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Costa and Turan train before final
5/23/2014 8:40:46 PM
- Diego Costa and Arda Turan have trained with teammates ahead of the Champions League final
- Atletico Madrid are looking to win clubs first European crown
- Real Madrid aim to claim their tenth European title in Lisbon
- Los Blancos also have injury concerns over Pepe and Karim Benzema
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(CNN) -- Diego Costa and Arda Turan took part in training with Atletico Madrid teammates at the Estadio da Luz Friday ahead the Champions League final clash with city rivals Real Madrid.
The pair have been an integral part of Atletico's title winning side but remain doubts for Saturday's fixture after being forced off during last weekend's league clash with Barcelona -- the match that saw Atleti clinch La Liga for the first time in 16 years.
Costa mainly trained alone on Thursday but was able to join in drills with teammates Friday.
The naturalized Spaniard, who has scored 36 goals in 51 appearances this season, reportedly flew to Sarajevo for horse-placenta treatment on a hamstring tear earlier this week while Turan has nursed the hip-knock he sustained against the Catalans at the club's training base in Madrid.
Atletico manager Diego Simeone, however, remained tight-lipped about the pair's chances of making his starting lineup in Lisbon on Saturday.
"Costa and Arda are important players but they are just names, it will either be them playing or two others who know who they are," Simeone told reporters.
"We will examine Diego Costa and the other injury doubts today. They trained better yesterday but we have to see how they feel," he added.
The Argentine is looking to become just the third non-European coach to win the continent's premier club competition after compatriots Luis Carniglia and Helenio Herrera but is wary of an opponent he knows well.
No two teams from the same city have ever contested the Champions League final before or its predecessor, the European Cup.
"We don't know how Madrid will play, we've worked with different possibilities and we will try to block them and find a way to control the match the way we need," Simeone said.
The sides have met four times already this season with Atletico claiming one league win against Real's two victories in the double-legged Copa del Rey semifinal.
The other league match was drawn.
Real face injury concerns of their own ahead of the clash that could see them lift the illusive "decima," their tenth European crown which has become an obsession since they won their ninth continental title in 2002.
Star players Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale have been struggling for fitness in recent weeks but both are expected to play Saturday.
Portuguese defender, Pepe, and French striker, Karim Benzema, however, are less likely to make it.
Speaking to reporters Friday, Real boss Carlo Ancelotti said: "we will assess the injuries at training. Cristiano has trained without problems but Pepe and Benzema haven't trained this week."
"We will take the decision for tomorrow after this session which they will take part in," he added.
Ancelotti is aiming to lift the Champions League trophy for the third time as a manager, having done so with AC Milan in 2003 and 2007.
But reports have suggested the Italian's position could come under scrutiny should Real fail to win Saturday.
Los Blancos claimed the Copa del Rey trophy in April but stumbled to a third placed finish in La Liga behind Atletico and Barcelona.
In what may have been comments relating to these reports, Ancelotti said: "I have clear memories of my last press conference before the 2007 final and I said 'this may be my last press conference, let me enjoy it.'"
"It wasn't, but this one may be - so let me enjoy it. There's a thin line between an obsession and a dream, but my aim is to realize the dream," he said.
Real defender, Sergio Ramos, accompanied Ancelotti at Friday's press conference and spoke effusively of his manager.
"Since Carlo Ancelotti arrived he has emphasized hard work and intensity and now that is what Real Madrid are associated with," Ramos said.
"He has playing experience which makes him different to other coaches. We realize the efforts many of our fans have to make to come, some will have been saving all year long and that is motivation for the team."
"Even those who couldn't come, we have to do everything possible to make them happy."
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'Shield' actor charged with murder
5/22/2014 5:24:49 PM
- NEW: Michael Jace's arraignment continued until June 18 at the defense's request
- April Jace died from "multiple gunshot wounds," autopsy finds
- April Jace was found shot to death in a Los Angeles home Monday night
- Playing an LAPD detective in "The Shield" is Jace's biggest and longest-running role
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Actor Michael Jace has been formally charged with one count of murder with a gun in the shooting death of his wife, the prosecutor's spokeswoman said Thursday.
April Jace, 40, died from "multiple gunshot wounds," according to preliminary autopsy results. The death was ruled a homicide by the Los Angeles County coroner, Deputy Chief Coroner Ed Winter said.
Jace, 51, made his first appearance in a Los Angeles courtroom Thursday afternoon. Bail was set at $2 million, and his arraignment was continued until June 18 at the defense's request.
"He's doing as well as somebody who is in custody," said Jason Sias, Jace's lawyer. "It's emotional. He wants to see this through. He's just thinking about his children."
Los Angeles police detectives presented their evidence against Jace, who played a Los Angeles cop in TV's "The Shield," to the district attorney Thursday morning, according to spokeswoman Jane Robison.
Police found April Jace shot to death in her south Los Angeles home Monday night, Det. Lyman Doster said.
Michael Jace called 911 to report that his wife had been shot, Det. Dean Vinluan said, adding that he "was on the phone with the operator." Neighbors who heard gunshots also called 911, he said.
"At this moment, the motive of the murder is believed to be domestic violence," a police statement this week said.
Investigators detained Jace at the couple's Hyde Park-area home Monday night and booked the actor on a homicide charge early Tuesday, according to Doster.
Two children were in the home when their mother was shot, Vinluan said. The children, whose ages he would not reveal, were taken to a police station and then handed over to a representative of California's Department of Children and Family Services, he said.
Investigators have found no reports of domestic violence between the husband and wife at their south Los Angeles residence, another LAPD detective said.
A woman described as a close friend of Jace's first wife said in a sworn statement that she witnessed Jace physically abusing his wife in 1997. The declaration was in court records from Jace's 2005 custody case concerning his son with Jennifer Bitterman.
Jace "choked and hit" his wife and "slammed her against the wall while (their infant son) screamed in his crib next to her," Maria De Le Vegas said in the sworn declaration obtained by CNN.
Jace "was raging and out of control, and seeing the extent of his anger was one of the most terrifying things I have ever seen," she said.
Jace appeared to be suffering severe financial strain in recent years, according to court documents obtained by CNN. The actor filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in March 2011, citing $500,000 in debts and an annual income of around $80,000 from residuals from his TV and film work, the documents said.
Jace had defaulted on the $411,000 mortgage on the south Los Angeles home where his wife died, according to the documents.
He married April Jace in June 2003, a year after divorcing his first wife, with whom he shared a son who is now a teen.
The FX police drama "The Shield" was the biggest and longest-running role in Jace's 22-year acting career. He appeared in 89 episodes as Julien Lowe, who started as a rookie officer in an inner-city Los Angeles police precinct in 2002 and rose through the ranks to become a detective before the series ended in 2008, according to the Internet Movie Database.
He acted on several episodes of "Southland," another TV drama about Los Angeles police, between 2009 and 2012.
Jace often played a law enforcement or military officer on television shows. He is credited with roles in "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Private Practice," "The Mentalist," "Burn Notice" and "NYPD Blue."
He had the title role of Michael Jordan in the 1999 TV movie about the NBA star, "Michael Jordan: An American Hero."
Jace played Officer Brown in Russell Crowe's 2009 film "State of Play," and he portrayed a Black Panther member in the 1994 blockbuster movie "Forrest Gump."
April Jace had worked for the past year as a financial aid counselor at Biola University, a private school in La Mirada, California, according to the school.
"We are obviously shocked and saddened by this terrible news, to lose a wonderful colleague, mother and friend," Biola President Barry Corey said in a written statement.
"April's radiant personality brought great energy to the financial aid office," financial aid director Geoff Marsh said. "Her love for helping students and families and her great work ethic earned the respect and love of her coworkers. Her smiling face and helpful spirit will be missed by all."
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CNN's Dottie Selin Darkalstanian contributed to this report.
Maid's burn photos force probe
5/22/2014 5:45:03 PM
- The cousin who posted the pictures says he didn't know what to do
- The maid claims her Saudi boss's mother poured boiling water on her
- The photos sparked outrage on social media
(CNN) -- The man who shared images of the abuse that a Filipino maid allegedly suffered on the job in Saudi Arabia said he did so because he didn't know what else to do.
Arnel Tahal is a cousin of the victim, Pahima Alagai Palacasi, and was shown the graphic photos of burns all over Palacasi's back, arms and legs by another cousin.
Tahal said he posted the pictures on Facebook because "I did not know what to do. But after people started sharing the pictures, some told us what we can do to help her."
The result is that the injured Palacasi, who is married and has two young children, will remain in Riyadh in a search for justice.
The burns allegedly came at the hands of her employer's mother.
The 22-year-old maid was at the home of her employer's mother on May 4 when "her sponsor's mother poured boiled water over Palacasi due to a simple misunderstanding," according to a Philippines Labor Ministry statement posted Tuesday.
Tahal told CNN that the employer's mother poured a thermos of scalding water on the maid after yelling at her for not preparing coffee quick enough.
Two days later, the employer took Palacasi for medical care.
While at hospital, Palacasi was able to reach a relative who lives in Riyadh who helped her sneak out of hospital. The cousin then posted graphic photos of Palacasi's wounds on Facebook, showing bright pink and white scalded skin all over her back, the backs of her arms, and parts of her leg, according to the ministry statement.
"I feel that we need more help from the government of the Philippines to get justice for my cousin," Tahal said.
The Philippines government said it would help Palacasi file a case against her employer and has suspended the work of the Saudi recruitment agency that hired her.
The English-language Saudi daily Arab News reported Wednesday that Riyadh police were conducting a joint investigation of the case.
Palacasi alleges that her employer began physically abusing her within days of her arrival, kicking and lashing her after she complained of being homesick. She also claimed her employers deprived her of food.
"[My employer's mother] asked me to throw away all the leftover food but I didn't do it so that when I got hungry I could have something to eat," Palacasi said in a cellphone video reportedly taken by her cousin and released to ABS-CBN, a CNN affiliate in the Philippines.
CNN cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video.
"Please help me," Palacasi says in the video. "Help me file a case against my employer. I suffered a lot."
Palacasi is currently at an embassy shelter in Riyadh. "She is stable, in high spirits, and is relating well with fellow (Filipino workers)," according to the government statement.
"We are following up on the case with the police and the embassy and we will respond once we have all the details of the case," Mohammed Almadi of Saudi Arabia's Human Rights Commission told CNN.
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Killings of Palestinian teens recorded
5/22/2014 2:27:27 PM
- May 15 marks the "Nakba" exodus of Palestinians after the 1948 Arab-Israeli war
- During protests in the West Bank this year, two Palestinian youths were shot dead
- Israel's military says the protest was extremely violent but that "no live fire was shot"
- But one of the dead teenager's fathers alleges his son was "assassinated in cold blood"
Beitunya, West Bank (CNN) -- Fakher Zayed is accustomed to trouble erupting on his doorstep.
For the past several years, Palestinian protesters have often clashed with Israeli security forces in front of his house. The four-story building stands on the edge of the West Bank village of Beitunya, within sight of the Israeli separation barrier and Ofer prison.
At first, the May 15 anniversary of the "Nakba," the exodus of more than 700,000 Palestinians after the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, looked like just another day of Israeli-Palestinian skirmishing.
"(The Palestinians) were throwing stones, and the (Israeli) soldiers throw the tear gas. Plastic bullets," Zayed said. "They run away. After three or four minutes, they came back to throw stones again."
To protect his home, his family and his carpentry business, Zayed installed more than half a dozen security cameras around his building, which operate 24 hours a day.
Last Thursday, these cameras captured the chilling shooting deaths of two Palestinian teenagers. According to six hours of raw, unedited video distributed by the children's rights advocacy organization Defense for Children International and reviewed by CNN, the two boys -- ages 17 and 16 -- were shot on the same patch of asphalt on the same day, the second victim 73 minutes after the first.
Lt Colonel Peter Lerner, Israeli Defense Forces
The families of the boys, as well as Zayed, blame the Israeli military for the killings.
"This is the first time they're shooting to kill here," Zayed said, speaking to CNN while standing on the exact spot outside his home where the two boys were filmed being shot.
But an Israeli military spokesman say its forces fired no live rounds during hours of clashes on May 15.
"During that demonstration that was extremely violent, the Israeli Defense Force used crowd-control methods and riot-dispersal means to prevent and control the overflow of the violence," Lt. Col. Peter Lerner told CNN.
"The preliminary IDF inquiry indicates that no live fire was shot at all on Thursday during the riots in Beitunya, and we have to determine what caused this result," Lerner added.
Security camera footage
CNN producer Kareem Khadder was filming the clashes in Beitunya on May 15.
Several dozen Palestinian youths used the wall of Zayed's house as cover. Periodically, they jumped out to hurl stones at about a half-dozen Israeli soldiers and border police officers standing on a hilltop perhaps 100 meters away. The Israeli forces responded with volleys of tear gas while periodically firing rubber-coated bullets from their rifles.
At one point, Khadder filmed a Palestinian teenager who appeared to be struck in the leg with one of these semi-lethal rounds. The boy hopped and limped for a few seconds in obvious pain but then turned around and rejoined the clashes.
At 1:45 p.m. May 15, Zayed's security camera caught the moment when one of the stone-throwing boys was mortally wounded.
Seventeen-year-old Nadeem Nouwarah was dressed in a sleeveless black t-shirt, wearing a black and white kefiyeh scarf to cover his face and carrying a backpack over both shoulders. As he walked toward the Israeli military positions in front of Zayed's door, Nouwarah suddenly fell forward, landing briefly on his hands, before rolling over to lie on his back.
Within seconds, a crowd of Palestinians gathered to lift Nouwarah and rush him to a waiting ambulance. According to a medical report, Nouwarah was pronounced dead in a hospital less than two hours later, having suffered a single bullet wound that entered his chest and passed out his back.
Though Khadder didn't know it at the time, he was filming two Israeli security troops firing their rifles at the Palestinian protesters at the same exact moment when Nouwarah was shot. In the video, it is not clear what kind of rounds the Israelis were shooting or whether their gunfire hit Nouwarah. However, Khadder's camera shows that less than 15 seconds after one of these gunshots, Palestinians were already racing to put the fatally wounded Nouwarah in the ambulance.
Suffering the effects of tear gas, Khadder soon left the protest. He was unaware that Nouwarah's wounds were fatal.
At 2:58 p.m., the security cameras filmed a second fatal shooting. Sixteen-year-old Mohammad Odeh Salameh was at the front lines of the protest, wearing a green Hamas flag as a cape as well as a green Hamas headband over his black mask.
As he was walking away from the Israeli positions, he suddenly fell to the ground and struggled briefly to get up. The boy was shot just a few steps from where Nouwarah had been wounded.
Doctors pronounced Salameh dead on arrival at the hospital, with a bullet wound that had pierced his back and exited his chest.
School in mourning
At St. George's school in Ramallah, relatives and classmates of the first victim, Nouwarah, were in mourning this week. Students wore black t-shirts with photos of the smiling boy. The eleventh-grader was pictured wearing a backward baseball cap.
Siam Nouwarah
"There were 21 students in our grade," said his 16-year-old classmate George Yousef. "Now, we are 20."
Nouwarah's father, Siam, told CNN he had expressly instructed his eldest son not to attend the Nakba protests.
"Afterwards, I felt he was not convinced with what I told him," said Siam, who works as a hairdresser in Ramallah.
Nouwarah appeared to have gone to the anti-Israel protests directly from school on the afternoon of May 15. His father showed CNN the bloody backpack his son was wearing when he was shot.
There was a small hole in the bag, in roughly the same location where the bullet would have exited Nouwarah's body.
Siam Nouwarah then pulled a packet of bloodstained papers out of the bag. They were photocopies of a textbook that included the writings of Anton Chekhov, accompanied by a teenage student's handwriting, doodles and class notes.
"We were surprised when we took the school backpack back from the hospital to find this bullet inside," said the elder Nouwarah. He then pulled a small used bullet stored in a plastic bag out of the backpack.
The metal slug appeared to be from a 556 NATO round, the standard ammunition used in M-16 rifles carried by Israeli security forces. It was impossible for CNN to confirm the authenticity of the bullet.
Siam Nouwarah said he was saving it for a forensic examination. He accuses Israeli soldiers of killing his son.
"The entire world should understand and know that my son was wearing a school backpack and leaving school when he was assassinated in cold blood," the grieving father said.
Ballistics
On Thursday, Lerner, the Israeli military spokesman, told CNN that a request had been put in with the Palestinian Authority to do a ballistic report on the bullet found in Nouwarah's backpack.
"That round that was presented shouldn't have been in the bag, so it also raises a question," he said. Lerner repeated the military's assertion that Israeli security forces fired only rubber-coated bullets -- which are not designed to penetrate bodies -- in Beitunya on May 15.
Regarding the CNN video of the Israeli security forces firing rifles at the Palestinian demonstrators at the moment when Nouwarah was shot, Lerner said the weapons being used had an attachment at the end of the barrel for firing rubber-coated projectiles.
Asked whether there could been some malfunction or mistake that would have led to the firing of a lethal round rather than a rubber-coated projectile, Lerner said, "I'm not aware of any malfunction at this time."
Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department has joined several human rights groups calling for an investigation into the deadly incident.
"I am deeply concerned about the circumstances surrounding the recent death of two Palestinian minors," wrote Christopher Gunness, a spokesman for the United Nations in the West Bank.
According to initial reports, Gunness added, both boys appeared "unarmed and appeared to pose no direct threat."
Birth defect leads to stay of execution
5/22/2014 8:54:48 AM
- The U.S. Supreme Court grants a stay of execution
- The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals will hold a hearing on the execution appeal
- Russell Bucklew suffers from cavernous hemangioma, a birth defect
- Lethal injection cocktails have sparked numerous appeals as drug supplies dried up
(CNN) -- The full U.S. Supreme Court granted a stay of execution for a Missouri death row inmate whose rare birth defect, his lawyers argued, would have made his death an "excruciating" process.
The stay will remain in place pending the 8th Circuit Court's ruling on the matter, a court document said Wednesday.
Russell Bucklew had been scheduled to die early Wednesday at Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre, Missouri. It would have been the first execution since Oklahoma botched a procedure last month.
Bucklew, who turned 46 last week, is already in pain, as his condition includes unstable tumors in his head and neck, causing him to bleed regularly from his mouth, nose, eyes and ears, said defense attorney Cheryl Pilate.
Dr. Joel Zivot of Emory University filed an affidavit in the case saying that Bucklew's airway is so "severely compromised and obstructed," especially when he's lying flat, that it could easily be ruptured, raising the risk that Bucklew could choke or suffocate.
"If you touch it, it bleeds," Zivot wrote of Bucklew's airway.
In 1997, a jury convicted Bucklew of first-degree murder, kidnapping and first-degree burglary and recommended the death sentence, court documents show.
He was accused of fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend's presumed new boyfriend, Michael Sanders, and firing at Sanders' son, 6, before kidnapping Stephanie Ray Pruitt. After raping his ex-girlfriend, he became involved in a gunfight with authorities, during which Bucklew and a Missouri state trooper were injured, according to court documents.
Controversy over lethal injections has been brewing in recent years after European manufacturers, including the Denmark-based manufacturer of pentobarbital, banned U.S. prisons from using their drugs in executions. In 2009, the U.S.-based manufacturer of sodium thiopental, a drug also commonly used in executions, stopped making the painkiller.
Many states have scrambled to find substitutes from overseas or have used American-based compounding pharmacies to create substitutes.
Attorneys for death row inmates in several states have flooded the court system, arguing that correctional facilities' secrecy over where and how they obtain drugs is unconstitutional and violates the Eighth Amendment's "cruel and unusual" punishment clause.
Last month, Oklahoma used a new three-drug injection protocol to execute convicted murderer and rapist Clayton Lockett, but his vein collapsed, and he died of an apparent heart attack. A full investigation and autopsy results are still pending, but witnesses said they saw Lockett struggling to speak as he convulsed and writhed on the gurney.
Previously, Oklahoma inmate Michael Lee Wilson said during his January execution, "I feel my whole body burning." Wilson was executed using a cocktail that included pentobarbital, as was Texas' Jose Luis Villegas, who also complained of a burning sensation during his April execution.
Also in Texas, Robert James Campbell's attorneys challenged the state's plan to administer pentobarbital to their client. A federal court stayed his execution last week, not because of the drugs Texas planned to use but because his defense team deserved more time to make the case that Campbell was intellectually disabled.
On Monday, the Georgia Supreme Court weighed in on the issue, reversing a stay of execution for inmate Warren Lee Hill after his attorneys argued last year that a statute keeping the compounders of lethal injection drugs "a confidential state secret" was unconstitutional.
"We hold that it is not," Justice P. Harris Hines wrote in the 33-page majority opinion.
He said the reason for keeping such information private is "obvious, including avoiding the risk of harassment or some other form of retaliation from persons related to the prisoners or from others in the community who might disapprove of the execution as well as simply offering those willing to participate whatever comfort or peace of mind that anonymity might offer."
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CNN's Vivian Kuo and Ralph Ellis contributed to this report.
Neighbors baffled over 10-year kidnap
5/22/2014 9:16:39 PM
- NEW: Accused man's lawyer says alleged victim was "completely free"
- NEW: Lawyer: The couple was having marital problems, in the process of splitting up
- Alleged victim was 15 when she was first abused and her mother reported her missing
- Baffled neighbors recall a happy couple who enjoyed dancing at elaborate parties
(CNN) -- After an August 2004 domestic dispute, police say, a 15-year-old girl left her Santa Ana, California, home, seeking refuge in a nearby park adjacent to an elementary school.
Her mother's boyfriend, who police say had just attacked the mother, followed the girl.
She told him she wanted to go home, that she had a headache, according to police. The mother's boyfriend told the teen that her mother had called the cops to have her deported and gave her five unidentified pills, police say.
She woke up trapped in a Compton garage, about 25 miles from home.
And so began a decade-long kidnapping saga that police say came to an end this week when the woman -- now married to her alleged kidnapper and mother to their daughter, 3 -- reached out to her sister on Facebook in April before contacting authorities over the weekend, said Santa Ana police spokesman Cpl. Anthony Bertagna.
"You're talking about a 15-year-old, came to this country, doesn't speak English," Bertagna said, explaining how the teen had arrived in the United States only six months before her abduction. "Her mother's boyfriend decides he wants to physically and sexually abuse her. He tells her that her mother doesn't care, that she can't go to the police because they'll deport her."
Isidro Garcia, 42, was arrested during a traffic stop Wednesday. He is charged with a felony count of forcible rape, three felony counts of lewd acts on a minor and a felony count of kidnapping to commit a sexual offense.
If convicted of all three crimes, he could face life in a state prison, according to prosecutors.
Until he's given the chance to convince the court otherwise, Garcia is being held on $1 million bail; if he somehow posted that, he'd stay detained because U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has a hold on him.
"We're not talking about consensual sexual contact, we're talking about a forcible rape, and we're talking about repeated sexual abuse, emotional abuse and physical abuse," Farrah Emami, an Orange County District Attorney's spokeswoman, told reporters Thursday. "... This is a victim, no matter how you spin it."
Garcia's lawyer, Charles Frisco Jr., says his client is the one suffering, needlessly, now.
"He didn't do this," Frisco told CNN's Anderson Cooper. "It's that simple."
Accused's lawyer: 'She was very independent'
To hear Frisco tell it, Isidro Garcia is a "stellar" husband, a doting father, a hard worker and a good man -- the type who worked two jobs, held raffles for disadvantaged children and loved his wife.
"I was told by numerous people that he treated her like a queen," Frisco told reporters, citing relatives, friends, neighbors, a nanny, even a police officer who knew the family. "He was devoted."
Isidro Garcia was not someone who held his wife against her will all these years, according to Frisco. Despite being repeatedly pressed by CNN's Cooper, the lawyer said he didn't have all the facts to confirm or deny that the alleged victim was only 15 at the time.
Regardless, Franco insisted, "there's nothing" to the prosecution's case beyond her claims.
"She had her own car. She had her own job," the lawyer said. "She was very independent -- completely free."
Frisco mused that it didn't make sense for her to suddenly come forward now, after a decade together. He speculated it might have had something to do with marital problems, saying the couple was in the process of splitting up.
"We all know what happens when people break up," Frisco told CNN. "The marriage falls apart. People get angry. People say things that aren't necessarily true."
Decade-long mystery
But authorities say that it wasn't easy for this young woman to muster the courage to come forward. The fact it took her a decade to do so doesn't change the fact numerous crimes were committed, they say.
Lt. Scott Fairfield of the police force in Bell Gardens, where the woman -- now 25 -- had been living in an apartment with her husband and child, said she walked into the police station on her own earlier this year and said she had been kidnapped and "held ... against her will."
The alleged victim told police that Garcia began sexually assaulting her in June 2004, shortly after she arrived in the country. Her mother suspected as much but had no evidence, a police news release said. When the teen woke up in the single-car Compton garage, its only exit was blocked by a vehicle, she further told police.
Garcia gave her false identification and made her work with him as a janitor at a night cleaning service, Bertagna said.
He kept a close eye on her at work, while physically, mentally and sexually abusing her, telling her that her parents weren't looking for her, the police corporal said. They moved four times to avoid being discovered, Bertagna said, and the two times she tried to escape, she was caught and "beaten for her efforts."
In 2007, Garcia married the girl in Los Angeles, police say, and in 2012 they had a child together.
It's that child who gave the woman the courage to finally report her abduction, Bertagna said.
"She wanted to break the cycle so the child wouldn't be abused," he said.
'Happy' reunion between mother, daughter
The alleged victim tearfully told CNN affiliate KABC the same thing and explained that she was afraid to report Garcia or seek help from her Bell Gardens neighbors because everyone thought Garcia was a good husband and provider.
"He was a workman. He works hard for me and my daughter and bought everything I want," she told the station, her back to the camera as she held her daughter. "I need the love of my family, not things."
She said that despite maintaining the facade of the happy couple, she longed only to be reunited with her family during the 10 years she was with Garcia.
"I'm so happy and God-blessed to be with my family. That's what I want all the time. All the time I cry for them, more for my mom and my sisters," she said. "I think I was alone, but I wasn't ever. My family was with me."
The woman's mother had one word to describe the reunion with her daughter.
"I'm so happy. God is everything," she told KABC. "Happy, happy, happy."
No sign of abuse
Neighbors don't know what to think. They recall "Tomas" and his wife, who also used a pseudonym (CNN is not identifying the woman because she is an alleged rape victim), as a happy couple who liked to dance at their elaborate parties complete with catering and clowns. Photos obtained by CNN affiliate KNBC show an apparently normal couple, embracing and grinning for the camera.
"They'd be happy, kissing, holding hands," said Maribel Garcia, who has lived at the same apartment complex as the couple for four years.
A next-door neighbor who identified herself only as Erika said Isidro Garcia -- whom she knew as Tomas -- was really nice, and Erika spoke to the couple every time she saw them. When the alleged victim became pregnant, "she was really happy with the news," Erika said.
"She never showed a sad face or worried face," she said.
Yet while Erika was told that the alleged victim's mother never liked Isidro Garcia, a different story was given to Maribel Garcia, who told CNN that she heard Isidro Garcia had recently bought a truck for his wife's mother.
Neighbors say Isidro Garcia also purchased a laptop and a car for his wife, and he was paying for womb massages because the couple was hoping to have another child. Neighbors recall meeting the couple's family members, as well as the couple taking trips to visit relatives.
Isidro Garcia's wife took off work during her pregnancy, they say, and after their daughter was born, she often took the girl to the park, market or local Circle K convenience store in a stroller. She was regularly unaccompanied, even in her car, they say.
"She had plenty of time to actually escape so it's hard to believe this is really going on because she had a lot of free time," Erika said.
Added Maribel Garcia, "They just seemed like a happy couple. That why it's hard for us to understand the situation. ... She could've gone to the police station and said something. I just don't understand."
Regardless, police insist the woman was not a willing participant in the relationship and she told police she had no desire to have sex, get married or conceive a child.
"Sounds like she feared for her life," Bertagna said. "There's more ways to keep people down than just physically."
Asked about the neighbors' remarks that the woman should've fled or reached out to police sooner, Bertagna dismissed the idea and noted her age at the time of the alleged abduction.
"Where's she going to go?" he asked. "She's 15 years old. She's new here. She doesn't get it."
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CNN's Greg Botelho, Michael Martinez, Sara Sidner, Dana Ford and Mayra Cuevas contributed to this report. CNN was first alerted to the story via tweets from the Santa Ana Police Department.
Sick McCartney delays Japan tour
5/22/2014 9:24:38 PM
- Paul McCartney "received successful treatment" after contracting a virus
- He canceled shows in Japan after being hospitalized
- Tour scheduled to go to Seoul, then over to America in June
(CNN) -- Paul McCartney is almost "Out There," again.
The former Beatle is on the road to recovery after falling ill during his "Out There" tour in Asia, where he was forced to postpone shows in Japan.
"Since contracting a virus last week that led to the postponement of tour dates, Paul received successful medical treatment at a hospital in Tokyo," according to a statement posted Thursday on his official website. "He'll make a complete recovery and has been ordered to take a few days rest."
Cancellations are rare for McCartney, who has proven an iron man while maintaining a global tour schedule over the past several years. He'll turn 72 in June.
McCartney plans to reschedule the shows at Tokyo's National Stadium, which were originally planned for May 18 and 19. Shows scheduled for May 21, at Tokyo's Nippon Budokan, and May 24, at Osaka's Yanmar Stadium Nagai, have also been postponed.
The musician was touched by the messages of support, according to his site.
"Paul has been extremely moved by all the messages and well wishes he has received from fans all over the world," the statement said.
McCartney is currently performing in support of his album "New," which was released in October. His tour is scheduled to continue in Seoul, South Korea, on May 28, before coming to the United States on June 14.
Fast Facts: Paul McCartney
Obama has put drone war on hold
5/23/2014 9:59:09 AM
- A year ago, President Obama gave a key speech on the "boundless...war on terror"
- He signaled new restrictions on drones and an effort to wind down Guantanamo detention
- Peter Bergen: Obama's changes have led to virtual suspension of drones in Pakistan
- He says drone war goes on in Yemen, small progress has been made on Guantanamo
Editor's note: Peter Bergen is CNN's national security analyst, a director at the New America Foundation and the author of "Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for bin Laden -- From 9/11 to Abbottabad." Emily Schneider is a research associate at the New America Foundation.
(CNN) -- A year ago, President Obama delivered a speech at the National Defense University in Washington in which he made the case that it was time to wind down the "boundless global war on terror " and "perpetual wartime footing" that has been a feature of American life since 9/11.
Indeed, the CIA drone program in Pakistan has stopped completely since the beginning of this year. This is a noteworthy development given the fact that there have been 370 drone strikes in Pakistan over the past decade that have killed somewhere between 2,080 to 3,428 people; most of whom were suspected militants, but also a smaller number of civilians.
In his speech the President made the case that al Qaeda, which carried out the 9/11 attacks, "is on the path to defeat. Their remaining operatives spend more time thinking about their own safety than plotting against us."
Obama outlined the remaining terrorism threat as coming from "less capable al Qaeda affiliates" who are certainly threats to American diplomatic facilities and businesses abroad, as well from "homegrown extremists," like those who bombed the Boston Marathon a little over a year ago.
Such homegrown extremists remain capable of carrying out attacks on the scale of the Boston bombings, but such incidents are tragedies rather than national catastrophes, as 9/11 was.
In the President's view these kinds of threats do not necessitate that the country remain on an endless war footing. And, indeed, it is long past time for the United States to transition away from a state of perpetual war now that the threat from al Qaeda to American national security has diminished significantly both because of al Qaeda's own weaknesses and the many defensive measures the United States has taken since 9/11.
To transition away from a war footing, Obama said he would make changes in three key areas:
First by reforming the secret CIA drone program. The President promised that going forward, "There must be near-certainty that no civilians will be killed or injured" for strikes to be authorized.
Second, he said he would move to repeal the Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) that was passed by Congress just days after the 9/11 attacks. The AUMF authorized not only America's longest war in Afghanistan, but also U.S. operations against al Qaeda and its allies in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.
Third, Obama said he would hasten the closing of the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay.
So what has changed in the twelve months since Obama gave that speech?
Peter Bergen, Emily Schneider
The cessation of drone strikes in Pakistan since the beginning of the year is due to a combination of the President pushing for a more calibrated use of drone strikes; running out of "high value" al Qaeda and Taliban targets in Pakistan's tribal areas; very strong pushback from the Pakistani public and government who are opposed to the drone strikes on the grounds that they violate Pakistan's national sovereignty; and the fact that the Pakistani government is stepping up its own military operations against militants in the Pakistani tribal region of North Waziristan, where the majority of CIA drone strikes have taken place.
Air strikes by the Pakistani air force, for instance, killed approximately 60 people on Wednesday in North Waziristan.
In Pakistan, there have also been no reported civilian casualties from CIA drone strikes during the past year, according to data collected by the New America Foundation.
In contrast, in Yemen, civilian casualties from U.S. drone strikes have remained steady over the past year. From May 2013 to May 2014, 16 civilians were killed in U.S. drone strikes, including a number of civilians in a mid-December strike that mistakenly targeted a wedding party because intelligence reports identified the vehicles as carrying al Qaeda operatives. There were also 16 civilians killed in drone strikes the previous year in Yemen.
Bergen: Drones will fill the sky
On drones, it is clear that the President's directives to tighten up on the protocols for authorizing drone strikes have made some real differences in Pakistan both in terms of the falling numbers of civilian casualties and the cessation of drone strikes there.
But in Yemen, while the number of civilian casualties has remained constant, the number of drone strikes is actually declining. Since the president's speech, there have been 29 drone strikes in Yemen. There were 36 strikes in the 12 months before.
Last May, Obama also said he looked forward "to engaging Congress and the American people in efforts to refine, and ultimately repeal, the AUMF's mandate."
Since it was this Authorization for the Use of Force that made possible the introduction of combat troops into Afghanistan 13 years ago, the natural moment to ultimately repeal the declaration is as the last of U.S. combat troops leave Afghanistan at the end of this year.
For the moment, the administration hasn't taken up this effort, which could meet a good deal of opposition from some in the Republican party who would likely want to extend and even expand the authorization so that it could permit the use of U.S. military force against al Qaeda-aligned groups around the world.
Opinion: When will drones stop killing innocent people in Yemen?
And repealing the authorization would also raise some knotty national security and political issues given the present political paralysis and rancor in Congress.
First, U.S. Special Operations raids against al-Qaeda members and allies in Libya and Somalia in 2013 were conducted under the AUMF. How does one get congressional buy-in for a more narrow legal framework that might constrain such raids?
Second, since the drone program draws its legal validity partly from the AUMF, how would that declaration's expiration affect the use of drones in countries such as Pakistan?
Third, what should the United States do about the 40 or so prisoners at Guantanamo Bay who are deemed "too dangerous to release," but are not chargeable with a crime, and who would theoretically have to be released if the present authorization for the use of force expired? Without that authorization it would not be possible to treat Guantanamo detainees as prisoners of war since the war would be effectively over.
President Obama also promised to wind down the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay (GTMO). Since that speech, there have been a number of prisoners released from Guantanamo, including two Algerian prisoners who were transferred to Algeria in August, and three Chinese Uighur prisoners captured in Afghanistan who were transferred to Slovakia in December.
A recent agreement with Uruguayan President José Monica would allow a further six of the remaining 154 prisoners in Gitmo to be transferred to Uruguay.
At the same time, the Obama administration has in the past year successfully put a number of high profile militants on trial in the Southern District of New York, such as bin Laden's son in law, Suleiman Abu Ghaith, and Abu Hamza, a London-based cleric who helped to direct the 1998 kidnapping of Western tourists in Yemen by al Qaeda-aligned militants.
Despite much hand wringing by politicians about trying prominent terrorists in the United States, those trials, which have taken place a few blocks from the newly rebuilt World Trade Center, have proceeded without incident and juries have speedily convicted the terrorists on all counts.
Given the speed and efficacy of these trials, perhaps it's time for the Obama administration to abandon the military tribunal process at Guantanamo altogether and bring 9/11 operational planner Khalid Sheik Mohammed (KSM) to trial in Manhattan.
Such a plan was scuppered three years ago, in part, because of opposition from politicians in New York who claimed it was a public safety risk to hold KSM's trial in Manhattan. These concerns seemed overwrought even at the time and are effectively moot at this point. KSM has spent the past eleven years in American captivity but still he has not been put on trial because he is tangled in the cumbersome and largely untested military tribunal process in Guantanamo.
To summarize: Since the President's speech arguing for ending America's endless war on terror, there has been a marked change in the CIA's drone program in Pakistan, which has effectively ended. Yet there has been little real change in the similar drone program in Yemen.
Meanwhile, there has been incremental progress on emptying the prison camp at Guantanamo and real progress on using the ordinary civilian court system to convict prominent terrorists.
As yet there is no serious discussion in Congress or by the White House about what, if anything, might happen to the Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF).
Given the political realities in Washington, our guess is the AUMF will simply remain in place indefinitely because any effort to replace it or end it will encounter resistance in Congress.
Follow us on Twitter @CNNOpinion.
Join us on Facebook/CNNOpinion.
Obama's Pakistan drone war on hold
5/23/2014 2:23:07 PM
- A year ago, President Obama gave a key speech on the "boundless...war on terror"
- He signaled new restrictions on drones and an effort to wind down Guantanamo detention
- Peter Bergen: Obama's changes have led to virtual suspension of drones in Pakistan
- He says drone war goes on in Yemen, small progress has been made on Guantanamo
Editor's note: Peter Bergen is CNN's national security analyst, a director at the New America Foundation and the author of "Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for bin Laden -- From 9/11 to Abbottabad." Emily Schneider is a research associate at the New America Foundation.
(CNN) -- A year ago, President Obama delivered a speech at the National Defense University in Washington in which he made the case that it was time to wind down the "boundless global war on terror " and "perpetual wartime footing" that has been a feature of American life since 9/11.
Indeed, the CIA drone program in Pakistan has stopped completely since the beginning of this year. This is a noteworthy development given the fact that there have been 370 drone strikes in Pakistan over the past decade that have killed somewhere between 2,080 to 3,428 people; most of whom were suspected militants, but also a smaller number of civilians.
In his speech the President made the case that al Qaeda, which carried out the 9/11 attacks, "is on the path to defeat. Their remaining operatives spend more time thinking about their own safety than plotting against us."
Obama outlined the remaining terrorism threat as coming from "less capable al Qaeda affiliates" who are certainly threats to American diplomatic facilities and businesses abroad, as well from "homegrown extremists," like those who bombed the Boston Marathon a little over a year ago.
Such homegrown extremists remain capable of carrying out attacks on the scale of the Boston bombings, but such incidents are tragedies rather than national catastrophes, as 9/11 was.
In the President's view these kinds of threats do not necessitate that the country remain on an endless war footing. And, indeed, it is long past time for the United States to transition away from a state of perpetual war now that the threat from al Qaeda to American national security has diminished significantly both because of al Qaeda's own weaknesses and the many defensive measures the United States has taken since 9/11.
To transition away from a war footing, Obama said he would make changes in three key areas:
First by reforming the secret CIA drone program. The President promised that going forward, "There must be near-certainty that no civilians will be killed or injured" for strikes to be authorized.
Second, he said he would move to repeal the Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) that was passed by Congress just days after the 9/11 attacks. The AUMF authorized not only America's longest war in Afghanistan, but also U.S. operations against al Qaeda and its allies in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.
Third, Obama said he would hasten the closing of the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay.
So what has changed in the twelve months since Obama gave that speech?
Peter Bergen, Emily Schneider
The cessation of drone strikes in Pakistan since the beginning of the year is due to a combination of the President pushing for a more calibrated use of drone strikes; running out of "high value" al Qaeda and Taliban targets in Pakistan's tribal areas; very strong pushback from the Pakistani public and government who are opposed to the drone strikes on the grounds that they violate Pakistan's national sovereignty; and the fact that the Pakistani government is stepping up its own military operations against militants in the Pakistani tribal region of North Waziristan, where the majority of CIA drone strikes have taken place.
Air strikes by the Pakistani air force, for instance, killed approximately 60 people on Wednesday in North Waziristan.
In Pakistan, there have also been no reported civilian casualties from CIA drone strikes during the past year, according to data collected by the New America Foundation.
In contrast, in Yemen, civilian casualties from U.S. drone strikes have remained steady over the past year. From May 2013 to May 2014, 16 civilians were killed in U.S. drone strikes, including a number of civilians in a mid-December strike that mistakenly targeted a wedding party because intelligence reports identified the vehicles as carrying al Qaeda operatives. There were also 16 civilians killed in drone strikes the previous year in Yemen.
Bergen: Drones will fill the sky
On drones, it is clear that the President's directives to tighten up on the protocols for authorizing drone strikes have made some real differences in Pakistan both in terms of the falling numbers of civilian casualties and the cessation of drone strikes there.
But in Yemen, while the number of civilian casualties has remained constant, the number of drone strikes is actually declining. Since the president's speech, there have been 29 drone strikes in Yemen. There were 36 strikes in the 12 months before.
Last May, Obama also said he looked forward "to engaging Congress and the American people in efforts to refine, and ultimately repeal, the AUMF's mandate."
Since it was this Authorization for the Use of Force that made possible the introduction of combat troops into Afghanistan 13 years ago, the natural moment to ultimately repeal the declaration is as the last of U.S. combat troops leave Afghanistan at the end of this year.
For the moment, the administration hasn't taken up this effort, which could meet a good deal of opposition from some in the Republican party who would likely want to extend and even expand the authorization so that it could permit the use of U.S. military force against al Qaeda-aligned groups around the world.
Opinion: When will drones stop killing innocent people in Yemen?
And repealing the authorization would also raise some knotty national security and political issues given the present political paralysis and rancor in Congress.
First, U.S. Special Operations raids against al-Qaeda members and allies in Libya and Somalia in 2013 were conducted under the AUMF. How does one get congressional buy-in for a more narrow legal framework that might constrain such raids?
Second, since the drone program draws its legal validity partly from the AUMF, how would that declaration's expiration affect the use of drones in countries such as Pakistan?
Third, what should the United States do about the 40 or so prisoners at Guantanamo Bay who are deemed "too dangerous to release," but are not chargeable with a crime, and who would theoretically have to be released if the present authorization for the use of force expired? Without that authorization it would not be possible to treat Guantanamo detainees as prisoners of war since the war would be effectively over.
President Obama also promised to wind down the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay (GTMO). Since that speech, there have been a number of prisoners released from Guantanamo, including two Algerian prisoners who were transferred to Algeria in August, and three Chinese Uighur prisoners captured in Afghanistan who were transferred to Slovakia in December.
A recent agreement with Uruguayan President José Monica would allow a further six of the remaining 154 prisoners in Gitmo to be transferred to Uruguay.
At the same time, the Obama administration has in the past year successfully put a number of high profile militants on trial in the Southern District of New York, such as bin Laden's son in law, Suleiman Abu Ghaith, and Abu Hamza, a London-based cleric who helped to direct the 1998 kidnapping of Western tourists in Yemen by al Qaeda-aligned militants.
Despite much hand wringing by politicians about trying prominent terrorists in the United States, those trials, which have taken place a few blocks from the newly rebuilt World Trade Center, have proceeded without incident and juries have speedily convicted the terrorists on all counts.
Given the speed and efficacy of these trials, perhaps it's time for the Obama administration to abandon the military tribunal process at Guantanamo altogether and bring 9/11 operational planner Khalid Sheik Mohammed (KSM) to trial in Manhattan.
Such a plan was scuppered three years ago, in part, because of opposition from politicians in New York who claimed it was a public safety risk to hold KSM's trial in Manhattan. These concerns seemed overwrought even at the time and are effectively moot at this point. KSM has spent the past eleven years in American captivity but still he has not been put on trial because he is tangled in the cumbersome and largely untested military tribunal process in Guantanamo.
To summarize: Since the President's speech arguing for ending America's endless war on terror, there has been a marked change in the CIA's drone program in Pakistan, which has effectively ended. Yet there has been little real change in the similar drone program in Yemen.
Meanwhile, there has been incremental progress on emptying the prison camp at Guantanamo and real progress on using the ordinary civilian court system to convict prominent terrorists.
As yet there is no serious discussion in Congress or by the White House about what, if anything, might happen to the Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF).
Given the political realities in Washington, our guess is the AUMF will simply remain in place indefinitely because any effort to replace it or end it will encounter resistance in Congress.
Follow us on Twitter @CNNOpinion.
Join us on Facebook/CNNOpinion.
Boko Haram slapped with arms ban
5/22/2014 11:47:22 PM
- The move helps hold the group's "murderous leadership accountable," says official
- Boko Haram abducted more than 200 girls from a school in northern Nigeria
- Attacks in Africa's most populous nation appear to be escalating
(CNN) -- The U.N. Security Council approved sanctions Thursday against Nigeria's Boko Haram.
It added the terrorist group to the United Nation's 1267 sanctions list, a list of al Qaeda-linked organizations subject to arms embargoes, travel bans and asset freezes.
"Today, the Security Council took an important step in support of the government of Nigeria's efforts to defeat Boko Haram and hold its murderous leadership accountable for atrocities," said Samantha Power, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
"By adding Boko Haram to the U.N.'s 1267 sanctions list, the Security Council has helped to close off important avenues of funding, travel and weapons to Boko Haram, and shown global unity against their savage actions," she added.
Nigeria had asked the United Nations to make the move as attacks in Africa's most populous nation appear to be escalating, spreading beyond Boko Haram's hotbed in the rural northeast.
Twin blasts killed at least 118 people Tuesday at a market in the central city of Jos.
The explosions went off 20 to 30 minutes apart, sparking an inferno that sent crowds running and screaming, covered in blood.
Nigerian authorities described the blasts as "terrorist activities" but declined to speculate on who might be responsible.
In separate attacks in Borno state this week, at least 30 people were killed by members of the terror group, according to local residents.
Boko Haram attackers swooped in on motorcycles Monday and killed 10 people in one village, residents said.
A day later, gunmen stormed a nearby village and killed 20 others, residents said.
During the attacks, Boko Haram set fire to homes and food stores, residents said, and fired machine guns. The group has not claimed responsibility for those attacks.
Both villages are close to where more than 200 girls were kidnapped from a school last month. A Boko Haram leader claimed responsibility in a chilling video and said he was willing to free the girls in exchange for imprisoned militants.
"The sanctions designation is the latest step in the international community's long-term effort to help Nigeria counter this terrorist threat," Power said.
"We will continue doing everything we can to help the people of Nigeria bring back their girls, and we will work with the government of Nigeria to eliminate Boko Haram, including refuting their backwards and bloodthirsty ideology, because no child anywhere should ever be afraid to pursue a brighter future."
READ: 'War on Boko Haram': African, Western nations unify in hunt for Nigerian girls
READ: CNN exclusive: Nigerian girl who escaped Boko Haram says she still feels afraid
READ: Opinion: Media turns Boko Haram into 'superstar monsters'
CNN's Richard Roth, Nana Karikari-apau, Faith Karimi and Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report.
Sick McCartney delays Japan tour
5/23/2014 11:23:26 AM
- Paul McCartney "received successful treatment" after contracting a virus
- He canceled shows in Japan after being hospitalized
- Tour scheduled to go to Seoul, then over to America in June
(CNN) -- Paul McCartney is almost "Out There," again.
The former Beatle is on the road to recovery after falling ill during his "Out There" tour in Asia, where he was forced to postpone shows in Japan.
"Since contracting a virus last week that led to the postponement of tour dates, Paul received successful medical treatment at a hospital in Tokyo," according to a statement posted Thursday on his official website. "He'll make a complete recovery and has been ordered to take a few days rest."
Cancellations are rare for McCartney, who has proven an iron man while maintaining a global tour schedule over the past several years. He'll turn 72 in June.
McCartney plans to reschedule the shows at Tokyo's National Stadium, which were originally planned for May 18 and 19. Shows scheduled for May 21, at Tokyo's Nippon Budokan, and May 24, at Osaka's Yanmar Stadium Nagai, have also been postponed.
The musician was touched by the messages of support, according to his site.
"Paul has been extremely moved by all the messages and well wishes he has received from fans all over the world," the statement said.
McCartney is currently performing in support of his album "New," which was released in October. His tour is scheduled to continue in Seoul, South Korea, on May 28, before coming to the United States on June 14.
Fast Facts: Paul McCartney
Will Egypt poll bring stability?
5/23/2014 10:48:24 AM
- There are just two candidates in Egypt's presidential election, with polling due on May 26, 27
- Ex-general Abdel Fattah el-Sisi faces left-leaning politician Hamdeen Sabahi
- The election follows last year's ouster of Muslim Brotherhood President Mohamed Morsy
- CNN's Reza Sayah says both candidates have generally remained vague on policy details
Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Egyptians are scheduled to head to the polls to vote for their next president on Monday and Tuesday.
There will be just two candidates, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Hamdeen Sabahi.
Egypt had an election recently. So why are they having another one?
Egyptians are voting again because Mohamed Morsy -- Egypt's first freely elected president -- was removed from power last year in a popular military coup.
Morsy's ouster last July was the culmination of a months-long petition campaign to remove him from office and days of mass demonstrations against the former Muslim Brotherhood leader.
Critics accused Morsy of hijacking the 2011 revolution, pushing aside moderate and liberal voices, and botching Egypt's already ailing economy.
Morsy rejected the allegations and accused Egypt's military backed establishment and Mubarak-era loyalist of undermining his presidency.
In a remarkable reversal of fortune the man who removed Morsy from power - then army chief Abdel Fattah el-Sisi - is now heavily favored to win the presidential election.
Morsy and scores of fellow members of the Muslim Brotherhood are in prison facing a variety of charges.
How will Muslim Brotherhood supporters vote?
The Muslim Brotherhood is not represented in the election, which is due in large part to an aggressive campaign by Egyptian authorities to eliminate the movement from Egypt's political landscape.
Despite initial promises of an inclusive transition to a democratically elected government, Egypt's military backed interim government banned the Muslim Brotherhood last year and declared it a terrorist organization.
Today most of the group's leadership is either in jail, in hiding, or taking refuge outside Egypt.
Both candidates - Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Hamdeen Sabahi - have promised to keep the Brotherhood out of Egyptian politics if elected president.
The Strong Egypt Party - led by former Muslim Brotherhood leader Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh - has decided to boycott the vote.
The ultra-conservative Salafist Nour Party supported the 2012 election of Mohamed Morsy but is now drawing criticism from Islamist groups for supporting candidate el-Sisi.
What are the policies of each candidate?
Both candidates have generally remained vague on policy details, choosing instead to make populist promises that play well in television interviews.
And, both promise to fix Egypt's failing economy, though neither has detailed how they plan to create jobs, generate revenue, and cut costly food and fuel subsidies -- a move many fear will anger Egypt's poor.
El-Sisi vows to keep Egypt safe by continuing the "war on terrorism," a reference to the recent rise in low-level insurgent attacks against security forces.
Critics fear el-Sisi will exploit that narrative to stifle free speech and continue a crackdown against dissent that has been sharply criticized by international rights groups.
Sabahi promises to release what rights groups describe as thousands of political prisoners and ban a controversial protest law, which says groups of ten or more cannot gather in public without prior government permission.
Who is likely to win? And will the winner finally bring stability to the country?
El-Sisi is heavily favored to win due in large part to widespread support from Egypt's powerful establishment, which includes the military, the private and state media apparatus, and Egypt's political and financial elite.
El-Sisi also has popular support from Egyptians who see him as the man who saved Egypt from a Morsy presidency that was perceived by many to be pursing an Islamist agenda.
Less certain, however, is whether the next president can bring stability to Egypt, and lure back millions of tourists who have stayed away due to more than three years of political unrest.
To establish stability Egypt's next president must make tangible improvements to the economy, improve security, and address mounting criticism from rights groups and pro-democracy activists who fear a return to a Mubarak-era style police state.
How will the election result affect the region and the rest of the world?
The outcome of the vote will likely bolster Egypt's relations with key allies Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and United Arab Emirates -- Gulf states that poured in billions of dollars in funding to support the Egyptian government after the ouster of former President Morsy.
Relations with Qatar and Turkey -- staunch supporters of Morsy and the Muslim Brotherhood --- will remain tense.
The United States and Western powers will likely continue to voice concern about Egypt's alleged human rights violations but will continue relations as long as Egypt honors its peace treaty with Israel and isn't viewed as a disruptive force in an already volatile region.
An el-Sisi presidency would be a potential blow to pro-democracy movements in other Arab states who hoped the 2011 Arab Spring would mark the end of regimes led military strongmen.
PSG to sign Luiz from Chelsea
5/23/2014 10:32:44 PM
- PSG agree deal to sign David Luiz from Chelsea
- The Brazil international could become the most expensive defender ever
- French club were recently sanctioned by UEFA under new Financial Fair Play rules
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(CNN) -- They may have just been sanctioned by UEFA for breaching Financial Fair Play rules but Paris Saint-Germain is showing no sign of putting away the checkbook.
The French champions announced an agreement has been reached with Chelsea late Friday to sign Brazil international defender David Luiz subject to the player passing a medical and agreeing personal terms.
Neither club confirmed the extent of the fee agreed although reports earlier in the day had suggested a figure in the region of £40 million ($67 million) was likely.
"Paris Saint Germain, Chelsea and David Luiz would like to confirm that they reached an agreement regarding the terms of an upcoming transfer of the Brazilian defender that would occur during the next transfer window which is due to start on 10th June 2014," read a statement released by PSG.
"In accordance with the player's wish to prepare for and play in the World Cup in his home country in the best possible conditions, both clubs and David Luiz wished to reach an agreement as soon as possible."
If the $67 million fee reported is correct it will make Luiz the most expensive defender ever, overtaking the $57 million PSG paid to sign Thiago Silva from AC Milan in 2012.
How the Parisians aim to incorporate the deal into their commitments to comply with UEFA's new financial regulations remains unclear, however.
Selling players or increasing revenues is a possibility but president Nasser al-Khelaifi has publicly stated his intention to continue to invest in the team.
PSG were sanctioned last week along with English champions Manchester City for breaking FFP rules which aim to stop clubs getting into unmanageable debt or allow wealthy benefactors to give top teams and unfair advantage.
Backed by the Qatar Investment Authority, PSG have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on some of the world's best players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edison Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi in recent years.
The club claimed any losses incurred on these transfers was wiped out with a huge and back-dated sponsorship deal with the Qatar Tourist Authority but UEFA concluded that although this deal was valid it was heavily overvalued.
As a result, PSG were found to have exceeded the permitted losses of $62 million over the course of the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons and accepted a fine of $83 million and a squad capped at 21 players rather than the usual 25 for next season's Champions League campaign.
Remembering the 'black panther'
5/23/2014 11:33:43 PM
CNN's Alex Thomas reflects on the legacy of the greatest Portuguese footballer, Eusebio da Silva Ferreira.
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Could protest parties derail Europe?
5/23/2014 10:36:18 AM
- The European elections begins Thursday, and 400 million voters are eligible to vote across 28 EU member states
- The protest parties have been rising in popularity, but they are unlikely to have influence, as Jim Boulden writes
- They are more likely to push the middle parties together -- creating a more moderate centrist bloc
Editor's note: Jim Boulden is a correspondent for CNN's international programming based in London, where he covers a wide range of business and news stories. Follow him on Twitter.
(CNN) -- You'd might be forgiven for not knowing there is an election around Europe, starting on Thursday, to elect 751 members of the European Parliament, known as MEPs.
You are not forgiven.
There are 751 seats from 28 countries up for grabs. Nearly 400 million Europeans are eligible to vote. Extreme parties on the left, and more noticeable, on the right, are expected to poll very well. It seems the angry are most likely to make the effort to vote, from Dublin to Athens.
The European Parliament gained more power in the Lisbon Treaty. It certainly does not have the legislative power of a national parliament, but it has the power to pressure Brussels.
In theory it even has the power to "elect" the next European Commission president (though heads of state/government can also ignore who parliament chooses. Isn't Europe fun?).
During the last vote, in 2009, the United Kingdom Independence Party came in second to the now ruling Conservative Party -- both parties are full of euroskeptics -- and UKIP became a force in British politics.
Jim Boulden
If you believe polls, UKIP could come in first in Thursday's vote.
The difference this time around is that the party has been under heavy scrutiny about his anti-immigration stance, about its controversial leader Nigel Farage and about its desire for the UK to actually pull out of the EU -- which of course would put its MEPs out of work. That's because UKIP does not have one single seat in Westminster, the UK's national parliament.
But UKIP is tapping into a feeling that is also benefiting parties on the extreme left -- that Brussels has lost its way.
While rightist parties want to cut EU budgets, cut its influence, or simply cut it all up and throw it away, those on the left have been pushing hard to end the austerity drive driven by Brussels. They want to see spending to cut Europe's biggest disease: unemployment.
Both extremes are benefiting from drag on Europe following the economic crisis which was followed by the Great Recession. Europeans are sick of it all and have every right to express their displeasure through the ballot box.
So, will it make a difference? Yes, but maybe not in obvious ways.
The bigger the vote for the extremes, the more likely the middle parties will have to work together to form a voting bloc. Giles Moec of Deutsche Bank calls it the "big soft" center.
The second influence by the fringe parties will be how far they push national governments to the left or the right, depending. Some ruling parties have already embraced their left party's call to end austerity and spend their way back to health. Other ruling parties have talked about cracking down on immigrants and other bogeymen, real or imagined.
Jim Boulden
So, the rise of the fringe can influence Europe for the next five years simply by being who they are and making their voice at every turn, even if they can't really vote as a bloc.
You see, if there is one thing the fringe have in common in Europe, they are far from united. Every time one of them sticks their foot into it, the others have to at least pretend to be aghast and to pull away.
The more seats the rightest parties gain from next week, the more likely the battle between Marine Le Pen of the France's National Front and Farage of UKIP for dominance will split the base. No unity from the right is expected.
Now, if I am wrong and the right can form a useable bloc to block Brussels at every turn, then the European elections will prove to have been more important than most people could ever imagine.
READ MORE: Protest parties shake up election
READ MORE: How the European election works
READ MORE: Europe needs a new vision
Soccer star urges Bosnia flood aid
5/23/2014 12:40:35 PM
- Bosnia-Herzegovina striker Edin Dzeko appeals for aid to help flood victims
- Balkans region hit by worst flooding in over a century
- Dzeko has just won English Premier League title with Manchester City
- Bosnia will make debut at World Cup in Brazil next month
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(CNN) -- Edin Dzeko is a man on a mission -- and it's not just about winning the World Cup.
Bosnia's qualification for Brazil 2014 created joyous scenes on the streets of Sarajevo as 50,000 people turned out to celebrate last October.
Its players have become heroes and will travel to South America hoping to do the nation proud on its debut on the world's biggest football stage.
pic.twitter.com/IHg6ghdpJ4
— Edin Džeko (@EdDzeko) May 21, 2014 But any thoughts of World Cup success have been placed on hold following the worst floods in the Balkans region for over 120 years.
"I think it's important for the people, for the world, to know this is not a game," Dzeko, who has appealed for help on Twitter, told CNN.
"This is something serious. So many people have lost their lives, lost their homes.
"They were trying to build something for themselves and for their kids over the past 20 years and they've lost it just like that."
The floods have wreaked destruction on parts of Croatia and Serbia too, while Bosnian president Bakir Izetbegovic confirmed to CNN that the flooding has left billions of dollars worth of damage.
At least 13 people have died during the natural disaster in Bosnia, while there have been deaths in Serbia too.
"I want the whole world, not just the people in Bosnia and Serbia, to know," added Dzeko, who plays for English Premier League champion Manchester City.
"If anyone could help Bosnia and Serbia in any way, it would be amazing."
While Dzeko has taken to social media to ask for help, humanitarian organizations have begun to arrive.
The Red Cross estimates around 50,000 people throughout the country are without safe water and electricity, while it claims "many are living in unsafe and insanitary conditions created by the floods."
A state of emergency has been declared in 14 municipalities, according to the Red Cross, while landslides have caused havoc.
The World Food Program has already announced plans to send enough aid to help 150,000 in Bosnia's most-affected areas.
One of the most damaged sectors of Bosnian trade is its crop production, and the recent floods have left farms and agricultural land decimated.
Podrzimo #Bosnu #Hrvatsku i #Srbiju Hvala Gradacac 👍 Support #Bosnia #Croatia and #Serbia #floods pic.twitter.com/m7hXVGgmaJ
— Edin Džeko (@EdDzeko) May 22, 2014 "This country is brutally destroyed by nature," said Zlatko Lagumdzija, Bosnia's minister of foreign affairs. "The landslides are absolutely destroying the country. We have registered up to 2,000," he said.
One of the biggest problems Bosnia is now facing is the displacement of warning signs and mines around the deadly minefields which remain from the war.
And while Dzeko and his teammates are ensconced within the relative calm of their training camp in Sarajevo, the players are fully aware of the destruction which has been wrought upon their homeland.
"Everyone is talking about it," the striker said.
"I think that's the main thing here. Unfortunately, what happened has happened.
"We just hope that this will not go further in a bad way and hope that from the next days and months will just be getting better and better.
"The help is coming from all over the world and if there could be more that would be appreciated a lot."
Champione championeeee ole ole oleeeeeeee pic.twitter.com/OhU1elmuyl
— Edin Džeko (@EdDzeko) May 11, 2014 Dzeko has enjoyed a successful season, helping Bosnia qualify for the World Cup while leading Manchester City to the Premier League title.
The 28-year-old scored 26 goals in all competitions and won plenty of admirers for his performances -- including Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.
Mourinho told British media that he felt Dzeko should have been named player of the year in England instead of Liverpool's Luis Suarez.
"When you hear something like that from one of the best managers in the world then I have to say I am very proud of myself," Dzeko said.
"I did some good things in the past and thanks to Jose Mourinho that he thinks like that.
"I said it before, when you get compliments from one of the best managers in the world, you want to be even better and it gives you some power and more confidence to do better in the future."
Read: Fears over landmines surfacing
Read: What is causing Balkans weather misery?
World Cup: Threats over Suarez injury
5/23/2014 12:44:03 PM
- Luis Suarez facing race against time to be fit for 2014 World Cup
- Uruguay striker underwent minor surgery on knee Thursday
- Suarez suffered injury during Liverpool's final-day victory over Newcastle
- Newcastle's Paul Dummett receives death threats on Twitter
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(CNN) -- He is hoping to be one of the stars of the 2014 World Cup, but an injury blow for Luis Suarez has drawn extreme reaction from Uruguay football fans.
Suarez is facing a race against time to be fit for the showpiece tournament in Brazil starting next month, and the player whose challenge required the Liverpool star to have knee surgery has been bombarded with death threats.
Paul Dummett, who plays for Newcastle United, was sent off for his challenge on Uruguay's all-time leading scorer on the final day of the English Premier League season earlier this month.
Uruguay has been drawn in the same group as England, and some fans took to Twitter to unleash their fury at the 22-year-old, with many posting violent messages on the social media network.
One message read: "Hi Paul Dummett. I hope some day you come here (Uruguay) to have a nice time with friends. We have things for you, like a bullet in the head."
Another tweeted: "Hey, Paul Dummett. If Suárez doesn't play against England, you'll never play again."
The English Football Association rescinded Dummett's suspension following the May 11 incident, and Suarez was able to join up with his national side for a training camp in Montevideo -- but limped out in a warmup on Wednesday and had a minor operation Thursday.
The 27-year-old, who has scored 38 goals in 77 international appearances, is likely to be out of action for a fortnight after damaging his meniscus.
Oscar Tabarez's side begins its World Cup campaign on June 15 against Costa Rica before facing England four days later in Sao Paulo, with a final group-stage match against Italy on June 24.
Suarez left the hospital in a wheelchair following the procedure, but Uruguay's football association insists "his participation in the World Cup in Brazil has not been ruled out."
Thank you very much for the messages of support, love and encouragement throughout the day! The strength that my loved ones give me... (1/2)
— Luis Suarez (@luis16suarez) May 22, 2014 ...will make me work hard to reach the World Cup. My family and I are very grateful to all of you!! (2/2) pic.twitter.com/DJDsQy3hsr
— Luis Suarez (@luis16suarez) May 22, 2014 "He had a magnetic resonance which confirmed a partial lesion of the external meniscus," it said in a statement.
"In terms of relevant clinical history, to point out that he suffered a blow to his left knee during the last game of the Premier League season with Liverpool, which provoked a pain that subsided with rest following the end of the season."
Suarez, one the world's most potent strikers, enjoyed a successful season with Liverpool, becoming the first player to score 30 league goals for the club since Ian Rush in 1987.
He was named player of the season but his team missed out on a first English title since 1990, finishing second behind Manchester City despite leading with three matches to play.
Suarez helped Uruguay finish third at the 2010 World Cup but was sent off in the quarterfinal against Ghana after deliberately handling the ball on the goal line.
Ghana missed the resulting penalty and Uruguay went on to progress to the semifinals.
A year later, he helped Uruguay win its 15th Copa America by scoring in the 3-0 win over Paraguay in the final.
Suarez has had a controversial career, twice receiving lengthy suspensions for biting opponents while playing for Liverpool and Dutch club Ajax.
He was also banned for eight matches after being found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra in October 2011.
Female coach unveiled by men's team
5/23/2014 12:44:36 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
Golf: McIlroy-Wozniacki wedding off
5/22/2014 4:03:06 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."
It's a hard time for me right now.Thanks for all the sweet messages!Happy I support Liverpool right now because I know I'll never walk alone
— Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) May 22, 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.
She made her first response to the split on Twitter Thursday saying, "It's a hard time for me right now. Thanks for all the sweet messages! Happy I support Liverpool right now because I know I'll never walk alone."
Read: McIlroy and Wozniacki engaged
Read: 15-love: Top tennis romances
Read: 'Wozilroy' back in business?
Costa trains before Champs League final
5/23/2014 3:08:28 PM
- Diego Costa and Arda Turan have trained with teammates ahead of the Champions League final
- Atletico Madrid are looking to win clubs first European crown
- Real Madrid aim to claim their tenth European title in Lisbon
- Los Blancos also have injury concerns over Pepe and Karim Benzema
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(CNN) -- Diego Costa and Arda Turan took part in training with Atletico Madrid teammates at the Estadio da Luz Friday ahead the Champions League final clash with city rivals Real Madrid.
The pair have been an integral part of Atletico's title winning side but remain doubts for Saturday's fixture after being forced off during last weekend's league clash with Barcelona -- the match that saw Atleti clinch La Liga for the first time in 16 years.
Costa mainly trained alone on Thursday but was able to join in drills with teammates Friday.
The naturalized Spaniard, who has scored 36 goals in 51 appearances this season, reportedly flew to Sarajevo for horse-placenta treatment on a hamstring tear earlier this week while Turan has nursed the hip-knock he sustained against the Catalans at the club's training base in Madrid.
Atletico manager Diego Simeone, however, remained tight-lipped about the pair's chances of making his starting lineup in Lisbon on Saturday.
"Costa and Arda are important players but they are just names, it will either be them playing or two others who know who they are," Simeone told reporters.
"We will examine Diego Costa and the other injury doubts today. They trained better yesterday but we have to see how they feel," he added.
The Argentine is looking to become just the third non-European coach to win the continent's premier club competition after compatriots Luis Carniglia and Helenio Herrera but is wary of an opponent he knows well.
No two teams from the same city have ever contested the Champions League final before or its predecessor, the European Cup.
"We don't know how Madrid will play, we've worked with different possibilities and we will try to block them and find a way to control the match the way we need," Simeone said.
The sides have met four times already this season with Atletico claiming one league win against Real's two victories in the double-legged Copa del Rey semifinal.
The other league match was drawn.
Real face injury concerns of their own ahead of the clash that could see them lift the illusive "decima," their tenth European crown which has become an obsession since they won their ninth continental title in 2002.
Star players Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale have been struggling for fitness in recent weeks but both are expected to play Saturday.
Portuguese defender, Pepe, and French striker, Karim Benzema, however, are less likely to make it.
Speaking to reporters Friday, Real boss Carlo Ancelotti said: "we will assess the injuries at training. Cristiano has trained without problems but Pepe and Benzema haven't trained this week."
"We will take the decision for tomorrow after this session which they will take part in," he added.
Ancelotti is aiming to lift the Champions League trophy for the third time as a manager, having done so with AC Milan in 2003 and 2007.
But reports have suggested the Italian's position could come under scrutiny should Real fail to win Saturday.
Los Blancos claimed the Copa del Rey trophy in April but stumbled to a third placed finish in La Liga behind Atletico and Barcelona.
In what may have been comments relating to these reports, Ancelotti said: "I have clear memories of my last press conference before the 2007 final and I said 'this may be my last press conference, let me enjoy it.'"
"It wasn't, but this one may be - so let me enjoy it. There's a thin line between an obsession and a dream, but my aim is to realize the dream," he said.
Real defender, Sergio Ramos, accompanied Ancelotti at Friday's press conference and spoke effusively of his manager.
"Since Carlo Ancelotti arrived he has emphasized hard work and intensity and now that is what Real Madrid are associated with," Ramos said.
"He has playing experience which makes him different to other coaches. We realize the efforts many of our fans have to make to come, some will have been saving all year long and that is motivation for the team."
"Even those who couldn't come, we have to do everything possible to make them happy."
See also: Barcelona appoints Luis Enrique
See also: Edin Dzeko urges world to help Bosnia
Fierce fighting as Putin warns of 'civil war'
5/23/2014 3:20:27 PM
- NEW: Pentagon official says small number of Russian troops pulling back from border
- Clashes reported in eastern Ukraine as election approaches
- Russia's President warns of civil war in Ukraine; says he will respect voters' will
- Separatists and pro-Ukrainian militants clash near town of Karlivka
Kiev, Ukraine (CNN) -- New clashes erupted in eastern Ukraine as the divided country prepared for presidential elections this weekend, raising the question of whether pro-Russian forces sought to disrupt the vote in a move that the United States and its European allies say would trigger tougher sanctions on Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that his government would respect the will of the Ukrainian people in Sunday's vote, but added Russia would closely monitor events.
In a speech to an international economic forum in Saint Petersburg, Putin also warned of a "dangerous civil war" underway in Ukraine following what he called a "state coup" carried out "with support of the West, the United States" that ousted the country's pro-Russian leader earlier this year.
Latest fighting
At least 32 people were killed and 44 injured in clashes between the Ukrainian military and pro-Russian separatists in the Luhansk region, according to the country's anti-terror office spokesman, Vladislav Seleznev.
The clashes took place Thursday afternoon and lasted for a few hours, Seleznev told CNN on Friday.
A total of 30 pro-Russian separatists and two Ukrainian soldiers were among the dead, while the injured included 37 separatists and seven Ukrainian soldiers, Seleznev said.
Ukraine's defense ministry reported on its website that 20 separatists died in the Luhansk clash, with more than 30 wounded.
The reports could not be independently confirmed, and some previous casualty claims by Ukrainian sources have proven unreliable.
On Friday, pro-Ukrainian militias heading to shut down a pro-Russian checkpoint in Donetsk region came under attack, according to a regional Ukrainian authority and the chief of staff of one of the groups called the Right Sector.
The Donetsk regional authority said one person died and nine were wounded, while the Right Sector official said four pro-Ukrainian fighters got trapped and may have been killed or captured.
There were no further details on the affiliations of the casualties, and the reports also could not be independently confirmed.
Sunday's election will choose a successor for ousted pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych in the country riven by Russia's takeover of the Crimea Peninsula and aggression blamed on pro-Russian factions in some eastern regions of the country that have ethnic Russian populations.
Valentyn Nalyvaychenko, the head of Ukraine's security service, said Friday that no military operations were planned for the election. But alternative secure voting places would be arranged for some people in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions because of the separatist threat.
Showdown
The Ukraine crisis has created a showdown between Putin and Western allies over what U.S. President Barack Obama calls Russia's illegal expansionist moves.
Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently said disruption of the Ukraine vote by Russia would bring further sanctions targeting specific sectors of the Russian economy. So far, U.S. and European sanctions have targeted individuals and some banks and other entities.
On Friday, Putin reiterated Russia's assertion that according to Ukraine's Constitution, the ousted Yanukovych remains the nation's legitimate president. He also questioned whether the election should be held now, given the current violence in eastern Ukraine.
According to Russian state media, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov said Friday that Russia would decide whether or not to recognize the Ukraine vote only after it takes place.
"Let's wait for the elections first. Naturally, when Russia considers this issue (on legitimacy) we will take into account all factors," the official ITAR-Tass news agency quoted Meshkov as saying.
The latest violence extended increased unrest in recent weeks in eastern Ukraine, which includes areas with ethnic Russian populations loyal to Moscow instead of the Ukrainian government in Kiev.
After the Russian takeover of Crimea, Putin massed an estimated 40,000 or more Russian troops near the border with eastern Ukraine. This week, he said those forces were starting to withdraw, as called for by Obama and NATO allies.
On Friday, Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said the United States has seen small numbers of Russian troops withdrawing back to their garrisons or home bases from the border region.
Kirby described those numbers as "not great" and said tens of thousands of Russian troops remained near the border. According to Kirby, it was "too soon for us to say this is the wholesale withdrawal" of troops that Putin indicated he had ordered.
Donetsk violence
The Donetsk violence on Friday involved an effort by pro-Ukrainian militias to take down a pro-Russian checkpoint near Karlivka, according to Right Sector Chief of Staff Andriy Denysenko. The pro-Ukrainian forces came under attack by separatists and were forced back to a Ukrainian military checkpoint, Denysenko told CNN.
Four of the pro-Ukrainian militia fighters got trapped in a cafe and were presumed by pro-Ukrainian militias to be dead or captured, he said.
According to the Donetsk state administration, the battle left one person dead and nine injured.
Disturbances also were reported Friday in Slovyansk, a stronghold for the separatists in the eastern Donetsk region. A CNN team in Slovyansk heard about 10 explosions in what sounded like the outskirts of the town, following shelling overnight around a militant barricade.
The self-declared mayor of Slovyansk, Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, has said that anyone who tries to vote in the presidential election will be arrested.
On Friday, Ponomaryov showed a CNN crew missile launchers known as man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) that he said were obtained on the black market in the 1990s and now could be used on Ukrainian military aircraft in the event of civil war.
Matt Schroeder from the Small Arms Survey, an independent expert who saw CNN images of the weapons, confirmed they were for use with surface-to-air, shoulder-launched, heat-seeking missiles. However, Schroeder said he was unable to tell from the images what model they were and if they were functional.
In another indication of the heightened tensions, Ukraine's Border Service said Friday that its guards had thwarted another attempt by armed men to illegally bring weapons and ammunition over the border from Russia.
Attacks on media
Meanwhile, the Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe released a report Friday that detailed a deterioration of media freedom in Ukraine.
Dunja Mijatovic, the group's representative on media freedom, said she was "alarmed by the rapidly deteriorating conditions and climate for the media."
The 14-page report on events from last November 28 until Friday cited more than 300 cases of attacks on journalists including killings, kidnappings, detentions and acts of intimidation, as well as cases of equipment being confiscated and destroyed.
"The on-going attacks on journalists are nothing short of gross and severe violations of fundamental human rights," Mijatovic said. "Journalists are deliberately targeted for doing their job, trying to tell the outside world of the events that is taking place in Ukraine."
In his remarks to business leaders, Putin said he was "optimistic" the crisis in Ukraine could be resolved.
He defended Moscow's recent disputed annexation of Crimea, saying its action had prevented violence there and ensured the "possibility of free will for the people" who chose to join Russia in a democratic referendum.
The United States and its European allies have refused to recognize the Crimea annexation, saying it remains an unresolved issue in their demand for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity to be respected.
Unpaid gas bill
Putin also said Russia had tried to help Ukraine in its difficult economic situation, but that Kiev must pay off the hefty arrears owed to Russian energy giant Gazprom for natural gas.
"The risks today of delivery of the gas supply are not our fault but quite honestly, everyone understands that this is because of the transit country Ukraine, which has abused its situation," he said.
"We provided Ukraine with 10 billion cubic meters of gas for free," he added. "This is not sensible; this is really stupid, and we must have limits."
Asked if he could work with a Ukrainian government led by Petro Poroshenko, a billionaire businessman and seasoned politician seen as a front-runner in Sunday's election, Putin joked that he could -- if Ukraine pays the $3.5 billion it owes.
Kiev and European Union leaders have urged Russia not to use the energy supply as a weapon.
Putin also called for dialogue between Russia and the United States over the crisis in Ukraine, suggesting Washington had not taken Russia's interests into account until now.
He was critical of the sanctions imposed on Russia by the West, warning that they would have a "boomerang" effect and hurt the United States and the European Union.
The Russian President also suggested the U.S. sanctions could be a ploy to give American companies a competitive advantage in Europe.
Some Russian troops at Ukraine border may be 'packing up'
Prince Charles draws fire for reportedly comparing Putin to Hitler
Journalist Victoria Butenko and CNN's Nick Paton Walsh, Jim Sciutto and Ben Brumfield contributed to this report, which was written by CNN's Laura Smith-Spark in London and Tom Cohen in Washington.
In Iran, happy gets you arrested
5/24/2014 4:41:35 AM
- 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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Ex-PM remains in detention, Thai junta summons others
5/24/2014 4:53:15 AM
- The military will impress upon detainees the 'negative' effects of their actions
- It says it expects to see a change in politicians' and activists' attitudes
- Military calls on Saturday for 35 more people to appear before its council
- Source: Ex-Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at a military compound in Bangkok
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, Thailand (CNN) -- The Thai military continued to hold former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Saturday, a source close to her told CNN.
She was ordered to report a day earlier to the junta that took charge of the country this week.
The National Council for Peace and Order summoned 35 more people on Saturday to report by 1 p.m. local time, a military spokesman told reporters.
I'm in #Bangkok where the military has summoned foreign diplomats, bans 155 politicians and activists from leaving the country tune in #CNN
— Saima Mohsin (@SaimaMohsin) May 23, 2014 In Thailand, TV channels including CNN have been replaced with this: http://t.co/IJDcAGA9xP #ThaiCoup pic.twitter.com/vPUdAJbBSE
— CNN International (@cnni) May 23, 2014 Yellow shirts protest camp was there for months. Like a city within a city. It will take time to clean up #ThaiCoup pic.twitter.com/fZEv5rMR3N
— Paula Hancocks (@PHancocksCNN) May 23, 2014 More than 100 people were previously summoned. Around 150 people will be required to appear in total, the spokesman said in English.
They come from all sides of Thailand's political divide.
Not all of them are to be detained, just those directly involved in Thailand's raucous political conflicts, spokesman said.
Some of those held previously, including opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva and members of Yingluck's Pheu Thai Party, were later released.
Saturday's list included many academics and one of Yingluck's chief opponents, Yellow Shirt movement leader Sondhi Limthongkul. The politician suffered a gunshot wound to the head during unrest in 2009 but later recovered.
Some no-shows
Some of the people the NCPO have summoned have yet to heed its call. The council on Saturday gave them another chance to do so and announced that those who did not comply would be taken in by "law enforcement."
The military has banned more than 150 prominent figures from leaving the country and threatened to arrest politicians who disobey its orders.
Security forces have arrested "many people" suspected of possessing "military grade weapons and explosive devices," the spokesman said.
The armed forces seized power in a coup on Thursday after months of turmoil that paralyzed much of the government and caused deadly clashes in the streets of Bangkok.
It has imposed martial law, which includes a curfew, and shut out independent media reporting. CNN International's broadcasting has been blacked out in Thailand.
On Saturday, a number of major TV stations were back on air, including MCOT, TPBS and NBT.
'Time to think'
The detainees will get what sounds like an attitude check.
Military representatives will give them a talking to and impress upon them the negative consequences their actions have had for the country in the -- at times bloody -- conflict.
But they will also hear them out, a council spokesman told reporters.
Detentions are not expected to last much longer than seven days.
"We want to give them some time to relax and have time to think over the problem," the spokesman said.
The NCPO wants to "adjust their perception and make them think about the country, think about the Thai people as a whole, not just one particular group."
The military council wants both sides to "listen to the other side" and stop being "self-centered," he added.
Detainees determined to have no significant link to conflict and who find "common ground" for the good of the country will be released, the spokesman said.
He asked that the public not worry about their treatment. "We look after them very well," he said.
He did not say what would happen to those whose attitudes did not change or who are found to be more deeply involved in the country's friction.
Regular coups
The United States and other countries have criticized the military's intervention, the latest in a long list of coups in Thailand, and called for the swift restoration of democracy.
Yingluck, whose government was in power when the unrest began in November, was removed from office this month by the country's Constitutional Court over the appointments of top security officials.
Yingluck arrived around noon Friday at a military compound in Bangkok with one of her sisters.
She was being detained at a military barracks outside Bangkok, the Thai government's national security adviser, Lt. Gen. Paradon Patthanathabut, said late Friday.
Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, the head of the military, has assumed the powers to act as Prime Minister until a new one takes office, the military said Thursday.
How the government will operate remains unclear, given that the military also has thrown out the constitution it drew up in 2007 after a previous coup, except for Section 2, which acknowledges that the King is the head of state.
The last six months have been marked by large-scale protests, both by those backing Yingluck's government and those opposed to it. There have been periodic outbursts of deadly violence in the streets.
Protesters clearing out
Protest camps of both sides in Bangkok have been cleared away since the coup.
Under the new order, schools will be closed nationwide between Friday and Sunday, the military said. A curfew is in place between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.
The military has warned against posting misleading or critical comments on social media platforms.
In a speech Thursday, Prayuth said that these actions were necessary to restore order and push through reforms.
Life in most of the city's center appeared normal during the day Friday, with shops open and people going to work.
The military presence around the city remained subtle, with few soldiers in view, except outside the Defense Ministry and military sites.
Protesters dismantled their camps.
The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok has updated its guidance for Americans traveling to Thailand. It "recommends that U.S. citizens reconsider any nonessential travel to Thailand, particularly Bangkok, due to ongoing political and social unrest and restrictions on internal movements, including an indefinite nighttime curfew."
Red Shirt reaction?
The question many analysts are asking is how the popular "Red Shirt" movement, which supports Yingluck and her exiled brother Thaksin Shinawatra, will respond to the coup.
The Red Shirts, whose support base is in the rural north and northwest of Thailand, were already angered by Yingluck's ouster this month, a move they viewed as a judicial coup by Bangkok elites.
Senior Red Shirt leaders, as well as prominent figures from the anti-Yingluck protesters, were still being held Friday by the military, according to Paradon, the national security adviser to the government.
Thaksin, a business tycoon who built a highly successful political movement through populist policies benefiting the rural masses, was deposed as Prime Minister in a military coup in 2006.
In 2010, when the pro-Thaksin party was out of power, the Red Shirts mounted large protests in the heart of Bangkok. An ensuing crackdown by security forces resulted in clashes that killed around 90 people.
Thailand martial law: A cheat sheet to get you up to speed
Soldiers, selfies and a military coup
CNN's Kocha Olarn reported from Bangkok, and Ben Brumfield reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Paula Hancocks, Simon Harrison, Neda Farshbaf and Jethro Mullen contributed to this report.
Hundreds defy army to protest
5/23/2014 9:33:15 PM
Street protests in Thailand appear to be dying out, but major questions remain after the coup. Paula Hancocks reports
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