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Bombs kill Iraqi pilgrims
5/22/2014 7:00:07 PM
- More than 20 Shiite pilgrims die in attacks in Baghdad, police say
- Thousands of Shiite pilgrims have been killed or wounded in attacks over the past decade
(CNN) -- Three attacks targeting Shiite pilgrims killed 21 people and wounded dozens Thursday in Baghdad, police said. And in other violence in Iraq, eight people were killed.
A suicide bomber blew himself up among pilgrims in western Baghdad's Mansour district, killing 11 other people and wounding others, police said.
Separately, in eastern Baghdad's Nahdha commercial district, a suicide car bomb targeting civilians killed eight people in addition to the bomber and wounded 13 others, police aid.
In northeastern Baghdad's Ur, a car bomb targeting Shiite pilgrims killed two people and wounded eight, police said.
Pilgrims from across the country have been headed to the Imam Kadhim shrine in Baghdad's Kadhimiya neighborhood. The event culminates Saturday when the faithful commemorate the death of Imam Moussa al-Kadhim, one of 12 revered imams in Shiite Islam.
Thousands of Shiite pilgrims have been killed or wounded in attacks over the past decade.
Meanwhile, seven people were killed Thursday and 12 others wounded when the Iraqi army shelled areas in Falluja, west of Baghdad, health officials said. More than 300 people have been killed in Falluja this year, most of them civilians, the officials told CNN.
Also, a roadside bomb exploded Thursday on an Iraqi police patrol, killing the head of a local police station in al-Rashdiya on the northeastern outskirts of Baghdad. Another two police officers were critically wounded, according to police officials in the Iraqi capital.
Suicide car bombing kills 4 Iraqi soldiers in Mosul
Thousands flee intense Falluja shelling
Women soccer coaches "normal?"
5/22/2014 6:59:00 PM
- Helena Costa is first female to be given top coaching job in top two tiers of Europe's big five leagues
- "Look at me as a normal coach," says the new boss of French club Clermont Foot
- The 36-year-old hopes her appointment "can open doors" for other female coaches
- The Portuguese coach is dubbed "Mourinho in a skirt" in her home country
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(CNN) -- Helena Costa spent an hour talking about her landmark job as France's first ever professional female coach for a male team Thursday but her message was simple and succinct.
"Look at me as a normal coach," said the 36-year-old as she was unveiled by second-tier side Clermont Foot.
Costa is the first female to be given the head job in the top two divisions of one of Europe's big five leagues -- Spain, Germany, England, Italy and France.
More than 100 journalists -- as well as some of the club's players -- assembled at the Clermont stadium to meet the Portuguese who is hoping her appointment will inspire other female coaches.
"I know it's a big step," said Costa, who left her role as coach of the Iranian national women's team to accept the position with Clermont.
"I know because I had a career before in a man's world mainly, so I know it's an important day and it can open other doors, or not.
"I understand your surprise and the quantity of press and the impact but, we are in 2014, it should be a normal thing."
Costa, a sports science graduate, has been rewarded following her work with the Iran and Qatar women's national teams.
She also led Benfica's male youth team to two World Youth titles and spent time as a scout with Scottish club Celtic.
Her reputation has even spawned the nickname "Mourinho in a skirt" in her home country, a reference to Portugal's most high-profile football manager, Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.
The football season has just finished in France and Clermont Foot finished 14th in Ligue 2 but Costa already has big plans for her first season in charge.
"I think that as in all leagues, if a club doesn't have a huge budget that doesn't mean that the players should not be ambitious and committed," she said.
Helena Costa
"Between the team we will define our objectives but winning is the common word that we are going to speak. I'm here to win.
"I'm a demanding person with myself and my team, but especially with myself."
Costa will find herself under extra external scrutiny too as the highest profile female coach of a male professional football team in Europe.
The 36-year-old is also pushing boundaries in France where match official Nelly Viennot previously broke new ground as an assistant referee, also featuring in Champions League games.
Sexist society
French football writer Caroline Bauer told CNN World Sport that Costa's appointment was something of a shock.
"French society is a little bit sexist in sport, really sexist," she said. "So it was a big surprise and a lot of people said it was a bad idea.
"At first in France everybody thought that Clermont just wanted to create a buzz with the appointment.
"But then Helena Costa came to France two weeks ago and she spoke a lot to the French media and she explained who she was.
"Now we understand that she has a real project with Clermont and she wants to prove she can be a real coach like men."
Costa will get her first chance to prove herself when the new French soccer season begins late summer.
Read: French club Clermont make history with female appointment
Read: Sexism in sport
BP wants oil spill payout review
5/22/2014 5:28:07 AM
- BP seeks review of appeals court ruling on its multibillion-dollar compensation bill
- It faces additional payments to businesses that claim losses not directly linked to the disaster
- BP has complained the program has paid excessive or false claims
- An explosion sank the Deepwater drilling platform in 2010, killing 11 workers
(CNN) -- BP will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review an appeals court ruling on the multibillion-dollar compensation bill the company faces over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the British energy giant said in a statement Wednesday.
The company faces billions of dollars in additional payments to businesses that claim loss or injury that cannot be directly linked to the disaster after a federal appeals court in New Orleans denied it a rehearing on the matter. The court ruled that businesses don't have to prove they were directly harmed by the 2010 oil spill to collect from the settlement.
"BP will seek review by the US Supreme Court of the Fifth Circuit decisions relating to the compensation of claims for losses with no apparent connection to the Deepwater Horizon spill," the statement said. "In addition, BP will ask the Fifth Circuit not to issue its mandate until the Supreme Court has considered the matter."
The British company has been battling a claims administrator for months over the interpretation of a settlement agreement and the way losses are calculated.
An explosion sank the Deepwater drilling platform off the coast of Louisiana in April 2010, killing 11 workers and injuring 16 more.
The company has already paid more than $12 billion in compensation, and more than $14 billion for crisis response and cleanup of the oil spill.
"No company would agree to pay for losses that it did not cause, and BP certainly did not when it entered into this settlement," the company statement said. "BP will continue to fight to return the settlement to its original, explicit, and lawful purpose -- the compensation of claimants who suffered actual losses due to the spill."
In August, a federal judge in New Orleans ordered BP to put up nearly $130 million for the next three months of Gulf oil spill settlements despite the oil company's complaints about excessive costs.
BP has alleged the Court Supervised Settlement Program has been approving excessive or false claims from people or businesses that say they were damaged by the Deepwater Horizon blowout in 2010.
McIlroy ends Wozniacki engagement
5/21/2014 6:17:49 AM
- Rory McIlroy breaks off engagement with tennis star Caroline Wozniacki
- McIlroy issues statement saying he realized he wasn't ready for "all marriage entails"
- The pair had announced their engagement via Twitter on January 1
- McIlroy says he wishes "Caroline all the happiness she deserves"
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(CNN) -- One of sport's most high-profile couples are no more.
Golf star Rory McIlroy announced Wednesday that he had broken off his engagement to tennis player Caroline Wozniacki.
The two-time major winner from Northern Ireland said the issuing of wedding invitations over the weekend had made him realize he wasn't prepared for "all that marriage entails."
McIlroy and former world No. 1 Wozniacki, from Denmark, announced their engagement via social media on New Year's Day -- but their three-year relationship is now over.
"There is no right way to end a relationship that has been so important to two people," McIlroy said in a statement reported by the UK Press Association.
"The problem is mine. The wedding invitations issued at the weekend made me realize that I wasn't ready for all that marriage entails.
"I wish Caroline all the happiness she deserves and thank her for the great times we've had.
"I will not be saying anything more about our relationship in any setting."
McIlroy, ranked 10th in the world, is currently preparing for the European Tour's flagship event -- the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in England.
He spoke briefly about the split at a press conference ahead of Thursday's opening round, telling reporters: "Obviously (it's) quite a difficult time for Caroline and myself.
"I think the statement really said it all this morning. It was mutual and amicable and we both thought it was the best for us, the best for both of us. Time to move on and I think I've said all that I need to say.
"Now I need to get my head into golf and concentrate on the tournament, keep myself busy and try and have a good week on the course.
"I'm not going to lie. It's going to be very difficult. But you know, at least when I get inside the ropes I can just try and concentrate on the shot at hand. But yeah, it's obviously going to be difficult."
Nice view for dinner with @CaroWozniacki at Nobu Monte Carlo 😎 pic.twitter.com/R48Q1o7vrL
— Rory Mcilroy (@McIlroyRory) May 18, 2014 Only on Sunday McIlroy tweeted a picture while the pair were enjoying dinner together at Nobu restaurant in Monte Carlo.
The couple, who were referred to as 'Wozzilroy' by the world's media, began dating in 2011 after meeting at a boxing match.
They had to deal with constant rumors as to their health of their relationship, which were magnified when both suffered slumps in their career during 2013.
Happy New Year everyone! Rory and I started 2014 with a bang! ... I said YES!!!! pic.twitter.com/J7c2pXgsdC
— Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) December 31, 2013 But on January 1 they took to their respective Twitter accounts to confirm they were engaged to be married with Wozniacki saying: "Rory and I started 2014 with a bang! ... I said YES!!!!"
McIlroy captured his first major title at the U.S. Open in 2011 and followed it up by claiming the US PGA Championship the following year, but has struggled for form of late.
Wozniacki, who is yet to win a grand slam title but did top the world rankings in 2010, is preparing for the second major of the tennis season -- the French Open -- which starts on May 25.
Read: McIlroy and Wozniacki engaged
Read: 15-love: Top tennis romances
Read: 'Wozilroy' back in business?
Tech giants owe huge thanks to UK
5/22/2014 5:35:38 AM
- Technologies we take for granted such as Twitter and Facebook are still young
- They've transformed the way we operate, but social platforms can end up as "has-beens"
- British minds are behind some of the most vital innovations in tech's brave new world
- However, they are complex and we don't celebrate our success like the Americans do
Editor's note: Benjamin Southworth is the co-founder of 3beards, founder of The Ada Lovelace Academy and was formerly the deputy CEO of TechCityUK. He's a board member of the Sunday Assembly, Furtherfield Gallery, Lean Capital and City Meets Tech. Follow Benjamin on Twitter. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Benjamin Southworth.
London (CNN) -- Over the last 15 years, I've been lucky enough to work in the industry of tech-driven start-ups, and I've watched as revolutions have taken place.
Technologies we now take for granted -- wifi, the iPhone, Twitter and Facebook, for example -- have transformed the way we communicate, do business and even facilitate political upheavals.
Yet they remain youthful technologies. Wifi had its earliest start around 1991, and didn't hit the mainstream until the early 2000s. It's now in every decent coffee shop and threatening to infiltrate the last bastion of un-connectivity -- the London underground.
The United Kingdom is integral in this narrative of global upheaval. But, unlike its American peers, it's shy of celebrating its success.
But without the ground-breaking work of UK companies, this brave new world would not be possible.
ARM, a spin-off of the loved but now-defunct Acorn Computers, pioneered the high-speed, low-energy brains that power this revolution.
Without ARM's "reduced instruction set computing" your laptop would barely last a few hours, and would be too hot to keep on. This relatively small company has created such huge opportunity and promise, but the UK barely celebrates them, let alone acknowledge the huge impact they've had on the future of computing.
Benjamin Southworth
Ever heard of Cambridge Silicon Radio? They create Bluetooth platforms, a technology which is now emerging as a potential way of securing mobile to mobile transactions, revolutionizing advertising and making sure that you're still connected to your phone even when driving.
British brains are also behind many of the greatest innovations. Tim Berners-Lee invented the world wide web, while Jony Ive is the design guru at Apple.
And it is these British visionaries who are as central to our new world, if not more so, than the social platforms that are part of our everyday conversations.
Consumer technology is all very attractive and tangible: Twitter is immediate; Facebook is ubiquitous. In contrast, ARM, Cambridge Silicon Radio and their peers, like Datasift, Autonomy and Wolfram, are technical, complex and powerful. And hard to make sexy.
In these times of instant gratification, sexy is a necessary condition. However such companies are all products of long-term vision, backed with massive intellectual prowess, creating cutting edge technologies that will remain a core part of the technological future for many, many years.
This stands them apart from Facebook and Twitter. These things are, by their very nature, faddy, nascent, fast to grow and fast to die. MySpace, Friends Reunited and countless others became "also-rans" who didn't keep the consumer's attention beyond a few years.
So, the UK needs to celebrate its vital role in our new, connected world. We're ambitious, dedicated, passionate, diligent and intellectually capable. But we're also refined, genteel and not one to brag about new riches.
That attitude stands in stark contrast to our American peers, who are incredible at creating and monetizing opportunities, then playing to consumers of the digital age -- just as Hollywood did with the silver screen.
They talk themselves up, they champion their industries, and they invest in each other, both financially and in spirit. In short, they are the noisy cousins bragging about their new riches.
We need to stop being distracted by this hype, and instead invest in and recognize our nation of incredible promise and intellectual capacity.
We don't invest enough in academia -- which is why I have established a free school, The Ada Lovelace Academy, to nurture the new generation of entrepreneurs.
Without such investment, we are at risk of failing subsequent generations with an endemic short-termism that doesn't set the stage for the next ARM, CSR, Wolfram or Autonomy to emerge from this green and pleasant land.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Benjamin Southworth.
In Iran, happy gets your arrested
5/21/2014 5:37:26 PM
- Six Iranians are arrested and later released for making a fun video
- Frida Ghitis: It is ridiculous they got in trouble for dancing to the hit "Happy"
- She says the incident is a sign of frustration with the limits imposed by Iran
- Ghitis: For one thing, women shouldn't have to wear restrictive clothing like hijab
Editor's note: Frida Ghitis is a world affairs columnist for The Miami Herald and World Politics Review. A former CNN producer and correspondent, she is the author of "The End of Revolution: A Changing World in the Age of Live Television." Follow her on Twitter @FridaGhitis. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
(CNN) -- Tehran's police chief was deeply offended. "It's obscene," he declared, and promptly arrested six young men and women who made a joyful fan video, dancing and lip-synching to the sound of Pharrell Williams' huge hit, "Happy."
Clap your hands if this sounds like one of the most ridiculous stories you ever heard.
The six Iranians, wearing colorful clothes, stylish sun shades and bright bandanas, dared to dance to the beat of "Happy." The women did not cover their heads with the required hijab. At times, the men and women danced together, which is forbidden and punishable under the law. But elsewhere -- when the police aren't looking -- Iranian men and women dance together and see nothing wrong with it.
But the police found it offensive. Iran state media called it "vulgar."
The backlash against the arrests was forceful, and before long, the police released the dancers, although the director of the video apparently remains in custody.
The group describes itself as "Tehran Pharell Williams Fans," which may strike the oversensitive authorities in the Islamic Republic as a highly subversive political affiliation. The nefarious motivation for making the video was revealed at the end of the clip, which reads, "'Happy' was an excuse to be happy. We enjoyed every second of making it. Hope it puts a smile on your face."
As the opposition National Iranian American Council noted, "The irony that the Iranian youth were arrested for dancing to a song called 'Happy' seems to be lost on the Iranian authorities. The Iranian people cannot be forced to live in a world where (nuclear) enrichment is a right, but happiness is not."
More than 100,000 people have viewed the Iranian version of "Happy," which stirred up a bizarre political storm. Tehran Police Chief Hossein Sajedinia boasted of taking less than six hours to round up the evildoers and lock them up, but not before parading them before the television cameras, a stern warning to other young people who might be getting any crazy ideas in their heads; no telling what may lurk in the minds of youngsters listening to Williams' lyrics.
Williams tweeted, "It's beyond sad these kids were arrested for trying to spread happiness."
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani posted his own tweet, apparently quoting a statement he made more than a year ago, "#Happiness is our people's right. We shouldn't be too hard on behaviors caused by joy. 29/6/2013."
Yes, it all seems incredible silly. Behind the absurdity, ongoing tensions are shaping life in Iran. There is a boiling over of frustration among a large part of the Iranian population fed up with the restrictions imposed by the regime.
The "Happy" video showed defiance from two groups who are chafing under the limits imposed by the authorities: young people and women. From the moment the Islamic revolution took power in Iran, women, who had enjoyed Western-style freedoms, started to endure new rules restricting their lives. The mandate to cover with a hijab stands as the most visible, ever-present and personally offensive of those rules.
Every year for the last 35, the arrival of summer brings a battle between women pushing against the rules in the Iranian heat and regime backers fighting against the loosening of restrictions.
A few days ago, a Facebook page went up called StealthyFreedom. In it, Iranian women of all ages are posting pictures of themselves free from the restrictive clothing. The pictures show women dancing, smiling, with their arms extended, as if reaching for freedom, commenting on "the feeling of wind blowing through every strand of hair." One wrote, "I am a 68-year-old woman...I want to be free and comfortable in my own skin." Another vows "We will get freedom of dressing, singing, dancing. ..."
On Friday, a counterdemonstration took to the streets of Tehran, demanding that authorities crack down on dress code violations and enforce the code on women. Protesters carried signs that showed a sexy red stiletto shoe with a red line across it. Clothing connotes free expression to some, a grave threat to others.
The battle over social freedoms mirrors the contest in the government, where more conservative members are pushing back against Rouhani, who is considered a moderate by the Islamic Republic's unique standards, and is trying to improve Iran's international relations and image abroad.
The arrest of the dancers came just after Rouhani gave a speech about Internet freedoms in which he declared "We must recognize our citizens' right to connect to the World Wide Web." The President, who is not the most powerful leader in the country, asked "Why are we so shaky? Why have we cowered in a corner ... lest we take a bullet in this culture war?"
The speech was supposed to be broadcast on national television, but it was not. One of Rouhani's aides reportedly blamed a former member of the Revolutionary Guard for blocking the speech from television. The Revolutionary Guard and the President both answer to the unelected Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
There is no word so far on how Khamenei feels about Williams' hit song and the dancers. No word, so far, on whether the Supreme Leader is happy.
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Is Thailand still safe for tourists?
5/22/2014 9:27:58 AM
- On Thursday, Thailand's military announced it had taken control of the government in a coup
- Military imposed an overnight curfew between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. in Bangkok
- Thailand's ongoing political situation has hit the country's tourism industry hard
CNN TV has been taken off air in Thailand. The people of Thailand deserve to know what is happening in their own country, and CNN is committed to telling them. Follow our updates on Facebook and Twitter, and share your updates from Thailand via CNN iReport.
Bangkok (CNN) -- In most capital cities, waking up to images of armed soldiers, military vehicles and blockades on the streets -- as the army gears up for what it would later declare a coup -- might be cause for alarm.
But Bangkok isn't your average city.
Since 1932 -- the year Thailand became a constitutional monarchy -- there have been at least 18 actual or attempted military takeovers.
Since November 2013, widespread protests and the threat of violence have been a constant presence in Bangkok, as two divided sides passionately battle over the country's future leadership.
As a result, very little surprises residents in this city.
MORE: Thailand wakes to military rule: What it means
Thailand's military chief announced in a national address Thursday that the Thai military has taken control of the government in a coup after rival factions were unable to come up with a suitable agreement to govern.
An overnight curfew between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. was imposed nationwide, though the military chief told citizens that it should be business as usual for the public.
It also said it will provide security to foreigners, including vacationers.
The latest announcement followed a declaration by the army of martial law in the early hours of Tuesday.
This week saw Bangkok operating almost as usual, despite the developments.
The morning commute to work was normal, residents getting stuck in the usual traffic jams. Elbowing for space with school kids in the crowded buses and BTS Skytrain cars was as challenging as ever.
During a wander along popular streets, locals could be seen snapping photos of the soldiers and their guns, a few of the bold ones asking military personnel to pose for selfies.
On social media, a Thai hashtag on Twitter that roughly translates to "Show me a cute soldier" quickly grew in popularity, with locals sharing pics of those they deemed pin-up worthy.
Thailand tourism takes a dive
But for international tourists looking to visit Thailand for a seasonal winter getaway, it's hard to be blase about the situation.
Street protests, grenade attacks, martial law and military coups just aren't part of their daily vernacular and the recent months of political conflict have taken their toll on Thailand's tourism industry.
International bookings for inbound Thailand vacations are down 17% year-on-year (YOY) for the November 1, 2013 to March 18, 2014 period, and 21% since January 1st (YOY), says Olivier Jager, CEO of travel data intelligence firm ForwardKeys.
Though he says they won't know for a few days whether the new martial law is impacting bookings, the industry was showing strong positive signs in recent weeks, suggesting slow but sure recovery.
"In fact, April was just 6% down when compared to last year," says Jager.
Now, with Thailand's low-season underway and this past high-season (November-February) a write-off, those in the industry are hoping things will resolve quickly so they can avoid a repeat in the coming winter.
"Many in Thailand are just waiting, watching and hoping that political stability returns to the Kingdom sooner than later," says Mason Florence, executive director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office.
"Over the years Thailand has proved itself resilient, a survivor, time and time again bouncing back from coups, natural disasters and self-inflicted political woes.
"Some are beginning to question, however, whether Thailand truly understands, appreciates and values the ... die hard group of fans around the world who, despite all of the ongoing troubles, have continued to return here again and again and again," he says.
Mason Florence, Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office
Florence adds that many travelers are expanding their horizons beyond Thailand to explore places like Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.
"In the past nearly any trip around the Mekong countries would begin and end in Bangkok, but in recent years improved air connectivity as well as overland travel opportunities are giving travelers more options.
"Thailand will need to work harder than ever to retain its competitive edge in the region."
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, travel and tourism contributed 2.4 trillion baht ($73.8 billion) to Thailand's GDP in 2013, about 20% of the total GDP.
The industry generated 2,563,000 jobs directly in 2013 (6.6% of total employment) and this is forecast to fall by 7.2% in 2014 to 2,377,500.
MORE: Thai military calls meeting with key parties after declaring martial law
Bangkok hit particularly hard
Though some Bangkok tourists CNN spoke with say it's easy to avoid the protests by keeping abreast of the news, in recent months many opted to follow the advice of the dozens of countries that issued warnings to its citizens about the situation in the Thai capital and avoid it altogether.
Instead, they're heading for the country's other popular destinations like Chiang Mai, Koh Samui or Phuket.
As a result, Bangkok hotels reported significant performance decreases during the first quarter of 2014, affecting Thailand's overall performance, according to data from STR Global.
Occupancy rates in the capital fell to 55.2% in Q1 2014 (compared to 79.7% in Q1 2013).
"2013 was a good year for hotels in Bangkok; however, 2014 is off to a rough start," says Elizabeth Winkle, managing director of STR Global, in a statement.
"In February and March, Bangkok reported the lowest occupancy figures since August 2010. The greatest concern is the uncertainty of how long the conflict will last."
Turmoil in Thailand hasn't necessarily discouraged all travelers.
Maeve Nolan, general manager of Asia travel specialist Backyard Travel, says they've had no cancellations since Thailand's political situation began to heat up last November.
"However we've had concerned clients asking what the situation is like on the ground and when we expect a resolution," she says.
"I think certain hotels dependent on Asian business, or incentives/conferences may be affected, however our clients are more seasoned travelers flying in long haul so we've yet to see any negative impact on our business.
"Another factor is that as we sell multiple-day tailor-made tours all over Thailand, rather than single room nights, clients can be flexible and change their itineraries to avoid Bangkok as needs be."
Eric Kareus, Asia Transpacific Journeys
In the United States, Asia Transpacific Journeys (ATJ), a travel agency that specializes in trips to Asia, says its bookings to Thailand have remained steady throughout this and other recent political ordeals.
"For travel to Thailand, our numbers are exactly the same now as they've been for the last two years," says Eric Kareus, director of sales for the Boulder, Colorado-based company.
On Tuesday the company said it had received no cancellation requests for trips to Thailand as a result of the current political situation, according to Kareus.
"We've heard (anecdotally) that a lot of the European business to Thailand has really suffered but we're unchanged," he says.
Kareus says that of the 3,000 or so itineraries ATJ books to Asia each year, about 40% go through Thailand, "using Thailand either as a gateway to other countries in Asia -- they might stay in Bangkok for three or four nights -- or going to Thailand as a final destination and spending several weeks."
The company, founded in 1987 with Thailand as its primary market, is advising clients to take a "wait and see" approach.
It's also cautiously optimistic about how recent developments might affect the travel trade.
"People have had concerns about where the political situation is heading in Thailand for some time and this [martial law] should introduce some stability in the country, at least in the short term," says Kareus.
"I'm not commenting on what it's like for people living in Thailand and their situation. But for people traveling to Thailand, we see this as a good thing."
Kareus, who has twice been named a Top Travel Specialist by Condé Nast Traveler, guesses that more Europeans may be canceling or changing details of trips to Thailand because they're more likely to book package trips, which can be more easily canceled or modified.
"In 2008, when (Thai protestors) shut down the airport, that was a nightmare for us, not in terms of traveler safety, but the travel hassles were huge," says Kareus.
"But during the protests last year and into this year, between November 2013 and March 2014, we didn't have a single cancellation. We had a lot of people traveling and we were concerned for them but it turned out all right.
"You don't want to be cavalier and you always have to be careful, but we've been through this before."
On the ground in Thailand
Like the rest of Thailand, Bangkok's hotels, airports and major tourist attractions remain open.
Following the announcement of a 10 p.m.-5 a.m. nationwide curfew on Thursday evening, major malls in Bangkok announced they would be closing early, while the city's BTS Skytrain and MTR subway also halted service earlier than normal.
There were widespread reports of traffic jams in city streets, as residents rushed to get home before the 10 p.m. curfew.
A number of countries have updated their travel warnings since martial law was declared on Tuesday.
"U.S. citizens are advised to stay alert, exercise caution, and monitor media coverage," says a security message issued by the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok.
"You are advised to avoid areas where there are protest events, large gatherings, or security operations and follow the instructions of Thai authorities."
Tourists in Thailand can seek assistance by calling the following hotlines.
Tourism Authority of Thailand: 1672.
Thai Tourist Police: 1155.
Twitter is one of the best ways to get real-time information on the situation in Bangkok.
Richard Barrow, a full-time travel blogger based in Bangkok, is a top source for those seeking news about the protests as well as travel advice. He can be followed at Twitter.com/richardbarrow.
Local English-language media on Twitter include the Bangkok Post: Twitter.com/BPbreakingnews; The Nation: Twitter.com/nationnews; and MCOT: Twitter.com/MCOT_Eng.
CNN's Chuck Thompson and Hilary Whiteman contributed to this report.
Five Iran 'Happy' dancers freed
5/22/2014 5:28:03 AM
- NEW: All six dancers were freed; the director was not, a human rights group says
- Iranians are accused of making an "obscene" video that "offended the public morals"
- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani tweets: "#Happiness is our people's right"
- The hashtag #FreeHappyIranians has gone viral on Twitter
(CNN) -- Six people who were arrested in Iran for dancing in a YouTube video to Pharrell Williams' song "Happy" have been freed, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said Wednesday, citing a source close to the families.
The director of the video was not released, the group said.
One of the six announced that she was freed. "Hi I'm back," Reihane Taravati wrote on her Instagram account, thanking Williams and "everyone who cared about us."
The fan video is one of many to the hit song that has sold millions of downloads worldwide.
Tehran Police Chief Hossein Sajedinia ordered the arrests of the three men and three women for helping make an "obscene video clip that offended the public morals and was released in cyberspace," the Iranian Students' News Agency reported Wednesday. Authorities forced the young people to repent on state TV.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani seemed to think differently. "#Happiness is our people's right. We shouldn't be too hard on behaviors caused by joy," a tweet on his account said. It seemed to be quoting one of his comments from June 2013.
Pharrell Williams denounced the arrests.
"It is beyond sad that these kids were arrested for trying to spread happiness," the Grammy Award winner said on his Facebook page.
Just like in the singer's original video, the Iranian fan version features a montage of men and women dancing to the song in a variety of settings.
Taravati gushed over the reaction to the video in the days before the Tuesday arrests.
"178K VIEWS thank you," she wrote on her Facebook page last week. She also posted a picture of people featured in the video on Instagram.
"People of Tehran are happy! Watch and Share Our Happiness!," Taravati wrote. "Let the world hear us! we are happy and we deserve to be!"
Arrests come amid support for photo project
The arrests come amid growing support on Facebook for an unrelated project featuring photographs submitted by women who appear without Iran's legally required head scarves.
The page, created May 3, has more than 300,000 likes.
"This is the voice of Iranian women who have been censored all their lives in Iran," London-based journalist Masih Alinejad, who created the page, told HLN, CNN's sister network. "And now social media is giving them the opportunity to speak out, to be themselves."
Conversely, Iranian officials and some journalists denounced an Iranian actress who extended her hand in greeting to a film festival executive and received a kiss on the cheek from him, according to media reports.
The BBC reported that a conservative journalism organization run by Iran's state broadcaster said actress Leila Hatami engaged in "unconventional and improper" behavior by extending her hand to Cannes Film Festival president Gilles Jacob.
For his part, Jacob dismissed the controversy over kissing Hatami on the cheek.
He said on Twitter that she represented "all Iranian cinema" and called the uproar over the kiss needless controversy "over a usual custom in the West."
'Happy' makes Pharrell cry
International backlash
Pharrell's not the only one unhappy about the arrests. The Twitter hashtag #FreeHappyIranians went viral.
"Is happiness a crime? @Pharrell #freehappyiranians," @MaedehHP tweeted.
Others poked fun at the fan video's message.
"They deserve it for lying:) How can any body be #happy in #Tehran or #Iran for that matter," @Alothman123 wrote.
The National Iranian American Council condemned Iranian authorities.
"There are forces within Iran's government who want to keep the Iranian people isolated from the world," the council said in a statement.
"The irony that the Iranian youth were arrested for dancing to a song called 'Happy' seems to be lost on the Iranian authorities."
Incidentally, the arrests came just days after Rouhani said citizens should take advantage of the Internet to communicate.
"#Cyberspace should be seen as opportunity: facilitating two-way communication, increasing efficiency & creating jobs," the President tweeted Saturday. "Govt unhappy w/ current situation; working to increase internet speed for users at home, in offices& on mobiles."
Rouhani said every Iranian citizen has a right to connect to the Internet, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.
Some on social media made a point to separate the Iranian government from everyday Iranians.
"In a country which Religion and politics are not separated anything could become a crime even happiness," Hamoun Dowlatshah posted on Pharrell's Facebook page. "I love you Iran but i hate your government more than anything else."
Read: Iranian woman awaits execution as global outcry for mercy grows
Read: Iranian hostage crisis figure seeks U.N. credentials
Read: American detained over parody video speaks out
CNN's Azadeh Ansari contributed to this report.
Taipei man stabs commuters, kills 4
5/21/2014 9:09:22 PM
- Police: A man stabs people 20 seconds after his train leaves station
- Local media report four killed, 22 injured
- Police say the suspect showed no signs of remorse
- NEW: Suspect's college says he showed signs of mental instability
(CNN) -- Moments after his train left a station in Taipei on Wednesday, a young Taiwanese man randomly stabbed passengers before his violent fury ended when he was forced to the ground, police said.
At least four people were killed and 22 others injured in the incident -- the first such attack since the East Asian nation's mass rapid transit (MRT) system opened in 1996, media in Taiwan and nearby Hong Kong reported.
According to police, the suspect, a 21-year-old college student, began attacking people 20 seconds after his train left Longshan Temple Station in Taipei.
Staff were alerted something was wrong after people hit an emergency button, and the train stopped at the next station, Jiangzicui.
The man was subdued by Taipei City Police "along with MRT staff and courageous passengers," the Taipei City Police Department said in a press release.
The suspect was identified as Cheng Chieh, a second-year environmental engineering student at Tunghai University in Taichung, Taiwan's third largest city.
Cheng had been considering the attack for some time, a police spokesperson told reporters after the incident.
During questioning by police, Cheng said he had wanted to do "something big," like killing on the train network, when he was in elementary school, according to the director-general of New Taipei City's police department, Chen Kuo-en. Later, when the suspect was in high school and college, he told his classmates of the idea, Chen said.
Cheng had no medical record of mental illness, according to the police director-general. But the vice president of Cheng's university said there were indications from the student's activities on social media that he could be mentally unstable.
"We got a tip from his former high school classmates around the end of April, and that tip said the alleged killer posted something on his Facebook page saying 'I'm going to do something big,'" Tunghai University Vice President Tsai Jen-Teng told CNN.
The college arranged a formal counseling session for Cheng on May 9 but he failed to show up, Tsai said. Several days later, he attended another meeting with a military officer, and "seemed to be acting quite normally," he said.
Cheng transferred to Tunghai University last summer after struggling to maintain his grades at a military academy. "He failed over half of his courses," Tsai said.
He lived in the Taipei area, close to where the stabbing occurred, according to Tsai.
Tsai said the university received no other indication from Cheng's college classmates that he had been acting unusually: "We were really surprised."
The university has opened its chapel for people to pay their respects and pray for the victims and their families. "We are really sad and thinking about the families who have been affected," Tsai said.
Before he boarded the train, Cheng allegedly bought two fruit knives from a supermarket, the New Taipei City Police Department director-general said, adding that the suspect showed no signs of remorse for the attack.
The incident has sparked a debate online about whether the death penalty is appropriate punishment for such attacks. A Facebook group named "Indefinitely supporting death penalty for Cheng Chieh" had over 32,000 "likes" as of Thursday.
Several Facebook fan pages supporting Cheng have appeared following the stabbing, with names like "Go Cheng Chieh" and "Love Cheng Chieh fans' special page." However, many more netizens have rallied against these support pages, calling on users to report the sites and flood them with negative comments.
Since the incident, city police announced they had taken several steps to bolster security on the rapid transit system, including deploying 80 special officers at stations and aboard trains.
Led Zeppelin sued for 'Stairway'
5/21/2014 2:55:47 PM
Were the opening notes to 'Stairway to Heaven' stolen? A new lawsuit facing rock legends Led Zeppelin alleges just that.
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Boys 'poisoned' teacher's water
5/21/2014 1:02:08 PM
- The fourth-graders, ages 9 and 12, may have used rat poison, police say
- The teacher felt nauseated, was treated by her doctor and is now in good condition
- Attempted assault, reckless endangerment, criminal possession of a weapon alleged
New York (CNN) -- Two New York City fourth-graders were arrested Tuesday after allegedly putting poison in a teacher's water bottle, police said.
The two boys, ages 9 and 12, allegedly poisoned the teacher's water Monday afternoon, causing her to feel nauseated the next day. She was treated by her doctor and is now in good condition, said Sgt. John Buthorn of the New York City Police Department.
The poison is being tested in a lab to determine its content, but it appears to be rat poison, police said.
According to the NYPD, both boys have been charged with attempted second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon.
Police told CNN that the incident occurred at P.S. 315 in Brooklyn. The public school, also known as the School of Performing Arts, serves 849 students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, according to the school's website.
Officials at the school have not responded to CNN's request for comment.
The New York City Department of Education said in a statement that it is "greatly relieved that the teacher is recovering" and that it will "continue to closely monitor this situation."
"Ensuring the safety of our entire schools community is our priority, and while this matter is still under investigation, we will take swift and appropriate action," the statement said.
Meals tainted with poison kill 22 children
Police: Teacher brought marijuana-laced food to after-work potluck
Why is China's far west in turmoil?
5/22/2014 6:33:59 AM
- Violent attack in Urumqi open market brings spotlight on Xinjiang
- China's Xinjiang autonomous region has a long history of friction
- Recent spate of attacks and bombings in China has bee blamed on separatists
Hong Kong (CNN) -- China has once again been rocked by a violent attack targeting civilians after two SUVs plowed into people gathered at an open market in Urumqi, the capital of the western Chinese region of Xinjiang.
Explosives were tossed from the vehicles, before one of the SUVs exploded, leaving many shoppers dead or wounded on the streets as flames and smoke billowed from the scene.
The incident left 31 dead and more than 90 others hurt, according to Xinhua, China's state-run news agency.
The brazen act was described by China's Ministry of Public Security as "a serious violent terrorist incident" and it vowed to crack down on the perpetrators.
It was the latest in a series of deadly attacks in public places in China in the past few months.
It also put the spotlight once again on Xinjiang, a region with a long history of friction between Han Chinese, China's biggest and most dominant ethnic group, and the indigenous Uyghurs, a mainly Turkic-speaking Muslim population.
What happened in the recent attacks?
-- April 30, 2014: After Chinese President Xi Jinping had wrapped up a visit to Xinjiang, an explosion rocked the South Railway Station of Urumqi, followed by a knife attack at the same location. Three people died and 79 others were injured in the attacks, according to Xinhua, as "knife-wielding mobs" attacked people at one of the station's exits following the blast. Two people, described as religious extremists and part of the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, were blamed for the incident. Both died in the blast.
-- March 1, 2014: Twenty-nine people were killed and 130 were injured when 10 men armed with long knives stormed the station in the southwest Chinese city of Kunming. Kunming railway station is one of the largest in southwest China. Witnesses described men clad in black outfits stabbing and attacking people with cleavers and knives. Local government officials told Xinhua that evidence at the crime scene indicated "it was orchestrated by Xinjiang separatist forces."
-- October 28, 2013: Chinese authorities indicated a Xinjiang connection when a jeep plowed into crowds in Tiananmen Square, killing five and injuring at least 40.
Who are the Uyghurs?
The Uyghurs are a predominantly Muslim ethnic group who live in Xinjiang, an area the size of Iran that is rich in natural resources, including oil.
The province shares borders with Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Uyghurs, who speak a language related to Turkish, regard themselves as culturally and ethnically close to central Asia, despite a long history of Chinese rule.
Since the collapse of the Qing dynasty in 1912, Xinjiang, which means "new frontier" in Chinese, has enjoyed varying levels of autonomy.
In 1933, rebels declared independence and created the short-lived Islamic Republic of East Turkistan.
The Chinese Communist Party took over the territory in 1949 and in 1955 it was declared an autonomous region, giving it a status similar to that of Tibet, which lies to the south of Xinjiang.
Why do Uyghurs resent Chinese rule?
Over the decades, waves of Han Chinese migrants arrived in the region, displacing Uyghurs from their traditional lands and fueling tensions.
Xinjiang is now home to more than 8 million Han Chinese, up from 220,000 in 1949, and 10 million Uyghurs. The newcomers take most of the new jobs, and unemployment among Uyghurs is high. They complain of discrimination and harsh treatment by security forces, despite official promises of equal rights and ethnic harmony.
Activists say that a campaign is being waged to weaken the Uyghurs' religious and cultural traditions and that the education system undermines use of the Uyghur language.
Why is China concerned about the Uyghurs?
Simmering tensions have erupted into riots. The worst violence in decades took place in July 2009, when rioting in Urumqi between Uyghurs and Han Chinese killed some 200 people and injured 1,700. That unrest was followed by a crackdown by security forces.
Beijing says Uyghur groups want to establish an independent state and, because of the Uyghurs' cultural ties to their neighbors, leaders fear that elements may back a separatist movement in Xinjiang.
James Leibold, senior lecturer of politics and Asian studies at La Trobe University
What could be triggering attacks in Xinjiang?
It could be multiple factors, but China is increasing its grip over Xinjiang society, said James Leibold, senior lecturer of politics and Asian studies at La Trobe University in Melbourne. President Xi's administration views Xinjiang "as a crucial backdoor into central Asia" -- one that could provide a new Silk Road and economic opportunities. There are also natural resources in the province.
China has quadrupled internal security budget in Xinjiang, he said. "It has increased armed patrols as well as security cameras in the region."
At the same time, China has also injected money to boost economic development amongst the Ugyhur minority and the Han Chinese who live in Xinjiang, Leibold added.
Is the violence in Xinjiang getting worse?
"I think these things are cyclical in nature," said Leibold, an expert on Chinese ethnic policy relations. "If you look at Xinjiang over the last 60-plus years it's been under Chinese Communist Party rule, the violence ebbs and flows."
The 1950s had been particularly bloody around the Cultural Revolution, and violence was reported in the late 1990s, he said.
"It's impossible to confirm that ethnic violence has increased," he said. "The government puts out statistics and all the information we get are bits and pieces."
The Chinese government blames what it calls three evil forces: Separatism, extremism and terrorism.
What is significant in recent violence is that the target of the attacks appear to be shifting to civilians from security forces, he said.
"We have seen targeting of innocent civilians and places, an attempt to maim innocent civilians in large numbers," Leibold said. "This violence has seeped outside of Xinjiang autonomous region," he added, referring to the incidents in Tiananmen and the Kunming train station several months ago.
Are there Uyghur terrorist groups?
Some say the threats from Uyghur separatist groups have been exaggerated and that little of the violence inside Xinjiang should be considered terrorism. They also say that the civil unrest is carried out by individuals or small groups, rather than an organized militant group.
However, Uyghur groups have claimed responsibility for bus bombs in Shanghai and Yunnan prior to the Olympics in 2008. The Chinese government blamed an attempted hijacking of a flight in 2012 on Uyghurs.
The U.S. State Department listed the East Turkestan Islamic Movement as a terrorist organization in 2002 in the wake of the September 11 attacks during a period of increased cooperation with China on security matters.
After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, some 22 Uyghurs were rounded up in Pakistan and Afghanistan and detained at Guantanamo Bay. The final three ethnic Uyghurs were released from Guantanamo to Slovakia where they were "voluntarily" resettled early last year.
CNN's Katie Hunt and Jethro Mullen contributed to this report.
Minimum wage make sense ... but
5/22/2014 10:30:38 AM
- Minimum wages are at the top of the political agenda in many countries
- Economist Alan Manning says the concept of minimum wage is popular with voters
- But there is a point at which minimum wage is so high that it destroys jobs, he says
Editor's note: Alan Manning is a professor of economics at LSE and director of CEP's community research program. His 2003 book, Monopsony in Motion: Imperfect Competition in Labour Markets explains the theory behind minimum wages. Read his blog here. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely his.
(CNN) -- Minimum wages are on top of the political agenda in many countries.
U.S. President Barack Obama's proposal to raise the federal minimum wage from the current $7.25 to $10 per hour seems blocked by Congress, but individual states and cities are raising minimum wages within their jurisdictions -- Seattle's mayor, for example, proposes a new $15 minimum.
Germany looks set to introduce a national minimum wage for the first time, after months of fierce debates. In the UK, politicians from all the main parties are falling over themselves to find some way to inject new vigor into the UK's national minimum wage.
Even the free market redoubt of Hong Kong introduced a national minimum wage in 2011.
But it's not all travel in one direction. Last weekend, 76% of voters were opposed to a proposal to raise the Swiss minimum wage to what would have been the world's highest, about $25 per hour.
So, why this widespread enthusiasm for the minimum wage?
There is both economics and politics at play.
Alan Manning
The main argument against the minimum wage is that it destroys jobs, harming those it sets out to help. But evidence suggests that this is often just a scare story.
When the UK introduced its national minimum wage in 1999, critics predicted hundreds of thousands of job losses. The actual impact seemed to be zero.
This experience and other studies have shifted the expert opinion on the minimum wage.
Few dispute that there comes a point at which minimum wage is so high that it destroys jobs. But this does not happen at the current levels of minimum wages in many countries.
The reason the minimum wage seems to have little effect on employment, is that total labor costs do not rise as much as one would expect as costs of turnover and absenteeism are reduced.
Moreover, the incentive to work rises as wages rise for low-skill workers.
Most workers earning are not in sectors where they would be facing international competition so prices rise a little bit.
And many low-paid workers are in an vulnerable economic position and are paid less than the value of what they produce.
So yes, the minimum wage does help low-paid workers -- it raises their earnings without harming their job prospects. It helps to reduce poverty.
But it alone cannot solve the problem of poverty.
Many people earning minimum wage, such as students, are not living in poor households.
And many poor households do not contain minimum wage workers.
Indeed, the poorest households are those with no-one in work.
So why the push for higher mimum wage?
Many people think there is something very wrong with an economic system in which someone who works hard is still unable to provide an adequate standard of living for themselves and their families.
Such views have always been common, but are much more common after the crisis when living standards are threatened and the link between growth and people's welfare seems to have been severed.
In some places, these political pressures seem likely to lead to minimum wages much higher than we have seen in recent experience, perhaps around 60% of median earnings.
This is the point at which many economists get nervous that the negative effects on employment must surely kick in but we do not have many studies to know whether these concerns are valid.
But it seems likely we may be about to find out.
Opinion: Three reasons why a $10.10 minimum wage is good for America
Read more: Raising minimum wage would ease poverty but cost some jobs
Read: Obama pushes for minimum wage increase
Opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Alan Manning.
Anti-Semitic tweets after sports win
5/21/2014 1:23:03 PM
- Israel's team beat Madrid's in Sunday's Euroleague basketball finals
- Some people on Twitter called for gas chambers, cited Hitler
- Some Spanish Jewish groups want legal action
- It's unclear how many anti-Semitic tweets there were
(CNN) -- After Israel's Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv beat Spain's Real Madrid in the Euroleague basketball finals Sunday, some people on Twitter responded with vile anti-Semitic tweets.
"Now I understand Hitler and his hate for Jews," one tweet read. That user removed the tweet and is now apologizing profusely, tweeting that his "empty words" were a joke and that he never meant to offend.
Another hateful tweet said the Maccabi team would hit the showers after the game, "but in the gas chamber, I hope."
That user appears to have removed his as well. He also retweeted an op-ed from the Spanish newspaper El Pais arguing that while concern about hateful tweets makes sense, such offenses should not be considered illegal.
But to some leaders of Jewish communities in Spain, these and numerous other tweets crossed a legal line.
"We are standing up and saying enough is enough. We're not going to allow this anymore," Uri Benguigui, chairman of the Barcelona Jewish Community, told CNN on Wednesday.
Various Jewish groups have come together to file a legal complaint calling for the offenders to be punished.
"To send a message to Spain that this is not OK," Benguigui said.
It's not that the groups want these people incarcerated, he said. But they want some kind of sentence. "There is a problem with anti-Semitism in Spain. I want them to fix this problem," he said.
He pointed to a recent global study published by the Anti-Defamation League that found one in four adults worldwide are "deeply infected with anti-Semitic attitudes." In Spain, the study found, 29% of the adult population believed most of the anti-Semitic stereotypes in the survey -- the third highest number in Western Europe after Greece at 69% and France at 37%.
'Unprecedented' global study finds 1 in 4 adults anti-Semitic
European nations don't have the same freedom of expression protections that the United States does. "When you cross a line, you face a problem," said Benguigui.
Unclear how many anti-Semitic tweets
Many of the offensive tweets used a hashtag that included an expletive followed by "judios," which means Jews. A software program found about 17,500 such tweets at the point that the Jewish groups complained, Benguigui said.
The complaint triggered global headlines citing this number of anti-Semitic tweets. But in fact, many of those tweets were from people saying how offensive the hashtag was. In the interview with CNN, Benguigui said the groups don't know how many of the tweets using the hashtag actually were anti-Semitic.
When hashtags trend that are offensive against any group, it's often due to a mix of people saying offensive things and those calling out the offensive messages. The same happened this week in France with the hashtag "#MerciHitlerPour3945," thanking Hitler for World War II.
Groups want Twitter users ID'd
Benguigui said his and other groups have identified five of the offending Twitter users. And he wants more of them identified. It's an issue Twitter has faced repeatedly in recent years.
Last year, a French court demanded that Twitter identify those who post hate speech, the technology website ArsTechnica reported in a story on CNN.com. In 2012, under pressure from the French advocacy group Union of Jewish Students, Twitter agreed to remove some offensive tweets. Also that year, at Berlin's request, Twitter suspended a German neo-Nazi account based in the city of Hanover, marking the first time the company had responded to such a government request, the report said.
"We work very hard to protect people's experiences on Twitter, but sadly there are a small amount of people in this world who are intent on causing distress for others both offline and online," Twitter said Wednesday in a statement sent to CNN. "On Twitter we have rules which govern how people can behave and targeted abuse and direct threats of violence are against our rules. When they sign up, Twitter users agree to respect them."
With more than 500 million tweets a day, "we rely on our users to report content" that violates rules, the statement said. To report any tweet, a user can open it, click "More," and then "Report Tweet." A real person ends up reviewing it.
On its site called "Transparency Report," Twitter lists information requests from governments, removal requests and copyright notices. The company also works with different countries to provide information within different legal systems, and posts its moves at the website chillingeffects.org.
Benguigui sees this effort as a sign of what Jewish people in Spain have been going through. "We've been hidden for many years," he said. "We didn't want to appear, didn't want to make noise."
He cites the Inquisition, which began in the 1400s and was not officially abolished until the 19th century.
"It's time to say, 'We are home, we have equal rights, we have the same opportunities as everyone,' " Benguigui said. "We need to educate people."
Your thoughts for a story: What's the best way to handle vile, offensive tweets? Ignore? Report? Highlight? Drown out?
— Josh Levs (@JoshLevs) May 21, 2014 READ: 'Unprecedented' global study finds 1 in 4 adults anti-Semitic
READ: English club Tottenham Hotspur faces more anti-Semitic abuse
Mother suspected of killing daughters
5/21/2014 6:40:55 AM
- NEW: Neighbor says she "never" saw indications Carol Coronado was a threat
- NEW: A family friend says the slain children's father is distraught; "it's just not right"
- Torrance mom is accused of killing children, whose ages range from 2 months to 3 years
(CNN) -- From the outside, Carol Coronado embraced motherhood. She played with her three girls -- ran after them, kissed them, smiled with them, a neighbor recalled. Her children seemingly had no shortage of joy, as evidenced by their own abundant laughter.
"She (said) she loved being a mother," Ashley Madrid said of Coronado, her neighbor.
But the inside -- at least inside her Southern California home on Tuesday -- was a different story. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Coronado is believed to have killed her children. The oldest was 3 years old, the youngest all of 2 months.
Sheriff's deputies arrived at a home in unincorporated Torrance early Tuesday evening to find "family members who told (them) that a mother had killed her children." Inside, they found three juveniles dead and their mother "adjacent" to them, the sheriff's department said.
Authorities told CNN affiliate KTLA the young girls were lying in a pool of blood. Their naked 30-year-old mother was holding a knife, investigators told the same station.
Coronado eventually emerged from the house, wearing little more than a blanket. Madrid told Nancy Grace of CNN's sister network HLN that Coronado looked blankly at the ground.
"I could see the blood smears all over her face and arms and legs," Madrid recalled. "And she was just stone-faced."
The mother was brought to a local hospital, then to the department's Carson Station to be booked on murder charges, said the sheriff's department. As of Wednesday evening, online records didn't indicate that Coronado was officially an inmate in the county, and it wasn't known whether she had a lawyer.
So exactly what happened? And why?
There's been no official word about a motive, nor has the sequence of events been spelled out.
Madrid had known Coronado since the latter moved into the neighborhood four to five years ago.
In that time, Madrid and Coronado would talk at the grocery store or across the fence about their children. Never did she hear any arguments or see any signs of trouble.
"Never," the neighbor said Wednesday. "Completely opposite of what happened yesterday."
The girls' father was across the street working on a car when it happened, Madrid said.
"I can't imagine how he feels, you know," Robert Marino, a family friend, told CNN affiliate KCAL. "It's just not right."
Police: Utah mom admits to killing at least six of her babies
Mom kills two of her children during attempted exorcism
Opinion: Why would a mother kill her babies?
CNN's Sonya Hamasaki and Ed Payne contributed to this report
Party snub angers $370k a week star
5/21/2014 4:30:44 PM
- Yaya Toure's brand "left damaged" by outburst says PR expert
- Agent says Manchester City midfielder is upset by lack of birthday celebrations
- His future at Premier League's top club is in jeopardy according to Phil Hall
- Public take dim view of such behavior from highly-paid sport stars
Follow us at @WorldSportCNN and like us on Facebook
(CNN) -- Is this Manchester City's "David Beckham moment?"
When Yaya Toure's agent announced his client was unhappy because the English Premier League champion's bosses failed to wish him happy birthday, social media went into meltdown.
The 31-year-old, who earns a reported $370,000 a week, has been ridiculed after his agent revealed Toure was left upset by the lack of congratulations afforded to him.
According to the player's agent, Toure was barely acknowledged by the club's owners when the squad arrived in the United Arab Emirates last week to celebrate their Premier League title triumph.
"None of them shook his hand on his birthday. It's really sick," his agent Dmitri Seluk told the BBC.
But according to one PR expert, it's a case of a Premier League player wanting to have his cake and eat it; a case of professional footballers losing all touch with reality.
"I think it's a classic way of player trying to take control of club," Phil Hall, whose clients have included City, told CNN.
"He wants to be king of dressing room and fawned over.
"This is where it often goes wrong. It's the same as what happened with Beckham at Manchester United.
"In a few months, he was gone. The same happened with Eric Cantona.
"Jose Mourinho has dealt similarly with other players. When a player sees himself as bigger than the club, then it's time to part company."
United bake Kagawa glorious birthday cake! City bake Yaya of Toure zero cake. Hope I no make you cry. @Toure_yaya42 pic.twitter.com/nDjDek4IhO
— Evil Kagawa (@evilkagawa) May 21, 2014 It's unlikely Toure's behavior would have been tolerated at Manchester United under former manager Alex Ferguson.
The Scot ruled Old Trafford with an iron fist and anyone who dared to challenge his authority was promptly shown the door.
In his autobiography, Ferguson describes how Beckham, a global brand, had to leave after a heated exchange following a defeat by Arsenal in 2003.
Beckham suffered a cut to his head after Ferguson kicked a boot at him following a dressing-room argument -- a moment which signaled the end of their relationship.
Was this the Manchester City owner's 100kg cake for winning the Premier League, which Yaya Toure is grumbling about? pic.twitter.com/LUKWuCsWe3
— David Conn (@david_conn) May 21, 2014 "The minute a Manchester United player thought he was bigger than the manager he had to go," Ferguson wrote in his book.
"David thought he was bigger than Alex Ferguson. It doesn't matter whether it's Alex Ferguson or Pete the Plumber. The authority is what counts."
While Beckham's brand was scarcely tarnished, Toure -- who signed a new four-year contract with City just 11 months ago -- could find himself in a far more problematic situation.
His agent said the midfielder could leave City if he is not showed enough "respect" -- and the Ivory Coast star tweeted that he would make an announcement after the upcoming World Cup in Brazil.
"Man City is not respecting the player -- how can he be motivated to play for that team?" Seluk told Sky Sports News.
"If they don't want Toure then he can leave at any moment. Many clubs would be interested in him."
Everything dimitry said is true . He speaks for me . I will give an interview after world cup to explain
— yaya toure (@Toure_yaya42) May 20, 2014 According to Hall, the player's latest outburst is a sign that "the tail is trying to wag the dog."
"It's going to be very difficult for Yaya at Manchester City now," added Hall.
"When you do something like this then people start using it against you in different circumstances.
"Next time, when he fails to play because he's got a minor injury, people will start to doubt his commitment again and say, 'Oh, that's Yaya.'
"If he did have a problem then he should have dealt with it quietly. He now looks a bit sad."
We have just sent this off to Manchester for the attention of Yaya Toure. pic.twitter.com/G2EIF0jo1A
— Yeovil Town FC (@ytfcofficial) May 20, 2014 Toure is not the first player to find himself embarrassed by his alleged excessive demands.
Hall cites an example of one player who, having lost money on his property empire, demanded his club pay up the shortfall.
Another, who had accrued large gambling debts, urged his club to pay off his creditors because it was having a negative impact on his performances.
Dear Yaya Toure; this is how Palace celebrate player's birthdays. #justsaying pic.twitter.com/KY7CDhVVpN
— Five Year Plan (@FYPFanzine) May 21, 2014 It's that type of high maintenance which has helped give footballers a bad name, according to Hall.
"Players need to understand that they are major brands," he added.
"I can't believe they don't employ specialist employers and just rely on their agent or friend. They need to understand they're working in the corporate world and not in Sunday League.
"Effectively, Toure has devalued himself already. Potential suitors will think they can acquire him on the cheap and it may do damage to his signing-on fee."
No cake -- but plenty of food for thought.
Read: Beckham -- the man who broke football's gay taboo?
Read: Beckham -- rise of the metrosexual
How to beat preachers of hate
5/22/2014 8:26:06 AM
- Ghaffar Hussain: We need to confront extreme Islamist narratives
- Preacher Abu Hamza, found guilty this week on terror charges, renowned for radicalization
- Undermine radicals by offering a stronger worldview, says Hussain
Editor's note: Ghaffar Hussain is managing director of Quilliam, a think tank formed to combat extremism in society. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely his. Follow Hussain on Twitter @GhaffarH
(CNN) -- It is likely that radical cleric Abu Hamza -- who was found guilty on terror charges by a New York federal jury this week --- will now spend the rest of his life in a U.S. top security prison while his victims will gain some succor from the fact that he is finally behind bars.
However, merely stopping high-profile extremist preachers is not enough if the threat they represent is to be confronted. Much more needs to be done to challenge extremist narratives, ideas and propaganda if we are prevent the next generation of extremist preachers from emerging.
There was a time, during the 1980s and early 1990s, when individuals would rarely become radicalized without direct contact with an extremist preacher of some description.
In this context, preachers such as Abu Hamza became highly significant as recruiters and propagandists. Their ability to tailor the al-Qaeda worldview to young and impressionable audiences in Europe and North America allowed them to target a generation of Muslims born and raised in the West.
However, even though many key extremist preachers have now been arrested or deported -- such as Omar Bakri and Abdullah Faisal -- extremist narratives are still being disseminated and reaching their target audiences.
The likes of Abu Hamza have left a legacy which has now been taken on by some Western-born recruits, using educational institutions, prisons and the Internet to spread extremist messages.
The fact that an estimated 400 British citizens are believed to have traveled to Syria to join jihadist groups suggests their efforts are having some success.
In tackling extremism we need to ensure universities and colleges are not hosting extremist preachers without providing a robust challenge to their views. We need to ensure prisoners are offered mentoring and support to turn their lives around, making them less susceptible to recruitment within prisons. Online extremism also needs to be challenged with counter-arguments; this could be done through websites and social media accounts that confront the extremist narrative. A recent Quilliam report further details how this can be done.
Arresting key individuals or shutting down extremist websites -- as some European governments propose -- are not long-term solutions to this problem. Extremist narratives only lose their appeal when they are undermined and thoroughly discredited; when the debate is opened up and won by their opponents, rather than being shut down and lost.
We need to enter the realm of ideas and pitch more positive and enlightened values against extreme and regressive arguments.
The extreme Islamist narrative offers listeners a simplistic framework through which all geo-political developments are misconstrued.
Just as Marxists view all activities as part of a class struggle, so extreme Islamists rely on a West versus Islam framework or a Muslim versus non-Muslim rivalry. In the view of such extreme Islamists, Muslims are at war while non-Muslim states and political entities form part of a broad struggle to undermine Islam.
Conflict zones -- such as Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan -- are viewed not as localised or isolated conflicts but part of a grand conspiracy to undermine Islam and prevent the emergence of a utopian Islamist super-power.
Undermining extreme Islamism is about undermining the framework or narrative that is being used. This involves discrediting it and exposing its inaccuracies from a political, historical and theological point of view. It is also about revealing the true nature of the extremist narrative and presenting it in its unembellished form.
Extremists often rely on highlighting a select number of grievances, while ignoring other less convenient ones, in order to create moral outrage and garner sympathy. Exposing this selective and agenda driven approach to conflict zones and political developments is key to discrediting their efforts.
Ultimately, extremism will stop appealing to young people when it becomes unfashionable and is regarded as yesterday's news. However, or that to happen we need not only counter-narratives but also alternative narratives through which the world can be understood and appreciated.
For this to happen we need more political literacy, more spaces in which young people can discuss political and social developments and a stronger sense of national and regional identity so that people feel a greater sense of rootedness and belonging.
We undermine extremists by illustrating how our values are better than theirs and offering constructive answers in opposition to their destructive proposals.
Boko Haram's goal: Destroy Nigeria?
5/22/2014 3:35:25 AM
- Boko Haram seems intent on destroying Nigeria
- Attacks have shown it can coordinate operations
- Boko Haram is also forcing thousands of Christians from hotspot areas
- Its ultimate ambition could now be creating its twisted version of God's Kingdom on Earth.
(CNN) -- A large part of northern and central Nigeria is now at the mercy of intensified attacks by Boko Haram, and the group seems to be embarking on a new phase of its campaign against the Nigerian state -- piling further pressure on the government of President Goodluck Jonathan.
The last four days have seen devastating bomb attacks in Jos, in central Nigeria, as well as a suicide bombing in Kano - the largest city in the north. Two more villages in the state of Borno, Boko Haram's stronghold in the northeast, came under attack, with at least 30 civilians killed. There have also been two bomb attacks in the federal capital, Abuja, in the last five weeks.
What alarms analysts is the way Boko Haram and its supporters are able to carry out multiple attacks on targets far apart, all within days of each other. Jos and Kano are more than 300 miles from Borno.
The double car-bomb attack against a market in Jos on Tuesday, which killed 118 people, according to the National Emergency Management Agency, is typical of its strategy beyond Borno: to strike soft targets in places where sectarian tensions are already high, with massive force. The use of two bombs some 30 minutes apart copied an al Qaeda tactic.
Jacob Zenn, a long-time observer of Boko Haram, says its aim is likely to stretch Nigeria's beleaguered security forces, possibly by combining with another Islamic militant group: Ansaru.
"In 2012, one of Boko Haram's goals was to launch attacks in the Middle Belt and southern Nigeria via the Ansaru networks - in order to spread Nigerian forces thin in Borno," Zenn told CNN. "We may be seeing a similar tactic employed now."
Zenn says Ansaru networks carried out more than 15 bombings in Jos, Kaduna and Abuja between 2010 and 2012, even though the attacks were attributed to Boko Haram. Those networks, he believes, have now been reactivated.
Zenn, an analyst at the Jamestown Foundation in Washington, says Boko Haram recruits who have trained in Borno - disaffected young Muslims from across the Middle Belt region - may be returning home to "carry out attacks against their enemies -- whether rival Christians or the government."
John Campbell, a former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria and now a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, agrees that Ansaru seems to be reappearing but adds that little is known about the group and its leadership.
What is known is that Boko Haram and Ansaru have plenty of money to recruit and finance operatives -- through bank robberies and kidnappings.
Campbell says Boko Haram has become adept at bank robberies and stealing weapons from government armories.
Zenn believes Ansaru's connections to al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) have helped fill its coffers. In 2012 it kidnapped a French engineer, Francis Collomp. AQIM also held four French hostages - who were freed in late 2013 - reportedly for a ransom payment of $27 million. A few weeks later Collomp escaped, or perhaps was allowed to escape, provoking speculation that Ansaru had been in on the deal and shared the ransom money. Last year, Zenn says, Ansaru received part of a $3 million ransom paid to secure the release of a French family kidnapped by Boko Haram in northern Cameroon.
The challenge for the Nigerian security forces grows by the day. According to locals quoted in the Nigerian media, Boko Haram fighters were able to spend several hours unchallenged looting and killing in the village of Alagano early Wednesday. The village is only a few miles from the school where the girls were abducted in April, and supposedly in an area where there is a heightened military presence.
One option to squeeze Boko Haram would be better military coordination with neighboring states, where the group takes refuge and resupplies itself. On Tuesday, President Jonathan announced plans to bolster a Joint Task Force - with a battalion each from Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon. But Zenn says that "thus far all initiatives of this sort have absolutely flunked. It's supposed to exist already in the Multinational Joint Task Force but, because of language issues, mistrust and lack of funding, doesn't really work."
There is also a larger question looming in a country that has had military rule for more than half its life as an independent state. Nigeria has had civilian rule since 1999, but Zenn says there is now a risk that "the still less than 20-year old democracy experiment in Nigeria may be coming to an end, since there are increasing reports of military defections and mutinies."
"With the potential for instability ahead of the elections [due in February next year], the military may step in in one way or another," he adds.
Campbell says the surprise is that the military hasn't moved before now, given the deteriorating situation. But he says it is a much smaller and weaker organization than 10 or 15 years ago; the top brass has been thoroughly politicized and is close to the Presidency. The nightmare scenario, he says, is a mutiny by junior officers. But Campbell cautions that the Nigerian military is little understood by outsiders, which incidentally makes foreign assistance to improve its performance more difficult to deliver.
There is another larger danger for Nigeria stoked by the Boko Haram campaign: a version of ethnic cleansing. Thousands of Christians have already fled areas like Gwoza in Borno, and Campbell says that sectarian divisions and violence have divided the city of Jos into predominantly Muslim and Christian districts. After Tuesday's bombings, which were likely calculated to inflame religious tension, Christian youths began setting up roadblocks around their neighborhoods. The Kano attack was also in a Christian neighborhood.
In another sign that sectarian tensions are spreading, some Christian groups have demanded that the next Governor of Lagos - the country's commercial capital and the city least prone to religious conflict - be a Christian.
For now, Campbell says, Boko Haram has the wind in its sails, after a series of devastating attacks in recent months that have humiliated the government and military. The abduction of the schoolgirls has brought it international notoriety and attention.
Far from seizing the opportunity to outline demands for greater autonomy and resources for northern Nigeria, Boko Haram seems set on two goals: the destruction of the Nigerian state and what it -- and it alone -- sees as creating God's Kingdom on Earth.
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