, before turning into the distinctive landform it is today. Archaeological findings indicate that humans settled in the area more than 10,000 years ago. Uluru is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.A sign declares the climb to Uluru "closed" in 2005 as desert temperatures soar and high winds make the trek too dangerous.For many years, Australia's Indigenous population has asked that locals and visitors respect their culture."The climb is not prohibited but we ask you to respect our law and culture by not climbing Uluru," says a notice on the National Park's website.Uluru traditional owner, Sammy Wilson, who is also chairman of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park board, said in a statement last year that the closing of the site should be celebrated as a mark of progress."If I travel to another country and there is a sacred site, an area of restricted access, I don't enter or climb it, I respect it," said Wilson. "It is the same here for Anangu [Uluru's traditional owners]. We welcome tourists here. We are not stopping tourism, just this activity." | 4 |
(CNN)As a child, Kristi Toliver dreamed about becoming the first woman to play in the NBA. This week she became a pioneer in the sport a different way.Toliver has joined the NBA's Washington Wizards as part of the assistant coach/player development staff, making her the first active WNBA player working as an NBA assistant coach.Follow @cnnsport
"This dream has been a long time coming," Toliver said Tuesday."When I was a kid I thought I was gonna be the first woman player in the NBA...this dream's been a long time coming." - @KristiToliver pic.twitter.com/ndHpFYFX4u— Washington Mystics (@WashMystics) October 16, 2018
A 10-year WNBA veteran, Toliver joins Becky Hammon and Nancy Lieberman as women who have coached in the NBA, though neither of those other two were active players when assuming their roles."We're excited about having Kristi with us," Washington head coach Scott Brooks said. "(Wizards president) Ernie (Grunfeld) and I talked about it quite some time, just adding different perspectives to our staff. She was somebody that I personally have been targeting for a while now."Toliver is a WNBA champion, winning when she played for the Los Angeles Sparks in 2016, and a two-time WNBA All-Star (2013 and 2018).Read MoreHonorToliver assisted the Wizards' coaching staff during 2018 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and training camp. She's a WNBA champion, winning when she played for the Los Angeles Sparks in 2016, and a two-time WNBA All-Star (2013 and 2018).This past WNBA season, Toliver's current team, the Washington Mystics, lost in the WNBA finals to the Seattle Storm in September.In her collegiate career with the University of Maryland, Toliver led the Terrapins to the 2006 national championship."I'm blessed to be in the position I am as an active player, and now active assistant coach," Toliver said. "It's an honor. It's something that I've worked for and I've earned."Coach Brooks on Kristi Toliver joining his coaching staff, how Dwight Howard has looked in practice, and more ahead of Thursday's opener.#DCFamily pic.twitter.com/CkvXp0T9HC— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) October 16, 2018
Toliver said she'd rather be playing, but she says that "it's good to think the game in a different way, from a different point of view.""I'm a player first," she said. "This opportunity just came, and of course I wanted to run with it. But I will 1000% be back playing for the Mystics and trying to get over that hump and get a championship."READ: There's life after LeBron, says Kevin Love"Opportunity of a lifetime"Instead of playing overseas, as several WNBA players do during the league's offseason and Toliver has also done, she elected to give her body a rest. But, she added, she still wanted to keep herself mentally in the game."This is an opportunity of a lifetime," Toliver said. "When it came about, I wanted to be involved in whatever capacity that I could."Toliver plans to lean on Hammon for coaching advice, and with good reason.Visit cnn.com/sport for more news and videosIn June, Hammon, who has been coaching with the San Antonio Spurs since 2014, continued her move up the NBA coaching ladder.She was promoted within the organization, filling the position vacated by James Borrego, who left to become the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets. The move puts Hammon on the front row of coaches alongside head coach Gregg Popovich this season."She certainly is a trailblazer and was not only as a coach now but as a player," Toliver said. "People would ask me who I would compare myself to, and I've always said Becky Hammon. I will pick her brain about how she played and I'll also pick her brain about how she's coaching." | 7 |
Story highlightsSupport grows for renaming Amsterdam ArenaFootball pioneer Johan Cruyff died Thursday (CNN)The president of the the Dutch Football Association, Michael Van Praag, has told CNN that he would support renaming the Amsterdam Arena stadium in honor of soccer legend Johan Cruyff.Cruyff, who died Thursday at the age of 68 after battling lung cancer, played for Ajax -- which has called the Amsterdam Arena home since 1996 -- Barcelona, Feyenoord and the Dutch national team as well as managing Ajax and Barcelona.He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and a pioneer of the revolutionary "total football" style of play."What I find very important is that there is now a movement starting in Holland to rename the 'Amsterdam Arena' the 'Johan Cruyff Arena,'" Van Praag told CNN's Alex Thomas."That would be something I would really advocate ... and I hope that the authorities and the shareholders of the stadium will agree on that because Johan has been very important for Dutch football."Read MoreThe Amsterdam Arena in the Netherlands which could be renamed in honor of Johan Cruyff.The Amsterdam Arena is co-owned by the local government and a number of other private shareholders.Deputy mayor of Amsterdam, Eric Van den Burg told Dutch broadcaster RTL that renaming the stadium was something he was keen to see happen but would require the agreement of all stakeholders."I have discussed with the director of the Arena this evening and with the mayor of Amsterdam and the mayor and I agree that we should just go for it," Van den Burg said late Thursday.The Dutch national team will face France in a friendly match at the Amsterdam Arena on Friday.A minute's silence will be held before the game for the victims of this week's terror attack in Brussels. The game will also be halted in the 14th minute in tribute to Cruyff, who wore the number 14 throughout his career.'Hyper-intelligent, very graceful'As a player, Cruyff won three straight European Cups with Ajax between 1971 and 1973 and dazzled a global audience at the 1974 World Cup. On behalf of the family, THANK YOUEN https://t.co/Y5rif7KR4ESP https://t.co/L2BK27eyz2NL https://t.co/rPjPG2epxj pic.twitter.com/OgLQmKOG7P— Johan Cruyff (@JohanCruyff) March 25, 2016 It was there he captained a swashbuckling Dutch side that lost in the final to host nation West Germany but is fondly remembered for its complex, intelligent and entertaining style of play of which Cruyff was the undoubted figurehead."He didn't just typify (that style), he basically invented it ... with the great coach Rinus Michels in the late (19)60s and early 70s," said David Winner, author of the book Brilliant Orange which chronicles the history of Dutch football.A "hyper-intelligent and very graceful" individual, Cruyff "was so uninterested in conforming and doing it in any other person's way," Winner added."He was just not interested in the conventional ideas of how you make a winning team."JUST WATCHED Johan Cruyff: Soccer legend passes awayReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCH Johan Cruyff: Soccer legend passes away 02:22Cruyff's strong views on how the game should be played also brought success as a manager.As boss of Barcelona, he won four successive La Liga titles and led the Catalan giant to its first ever European Cup in 1992. The star studded team Cruyff assembled is fondly remembered by Barcelona fans as the "Dream Team."Cruyff is also credited with laying the groundwork for the success of recent Barcelona sides and instilling the philosophy of building from within that has seen players such as Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets graduate from the club's renowned La Masia academy.Cruyff's son, Jordi released a statement Friday, thanking well-wishers for their support. "On behalf of my mother, sisters and the rest of the family I would like to say thank you for all the love, kind words and memories that have been shared with us, since yesterday but also over the past months," Cruyff's statement read. "It has touched us deeply that Johan was such an inspiration to many of you. We would like to express our special thanks to all the doctors and medical staff who have supported us until the end."CNN'S Alex Thomas and Rosanne Roobeek contributed to this report. | 7 |
Story highlightsMore than 100 countries are discussing whether to keep the addition of leap seconds to the global time systemMany 21st century devices rely on incredibly accurate time keepingThe U.S. and most European nations want to abandon the leap seconds system which they say is too cumbersomeWithout the adjustment, time measured by atomic clocks and time according to the Earth's rotation will start to deviateThursday could be a key moment in the future of time keeping.More than 100 countries are due to decide on whether to keep the present method of adding so-called leap seconds to the global time system at the Radiocommunications Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.Currently, this Co-ordinated Universal Time or UTC is based on a system of extremely accurate atomic clocks. But they are so precise that they do not match the rotation of the Earth which periodically speeds up and slows down due to the action of the tides and changes within the Earth's core. Since 1972 these extra seconds are added or taken away from the timescale to make sure UTC is synchronized with the Earth's rotation.Fifty years ago, a few seconds difference had less impact but many of our 21st century devices depend on incredible accuracy.Peter Whibberley, senior research scientist in the Time Group at the UK's National Physical Laboratory, explains that people like astronomers also rely on this level of precision."There are many applications today that depend on precise time keeping. For example, telecommunications use atomic clocks to keep the networks around the world synchronized precisely together," he said. "Satellite navigation -- sat navs in our cars and homes -- depend on signals being sent out from atomic clocks on board satellites."But now many countries, including the U.S. and most European nations, want to abandon the procedure which they say is too cumbersome. According to Whibberley, precise timing systems can be disrupted by altering them.The UK, Canada and China are pressing to keep the leap seconds when the issue is discussed at the U.N.'s International Telecommunications Union meeting on Thursday."Without a correction, eventually our clocks would show the middle of the day occurring at night," said Whibberley. "We have to have some means of making a correction but at the moment no one knows how that's going to be done."Since 1972 Whibberley said only 24 leap seconds have been used and the rate has slowed because the Earth has been speeding up over the last few decades.Without the leap seconds adjustment, the precise time measured by atomic clocks and time according to the Earth's rotation will start to deviate.Although the tiniest inaccuracies might play havoc with our smart phones most of us would not notice the changes in our body clock -- it is estimated it will take more than 200 years to register an hour's difference. | 4 |
(CNN)When Novak Djokovic was just seven years old, he'd make his own Wimbledon trophy and imagine he was the best tennis player in the world.As the Serb speaks about the journey he's been on in the intervening 26 years, even he sounds somewhat incredulous at the point he's arrived at. On Monday, Djokovic broke Roger Federer's all-time record for the most weeks spent as the men's world No.1, topping the ATP rankings for a combined 311 weeks.Of all his accomplishments, which include 18 grand slams, five ATP Finals titles and numerous other records, Djokovic ranks this one among his favorites."Well, it's just happiness, joy," the 33-year-old tells CNN's Christina Macfarlane of his emotions. "I mean, I am so thrilled and proud, very proud [of] this achievement and it's kind of like a crown of all the achievements that I had in last 15 or 15 plus years of [my] professional tennis career. "On this special day, obviously, I go back in time and remember my humble beginnings, when I grabbed a racquet for the first time and the way I fell in love with the sport and the support that I had from my parents and people that helped me realize my dream. So, of course, I'm overjoyed with all the emotions. Read More"I think the reason for that is there are so many people here in Serbia where I am at the moment that have contacted me, that have congratulated me, that it made me feel that this is a celebration o the country and the city and not just my own. READ: Novak Djokovic -- How a kid from war-torn Belgrade beat the oddsNovak Djokovic won the Australian Open in February, his 18th grand slam, to put him two behind the all-time record."So I feel that has allowed me to more intrinsically and more profoundly live these emotions, because I woke up today and it was kind of, you know, any other day where I stand up and I work and I go through my own routines and I didn't feel the significance of it yet until I took my phone, until I started meeting people and then I realized: 'Wow, it is a really special day and I'm very thankful for it.'"Djokovic credits much of his success to his parents' support and resilience. Despite growing up in war-torn Belgrade, Serbia, they still found a way to provide him with everything he needed to follow his dream of becoming a professional tennis player.Looking back, if Djokovic could speak to his seven-year-old self -- the boy who made his own Wimbledon's winners' wall in his bedroom -- what would he tell him?"That dreams are achievable," he says. "Everything is possible if you dream big. You should dare to dream big, you shouldn't get discouraged by what society or the surroundings are telling you if it's opposing some of the big dreams that you are nurturing, that might make you happy, that really bring joy to you when you think about that, when you dream them."I've been so fortunate in my life to have parents that were very strong in the midst of the war and hardship that we were living through during the 90s and have their unconditional love and support to to play the sport that wasn't even a tradition in our family or in our country. "It was very expensive sport, but somehow they managed to do it, to actually buy me racquets and I could have a coach and I could have conditions that were fair enough or good enough for me to grow up to be a professional tennis player. So dreams do really come true." | 7 |
Story highlightsRatko Mladic is taken to the hospital, a court spokeswoman says"Proceedings were adjourned because he wasn't feeling well," the spokeswoman saysMladic is accused of orchestrating a campaign of ethnic cleansing in YugoslaviaHe has been indicted on 11 counts of genocide and war crimesRatko Mladic, who is on trial on charges he masterminded an army campaign to cleanse Bosnia of Croats and Muslims, was taken to the hospital Thursday as a precautionary measure, a court spokeswoman said."Proceedings were adjourned because he wasn't feeling well," said Nerma Jelacic, a spokeswoman for International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. She did not release any details about his condition.Mladic, whose trial began at the Hague in May, is accused of orchestrating a campaign of ethnic cleansing during the bloody civil war that ripped apart Yugoslavia. He has been indicted on 11 counts of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in the 1992-95 war.Ratko Mladic: Brutal villain to many, hero to othersHis trial is taking place in The Hague at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, a court established to try those responsible for atrocities during the war.In May, prosecutor Dermot Groome laid out details of the case against Mladic, saying that ethnic cleansing was not a byproduct of the war, but a specific aim of the Bosnian Serb leadership.JUST WATCHED'Butcher of Bosnia' shows no remorseReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCH'Butcher of Bosnia' shows no remorse 03:42JUST WATCHEDSrebrenica the focus of Mladic trialReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHSrebrenica the focus of Mladic trial 02:55JUST WATCHEDOuter Circle: 'Butcher of Bosnia' trialReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHOuter Circle: 'Butcher of Bosnia' trial 02:15He said he would show that Mladic was directly responsible for atrocities carried out by his forces, which were fighting for control of land in ethnically mixed Bosnia.Mladic eluded authorities for nearly 16 years until his capture in May 2011, when police burst into the garden of a small house in northern Serbia.Analysis: In this battle with Mladic, women of Srebrencia hold the edge Though he was carrying two handguns, he surrendered without a fight and was extradited to the Netherlands.In the three decades leading up to the violent splintering of Yugoslavia, Mladic rose rapidly through the ranks of the Yugoslav army. In 1991, he served as a front-line commander spearheading Serb forces in a yearlong war with Croatia.By the time he took to Bosnia's battlefields, he had become a hero to many Serbs, seen as a defender of their dwindling fortunes.In May 1992, Bosnia's Serbian political leaders picked him to lead the assault on their Muslim enemies who clamored for independence.Mladic wasted no time galvanizing his heavily armed forces in a siege of Sarajevo, cutting the city off from the outside world. Serb forces pounded the city every day from higher ground positions, trapping Sarajevo's ill-prepared residents in the valley below.As the war ended in the fall of 1995, Mladic went on the run.Shortly after Mladic was sent to The Hague last year, authorities nabbed former Croatian Serb rebel leader Goran Hadzic. He was the last Yugoslav war crimes suspect at large.Photos: Years later, Srebrencia's pain is still very alive | 4 |
Story highlightsBriton beats Swiss in tense Buenos Aires ePrixBuemi finishes second after starting in 18th (CNN)Britain's Sam Bird won a thrilling Formula E Buenos Aires ePrix on Saturday, denying championship leader Sebastien Buemi a second successive victory in the world championship for electric race cars.Bird drove the perfect race at the Puerto Madero Street circuit, leading from start to finish after sealing his first Formula E pole during qualifying earlier in the day. "Cheers boys, that was tough. We did it! We were absolutely perfect this weekend," a ecstatic Bird said over team radio moments after taking the checkered flag. 'Dodgems at 100 mph vs. chess at 200 mph'With the joy there must have also been relief to fend of Buemi who hunted down the DS Virgin Racing driver all the way to the finish line but was unable to pass finishing 0.716 seconds behind. The Swiss fell just short of a remarkable victory after starting the race in last place following a spin during qualifying. Read MoreBuemi, who spent three seasons driving for the Toro Rosso Formula One team, carved his way through the field and was breathing down Bird's neck in the closing stages of the 35-lap race. "I've been a bit lucky I'd say... the safety car (on lap 21) helped a lot," the Renault e.Dams driver told pit-lane reporter Nicki Shields..@sambirdracing celebrates his win in the #BAePrix over team radio with @dariofranchitti @DSVirginRacing https://t.co/nzDX4qFXec— FIA Formula E (@FIAformulaE) February 6, 2016 "Towards the end it was very difficult because the battery overheated for everyone... Sam did a fantastic job. I would have wished to win but already today I made a mistake. I have to make sure I get the most out of the car, out of the team."Drivers' standings after 4 rounds1. Sebastien Buemi (Renault e.Dams) - 80 2. Lucas di Grassi (ABT Schaeffler) - 763. Sam Bird (DS Virgin Racing) - 524. Loic Duval (Dragon Racing) - 325. Jerome d'Ambrosio (Dragon Racing) - 30Lucas di Grassi, Buemi's main rival in the drivers' championship, finished in third for the ABT Schaeffler team with Venturi's Stephane Sarrazin and Renault's Nico Prost finishing fourth and fifth respectively. Bird's win moves him up to third in the drivers' championship standings with 52 points but still with some ground to catch up on the two men who he shared the podium with on Saturday. Buemi's second place means he now has 80 points -- four points ahead of di Grassi. Dragon Racing's Loic Duval moves up a place to fourth with 32 points, two points ahead of teammate Jerome d'Ambrosio who had a disappointing race in Buenos Aires finishing down in 16th place. Round five of the 11-race series will take place in Mexico City on March 12.READ: The 370 mph electric 'bullet'JUST WATCHEDIntroducing ... Formula E ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHIntroducing ... Formula E 02:59 | 7 |
London (CNN)Police officers Tasered and arrested a man inside the entrance to the grounds of the UK's Houses of Parliament in Westminster on Tuesday.London's Metropolitan Police confirmed in a statement that the man was "detained and arrested by Carriage Gates inside the Palace of Westminster on suspicion of trespassing at a protected site."The statement added that the incident happened around 11:55 a.m. in the British capital.According to the UK Press Association, around a dozen officers "swarmed" around the man, who was then held against a fence.Met Police confirmed that the man was "detained and arrested.""A Taser was deployed," the police statement said, adding that "enquiries into the circumstances continue."Read MoreA CNN producer on the scene saw the man put into a police van following the disturbance.It's the same location where in 2017 Khalid Masood fatally stabbed 48-year-old police veteran Keith Palmer during a rampage that left four others dead.Prior to the stabbing, Masood had rammed a rental car onto the sidewalk of Westminster Bridge targeting pedestrians.Since the 2017 attack, a barrier has been built to protect those walking across the bridge and armed police have been stationed outside the Houses of Parliament permanently.CNN's Duarte Mendonca contributed to this story from Parliament | 4 |
Story highlightsThe 2016 Masters sees the 30th anniversary Jack Nicklaus' Augusta winJack Nicklaus, then 46, wins 18th and final major of careerHis son -- Jack Nicklaus II -- was his caddie that day (CNN)As the ball edged towards the hole, the crowd's cheers grew louder.It stopped inches short, but allowed Jack Nicklaus to tap in for the clubhouse lead of nine-under par.Follow @cnnsport
And then the wait for the Green Jacket began, with Greg Norman and Seve Ballesteros storming up the back nine on seven-under.Victory was by no means secured but Nicklaus plucked his ball out of the hole, waved his hand and briefly took in the adulation of the hundreds of fans packed tightly around Augusta's 18th green.What followed is an enduring image for millions of golf fans around the world; Nicklaus embracing his son, and caddie that day, Jack Nicklaus II.Read MoreJack Nicklaus and his son embrace at Augusta in 1986."I turned around and the crowd is just, you know, just embracing Jack Nicklaus for all the things that were going on today and in the past," Jack Nicklaus II told CNN as he looked back on the 30th anniversary of his father's last major win. "My dad, I expected him to be turned to the crowd and waving to them -- and there he was, looking just at me."I always get emotional about, sorry ..." as a visibly choked up Nicklaus II breaks off briefly. "But, you know, he made me feel really important at that point. "It will always mean so much to me because I had his full attention -- I just walked towards him and his arms were out. It's an embrace I will always remember."The Golden Bear was 46 years old when he won a record sixth Masters, making him the oldest player ever to win the tournament. It was also the 18th and last major of his illustrious career.30 days until #themasters. 30 years ago, 46-year-old @jacknicklaus won his 6th Masters. #cominginapril Relive it:https://t.co/FO1jx2xsTk— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) March 5, 2016
Earlier that sunny April Sunday, the Nicklaus father-son duo had stood on the fairway of the par 5 15th, four shots behind the leader, Ballesteros, and seemingly out of contention for the Green Jacket.What ensued was four-and-a-half holes of golf that would make their way into the annals of history."There are so many great shots that he hit," Nicklaus II recalls of his father's final round at Augusta in 1986."I never really listened to the sound of the four-iron that he hit into 15 for his second shot -- last night I dialed into that and it had an amazing sound. "It was so solid at impact. If you get a chance, go listen to that. It's an incredible sound."Nicklaus Snr. one-putted for eagle to take his score to seven-under par. Suddenly, he was just two shots off the lead.By the time he took his place at the 16th tee, Nicklaus had shot five-under through the previous seven holes.Masters 2016: The magic and mystery of Augusta National"I have to think about the shot he hit into the 16th, you know, where he almost holed it," Nicklaus II says of his father's near-perfect tee shot on the par three.Jack Jnr. describes his dad as "the most humble guy in the world " but even that shot was good enough to coax a contented grin from Nicklaus' lips."He doesn't even approach the word of cockiness, although he's always had confidence," says Nicklaus II."The comment he made there (after the tee shot) was about as cocky a statement that he feels he's ever made. He said it under his breath -- only I could hear it. "He hit a three-quarter five-iron and I knew he hit it directly where he wanted to, directional-wise. And I just said: 'be right.' "And my dad was bending over, picking up his tee and he said: 'it is.'"Looking back at the old footage, Nicklaus can be seen giving a wink and a wry smile in his son's direction. As @themasters gets underway at Augusta, CNN's @donriddell interviews Jack Nicklaus II about his father @jacknicklaus winning 30 years ago. Nicklaus' son was his caddy that day and as he puts it "had the best seat in the house" to witness his father's final major win. #masters #augustanational A photo posted by CNNSport (@cnnsport) on Apr 7, 2016 at 6:36am PDT
"He stepped back, handed me the club and the face was a face of such confidence," Nicklaus II says. "I even commented to my own son last night when we were watching (the documentary). I said look at how confident grandpa looks there. "He knew what he had to do, he knew how to do it and if you ask him, he'll say: 'I remembered how to do it.'" Nicklaus hadn't won a major since claiming the U.S. Open and PGA Championship in 1980 -- but that killer instinct never left him."He hadn't done it for several years and when he got the chance to win, he remembered how to do it." Nicklaus' shot was within two inches of a hole-in-one and he swiftly made the putt, drawing yet more noise from the crowd. His birdie prompted commentator Jim Nantz's famous line: "And there is no doubt about it, the Bear has come out of hibernation."JUST WATCHEDWhat is served at Masters Champions Dinner?ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWhat is served at Masters Champions Dinner? 02:13Those present -- and those watching on television at home -- could sense they were witnessing something historic.Nicklaus famously drained another birdie putt at the 17th hole, before parring the last to finish on nine-under for the tournament.Meanwhile, Ballesteros' round was imploded. The Spaniard bogeyed the 15th and the 17th holes, eventually finishing his round on seven-under par.Norman was heading in the other direction, mounting a late charge. Four consecutive birdies saw the Australian tie Nicklaus for the lead with just the final hole to play.After a perfect tee shot on the 18th, Norman sprayed his approach into the gallery to the right of the green.JUST WATCHED80th Masters golf tournament tees off ThursdayReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCH80th Masters golf tournament tees off Thursday 02:00"Look out right side, look out gallery!" Nantz exclaimed immediately after Norman hit his four iron.His chip onto the green left the Australian with a lengthy putt for par to take the competition to a play-off. He missed and two-putted for a bogey, handing the Green Jacket to Nicklaus."I think that being the final major he won holds a special place in his heart," Nicklaus II says. "How he won it, at the time of his career that he won it. So he might say that '86 was one of his favorites."I'll just say this, I didn't have much of a hand in it because, you know, he does his own thing -- but I had the best seat in the house for that one. "For me, it holds a very special spot."READ: You won't believe what Augusta looked like in 1854READ: The magic and mystery of the Masters | 7 |
Story highlightsAndros Townsend scores opening goal for Tottenham in Aston Villa defeatRoberto Soldado adds a second goal for SpursDefeat sees Aston Villa drop to 13th in Premier League, Spurs up to fifth Townsend signed a new four-year deal with Spurs earlier in the weekIt has been a busy 10 days for Andros Townsend.The 22-year-old scored on his England debut, signed a new four year contract with Tottenham and then duly rewarded the club by helping them to a 2-0 victory at Aston Villa in Sunday's only Premier League match.The winger pumped in a left footed cross which curled beautifully into the net to put Spurs on their way after 30 minutes.It was a marauding display from the childhood Tottenham fan -- who now finds himself hailed as England's newest star -- as he prowled the right wing and almost doubled his tally on more than one occasion."It's been one of the best few weeks of my life," Townsend told broadcaster Sky Sports after the match."Scoring for my country on my debut is a highlight but the main thing for me now is not to get carried away and keep my feet on my ground." Read: Ferguson backs struggling Moyes at Man UtdAston Villa's prized possession Christian Benteke came off the bench in the second half to try to grab a share of the points for his team.JUST WATCHEDThe business behind the World CupReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHThe business behind the World Cup 02:30JUST WATCHEDA star is born for Wales footballReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHA star is born for Wales football 01:25JUST WATCHEDFrom civil war to the football pitchReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHFrom civil war to the football pitch 02:58The striker, who has made a quick return from a hip injury, tested Tottenham's defense but he nodded his best effort over the bar.Andreas Weimann had earlier failed to find an elusive equalizer when he drove a fierce shot just wide.Spurs put victory beyond the home side when Roberto Soldado collected Paulinho's pass and chipped past American keeper Brad Guzan in the 69th minute.The away win saw Tottenham move up to fifth in the Premier League table, which is led by north London rivals Arsenal. Defeat saw Villa drop down to 13th.There was a sour note to Tottenham's victory when a flare was thrown from the club's section of traveling fans in response to Townsend's opening goal.The canister hit a linesman on the back of the neck although he was able to carry on with his duties. | 7 |
London (CNN)Queen Elizabeth was welcomed back to her beloved Scottish estate, Balmoral Castle, Monday for her annual summer residency with a ceremony complete with an honor guard and a Shetland pony. The trip should have been a chance for the monarch to decompress after a difficult year that saw the death of her husband, Prince Philip, and spend time with her loved ones, who routinely visit the remote Victorian estate in Scotland's Dee Valley. Instead, less than 24 hours into the vacation, Britain's royal family was dragged back into crisis as it emerged Prince Andrew was being sued in New York by a woman who alleges she was sexually abused by the senior royal when she was 17. This is not the first time a member of the family has faced legal action, CNN historian and royal expert Kate Williams says. She points out that Prince Charles was sued by a law student in 1978 following an appearance in Ohio. The student sued for alleged deprivation of "various rights guaranteed by the (US) Constitution," (though the case did not progress). And in 2002, Princess Anne became the first member of the royal family to be convicted of a criminal offense, pleading guilty to a charge when her dog bit two children in a park. But those cases pale in comparison with allegations of sexual assault of a minor. Andrew is seen at his father's funeral in April. Virginia Roberts Giuffre's claims are not new but this is the first time she has pursued a civil case against the ninth in line to the British throne, seeking damages in an amount to be determined at trial. A representative for the duke's legal team declined to comment on the fresh litigation on Tuesday, as did Buckingham Palace. Traditionally, the royal family has adopted the mantra of "never complain, never explain." But that crisis management strategy of silence may not suffice this time.Read MoreOver the years, Andrew has become a recurring character in the Jeffrey Epstein saga. Back in 2019, he sat down with the BBC to answer questions about his links to the late disgraced financier and strenuously denied Giuffre's allegations, saying unequivocally "it never happened." These remarks led to a PR crisis of his own making.That interview, conducted on palace grounds, ignited a firestorm after Andrew's apparent lack of sympathy for Epstein's alleged victims. The disastrous sit-down resulted in the prince's effective exile from royal duties. In a statement at the time, Andrew said he was stepping back "for the foreseeable future" and promised "to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required." In the years since, Andrew has mostly stayed away from the public eye, choosing to hole up at his Royal Lodge property at Windsor. Despite his public vow to aid officials investigating the alleged sex ring once operated by Epstein and his associates, US officials say otherwise. In January 2020, the then-US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Geoffrey Berman, called out the prince, saying he had "provided zero cooperation." Giuffre's lawyers also say Andrew's legal team have been "stonewalling" their efforts for information over the past year, leaving litigation the only course of action -- which brings us to where we are today.JUST WATCHEDPrince Andrew on Epstein accuser: I don't remember meeting her (2019)ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHPrince Andrew on Epstein accuser: I don't remember meeting her (2019) 01:09Andrew's options at this point are by no means clear cut. According to Melissa Murray, professor of law at New York University, if Andrew's legal team choose not to engage with the civil suit, it could open him up to a directed judgment and possible financial damages. "What (Giuffre is) seeking here is not his incarceration, not a finding of guilty, it's not a criminal prosecution. It's just a civil suit to take in money damages," Murray explains. Civil cases such as these rarely reach the jury trial stage, Murray says, and are instead more commonly resolved through summary judgment or by settlement, the latter of which could be a problem for the royal."He is on record as saying that he had nothing to do with her ... and so any effort to settle at this point would appear to be a statement that there is some truth to her allegations," Murray explains. It should be noted that Andrew has never faced criminal charges. But Murray points out that if the case were allowed to proceed, it could open the royal up to further scrutiny."To allow this to actually go forward -- to have discovery, take depositions, surface evidence -- means that anything that comes up in this civil suit that is made public can then be used as a basis for criminal charges against him, or any other person whose name is surfaced in this particular dispute," she says. "He has a lot of general exposure and things to think about at this point."The Queen and Prince Andrew travel to a church service together on August 11, 2019, a day after Epstein died by suicide.Whichever way the court filing unfolds, there's also the PR nightmare the family must now navigate, with royal commentators and legal experts suggesting there may be no coming back from this for Andrew. Nigel Cawthorne, author of "Prince Andrew: Epstein and the Palace," says there seems little recourse for the duke to return to public duties. "It's very difficult to see how he can come back to the front line of the monarchy, as he's expressed a wish to, with this suit pending or if a court finds against him in absentia."Alex McCready, head of reputations and privacy at London law firm Vardags, which specializes in handling the cases of high-profile clients, agrees that fallout from the suit could harm the family's reputation. "A 'head in the sand' approach by the Royal family will inevitably draw criticism from many quarters," she says. "Whatever path Prince Andrew chooses to take, significant damage has already been done to his own reputation and, arguably, the wider Royal Family, which will be hard to mitigate."Hard to recover from but not impossible, according to Amber Melville-Brown, head of the media and reputation practice at international law firm Withers. "As Prince Charles told broadcaster and author Jeremy Paxman the royal family is, after all, a soap opera. But if that's the case the series isn't going to be axed any time soon," Melville-Brown says. "The monarchy is more than the sum of its family parts. Despite reputational attack it is a series that will not be cancelled, even in today's cancel culture."The Queen stands with Princes Charles and Andrew during a flypast of Buckingham Palace in 2019. She adds: "There is no 'secret sauce' of reputation rehabilitation that suits all tastes. Acceptance, regret, responsibility are some of the ingredients, dignity, empathy and positivity others, while continuing to get the job done is a key element."And that's where the Queen excels, because everything she has done throughout her lengthy reign has been in service of her realms.Despite this crisis, there is no evidence that the monarch's reputation has been tarnished by the scandal yet. But in the era of #MeToo and amid a global reckoning on race, authority and privilege, that could change and Andrew will undoubtedly be aware how important his next moves are.CNN's Ivana Kottasová, Nina dos Santos and Ghazi Balkiz contributed reporting. PHOTO OF THE WEEKQueen Elizabeth II inspects soldiers from Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland, at the gates of Balmoral on Monday. Also on hand was Shetland pony Lance Corporal Cruachan IV, the royal regiment's mascot.WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING?A 40-year-old piece of cake just sold for $2,500.OK, so it's not any old cake. A piece of Prince Charles and Princess Diana's 1981 wedding cake sold for the "unexpected" amount of £1,850 ($2,565) at auction this week. It was originally estimated to fetch between £300-£500 ($416-$693), but interest spiked ahead of the sale, auctioneer Chris Albury told CNN. "It really seemed to capture a lot of people's imaginations, and wallets," said Albury, adding: "£1,850 was very unexpected." The well-preserved 40-year-old slice has been kept in plastic wrap in an old cake tin. Read the full story here.The cake slice features a coat-of-arms colored in gold, red, blue and silver, a silver horseshoe and leaf spray, as well as some white decorative icing.Harry was concerned about looking 'weird' in Meghan's birthday video.Actress Melissa McCarthy has spilled the beans on her recent collaboration with the Sussexes for Meghan's 40th birthday comedy sketch. The "Bridesmaids" star called the couple "so sweet and funny" before praising them for "carving out their own lives," in an interview with Access Hollywood. In the birthday skit, Meghan and McCarthy cracked jokes before announcing the duchess' new charitable initiative, 40x40, which promotes supporting women as they return to work after the pandemic. McCarthy said she was "so pleased to be a part of it" and even shared a tidbit about Harry's involvement. When discussing ideas for the skit, Harry revealed he could juggle but asked if that would look weird. McCarthy recalled saying: "I was like, weird, in a way that will make me watch it 5 million times."JUST WATCHEDSee Prince Harry's sneaky cameo in Meghan's birthday videoReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHSee Prince Harry's sneaky cameo in Meghan's birthday video 01:28FROM THE ROYAL VAULTNestled in the lush Scottish Highlands, the Queen's Balmoral residence is said to be one of her favorite places to unwind. This week, the 95-year-old returned to her cherished sanctuary in Aberdeenshire for her annual summer getaway.The property has been in the family since 1852, when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert bought it, but the original castle was actually built in the 15th century. Through the generations, monarchs are said to have found "peace and tranquility" at the 50,000-acre estate.The Royal Standard flies from the turrets of Balmoral Castle in Ballater, Scotland, when the Queen is in residence. Balmoral is a private residence owned by the family, rather than one of the royal palaces owned by the Crown Estate. "It's the most beautiful place on earth. I think Granny is the most happy there," Princess Eugenie said in the ITV documentary "Our Queen At Ninety."When asked why, the princess said: "Walks, picnics, dogs -- a lot of dogs, there's always dogs -- and people coming in and out all the time."In this September 1960 photo, the Queen and Prince Philip pose on the lawn at Balmoral with their children, Prince Andrew, center, Princess Anne, left, and Prince Charles.The family clearly enjoy the freedom of being outdoors without the spotlight. Other royal activities in years gone by included games and outdoor grilling sessions, with Prince Harry hailing the late Duke of Edinburgh as "master of the barbecue." Some members of the royal family have also been known to enjoy grouse-shooting on the local moors while many have joined spectators at the Braemar highland games, a competitive event that showcases Scottish athletes and musicians -- sadly canceled again this year due to the pandemic.
"Despite the many difficulties in training and getting to the Games during the pandemic, everyone involved in Team GB has played a significant role in a magnificent performance."
Princess Anne praised Team GB's success at Tokyo 2020.
The Princess Royal, who is president of the British Olympic Association, wrote a moving message celebrating the team's achievements at this year's Games. Team GB won 65 medals in total, placing it 4th in the Olympic medal table overall. | 4 |
Story highlightsSpieth wins AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Ninth PGA Tour title in 100 pro startsCalls Pebble Beach a "bucket list" win (CNN)He's nearly completed his bucket list and he's only 23.Jordan Spieth won at Pebble Beach Sunday to add another iconic venue to his collection of tournament victories.Follow @cnnsport
The Texan dominated over the celebrated California course to win by four shots for his ninth PGA Tour title in 100 professional starts."This is a bucket-list place to win," said Spieth, who made his major breakthrough at the 2015 Masters at Augusta."Here, Augusta National, St. Andrews, I mean there's only a few in the world, it feels really special, it was amazing walking up the 18th green knowing that we were going to win. It's just such a unique position, I tried to soak it in."JUST WATCHEDThe art of speed golf in ItalyReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCH (20 Videos)The art of speed golf in ItalyCarnoustie: Paul Lawrie's favorite courseMy favorite golf course: Real Golf de PedreñaThe state of golf in MexicoTiger Woods' ideal day: 'Caddyshack,' oatmeal?Rory McIlroy: I will win the Masters Icelandic golfer's ANA Inspiration hole-in-oneGolf in India: The growth of the gameJavier Ballesteros on his father SeveGolf's hardest holes: The 14th at DLF GCCSergio Garcia on the Masters and his familySergio Garcia's magical yearRyder Cup: Europe's journey back to victoryFanny Sunesson's perfect dayThe CEO bringing millennials back to golfBjorn: Ryder Cup represents best of EuropeThomas Bjorn's perfect day? GNR and ginWhat's the best shot Tiger Woods ever hit?Tiger Woods exclusive: injuries and the futureLee Westwood's perfect day? Roast and G&T'sRead MoreAccording to Spieth's bucket list, only a win at St. Andrews is left.The American missed the British Open playoff by one stroke at St Andrews in 2015, with a potential grand slam of all four major championships on the line after adding the US Open to his earlier Masters win that year. Spieth, ranked world No.6, is the second youngest player to reach nine wins before the age of 24, a month later than 14-time major winner Tiger Woods. By now, he is used to comparisons with Woods -- and says such plaudits are an "honor" -- but acknowledges beating some of the landmarks achieved by the former world No.1 is a tough task. His 2015 Masters win broke a host of records. The following year he was set to become the first back-to-back champion since Woods in 2002 when, on the final day, he stood on the 10th tee with a five-shot lead.However, his infamous collapse, including a quadruple-bogey seven at the short 12th, let in England's Danny Willett for his first major.Thanks for the times, Pebble Beach. pic.twitter.com/qTxQ0BebKZ— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 13, 2017
"I've seen the lows. I've seen even more highs," said Spieth, who won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am from Kelly Kraft and Dustin Johnson. "I really do feel like in the last two and a half years I've had enough experiences that people normally have in a 20-year career on tour."Every win you gain a little more confidence off the last one. And then when you have tough losses you, obviously, figure out a way to learn from those."Getting to where you're the first guy, even including Tiger, to do something, is maybe the next goal. But that might be pretty hard."READ: Is Pebble Beach's 7th hole one of the world's best par 3s?READ: Spieth "so over" Masters meltdownREAD: Spieth fired up by "remember the Masters" jibeREAD: "I'll never feel great again"- Woods READ: Woods and Trump play golfREAD: 20 years of Tiger - highs and lowsSpieth did beat Woods to one landmark at Pebble Beach -- he became the first player in PGA Tour history to win by three strokes or more, five times before the age of 24.And he described being in contention to win a tournament as his "drug." "As stressful as it can be, that's the adrenaline rush that I crave," he said.Visit CNN.com/golf for more news and videosThe 2017 Masters begins at Augusta on April 6. | 7 |
Story highlightsCornelius Gurlitt died Tuesday at the age of 81He came to the attention of the art world for his nearly priceless collectionAuthorities were investigating whether some pieces had been looted by the NazisGurlitt never had any connection to the Fine Arts Museum Bern, the museum saysGerman art collector Cornelius Gurlitt, whose nearly priceless collection was confiscated because it was suspected to contain pieces looted by the Nazis, died Tuesday and left the masterpieces to a Swiss museum. One day after Gurlitt's death at the age of 81, the Museum of Fine Arts Bern announced that Gurlitt had named it "his unrestricted and unfettered sole heir."The news came as a surprise, the museum said Wednesday, because Gurlitt had never had any connection to it. The museum's directors are delighted at the news, they said in a statement, but also recognize that there are outstanding legal and ethical questions surrounding the collection. Gurlitt had undergone major heart surgery and was hospitalized for many weeks, his representative said in a statement. Gurlitt grabbed the attention of the art world when German prosecutors seized more than 1,200 paintings from his Munich apartment in 2012, including works by Picasso and Matisse. JUST WATCHEDNazi confiscated art found in Munich apartmentReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHNazi confiscated art found in Munich apartment 02:51The collection was confiscated as part of an investigation into tax fraud, but then it was thought that some of the paintings may have been works that were looted by the Nazis.Just last month, part of the collection was returned to Gurlitt as part of a deal with Germany's cultural authorities and the Bavarian Justice Ministry. Under the agreement, works owned by Gurlitt that were not under suspicion were returned to him. Those suspected of being stolen were to be held securely while a task force investigates their provenance -- and will be returned to their original Jewish owners or their descendants if a claim is proven.Gurlitt's representative said that with the art collector's death, the investigation into the collection ceases. The court that was handling the investigation proceedings will now function as an estate court in the case. Among the staggering haul found in Gurlitt's Munich, Bavaria, apartment in early 2012 were paintings by Pablo Picasso, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Oskar Kokoschka, Canaletto, Pierre-August Renoir, Franz Marc and Gustav Courbet.Gurlitt had said he never suspected that the collection he inherited from his father might include stolen artworks.Thousands of pieces of art condemned as "degenerate" by the Nazis were confiscated from galleries and private collectors in the 1930s and 1940s. Other works were stolen from Jewish families or sold for a fraction of their true value as the owners tried to flee the country.Gurlitt's father, Hildebrand Gurlitt, who was part Jewish, survived the war as one of only four "degenerate art" dealers permitted by Adolf Hitler.READ: 'Nazi-looted' art collector: 'I only wanted to live with my pictures'READ: Who were the mystery men behind Germany's 'Nazi-looted' art haul? | 4 |
Story highlightsEvery year, millions of tons of milk deemed unsafe for human consumption are discardedQMilch is a soft, sustainable and non-allergenic fabric made out of wasted milk QMilch costs around $30 per kilo to produce, compared to $3.8 per kilo for cotton yarnEvery year, millions of tons of milk deemed unsafe for human consumption are discarded in Europe. Now, a German company is turning the spilled milk into high-end fashion.Anke Domaske, a biochemist turned fashion designer, is the inventor of QMilch -- a fabric made entirely of milk."Milk fabric has been around since the 1930s, but the process involved chemicals. QMilch doesn't, and it uses up fewer resources than natural fibers do," said Domaske, whose fashion label Mademoiselle Chi Chi is a favorite with stars including Mischa Barton and Ashlee Simpson.The fabric is created from milk which is allowed to ferment before it is turned into a powder. It is then heated and mixed with other natural ingredients and turned into yarn."To make one kilo of cotton takes 20,000 liters of water...our process only uses two liters of water," said the 29-year-old entrepreneur, who hopes her environmentally friendly fabric will revolutionize the fashion industry.The fabric might use less water than cotton but it is far more expensive to produce -- QMilch costs around $30 per kilo to produce, compared to $3.8 per kilo for cotton yarn.QMilch has a similar feel to silk, and is marketed as a luxury fiber. But, unlike other labor intensive materials like silk -- whose commodity prices fluctuate depending on the markets and the weather -- the cost of QMilch is expected to be stable, which Domaske said is feeding into its popularity."We are just ordering machines for producing 1,000 tons per year," she said. "It is scaling up from producing two kilos per hour to 120 kilos per hour," she added.The fabric, which Domaske said is non-allergenic, is attracting interest outside of fashion. Makers of hospital and hotel bedding, and even car upholstery firms, are keen to clad their products in the sustainable fabric formerly known as milk. | 4 |
Story highlightsAs Farnborough 2012 kicks off, aerospace expert Tim Robinson breaks down the power playersFind out who's who in the world of aviation and why they are important aerospace figuresSir Richard Branson -- Virgin GroupBalloons, airlines and now, spaceflight. There's no doubt that Virgin entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson has aviation in his blood. Sir Richard BransonHaving conquered lighter-than-air and passenger air travel, he has now set his sights on operating the world's first 'spaceline' with Virgin Galactic. Unpowered test flights mean that his sub-orbital spaceplane SpaceShipTwo is counting down to its first commercial flight (and Branson, along with his mother Eve, aims to be on it). At Farnborough he is showing off a full-size mock-up of this space vehicle -- giving the public on this side of the Atlantic a chance to see it and share in the excitement. Branson is also tipped to announce Virgin Galactic Cargo at the air show, which would use elements of his sub-orbital space tourism system to provide a responsive, lower-cost system for mini satellites. For would-be space tourists, the ticket price ($200,000) for a few minutes of weightlessness may be high, but Branson has already signed up around 500 customers, including Professor Stephen Hawking, Angelina Jolie and advertising guru Trevor Beattie.At this stage space tourism may be more like an extreme adventure sport, than air travel as we know it, but pioneering Virgin Galactic will be a key step in opening up spaceflight for all. JUST WATCHEDVirgin Galactic's journey into spaceReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHVirgin Galactic's journey into space 03:50Watch: What's hot at this year's Farnborough Airshow? Steven Udvar-Hazy -- Air Lease CorporationWhy buy an expensive, quickly depreciating asset like a modern jetliner -- when you can rent? Steven Udvar-Hazy This is the philosophy that has turned Hungarian-born Steven Udvar-Hazy into a billionaire and key player on the global aviation scene, creating the giant International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) in 1973. Having now moved on to found a new leasing company, ALC (Air Lease Corp), he is building this up and will be on the lookout for more deals -- he spent roughly $10bn at the previous Farnborough show in 2010 building up ALC's portfolio. His bulk buying power and insight into what airlines really need, rather than what they would like, make him a valued and highly influential customer for Airbus and Boeing -- and he is not reticent about telling manufacturers about aircraft what they should be building. Having been pressing Boeing to make the leap with a clean sheet new single-aisle airliner -- Hazy is now rumored to be ready to place the first lessor order for up to 100 Boeing 737 MAXs -- which could be announced at Farnborough. With leasing allowing airlines to mix and match fleets and to trade up to the latest fuel-efficient aircraft quickly -- the worlds' leased airliner fleet is set to keep expanding -- on the model pioneered by Udvar-Hazy. His ultra-sharp business sense is matched by his love of aviation -- having donated $66m to the Smithsonian to fund the National Air & Space museum that bears his name. Read more: Virgin Galactic spaceship to make Farnborough debutElon Musk -- SpaceXElectric cars, space rockets and retiring on Mars. If there is ever a real-life Tony Stark it is Elon Musk, founder of new space company 'SpaceX'. (Indeed Musk appeared in a cameo role in Iron Man 2). Having made his money from creating PayPal, Musk is now revolutionizing space access, with his Falcon rockets promising lower-cost per kg into orbit as well as taking over from NASA in regular resupply missions to the International Space Station (ISS). Elon MuskJUST WATCHEDSpaceX prepares to launchReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHSpaceX prepares to launch 02:21Earlier this year his Dragon capsule made history by becoming the first private spacecraft to dock with the ISS and then return to Earth. But his ambitions don't end in low-Earth orbit -- Musk's goal is opening up manned Mars missions in the next 10 to 20 years. It is this vision of commercial spaceflight, along with a track record of success, that is making SpaceX the destination for the best and brightest MIT graduates -- a role that NASA used to occupy. Rocket science is hard -- but the way in which Musk and SpaceX are making it look effortless to outsiders makes him one to watch. Tom Enders -- EADSHow many aerospace CEOs check their products by skydiving out of the back of one? German EADS chief Tom Enders did when he parachuted out of the back of an A400M transport aircraft. Tom Enders Former paratrooper Enders did it in his previous role as head of aircraft maker Airbus, when he steered the company successfully in the post-Noel Forgeard era -- helping to eliminate the national divisions that had held the company back and restoring customer trust in the company after A380 delays. Now installed as CEO of parent group EADS, Enders will be focusing on the civil airline sector on development of Airbus's carbon-fibre airliner -- the A350XWB, as well as delivering the huge backlog of orders that Airbus has built up -- particularly in the single-aisle segment, where the A320neo has been a runway success. To that end, Airbus has recently announced it will expand its global footprint westwards, adding a fourth final assembly line in Alabama -- and making a strategic move right into Boeing's backyard to aim at the U.S. airline market. On military products, the outlook is less rosy -- the A400M is needed badly -- but its non-flying display status at the show will be something of a sore point for Enders. Finally, as EADS chief Enders will also be tackling the challenges of Eurofighter sales after losing the India fighter order, as well as whether the group attempt to join Anglo-French drone efforts, or goes it alone. Infographic: Up in the air: Industry in numbers Jim McNerney - Boeing Head of the giant aerospace concern that is Boeing, Jim McNerney has been CEO since 2005 -- and oversees Boeing's varied portfolio of civil airliner, military aircraft and space products. This Farnborough, (with commercial airplanes chief Jim Albraugh stepping down in favour of Ray Conner) Boeing will be in sales mode for its civil products, with its new narrow-body offering, the 737MAX and the revamped 747-8i. Jim McNerneyJUST WATCHEDGet a peek inside the new 787 DreamlinerReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHGet a peek inside the new 787 Dreamliner 04:06McNerney will want to hit the target of 1,000 MAX orders by the end of the year, and Farnborough will be a key place to get the message across to potential buyers and announce sales. The company will also be boosted by the first air show appearance in airline colors of the much anticipated, but delayed 787 Dreamliner, which will take part in the daily flying display. Like Airbus, McNerney also faces the challenge of ramping up 737 and 787 production to meet the demand from airlines -- as well as exploring a revamp of the best-selling 777. In defense, McNerney faces the looming dagger in the US that is 'sequestration' or across the board government defense cuts. Here Boeing's response has not been to go into retreat, but to aggressively target export sales for its military products -- especially for aircraft such as the C-17, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and V-22 as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) solutions like drones. This seems to be paying off already - in the past 5 years Boeing Defense's international revenues have jumped from 7% to 25%. Marcus Bryson -- chief GKN AerospaceHe's not a semi-household name like the others, but Marcus Bryson, CEO and President of Britain's GKN Aerospace will be going to Farnborough this year having secured a major deal and strategic aim -- with its recent $987m acquisition of engine supplier Volvo Aero. Marcus BrysonThis boosts his GKN Aerospace business as a whole to 40% of the company (the rest of GKN is automotive) and positions it as a 'Super Tier 1' supplier with a global reach. With products that span both civil and defense, and which include composite structures for Airbus, fighter canopies for Lockheed Martin, as well as exploiting new technologies such as 3D printing for aerospace, GKN exemplifies the kind of hi-tech, highly-skilled export-focused manufacturing the UK Government would like to see more of. It's move into increasing its aero engine business was a long-term goal in expanding the range of products it supplies. In pictures: 48 years of Farnborough airshow Akbar Al Baker -- Qatar Airways The forthright CEO of Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker has transformed an airline from a previously little-known Gulf state airline into a global carrier that oozes luxury and by placing big orders now finds himself a key figure in the aviation world.Akbar Al BakerHis pronouncements at air shows are legendary and grab headlines, but can make aircraft manufacturers squirm -- when he has, in the past bluntly told them (and the world's media) what was wrong with their aircraft. He is also known to drive a hard bargain in negotiations. Indeed it was his desire to see the 787 fly in Qatar colors at the show that was probably critical to Boeing breaking a 28-year rule of not flying its airliners in airshows.Along with fellow Gulf airline CEOs, Tim Clarke (Emirates) and James Hogan (Eithad) Al Baker has a significant hand in influencing both Airbus and Boeing's wide body product development as these fast growing carriers, which sit on the crucial geographic link between Europe and Asia-Pacific become global airlines. JUST WATCHEDQatar Airways CEO: We are growingReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHQatar Airways CEO: We are growing 03:17The airliner manufacturers may not like what Al Baker says -- but they listen hard. Tony Fernandes -- Air AsiaAn airline CEO who gets his hands dirty and mucks in with baggage handling? That would be AirAsia's chief Tony Fernandes, who combines a highly personable nature with a cast-iron business vision that is sweeping across Asia-Pacific -- low-cost air travel for the masses. Tony FernandesThis year he picked up his 100th Airbus A320 for Air Asia -- the fastest-growing airline in Asia-Pacific.Ten years ago as former record executive, Fernandes was looking for a new outlet for his incredible energy, when he spotted easyJet founder Stelios on TV. The rest, as they say, is history,. In the past decade Malaysia-based Air Asia has not only grown massively, but also Fernandes has created spin--off affiliate airlines Thai AirAsia, Indonesia AirAsia and Air Asia Philippines as well as Air Asia Japan -- that give a distinct Air Asia common brand. So far his only misstep has been long-haul low-cost Air Asia X, (which awaits Airbus' new A350XWB to be profitable) and an aborted share swap with Malaysian Airlines. And while Fernandes is a canny business operator -- his low-cost AirAsia brand is fresh, funky and fun -- engaging and winning over customers. (In the aftermath of the 2005 Bali bomb the airline was the first to re-establish flights and gave away free tickets to boost tourism). But it is not just passengers who have been won over. With 175 Airbus A320s ordered, last year he stunned the Paris Airshow with a giant purchase of 200 Airbus A320neos and has hinted he may add another 50 airliners on top of that. The pent-up demand for air travel in Asia-Pacific means that other airlines are now racing to catch up with Fernandes' lead, in the most dynamic civil aviation sector.Quiz: Test your aviation knowledge Serge Dassault --Dassault GroupNot many aerospace executives can boast their family name in the company, but Serge Dassault, Chairman and Chief Executive of the Dassault Group can. Serge DassaultHaving built up a personal fortune, and with interests in politics and media, the well-connected Dassault is probably the one of the last 'elder statesman' in European aviation. One of the French elite, Dassault's aviation interests split into civil (with its Dassault Falcon family of high-end business jets) and its Mirage and Rafale fighters. While business aviation may be flat at the moment, this year Dassault scored a massive win over the Eurofighter consortium when its Rafale fighter was selected by India for a 126-aircraft procurement. However, beyond that, the distinguished Dassault may have concerns over the future of the European combat aircraft industry -- which is facing squeezed military budgets. A tie-up with the UK on future Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) development is set to be firmed up at Farnborough, which will see Dassault and Britain's BAE Systems collaborate on a new armed UAV and potentially pool their efforts in stealth unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAV) technology too. Michael O'Leary - RyanairLove him or hate him -- there's no doubt that Ryanair's Michael O'Leary steals the headlines when it comes to air travel, whether it is 'paying for on-board toilets' or considering 'standing room only' flights. Michael O'LearyA self-confessed anti-'aerosexual' (his words), his larking about in dressing up as the Pope, or wearing a bikini at press conferences disguises an extremely shrewd operator who has changed the face of European air travel with his low-cost approach, outmanoeuvred rivals and forced legacy carriers to evolve. His strategy relies on a young fleet, working the aircraft hard and then selling on quickly to maximise investment.However, after securing mega deals in the past, Ryanair has run into the challenge of both difficult conditions in the eurozone and in both Airbus and Boeing wising up to him playing both of them against each other in the search for a better bargain. JUST WATCHEDExpanding RyanairReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHExpanding Ryanair 03:34To that end he has begun flirting with China's COMAC about its new single-aisle airliner, the C919 and last year at Paris signed an MoU to collaborate on development. For a man who normally stays clear of the 'nuts and bolts' of aviation -- this seems an odd move -- leading some to speculate that this is O'Leary taking brinkmanship to new levels in getting a better offer from Airbus or Boeing. Others are not so sure and wonder if there is one person who would be bold enough to provide the breakthrough in Western sales for the C919 and destroy Airbus's and Boeing's cosy duopoly -- it would be O'Leary. | 4 |
Story highlightsHow did an ex-mining town in northern France become an art haven?One year since Louvre opened sister gallery in Lens, attracts 750,000 visitorsHoped €150m museum will reinvigorate depressed city with 24% unemploymentGleaming glass building designed by Japanese architect firm SanaaSeventy-nine-year-old Henri Wosniak had only ever seen France's beloved revolutionary painting -- "Liberty Leading the People" -- on postage stamps. Then the real thing turned up on his doorstep. For 35 years, Wosniak worked one-meter underground in one of the coal mines dotted across the small town of Lens, in northern France. Two decades ago, the last mine closed, and the industrial city fell into a grim economic slump of "closed shops, abandoned houses, angry residents and a boarded up cinema."JUST WATCHEDThe Louvre's first satellite museumReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHThe Louvre's first satellite museum 03:46JUST WATCHEDThe art of copying at the LouvreReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHThe art of copying at the Louvre 03:44JUST WATCHEDBehind the scenes of the LouvreReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHBehind the scenes of the Louvre 03:32JUST WATCHEDRestoring the Mona LisaReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHRestoring the Mona Lisa 02:56"We became a ghost town," said regional president Daniel Percheron, of a city that had an unemployment rate three times the national average.Then last year, "Liberty Leading the People" came to town. Or to be more precise, the Louvre's sister gallery -- called none other than Louvre-Lens -- opened her gleaming doors to the public.Boasting hundreds of masterpieces on loan from the Louvre in Paris, the slick €150 million ($204 million) museum has become an unlikely art haven, sitting in the shadow of Lens' looming slag heaps.Read: Inside world's most popular museumFor retired miner Wosniak, the biggest thrill was seeing the gallery's star attraction -- Eugene Delacroix's "Liberty Leading the People" -- a painting commemorating the 1830 revolution and familiar to everyone in France. "I had seen it on stamps," he says, animatedly making the small shape with his hands. "And here it is," he adds, waving at the grand artwork surrounded by a throng of admirers.Happy BirthdayThis week marks the first anniversary of Louvre-Lens, and already 750,000 people have visited the sleek glass and polished aluminum building, 200 kilometers north of Paris.It's a very different museum to its glamorous Parisian sister. While the Louvre -- which attracts over 9 million visitors each year -- sits on the banks of the River Seine and overlooks elegant Tuileries Gardens, Lens rests atop a disused coalmine, with views of the local football stadium.That's not to say Lens isn't a spectacular building in itself. Designed by Japanese architect firm Sanaa, the minimalist museum is remarkable in that it doesn't separate artworks according to style or era. Instead, the pieces -- spanning Greek sculpture to 19th century French painting -- are showcased together in one long light-filled gallery.Read: Mona Lisa -- The theft that created a legendIndeed, part of the reason the museum was built, was to display some of the hundreds of thousands of artworks in storage deep under the Louvre in Paris. "The Louvre has more than 460,000 works of art, and only presents around 40,000," explained director Jean-Luc Martinez, who took on the top job at the world's most popular museum earlier this year."Why take them out? For preservation -- we are close to the Seine and they risk being destroyed."Of course, Louvre-Lens is more than an expensive storage unit. It is hoped the new gallery with the internationally recognized "Louvre" name will reinvigorate the struggling city -- much like the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain, or the Tate in Liverpool, Britain."There was nowhere the Louvre was as needed as much as Lens," says the gallery's director Xavier Dectot.Read: Louvre director goes undercoverNew eraUntil now, Lens had been better known as the place you sped through from Calais' major port, to a more holiday-friendly destination.Ravaged by both World Wars, its cemeteries are full of the names of young soldiers -- and miners.When the minister of culture, Frederic Mitterrand, inaugurated the Louvre-Lens construction site, he marked the occasion with a minute silence for the 42 workers who lost their lives in a mining accident in 1974.Almost four decades later, black coal has been replaced with gleaming glass. "There was a one in a million chance for the Louvre to come here. It's an unimaginable dream," said Percheron."The miners built France, they symbolize France. This museum is all about restoring justice to this region." | 4 |
(CNN)She may be nearing 101 years old, but Mieko Nagaoka isn't slowing down -- at least in the pool. This weekend saw her add to an impressive career, becoming the first person over 100 to complete a 1,500-meter swim in a 25-meter pool. Nagaoka, the only competitor for the race in the women's 100- to 104-year age bracket, completed the swim -- which she did backstroke -- 1 hour, 15 minutes and 54 seconds, setting a world record in the process. The feat was achieved at a Japan Masters Swimming Association event in Matsuyama, Ehime prefecture. Her official time is expected to be sent to the Guinness Book of World Records for ratification.The centenarian, who only took up swimming in her eighties while undergoing aquatherapy for a knee problem, has ratcheted a slew of records in her 20 years in the sport, with Saturday's achievement going alongside age class records for everything from the 100m, 200m and 800m freestyle, alongside the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke.Read MoreThe Yamaguchi native, who was born in 1914, told CNN through her son: "I feel relieved that I could complete swimming 1,500m. But I will still continue swimming ahead."Nagaoka remains a dedicated swimmer, training four times a week, for two hours at a time, according to her profile on world swimming body FINA's website. Hiroki Nagaoka, her son, said "She is some woman. The world first means no one has done it. It was awesome that my mother has challenged and accomplished her goal at her age. She still uses her brain and tries to figure out the best way to swim, she still even tries to change her swimming form to challenge for a record. I'm really proud of her."CNN's Junko Ogura in Tokyo contributed to this report. | 7 |
(CNN)Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia has cracked open the door for negotiations on a slimmed-down version of President Joe Biden's climate and economic bill following months of little progress on the issue.Manchin outlined his counteroffer this week, confirming that climate and clean energy provisions will be some of the few original pieces of Biden's original Build Back Better bill he wants to pass through a Democrat-only bill. Manchin is also calling for Democrats to raise taxes on corporations and America's wealthy and use that revenue to reduce the budget deficit and spend on new climate programs. "Half of that money should be dedicated to fighting inflation and reducing the deficit," Manchin said of new revenue from an adjusted tax code. "The other half you can pay for a 10-year program, whatever you think is a nice priority, and right now it seems to be the environment."That's being greeted with cautious optimism from Senate climate hawks and outside groups who want to see climate action in Congress as soon as possible. Biden attempted to revive pieces of his domestic agenda during Tuesday's State of the Union address, but Democrats are running out of time to pass something through budget reconciliation -- especially before midterms campaigning kicks into high gear this summer and fall. "I think that is very good news, and my view of it is we need to find a way to get specific about what that means and do it," Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota told CNN. "I hope it's sooner rather than later. I don't think this is going to get easier the longer we wait." Read MoreNegotiations are expected to start in earnest after the Senate finishes its appropriations package. But a lot of unknowns remain. There's no guarantee Manchin's vision for clean energy provisions will look like the $555 billion included in Build Back Better, and the industry-friendly head of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has indicated he also wants to encourage more fossil fuel use. But it also could be Democrats' only hope to pass something before the November midterms."We should give Joe Manchin the pen so we actually know where he stands, and then we should negotiate and come to an agreement," Jamal Raad, executive director of climate group Evergreen Action, told CNN. "If we are looking to lower costs and stop enabling fossil fuel fascists like Putin, we actually have a policy prescription on the table. That's the climate investments in Build Back Better." Democrats are looking for more specifics Manchin detailing what he'd support in a slimmed-down package was important to Senate climate hawks for two reasons: One, he backed the idea of using a Democrat-only budget reconciliation bill; and two, he specifically included climate in his list of items. Manchin has been saying positive things about the clean energy tax credit package in Build Back Better for months, but Wednesday's remarks were the most specific he'd been about what could be in a bill he'd support passing the Senate. The inclusion of climate wasn't a huge surprise for other senators and staff, given his past public support for a $320 billion clean energy tax credit package."Climate, we've felt for months, was something we could actually get him there on. We have a lot of reasons to believe that's true," a Senate Democratic aide told CNN, adding that Democrats need to get more information on the specifics of what Manchin would support. "We should ask him and find out, because he basically gave an invitation to engage," the aide said. Still, Manchin has made it clear that he doesn't want new clean energy legislation to rule out the use of fossil fuels, a message that's only been more forceful since Russia's invasion of Ukraine has spiraled the cost of energy. This could complicate Biden's climate goals; multiple independent analysts have found not passing the clean energy and climate provisions in Build Back Better would significantly hamper the President's goal to cut US emissions by 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030. Without it, Biden would be leaving 1.3 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions on the table, a recent Princeton University analysis found.A White House official told CNN that while Biden is intent on getting legislation through Congress, the administration will continue to roll out regulations to cut emissions as well. "The Cabinet does not see discharging their duties in a manner consistent with the climate crisis as an either/or relative to what happens on Capitol Hill," the official said. "We've been pursuing a robust executive action agenda, and we're at the same time pursuing critical legislative progress." Manchin is focused on banning imported Russian oil Responding to Russia's attacks on Ukraine, Manchin is spearheading a bipartisan bill to ban Russian oil imports to the US -- an effort that got backing from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday. Manchin has also been calling for an "all-of-the-above" domestic energy strategy to get off of Russian energy, which includes fossil fuels. At a Thursday Natural Resources Committee hearing, Manchin urged more domestic production of fossil fuels and said the Biden administration "continues to drag its feet" on domestic production of oil and gas on federal lands. And at a Thursday news conference for his Russian oil ban bill, Manchin said that while he supports Democratic efforts on clean energy, upping US production of fossil fuels is a more urgent matter."The bottom line is the production of fossil fuels right now," Manchin told reporters. "Wind and solar (are) not going to put natural gas over there. We can build a pipeline in two to six months. Basically, the administration needs to step up and help us on that." Smith said that in order to build a domestic energy supply that is truly insulated from geopolitical conflicts and price spikes, the US needs to build out much more renewable energy at home. "Let's be clear, there's significant subsidies the fossil sector already receives," Smith said. "The energy future is moving towards clean and renewables. We should speed that transition because it's going to insulate Americans from these energy price shocks." Manchin told reporters he's not going to favor clean energy over fossil fuels in the immediate term."Absolutely we have to go forward with our climate solutions; I've always been all for that," Manchin said. "But I'm not going to throw one out the window for the other." | 5 |
(CNN)Ethiopia's Ababel Yeshaneh became the latest athlete to break a world record wearing Nike's controversial Vaporfly shoes as she won the Ras Al Khaimah half marathon in the United Arab Emirates.Yeshaneh emerged triumphant Friday after a race-long duel with world marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei of Kenya to cross the line in one hour four minutes 31 seconds, slicing 20 seconds off the previous best set by Joyciline Jepkosgei in Valencia in 2017.Second-placed Kosgei was also two seconds inside the old mark set by her compatriot for a new Kenyan record.Nike's controversial shoe will be commercially available this year"I didn't imagine this result," said Yeshaneh, who was taking more than a minute off her previous best for the half marathon distance.Running at four minute 55 second pace per mile (1604m), Yeshaneh shrugged off the attentions of Kosgei after the 16km mark and pulled away for a famous victory.Read MoreBoth were running in an revised version of Nike's Vaporfly shoes, which comply with new rules set by World Athletics to limit the thickness of the sole and the use of carbon plates.Kosgei was wearing an earlier model when she smashed the 2003 world marathon record of Britain's Paula Radcliffe in last year's Chicago marathon with a time of two hours 14 minutes four seconds.It came a day after her Kenyan compatriot Eliud Kipchoge became the first man to run the marathon in under two hours, using the same version of the shoes.WORLD RECORD! Ababel Yeshaneh Brihane smashes the women's world half-marathon record in Ras Al Khaimah with a time of 64:31 as Brigid Kosgei is also inside the old record mark with 64:48 in second! #RakHalf2020 https://t.co/ivT5eWtsSg— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) February 21, 2020 Kipchoge's time of one hour 59 minutes 40 seconds will not enter the official record books because of his use of multiple teams of pacemakers, but the stunning nature of both performances raised questions over the high-tech Nike shoes.World Athletics acted last month to set new rules over sole thickness, but there are still concerns that athletes using shoes of other companies may be at a competitive disadvantage in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.Kenya's Kibiwott Kandie won the men's race in Ras Al Khaimah in a time of 58 minutes, 58 seconds, 18 seconds clear of compatriot Alexander Mutiso in second and just under a minute outside of the world record. | 7 |
(CNN)Katelyn Ohashi did three backflips, landed into a split and got back up to end her floor routine as though it was easy.Then the crowd went wild as the University of California, Los Angeles, senior gymnast stood there smiling. Not only did Ohashi stun the audience with her amazing athleticism, but she also wowed judges enough to earn a perfect 10 for her routine Saturday at Under Armour's 2019 Collegiate Challenge. UCLA gymnastics tweeted the video of Ohashi's performance, which has since gone viral."A 10 isn't enough for this floor routine by @katelyn_ohashi," the tweet read. Read MoreA 🔟 isn't enough for this floor routine by @katelyn_ohashi. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/pqUzl7AlUA— UCLA Gymnastics (@uclagymnastics) January 13, 2019
Ohashi, according to UCLA, is the reigning NCAA co-champion in floor exercises. She was also a 2018 NCAA team champion. Before UCLA, Ohashi was competing at the elite level of gymnastics until she injured her back and shoulder, according to The Players' Tribune. She decided to compete on the college level because of her injuries. This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Under Armour. An earlier version of this story also incorrectly reported Ohashi's year in school. She is a senior. | 7 |
Story highlightsRory McIlroy is seeking more major success in 2012 after a breakthrough yearThe Northern Irishman won his first major at June's U.S. Open and is No. 2 in the worldThe 22-year-old golfer is dating top-ranked Danish tennis star Caroline WozniackiMcIlroy wants a final-day showdown with 14-time major champion Tiger WoodsIn April, a dejected Rory McIlroy slumped away from the well-manicured Augusta National golf course after suffering one of the most dramatic final-round collapses in the sport's history. Despite starting the day as the dominant force and with a four-shot lead at the prestigious Masters, nerves and neuroses combined in the Atlanta sunshine to see him drop six strokes in three holes on the back nine on his way to an eight-over-par 80. His first career major had slipped through his fingers and his meltdown -- excruciating miss after excruciating miss -- had been captured by the world's media.The disintegration of McIlroy's focus and golfing faculty was such that doubt was cast on his burgeoning talent. Did the young Northern Irishman have what it took to be a champion? The question did not remain unanswered for long. Fast forward two months, having not long passed his 22nd birthday, when McIlroy showed the steel that many feared he lacked by destroying all before him at the U.S. Open with a tournament-record 16-under-par total at Congressional. His first major had been won, redemption had been achieved.After a turnaround worthy of Hollywood -- which is maybe fitting for a man born in the small town of Holywood -- McIlroy became a superstar. And the scintillating form of 2011 that had driven his meteoric rise continued: he is currently second in the world rankings and on the verge of finishing top of the European Tour's money list for the first time.JUST WATCHEDWho will be the golf star of 2012?ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWho will be the golf star of 2012? 05:39JUST WATCHEDRemembering Seve BallesterosReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHRemembering Seve Ballesteros 07:03Tiger holds no terror for golf's new world orderMaybe unsurprisingly, he is looking forward to 2012. "I'm in a very happy place in my life," McIlroy told CNN. "I'm very happy with what's going on on the golf course."There have been a few changes in my life. One of the biggest ones is becoming a major champion and realizing the different pressures that come with that status."It's nice to have one major, but then to get your second and to call yourself a multiple major champion would be something very special and it's something I want to try to do next year."In 1997, another 22-year-old had similarly lofty ambitions. After a year which saw him clinch the Masters title, Tiger Woods used his first major triumph as a springboard for one of the most devastating spells of dominance that golf, and indeed sport, has ever seen.Another 13 majors followed for Woods during a decade of almost uninterrupted supremacy, before injury and revelations about his personal life in late 2009 led to a meltdown both on and off the golf course.Woods' collapse was dramatic. First, he surrendered top spot in the world rankings for the first time in 281 weeks when Lee Westwood usurped him in November 2010. It marked the start of Woods' troubles and his nadir arrived in October this year, when a two-year winless streak culminated with him slipping out of the top 50 for the first time since 1996.But recently Woods has shown signs of flickering back into life, exhibiting flashes of his dominant best to clinch last week's Chevron World Challenge and finally stop the rot.Far from intimidating McIlroy, the possibility of facing a rejuvenated Woods inspires him. McIlroy hopes to test himself to the limit by putting himself through a final-day showdown with the 35-year-old in 2012. "I'm looking forward to hopefully having the chance to go up against him next year on the final day of a tournament," McIlroy said of Woods. "I'm sure a lot of the younger guys are as well because it's something we've never been able to do before."It's new to us and it's a big challenge, to see how we handle it and to pit ourselves against possibly the best player to ever play the game."The younger guys McIlroy speaks of have capitalized on the power vacuum created by Woods' fall from grace. Although hardly a youngster, England's Luke Donald has benefited the most by rising to the top of the world rankings and sealing his position at the top of the U.S. PGA Tour money list.In fact, if the 34-year-old can fend off competition from McIlroy at this weekend's Dubai World Championship he will become the first player in the sport's history to finish a season top of both the European and U.S. money lists.In addition to Donald, an array of rising stars have blazed a trail up the world rankings. One such player is Australia's Jason Day, who finished second at the Masters and U.S. Open during a breakthrough 2011."There's quite a few of us out there, the likes of myself, Rickie Fowler, Jason Day," explained McIlroy. "Jason Day is a guy who really impresses me. "I've played quite a lot of golf with him this year. He's only 23 years old and he's been second in two majors this year and he's really cemented himself among the top players in the world. I think he'll have a very good season next year."As one of the sport's bright young hopes, McIlroy's profile is bound to rise in 2012. But it is not just his on-course performance which is attracting media attention.McIlroy's blossoming romance with the world's top-ranked female tennis player Caroline Wozniacki is another reason why his celebrity stock is on the rise."I'm very content," McIlroy said. "I'm happy with the team that I have around me and I'm happy with everything else that's going on. We both lead very similar lifestyles. If I'm perfectly honest, Caroline is a very good influence on me."McIlroy explained how the drive exhibited by his Danish girlfriend in pursuit of her maiden grand slam title acts as an inspiration to him."She is incredibly hard-working, she puts 100% effort into her game. It's nice to be able to share things with someone who really understands," he said of the 21-year-old. "I've really enjoyed the time that I've spent with her over the past few months."McIlroy has certainly come a long way since that disastrous Sunday at the Masters, with his new-found confidence best illustrated by his response to the question, "Would you back yourself to win a major next season?"His three-word answer: "Yes I would." | 7 |
Story highlightsStudy: Women on a Mediterranean diet had a key biological marker for slower agingMediterranean diets have also been linked to lower cardiovascular problems Next scientists want to see if one particular food had a bigger impact (CNN)Eating a Mediterranean diet may be your key to living longer. That's according to a new study led by Immaculata De Vivo, associate professor at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and Harvard Medical School. The diet involves eating items off a menu that is rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans and peas, unrefined grains, olive oil and fish. It keeps dairy, meat and saturated fats to a minimum. And you can have a glass of red wine with dinner without cheating. Photos: Delicious Mediterranean diet foods Photos: Delicious Mediterranean diet foodsThe Mediterranean diet is easy to find in the grocery store, contains nutrients that are known to enhance longevity and has other health benefits that are backed by peer-reviewed, scientific studies. Broccoli makes the list because it's one of nature's most nutrient-dense foods, with only 30 calories per cup. That means you get a ton of hunger-curbing fiber and polyphenols -- antioxidants that detoxify cell-damaging chemicals in your body -- with each serving. Hide Caption 1 of 12 Photos: Delicious Mediterranean diet foodsDoctors suggest using olive oil rather than butter to make your meals. A Spanish study found a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil reduced the incidence of major cardiovascular events among patients with a history of heart disease.Hide Caption 2 of 12 Photos: Delicious Mediterranean diet foodsQuinoa is the popular whole-grain du jour because it also contains a good dose of protein to help build muscle. Yet including any type of whole grain in your diet -- from barley to brown rice -- will aid in weight loss by filling you up for fewer calories. Hide Caption 3 of 12 Photos: Delicious Mediterranean diet foodsBlueberries are often singled out as a kind of superfood because studies have shown they aid in everything from fighting cancer to lowering cholesterol. But all berries, including raspberries, strawberries and blackberries, contain antioxidants and phytonutrients. Worried about the price of fresh fruit? Experts say the frozen kind is just fine. Hide Caption 4 of 12 Photos: Delicious Mediterranean diet foodsMany dieters shy away from nuts because of their high calorie and fat count. But studies show that eating a handful several times a week can prevent heart disease and ultimately help you shed pounds since they fill you up and stop you from snacking on other things. Almonds, in particular, contain lots of monounsaturated fats and fiber. (Healthy swap: Replace peanut butter with almond butter.)Hide Caption 5 of 12 Photos: Delicious Mediterranean diet foodsSalmon is also a good source of lean protein. With this diet, doctors suggest eating fish at least two times a week. Salmon provides a high dose of omega-3 fatty acids, which studies show significantly lower the risk of heart disease. Omega-3 fatty acids fight back by reducing inflammation and slowing the rate of plaque buildup in blood vessels. Hide Caption 6 of 12 Photos: Delicious Mediterranean diet foodsBeans, beans, the magical fruit; the more you eat, the more ... you lose weight. Black, kidney, white and garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas) are good for fiber and protein. They fill you up and provide muscle-building material without any of the fat that meat can add to your meal. Hide Caption 7 of 12 Photos: Delicious Mediterranean diet foodsEating a breakfast high in protein is a good way to keep hunger at bay throughout the day. Eggs are full of choline, a nutrient that helps block fat from being absorbed in the liver. Choline may also help in preventing memory loss. Hide Caption 8 of 12 Photos: Delicious Mediterranean diet foodsSpinach is a great source of iron, which is a key component in red blood cells that fuel our muscles with oxygen for energy. But researchers in Sweden identified another way in which these greens might keep you charged: Compounds found in spinach actually increase the efficiency of our mitochondria, the energy-producing factories inside our cells. That means eating a cup of cooked spinach a day may give you more lasting power on the elliptical machine (or in your daily sprint to catch the bus).Hide Caption 9 of 12 Photos: Delicious Mediterranean diet foodsWalnuts are packed with tryptophan, an amino acid your body needs to create the feel-great chemical serotonin. (In fact, Spanish researchers found that walnut eaters have higher levels of this natural mood-regulator.) Another perk: "They're digested slowly," said Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale Prevention Research Center. "This contributes to mood stability and can help you tolerate stress."Hide Caption 10 of 12 Photos: Delicious Mediterranean diet foodsAsparagus is one of the best veggie sources of folate, a B vitamin that could help keep you out of a mental slump. "Folate is important for the synthesis of the neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine," said David Mischoulon, associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. All of these are crucial for mood.Hide Caption 11 of 12 Photos: Delicious Mediterranean diet foodsIt's not a requirement to drink it on this diet, but if you do drink alcohol, red wine in moderate amounts can be good for your health. Moderation means one drink for women and two for men, by the way. Studies show red wine can help protect against heart disease.Hide Caption 12 of 12Can meditation really slow aging?The diet has been consistently linked with health benefits that includes helping you manage your weight, and it can lower your risk for chronic issues such as cardiovascular disease. This new research looks at data from 4,676 healthy middle-aged women involved in the Nurses' Health Study, an ongoing study tracking the health of more than 120,000 U.S. nurses since 1976. Read MoreIt found women who ate a Mediterranean diet had longer telomeres. A Mediterranean diet prevents strokesTelomeres are part of your chromosomes, the thread-like structures that house your DNA. At the end of these chromosomes are telomeres, a kind of protective "cap" that keeps the structure from unraveling. It thereby protects your genetic information. Even in healthy people, telomeres shorten with age. Shorter telomeres are associated with aging, lower life expectancy and age-related diseases such as artherosclerosis, certain cancers and liver disease. Scientists have noticed some lifestyle choices such as smoking, being overweight or obese and drinking a lot of sugar sweetened drinks can prematurely shorten a person's telomeres. Scientists believe oxidative stress and inflammation can also shorten them. How to get super fit at any ageFruits, vegetables, olive oils and nuts -- the key components of a Mediterranean diet -- have well-known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The team of U.S. researchers led by De Vivo therefore wanted to see whether the women who stuck with this diet had longer telomeres. "This is the largest population-based study addressing the association between Mediterranean diet adherence and telomere length in healthy, middle aged women," they write. The study included completed detailed food questionnaires and blood tests to measure telomere length. Each participant had a calculated diet score ranging from 0 to 9 points; a higher score signifies a closer resemblance to the Mediterranean diet. Each one point change in diet score corresponded an average of 1.5 years of telomere aging.Telomere shortening is irreversible but healthy "lifestyle choices can help prevent accelerated shortening," says De Vivo. Healthy aging, four keysThis study's results provide "some insight into the underlying physiologic mechanism behind this association," indicating that greater adherence to this diet is significantly associated with longer telomeres, she says. Because of the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of the Mediterranean diet, following this diet "could balance out the 'bad effects' of smoking and obesity," De Vivo says. These findings further support "the health benefits of greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet for reduction of overall mortality, increased longevity and reduced incidence of chronic diseases, especially major cardiovascular diseases." None of the individual dietary components was associated with telomere length. Researchers suggest that means the whole diet is an important element, rather than one item being a kind of superfood.That sweet drink may age youDr. Peter Nilsson, a professor of Clinical Cardiovascular Research at Lund University in Sweden, who wrote an accompanying editorial, suggests that the variation in telomere length and dietary patterns may also be because of genetic background factors. While promising, Nilsson believes that future studies "should take into account the possibility of interactions between genes, diet and sex." With these results, De Vivo and her research team hope in the future to figure out which components of the Mediterranean diet may be having a bigger impact on telomere length. Next they also hope to study the same thing in men. | 3 |
(CNN)It may not be the most famous nor the most prestigious, but the English Championship play-off final is the world's most lucrative soccer match to win. With a place in the English Premier League at stake, both Derby County and Aston Villa are set for a nervy meeting at London's Wembley Stadium on Monday -- with the winner cashing in on an eye-watering jackpot. According to analysis from Deloitte's Sports Business Group, the winner will enjoy a financial boost of at least $215 million (£170m) through a combination of broadcasting and commercial revenue across the next three seasons.That figure will rise to a minimum of $381 million (£300m) if whichever team is promoted avoids instant relegation in its first season. Aston Villa lost the play-off final to Fulham last year, but the London club has since been relegated after just one season in the top flight. Read MoreMeanwhile Derby, managed by former Chelsea legend Frank Lampard, is targeting a first return to the EPL after suffering relegation in 2008. Fulham won last season's Championship play-off final but was relegated after one season in the EPL. READ: 'Should we provide F16s?' Azerbaijan says it has done everything to protect MkhitaryanHigh stakes The Championship play-off final is a match held at the end of every season and decides the third team to be promoted into the EPL. The two teams that finish top of the Championship, English soccer's second division, are promoted automatically, but the teams that finish between third and sixth in the table battle it out for the final place. The winner is promoted and enjoys a share of the lucrative Premier League spoils, whilst the loser must play another season in the second division."Promotion to the Premier League provides clubs with the financial resources to make strategic investments both on and off the pitch," said Sam Boor, senior manager at Deloitte's Sports Business Group. "And given the relatively equal distribution of revenue amongst Premier League clubs, it provides promoted clubs with a chance to avoid relegation when they get there."However, even if Monday's winner is relegated after one season in the EPL, it will still receive parachute payments worth $95 million (£75m) over the following two years.JUST WATCHEDGianluigi Buffon on his hands and careerReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHGianluigi Buffon on his hands and career 01:53What to splash out on?How a club spends the injection of revenue can decide whether or not it stays in the EPL for a substantial amount of time.However, given four of the last five play-off champions have been relegated after just one season, there is certainly no magic formula. Marcelo Bielsa: From spying scandal to earning plaudits for sportsmanshipSports lawyer Daniel Geey says splashing cash on new players, whilst tempting, is not necessarily the best investment. "It's a lot more nuanced than that. Some will spend on youth infrastructure because they believe in the longer term that it may be of benefit," he told CNN Sport's Alex Thomas. "Some will spend more on players, some are spending huge amounts on data analytic teams to find those hidden gems.""In order to excel in the Premier League, because of the standard and purchasing strength of the higher EPL teams, you need to be able to compete on and off the pitch." READ: Gianluigi Buffon eyes up management role after retirementREAD: FIFA Secretary General -- Players should 'step out of the field' if racially abusedBigger than the UCL finalWhilst the UEFA Champions League is arguably the ultimate prize in club soccer, it cannot compete with the Championship play-off final in terms of guaranteed financial gain, according to Deloitte.Both teams in this year's UCL final, Tottenham and Liverpool, have already qualified for next season's prestigious tournament and will only receive a relatively small bonus of $8.3 million (£6.6m) if it wins. Former Chelsea teammates Frank Lampard and John Terry will be on opposing sides Monday. Made in ChelseaAs well as the huge windfall awaiting the winner, this year's play-off final involves an interesting subplot. Derby manager Lampard will go head-to-head with former teammate and fellow Chelsea great John Terry. The retired center-back has been Aston Villa's assistant head coach since October 2018, after playing a solitary season for the Villans following his departure from Chelsea. The two former England internationals were fundamental in the meteoric rise of Chelsea during the Roman Abramovich era.The pair won a combined eight EPL titles between them and claimed a historic Champions League trophy in 2012. | 7 |
Story highlightsAir France Flight 447 plunged into southern Atlantic Ocean killing all 228 people in 2009Tests on instruments measuring air speed and pressure seen as one factorExpert: Search for wreck "unprecedented in terms of depth and sub-sea terrain"More than three years after Air France Flight 447 plunged into the southern Atlantic Ocean, killing all 228 people aboard, authorities are preparing to release their final report on the fatal crash.France's Bureau of Investigation and Analysis (BEA) said the data indicated that the flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris crashed because the aircraft's speed sensors gave invalid readings, but there are other theories on why the plane went down.When did Flight 447 go down?Flight 447 -- which was en route to Paris from Rio de Janeiro -- made its last contact with Brazil's Atlantic Control Center (ACC) at around 01:33 GMT on June 1, 2009, informing the center of the plane's position as it crossed the Atlantic. Photos: Recent major plane crashes Photos: Recent major plane crashes Pakistan International Airlines flight Flight PK-661 crashed near Abbottabad, Pakistan, killing all 47 people on board, according to the airline. The airline said the flight was carrying 42 passengers and five crew members when it lost contact with a control tower on its way from Chitral to Islamabad. It crashed into the mountains near Abbottabad and Havelian. Hide Caption 1 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesA charter airplane with 77 people on board, including players from the Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense, crashed near Rionegro, Colombia, outside Medellin, on Monday, November 28. At least 71 people were killed, officials said. Six survived.Hide Caption 2 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesEgyptAir Flight 804 disappeared from radar on a flight from Paris to Cairo on May 19. Searchers recovered parts of the plane wreckage in the Mediterranean Sea, including passengers' personal belongings, life vests, aircraft chairs and even body parts. The plane was carrying 56 passengers and 10 crew members. The flight data recorder indicated possible lavatory and avionics smoke before the plane plummeted into the sea.Hide Caption 3 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesRussian investigators work at the wreckage of the flydubai passenger jet that crashed on March 19, killing all 62 people on board as it tried to land in bad weather in Rostov-on-Don.Hide Caption 4 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesA Tara Air plane crashed on February 24 in mountainous northern Nepal. It was midway through what should have been a 19-minute flight. Twenty-three people were killed.Hide Caption 5 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesMetrojet Flight 9268 crashed in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula after breaking apart in midair in October 2015. All 224 people on board the plane were killed. The plane was en route to St. Petersburg, Russia, from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.Hide Caption 6 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesWreckage is seen at the crash site of Germanwings Flight 9525 on March 24, 2015. The Airbus A320 was carrying at least 150 people when it crashed in the French Alps. The plane was en route from Barcelona, Spain, to Dusseldorf, Germany.Hide Caption 7 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesIn this still image taken from video, TransAsia Airways Flight GE235 clips a bridge in Taipei, Taiwan, shortly after takeoff on February 4, 2015. There were 58 passengers on board the ATR 72 twin-engine turboprop airplane that plunged into the Keelung River.Hide Caption 8 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesA portion of the tail section of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 appears on the deck of a rescue ship after its recovery from the Java Sea on January 10, 2015. The Airbus A320-200 lost contact with air traffic control Sunday, December 28, 2014, shortly after the pilot requested permission to turn and climb to a higher altitude because of bad weather, according to Indonesian officials.Hide Caption 9 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesThe crash site of Air Algerie Flight AH 5017 in Mali is visible from above on July 26, 2014. After the crash, French President François Hollande said the jet was found in a "disintegrated state." He said there were no survivors.Hide Caption 10 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashes48 people were killed when TransAsia Airways Flight GE222 crashed in Taiwan's Penghu island chain, on July 23, 2014. Hide Caption 11 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesMalaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashed in a field in eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014. U.S. intelligence concluded the passenger jet carrying 298 people was shot down. Ukrainian officials accused pro-Russian rebels of downing the jet, but Russia pointed the finger back at Ukraine, blaming its military operations against separatists.Hide Caption 12 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesMalaysian Airlines Flight 370 disappeared over Southeast Asia on March 8, 2014. Australian officials said they believe the plane was on autopilot throughout its journey over the Indian Ocean until it ran out of fuel. In August 2015, authorities confirmed that a piece of debris found on Reunion Island was from the jet.Hide Caption 13 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesAsiana Airlines Flight 214 crashed at San Francisco International Airport on July 6, 2013. The South Korean airline's Boeing 777 fell short of its approach and crash-landed on the runway. Three people were killed and more than 180 were injured.Hide Caption 14 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesA Dana Air MD-83 carrying 153 people crashed on June 3, 2012, in a residential neighborhood in Lagos, Nigeria's most populous city. No one on the plane survived, and 10 people on the ground were killed.Hide Caption 15 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesIndonesian relatives mourn at the airport in Jakarta after a Russian Sukhoi Superjet slammed into the side of a volcano on May 9, 2012. Russia's newest civilian airliner was on its second demonstration flight when the incident occurred, killing all 45 people on board.Hide Caption 16 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesA plane crash on April 20, 2012, in Islamabad, Pakistan, killed 127 people. The Bhoja Air Boeing 737 was en route from Karachi to the Pakistani capital.Hide Caption 17 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesA plane carrying dozens of hockey players crashed on September 7, 2011, outside the Russian city of Yaroslavl, about 160 miles northeast of Moscow. Forty-three people were killed. One of two survivors later died of his injuries.Hide Caption 18 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesA Hewa Bora Airways plane crashed on July 8, 2011, while trying to land in bad weather at the airport in Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo. At least 74 of the 118 people on board were killed.Hide Caption 19 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesA survivor of an Iran Air Boeing 727 crash lies in a hospital on January 10, 2011. The plane went down a day earlier near the city of Orumiyeh, killing 77 of 105 passengers and crew members.Hide Caption 20 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesAn Airblue flight carrying 152 people crashed into a hillside on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan, on July 28, 2010. No one survived.Hide Caption 21 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesAn Air India plane crash killed 158 people on May 22, 2010, after the jet overshot a runway in Mangalore, in southwestern India, crashed into a ravine and burst into flames.Hide Caption 22 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesA 9-year-old Dutch boy was the lone survivor of a plane crash on Afriqiyah Airways that killed 103 people near Tripoli, Libya, on May 12, 2010. His mother, father and older brother died in the crash.Hide Caption 23 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesA plane carrying Polish President Lech Kaczynski crashed as it tried to land at an airport near the Russian city of Smolensk on April 10, 2010. Kaczynski was among the 97 people killed.Hide Caption 24 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesAn Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed into the sea, killing all 90 people aboard shortly after taking off from Beirut, Lebanon, on January 25, 2010.Hide Caption 25 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesA Caspian Airlines plane went down in a field near the north-central Iranian city of Qazvin, on July 15, 2009, killing all 168 people on board and leaving a huge, smoldering crater.Hide Caption 26 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesA Yemenia Airways plane carrying more than 150 people crashed in the Indian Ocean off the island nation of Comoros on June 30, 2009. The Airbus A310 was en route to Moroni, the capital of Comoros, from Yemen's capital, Sanaa.Hide Caption 27 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesAn Air France flight carrying 228 people disappeared from radar over the Atlantic Ocean on June 1, 2009. The Airbus A330 took off from Rio de Janeiro bound for Paris and sent out an automatic signal warning of electrical problems.Hide Caption 28 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesColgan Air Flight 3407 (a connector flight with Continental Airlines) crashed into a house outside Buffalo, New York, on February 13, 2009, killing all 49 aboard the plane and one on the ground. Two occupants of the house survived.Hide Caption 29 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesA TAM Airlines jet skidded off the runway into a gas station and burst into flames on July 17, 2007, after landing at the airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil. All 199 people on board were killed.Hide Caption 30 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesA Comair flight crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, while attempting to take off from the wrong runway on August 27, 2006. The plane ran off the end of the runway, drove through a fence and crashed into trees on an adjacent horse farm. Forty-nine of 50 people aboard were killed.Hide Caption 31 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesA Sudan Airways Boeing 737 crashed just after takeoff on July 8, 2003, killing 116 people. A 3-year-old boy was the only survivor.Hide Caption 32 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesAn American Airlines plane crashed in Belle Harbor, Queens, shortly after takeoff from John F. Kennedy Airport on November 12, 2001. The crash killed 265 people, including five people on the ground.Hide Caption 33 of 34 Photos: Recent major plane crashesAn Air France Concorde, en route to New York, crashed into a Paris hotel shortly after takeoff on July 25, 2000. All 109 passengers and crew members died. Four people on the ground were also killed.Hide Caption 34 of 34JUST WATCHEDFinal moments of Air France 447 crashReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHFinal moments of Air France 447 crash 01:45JUST WATCHEDBook reveals chaos in Air France cockpitReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHBook reveals chaos in Air France cockpit 03:16Soon after, Brazil's air control contacted Dakar's control center in North Africa and reported that AF 447 was entering an area on its route known for constant bands of severe turbulence, officials said.There was no further contact with the plane.History's deadliest plane crashesDo we know why Flight 447 crashed?Last year's BEA report said the airplane climbed to 38,000 feet when "the stall warning was triggered and the airplane stalled." It then descended, crashing into the Atlantic. The descent lasted 3 minutes and 30 seconds and the engines remained operational, said the report. Studies of the debris and bodies that were found soon after the crash led the BEA to conclude the plane hit the water belly first, essentially intact. Oxygen masks were not deployed, indicating that the cabin did not depressurize, the BEA said in a 2009 report.Tests have already brought into question the performance of pitot tubes, which measure the pressure exerted on the plane as it flies through the air, and are part of a system used to determine air speed.Before it crashed, Flight 447 sent out 24 automated error messages that suggested the plane may have been flying too fast or too slow through the thunderstorms, officials have said.The European Aviation Safety Agency issued a directive in late August requiring airlines to replace pitot tubes manufactured by Thales Avionics on Airbus A330s and A340s. It said airlines should replace them with other Thales tubes and those manufactured by Goodrich.The lack of speed, wind or direction information also prevented the Autopilot system from functioning, said air accident investigator Alain Bouillard said at the time of the crash. "This tells us that the plane has to be, in this case, directed by the pilot," he said.Who's really flying the plane?What about the weather?Flight 447 was passing through an area prone to volatile and dangerous weather known as the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), when it went down. The ITCZ is a belt of low pressure that wraps around the planet. Clouds and storms form along it because it is literally where the winds of the world's hemispheres meet.Here, air and water temperatures are typically in the mid-80s. The warm, moist air is heated further by the blazing tropical sun. Steamy air, coming off the ocean, rises until it hits cooler, drier air aloft, forming clouds and thunderstorms.These gigantic storms contain volatile updrafts and downdrafts that can move at speeds of 100 mph. The height of these storms also can tower to more than 10 miles in the air. Even if you stacked two dozen of the world's tallest skyscrapers on top of each other, they still wouldn't reach the tops of the biggest thunderstorms of the ITCZ.However Learmount pointed out that hundreds of airliners pass through the ITCZ every day without incident. "There was another Air France flight 30 minutes behind Flight 447 that night and it encountered no problems," he said.153 bodies identified from 2009 Air France crashAny other theories?According to Learmount, many aviation experts have yet to rule out the human factor. "The crash happened at around 2:00 a.m. on a dark night when the error messages suddenly appeared and the autopilot tripped out." He said the crew, possibly at their deepest circadian low at this point, suddenly have this problem and they "fixate" on it."This is a syndrome," he said. "There have been lots of accidents where pilots have fixated on correcting a relatively minor problem and lose sight of the macro problem. Now we don't know that, but we do know the aircraft acted as if it was not being controlled purposefully."Whether it was out of control -- and I doubt this -- it was not being controlled. Imagine it is 2 am and two sleepy pilots encounter a problem. They don't have much to do so they decide to troubleshoot this problem. They fixate on it and forget the autopilot has tripped."The airplane meanwhile goes into a lazy spiral descent -- the pilots don't notice as it is all very gentle. And when they look up they don't believe what their instruments tell them and they get disorientated and can't recover."He highlighted a similar case in 2004 when pilot disorientation and loss of control caused a Flash Airlines Boeing 737-300 to crash in the Red Sea shortly after take off from the Egyptian resort of Sharm el Sheikh. Though Egyptian authorities disputed the claim, aviation safety officials in France and the U.S. cited "spatial disorientation" as the likely cause based on evidence available, according to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).How long did it take to find the wreckage?It took four searches over the course of nearly two years to locate the plane's flight recorder and the bulk of the wreckage, still containing many bodies, in a mountain range deep under the ocean.The area where the Airbus A330 went down is in the mid-Atlantic -- two to four days for ships to reach from the nearest ports in Brazil or Senegal in West Africa.The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates the ocean depth in the area at 3,000 meters (about 9,840 feet) to 7,500 meters (24,600 feet). Brazilian officials have said the sea depth in the area is around 2,000 to 3,000 meters (6,562 to 9,842 feet).The search that turned up the bulk of the wreckage in 2011 covered a 46-mile (75-kilometer) radius around the last known position of Flight 447, investigators said, in an area rough with underwater mountains and valleys."It is a mountain range as big as the Alps," David Learmount of Flight International told CNN. "There was always the possibility that the wreckage from the aircraft disappeared down a crevasse. This is not a flat-bottom environment like the North Sea is."Crash pilot: 'Damn it, we're going to crash' | 4 |
Story highlightsU.S. deploying paratroopers to Poland and other NATO states in show of support for Atlantic allianceThe military exercises are in response to Russia's troop presence on the border of UkraineAre the exercises sending the right message to Vladimir Putin and U.S. allies?Some members of Congress say the decision is a good first stepWhether viewed as a show of force to Russia or a sign of reassurance to nervous allies, the recent deployment of U.S. Army forces to Poland and three Baltic states is steeped in matters strategic and diplomatic to American foreign policy.A contingent of 150 paratroopers arrived in Poland on Wednesday from their base in Italy to conduct joint training exercises with the Polish military as the situation in neighboring Ukraine shows no sign of easing.An additional deployment of 150 paratroopers to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, respectively, will take place over the coming months.With the announcement, the Obama administration is effectively sending a message that with all the talk of a "re-balance" in focus to the Asia-Pacific region, the exercises also show that the U.S. commitment to the NATO alliance is solid."It's a very tangible representation of our commitment to our security obligations in Europe, and the message is to the people of those countries and to the alliance that we do take it seriously," Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said this week.With Russia massing an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 troops under the guise of military exercises along its border with Ukraine, anxiety is running high among some of the newer members of NATO, themselves former states within the Soviet Union, regarding Russia's possible designs on territorial expansion.Under the collective defense clause of the NATO charter, an attack on one member constitutes an attack on the entire alliance, thus obligating American involvement in any response to such an attack.The exercises are a manifestation of that obligation."It sends a signal to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin his ambitions can't go as far as the NATO territory because we have this commitment to them," Nicholas Burns, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO, said in an interview with CNN on Wednesday.Ukraine is not a member of NATO.While the United States conducts exercises with the four countries on a routine basis, the Pentagon acknowledges the newest exercises are in part a response to the ongoing instability in Ukraine."These exercises were conceived and added on to the -- added on to the exercise regimen as a result of what's going on in Ukraine," Kirby said.But are the exercises sending the right message to both Putin and U.S. allies in NATO?Senior Republican members of Congress say they are a good first step, but require the necessary follow through by the administration."We should have them in Poland, Latvia, Estonia and make it clear this is not just a temporary measure," Rep. Peter King, a Republican of New York, told CNN in an interview. "One criticism I would have of the President is he's not up until now shown we're in this for the long haul.""Do I think we could do larger NATO exercises, U.S.-led in a place like Poland? I do," said Rep. Mike Rogers, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "This is a very good start and a very good sign to let Putin know that we won't tolerate, the United States won't tolerate any incursion into NATO states."While the Pentagon will not say how long the new exercises will last, NATO is still exploring additional responses and measures the alliance can take with regard to Ukraine.One former senior U.S. military officer told CNN that such exercises are important to maintaining the NATO alliance, but they will require more lift from European partners in the future."For the NATO countries, if they want to be reassured, they need to help with this by putting some real money towards their defense budgets," Gen. Richard Myers (Ret.), the former Joint Chiefs Chairman, told CNN. "They've been underfunding defense for many, many years for lots of reasons. And if they're really serious about this, they've got to help. It can't just be the U.S. alone." | 4 |
Story highlightsCNN analyzed early voting data from North Carolina Hillary Clinton has underperformed President Obama in the state (CNN)The political consensus is virtually unanimous: If Hillary Clinton wins North Carolina, Donald Trump has to win every other competitive state to take the White House.Clinton has other paths to victory without North Carolina, but the state has been a focus for Democrats this cycle. She has led in most public opinion polling there since the summer. Just 12 days ago, a New York Times poll had her leading by 7 points, and the CNN poll of polls currently has her ahead by 4 points.But a CNN analysis of early voting paints a very different picture and suggests that Clinton has underperformed President Obama's 2012 performance in the Tar Heel State and Trump has outperformed Mitt Romney. Why North Carolina is so important in 2016It might seem that Democrats have built up a big early lead. More than 1.3 million Democrats have already voted compared to 990,000 Republicans.But the raw numbers don't account for the 2012 results. President Barack Obama built an early lead then but got trounced by Mitt Romney on Election Day.Read More
As of Saturday, the final day of early voting, slightly fewer Democrats had cast ballots while 125,000 more Republicans have voted this time. If this election shapes up like the last, Donald Trump would win North Carolina.There is one key difference that complicates the data: Independent voters came out this time in droves. They cast nearly 810,000 votes, up a whopping 42% from 2012.
This group broke heavily for Romney in 2012. However, he was a more traditional Republican. Romney himself has been one of Trump's harshest critics, saying last spring "Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud."One difference this election is the popularity of a third-party candidate, Libertarian Gary Johnson. The CNN poll of polls show him garnering 5% support among likely voters.2016 exit pollsOther early voting trends favor Trump. While polls show Clinton has a commanding lead among African Americans, the share of black votes so far is down 5 percentage points. Trump does much better with white voters, who increased their share by 22% this election. The North Carolina Republican Party, in a statement Monday, bragged about the changes in turnout as a sign of the "North Carolina Obama coalition crumbling."
Another group that failed to show up was 20-something Democrats. The North Carolina Board of Elections releases data on each voter. CNN compared registered voters who voted early in both 2012 and 2016.One third of Democrats age 22 to 29 who voted in 2012 failed to show up this time. By comparison, turnout of Democrats age 50 and older exceeded 90%.Twenty-something Republicans were more enthusiastic. Nearly three quarters of them who voted early in 2012 showed up again this election.Critical counties: Wake County, NC, could put up a fightThere have been complaints that election officials have tried to suppress votes of Democrats. The NAACP sued three counties in North Carolina for canceling the registrations of about 4,500 eligible voters. The registrations were challenged based "exclusively on mass mailings that were returned as undeliverable." Early voting data, however, shows less than 200 votes in those counties were thrown out due to cancellations.Critics have also complained of a lack of early voting sites in Democrat strongholds. Early-voting data show the busiest voting sites, with longer waits, were mostly in predominately Democratic locations. Of the 25 busiest voting sites, Democrats outnumbered Republicans at 19 of them, according to CNN's analysis.At the Herbert C. Young Community Center in Wake County -- where two Democrats voted for every Republican -- more than 32,000 votes were cast, the most of any location. The average site had about 6,700 voters. | 5 |
(CNN)Early modern humans and Neanderthals lived in Europe and parts of Asia at the same time -- overlapping for several thousands of years before our archaic relatives disappeared around 40,000 years ago. During this time, Homo sapiens and Neanderthals encountered each other and sometimes had sex and gave birth to children. The evidence is buried within our genes, DNA analysis has shown, with most Europeans having around 2% Neanderthal DNA in their genomes from this ancient interbreeding.Neanderthals and early modern humans living in Europe and parts of Asia overlapped for several thousand years.However, there has been relatively little direct physical evidence of these encounters and fossilized bones. Skeletons that have been found haven't offered definitive proof.Neanderthal child's skeleton buried 41,000 years ago may solve long-standing mysteryNow, a new analysis of 11 teeth found in a cave in Jersey, an island in the English Channel, has suggested that some of them could have belonged to individuals that had mixed Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens ancestry.The teeth, identified as being Neanderthal, were found when the site, known as La Cotte de St. Brelade, was first excavated in 1910 and 1911. A new analysis of the teeth, published in the Journal of Human Evolution on Monday, has shown that the choppers actually came from two different individuals who lived there 48,000 years ago. Seven of the teeth had both modern human and Neanderthal traits. Read MoreSince the first stone tools were discovered at La Cotte in 1881, other discoveries, such as the teeth, have followed. The site was was first excavated in 1910 and 1911."We find the same unusual combinations of Neanderthal and modern human traits in the teeth of both identified Neanderthal individuals," said study author Chris Stringer, research leader in human origins and professor at the Natural History Museum in London."We consider this the strongest direct evidence yet (of interbreeding) found in fossils, although we don't yet have DNA evidence to back this up," he said. How Neanderthal DNA affects human health -- including the risk of getting Covid-19The team was trying to recover DNA from the teeth to confirm whether the teeth belonged to individuals with dual Neanderthal-modern human heritage, Stringer said. Preservation of DNA was a "matter of chance," given the age of the teeth, he explained. "The tooth roots look very Neanderthal, whereas the neck and crowns of the teeth look much more like those of modern humans," he said. The only other explanation, he said, was that this population was extremely geographically isolated and evolved these unusual traits in their teeth. It "might be that this (is) a highly unusual population that developed this combination of traits in isolation - however at this time, because of the lower sea levels of the last Ice Age, Jersey was definitely connected to neighboring France, so isolation is unlikely," he explained via email. It was surprising to find this evidence of "hybrid" individuals with Neanderthal and Homo sapiens ancestry in Northwestern Europe, he said, because the earliest evidence of early modern human influence in Europe has been found much further east. Evidence in current-day Bulgaria dates back potentially 47,000 years ago, and in Iberia and and southern France before 42,000 years ago.Similarly, what fossil evidence exists of interbreeding has also been found further east.Teeth reveal details about a Neanderthal who fell down a well The most definitive case is from Oase Cave in Romania, where a 40,000-year-old jawbone was unearthed, with unusual features. Genetic analysis found that it had 9% Neanderthal DNA, from interbreeding that probably happened within the previous five generations, Stringer said. A 50,000 year-old bone fragment discovered in 2018 within a Russian cave represented the first-known remains of a child with a Neanderthal mother and a father who was a Denisovan -- another extinct relative of modern humans who is thought to have lived predominantly in Asia. Teeth are particularly important to archaeologists and paleoanthropologists because they are stronger than bones. The enamel is already largely mineralized and no longer organic, and so survive very well in the fossil record. The La Cotte site in Jersey shows that Neanderthals used the cave for as much as 200,000 years, the Natural History Museum said, with the layers of earth showing repeated reoccupation by different Neanderthal groups and at least two heaps of mammoth bones. | 4 |
London (CNN)A prominent British far-right activist has not been granted a visa to the United States in time to attend an event focusing on Islam with Republican lawmakers in Washington this week, according to organizers of the event.Tommy Robinson, the founder of the far-right English Defence League (EDL), was due to attend the event with seven Republican congressmen on Wednesday. But the conservative Philadelphia-based Middle East Forum, which is organizing the event, told CNN on Tuesday that Robinson had not been granted a visa in time to attend.Middle East Forum president Daniel Pipes said Robinson had applied for a visa, but the application was still "in the administrative processing phase." Pipes added that Robinson was set to take part in the event via video link. Robinson has not replied to a CNN request for comment. The US State Department told CNN that US law prohibits discussion of individual visa cases.Read MoreBritish far-right figureheadLast week dozens of British lawmakers from several parties wrote to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urging the US not to allow Robinson -- whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon -- to travel and speak at Wednesday's event."It would send a terrible signal if a convicted felon deemed inadmissable to the United States such as Yaxley-Lennon were allowed to travel to your country and speak before a prominent audience despite his conviction for previously entering the Unites States illegally," said the letter.A jailed UK far-right activist has gained some big-name US supportersRobinson left the EDL in 2013 but has continued campaigning as a far-right activist, attacking the influence of Islamic extremism and arguing against Muslim immigration. He has been convicted of assault, and served jail terms for fraud and an attempt to enter the US on a false passport.Most recently, Robinson was jailed for 10 months in May after pleading guilty to contempt of court for a Facebook Live webcast during a criminal trial at Leeds Crown Court. He received a further three months for breaching the terms of an earlier suspended sentence.Robinson was freed on bail in August after winning his challenge against the sentence. The case has been referred to the UK attorney general, the government's top legal adviser.The high-profile court battle earlier this year over his case made him something of a far-right figurehead in Britain, also attracting the support of US President Donald Trump's former chief strategist Steve Bannon.A demonstration against Tommy Robinson outside his appeal hearing at the Old Bailey courthouse in London in October. The letter from UK lawmakers warned of Robinson promoting his "violent and extremist agenda," adding that the activist was expected to raise around $1.4 million during the upcoming visit. "We expect he would use those funds to organize further disruptive demonstrations in communities across the UK," said the letter.Bianca Britton contributed to this report from London. Jennifer Hansler contributed from Washington. | 4 |
At least two people were killed and seven others were injured in a train derailment in southeastern France on Saturday morning, a local mayor said. The train, which carried 35 passengers, was traveling on a route between Saint-Benoit and Annot in a mountainous area of the department of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Annot Mayor Jean Ballester said.The derailment took place when the train hit a rock that had fallen on the railway, Ballester said in an interview with CNN affiliate BFMTV.An emergency plan was launched by regional authorities. Dozens of firefighters and a rescue helicopter were dispatched to the scene, Ballester said. | 4 |
(CNN)Three lawmakers walked out of UK Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative party on Wednesday, joining a new group in Parliament that has blown up the British political landscape in less than three days.The trio's dramatic decision to join a group of eight independent MPs, who split from the opposition Labour Party earlier this week, caused consternation at Westminster. They denounced May's "disastrous" handling of Brexit, condemned the Conservative Party's shift to the right and warned it was in danger of being taken over by extremists.Their announcement was timed for maximum impact, dropping just before the weekly session of Prime Minister's Questions. In a move freighted with symbolism, the three ex-Conservative MPs joined the eight former Labour lawmakers on the opposition benches in Parliament on Wednesday.The move could mark the start of a reshaping of British politics as the clock continues to tick down to March 29, when the UK is due to leave the European Union. With 37 days to go, Parliament has still not approved a Brexit deal.In a joint letter to May, Heidi Allen, Anna Soubry and Sarah Wollaston blamed their departure on the government's "dismal failure to stand up to the hard line ERG [European research Group]," whose members advocate a no-deal Brexit. The three lawmakers, who have been vocal anti-Brexit campaigners, said that Britain's exit from the EU had "re-defined the Conservative Party -- undoing all the efforts to modernize it."'We can no longer act as bystanders. We are honour bound to put our constituents' and country's interests first.' Read the letter to the Prime Minister from @heidiallen75 @Anna_Soubry and @sarahwollaston #ChangePolitics pic.twitter.com/1HxHOULbft— The Independent Group (@TheIndGroup) February 20, 2019
Read More"We find it unconscionable that a Party once trusted on the economy, more than any other, is now recklessly marching the country to the cliff edge of no deal," the group said. "No responsible government should knowingly and deliberately inflict the dire consequences of such a destructive exit on individuals, communities and businesses and put at risk the prospect of ending austerity." The MPs also rejected what they say May has presented as a "false binary choice" between a "bad deal" and a "no deal," slamming her strategy of "running down the clock" to Brexit. May said in a statement on Wednesday that she was "saddened" by the lawmakers' decision to quit the party, but was determined to deliver on Brexit, affirming that it was "the right thing for the country."The Independent Group was formed on Monday when seven MPs, including Chuka Umunna, Chris Leslie and Luciana Berger, resigned from Labour. An eighth Labour MP, Joan Ryan, joined their ranks on Tuesday evening. The group said variously that they had become ashamed of the Labour party and its shift to the hard-left, denouncing opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn's handling of a wave of anti-Semitism and "betrayal" on Brexit.A photo shared by MP John Lamont showed the Independent Group as they took their seats in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
A photo shared by MP John Lamont showed a smiling Berger snapping a selfie of the group as they took their seats in the House of Commons. But none of the group asked a question of the Prime Minister, as she appeared before MPs for her weekly grilling, and the defections were barely addressed. The mood in the House of Commons seemed more subdued than usual.The closest May came to acknowledging the issue was when she attacked Corbyn over anti-Semitism in his party, cited as a reason for some of the defectors leaving his party. Brexit is blowing up British politics May said she never thought she would see the day when "a once proud Labour party was accused of institutional Semitism by a member of that party," or, equally, when Jewish people in the UK "were concerned about their future."Responding to those accusations, Corbyn said that "anti-Semitism has no place whatsoever in any of our political parties, in our lives, in our society," before laying into the Prime Minister for "pretending to negotiate" a Brexit deal with just 37 days to go. May, who will travel to Brussels later in the day, maintained that she was still working on alternative arrangements on the Irish backstop -- an insurance policy designed to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. She also reiterated her position that a no-deal exit from the EU could only be taken off the table by agreeing a deal.Speaking at a press conference later, Allen, Wollaston and Soubry said the Prime Minister had been bullied by hard-line Brexiteers onto the brink of a no-deal Brexit.Members of the now 11-strong Independent Group after a press conference in central London.Soubry said the issue could prompt more defections. "There are a number of our colleagues that are deeply unhappy, particularly about no-deal Brexit," Soubry said, responding to a question about whether more Conservative MPs would follow their lead. "We do expect people to stand up for what they know is right for our country, which is not a no-deal Brexit."The question now is whether the now 11-strong Independent Group will establish itself as a new party, and it if does, whether it will have any success at general election.Britain's electoral system makes it tough for any new political party to win representation in Parliament. A group that broke from Labour in the 1980s, the Social Democratic Party, fizzled after some early successes.But small parties can nevertheless wield significant influence over larger ones. "UKIP is an example of a party that won sufficient votes to frighten the Conservatives into changing its policy very significantly, ultimately forcing a vote on Brexit," Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London, told CNN on Tuesday. | 4 |
(CNN)Some detractors thought it would be nothing more than a flash in the pan, while others labeled it a gimmick -- but Formula E's remarkable growth and popularity is proof that the sport is here to stay.So much so that many have also predicted that the sport has even the potential to become a serious rival to Formula One. Not that F1 boss Chase Carey sees the electric motor series as a serious threat."No, actually, it certainly wouldn't be Formula E," Carey said. "I think Formula E is a very different vehicle today, largely a social cause and, you know, it's a street party."I think we compete with everything out there. I mean, certainly other sports but other events and I think it's important that we make our sport everything that makes it special. It's a unique sport that combines technology and sport, it's a sport that shocks your senses. Read MoreJUST WATCHEDGermany's 'Big Four' compete for the first timeReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHGermany's 'Big Four' compete for the first time 02:20"It's a sport that has incredible drivers, taking incredible risks, with incredible talent and it's a sport that really is a spectacle. It's not just a two-hour event, we're here for three days, we've got a variety of things going on. "There's a depth and richness to it that really makes it unique and I think it's important for us to highlight what makes us unique against everything else out there."'An exciting year'Since Liberty Media acquired F1 in 2017, the organization's main aim has been to grow the sport's popularity, with a particular focus on the US market.Figures released by F1 at the start of the year would suggest they are off to a good start.The number of unique television viewers in 2018 rose to 490.2 million, an increase of 10% compared to the previous year, and the total cumulative audience in the sport's top 20 countries grew by 3% to 1.758 billion -- the second consecutive year of growth, F1 said.Figures on social media platforms are even more buoyant, with the sport's followers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube reaching 18.5 million, an increase of 53.7% compared to 2017.JUST WATCHEDHow the Formula 1 plans to go greenReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHHow the Formula 1 plans to go green 04:35Numbers for this year are yet to be released, but Carey believes it has been another promising season."I think we've achieved what we wanted," he said. "I think 2019 has been a year where we've had good growth, we've had growth in attendance, growth in viewership, the business is healthy. But again, we're in the early days, not the end days of what we want to get to. "So I think we are excited about the growth we see ahead of us in 2020. It looks like an exciting year, we hope it's an exciting year on the track, we've had, particularly the second half of the season, some great races and we hope we continue that into 2020. "Obviously, it all starts with what we do in the track. I think we feel good about where we are but that being said, you know, most of our work still remains to be done."'An incredible leader'Though F1 teams also compete in Formula E and there has been a crossover of drivers and directors between the two sports, the electric series' green, environmentally friendly image is in stark contrast to its more established rival. Given the current climate emergency, F1 has faced increasing criticism over its current yearly output of 255,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.Last month, it announced a new 10-year plan to "change the face of the sport" and become carbon neutral by 2030.The environmental criticisms that plague the sport also come from within F1, most notably through the sport's poster boy and six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.The British driver has been particularly outspoken on becoming vegan to save the planet -- views critics have called hypocritical given the sport he competes in.F1 is also facing questions over its lack of diversity. "I certainly agree," says Chase. "We want to increase the diversity. We've been very public about it. We've said it's one of our core objectives. Over the next few years, we've identified the environmental issues as one we're going to tackle and diversity as one we're going to tackle. JUST WATCHEDWill Buxton on Lewis Hamilton's legacy in F1ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWill Buxton on Lewis Hamilton's legacy in F1 02:22"We're working hard, particularly the female diversity issue, but really on all levels of diversity. First, how important are the drivers? They're critical. Sports are based on heroes and our biggest heroes are the drivers and Lewis has really been in many case, you know, an incredible leader in those initiatives."Obviously there are many causes he [Hamilton] has been public about that he is interested in pursuing. He's a six-time world champion. So you know, the importance of him speaks for itself. He's not just one of the great drivers today. He's one of the great drivers of all time."Breaking AmericaWith the additions of the new Vietnamese Grand Prix and the return of F1 to the Netherlands for the first time since 1985, the 2020 season will include a record high 22 races.Despite criticism from drivers and teams about an increasingly hectic schedule and shorter off-season, Carey insists the plan is to press ahead with more grands prix.JUST WATCHEDCircuit of the Americas: F1's US destinationReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHCircuit of the Americas: F1's US destination 01:50He says the sport's bid to grow in the the US will be boosted by the addition, he hopes, of a second US Grand Prix to the calendar."We still have some issues to resolve in Miami," he says of the new prospective race location. "They're, probably at this point, predominantly political ones and there have been some local meetings and activity in the last month. "I think right now the breadth of support and the depth of support is encouraging. It's clearly an addition to Austin [the current US GP]. So in our goal, we think the US is a big enough market and a broad enough market and growing the US, I think having two races will actually make both stronger." | 7 |
(CNN)It's safe to say that Cristiano Ronaldo has missed football.The Portuguese forward returned to the pitch in style for the first time since contracting Covid-19, inspiring Juventus to a 4-1 win over Spezia on Sunday. Ronaldo came on as a second-half substitute with the score level at 1-1 but turned the game around by scoring two goals in the space of 20 minutes. His first goal came just three minutes after being introduced to the game when he smartly rounded goalkeeper Ivan Provedel and slotted into an empty net.His second, a Panenka penalty, was even more stylish. The 35-year-old lined up as if he was going to hit his spot-kick hard but instead delicately chipped the ball down the center of the goal.Read MoreAlvaro Morata and Adrien Rabiot scored Juve's other goals after Tommaso Pobega had opened the scoring for Spezia. READ: Rashford scores a hattrick on the pitch and causes the UK government turmoil off itCristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring against Spezia.Ronaldo first tested positive for Covid-19 on October 13 whilst on international duty with Portugal and flew back to Turin on a private air ambulance. After he began self-isolating with his family at home, he missed one game for his country and four Juventus fixtures. There had been hopes he would be fit to return against Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday but the 35-year-old tested positive ahead of the match. It meant fans were denied a renewal of his rivalry with Lionel Messi, who scored in Ronaldo's absence as Juventus looked toothless without its star player. On Friday, Juventus confirmed Ronaldo had recovered from the virus and had returned a negative test. While in isolation, he had posted multiple videos on his social media accounts showing himself working out and keeping fit from home. | 7 |