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Swiss train derails in Alps
8/14/2014 12:20:56 PM
- At least two train cars derailed near Tiefencastel, Switzerland, rail company says
- Six people were injured, police say
(CNN) -- A landslide caused a passenger train to partially derail in the Swiss Alps Wednesday, injuring at least six people, regional police spokesman Peter Faerber said.
The train was headed from St. Mortiz to Chur in eastern Switzerland when at least two carriages derailed near Tiefencastel, said Simon Rageth, spokesman for the Raethische Bahn rail company.
A rescue operation was under way Wednesday afternoon, said Faerber, a spokesman for police in the Swiss canton of Graubuenden.
Inside the battle against Ebola
8/14/2014 3:10:37 PM
- The CDC has sent nine people to Lagos, Nigeria, to fight the Ebola outbreak
- The World Health Organization says Nigeria has 12 suspected cases, three deaths
- CDC team is helping with tracking the infection, training health care workers
Editor's note: David Daigle is associate director for communications at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response. He arrived in Lagos, Nigeria, on August 7 with a team of CDC specialists sent to West African nations battling Ebola.
(CNN) -- There are nine of us from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention in Lagos, Nigeria.
We arrived from different U.S. states, or from the CDC's polio team already in Nigeria, and possess varying skill sets, including infection control, global migration and quarantine, data management, epidemiology and communications.
We're here to work with colleagues and partners from Nigeria's Ministry of Health, UNICEF, Doctors Without Borders and the World Health Organization to stop the largest Ebola outbreak in history -- the first in a densely populated, urban environment.
Nigeria is the latest country to become affected by the outbreak. The first person to die of Ebola here was an American named Patrick Sawyer, who arrived from Liberia. Now WHO suspects Nigeria has had 12 cases and three deaths.
Our team in Lagos is a small part of the CDC's effort to fight Ebola, with work going on in several African countries, and back in the United States at our headquarters in Atlanta. There, the CDC's Emergency Operations Center has activated its highest level to maintain 24/7 operations to coordinate the agency's efforts.
We are five hours ahead of Atlanta, a fact my family has yet to grasp as I receive texts during odd hours asking, "What's Lagos like?" and "What are you doing?"
Good questions.
A typical day for our team begins at a hotel -- one big advantage of an urban outbreak. After breakfast we move to one of several locations, including the hospital, U.S. Consulate or a training site, depending on the work to be done that day.
Team Lagos is working as part of a much larger team in Nigeria to find and isolate all possible patients, tracking down everyone who could have been exposed to Ebola, and educating the public about the risks.
A great deal has been accomplished in a short time. A Nigerian emergency operations center is up and running now, and we are about to move Ebola patients into a newly, remodeled treatment facility.
There are 60 folks on the contact tracing team, which has been tracking more than 200 people thought to have come in contact with the virus. These teams visit the contacts daily to take their temperatures and check to see if they have developed any symptoms. On Tuesday, 147 of the 152 contacts were visited and assessed. When difficulties arise locating contacts, additional teams are employed and efforts ramped up to conduct the tracing.
The Ebola response team in Nigeria recently saw 30 people finish the 21-day risk period -- the longest time period during which Ebola symptoms have been known to be present. These 30 people were able to leave the contact tracing list, which is a hopeful sign.
There is a great deal of fear in Lagos as many worry about a virus of which they know precious little. CDC communicators like myself work to provide accurate information to the public and health care workers. Health care workers are critical as they are on the front lines of this battle; WHO says 10% of the deaths during this epidemic have been health care workers.
Our infection control experts have been training workers on proper infection control and teaching them how to don Personal Protective Equipment properly, a critical task given this virus.
I was taking pictures of this training near the Ebola ward when one of the trainers came out of the "hot zone" and asked if anybody had a paperback to give one of the patients. I donated a weathered copy of Shakespeare's "Henry the IV, Part 1." (I always carry a book on deployments). So the Bard has entered the Ebola ward in Lagos.
One interesting aspect of this outbreak has been the rumors and misinformation spurred by Ebola. Last week, communicators were working quickly to respond to a rumor that bathing in or drinking salt water would prevent Ebola. I have seen local press coverage that notes two people may have died from attempting this treatment.
As I write this, we are in a temporary emergency operations center at a psychiatric hospital, waiting for remodeling to be complete on our own center. We made the change with some grumbling but did not miss a beat -- flexibility is essential in an evolving outbreak situation.
Our work is made more difficult by traffic in the city, a lack of Internet connectivity and security, which is a concern. We typically make it back to the hotel late, anywhere between 9 and 11 p.m. local time and try to eat together.
Team members who gather are tired, and the outbreak dominates the conversation. But we also try to distract ourselves: On my third night, a team member asked, "Has anyone else noticed that the background music is all Celine Dione?" It was true. Turns out she has quite a few songs, and I am pretty sure we have heard them all.
I am not afraid of catching the Ebola virus. I know how Ebola is transmitted and will not put myself in jeopardy, thinking of my wife and four children at home.
The work is long, hard, challenging but worthwhile. The CDC team in Lagos is amazing, one of the best I have been on. And the larger response team that includes all our partners and our colleagues from Nigeria is doing important work to break the Ebola infection cycle.
Read: Canada to donate untested Ebola vaccines
Read: Patient Zero in Ebola outbreak identified?
What can the U.S. do in Iraq?
8/14/2014 12:18:57 PM
- Former CIA analysts: After 10 years, U.S. has limited ability to change things in Iraq
- They say the U.S. goal should be to contain the problem and prevent catastrophe
- Analysts: U.S. is right to address humanitarian crisis on Mount Sinjar
- America must ensure that ISIS doesn't acquire chemical, biological weapons, they say
Editor's note: Nada Bakos is a former Central Intelligence Agency analyst who was on the team charged with analyzing terrorism issues in Iraq and was one of those featured in the Emmy award winning HBO documentary, "Manhunt." Tara Maller, who holds a doctorate in political science from MIT, is a research fellow in the International Security Program at the New America Foundation and a former CIA military analyst who focused on Iraq. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the authors.
(CNN) -- Over the past few days, politicians and experts have been debating the merits of the Obama administration's strategy in Iraq -- or whether there is in fact a strategy.
The debate generally ignores a key underlying fact: The United States no longer has the ability or the will to shape the outcome in Iraq to the degree that American policy makers would like.
At the same time, politicians on both sides of the aisle appear constrained in their ability to talk candidly about U.S. foreign policy objectives and strategy because of concerns about domestic public opinion and so they often default to partisan sound bites.
In an ideal world, U.S. strategy would be carefully calibrated and aimed at a number of political, military and economic goals for the country and the region.
Yet the dynamics of the U.S. relationship with Iraq is similar to most dysfunctional relationships in which problematic patterns repeat and persist over time.
One party may in fact be able to change the entrenched dysfunctional behavior of another person at the margins, but at the end of the day, countries -- as do people -- need to take responsibility for their behavior, their mistakes and their future.
How religion could complicate U.S. intervention in Iraq
Unfortunately, the reality is that after more than 10 years of trying to shape outcomes in Iraq, the United States is forced to acknowledge it doesn't have the leverage we expected. The next best option is to find a solution that encompasses our values but doesn't err on the side of unrealistic idealism.
America's greatest failure has perhaps been our unwavering belief that we are always able to positively influence and shape the behavior of others through rhetoric, coercion, force and diplomacy. Leverage, as the United States has historically defined it, is not as relevant in today's conflicts. However, the conditions are not ripe for the United States to pull Iraq out of this quagmire given the lack of interest in America after over a decade of war and the political gridlock here and in Iraq.
In our time as analysts at the CIA, we were asked to present the opposite of what political punditry and partisan speeches tend to do. We were often asked to outline worst-case scenarios, speak truth to power and accurately assess dynamics on the ground. We were not supposed to sugarcoat our analysis to make it more palatable or to cater to the audience with empty words or false optimism. We were trained to try to objectively assess and analyze the veracity of reporting to help inform policymakers' decisions.
So, while it may not be politically popular for a leader or a president to say that "we can't influence longer-term outcomes to the degree that we'd like in Iraq, so we are adopting a strategy to avert worst-case scenarios and contain catastrophe," this is precisely the strategy we believe ought to be adopted right now.
We need an honest strategy based on containing catastrophe. In other words, our strategy at this point ought to be designed to thwart the worst outcomes from occurring and it should focus on preventing moral, humanitarian and security catastrophes.
The United States can make a significant difference in the lives of Iraqis and in the realm of our own national security even if the future of Iraq ultimately rests in hands of Iraqis.
The Islamic State, known by the acronym ISIS, is on a rampage to take over and control territory. The United States must degrade ISIS capabilities so that it is unable to launch a significant terrorist attack on U.S. interests (or a large mass casualty attack anywhere in the world).
ISIS is a product of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's organization dating back to the invasion of Iraq in 2003. After Zarqawi was killed in 2006, the Islamic State of Iraq emerged from his original organization and began to flourish.
ISIS has capitalized on (former) Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's unwillingness to work with the local Sunni populations and the power vacuum left by Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria.
ISIS and Zarqawi's organization have thrived on sectarian violence, but ISIS has managed to professionalize military and humanitarian aid. As ISIS disperses and embeds in populated areas, it will become more difficult to root out.
Its possible Achilles heel is the eventual erosion of local support from Sunnis while ISIS asserts control to govern and maintain territory. This gives the U.S. an opening to work with the Iraq and Kurdish government, in addition to regional allies, by helping to resolve a humanitarian crisis and limiting the group's ability to acquire new territory for safe haven.
The U.S. ought to continue targeted airstrikes with cooperation from Iraqi security forces and allies -- whether that takes days, weeks or months.
Second, we can and should prevent the potential for genocide or ethnic cleansing in Iraq. Arguing that the United States hasn't acted in other areas of the world or can't act in every single case of violence is not an argument against acting when we are able to make a difference.
And, we are able to make a difference right now in northern Iraq at a moment of crisis -- such as the operation underway assisting those stranded and dying on Mount Sinjar -- and we should also turn our eyes to the humanitarian crisis in Syria, where the U.S. can also make difference.
If the U.S. can support the local population and help to bolster local governments, ISIS will have a much more difficult time recruiting and controlling territory. Jabhat al-Nusra is an example of how successfully terrorist organizations can galvanize support and generate influence among local populations through charitable efforts.
Third, we must prevent terrorist groups operating in Iraq and Syria from acquiring biological or chemical weapons that they would be able to use in a mass casualty attack. From a national security perspective, it's important to remember Syria's al-Assad has not relinquished all of his chemical and biological weapons. The last thing we want is for these to fall in the hands of ISIS.
Why does the U.S. intervene militarily in Iraq but not in Syria?
Fourth, ISIS has attracted young fighters who understand how to talk to prospective recruits through all forms of media. Some of those recruits are Western passport holders and they are possibly the largest number of Western citizens identified fighting alongside a terrorist organization.
Not only do they pose a threat in the region, individuals can also be difficult to track from the war theater when returning home.
Lastly, the United States should work to maintain the security of its embassies and consulates. The recent evacuations and relocations of staff are a troublesome trend (albeit for the safety and security of diplomatic personnel). Ensuring that our diplomats are able to safely operate and function in foreign countries, especially Iraq, is critical.
Any type of serious attack on an embassy or U.S. personnel working in the country would make it increasingly difficult for the United States to address the issues we discuss above. In addition, maintaining a functioning embassy is important for information collection, assessing progress and being able to work with Iraqis -- particularly on the political side of the equation.
A foreign policy strategy speech predicated on containing catastrophe might not be a speech that inspires the American public, but it is an honest strategy that would be based on a realistic approach to our foreign policy in Iraq.
Such an approach is good for America's national security and for addressing the humanitarian concerns of those suffering during crisis.
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Pope prays for Asia on landmark trip
8/14/2014 11:07:46 AM
- North Korea fires projectiles into the sea before the Pope's arrival
- Pope Francis is making his first visit to Asia
- His Asia trip is a nod to growing Catholicism outside Europe
- Pope is expected to hold Mass with Sewol ferry victims, North Korean escapees and former comfort women
(CNN) -- Pope Francis arrived in Seoul Thursday, marking the first papal visit to the country in 25 years.
The historic visit is also a nod to Catholicism's shifting demographics as an increasing number of believers come from Latin America, Africa and Asia instead of its historic stronghold in Europe.
"The Pope's visit to South Korea is the first part of a very intelligent opening to Asia," said Lionel Jensen, associate professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Notre Dame. "The Pope's presence is a powerful symbol of the Vatican's recognition that it is in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa that the church is growing most prominently."
During his packed, five-day visit to South Korea, the Pope will beatify 124 Korean martyrs, help celebrate the 6th Asian Youth Day, which is a gathering of Asian Catholic youth, and hold Holy Mass for Peace and Reconciliation, expected to be aimed at prayers for peace, including South and North Korean relations.
North Korea fired five short-range projectiles into the sea east of the Korean peninsula, beginning about an hour before the Pope's landing in Seoul, the South Korean Defense Ministry said.
The Korean peninsula remains a divided one. One of the Pope's missions is to "go to Korea and pray for the reconciliation and peace," said Vatican spokesman, Padre Federico Lombardi.
Pope Francis is expected to meet South Korean president, Park Geun-hye, as well as hold Mass with family members of the victims of the sunken Sewol ferry and comfort women, who were forced to sexual slavery by the Japanese in World War II, in attendance.
Read: Why is the Pope going to South Korea?
A message of simplicity
Catholicism's growth in South Korea has been incremental, rising from 5.2 million Catholics in 2005 to 5.4 million in 2013. That represents a significant slowdown from the growth rate of 70% seen in the 10 years to 2005. Just 10.4% of South Koreans are Catholic; most are Buddhist or Protestant.
In a country that is entrenched in the latest technologies and also home to one of the biggest average household debts, Pope Francis is expected to bring his usual message of simplicity and humility. The Pope had requested the smallest car possible for his trip.
Read: South Korea, the church of the future?
"Korea has experienced rapid economic and social development, and now is struggling with the conflicts surfacing from increased social polarization," wrote Rev. Peter Kang U-il, the President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea. The Korean Church must try to follow spiritual growth, rather than pursue material growth, he wrote.
Read: 10 things South Korea does better than anywhere else
As I begin my trip, I ask you to join me in praying for Korea and for all of Asia.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) August 13, 2014 Thursday - August 14 (Greetings with officials)
After his morning arrival, the Pope is expected to attend a private Mass and then proceed to the Blue House, which is the South Korean president's residence, where he is to meet with Park and other South Korean officials.
He meets with Korean bishops at the Korean Episcopal Conference.
Friday - August 15 (Interaction with youth)
Pope Francis will lead a Mass at the Daejeon World Cup Stadium. The stadium, built for the 2002 World Cup games, can accommodate up to 42,000 people.
As part of efforts of Asian Youth Day, he will lunch with young people at a seminary and meet with more youth at a shrine for Catholic martyrs.
Saturday - August 16 (Beatification)
The Pope will beatify 124 martyrs, many of whom were persecuted from 1791 to 1888.
South Korea's early Catholic history is marked by fierce persecution by the government. Catholicism was viewed as a foreign influence and also a threat to Confucianism, which was the governing social order.
The Catholic Church estimates about 10,000 believers died in the persecutions beginning in late 18th century. Those who refused to denounce their faith were executed. Many of them were tortured and beheaded. One of the most infamous execution sites is Seo So Mun, now located in Seoul.
With his message of embracing the marginalized, the Pope is scheduled to visit Kkottongne, which means flower village. The biggest welfare facility run by the Korean Catholic Church, the program works with homeless, disabled people and substance addicts. The facility includes an adoption center for abandoned disabled infants.
Sunday -- August 17 (Closes Asian Youth Day)
After meeting with Asian bishops from the region, Pope Francis is expected to hold the closing Mass for Asian Youth Day, which is expected to be attended by 2,000 young people.
Monday - August 18 (Mass for Peace and Reconciliation)
After meeting with religious leaders, Pope Francis holds a final Mass for Peace and Reconciliation at Seoul's oldest cathedral, Myeong-dong Cathedral, in Seoul.
Pope Francis is expected to hold a brief farewell ceremony before boarding a flight back to Rome.
READ: The Pope's top 10 tips for happiness
READ: Why the Jesuits (including Pope Francis) are on frontlines of faith
CNN's KJ Kwon contributed to this report.
Arrests after body found in suitcase
8/13/2014 11:28:51 PM
- NEW: The victim's daughter and the daughter's boyfriend are now suspects, police say
- Body of Sheila von Weise Mack, 62, was found in a suitcase in the trunk of a taxi
- Police in Illinois had responded to 86 calls at the family home over nine years
- Couple say they were taken captive by an armed gang that killed the mother
Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) -- The cabbie probably thought nothing of it when the young couple left their large hard-sided suitcase in the trunk of his car and went back into the five-star hotel.
They said they needed to find the other person they were with and to pay their bill.
But after a lengthy wait, the young man and woman still hadn't returned. Puzzled, the driver called hotel security.
The suitcase in the trunk looked very odd. It was wrapped in a bedsheet. Then the cabbie saw blood.
When authorities at the South Kuta station in Bali, Indonesia, opened the case, they found inside the badly beaten body of Sheila von Weise Mack, wrapped in a blood-stained bedsheet.
Two smaller suitcases were found in the St. Regis Bali Resort garden. Both contained hotel towels with blood on them, according to police.
Those are the events that police say unfolded Tuesday. Mack, 62, of Chicago, had been staying at the posh St. Regis with her daughter, Heather Mack, and the daughter's boyfriend, Tommy Schaefer.
The daughter and her boyfriend were found Wednesday morning at another hotel about 15 kilometers (9 miles) away. The couple's St. Regis room was "very messy," with clothes still inside.
The couple told police they had been taken captive at the resort by an armed gang, whose members killed Sheila von Weise Mack, but they escaped, CNN affiliate Trans TV reported.
Djoko Hari Utomo, police chief of Denpasar, the capital of Bali, said Thursday that the pair have been declared suspects in the case. According to Indonesian law, police can keep suspects in custody for up to 20 days.
Djoko said that police hadn't found anything on surveillance camera footage from the hotel that supported the claim of an attack by an armed gang. He said the footage showed the mother and daughter arguing near the hotel's front desk on Tuesday.
A lawyer appointed for the couple told Reuters that Heather Mack didn't want to comment on the incident. She repeatedly asked for a lawyer from the United States, he said.
Djoko said Thursday he was looking into whether it was possible under Indonesian law to meet that request.
The two suspects will be questioned separately, he said. Police also plan to carry out psychological assessments of the couple.
U.S. officials will offer consular guidance to the two Americans.
A doctor who examined the body said that judging by the bruises and other wounds, Mack was struck on the face and other parts of her head with a blunt object. She also had a gash on her forehead.
Dr. Ida Bagus Putu Alit told CNN that there was evidence -- a broken fingernail and bruises on both wrists -- of an apparent struggle.
A spokesman for the St. Regis, where rooms go for $500 to $8,200 a night, said the hotel staff is "deeply saddened" by the incident and is doing all it can to assist investigators.
A profile of Mack published by The Caxton Club of Chicago (PDF) says she worked for Edward M. "Ted" Kennedy, the late U.S. senator from Massachusetts, and studied with Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Saul Bellow for 10 years.
For years, the Macks lived in the affluent suburb of Oak Park, Illinois.
An Oak Park police spokesman said a quick check showed officers had gone to the family's home 86 times between 2004 and 2013. The calls were for a variety of reasons including domestic trouble, missing persons reports and followups to 911 hangups, David Powers said. There were no records that anyone was arrested, he added.
A man who said he was the Macks' neighbor told the CNN affiliate WGN that Sheila von Weise Mack moved last year in hopes it would help improve family relations and for her to be closer to the arts.
"She was very much involved in the arts so you would see her at concerts, you'd see her at lectures," Allen Parchem told the station. "I knew that she had a very active arts life downtown too, attending events, so with the move to downtown I think she was hoping to be even more a part of that scene."
A friend of the family described her as warm and thoughtful. Mark Bacharach, who had known her for 27 years, said she "did not have a condescending, malicious bone in her body."
Bacharach said mother and daughter had a tumultuous relationship.
"(Heather) could be extremely charming to guests, but mean to her mother," he said.
Sheila von Weise Mack's husband, James, was a well-known figure in the Chicago music scene, having worked on dozens of albums. The Chicago Tribune reported he died of a pulmonary embolism in Athens, Greece, during a family vacation in 2006.
Toronto police: Floating suitcase had human remains
Body of missing Michigan woman found in a suitcase in Indiana
Grandfather, mother convicted in death of 4-year-old found in suitcase
CNN's Roger Clark reported from Jakarta and Steve Almasy reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Brian Todd, Pamela Brown, Eric Marrapodi, Joshua Berlinger, Brian Walker, Shawn Nottingham, Jethro Mullen and journalist Tasha Tampubolon contributed to this report.
U.S. man criticized for ISIS flag
8/14/2014 12:48:40 AM
A New Jersey is facing criticism for flying the flag associated with ISIS outside his home. News 12 New Jersey reports.
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Suarez loses 'biting ban' appeal
8/14/2014 1:49:10 PM
- Luis Suarez's "biting ban" is upheld by independent appeals panel
- Uruguay forward cannot play for new club Barcelona until late October
- However, he can now take part in training and promotional activities
- CAS rules that FIFA's sanctions were "generally proportionate to the offense committed"
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(CNN) -- Luis Suarez will have to wait until late October to make his debut for Spanish club Barcelona after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) partially upheld the Uruguay star's ban for biting an opponent on Thursday.
The striker was suspended from all football-related activity for four months -- preventing him from even training -- after he bit Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini on the shoulder during a World Cup group game in Brazil in late June, and banned for nine international matches.
Switzerland-based CAS heard the 27-year-old's case last week as he appealed against the punishment imposed by soccer's world governing body FIFA.
Suarez and his legal team had spent five hours before a three-man CAS appeal panel in Lausanne in an attempt to reduce the suspension, but the ban on playing was upheld along with a fine of $111,000.
Read: Suarez apologies and promises no repeat
However, CAS said he is free to take part in other football-related duties "such as training, promotional activities and administrative matters" and confirmed Suarez would be available to play friendly matches for Barcelona and the Uruguay national team during his suspension.
"The CAS Panel found that the sanctions imposed on the player were generally proportionate to the offense committed," the ruling stated.
"It has however considered that the stadium ban and the ban from 'any football-related activity' were excessive given that such measures are not appropriate to sanction the offense committed by the player and would still have an impact on his activity after the end of the suspension."
Suarez's ban from competitive matches expires on October 25, and Barcelona's next match is the "El Clasico" grudge match with rival Real Madrid the following day.
In a statement on its website, the Catalan giants said Suarez would join a training session Friday morning and will be officially unveiled during Monday's Joan Gamper Trophy match at the Nou Camp against Leon.
Because he is now free to play in friendly games, Suarez could also make his first appearance for Barca in that match against the Mexican club side.
Uruguay also has three friendly internationals scheduled before the end of October so its star striker is available to play against Japan on September 5.
Read: Do Latin Americans care more about football?
But Suarez will still have eight matches of his nine-game ban from competitive internationals to serve and Uruguay FA president Wilmar Valdez said he was disappointed with the CAS ruling.
"It's a cultural matter. The way we live football in South America is different to Europe, for us there are things which are normal and which deserve sanctions, but not such harsh ones," he said.
But leading Spanish sports lawyer Xavier Canal said the CAS decision was to be expected.
"I find it logical that the player is allowed to train with his colleagues and he can be presented by the club," he told CNN.
"The infraction happened while playing for Uruguay, and I think it's logical that the ban on playing for his country (in competitive matches) still stands."
The Chiellini incident was the third time Suarez had bitten a player -- he had previously been banned for similar transgressions while playing for Dutch club Ajax and English side Liverpool.
With Suarez sidelined, Uruguay lost its last-16 match to Colombia and was knocked out of the World Cup.
Suarez eventually apologized for his actions, but lost his appeal to FIFA over the sanctions before deciding to take the matter to CAS -- an independent "last resort" body that deals with sporting disputes.
FIFA's punishment did not stop Barcelona signing Suarez from Liverpool in a $127 million deal last month which will give the club a star-studded attack when he finally lines up alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar.
Suarez was top scorer in the English Premier League last season, winning the two major player of the year awards for his outstanding performances in helping Liverpool to second place and a return to the European Champions League.
He suffered a knee injury at the end of the season which threatened his participation in the World Cup. He missed Uruguay's first game but recovered to score two goals that ended England's hopes of reaching the knockout stages as the South Americans on 2-1.
But in the final group game, his bite on Chiellini -- captured by television cameras -- provided the most notorious moment of the World Cup, overshadowing a 1-0 victory by Uruguay that eliminated Italy.
Read: FIFA rejects Suarez appeal
In other football news Thursday, UEFA's appeals panel has upheld the decision to expel Legia Warsaw from the Champions League for fielding an ineligible player.
Legia won its third qualifying round match against Scottish champions Celtic 6-1 on aggregate, but brought on defender Bartosz Beresynski with four minutes remaining of the second leg.
He had been given a three-game ban after being sent off in Legia's final Europa League game last season and duly sat out two matches in the second qualifying round and the first leg of the tie against Celtic.
But Legia had failed to officially register Beresynski as a player, leading to the UEFA action.
The punishment means it will drop to the Europa League with Celtic reinstated to the final qualifying round of the Champions League, but Legia club officials said they would be making a further appeal to the CAS to overturn the decision.
Read: Chiellini: Suarez ban 'excessive'
Pope prays for Asia on landmark trip
8/14/2014 9:28:32 PM
- North Korea fires projectiles into the sea before the Pope's arrival
- Pope Francis is making his first visit to Asia
- His Asia trip is a nod to growing Catholicism outside Europe
- Pope is expected to hold Mass with Sewol ferry victims, North Korean escapees and former comfort women
(CNN) -- Pope Francis arrived in Seoul Thursday, marking the first papal visit to the country in 25 years.
The historic visit is also a nod to Catholicism's shifting demographics as an increasing number of believers come from Latin America, Africa and Asia instead of its historic stronghold in Europe.
"The Pope's visit to South Korea is the first part of a very intelligent opening to Asia," said Lionel Jensen, associate professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Notre Dame. "The Pope's presence is a powerful symbol of the Vatican's recognition that it is in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa that the church is growing most prominently."
During his packed, five-day visit to South Korea, the Pope will beatify 124 Korean martyrs, help celebrate the 6th Asian Youth Day, which is a gathering of Asian Catholic youth, and hold Holy Mass for Peace and Reconciliation, expected to be aimed at prayers for peace, including South and North Korean relations.
North Korea fired five short-range projectiles into the sea east of the Korean peninsula, beginning about an hour before the Pope's landing in Seoul, the South Korean Defense Ministry said.
The Korean peninsula remains a divided one. One of the Pope's missions is to "go to Korea and pray for the reconciliation and peace," said Vatican spokesman, Padre Federico Lombardi.
Pope Francis is expected to meet South Korean president, Park Geun-hye, as well as hold Mass with family members of the victims of the sunken Sewol ferry and comfort women, who were forced to sexual slavery by the Japanese in World War II, in attendance.
Read: Why is the Pope going to South Korea?
A message of simplicity
Catholicism's growth in South Korea has been incremental, rising from 5.2 million Catholics in 2005 to 5.4 million in 2013. That represents a significant slowdown from the growth rate of 70% seen in the 10 years to 2005. Just 10.4% of South Koreans are Catholic; most are Buddhist or Protestant.
In a country that is entrenched in the latest technologies and also home to one of the biggest average household debts, Pope Francis is expected to bring his usual message of simplicity and humility. The Pope had requested the smallest car possible for his trip.
Read: South Korea, the church of the future?
"Korea has experienced rapid economic and social development, and now is struggling with the conflicts surfacing from increased social polarization," wrote Rev. Peter Kang U-il, the President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea. The Korean Church must try to follow spiritual growth, rather than pursue material growth, he wrote.
Read: 10 things South Korea does better than anywhere else
As I begin my trip, I ask you to join me in praying for Korea and for all of Asia.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) August 13, 2014 Thursday - August 14 (Greetings with officials)
After his morning arrival, the Pope is expected to attend a private Mass and then proceed to the Blue House, which is the South Korean president's residence, where he is to meet with Park and other South Korean officials.
He meets with Korean bishops at the Korean Episcopal Conference.
Friday - August 15 (Interaction with youth)
Pope Francis will lead a Mass at the Daejeon World Cup Stadium. The stadium, built for the 2002 World Cup games, can accommodate up to 42,000 people.
As part of efforts of Asian Youth Day, he will lunch with young people at a seminary and meet with more youth at a shrine for Catholic martyrs.
Saturday - August 16 (Beatification)
The Pope will beatify 124 martyrs, many of whom were persecuted from 1791 to 1888.
South Korea's early Catholic history is marked by fierce persecution by the government. Catholicism was viewed as a foreign influence and also a threat to Confucianism, which was the governing social order.
The Catholic Church estimates about 10,000 believers died in the persecutions beginning in late 18th century. Those who refused to denounce their faith were executed. Many of them were tortured and beheaded. One of the most infamous execution sites is Seo So Mun, now located in Seoul.
With his message of embracing the marginalized, the Pope is scheduled to visit Kkottongne, which means flower village. The biggest welfare facility run by the Korean Catholic Church, the program works with homeless, disabled people and substance addicts. The facility includes an adoption center for abandoned disabled infants.
Sunday -- August 17 (Closes Asian Youth Day)
After meeting with Asian bishops from the region, Pope Francis is expected to hold the closing Mass for Asian Youth Day, which is expected to be attended by 2,000 young people.
Monday - August 18 (Mass for Peace and Reconciliation)
After meeting with religious leaders, Pope Francis holds a final Mass for Peace and Reconciliation at Seoul's oldest cathedral, Myeong-dong Cathedral, in Seoul.
Pope Francis is expected to hold a brief farewell ceremony before boarding a flight back to Rome.
READ: The Pope's top 10 tips for happiness
READ: Why the Jesuits (including Pope Francis) are on frontlines of faith
CNN's KJ Kwon contributed to this report.
Critics: Cops tactics problematic
8/15/2014 1:55:05 AM
- NEW: Congressman to call for "very stringent requirements" on disbursed military equipment
- Some claim the response in Ferguson shows militarization of law enforcement
- Veterans: Police are getting military weapons without the same training and rules
- Lt. Gen. Honore: "You're in trouble" when SWAT team is called for civil disturbance
(CNN) -- To people on the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, and many around the world who watched it unfold, it seemed like a scene out of another country.
"They are now firing into the crowd," a reporter says Wednesday night as loud blasts and fiery sparks show tear gas canisters apparently being shot by police. Screams follow.
"They're firing rubber bullets," a reporter with KARG Argus Radio is heard saying on video. "They're attacking reporters; they are attacking civilians. They are firing up on the media."
Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson said pepper bullets were used. A CNN crew also found spent crowd-control stun grenades lying in the street.
All the details of what happened amid protests over a police officer's fatal shooting of an unarmed teen have yet to come in. Multiple law enforcement agencies from the city, county and state levels have been dispatched to calm the protests. In the chaos, it was not immediately clear which agencies did what exactly -- though Ferguson Mayor Jay Knowles did say Thursday that St. Louis County police have been "in charge tactically since Sunday."
Change is coming. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon announced Thursday the Missouri State Highway Patrol will head up security because "at this particular point, the attitudes weren't improving."
Missouri state troopers take over security in Ferguson
Even if things turn around quickly, though, it won't erase the memories from this past week or end the debate about tactics. Chief among them are decisions like deploying heavily armed officers and using military equipment, which some experts say helped to make a bad situation even worse.
Retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honore knows a thing or two about this kind of thing, having been dispatched to New Orleans in 2005 to lead recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina. What authorities in Ferguson should have done, he said, is have "front line policemen" to face protesters, not a SWAT team.
retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honore
"The tactics they are using, I don't know where they learned them from," Honore said Thursday on "CNN Newsroom." "It appears they may be making them up on the way. But this is escalating the situation."
5 things to know about Michael Brown's shooting
What should police do with unruly protesters?
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, echoed that view Thursday, saying her "constituents are allowed to have peaceful protests, and the police need to respect that right and protect that right."
"This kind of response by the police has become the problem instead of the solution," she added.
Police said they responded with force only after the Molotov cocktails were thrown at them, and news photos showed some young men in the crowd lighting them.
Yet Alderman Antonio French of St. Louis disputes this sequence, saying police started the violence and protesters responded.
Joey Jackson, an HLN legal analyst, said if there are some protesters who are unruly -- unlike the majority -- then police "need to isolate those people and perhaps respond to them as opposed to firing upon the crowd in general."
But the chief said police can't possibly go through the crowd and just remove certain individuals.
"If the crowd is getting violent, and you don't want to be violent, get out of the crowd," he said of protesters.
Mike Brooks, a former Washington police official who now serves as HLN's law enforcement analyst, cautioned against rushing to judge police over Wednesday night's fighting. "If there were, being thrown, rocks and bottles and Molotov cocktails, then they had to respond in kind," he argued.
But Brooks also said he has serious questions about the arrest of two journalists inside a McDonald's by an officer who, according to reports, refused to provide his name.
"Why did the police come in and ask them to leave?" Brooks asks. If there were a problem, it would be "up to the manager, the general manger of that establishment, to ask them to leave. I want to know what department these officers were from. And if I ask an officer, 'What is your name and badge number,' that officer better give it to me."
Michael Brown shooting, protests highlight racial divide
'In middle America, you don't need leftover equipment from Iraq'
Critics of the law enforcement response include Attorney General Eric Holder, who said "the scenes playing out in the streets of Ferguson over the last several nights cannot continue."
Some blame lay with protesters, he said. Even though "the vast majority ... have been peaceful," others have been marred by violence, looting and antagonizing of law enforcement.
Yet law enforcement's aim should be to "reduce tensions, not heighten them," he said. That means respecting "at all times" the rights of those gathered to express sympathy with Brown's family as well as the ability of journalists to report the story. (Two reporters were detained and then released without charges Wednesday.)
"At a time when we must seek to rebuild trust between law enforcement and the local community, I am deeply concerned that the deployment of military equipment and vehicles sends a conflicting message," Holder added.
Throughout the week, authorities in Ferguson have said the armored vehicles and weaponry have been in place to keep the peace.
American Civil Liberties Union
Yet civil liberty advocates and others disagree, saying the response in Ferguson is symptomatic of larger, disturbing trends in law enforcement.
In an extensive report issued weeks ago, the American Civil Liberties Union stated "American policing has become unnecessarily and dangerously militarized, in large part through federal programs that have armed state and local law enforcement agencies with the weapons and tactics of war, with almost no public discussion or oversight."
"Militarization of policing encourages officers to adopt a 'warrior' mentality and think of the people they are supposed to serve as enemies," the report added.
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver is among those who don't think such equipment makes sense in Ferguson. He told CNN he and Rep. Lacy Clay want to personally urge Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to institute "very stringent requirements" whenever military equipment is disbursed, including special training of police.
"I think the heavy equipment probably should go to only cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, where there is always a threat of some kind of a terrorist attack," Cleaver said. "But in middle America, you don't need leftover equipment from Iraq."
Veterans critical of police response
Josh Weinberg, an Army veteran who focuses on security issues for the Truman Project, contends that police sometimes do "need high-powered weaponry" and other tools to go after "up-armored" and heavily armed criminals.
"It's really scary," he says.
But that doesn't mean the way Ferguson police used some of that equipment made sense, he argues.
Videos showed "a bunch of guys on top of an armored personnel carrier," Weinberg said. "When we're rolling around in Afghanistan and there is a threat of being shot, you don't sit on top of an APC. That defeats the purpose."
Josh Weinberg, Army veteran and security analyst
Weinberg says it's unfair to the military to call what happened in Ferguson evidence of "militarization," saying U.S. soldiers are well "trained in escalation of force."
The police apparently "had their weapons up and pointed at protesters who are obviously unarmed," he said. In the military, he learned that "your force posture matches the threat. You only raise your weapon if there is a threat that requires lethal force."
With a pointed weapon, Weinberg said, "you could make a mistake, maybe get startled, put your finger on the trigger and shoot somebody who doesn't deserve to be shot."
And threatening people unnecessarily can increase the tensions and danger, exacerbating the situation, he says. "A crowd kind of has a mind of its own that develops over time, depending on what threat they perceive."
Weinberg isn't alone. "As someone who studies policing in conflict, what's going on Ferguson isn't just immoral and probably unconstitutional, it's ineffective," Army veteran Jason Fritz wrote on Twitter. Fritz is now senior editor of War on the Rocks, which analyzes national security issues.
His was one of the tweets included in a storify being shared widely online Thursday morning, with this line at the top: "The general consensus here: if this is militarization, it's the s***iest, least-trained, least professional military in the world, using weapons far beyond what they need, or what the military would use when doing crowd control."
In another, author and former Marine logistics officer Jeff Clement wrote: "Our (Rules of Engagement) regarding who we could point weapons at in Afghanistan was more restrictive than cops in MO."
Complete coverage on the Ferguson shooting and protests
CNN's Greg Botelho and Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report.
Ferguson, a war zone or U.S. city?
8/14/2014 9:35:25 PM
- Tim Lynch: Stories coming out of Ferguson, Missouri, are worrisome
- Lynch: This small Middle America city seems to have turned into a war zone
- He says Pentagon has been doling out military weapons to police forces across U.S.
- Lynch: This misguided policy makes our cops dangerous and harmful to citizens
Editor's note: Tim Lynch is director of the Cato Institute's Project on Criminal Justice. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
(CNN) -- The stories coming out of Ferguson, Missouri, paint an increasingly worrying picture—that of a Middle America city like most any other being turned into a war zone.
It began with the shooting death of Michael Brown by a local police officer. The shooting seemed questionable, but the feeling in the community was that the police could not conduct a real, impartial investigation. When the police department declined to identify the officer involved, protests began.
5 things to know about Michael Brown's shooting
If a listener didn't know any better, he would think the description of events unfolding in Ferguson must surely be taking place in Iraq or Afghanistan—combat-armored shock troops shoot tear gas into crowds while snipers train high-powered rifles on groups of civilians from atop heavily armored MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) assault vehicles rolling through and blocking off city streets like tanks.
This is America, but it doesn't look like it anymore.
Republican Rep. Justin Amash of Missouri tweeted in the morning, "Images & reports out of #Ferguson are frightening. Is this a war zone or a US city? Gov't escalates tensions w/military equipment & tactics."
Michael Brown shooting, protests highlight racial divide
Pictures and videos tweeted out of the "war zone" show what appear to be camouflaged units of soldiers occupying and subduing the outraged civilians of Ferguson—but these are not soldiers, they are police officers.
How could a small local police force act like an occupying military force?
Under what is called "Program 1033," the Department of Defense has been doling out military surplus to police departments for use in causes like the domestic "wars" against drugs and terrorism. Billions of dollars of military arms and armament have been distributed to local police departments since the program started in the late 1990s.
Ferguson violence: Police slammed for 'escalating the situation'
This misguided policy leads to inevitable consequences like what we're witnessing in Ferguson. As early as 1999, the Cato Institute warned in a briefing paper, "Warrior Cops: The Ominous Growth of Paramilitarism in American Police Departments" that Program 1033 is a terrible idea.
First, dressing police officers as soldiers is dangerous because the mindset of a soldier is entirely inappropriate for a police officer. Soldiers fight a military enemy; police officers deal with citizens, who are protected by the Bill of Rights.
Opinion: Why Ferguson is your town
Second, dressing a cop as a soldier does not make him a soldier, it makes him a more dangerous cop. SWAT teams are not military special forces even if they try to act like them. Police officers simply do not have the training that military troops have, and giving them the arms, armament and attitude of being warriors is simply dangerous.
Third, if cities really need a SWAT unit, that should be reserved for extraordinary situations beyond the capability of the ordinary patrolman, such as a hostage scenario. Such SWAT units should not be deployed for routine policing calls.
Complete coverage on the Ferguson shooting and protests
The escalation of conflict in Ferguson didn't have to occur. If the Pentagon hands local cops millions of dollars' worth of hammers, it should be no surprise when suddenly everything looks like a nail. We can only hope the situation ends without more violence. If President Obama wants to do something about the awful events in Ferguson, he should end Program 1033.
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Critics: Cops tactics problematic
8/15/2014 7:11:15 AM
- NEW: Congressman to call for "very stringent requirements" on disbursed military equipment
- Some claim the response in Ferguson shows militarization of law enforcement
- Veterans: Police are getting military weapons without the same training and rules
- Lt. Gen. Honore: "You're in trouble" when SWAT team is called for civil disturbance
(CNN) -- To people on the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, and many around the world who watched it unfold, it seemed like a scene out of another country.
"They are now firing into the crowd," a reporter says Wednesday night as loud blasts and fiery sparks show tear gas canisters apparently being shot by police. Screams follow.
"They're firing rubber bullets," a reporter with KARG Argus Radio is heard saying on video. "They're attacking reporters; they are attacking civilians. They are firing up on the media."
Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson said pepper bullets were used. A CNN crew also found spent crowd-control stun grenades lying in the street.
All the details of what happened amid protests over a police officer's fatal shooting of an unarmed teen have yet to come in. Multiple law enforcement agencies from the city, county and state levels have been dispatched to calm the protests. In the chaos, it was not immediately clear which agencies did what exactly -- though Ferguson Mayor Jay Knowles did say Thursday that St. Louis County police have been "in charge tactically since Sunday."
Change is coming. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon announced Thursday the Missouri State Highway Patrol will head up security because "at this particular point, the attitudes weren't improving."
Missouri state troopers take over security in Ferguson
Even if things turn around quickly, though, it won't erase the memories from this past week or end the debate about tactics. Chief among them are decisions like deploying heavily armed officers and using military equipment, which some experts say helped to make a bad situation even worse.
Retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honore knows a thing or two about this kind of thing, having been dispatched to New Orleans in 2005 to lead recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina. What authorities in Ferguson should have done, he said, is have "front line policemen" to face protesters, not a SWAT team.
retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honore
"The tactics they are using, I don't know where they learned them from," Honore said Thursday on "CNN Newsroom." "It appears they may be making them up on the way. But this is escalating the situation."
5 things to know about Michael Brown's shooting
What should police do with unruly protesters?
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, echoed that view Thursday, saying her "constituents are allowed to have peaceful protests, and the police need to respect that right and protect that right."
"This kind of response by the police has become the problem instead of the solution," she added.
Police said they responded with force only after the Molotov cocktails were thrown at them, and news photos showed some young men in the crowd lighting them.
Yet Alderman Antonio French of St. Louis disputes this sequence, saying police started the violence and protesters responded.
Joey Jackson, an HLN legal analyst, said if there are some protesters who are unruly -- unlike the majority -- then police "need to isolate those people and perhaps respond to them as opposed to firing upon the crowd in general."
But the chief said police can't possibly go through the crowd and just remove certain individuals.
"If the crowd is getting violent, and you don't want to be violent, get out of the crowd," he said of protesters.
Mike Brooks, a former Washington police official who now serves as HLN's law enforcement analyst, cautioned against rushing to judge police over Wednesday night's fighting. "If there were, being thrown, rocks and bottles and Molotov cocktails, then they had to respond in kind," he argued.
But Brooks also said he has serious questions about the arrest of two journalists inside a McDonald's by an officer who, according to reports, refused to provide his name.
"Why did the police come in and ask them to leave?" Brooks asks. If there were a problem, it would be "up to the manager, the general manger of that establishment, to ask them to leave. I want to know what department these officers were from. And if I ask an officer, 'What is your name and badge number,' that officer better give it to me."
Michael Brown shooting, protests highlight racial divide
'In middle America, you don't need leftover equipment from Iraq'
Critics of the law enforcement response include Attorney General Eric Holder, who said "the scenes playing out in the streets of Ferguson over the last several nights cannot continue."
Some blame lay with protesters, he said. Even though "the vast majority ... have been peaceful," others have been marred by violence, looting and antagonizing of law enforcement.
Yet law enforcement's aim should be to "reduce tensions, not heighten them," he said. That means respecting "at all times" the rights of those gathered to express sympathy with Brown's family as well as the ability of journalists to report the story. (Two reporters were detained and then released without charges Wednesday.)
"At a time when we must seek to rebuild trust between law enforcement and the local community, I am deeply concerned that the deployment of military equipment and vehicles sends a conflicting message," Holder added.
Throughout the week, authorities in Ferguson have said the armored vehicles and weaponry have been in place to keep the peace.
American Civil Liberties Union
Yet civil liberty advocates and others disagree, saying the response in Ferguson is symptomatic of larger, disturbing trends in law enforcement.
In an extensive report issued weeks ago, the American Civil Liberties Union stated "American policing has become unnecessarily and dangerously militarized, in large part through federal programs that have armed state and local law enforcement agencies with the weapons and tactics of war, with almost no public discussion or oversight."
"Militarization of policing encourages officers to adopt a 'warrior' mentality and think of the people they are supposed to serve as enemies," the report added.
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver is among those who don't think such equipment makes sense in Ferguson. He told CNN he and Rep. Lacy Clay want to personally urge Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to institute "very stringent requirements" whenever military equipment is disbursed, including special training of police.
"I think the heavy equipment probably should go to only cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, where there is always a threat of some kind of a terrorist attack," Cleaver said. "But in middle America, you don't need leftover equipment from Iraq."
Veterans critical of police response
Josh Weinberg, an Army veteran who focuses on security issues for the Truman Project, contends that police sometimes do "need high-powered weaponry" and other tools to go after "up-armored" and heavily armed criminals.
"It's really scary," he says.
But that doesn't mean the way Ferguson police used some of that equipment made sense, he argues.
Videos showed "a bunch of guys on top of an armored personnel carrier," Weinberg said. "When we're rolling around in Afghanistan and there is a threat of being shot, you don't sit on top of an APC. That defeats the purpose."
Josh Weinberg, Army veteran and security analyst
Weinberg says it's unfair to the military to call what happened in Ferguson evidence of "militarization," saying U.S. soldiers are well "trained in escalation of force."
The police apparently "had their weapons up and pointed at protesters who are obviously unarmed," he said. In the military, he learned that "your force posture matches the threat. You only raise your weapon if there is a threat that requires lethal force."
With a pointed weapon, Weinberg said, "you could make a mistake, maybe get startled, put your finger on the trigger and shoot somebody who doesn't deserve to be shot."
And threatening people unnecessarily can increase the tensions and danger, exacerbating the situation, he says. "A crowd kind of has a mind of its own that develops over time, depending on what threat they perceive."
Weinberg isn't alone. "As someone who studies policing in conflict, what's going on Ferguson isn't just immoral and probably unconstitutional, it's ineffective," Army veteran Jason Fritz wrote on Twitter. Fritz is now senior editor of War on the Rocks, which analyzes national security issues.
His was one of the tweets included in a storify being shared widely online Thursday morning, with this line at the top: "The general consensus here: if this is militarization, it's the s***iest, least-trained, least professional military in the world, using weapons far beyond what they need, or what the military would use when doing crowd control."
In another, author and former Marine logistics officer Jeff Clement wrote: "Our (Rules of Engagement) regarding who we could point weapons at in Afghanistan was more restrictive than cops in MO."
Complete coverage on the Ferguson shooting and protests
CNN's Greg Botelho and Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report.
Russian truck convoy: Aid for Ukraine or Trojan horse?
8/15/2014 8:24:18 AM
- Red Cross will distribute Russian aid if it's found to be legitimate, Ukraine says
- Ukrainian border guards are examining Russian aid trucks at a checkpoint, authorities say
- Russia says they're carrying aid for civilians in war-ravaged eastern Ukraine
- Elsewhere, Russian armored personnel carriers seen crossing border, Ukraine says
Kiev, Ukraine (CNN) -- Ukrainian border guards were in Russia on Friday to examine the contents of a huge convoy of trucks that Moscow says is carrying relief goods for civilians in war-torn eastern Ukraine, authorities said.
The Ukrainians' inspection of the trucks -- reflecting Kiev's concerns that Russia might try to smuggle military supplies to pro-Russian rebels -- came as Ukraine's military said it was continuing a major offensive to capture three rebel strongholds.
The battles are an extension of months of fighting that has killed hundreds of people and, aid groups say, left thousands in eastern Ukraine without access to water, electricity and proper medical aid.
At a checkpoint on the Russian side of the border from Ukraine's Luhansk region, 59 Ukrainian border guards and customs officers were inspecting scores of trucks that Russia has said are carrying tons of grain, sugar, baby food, medical supplies and sleeping bags, Ukraine's military said.
The Ukrainian government had expressed fears that the convoy was a large-scale effort to smuggle supplies or troops to pro-Russian rebels -- something it accuses Russia of doing regularly in perhaps smaller deliveries.
But on Friday, Ukrainian military Col. Andriy Lysenko said that the aid is needed and that Ukraine would allow the Red Cross to distribute it if Ukraine and the aid group find the material suitable.
The Red Cross is trying to establish what exactly is in the trucks, Andre Loersch, a Red Cross spokesman in Kiev, said Friday.
"The (Red Cross) will temporarily deploy additional personnel to Ukraine and Russia for the purpose of this operation and is already in the process of identifying its staff ready for deployment," Loersch said. "A four-member team is already present today in the vicinity of the convoy, and more staff are on their way."
Russia has strenuously insisted that it should be permitted to send aid to the conflict-battered region, many of whose residents are Russian speakers. When Russia said this week that it was sending more than 260 trucks of aid to Ukraine, Red Cross officials initially said they didn't know what Russia was talking about, stoking Ukrainian suspicions and international confusion about whether the aid would be let in.
Ukraine: Russian troop carriers sighted
Even as officials inspect the humanitarian aid on the Ukraine-Russia border, Ukrainian officials say Russia still is sending weapons to rebels in Ukraine and building up Russian troops along the border.
A convoy of Russian military vehicles crossed the border overnight, Lysenko said Friday.
The vehicles didn't constitute a Russian invasion of Ukraine, but their sighting represents the latest example of what the Ukrainian government says has been happening for months.
The vehicles and their cargo probably were sent to assist rebels in Luhansk, one of three rebel areas that the Ukrainian military is trying to overrun, Lysenko said.
Battle rages on
Heavy fighting continued in eastern Ukraine on Friday.
Tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops have stepped up efforts to retake areas in and around Luhansk, Donetsk and Horlivka, three cities held by rebels for months.
Donetsk has been the scene of intense shelling for days as rebels try to hold off Ukrainian forces. Eleven civilians were killed in a 24-hour period straddling Thursday and Friday, the Donetsk mayor's office said.
Many districts were without power and water, the mayor's office said. A CNN crew that was in Donetsk earlier noted that the shelling had pushed some residents underground into cellars and half-built basements.
Five Ukrainian troops were killed in the past day, Lysekno said Friday, adding that some rebels were retreating, trying to dig in closer to the Ukraine-Russia border.
The ongoing fighting -- sparked last year with a political crisis over whether Ukraine would seek closer ties with Europe or Russia -- has left more than 2,000 people dead and just under 5,000 wounded in eastern Ukraine since mid-April, according to estimates from U.N. officials.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes and seek shelter either elsewhere in Ukraine or across the border in Russia, the United Nations says.
More than 800 people died and more than 1,600 others have been injured in this year's fighting in the Donetsk region alone, the region's health care department said. The department did not give a breakdown of combatants and civilians.
262 trucks
Loersch said the Russian humanitarian convoy was made up of 262 trucks, not 280 as suggested in earlier reports.
Ukrainian and Russian authorities need to agree on the procedure for crossing the border and going through customs, he said.
Russian authorities have shared a general list of items that the convoy is carrying but not a detailed inventory, he said.
The Russian news agency Itar-Tass reported this week that the shipment contains 400 tons of grain, 100 tons of sugar, 62 tons of baby food, 54 tons of medical supplies, sleeping bags and "electrical power units."
The Kiev-recognized governor of Luhansk, Irina Verigina, said Friday that she doesn't want aid from Russia.
"They send us tanks and grads overnight and offer to send humanitarian aid by day," she said.
The United States and the European Union have applied steadily increasing sanctions against Russian officials, banks and other interests since March, when Russia annexed the Black Sea Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea. Russia's move came a month after Ukraine's parliament ousted pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych.
Yanukovych left office after violent protests against his government in the capital, Kiev. Those protests were motivated in part by his decision to back out of a trade deal with the European Union in favor of closer ties with Russia.
Aid or invasion? Question looms as Russian convoy nears Ukraine
Opinion: Why Vladimir Putin isn't going to make peace
Journalist Victoria Butenko reported from Kiev, CNN's Jethro Mullen reported and wrote from Hong Kong, and CNN's Jason Hanna reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Radina Gigova, Will Ripley and Lindsay Isaac contributed to this report.
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