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Syria toll reportedly tops 160,000
5/19/2014 5:03:56 PM
- The dead include 8,607 children, according to Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
- Total number includes civilians, military members, defected soldiers and foreign fighters
- Syria's presidential election is scheduled for next month
(CNN) -- The three-year war in Syria has claimed 162,402 lives, an opposition group said Monday, as the raging conflict shows no signs of abating.
The dead include 8,607 children, according to the the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. It said the total numbers included civilians, military members, defected soldiers and foreign fighters, among others.
United Nations officials said they stopped updating their death toll in July because of lack of access and the inability to verify information from sources.
At the time, it said that well over 100,000 people, including many civilians, have been killed in the war pitting government forces against rebels seeking to end the rule of President Bashar al- Assad.
The political uprising against al-Assad's regime started with mostly peaceful protests in Daraa province in March 2011.
Syria responded with a ferocious crackdown against demonstrators and has consistently said it is battling armed terrorist groups as it targeted anti-government protesters.
Al-Assad, whose family has ruled Syria for more than four decades, succeeded his father in 2000 and won a second term in 2007.
Syria's next presidential election is scheduled for next month, and al-Assad has registered to run again.
The United Nations has asked his government to reconsider the election as the carnage mounts daily.
So far, attempts to stop the fighting between government forces and rebels seeking al-Assad's ouster have failed.
READ: Death and desecration in Syria: Jihadist group 'crucifies' bodies to send message
READ: 25 children killed in elementary school bombing, Syrian activists say
Pamela Anderson reveals sex abuse
5/19/2014 9:49:18 AM
- Pamela Anderson discusses her childhood sex abuse at a charity event in France
- Despite "loving parents," Anderson says she "did not have an easy childhood"
- "Needless to say, I had a hard time trusting humans," Anderson says
(CNN) -- Actress Pamela Anderson revealed Friday that she suffered sexual abuse throughout her childhood, starting at age 6 when she was molested by a babysitter.
The former "Baywatch" star talked about it in remarks at the launch of her animal rights charity -- The Pamela Anderson Foundation -- at the Cannes Film Festival in France.
"I feel now might be the time to reveal some of my most painful memories," she said, according to the transcript posted on her online blog.
Although she had "loving parents" while growing up in British Columbia, Canada, Anderson said she "did not have an easy childhood."
She recounted being molested between the ages of 6 and 10 "by my female babysitter," and then being raped when she was 12 by the 25-year-old brother of a "friend's boyfriend." The man "decided he would teach me backgammon, which led into a back massage, which led into rape," she said.
Coincidentally, the Cannes event at which she revealed the rape was a backgammon tournament.
"Needless to say, I had a hard time trusting humans," Anderson said. "I just wanted off this earth."
Child sex abuse is a taboo topic for some parents
Although her parents "tried to keep me safe," the "world was not a safe place," she said. Her mother was busy working two waitressing jobs, she said.
"My mom was always crying," she said.
She never told her mother about the molestation and rapes because "I couldn't (bear) to give her any more disruptive information," she said. "I couldn't break her heart any more than it was breaking."
Anderson, now 46, said her love for animals saved her.
"My loyalty remained with the animal kingdom," she said. "I vowed to protect them and only them. I prayed to the whales with my feet in the ocean. My only real friends, till I had children."
Before her acting career took off, Anderson started her career as a Playboy centerfold, appearing on 13 covers of the magazine starting in 1989.
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Bear attacks jogger at Alaska air base
5/20/2014 3:13:53 AM
- Jogger runs up on female bear with cubs
- Bear claws woman's arms, legs, neck and torso, CNN affiliate reports
- Despite injuries, woman walks a mile uphill to get help
(CNN) -- A woman jogging at an Air Force base in Alaska on Sunday survived an attack by a brown bear sow defending its two cubs, the military said.
The victim, who is the wife of a man stationed at the base and declined to be identified, walked a mile after she was mauled before a good Samaritan spotted her and took her to a hospital at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
The woman was listed in stable condition on Monday at Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage.
According to CNN affiliate KTUU, the bear clawed the woman's arms, legs, neck and torso before leaving the site. The station reported the woman had the presence of mind to walk toward a populated part of the base even though it was uphill.
Maj. Angela Webb, a spokeswoman for the Air Force, said the area is popular with runners and bicyclists, who are warned to bring bear spray.
"In this particular case, the runner turned the corner at the wrong time and wrong place," Webb said.
The bear took a defensive pose, Webb said, before it went after the jogger.
The woman had been jogging with her husband, but he had run ahead of her.
It was the first bear encounter since 2010, when a bear went after four girls, three of whom played dead. The fourth ran to get help as the bear wandered away, Webb said.
The Air Force Times reported that bears, moose and wolves are not rare at the base, which spreads across more than 74,000 acres. It is adjacent to Anchorage.
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Man Utd names van Gaal as manager
5/20/2014 3:22:47 AM
- Louis van Gaal appointed as manager of Manchester United
- The Dutchman succeeds David Moyes after he was sacked last month
- Van Gaal brought in to bring success back to the club after a difficult season
- He appoints Ryan Giggs as assistant, and Welshman ends playing career
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(CNN) -- He is the Chosen One MK II -- and he is hoping to make history of a more notable kind than his predecessor achieved.
After waiting 27 years to appoint a new manager, Manchester United's attempts to fill the void left by Alex Ferguson now focus on Louis van Gaal -- who on Monday was named to succeed David Moyes, sacked in April after enduring a miserable campaign in charge.
While Moyes' short tenure was marked by morale-sapping defeats against lesser teams United previously brushed aside, Van Gaal brings an authority earned by stamping his mark on some of the world's biggest clubs.
"It was always a wish for me to work in the Premier League," the Dutchman said in a United statement after a signing a three-year contract with the 20-time English champions.
"To work as a manager for Manchester United, the biggest club in the world, makes me very proud.
"I have managed in games at Old Trafford before and know what an incredible arena Old Trafford is and how passionate and knowledgeable the fans are. This club has big ambitions; I too have big ambitions. Together I'm sure we will make history."
While Moyes arrived at Old Trafford without a major trophy to his name, Van Gaal, who will step down from his role as Netherlands coach after the forthcoming World Cup, comes with real European pedigree.
Making his name as a manager at Ajax, he led the Dutch club to three Eredivisie titles, the UEFA Cup and the Champions League.
The 62-year-old enjoyed further success at Barcelona -- winning back-to-back La Liga titles -- while another Eredivisie title followed at AZ Alkmaar, before he claimed a German league-and-cup double at Bayern Munich.
Van Gaal will be expected to take United back to the summit of English football after the club slipped from winning the 2012-13 Premier League title by a margin of 11 points to missing out on Champions League qualification this term, for the first time since 1995.
"In Louis van Gaal, we have secured the services of one of the outstanding managers in the game today," declared United chief executive Ed Woodward. "He has achieved many things in his career to date and Old Trafford provides him with a fitting stage on which to write new chapters in the Manchester United story."
In his bid to restore the club to its former glories, Van Gaal has retained Ryan Giggs as his assistant manager.
The Welshman is a veteran of over two decades at United, winning 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League crowns in 963 appearances, and took over as manager for the final four games of the 2013-14 season after Moyes was dismissed.
"I am thrilled to have the chance to serve as assistant manager," the 40-year-old said Monday, before announcing his retirement from playing. "Louis van Gaal is a world-class coach and I know I will learn a lot about coaching from being able to observe and contribute at such close quarters.
"Manchester United has been a huge part of my life and I'm delighted to be able to continue that relationship in such a key role.
"Today is a new chapter filled with many emotions -- immense pride, sadness, but most of all, excitement towards the future. United fans I hope will share and echo my belief that the club, the management and owners, are doing everything they can to return this great club to where it belongs, and I hope to be there every step of the way."
Despite Van Gaal's impressive track record, his appointment is potentially risky. Former Germany international Mehmet Scholl, who worked with the Dutchman during their time together at Bayern, warned United players not to expect an easy ride.
"He's very strict and severe. So the players just have the chance to follow him or they are out, and he takes the next players," Scholl recently told UK newspaper The Guardian.
"(Players) are not computers. Sometimes the brain is full. And he still wants (you) to learn, to learn, to learn, high level, every day. Is it annoying? No. It's exhausting. They lose power. That's what happened at Bayern Munich."
Although Van Gaal impressed during his first stint in charge at Barcelona -- between 1997-2000 -- he lasted less than a year in the job upon his return in 2002, with a string of bad results proving to be his downfall.
"If you treat your people bad, they remember," Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano, who worked alongside the Dutchman at the Camp Nou, told Britain's Daily Telegraph.
"One day you make an error and they kill you. I've seen this in many clubs. Louis van Gaal has been a very good coach in many clubs but his style is very difficult. The same thing happened to him in Barcelona as in Bayern Munich.
"He is very tough, people don't like him, but he wins. And one day you don't win -- and when you don't win, everybody that is angry with you will come back to you and try to kill you.
"In the movies this works, in real life it doesn't."
Van Gaal, who had been linked with Tottenham Hotspur until the United job became available, will be given a large transfer budget as he attempts to bring success back to the club.
The likes of Bayern midfielder Toni Kroos and Southampton's England World Cup defender Luke Shaw have been linked with moves to Manchester.
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Thailand's military imposes martial law, denies coup
5/20/2014 6:41:19 AM
- Military says it wants to bring stability after protests and Prime Minister's removal
- Analyst: Military is trying to persuade protesters to go home, "dial down the tensions"
- Government aide calls situation "half a coup d'etat," says military's action was unilateral
- Thailand's army has declared martial law but stresses the move is not a coup
Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- The Thai army declared martial law throughout the country Tuesday in a surprise move that an aide to the embattled Prime Minister said the government didn't know about beforehand.
"They took this action unilaterally. The government is having a special meeting regarding this. We have to watch and see if the army chief honors his declaration of impartiality," the aide said, describing the situation as "half a coup d'etat."
Lt. Gen. Nipat Thonglek told CNN the move was not a coup.
"The army aims to maintain peace, order and public safety for all groups and all parties," a ticker running on the army's television channel said.
"People are urged not to panic, and can carry on their business as usual."
The army says it wants to bring peace to a country riven with division that has spilled into the streets and resulting in deaths, injuries and political instability.
Two weeks ago, the country's Constitutional Court removed caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra from government, after protests peaked.
The people of Thailand are all too familiar with coup d'etats. There have been at least 18 actual and attempted military takeovers since Thailand became a constitutional monarchy in 1932.
READ MORE: Thailand wakes to martial law: What it means
Guarding the media
Martial law went into effect at 3 a.m. Tuesday, a television ticker said.
The military is guarding all Thai TV stations, Thai public television announced, showing pictures of soldiers and armored vehicles taking positions outside broadcast facilities in the country's capital.
In a statement read on Thai television, the military declared that all of the country's radio and television stations must suspend their normal programs "when it is needed."
The dramatic announcements come days after the head of the army issued a stern warning after political violence had surged in the country's capital.
The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok alerted American citizens in the country to the invoking of martial law in a statement Tuesday. It warned them to pay attention to media coverage of Thailand and avoid protests and public gatherings, saying that even peaceful events can turn violent.
Command and control
The military has established a security task force called the Peace Keeping Command Center, which is headed by army Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha and operates from the Thai Army Club in Bangkok.
The task force has ordered officials to appear before it. Local and international journalists formed a crowd outside the building waiting for Prayuth to speak.
At a news conference, the general said he wanted "all political parties" to start a dialogue aimed at ending the political crisis in Thailand, saying the military "won't allow any bloodshed."
"We cannot keep having" conflict, Prayuth said.
He apologized for banning some TV broadcasts, justifying the measure for reasons of national security. He would not say when martial law would end but indicated he did not foresee it lasting for three to six months.
Concern about democracy
A human rights activist as well as a divisive political icon, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, have criticized the army's bold actions.
It's a departure from democracy, said Human Rights Watch Thailand's Sunai Phasuk.
"With the enforcement of martial law, the army is one step closer to taking over power completely from civilian administration," he said. "There is no check and balance; there is no safeguards against rights violations."
Thaksin, a billionaire tycoon who was driven out of the country in a coup in 2006, showed more guarded concern in comments posted to his Twitter account.
"Declaring martial law is something already expected for those who have been following the situation in Thailand lately. However, I hope that there would be no parties violating human rights and sabotaging democratic process any further. It would just worsen the image of Thailand for the eyes of international communities," the posts read.
Much of the tension between protesters in Thailand, who have clashed violently in recent years, center on him. There are those who vehemently oppose him and those who want him back in power.
The ousted caretaker Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, is Thaksin's younger sister.
Military tightrope walk
It's too soon to tell whether the military's declaration of martial law will ease tensions or heighten them, analysts said.
Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political science professor, described the situation as "very volatile."
"This is a precarious time now for the army," he said. "They have to be even-handed."
If the military appears to be favoring one side, he said, violence could escalate rather than cool down.
"If it's seen as favoring one side or the other side, then we could see more violence and turmoil against the military," he said.
Paul Quaglia, director at Bangkok-based risk assessment firm PQA Associates, described the situation as "martial law light."
"Right now the military has deployed troops around key intersections of the city. Traffic is a real mess here at the moment, but there's no violence," he said. "I think what the military is trying to do with this ... is to convince protesters to go home. They're trying to dial down the tensions here as well as preempt several large rallies and strikes that were scheduled for later this week."
Going forward
But what happens next will depend on how protesters react, he said.
"The military is taking a step-by-step, gentle approach to see if they can get things to improve," Quaglia said. "If not, they'll of course have to ratchet up their actions."
Nipat, the lieutenant general, said the precise restrictions of martial law were being worked out.
The government's "red shirt" support base, many of whom hail from the country's rural north and northeast, view Yingluck's ouster as a "judicial coup" and have been protesting what they consider an unfair bias by many of the country's institutions against their side.
Anti-government protesters are seeking a new government -- but not through elections, which the opposition Democrat Party has boycotted, arguing the alleged corruption of their political rivals makes widespread reform necessary before any meaningful vote can be held.
Increased government efforts to improve security are a positive step, Quaglia said.
"That being said, martial law will not solve the political problems that continue to haunt this country," he said. "The differences are stark, and I don't think the military can step in and by force fix the political issues."
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CNN's Kocha Olarn reported from Bangkok. CNN's Ben Brumfield and Catherine E. Shoichet reported from Atlanta. CNN's John Vause, Saima Mohsin and Tim Hume contributed to this report.
China's shadowy 'cyberspying' unit
5/20/2014 9:05:30 AM
- Shadowy PLA unit coded as 61398 could be responsible for cyber espionage
- U.S.-based security firm Mandiant studied hacking activity originating from China over a six-year period
- Mandiant says it has details on the what, where, who, and how of unit 61398
- Chinese authorities deny any connection between the military and cyber espionage
(CNN) -- "UglyGorilla," "KandyGoo," and "WinXYHappy" are some of the aliases used by the Chinese accused of hacking U.S. companies on Monday.
The men behind these handles are officers of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) under a unit known simply by the code 61398.
Little is confirmed about the mysterious unit 61398, a section that the Chinese authorities have not officially acknowledged. The Chinese defense ministry said the country's military "has never supported any hacker activities."
But the U.S. indictment notice pinpoints a non-descript building on Datong Road in Shanghai's Pudong District as one of the locations for unit 61398's alleged cyber espionage activities.
When CNN tried to visit the building last year, our correspondents were chased away by security guards, as seen in the video above.
What is unit 61398 and what do they do? U.S.-based Internet security firm Mandiant released a 60-page report last year detailing allegations against the shadowy unit over a six-year period.
According to Mandiant's document and the U.S. indictment, here's what we know about the secret division.
Capable
Mandiant says unit 61398 is also known as the "comment crew," and has systematically stolen hundreds of terabytes of data from at least 141 organizations across 20 industries worldwide since as early as 2006.
Large
Mandiant estimates that more than 1,000 servers are being used by unit 61398.
The security firm believes the unit employs anywhere from hundreds to thousands of staff. A look at the physical size of the building in Shanghai -- 12 floors high, with more than 130,000 square feet of space -- suggests the unit could house around 2,000 people.
Focused
Mandiant observed 141 companies targeted by unit 61398, out of which 115 were in the United States. These were blue-chip companies in important industries such as aerospace, satellite and telecommunications, and information technology -- strategic industries that were identified in China's five year plan for 2011 to 2015.
"It's really a who's who of American companies," says Grady Summers, Mandiant's vice president.
Some of the alleged victims included in the latest indictment are U.S. Steel Corp., Westinghouse, Alcoa, Allegheny Technologies, the United Steel Workers Union and SolarWorld.
Well-supported
Unit 61398 was given a special fiber optic communication infrastructure by state-owned enterprise China Telecom in the name of national defense, Mandiant reported.
Tricky
The accused Chinese hackers reportedly use spear-phishing to hack into companies. The simple trick makes scam emails appear like they are from someone the receiver actually knows. For example, the emails would be personally addressed and signed by another employee in the same company.
Spear-phishers may scan social media to find out personal details about a victim to make the scam emails seem legitimate.
Tip of the iceberg
Unit 61398 is just one of more than 20 cyber attack groups with origins in China, says Mandiant.
Sterling is clueless about Magic
5/20/2014 8:01:48 PM
- Rick Wade says Magic Johnson has put his money where his mouth is in the urban market
- Donald Sterling criticized Johnson: "What does he do for the black people? He doesn't do anything."
- Sterling, says Wade, is just dead wrong
- Johnson has invested in real estate, theaters, restaurants, sports teams and Starbucks franchises
Editor's note: Rick C. Wade is an entrepreneur, former deputy chief of staff for the secretary of commerce, and recently dropped out as a candidate for a U.S. Senate seat in South Carolina. You can follow him on Twitter @RickCWade. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
(CNN) -- Last month I joined Earvin "Magic" Johnson to watch the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors at the Staples Center, and I became immersed in the excitement of a great NBA game.
My excitement would later turn into disappointment and anger as a result of the controversial statements made by Clippers owner Don Sterling.
All of his statements are troubling, but his most recent -- that Magic Johnson hasn't done anything to help the black community -- is just dead wrong.
That Sterling -- who has until May 27 to respond to the NBA's charges and efforts to terminate his ownership rights -- equates help with handouts shows his flawed and outdated understanding of charity and philanthropy. While Sterling gave an inconsequential amount of cash to the L.A. chapter of the NAACP to help dilute his well-documented record of racism, Magic used his millions to bring economic development to struggling black communities, to create businesses and jobs, to encourage black entrepreneurship and to inspire other black businessmen and businesswomen to invest in inner cities.
The protracted discourse this country has been having about race and the NBA offers a real opportunity to foster a more long-term solution to the economic disparity in black communities.
The NBA and players should work together to create more pathways to team ownership and more business opportunities across the league's supply chain for African-Americans and other minorities. This would be good not only for the league and players, but for minority businesses, fans, and the many youngsters who aspire to sports careers. I can't think of a better person to help lead such efforts than Magic.
What Sterling doesn't understand, but Magic does, is that "help" in the 21st century economy is about investing in people and communities so that they can become economically empowered. It's about providing opportunities that can make individuals more financially independent and make black families more financially solvent. It's about creating businesses that bring money into black communities, and keeping the money there.
Opinion: The 5 apology rules that Sterling broke
Unlike many professional athletes, Magic has always understood the economic impact of sports and sought to extend his financial clout to the broader community. As he said in a recent interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, "My whole life is devoted to urban America. We go back and educate others on how they can be successful. It's not about giving them money. It's about giving them tools."
Whether through real estate investments, Magic Johnson Theaters, restaurants, fitness centers, sports teams or Starbucks franchises, Magic has been transforming urban centers and in doing so may attract other businesses that wrote off black communities and their buying power.
Over the last three decades, startups by entrepreneurs -- companies less than five years old -- have accounted for most of the new jobs in the private sector. Arguably, the scarcity of these new, dynamic, fast-growing companies in black communities has contributed to some of the chronic unemployment we see today, the very joblessness that often lies at the root of so many of our broader social problems, from drug dealing and gang violence to neighborhood decay and broken families.
These challenges defy easy solutions. However, a new corner store here or a barbershop there can't create widespread economic opportunity. Targeted government programs can help, but long-term, private-sector investment is absolutely critical for economic sustainability.
Magic understood early on the business of basketball. He leveraged his relationships and successfully made the transition from athlete to entrepreneur. He is an important role model to youngsters who are eager to be successful in sports but clueless about how to get there.
Opinion: Sterling apology was an epic fail
I witnessed firsthand the sway that Magic had as a surrogate during the 2008 presidential race, when I was a senior adviser to the Obama campaign, coordinating the involvement of many athletes and entertainers.
Young people responded enthusiastically to Magic, energized by their hero and the prospect of a young black president who played ball himself. Few of these young people will become NBA players, but lots can own businesses.
Magic represents an important nexus between the little boys who play on the neighborhood basketball courts and the big boys who play on Wall Street. His entrepreneurship represents the bridge from poverty to prosperity.
Other professional athletes can build bridges, too, but they have to see themselves as modern-day entrepreneurs with real power to make a difference, as comfortable speaking in corporate boardrooms as they are playing ball, and as interested in owning businesses as they are in being big-ticket consumers with expensive homes and cars.
The NBA generates over $4 billion annually and the top 10 players reportedly earn a combined $200 million dollars combined each year. With that kind of money they can afford to invest in high-growth companies in energy, technology and advanced manufacturing that create high paying jobs. Athletes also can challenge companies whose products they endorse to locate manufacturing and distribution facilities in distressed urban areas.
While they're at it, they should certainly work towards pooling their resources, buying teams, and ensuring a culture of diversity, integrity and mutual respect.
Unlike Don Sterling's shameful and insincere attempts to buy credibility in the black community, that's something the players' millions can actually attain.
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Thai military calls for cross-party talks
5/21/2014 1:33:38 AM
- Representatives of pro- and anti- government groups will attend the meeting
- The army chief has said he wants to resolve the political crisis through dialogue
- The country has been hit by protests and the recent removal of a prime minister
Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- A day after declaring martial law, the Thai military has called a meeting Wednesday with key parties involved in the political unrest that has beset the country for the past six months.
The deep-seated tensions in Thailand have in recent months caused deadly clashes, paralyzed parts of the capital city and brought down a prime minister.
The military, which has a long history of interfering in Thai politics, stepped into the fray Wednesday with its sudden declaration that it was taking control, a move it carried out without giving any warning to the acting prime minister.
Military officials denied that their intervention, which has deepened uncertainty over the country's future, was a coup. But human rights activists warned that the imposition of martial law is a major step away from democracy and lacks safeguards.
Troops took up positions at key intersections in Bangkok and outside the offices of TV stations. The military said that all of the country's radio and television stations must suspend their normal programs "when it is needed."
An aide to acting Prime Minister Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan described the declaration of martial law as "half a coup d'etat."
The army chief, Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, said at a news conference Tuesday that he wanted "all political parties" to start a dialogue aimed at ending the protracted political crisis, saying the military "won't allow any bloodshed."
"We cannot keep having" conflict, he said. But he wouldn't say when martial law would end.
Among those invited the meeting Wednesday are the chairman of the election commission, the acting senate house speaker, the leader of the governing Phue Thai party, the leader of the opposition Democrat Party, the leader of the anti-government protesters and the leader of the pro-government red shirts group.
The meeting is due to take place Wednesday afternoon at the Army Club, according to Phue Thai.
READ MORE: Thailand wakes to martial law: What it means
Army declares martial law, government wasn't informed
Newly-crowned Miss Universe Thailand in hot water over 'red shirts' remarks
CNN's Kocha Olarn reported from Bangkok, and CNN's Jethro Mullen wrote from Hong Kong. CNN's Ashley Fantz and Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report.
What martial law means for Thailand
5/20/2014 10:54:35 PM
- Thai military says it's imposition of martial law is not a coup d'etat
- Declaration made on army at 3 a.m. local time to cause "minimum fuss"
- Army chief says the move was necessary to restore law and order
- Commentators watching and waiting for military's next move
(CNN) -- It was 3 a.m. in Thailand. Presumably barely anyone was watching.
But the country's military chief chose that hour to appear on army-run Channel 5 television Tuesday to declare martial law across the country.
"This is not a coup," said Gen. Prayuth Chan-Ocha, hours before the nation's people woke to the new public order; with soldiers stationed at intersections and tanks on the streets.
The army says it has taken control to ensure law and order in a country split by deep political divisions, two weeks after the country's Constitutional Court removed caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra from government.
"The defendant has abused her position as prime minister," said the judge in the ruling. "Her prime ministership has ... ended."
Nine cabinet ministers were also removed from office, while Deputy PM and Commerce Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan was appointed caretaker prime minister.
How has the caretaker prime minister reacted?
Niwatthamrong has not been removed from his post, although one of his aides, who declined to be named, told CNN the government had not been consulted before the military made its move.
"We have to watch and see if what declared by the Army Chief is well honored," he said, calling the events of Tuesday morning "a half coup d'etat."
Niwatthamrong later issued a statement on the imposition of martial law:
"With reference to the Royal Thai Army's declaration of the martial law to preserve order and bring back peacefulness to the country, the government wishes the same for national peace, and hopes that the martial law is imposed by way of peaceful means and equality with no violence and discrimination and under the legal state and the rule of law which is in accordance with the government's ongoing policy," he said.
"This action of the Royal Thai Army's must be under the principles of constitution and democracy with the King as head of state."
A long history of coups
The people of Thailand are all too familiar with coup d'etats. There have been at least 18 actual and attempted military takeovers since Thailand became a constitutional monarchy in 1932.
The last one was in 2006 when the military sent tanks onto the streets before ousting then Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the brother of Yingluck, who is now living in exile to avoid a corruption conviction he claims is politically motivated.
Thaksin's supporters, known as red shirts, have also rallied around Yingluck, slamming her ousting as a "judicial coup." Thousands of protesters swarmed the streets following the ruling, seeking the removal of the caretaker government.
Their political rivals allege Yingluck is acting as a puppet leader for her brother and campaigned for her removal.
The anti-government movement includes "yellow shirts," predominantly urban, middle class members of the royalist establishment. Members of the "red shirts" are typically rural working class.
What does martial law look like in Thailand?
Within hours of declaring martial law, Gen. Prayuth announced he would be leading a new security task force, the Peace Keeping Command Center (PKCC). The task force's advisory committee also includes chiefs of the navy, air force and national police, he said.
Andrew Marshall
Soldiers were dispatched to stand guard at television stations. Broadcasters, including 10 satellite TV stations, were ordered to shut down "to ensure that information will be distributed rightly and to prevent any distortions which could lead to misunderstandings and it could lead to wide spread conflicts."
Images posted on social media showed soldiers patrolling the streets of Bangkok. Paul Quaglia, director at PQA Associates told CNN they were positioned at intersections but so far there was no sign of unrest.
"Traffic is a real mess here at the moment. But there's no violence. I think what the military is trying to do with this 'martial law light,' if I can say that, is to convince protesters to go home. They're trying to dial down the tensions here as well as preempt several large rallies and strikes that were scheduled for later this week," he said.
Andrew Marshall, a journalist and author who focuses on Thailand, told CNN the military's decision to announce martial law at night indicated it was trying to do so "with minimal possible fuss."
What happens next?
Marshall said it would become clearer in the next couple of days what the army's intentions are; whether it's going to call an election or appoint a new government.
"If they appoint a government it's a coup by another name and you might see the start of violence from the red shirts," he said.
"Martial law means the police are sidelined and they are no longer responsible for security. And the police in Thailand are seen as heavily supportive of Thaksin and his allies, which is the red side of the battle. So when you've got a police force that's suddenly been sidelined that's another combustible element in this mix.
"So Thailand is kind of on a knife-edge," he said.
Did the military have no choice?
Gen. Prayuth's move to impose martial law didn't come as a surprise, wrote Saritdet Marukatat, digital editor for the Bangkok Post. The army chief warned last week the military could be forced to act to end violent protests.
"The country was moving towards a possible bloody clash between the two camps, leaving no choice for the army commander but to try to prevent it. As a general, he had only two choices: a military coup or martial law," Marukatat wrote.
"He picked the softer option and did as he had promised in last week's statement, that the army does not want a coup because it would meaning tearing down the 2007 constitution."
However, Sunai Phasuk from Human Rights Watch Thailand said the situation in the country had not yet justified the army's intervention.
"There is no concrete proof that the situation in Thailand is out of control to the extent that an enforcement of the martial law is essential. With the enforcement of martial law, the army is one step closer to taking over power completely from civilian administration."
"At the moment, military authorities have superior power over civil authority in keeping public order. There is no check and balance; there are no safeguards against rights violations; there are no remedies for any damage cause by the army. The fate of the nation is essentially in Gen. Prayuth's hands," he said.
Could the military broker peace in Thailand?
Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political science professor, said the declaration of martial law in Thailand had broken the deadlock between warring parties, and the army was now in a position to mediate a possible resolution.
"We've been paralyzed in Thailand because on one side we have protesters bent on replacing the government, and on the other side we have a caretaker government refusing to resign."
"If the army can play a mediating role in search of a compromise that satisfies all sides then we can find a way out of this crisis. But if it does not, if the army plays a partisan role, then we can see a lot more crises in Thailand," he warned.
In a statement, the U.S. State Department encouraged all parties to "respect democratic principles" and also stressed the need for elections "to determine the will of the Thai people."
Thai PM Yingluck Shinawatra dismissed from office by court
Ousted Thai PM Yingluck to face impeachment over rice program
Protesters descend on Thai capital seeking government's ouster
Army chief issues warning
CNN's Kocha Olarn and Tim Hume contributed to this report.
Families' outrage at 9/11 gift shop
5/20/2014 4:00:03 AM
- 9/11 Memorial Museum will have gift shop selling items such as key chains and apparel
- President of museum: Revenue will offset $65 million in yearly costs
- 9/11 family member: Museum's admission fee and gift shop are "disgusting"
(CNN) -- A gift shop set to open to the public on Wednesday at the 9/11 Memorial Museum has sparked controversy among some victims' families.
Among the items sold: hats emblazoned with the FDNY symbol, search and rescue stuffed-dog animals and a slew of books relating to the attack and building of the memorial.
Organizers of the museum acknowledge that the cost of operation, about $65 million yearly, will require the support of revenue generated from the gift shop, and the museum's admission fees, with $24 for an adult. It will also help maintain the free admission to the museum's outside memorial.
"To provide an opportunity to buy a keepsake and have those proceeds support this open and free memorial is something I would do seven days a week," said Joe Daniels, president of the National September 11 Memorial Museum.
He says the gift shop is situated in a "respectful space" in the museum and notes that the No. 1 sellers so far are the DVDs and books they sell that educate the public about the history behind the events of September 11.
But some in the 9/11 community are bristling at the idea of monetizing their families' final resting places.
"I think it's a revenue-generating tourist attraction," Jim Riches said of the museum. Riches, who is retired from the New York City Fire Department, lost his son, a firefighter, in the attacks.
"Basically, they're making money off of my son's dead body. I think that's disgusting," Riches said.
Also at issue? The roughly 8,000 unidentified human remains that will be housed in the museum. Riches likens the accompanying admission fee to "charging people to get into a cemetery."
"Let's bring the remains up to a respectable location ... above ground with an eternal light. Everybody can visit them, you won't pay $24 to get in there," he said.
But Lee Ielpi, a member of the museum's board of directors who lost his son Jonathan, a firefighter, in the attack, hopes that the revenue generated will help maintain the museum.
"We have an obligation to society ... 20 years from now, we need to make sure the people that step foot on this plaza know where they're stepping and when they go into the entrance and go into the museum, they need to know what they're going to see there," he said.
Tragedy turns the mundane into memorial
Wife to terrorist wannabe: 'Go die'
5/20/2014 9:54:12 AM
- Britain convicts Mashudur Choudhury of a terrorism offense in Syria
- He was found guilty of conduct in preparation of terrorist attacks
- Choudhury pleaded not guilty
- He has not yet been sentenced
London (CNN) -- For the first time, Britain has convicted someone of a terrorism offense related to the Syrian civil war.
Mashudur Choudhury, 31, was convicted of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist attacks, the Crown Prosecution Service said.
A father of two, Choudhury traveled to Syria in October with the intention of joining a terrorist training camp, the UK's Press Association reported.
"At times in his discussions with others the defendant described his intention to become a martyr," prosecutor Alison Morgan told the jury during the two-week trial, the association reported.
In one text message, his wife wrote him, "Go die in battlefield. Go die, I really mean it just go. I'll be relieved. At last. At last," the Press Association said.
Choudhury pleaded not guilty.
He will be sentenced June 13.
READ: UK police arrest 4 on suspicion of Syria-linked terror offenses
Thai military holds talks after declaring martial law
5/21/2014 3:03:48 AM
- Representatives of pro- and anti- government groups are attending the meeting
- The army chief has said he wants to resolve the political crisis through dialogue
- Human rights activists criticize the use of martial law
- The country has been hit by protests and the recent removal of a prime minister
Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- A day after declaring martial law, the Thai military is holding a meeting Wednesday with key parties involved in the political unrest that has beset the country for the past six months.
The deep-seated tensions in Thailand have in recent months caused deadly clashes, paralyzed parts of the capital city and brought down a prime minister.
The military, which has a long history of interfering in Thai politics, stepped into the fray Tuesday with its sudden declaration that it was stepping in, a move it carried out without giving any warning to the acting prime minister.
Military officials denied that their intervention, which has deepened uncertainty over the country's future, was a coup. But human rights activists warned that the imposition of martial law is a major step away from democracy and lacks safeguards.
Troops took up positions at key intersections in Bangkok and outside the offices of TV stations. The military said that all of the country's radio and television stations must suspend their normal programs "when it is needed."
But daily life continued without major disruptions across many parts of the capital. By Wednesday, military vehicles had left some areas where they'd been stationed a day earlier.
Military as mediator
An aide to acting Prime Minister Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan described the declaration of martial law as "half a coup d'etat."
The army chief, Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, said at a news conference Tuesday that he wanted "all political parties" to start a dialogue aimed at ending the protracted political crisis, saying the military "won't allow any bloodshed."
"We cannot keep having" conflict, Prayuth said. But he wouldn't say when martial law would end.
The general has placed himself in the role of mediator between two deeply opposed camps: the Bangkok elites who have supported demonstrations against the party of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and the pro-government red shirt movement whose large support base is strongest in the north and northeast of Thailand.
Among those invited the meeting Wednesday are the chairman of the election commission, the acting senate house speaker, the leader of the governing Pheu Thai party, the leader of the opposition Democrat Party, the leader of the anti-government protesters and the leader of the red shirts.
Top officials began arriving Wednesday afternoon at the venue for the talks, the Army Club in Bangkok.
Months of instability
Thailand has been hit by a series of bouts of political unrest over the past decade.
The current phase of turmoil was triggered in November by Yingluck's botched attempt to pass an amnesty bill that would have allowed the return of her brother Thaksin Shinawatra, another former prime minister who lives in exile and polarizes opinions in Thailand. Thaksin was deposed by a military coup in 2006.
Groups opposed to the government seized on the amnesty bill furor and began large-scale protests in central areas of Bangkok.
In an attempt to defuse the tensions, Yingluck called an early election. But the Democrat Party boycotted the February election, and Yingluck's opponents blocked voting in enough districts to prevent a valid outcome.
The leaders of the anti-government demonstrators say that elections, which the Shinawatra family's populist Pheu Thai party is highly likely to win, aren't the way to resolve the crisis. They say they want the establishment of an unelected "people's council" that would oversee political changes.
Yingluck, who first took office in 2011 stayed on after the disrupted election as a caretaker prime minister. But the Constitutional Court forced her from office two weeks ago, finding her guilty of violating the constitution over the appointments of top security officials. Yingluck has denied breaking the law.
Her removal from office has angered the red shirts, who say they see it as a judicial coup.
Large protest camps by pro- and anti-government groups remain in different areas of Bangkok.
READ MORE: Thailand wakes to martial law: What it means
Army declares martial law, government wasn't informed
Newly-crowned Miss Universe Thailand in hot water over 'red shirts' remarks
CNN's Kocha Olarn reported from Bangkok, and CNN's Jethro Mullen wrote from Hong Kong. CNN's Paula Hancocks, Ashley Fantz and Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report.
Will MERS become a global threat?
5/20/2014 6:44:22 AM
- A third case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in the U.S. has been reported
- W. Ian Lipkin: The recent rise of MERS cases should not cause panic
- He says if we see clusters of infections that would be cause for concern
- Lipkin: New MERS cases are not surprising given how globally connected we are
Editor's note: W. Ian Lipkin is John Snow professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
(CNN) -- A third case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in the United States has been reported. An unidentified Illinois man was infected after having "extended face-to-face contact" with an Indiana man who was diagnosed with the MERS virus. Fortunately, he is no longer ill.
The rise in the reported number of MERS cases in the United States, Asia and Europe has fueled concern that this may be the big one: the 21st century equivalent of the 1918 influenza pandemic that killed 3% to 5% of the world population.
Concern is appropriate, because the coronavirus responsible for MERS can evolve to become more potent public health threats. However, I don't yet see evidence that will happen.
For one thing, an increase in the number of reported cases is not equivalent to an increase in the number of actual cases. As MERS testing is expanded from people with severe disease to include those with mild disease or only a history of potential exposure, we will detect more cases of infection. The mortality rate associated with infection will decrease from the current estimate of 30%. In short, we don't yet know the extent to which an increase in the reported number of cases only reflects better case ascertainment.
MERS, like 70% of all emerging infectious diseases, including influenza, SARS, HIV/AIDS and ebola, originates in wildlife. With MERS, both bats and camels may be implicated. Studies of camels in Saudi Arabia indicate that the majority have a history of MERS coronavirus infection. Infection appears to occur in early life and then clears. Up to a third of young camels carry this infectious virus. Because camels are born in the spring, there may be an increased amount of virus circulating in camels in spring and summer months. This may contribute to a seasonal spike in the reported number of MERS cases.
Humans may become infected through contact with infected animals, meat or other animal products such as milk. However, pandemic spread cannot occur without efficient human-to-human transmission. The MERS coronavirus grows deep in the human respiratory tract, so it is less likely to be transmitted than viruses that grow in teh nose, mouth or upper airways where a sneeze or a cough is sufficient to create an infectious aerosol.
Hospitalized patients with pneumonia-like MERS receive vigorous respiratory interventions such as intubation, assisted ventilation, drugs that dilate airways and chest percussion. These interventions may bring virus into the environment in aerosols and on the surfaces of medical equipment, resulting in infection of hospital personnel and other patients. Since the MERS coronavirus has been shown to be stable for up to 48 hours, it may be difficult to determine the source of infection as people and equipment circulate in the health care environment.
To date, cases of human-to-human transmission have only been reported in hospitals and in families where there is intimate contact with an infected person. If we notice a change in this pattern such that clusters of infections begin to appear in communities with more casual contact, that would be a strong sign that the virus is evolving to become a pandemic threat.
The MERS cases in new countries are disturbing but not surprising given how globally connected we are. International travel and foot traffic make it easier to spread a virus.
The first two cases reported in the United States, in Indiana and Florida, were health care workers returning from Saudi Arabia. Although a third case has been linked to contact with the Indiana case, I am cautiously optimistic that a cluster of cases will not be triggered.
Nonetheless, vigilance is essential. Saudi Arabia has more than 7 million foreign workers and hosts more than 3 million religious pilgrims annually. If new cases arise they will almost certainly be imported.
The key to an effective pandemic response is to acknowledge that infectious disease challenges are global rather than national. Information and biological samples must be shared freely to facilitate surveillance and the development of diagnostics, drugs and vaccines.
In this spirit, the government of Saudi Arabia has recently invited teams of international experts to join forces in addressing the global challenge of MERS. Although we are focusing on MERS now, the reality is that viruses and antibiotic resistant bacteria with pandemic potential are continuously emerging and re-emerging worldwide.
The recent MERS cases should not trigger an alarm. But if a pandemic happens, it is important we are prepared to combat it.
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Deadly blasts target shoppers in Nigerian markets
5/20/2014 3:31:10 PM
- A series of blasts in central Nigeria kill 46, injure 45 others, officials say
- Jos in central Nigeria is hit with three explosions Tuesday
- A journalist described people screaming and running, some covered in blood
(CNN) -- Three explosions rocked the city of Jos in central Nigeria Tuesday, killing 46 people and injuring another 45, Plateau State Commissioner Chris Olakpe told CNN, describing the blasts as "terrorist activities" but refusing to speculate on the culprits.
A journalist on the scene of the first explosion called it "massive." People were screaming and running, some covered in blood. Some had to be carried away, the journalist said.
An ambulance driver who asked not to be identified said he saw at least 15 bodies and about 30 injured at one of the blast sites.
In a statement, President Goodluck Jonathan condemned the bombings as a "tragic assault on human freedom" and described those behind them as "cruel and evil."
"President Jonathan assures all Nigerians that government remains fully committed to winning the war against terror, and this administration will not be cowed by the atrocities of enemies of human progress and civilization," the statement said, adding that Nigeria was committed to implementing anti-terrorism measures and resolutions put forth at a recent summit in Paris.
The first blast was a bomb detonated at the Terminus market, where food and clothes are sold, the journalists said. The second blast was at the same market and could have been a bomb or gas canister ignited by the first bomb.
The third explosion was at Abuja market, which sells shoes, the journalists said.
When CNN tried to speak with a nurse at a local hospital by phone, she was unable to hear because of victims' cries and screams.
Late Sunday, a bomb in the northern Nigerian city of Kano killed at least four people, according to local police.
The blast occurred at a busy intersection in a predominantly Christian area of the city and left several cars burning, Kano police spokesman Rabilu Ringim said. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the attack, the spokesman said.
Terrorism in Nigeria has been in the spotlight recently since more than 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped by the militant group Boko Haram.
The terror group abducted 276 girls on April 14 from a boarding school in Chibok in northeastern Nigeria. Dozens escaped, but more than 200 girls are still missing.
In his statement Tuesday, Jonathan reaffirmed his government's commitment to take "every necessary measure" to find the girls and cooperate with other countries in the region to combat the "Boko Haram menace."
The president also said Nigeria was determined to ensure safety and security in schools in Borno state and other parts of the country and to rebuild the school in Chibok.
'War on Boko Haram': African, Western nations unify in hunt for Nigerian girls
Opinion: Media turns Boko Haram into 'superstar monsters'
Witness to terror: Nigeria's missing schoolgirls
Blasts hit bustling markets
5/20/2014 2:06:35 PM
Dozens of people were killed when three explosions rocked the Nigerian city of Jos. Arwa Damon reports from Nigeria.
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Match-fixing claims hit cricket
5/20/2014 8:09:46 AM
- Fresh details have been revealed over alleged fixing by New Zealand cricket players
- Testimony by two players to the ICC alleges an international great encouraged them to fix
- Chris Cairns says he was the player referred to, but denies the allegations
- Cairns has successfully challenged match-fixing allegations in the courts in the past
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(CNN) -- The cricketing world has been rocked by fresh revelations over alleged fixing by former New Zealand internationals, following the leak of player statements made to a corruption inquiry.
The scandal has prompted ex-Black Caps star Chris Cairns to identify himself as "Player X" -- the prominent former international accused in the statements of pressuring others to fix in matches -- while rejecting the specific allegations against him and vowing to clear his name.
"I have not denied I am Player X," he wrote in a series of tweets Tuesday. "It's the allegations I reject... Thanks for all the support out there and to all those who understand that there are bigger forces at play here."
The International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) has previously confirmed it was conducting an investigation into Cairns and fellow former New Zealand internationals Lou Vincent and Daryl Tuffey.
Cairns has challenged match-fixing allegations in the courts in the past, and won. In 2012, he sued Indian cricket official and businessman Lalit Modi in a British court, after Modi had tweeted allegations of match-fixing relating to Cairns' stint with the Chandigarh Lions in the short-lived Indian Cricket League (ICL).
Cairns captained the side in 2007 and 2008, playing alongside Vincent in 2008. Modi, who ran the rival Indian Premier League competition, lost his appeal against the court's decision in October 2012, with damages increased to £90,000 ($147,459).
In the latest revelations, Vincent is reported to have told ACSU investigators he fixed in at least 12 games around the world, beginning with his time with the Chandigarh Lions. He then reportedly continued to fix in the English county competition, and the Twenty20 Champions League, using tactics such as changing the color of his bat handle to show that a fix was occurring.
'Hero' and friend
According to the reports, Vincent, 35, identified six other players he believes were involved in fixing, and told investigators he had been drawn into the practice under the influence of a prominent former international -- referred to by the press as Player X -- whom he felt he could not refuse.
New Zealand's current captain Brendon McCullum also reportedly told investigators that a friend and "hero" had twice attempted to persuade him to fix, first in India ahead of the start of the inaugural Indian Premier League in 2008, then shortly afterwards in England during a New Zealand tour.
McCullum reportedly refused the advances, which included an offer of more than £100,000, and advice on how to launder any illicit gains through the purchase of property in Dubai.
New Zealand Cricket CEO David White stressed that McCullum was not under investigation by the ICC, and expressed dismay his testimony had been leaked to media.
"I can confirm that Brendon is not under investigation by the ICC and in fact his testimony has been applauded by them," White said.
"He was approached to match-fix, he has refused that and reported it to the ICC. Brendan has done the right thing. We believe this is brave and courageous and has shown a great example as an international captain."
Heath Mills, chief executive of the New Zealand Cricket Players' Association, also criticized the leak of the players' statements, saying it "completely undermines any trust or confidence players may have in cricket's anti-corruption systems."
'A complete lie'
In response to the claims, Cairns issued a statement describing the allegations against him as a "complete lie."
"Lou Vincent... appears to have confessed to match fixing in respect of games played in numerous countries around the world, most of which I have had no connection to," read the statement from the 43-year-old, who made his Test debut in 1989 and played his last one-day international in 2006.
"He is in a desperate position. He faces potential prosecution and in trying to negotiate a plea bargain he appears to be willing to falsely accuse me of wrongdoing."
In regard to McCullum's allegations, he wrote: "I have no idea why he would say the things he is alleged to have said. To be clear, I have never approached Brendon, or anyone else, about match-fixing or any other improper activity."
CNN affiliate TVNZ reported that Vincent's ex-wife had also testified to investigators that Cairns was the ringleader behind the ICL fixing, providing a sworn statement that said: "Lou said Chris was going to pay him US$50,000 a game for the fixing."
TVNZ reported she said Vincent had met a stranger with a briefcase full of money in India, and that she and her husband "fell out about the whole ICL fixing thing, as I didn't want him to be involved, but Lou kept saying, 'Don't worry we're all doing it.' "
Lily-white?
New Zealand regularly ranks as one of the world's least corrupt countries, recently topping Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index alongside Denmark.
New Zealand sportswriter Joseph Romanos said the allegations of corruption surrounding national legends in the country's summer game had come as a shock to many.
"New Zealanders, perhaps unrealistically, think of themselves as fairly lily-white in terms of match-fixing and banned drugs in sport," he told CNN. "It's always a huge shock when someone's done although when you catalog it all, we can mix it with the of them on the wrong side of the line."
Australian cricket writer Gideon Haigh said New Zealand players may have been targeted for approaches as the country had had the highest number of defectors to the "rebel" ICL competition, and were "comparatively speaking poorly paid by international standards."
"I guess they were the first targets of ICL recruiting agents and therefore became exposed to a tournament where really nothing hinged on the outcome and the amounts being paid were far more than the individual players were worth," he told CNN.
"Nothing is more conducive to corruption than meaningless cricket, and sums of money that are odds with the scale and importance of the game."
Recent scandals
International cricket has been plagued by the specter of match-fixing in recent years, with three Pakistani players banned by the ICC and sentenced by a British court for spot fixing during a Test match against England at Lord's in 2010.
In August last year, seven were charged in Bangladesh with match-fixing; former national captain Mohammad Ashraful had previously confessed to fixing matches.
And in October, six international umpires were stood down following an India TV expose which alleged officials were willing to fix matches at the recent T20 World Cup in exchange for payment.
Haigh said the game's administrators had failed to keep pace with developments in the south Asian gambling market.
"Under the present climate where vast quantities (of money) have entered the game over the past 10 years and the game is still trying to operate under institutional structures that were devised during the 20th century, I think cricket's got a lot of catching up to do," he said.
He wasn't confident that administrators would tackle the problem anytime soon.
"Frankly, they simply haven't been focused on this. They've been too busy attempting to make money themselves," Haigh said.
"It took a very, very long time for cycling to take seriously the issue of doping."
Twin blasts kill 118 in Nigeria market inferno
5/20/2014 4:31:26 PM
- NEW: Workers are still shifting through debris
- An official warns the death toll could climb higher
- Jos in central Nigeria is hit with explosions Tuesday
(CNN) -- At least 118 people were killed Tuesday in blasts in the central Nigerian city of Jos, an official said, warning the toll could still climb higher.
"The death toll stands at 118. This is the number of victims recovered from the scene of the explosions, but we are still searching through the smoldering debris for more bodies," said Mohammed Abdulsalam, coordinator for the National Emergency Management Agency in the city.
"The figure may rise when the search is over," Abdulsalam said.
Earlier, Plateau State Commissioner Chris Olakpe described the blasts as "terrorist activities," but refused to speculate on who might be responsible.
In a statement, President Goodluck Jonathan condemned the bombings as a "tragic assault on human freedom" and described those behind them as "cruel and evil."
"President Jonathan assures all Nigerians that government remains fully committed to winning the war against terror, and this administration will not be cowed by the atrocities of enemies of human progress and civilization," the statement said, adding that Nigeria was committed to implementing anti-terrorism measures and resolutions put forth at a recent summit in Paris.
When CNN tried to speak with a nurse at a local hospital by phone, she was unable to hear because of victims' cries and screams.
Late Sunday, a bomb in the northern Nigerian city of Kano killed at least four people, according to local police.
The blast occurred at a busy intersection in a predominantly Christian area of the city and left several cars burning, Kano police spokesman Rabilu Ringim said. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the attack, the spokesman said.
Terrorism in Nigeria has been in the spotlight recently since more than 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped by the militant group Boko Haram.
The terror group abducted 276 girls on April 14 from a boarding school in Chibok in northeastern Nigeria. Dozens escaped, but more than 200 girls are still missing.
In his statement Tuesday, Jonathan reaffirmed his government's commitment to take "every necessary measure" to find the girls and cooperate with other countries in the region to combat the "Boko Haram menace."
The president also said Nigeria was determined to ensure safety and security in schools in Borno state and other parts of the country and to rebuild the school in Chibok.
'War on Boko Haram': African, Western nations unify in hunt for Nigerian girls
Opinion: Media turns Boko Haram into 'superstar monsters'
Witness to terror: Nigeria's missing schoolgirls
Journalist Aminu Abubakar contributed to this report.
Boko Haram: A bloody insurgency
5/20/2014 10:31:56 AM
- Boko Haram's aim is to impose strict enforcement of Sharia law in Nigeria
- The name translates to "Western education is sin"
- The group was founded 12 years ago by Mohammed Yusuf, a charismatic cleric
- Nigerian police killed him in 2009 in an incident captured on video and posted online
CNN anchor Isha Sesay will be live from Abuja on CNN International, Monday to Thursday at 5pm, 7pm, 8.30pm and 9pm CET.
(CNN) -- Boko Haram's escalating danger is indisputable.
The militant group has bombed schools, churches and mosques; kidnapped women and children; and assassinated politicians and religious leaders alike.
It made headlines again recently with the abduction of 230 schoolgirls in the town of Chibok in northeastern Nigeria. After a fierce gunbattle with soldiers, the militants herded the girls out of bed and onto buses, and sped off. Only a few dozen of the girls have escaped.
What exactly is Boko Haram, and why has it turned into a Nigerian synonym for fear and bloodshed?
What does 'Boko Haram' mean?
The name translates to "Western education is sin" in the local Hausa language.
The militant group says its aim is to impose a stricter enforcement of Sharia law across Africa's most populous nation, which is split between a majority Muslim north and a mostly Christian south.
In recent years, its attacks have intensified in an apparent show of defiance amid the nation's military onslaught. Its ambitions appear to have expanded to the destruction of the Nigerian government.
How long has it been around?
The group was founded 12 years ago by Mohammed Yusuf, a charismatic cleric who called for a pure Islamic state in Nigeria. Police killed him in 2009 in an incident captured on video and posted to the Internet.
The crackdown, some say, made Boko Haram more violent and defiant.
Abubakar Shekau took control of the group and escalated the attacks. It murdered and kidnapped Westerners, and started a bombing campaign that targeted churches, mosques and government buildings.
Why not just kill Abubakar Shekau?
One word: elusive.
Questions have swirled about Shekau, including whether he's dead or alive. Even his age is unknown -- estimates range between 35 and 44.
In recent years, the Nigerian military has touted his death, only to retract its claim after he appeared alive and vibrant in propaganda videos.
He uses the alias Darul Tawheed, and analysts describe him as a ruthless loner and master of disguise. He does not speak directly with members, opting to communicate through a few select confidants.
Why would an Islamist militant group target the Muslim north?
Despite its religious fanaticism, Boko Haram does not consider all Muslims as supporters and allies.
There have been suggestions that it attacks certain mosques because members have spoken out against it and helped federal officials with their crackdown. Its attacks are aimed at striking fear at the heart of the local population to prevent cooperation with the government, analysts say.
Does the north support the group?
Although the northern populace mostly abhors the violence, there is considerable local sympathy and support for Sharia law, seen by many as the only way to end what is widely regarded as a corrupt and inept government. Poverty is prevalent in the northern region, and as the military struggles to halt Boko Haram's attacks, the militant group is winning perhaps its most important battle: making Nigerians question government competency.
Rights groups have accused local authorities of human rights violations in the fight against the group, adding to the anti-government sentiment.
What's the West doing to help?
The United States has put a $7 million bounty on Shekau's head. It also designated Boko Haram as a foreign terrorist network last year. Though it has provided technical and financial support to the Nigerian teams battling the insurgency, there has been a reluctance to put boots on the ground unless there's a direct national security threat to the West. Boko Haram's attacks have been limited primarily to Nigeria.
I don't live in Nigeria, so why should I care?
With a population of 175 million, Nigeria is Africa's most populous nation and is considered a political and economic powerhouse in the continent. The key U.S. partner is rich in oil, a major trading partner with China, and is the hub of global business in the region.
And as we've learned with Mali, any unresolved local Islamist insurgency has the potential of spiraling into a world problem.
Last year, Shekau released a statement vowing to attack the United States and Europe.
"Our strength and firepower is bigger than that of Nigeria. Nigeria is no longer a big deal to us, as far as we are concerned. We will now comfortably confront the United States of America," he said.
Does it have ties to al Qaeda?
The U.S. says Boko Haram has links to the al Qaeda affiliate in West Africa and to extremist groups in Mali.
What other attacks has the group conducted?
Just this week, a massive explosion ripped through a bus station in the Nigerian capital, killing at least 71 people. In a video, Shekau said the group was behind the attack.
In November, the group abducted dozens of Christian women, most of whom were later rescued by the military. Some were pregnant or had children, and others had been forcibly converted to Islam and married off to their kidnappers.
In 2011, a Boko Haram suicide attack on the United Nations building in Abuja killed at least 25 people.
A year of attacks linked to Nigeria's Boko Haram
Boko Haram: The essence of terror
NATO: No sign of Russian withdrawal
5/20/2014 6:36:31 AM
- NEW: Obama administration skeptical about Putin's order
- NATO says withdrawal would be "first step to de-escalating the situation"
- Russia has said troops were conducting a routine exercise that has ended
- The presence of 40,000 Russian troops on the border has spurred fears of an invasion
(CNN) -- NATO urged Russia to keep its word this time and withdraw troops along Ukraine's eastern border, saying it has seen no signs of soldiers returning to their bases.
President Vladimir Putin ordered tens of thousands of troops near the Ukraine border to return to their bases, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday. The withdrawal has started, he said, and could take some time to finish.
But despite Moscow's assertion, there were no signs of the troops' withdrawal, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said hours later.
The Obama administration was skeptical about Putin's order, while Kiev said it's monitoring the area to ensure troops are returning to their permanent bases.
"As you know, we have heard that promise before and have yet to see any indication that it's been fulfilled," said Jay Carney, the White House spokesman.
Rasmussen reiterated the need for the withdrawal and said he would "be the first" to welcome it.
"I think it's the third Putin statement on withdrawal of Russian troops ... but so far we haven't seen any withdrawal at all," he said. "Withdrawal of Russian troops will be the first step to de-escalating the situation."
Ukraine's presidential election scheduled for Sunday is crucial, Rasmussen said, and Russia and Ukrainian separatists should practice restraint to ensure it goes on as planned.
"We urge the armed pro-Russian separatist groups to stop their illegal activities. ... Russia should stop their support for these armed groups," he said.
"Russia should demonstrate a clear will to let the presidential election to go forward. The presidential election constitutes the best chance to find a sustainable solution to the crisis in Ukraine."
Russia's 'significant forces'
Putin's decision to amass 40,000 troops along Ukraine's eastern border triggered fears of an invasion ahead of the election.
Moscow defended the troop buildup, saying it was a routine exercise that has since ended.
Two weeks ago, Putin said Russian troops had pulled away from Ukraine's border and were merely conducting "regular exercises at the test grounds." At that time, NATO and Western officials said they saw no sign of widespread troop withdrawals.
But a senior U.S. administration official disputed Russia's assertion that they were routine exercises
"The fact is that Russia has been maintaining significant forces in forward deployment areas along Ukraine's border," the official said. "They have not been conducting routine training activities. They've been up on the border in a menacing posture, and we've been concerned about this military buildup and have been consistently calling on Russia to remove its troops back to their home bases and end this threatening behavior."
The official said the White House is monitoring the issue for evidence of withdrawal.
"As you'll recall, they've made similar claims before. They made them at the end of March and didn't follow through, so we'll be tracking this closely over the course of today and the coming days, and we'll want to see clear, firm evidence of this move before we make any judgment," the official said Monday.
The United States, which along with other Western countries has sanctioned Russia for its disputed takeover of Crimea, has threatened additional punishment for Russia if it fails to pull its troops back from the border.
Tensions in the east
Russian officials have said they reserve the right to protect the interests of Russian citizens and Russian-language speakers in Ukraine's east, which traditionally leans toward Moscow.
Tensions in that region remain high, with ongoing reports of violence and growing human rights abuses. Anti-terrorism operations that started in April in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions have killed 24 Ukrainian servicemen so far, said Valentyn Nalyvaichenko, head of the Ukrainian Security Service. He did not provide any more details.
In one of the latest incidents, Russian separatists clashed with Ukrainian border guards Saturday after a separatist leader was detained at a checkpoint.
Valeriy Bolotov, the self-declared governor of a "people's republic" in Luhansk, was detained by security forces in Dovzhanskiy. Attackers freed him after a firefight, but he was wounded and went to Russia for medical treatment, separatist spokesman Vasiliy Nikitin said.
Over the weekend, the Russian Foreign Ministry accused Ukrainian troops of attacking Ukrainian citizens and questioned whether Sunday's scheduled elections could be held amid the chaos.
"Such punitive action against its own citizens shows the hypocrisy of the Kiev authorities," a ministry statement said, referring to an international pact agreed to last month that called for an end to violence.
Ukraine favors Europe over Russia, new CNN poll finds
Ukraine: Armed men free detained pro-Russian leader after checkpoint attack
Opinion: Putin's empire building is not a new Cold War
CNN's Virginia Nicolaidis, Ed Payne, Victoria Butenko and Richard Greene contributed to this report.
CIA won't use vaccinations in ops
5/19/2014 9:05:50 PM
- Policy was put into place last August following concerns raised by health school deans
- Vaccination ruse was part of effort to get Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in 2011
- Health school deans said one group had to pull out of its polio vaccine program
- CIA said it seriously considered the concerns and then acted
(CNN) -- A newly disclosed CIA policy mandates that it won't use vaccination programs as part of its operations, according to the Obama administration.
The directive by CIA Director John Brennan, made nine months ago but only coming to light now, followed concerns raised by leaders of a dozen U.S. public health schools in a letter to President Barack Obama.
They spoke out following revelations the CIA had enlisted a doctor to oversee a false immunization campaign in Pakistan ahead of the 2011 raid that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad.
The campaign's true purpose was to collect information on the residents of the compound, and attempt to confirm DNA matches to bin Laden or relatives.
The public health programs reached out to Obama after the organization Save the Children was forced to "withdraw all foreign national staff" from Pakistan as a "result of a CIA sham vaccination campaign."
Save the Children was in the midst of a campaign to administer the polio vaccination in Pakistan, one of the few places left in the world where the virus is still prevalent.
In their letter to the White House in January 2013, the deans also alleged that "seven or more United Nations health workers who were vaccinating Pakistani children against polio were gunned down in unforgivable acts of terrorism" as a result of the CIA effort.
In a letter dated May 16 and obtained by CNN on Monday, Lisa Monaco, the top White House adviser on homeland security and counterterrorism, told the health school deans that Brennan had "directed in August 2013 that the agency make no operational use of vaccination programs, which includes vaccination workers.
"Similarly, the agency will not seek to obtain or exploit DNA or other genetic material acquired through such programs," the letter said.
CIA spokesman Dean Boyd told CNN on Monday that Brennan established the policy "after carefully considering a variety of views, including those from outside the agency. He took seriously the concerns raised by the public health community, examined them closely, and took decisive action."
Boyd also said it "is important to note that militant groups have a long history of attacking humanitarian aid workers in Pakistan and those attacks began years before the raid against the bin Laden compound."
By publicizing the policy, he said the CIA hopes to "dispel one canard that militant groups have used as justification for cowardly attacks against vaccination providers," noting that the agency "has great respect for the vital work that vaccination workers perform around the globe."
National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden confirmed Monaco's letter to the school deans and its contents.
CNN's Jim Acosta contributed to this report.
Floods dislodge Bosnia landmines
5/20/2014 12:23:55 PM
Bosnia's president says floods and landslides have dislodged landmines leftover from war. Ralitsa Vassileva reports.
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Opinion: Media makes militants 'stars'
5/20/2014 11:43:59 AM
- Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani: Why must citizens be bombarded with Boko Haram "rantings"
- Group's aim is glamorised, misrepresented by media, she argues
- Conduct is as Islamic as that of preacher who kidnapped Elizabeth Smart was Christian, she writes
- Media must stop fuelling their inner psychopaths, offering them stardom on a plate
Editor's note: Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani is the author of "I Do Not Come to You by Chance," a debut novel set amidst the perilous world of Nigerian email scams. Her book won the 2010 Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Book (Africa), a Betty Trask First Book award, and was named by the Washington Post as one of the Best Books of 2009. The views expressed in this commentary are solely the author's.
Abuja, Nigeria (CNN) -- My friend's eight-year-old daughter burst into tears while watching a Boko Haram video release on TV the other evening. The terrorist group has been receiving the kind of local and international media coverage that could make even a Hollywood megastar explode with envy. At the current rate, the group's leader, Abubakar Shekau, might as well be given his own reality show.
I understand the reporting of a bomb blast: the need to let the world know about 234 missing school girls is obvious. Updating us on the world's efforts to rescue the abducted girls definitely makes sense. But why should law-abiding citizens be bombarded with the megalomaniac audio and video rantings of every Shekau recording forwarded to the press?
As news organizations around the world scrambled to make amends for their belated coverage of the kidnapped school girls, Boko Haram contributed to the media frenzy by releasing a video in which Shekau boasted that he would sell the girls for the equivalent of $12 each.
Since then, many of us have had to endure, from local and international media, several replays of the villain's Idi Aminesque gloating into the camera.
The group's earlier video released days after the bombing of a bus park in an Abuja suburb (which took place a few hours before the abductions) featured Shekau barking bombastic statements such as: "We are in your city but you don't know where we are", "(President) Jonathan, you are now too small for us. We can only deal with your grand masters like Obama, the president of America ... even they cannot do anything to us ... we are more than them," and "So, because of that tiny incident that happened in Abuja, everybody is out there making an issue of it across the globe?"
These taunts and other details of the video were broadly reported by international news organizations, even at a time the world was paying little attention to the missing girls -- when Nigerians were yet to know exactly how many students had been abducted, their names, and what they and their families looked like.
The media has also been sophisticating its coverage of Boko Haram's activities. What looks to me like the effort of steamy thugs to stock up on females to meet their physiological and domestic needs -- while grabbing major headlines in the process -- has been glamorised as "an attack on the right of girls to education." Additional reports that more girls were stolen from their homes -- not school, this time -- in Warabe and Wala villages of Bornu State, should have caused the media to finally acknowledge the abductions for the common criminality that they really are. Besides, anyone following the news closely might have heard that these abductions of females have been carrying on for quite some time, though never on the scale that has recently shocked the world.
Opinion: How Islam can fight back against Boko Haram
Similarly glamorous motives were ascribed to Boko Haram's bombing of two newspaper offices in Nigeria. Headlines described the April 2012 incident as "an attack on freedom of the press." However, Shekau's video release, which followed soon after, gave his actual, rather primitive reasons: "...Each time we say something, it is either changed or downplayed...I challenge every Nigerian to watch that video again. There is no place our imam either said he will crush President Jonathan or issued an ultimatum to the government in Nigeria, but nearly all papers carried very wrong and mischievous headlines."
I can imagine the AK47-clad hoodlums scrambling to Google after each fresh aggression, frantically typing their leader's name and some relevant key words. There was nothing complex about the group's motives: The newspaper office bombings were a mere act of raw revenge.
Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani
Boko Haram is probably just a gang of plundering hoods masquerading as a group with higher motives that could warrant dialogue -- never mind that they may have attracted the alliance of more sinister sponsors with more strategic purposes. The group claims "Western education is a sin" yet records its threats with hi-tech video equipment and employs advanced ammunition to destroy; it has no clear target and attacks willy-nilly, a la Wild Wild West; and its conduct is as Islamic as that of the street preacher who kidnapped and raped Elizabeth Smart was Christian.
The media and expert analysts are the ones who seem to be supplying Boko Haram with all the grand motives they may never really have thought about in the first place. As an author, who has had expert reviewers dissect my book and ascribe to my writing various meanings of which I had absolutely no idea, I am quite familiar with how something straightforward can suddenly be accorded impressive complexity.
We may not be able to take the guns and bombs out of the hands of Boko Haram and their ilk yet, but since they are not content to take full advantage of Instagram or Facebook -- as many other attention-seekers of this age are -- the media must stop fuelling their inner psychopaths. If they won't travel to Hollywood and patiently wait tables until they get noticed by Quentin Tarantino, we must not offer them stardom on a platter. There has to be a better way of passing on the relevant information and awareness of danger about terrorists to the public, without creating superstar monsters.
Warning labels for Shakespeare?
5/20/2014 7:59:34 AM
- Universities have debated putting warning labels on violent, abusive scenes in literature
- David Perry: It should not be necessary to have a new policy of warning labels
- Good teachers should prepare their students in the course of regular teaching, he says
- Perry: For students with PTSD, the normal precautions should be taken
Editor's note: David M. Perry is an associate professor of history at Dominican University in Illinois. He writes regularly at his blog: How Did We Get Into This Mess? Follow him on Twitter.
(CNN) -- In the Roman poet Ovid's "Metamorphoses," one of the great works of Western literature, King Tereus of Thrace rapes his wife's sister, Philomena, then cuts out her tongue.
In "Titus Andronicus," Shakespeare references Ovid with an even more grotesque rape and mutilation, while including multiple acts of murder, torture and cannibalism. Kathleen Kennedy, associate professor of literature at Penn State University-Brandywine, says, "Everyone is traumatized by Titus."
Over the last few months, students, faculty and administrators at a number of universities have been debating whether faculty should be obligated to place "trigger warnings" on their syllabi before assigning content that might trigger a traumatic episode in one of their students.
Before assigning Ovid, Shakespeare or any topic about human cruelty and suffering, what should teachers be obligated to tell their students?
Proponents of trigger warnings, reasonably, argue that students will be unable to learn when confronted with content that triggers traumatic recollection. This isn't about students just being uncomfortable, they say, but about ensuring students don't have to choose between their education and their sense of safety.
Critics of trigger warnings, also reasonably, contend that education requires pushing students to engage with difficult material that makes them uncomfortable. Professors worry about academic freedom and having to address a whole cascade of "isms" as they design and execute their syllabi.
Furthermore, they see the focus on trigger warnings now as part of the corporatization of higher education, in which syllabi are designed not to structure learning but to prevent lawsuits. Professors are concerned about trauma, but don't want to slap labels on their syllabi that are the equivalent of "Caution: This Coffee is Hot."
To some extent, both sides are right. Some students suffer from serious trauma, but there's no feasible way a blanket policy on trigger warning can really work. Fortunately, we can solve the situation though a combination of best-teaching practices and the application of pre-existing policies.
The biggest problem here emerges from the nature of trauma. Triggers are extremely personal and, from the outside, unpredictable. Professors cannot review their course material and know, with any certainty, what might or might not function as a trigger for their students.
We worry about surprising students with triggering content and re-victimizing them. We don't need a vague if well-intentioned policy, however, to address most cases. Instead, let's just rely on good teaching.
Tressie McMillan Cottom, writer and sociologist, noted that the real problem with triggers is when they catch you by surprise. She writes, "Trigger warnings make sense on platforms where troubling information can be foisted upon you without prior knowledge, as in the case of retweets." In a classroom, where the subject matter ought to be reasonably transparent, such surprises should be rare.
We should all know what we are going to encounter in classes on the Holocaust, on human rights law, on the history of race in America, or countless other clearly labeled topics that of necessity must deal with often graphic and upsetting stories. If you sign up for such a class, be ready.
Students might not be so ready for Ovid or Shakespeare. Why not prepare them for the reading? Don't do it because you are worried about trauma, but because it will help them learn.
I would never want my students to be surprised by something horrific in their reading, whether the "Red Wedding" on "Game of Thrones" or the rape of Philomena in Ovid. Instead, I want them ready to work with challenging texts so they learn. Spoilers might be bad for entertainment, but they are good for education.
David Perry
Once most students know what they are likely to encounter in their work, the surprise factor in triggering situations ought to be mitigated.
For a small percentage of students, however, this kind of preparation may not be enough. The word "disability" has been largely missing from the debate on trigger warnings in higher education.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a psychological disability. It doesn't just affect soldiers. Students (or anyone) suffering from PTSD are not just "uncomfortable" when their trauma is triggered. Valeria M. Souza, a lecturer of Portuguese at Washington University in St. Louis and a blogger about disability and education, has noted that universities already have, or at least should have, robust systems to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and to provide reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities.
It would be entirely reasonable to help a student with a disability who is best accommodated by avoiding certain triggering material in the classroom. That said, avoidance is not always the best approach for people with trauma.
One method of treating PTSD is called "exposure therapy," in which patients repeatedly engage with their traumas in order to desensitize themselves to potentially triggering moments.
The classroom is not a therapist's clinic, but the practice does suggest that avoidance is not the only choice. Moreover, it's a decision for a patient and a therapist or doctor to decide and advise a university, rather than for faculty or administrators to decide for themselves.
As educators and as a society we need to respect trauma and create conditions in which healing is possible. Part of that respect is to recognize that we don't know how any given person's trauma might manifest, so we can't assume we know what is or isn't a trigger. And we don't have to know.
If professors follow good teaching practices and help students be ready for the course content as it unfolds, while universities provide well-funded and expert disability support services, we should be ready to handle whatever trigger issues lurk undetected. We don't need a whole new set of warning labels.
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College graduates, a job is just a job
5/20/2014 6:54:32 AM
- As college seniors across the U.S. graduate, they worry about finding a job
- Peggy Drexler: Most college graduates do not start out in their desired field
- She says it's OK to take job that is not ideal for a while; job-hopping is normal
- Drexler: If there's a new constant, it's that adaptability and flexibility are key to survival
Editor's note: Peggy Drexler is the author of "Our Fathers, Ourselves: Daughters, Fathers and the Changing American Family" and "Raising Boys Without Men." She is an assistant professor of psychology at Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University and a former gender scholar at Stanford University. Join her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @drpeggydrexler. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
(CNN) -- As college seniors across the country prepare to graduate, from the excitement over spring and looming freedom rises the familiar worry: Will I get a job? Will I get a job I actually want?
The answer to both, it seems, is a resounding, if utterly inconclusive, maybe.
A few weeks back, the U.S. Labor Department announced that while the job market is getting better -- unemployment among 2013 graduates is at 10.9%, down from 13% for recent graduates in 2012 -- it's still weaker than it was prerecession.
What's more, those who are working have increasingly settled for jobs outside their fields of study or for less pay than they'd expected. Some 260,000 college graduates were stuck last year working at or below the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, more than double the numbers of minimum wage-earning college grads in 2007.
A friend's daughter graduating this week from UC Berkeley with dual honors degrees in sociology and math and four years of experience working in sexual assault advocacy on campus will be spending the summer working at her local Williams-Sonoma -- and readying grad school applications -- after a number of dead-end interviews with women's rights groups. "And I feel grateful," she told me.
There is good news, however. While many pregraduates still express feeling a certain pressure to make the "right" decisions early on to make the most out of every moment working in such a competitive professional atmosphere, the truth is that the job you take tomorrow, next week or even next year does not have to set the tone for your professional career.
At a recent talk I gave to a writing workshop that a friend teaches at an East Coast university, the students had one big concern: How to avoid being "pigeonholed" if you're forced to take a first job that's less than your ideal.
While the Bureau of Labor Statistics does not track lifetime careers -- and no one really knows where the old statistic that people average seven job changes over the course of a lifetime came from -- studies do show that job tenure has slowly but consistently been in decline over the past few decades.
Job-hopping is now the new norm -- and while it's especially so during a person's early working years, it's pretty common in general. Numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that most workers is the United States have been at their job for under a year, and that the average length of time anyone spends at any given job is 4.4 years.
Stephanie, a friend of my daughter's, graduated from her Ivy League school two years ago. She imagined a career in magazine publishing -- she really wanted to be a beauty editor -- but ended up in finance instead. The money is good, and the job is fine, but it's not her passion. And so she has an end date in sight.
"I'm going to put in one more year and 'save up' for an unpaid internship in 2015," she told me. "I don't mind starting from the beginning, if it's something I really want to do."
A 2013 poll by consulting firm Accenture proves how quickly career plans can change once graduates enter the "real world." In a study of 1,000 graduating seniors and 1,000 recent graduates, 18% of pending 2013 graduates planned to get a graduate degree. By contrast, that number increased to 42% among working graduates. Some 15% of pregrads expected to earn less than $25,000 a year. The number of those who ended up with that salary or less? 33%.
College graduates are getting the message that planning too far ahead is an exercise in futility and perhaps limiting in itself. A survey conducted last year by Future Workplace found that 91% of millennials expect to stay in a job for less than three years (which could, in fact, add up to 15 to 20 jobs over the course of a lifetime).
And according to the Accenture poll, while 53% of graduates found full-time jobs in their field of study, 34% said they were willing to take the first job they were offered.
The truth is that most college graduates do not start out in their desired field, and endless life decisions will influence the path a college graduate's career takes over the next 40 or so years.
A 2013 study conducted by McKinsey & Company found that 41% of graduates from top universities -- the presumably best and brightest -- could not land jobs in their chosen field after graduation. In other words, it's tough out there.
The benefit to that, of course, is more time, even if forced, to explore a variety of areas of interest while feeling safe in the knowledge that there continue to be more job opportunities for those with a college education than for those without.
Which is why the best thing graduating seniors can do as they approach the working world may be to keep an open mind and chill out a bit. And recognize that life -- personally and professionally -- demands a willingness to change. Because if there's a constant in the ever-in-flux job economy, it's that adaptability and flexibility are key to survival.
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