Archive

Posts Tagged ‘dow’

Ohio kidnap police

May 18th, 2013 No comments

(CNN) — When officers arrived at Ariel Castro’s home in Cleveland, a crowd had formed on the porch.

But where was the woman they came for? Where was Amanda Berry?

Then she stepped forward, holding a crying baby. It was really her, the missing girl they had searched for for 10 years.


First responders honored in ceremony

Deborah Knight, the grandmother of kidnapping victim Michelle Knight, participates in a community balloon-release service in Michelle's honor on Thursday, May 9, in Cleveland. Four females were found in a home on Seymour Avenue in the Clark Fulton neighborhood on Monday. Since then, the neighborhood and the nation have wondered how they were held captive without anyone noticing sooner.Deborah Knight, the grandmother of kidnapping victim Michelle Knight, participates in a community balloon-release service in Michelle’s honor on Thursday, May 9, in Cleveland. Four females were found in a home on Seymour Avenue in the Clark Fulton neighborhood on Monday. Since then, the neighborhood and the nation have wondered how they were held captive without anyone noticing sooner.

Authorities say Ariel Castro held three women -- Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight. DNA tests confirmed that he fathered a girl born to Berry, who was among those rescued, the Ohio attorney general's office said Friday. His house, third from left, is now a crime scene.Authorities say Ariel Castro held three women — Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight. DNA tests confirmed that he fathered a girl born to Berry, who was among those rescued, the Ohio attorney general’s office said Friday. His house, third from left, is now a crime scene.

57-year-old Ronice Dunn moved into the neighborhood in 1984. For years after Berry and DeJesus disappeared, she joined in neighborhood vigils and prayer groups for their safe return.57-year-old Ronice Dunn moved into the neighborhood in 1984. For years after Berry and DeJesus disappeared, she joined in neighborhood vigils and prayer groups for their safe return.

A building sits boarded up on Seymour Avenue. The Clark Fulton neighborhood is beset by nearly double-digit unemployment, and one in every five houses is in foreclosure.A building sits boarded up on Seymour Avenue. The Clark Fulton neighborhood is beset by nearly double-digit unemployment, and one in every five houses is in foreclosure.

The media set up tents near Castro's home. The media set up tents near Castro’s home.

Kinkel Avenue is a few blocks from Castro's home. Kinkel Avenue is a few blocks from Castro’s home.

The house of Onil Castro's two sons, where he was staying when he was arrested on Kinkel Avenue. He and his brother Pedro were arrested along with Ariel Castro, but later were released and not charged. The house of Onil Castro’s two sons, where he was staying when he was arrested on Kinkel Avenue. He and his brother Pedro were arrested along with Ariel Castro, but later were released and not charged.

Why didn't I notice anything? What should I have been looking for? asked Mickie Wodgik, who spent years living across the street from Castro and, it turns out, the three missing women. “Why didn’t I notice anything? What should I have been looking for?” asked Mickie Wodgik, who spent years living across the street from Castro and, it turns out, the three missing women.

Around the corner from Seymour Avenue, graffiti is written on an abandoned building.Around the corner from Seymour Avenue, graffiti is written on an abandoned building.

A street view shows West 25th Street, which runs perpendicular to Seymour Avenue.A street view shows West 25th Street, which runs perpendicular to Seymour Avenue.

Cynthia Conor, who has lived in the same house for 38 years, often drank with Castro and and his brother Pedro, she said. Her father trained Castro for his school bus job.Cynthia Conor, who has lived in the same house for 38 years, often drank with Castro and and his brother Pedro, she said. Her father trained Castro for his school bus job.

A man stands on Clark Avenue in front of painted buildings. A man stands on Clark Avenue in front of painted buildings.

This boarded-up building sits across the street from Castro's house.This boarded-up building sits across the street from Castro’s house.

Pastor Joe Abraham has ministered to many in this neighborhood for more than 25 years, including as the leader of Scranton Road Bible Church.Pastor Joe Abraham has ministered to many in this neighborhood for more than 25 years, including as the leader of Scranton Road Bible Church.

People hold balloons during a community balloon-release service in kidnapping victim Michelle Knight's honor. People hold balloons during a community balloon-release service in kidnapping victim Michelle Knight’s honor.


1


2


3


4


5


6


7


8


9


10


11


12


13


14


15

The Clark Fulton neighborhoodThe Clark Fulton neighborhood


John Douglas on the mind of a criminal

Residents gather outside a community meeting at Immanuel Lutheran Church on Thursday, May 9, to talk about the kidnapping case in Cleveland. Balloons were released as part of the ceremony. Gina DeJesus, Amanda Berry and Michelle Knight escaped on Monday, May 6, after being held captive for nearly a decade.Residents gather outside a community meeting at Immanuel Lutheran Church on Thursday, May 9, to talk about the kidnapping case in Cleveland. Balloons were released as part of the ceremony. Gina DeJesus, Amanda Berry and Michelle Knight escaped on Monday, May 6, after being held captive for nearly a decade.

FBI agents and other law enforcement officers stand outside suspect Ariel Castro's home in Cleveland on May 9. Castro, a former school bus driver, has been accused of holding three women captive for a decade in his house. He has also been charged with rape.FBI agents and other law enforcement officers stand outside suspect Ariel Castro’s home in Cleveland on May 9. Castro, a former school bus driver, has been accused of holding three women captive for a decade in his house. He has also been charged with rape.

Castro hangs his head low while talking with his public defender, Kathleen DeMetz, during his arraignment on May 9.Castro hangs his head low while talking with his public defender, Kathleen DeMetz, during his arraignment on May 9.

Ada Colon prays during a vigil held in honor of the kidnapping victims in Cleveland on Wednesday, May 8.Ada Colon prays during a vigil held in honor of the kidnapping victims in Cleveland on Wednesday, May 8.

Relatives of kidnapping victim Georgina Gina DeJesus hug after she returned to her parents' home in Cleveland on May 8.Relatives of kidnapping victim Georgina “Gina” DeJesus hug after she returned to her parents’ home in Cleveland on May 8.

Friends and neighbors cheer as a car carrying Amanda Berry arrives at her sister's house in Cleveland on May 8.Friends and neighbors cheer as a car carrying Amanda Berry arrives at her sister’s house in Cleveland on May 8.

Gina DeJesus gives a thumbs up as she arrives at her family's house in Cleveland on May 8.Gina DeJesus gives a thumbs up as she arrives at her family’s house in Cleveland on May 8.

Ariel Castro was charged on May 8 with kidnapping the three women.Ariel Castro was charged on May 8 with kidnapping the three women.

The family house of Gina DeJesus has been decorated by well-wishers on Tuesday, May 7.The family house of Gina DeJesus has been decorated by well-wishers on Tuesday, May 7.

Friends and relatives gather in front of the family house of DeJesus on May 7.Friends and relatives gather in front of the family house of DeJesus on May 7.

Well-wishers visit the home of the sister of Amanda Berry on Monday, May 6.Well-wishers visit the home of the sister of Amanda Berry on Monday, May 6.

Investigators remove evidence from the house on Seymour Avenue in Cleveland where the three women were held.Investigators remove evidence from the house on Seymour Avenue in Cleveland where the three women were held.

An FBI forensics team meets outside the house where three women were held as they investigate the property.An FBI forensics team meets outside the house where three women were held as they investigate the property.

An FBI forensics team member removes evidence from the house.An FBI forensics team member removes evidence from the house.

A relative of DeJesus brings balloons to the home of Amanda Berry's sister in Cleveland on May 7.A relative of DeJesus brings balloons to the home of Amanda Berry’s sister in Cleveland on May 7.

Children hold a sign and balloons in the yard of Gina DeJesus' family home in Cleveland on May 7.Children hold a sign and balloons in the yard of Gina DeJesus’ family home in Cleveland on May 7.

Bystanders and media gather on May 7 along Seymour Avenue in Cleveland near the house where the three women were held captive.Bystanders and media gather on May 7 along Seymour Avenue in Cleveland near the house where the three women were held captive.

A bystander shows the front page of The Plain Dealer newspaper to a friend outside of the house on Seymour Avenue on May 7.A bystander shows the front page of The Plain Dealer newspaper to a friend outside of the house on Seymour Avenue on May 7.

Cleveland Deputy Chief of Police Ed Tomba, center, speaks at a news conference to address details of the developments.Cleveland Deputy Chief of Police Ed Tomba, center, speaks at a news conference to address details of the developments.

The house where the three women were held captive in Cleveland was the home of Ariel Castro, who was arrested and is being held pending charges in the case.The house where the three women were held captive in Cleveland was the home of Ariel Castro, who was arrested and is being held pending charges in the case.

FBI agents remove evidence from the house May 7.FBI agents remove evidence from the houseMay 7.

A police officer stands in front of the broken front door of the house on May 7, where the kidnapped women escaped.A police officer stands in front of the broken front door of the house on May 7, where the kidnapped women escaped.

Neighbor Charles Ramsey talks to media as people congratulate him on helping the kidnapped women escape on Monday, May 6. He helped knock down the door after he heard screaming inside.Neighbor Charles Ramsey talks to media as people congratulate him on helping the kidnapped women escape on Monday, May 6. He helped knock down the door after he heard screaming inside.

Amanda Berry vanished a few blocks from her Cleveland home on April 21, 2003. She was 16.Amanda Berry vanished a few blocks from her Cleveland home on April 21, 2003. She was 16.

Georgina Gina DeJesus was last seen in Cleveland on April 2, 2004, on her way home from school. She was 14 when she went missing.Georgina “Gina” DeJesus was last seen in Cleveland on April 2, 2004, on her way home from school. She was 14 when she went missing.

Michelle Knight was last seen on August 22, 2002, when she was 21.Michelle Knight was last seen on August 22, 2002, when she was 21.


1


2


3


4


5


6


7


8


9


10


11


12


13


14


15


16


17


18


19


20


21


22


23


24


25


26

Photos: Kidnapped teens rescuedPhotos: Kidnapped teens rescued

It is Amanda Berry, Officer Michael Tracy said.

“Just the emotion at that point of my partner confirming that it was Amanda … It was overwhelming,” Officer Anthony Espada recalled.

Cleveland police this week released the emotional video interviews of officers Espada, Tracy and Barbara Johnson, who helped in the May 6 rescue of the three women from Castro’s home.

The 11-minute video, which is posted on YouTube, provides the most graphic detail to date of the harrowing rescue. It’s also a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse at the raw emotions of officers involved in the ordeal.

Once they had Berry, they wondered who else was in Castro’s home.

Was the suspect in there? They asked Amanda, as the baby continued to wail.

“She says yes, Gina DeJesus and another girl,” Espada said. “It was like another bombshell with overwhelming force hit me. We immediately started running toward the house.”

When they entered the home, it almost seemed peaceful, Espada recalled.

As if nobody else was there. Nobody was in the basement. Nobody was downstairs.

And then they heard the sound of scurrying feet upstairs.

“It was Michelle (Knight). She kind of popped out into the doorway,” Espada said, his voice cracking with emotion.

“She came charging. She was like. ‘You saved us. You saved us.’ And I am holding on to her so tight. And within a few seconds, I see another girl come out of the bedroom.”


Life in captivity for Cleveland women

He immediately recognized the girl, Espada said, probably from missing posters that date to 2004. But she looked thinner than he remembered. He asked the girl to say her name.


Gallek: Castro was so secretive


Attorney: Ariel Castro ‘is no monster’

Amanda Berry vanished a few blocks from her Cleveland home on April 21, 2003. She was 16. On Monday, May 6, she was found with two other missing women blocks from where she disappeared. Click through to see more miraculous stories of lost children who were found months or even years later.Amanda Berry vanished a few blocks from her Cleveland home on April 21, 2003. She was 16. On Monday, May 6, she was found with two other missing women blocks from where she disappeared. Click through to see more miraculous stories of lost children who were found months or even years later.

Georgina Gina DeJesus was found on May 6 with Amanda Berry and Michelle Knight in Cleveland. DeJesus was last seen in the Ohio city on April 2, 2004, on her way home from school. She was 14 when she went missing.Georgina “Gina” DeJesus was found on May 6 with Amanda Berry and Michelle Knight in Cleveland. DeJesus was last seen in the Ohio city on April 2, 2004, on her way home from school. She was 14 when she went missing.

Michelle Knight was the third of the three women who escaped from a captor's house in Cleveland on May 6. She was last seen on August 22, 2002, when she was 21.Michelle Knight was the third of the three women who escaped from a captor’s house in Cleveland on May 6. She was last seen on August 22, 2002, when she was 21.

On June 5, 2002, when Elizabeth Smart was 14, she was abducted from her bed, raped and held captive for nine months by Brian David Mitchell. On May 25, 2011, Mitchell was sentenced to life in prison.On June 5, 2002, when Elizabeth Smart was 14, she was abducted from her bed, raped and held captive for nine months by Brian David Mitchell. On May 25, 2011, Mitchell was sentenced to life in prison.

Natascha Kampusch, an Austrian woman, was held prisoner in a basement for eight years from the time she was 10. Her abductor, Wolfgang Priklopil, beat her up to 200 times a week, manacled her to him as they slept and forced her to walk around half-naked as a domestic slave after kidnapping her in 1998. Kampusch escaped in August 2006. Priklopil committed suicide shortly thereafter.Natascha Kampusch, an Austrian woman, was held prisoner in a basement for eight years from the time she was 10. Her abductor, Wolfgang Priklopil, beat her up to 200 times a week, manacled her to him as they slept and forced her to walk around half-naked as a domestic slave after kidnapping her in 1998. Kampusch escaped in August 2006. Priklopil committed suicide shortly thereafter.

Eleven-year-old Jaycee Lee Dugard was abducted in 1991 from outside her home in South Lake Tahoe, California. She was held by Phillip and Nancy Garrido in a hidden compound of sheds along with the two daughters to whom she subsequently gave birth. Dugard and her daughters were found in 2009.Eleven-year-old Jaycee Lee Dugard was abducted in 1991 from outside her home in South Lake Tahoe, California. She was held by Phillip and Nancy Garrido in a hidden compound of sheds along with the two daughters to whom she subsequently gave birth. Dugard and her daughters were found in 2009.

Shawn Damian Hornbeck spent more than four years with Michael Devlin, passing as his captor's son in the St. Louis suburb of Kirkwood, Missouri. Shawn was 15 when he was found in 2007 and reunited with his family. Shawn Damian Hornbeck spent more than four years with Michael Devlin, passing as his captor’s son in the St. Louis suburb of Kirkwood, Missouri. Shawn was 15 when he was found in 2007 and reunited with his family.

Elisabeth Fritzl was imprisoned and raped by her father, Josef Fritzl, for 24 years. Fritzl lured his daughter into the basement in 1984 when she was 18 years old. She had seven of his children. She was released at age 42 after her ill 19-year-old daughter was taken to the hospital and police called the family in for abuse suspicions. In 2009 Josef Fritzl was sentenced to life in prison. Elisabeth Fritzl was imprisoned and raped by her father, Josef Fritzl, for 24 years. Fritzl lured his daughter into the basement in 1984 when she was 18 years old. She had seven of his children. She was released at age 42 after her ill 19-year-old daughter was taken to the hospital and police called the family in for abuse suspicions. In 2009 Josef Fritzl was sentenced to life in prison.

Carlina White was abducted in 1987 from a Harlem hospital room. She learned her real identity 23 years later after finding her case online. She contacted the police after finding a baby picture that looked like her baby pictures on a missing children website. She was reconnected with her birth mother in 2011. White said she'd never felt like she belonged to the family who raised her.Carlina White was abducted in 1987 from a Harlem hospital room. She learned her real identity 23 years later after finding her case online. She contacted the police after finding a baby picture that looked like her baby pictures on a missing children website. She was reconnected with her birth mother in 2011. White said she’d never felt like she belonged to the family who raised her.

Steve Carter also discovered he was a missing person after an online search. He had been adopted at age 4 from an orphanage in Honolulu. At 35 years old, he heard about White's case and clicked on Missingkids.com and found an age progression photo of himself as an infant. It came to light that biological father, Mark Barnes, reported him missing more than three decades ago after his mother, Charlotte Moriarty, took him for a walk and didn't return.Steve Carter also discovered he was a missing person after an online search. He had been adopted at age 4 from an orphanage in Honolulu. At 35 years old, he heard about White’s case and clicked on Missingkids.com and found an age progression photo of himself as an infant. It came to light that biological father, Mark Barnes, reported him missing more than three decades ago after his mother, Charlotte Moriarty, took him for a walk and didn’t return.


1


2


3


4


5

6


7


8


9


10

Missing children who were foundMissing children who were found

She said her name was Georgina DeJesus, he recalled.

“It was very overwhelming,” Espada said. “It took everything to hold myself together.”

One of the women also jumped into Johnson’s arms, screaming at the female officer.

“She was saying ‘please don’t let me go. Please don’t let me go,’” Johnson said. “I said, ‘Honey don’t worry, I am not going to let you go.”

Johnson said Espada stared at her with an unreadable expression.

We found them, Espada said.

“I can’t even explain the emotions we felt,” Johnson said. “It was just unbelievable. It was surreal. The heaviness in the heart just lifted.”

Castro, 52, was arrested quickly after that. He is in jail on charges of kidnapping and rape, and is accused of snatching the three women between 2002 to 2004, and holding them ever since.

His attorney has said he plans to plead not guilty.


Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/18/justice/ohio-officers-speak/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/4hRo-M4re0E/ohio-kidnap-police

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RipleysStuff/~3/XNKpp_VkSEw/ohio-kidnap-police

Categories: Uncategorized Tags:

Chinese official in graft crackdown

May 18th, 2013 No comments

(Financial Times) — A senior official in China’s economic planning agency, the National Development and Reform Commission, has become the latest target of Beijing’s crackdown on excess and corruption.

Xinhua, the state news agency, reported on Sunday that Liu Tienan, a vice-chairman of the agency, was under investigation for alleged “grave violations of discipline” brought to light by a whistleblower. Mr Liu was also head of China’s energy regulatory body until March.

The news agency cited the Communist party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection as the source for a brief report that gave no further information about Mr Liu’s alleged violations.

But on its official account on Sina Weibo, the Chinese microblogging site, Xinhua appeared to endorse the actions of the media whistleblower who first raised concerns about Mr Liu.


Corruption concerns Chinese officials


The state of China’s economy


China’s ‘ghost mall’

Last year, a senior editor of Caijing, the Chinese financial magazine, reported on his Weibo account that Mr Liu was suspected of fabricating academic credentials loan fraud and making threats against others.

The public information office of the energy regulator, where Mr Liu then worked, dismissed the accusations as rumours. “We are contacting the internet management departments and public security department to report the case to the police,” it was reported as saying at the time.

Mr Liu is the latest senior official to become a target of the anti-graft campaign spearheaded by President Xi Jinping, China’s new leader. Mr Xi has said that failure to address corruption among politicians and officials could lead to social unrest that would threaten national stability and the future of the ruling Communist party.

Last month, Beijing formally charged Liu Zhijun, former railways minister, with corruption and abuse of power, setting up the first test of Mr Xi’s determination to tackle graft.

News of the investigation of the NDRC official attracted comment on Weibo on Sunday from a court official in Anhui province, who expressed surprise that such a senior figure could be brought down by a whistleblower.

“Before 2013, it would be the last thing for me to believe that a ministry-level corrupt official could be dismissed by a whistleblower,” the court official wrote, but added: “Let’s hope it is not [just] political conflict.”

Xinhua applauded the move on its official microblog, saying: “The corrupt moths will have nowhere to hide if they are monitored by the ocean of people.”

However, one Xinhua reader expressed scepticism: “It is easy to clean one or two moths. But when these moths weave a huge interest network, will the country still have the determination to clean them all? Or is this just another sop to comfort the public?”

Additional reporting by Yan Zhang in Shanghai

© The Financial Times Limited 2013

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/12/business/china-graft-crackdown/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/uMH03G9bp5M/chinese-official-in-graft-crackdown

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RipleysStuff/~3/bZfN1rUpEjo/chinese-official-in-graft-crackdown

Categories: Uncategorized Tags:

Nigeria battles Islamists

May 18th, 2013 No comments

Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) — At least 20 insurgents were killed Friday as Nigeria’s military carried out an aerial bombardment of suspected militant Islamist camps in the country’s northeast, a Defense Ministry spokesman said.

The raid by Nigerian Air Force jets and attack helicopters is part of what the military says is a “massive deployment” of forces this week to tackle insurgent groups, including Boko Haram.

‘Massive’ numbers of Nigerian troops target insurgents

“Our military has overrun a number of the militants’ camps in north and central Borno state,” said defense spokesman Brig. Gen. Chris Olukolade.

“Within those insurgents’ camps, we discovered that they have been storing sophisticated, high-caliber weapons including anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons.”


2012: Who are Boko Haram?

Asked whether the military had inflicted any casualties on the insurgents, Olukolade said, “definitely so. Conservatively speaking, over 20 dead so far.”

Members of the armed forces have suffered only minor injuries, according to Olukolade.

“The operation continues, we are injecting even more troops and resources into those areas,” he added.

The military operation was announced Wednesday, a day after President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.

The president blamed “terrorists” aimed at “rebellion,” causing “fear among our citizens and a near breakdown of law and order in parts of the country.”

cnn_storypgraph11″He also noted a rise of insurgent violence in eight other states, including Nasarawa, where scores of police officers were killed last week.

“Insurgents and terrorists,” including Boko Haram, are trying to destabilize Nigeria, Jonathan said.

“The military operation will focus on tracking down criminal elements within the vicinity of border communities prone to terrorist activities,” Olukolade said Wednesday.

He did not confirm the number of troops deployed or which units are involved in the military operation.

Much violence over recent years has been blamed on Boko Haram, the name of which means “Western education is sacrilege.”

On Friday, a spokesman for the U.N. human rights commissioner told reporters that Boko Haram could face war crimes charges for alleged ethnic and religious cleansing in Nigeria.

Addressing reporters in Geneva, Rupert Colville urged it and other extremist groups to stop “cowardly attacks” against civilians, security forces, Nigerian officials and foreign nationals.

According to Human Rights Watch, the group has killed more than 2,800 people in an escalating campaign to impose strict Islamic law on largely Muslim northern Nigeria.

The U.N. human rights office is calling on Nigeria’s government to respect human rights principles during security sweeps, following reports of heavy casualties in some parts of the country.

Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country, with a population of nearly 175 million according to the CIA World Factbook, and is the political and economic powerhouse of West Africa.

CNN’s Laura Smith-Spark and Greg Botelho contributed to this report.


Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/17/world/africa/nigeria-unrest/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/xbZc-E09vyM/nigeria-battles-islamists

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RipleysStuff/~3/COSYbzU9IqM/nigeria-battles-islamists

Categories: Uncategorized Tags:

Undercover in Manila

May 18th, 2013 No comments

Editor’s note: This article is part of The Fighters, a series of reports from a full-length film that premieres on CNN International TV on May 17 and 18 at 1900 HKT; 2200 CET; 2200 ET. The documentary is a result of two years of undercover work and filming in the Philippines.

Manila, Philippines (CNN) — Bolly is working the streets, watching clubbers spill from one bar to the next when he spots his next mark — two westerners in one of Manila’s most notorious areas.

It’s a little after 10pm when Bolly sees me and my cameraman — though he doesn’t have a camera visible with us on this night — rolling out of a sports bar known for its bounty of women offering ‘companionship’ in Edsa, Manila’s unofficial red light district. He strides over quickly, waving a little white flier in our faces.

The street is teeming with people after an evening rain. Pedestrians dodge neon-bathed puddles while darting behind and between passing cars.

On the sidewalk, several homeless families have bedded down on cardboard for the night. On the block ahead, we see teams of girls in tight-fitting cocktail dresses and school girl uniforms standing in front of karaoke bars, calling out to western businessmen to come inside and join them for a little fun.


Ride-along on a human trafficking raid

Cecilia Flores-Oebanda is presented with The World's Children's Prize for the Rights of the Child by Sweden's Queen Silvia on April 28, 2011.Cecilia Flores-Oebanda is presented with The World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child by Sweden’s Queen Silvia on April 28, 2011.

Manny Pacquaio, with Oebanda, meets girls rescued from human traffickers. The girls shared their stories with Pacquaio, who also spoke at congress in support of an anti-trafficking law.Manny Pacquaio, with Oebanda, meets girls rescued from human traffickers. The girls shared their stories with Pacquaio, who also spoke at congress in support of an anti-trafficking law.

Oebanda with President Jimmy Carter at the 2008 Skoll World Forum where she recieved the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship Oebanda with President Jimmy Carter at the 2008 Skoll World Forum where she recieved the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship

Oebanda meets with Desmond Tutu in 2008 while both were speaking at the Global Philanthropy Forum.Oebanda meets with Desmond Tutu in 2008 while both were speaking at the Global Philanthropy Forum.

Oebanda receives the 2005 Anti-Slavery Award at Chatham House in London on November 29, 2005. The award was presented by Lord Bill Brett, director of the International Labour Organization.Oebanda receives the 2005 Anti-Slavery Award at Chatham House in London on November 29, 2005. The award was presented by Lord Bill Brett, director of the International Labour Organization.

Oebanda speaks before the Philippine Senate during deliberations about the Magna Carta on Domestic Workers in 2002. The legislation was designed to improve conditions for domestic workers in the country.Oebanda speaks before the Philippine Senate during deliberations about the Magna Carta on Domestic Workers in 2002. The legislation was designed to improve conditions for domestic workers in the country.

Oebanda attends the first Southeast Asian Consultation, meeting to draft legislation on domestic workers in 2005. The meeting was organized by the Visayan Forum.Oebanda attends the first Southeast Asian Consultation, meeting to draft legislation on domestic workers in 2005. The meeting was organized by the Visayan Forum.

Oebanda is seen in the late 1990's working in poor communities of Manila with the Child Watch Network.Oebanda is seen in the late 1990′s working in poor communities of Manila with the Child Watch Network.

Oebanda's first day outside prison, with her children on February 26, 1986. She was captured while fighting for rebel forces against the dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos.Oebanda’s first day outside prison, with her children on February 26, 1986. She was captured while fighting for rebel forces against the dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos.


1


2


3


4


5


6


7


8


9

Anti-trafficker attracts power brokersAnti-trafficker attracts power brokers

“Hello friends. Where are you going?” Bolly says. “I know where there lots of girls. Cheap drinks. This way,” he says, thrusting the pamphlet into our hands. Bolly is a recruiter for a number of nightclubs in the area.

“We are looking for young, pretty girls” my cameraman asks, playing the part. “Where can we find them?”

Bolly grins broadly. “OK. I take you.”

We make small talk as Bolly happily walks us the several blocks to the first bar.

My photographer and I don’t tell our new friend that we’re actually working at the moment; on the lookout for evidence of forced prostitution or children being sold for sex. It’s part of the two year-long investigation CNN embarked on as part of its Freedom Project, an initiative to help the battle against modern-day slavery.

It’s estimated 800,000 people are involved in prostitution in the Philippines. The government and NGO estimates on the number of women trafficked range from 300,000 to 400,000 and the number of children trafficked range from 60,000 to 100,000.

Freedom Fighters

Click here to get full infographic on human trafficking in the Philippines

We follow Bolly down the street, until we come upon a little door guarded by a large bouncer. He opens the door and our eyes struggle to accept the flood of pink fluorescent light bathing the room. Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” blares from unseen speakers.

Along the wall a dozen girls seated in a row stare at the newcomers. A few wave hello, most look bored. They’re not drinking. Not really even talking. Just sitting and waiting to be selected.

A few red plastic tables are scattered around the room, each decorated by a single man sitting and drinking.

One man has a girl he’s chosen sitting beside him. She’s kissing the lobe of his ear. There are no empty tables left, so the manager puts us on the side of the L-side couch, opposite the girls. It feels a little like it’s an adolescent school dance, with everyone waiting for someone else to make the first move.

I struggle for a place to look away from the gaze of the girls and cast my eyes to the ground. A cockroach skitters around the legs of the tables and chairs and patrons’ feet. The manager is behind the bar, getting us beers. She sees me looking at the cockroach and laughs from across the room. “Our pet,” she says.

Manny Pacquiao is known the world over for his boxing abilities, but in the Philippines he's also a national hero beyond the ring. Click through to see moments of Pacquiao's life. Manny Pacquiao is known the world over for his boxing abilities, but in the Philippines he’s also a national hero beyond the ring. Click through to see moments of Pacquiao’s life.

Pacquiao, center, and his wife Jinkee, right, display their certificates of candidacy at the election office in Alabel, Sarangani province, in the southern island of Mindanao, on October 2, 2012. Pacquiao registered to run for reelection as a congressman for the southern province of Sarangani, with Jinkee filing to stand for vice-governor. Pacquiao, center, and his wife Jinkee, right, display their certificates of candidacy at the election office in Alabel, Sarangani province, in the southern island of Mindanao, on October 2, 2012. Pacquiao registered to run for reelection as a congressman for the southern province of Sarangani, with Jinkee filing to stand for vice-governor.

Pacquiao attends a plenary session discussing a proposed reproductive health bill at the House of Representatives at Congress in Quezon City, east of Manila, Philippines, August 6, 2012.Pacquiao attends a plenary session discussing a proposed reproductive health bill at the House of Representatives at Congress in Quezon City, east of Manila, Philippines, August 6, 2012.

Pacquiao gestures during a prayer rally at the Araneta Coliseum in Manila on July 28, 2012. The prayer rally was a way for Pacquiao to thank his fans and supporters for the blessings he received.Pacquiao gestures during a prayer rally at the Araneta Coliseum in Manila on July 28, 2012. The prayer rally was a way for Pacquiao to thank his fans and supporters for the blessings he received.

Pacquiao gives a sack of rice and relief goods to a woman after floods struck in Glan, Sarangani province, southern Philippines, June 17, 2012. Pacquiao gives a sack of rice and relief goods to a woman after floods struck in Glan, Sarangani province, southern Philippines, June 17, 2012.

Pacquiao speaks to flood-affected residents at an evacuation center in Cagayan de Oro City, a southern island off Mindanao on December 23, 2011.Pacquiao speaks to flood-affected residents at an evacuation center in Cagayan de Oro City, a southern island off Mindanao on December 23, 2011.

Pacquiao is conferred the rank of lieutenant colonel by Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista, left, and Brig. Gen. Alex Albano, right, in Manila, on December 5, 2011.Pacquiao is conferred the rank of lieutenant colonel by Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista, left, and Brig. Gen. Alex Albano, right, in Manila, on December 5, 2011.

Pacquiao sits with fellow lawmakers during the 15th Congress at the House of Representatives in Quezon City on July 25, 2011.Pacquiao sits with fellow lawmakers during the 15th Congress at the House of Representatives in Quezon City on July 25, 2011.

Pacquiao shakes hands with a Special Forces Operation Course student during the 49th Special Forces Regiment anniversary at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, north of Manila, on June 27, 2011. During the event, Pacquiao received the Honorary Special Forces Warrior Badge, and wore the exclusive Special Forces uniform popularly known as the Tiger suit.Pacquiao shakes hands with a Special Forces Operation Course student during the 49th Special Forces Regiment anniversary at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, north of Manila, on June 27, 2011. During the event, Pacquiao received the Honorary Special Forces Warrior Badge, and wore the exclusive Special Forces uniform popularly known as the “Tiger suit.”

Pacquiao looks toward Congressman Edcel Lagman, right, at the House of Representatives on May 18, 2011.Pacquiao looks toward Congressman Edcel Lagman, right, at the House of Representatives on May 18, 2011.

Pacquiao speaks at a news conference during the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines in May 2011.Pacquiao speaks at a news conference during the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines in May 2011.

Pacquiao and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid exchange flags in Washington on February 15, 2011.Pacquiao and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid exchange flags in Washington on February 15, 2011.

Pacquiao waves as he joins hundreds of other runners in Manila on October 10, 2010, to raise funds and environmental awareness to help revive the Pasig River, a heavily polluted major waterway that cuts through the city of 12 million.Pacquiao waves as he joins hundreds of other runners in Manila on October 10, 2010, to raise funds and environmental awareness to help revive the Pasig River, a heavily polluted major waterway that cuts through the city of 12 million.

Pacquiao joins Harry Reid, a Nevada senator, on the campaign trail at the Orr Middle School in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 29, 2010, ahead of the midterm U.S. elections.Pacquiao joins Harry Reid, a Nevada senator, on the campaign trail at the Orr Middle School in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 29, 2010, ahead of the midterm U.S. elections.

Pacquiao tries out whitewater rafting to promote tourism in his district in New La Union in Maitum, Sarangani province, on August 14, 2010.Pacquiao tries out whitewater rafting to promote tourism in his district in New La Union in Maitum, Sarangani province, on August 14, 2010.

Pacquiao attends a session of the Lower House as congressman representing his home district of Sarangani during the State of The Nation address of President Benigno NoyNoy Aquino on July 26, 2010.Pacquiao attends a session of the Lower House as congressman representing his home district of Sarangani during the State of The Nation address of President Benigno “NoyNoy” Aquino on July 26, 2010.

Pacquiao listens during the turnover ceremony for the new commanding general of the Philippine army at Fort Bonifacio on July 23, 2010. Pacquiao listens during the turnover ceremony for the new commanding general of the Philippine army at Fort Bonifacio on July 23, 2010.

Pacquiao takes his oath of office as congressman at the provincial capitol in Alabel, Sarangani province, on June 28, 2010.Pacquiao takes his oath of office as congressman at the provincial capitol in Alabel, Sarangani province, on June 28, 2010.

Pacquiao holds his daughter Queen Elizabeth as he talks to members of the media during his victory party for winning a seat in parliament -- held jointly with her birthday celebration -- at a convention center on the southern island of Mindanao on May 15, 2010. Pacquiao holds his daughter Queen Elizabeth as he talks to members of the media during his victory party for winning a seat in parliament — held jointly with her birthday celebration — at a convention center on the southern island of Mindanao on May 15, 2010.

Pacquiao celebrates with local officials during his proclamation as congressman of Sarangani province in May 2010.Pacquiao celebrates with local officials during his proclamation as congressman of Sarangani province in May 2010.

Pacquiao plays billiards at his recreational center in General Santos, Mindanao, in May 2010.Pacquiao plays billiards at his recreational center in General Santos, Mindanao, in May 2010.

Pacquiao places his ballot into a vote-counting machine in Kiamba, Sarangani province, on May 10, 2010.Pacquiao places his ballot into a vote-counting machine in Kiamba, Sarangani province, on May 10, 2010.

Pacquiao greets supporters during a campaign rally in Kiamba in April 2010.Pacquiao greets supporters during a campaign rally in Kiamba in April 2010.

Pacquiao, center, greets supporters with presidential candidate Manny Villar, right, and vice-presidential candidate Loren Legarda, left, as he starts his campaign for Congress in March 2010. Pacquiao, center, greets supporters with presidential candidate Manny Villar, right, and vice-presidential candidate Loren Legarda, left, as he starts his campaign for Congress in March 2010.

Pacquiao poses with his certificate of candidacy next to his wife, Jinkee, after filing in the town of Alabel, Saragani province, on December 1, 2009. Pacquiao poses with his certificate of candidacy next to his wife, Jinkee, after filing in the town of Alabel, Saragani province, on December 1, 2009.


1


2


3


4


5


6


7


8


9


10


11


12


13


14


15


16


17


18


19


20


21


22


23


24


25

Pacquiao outside the ringPacquiao outside the ring

In these rarely seen photos, taken by Manny Pacquiao's personal photographer James Dayap, we take a glimpse at the boxer's training regimen for the Timothy Bradley fight in June 2012, which would become one of the most controversial bouts of his career. In these rarely seen photos, taken by Manny Pacquiao’s personal photographer James Dayap, we take a glimpse at the boxer’s training regimen for the Timothy Bradley fight in June 2012, which would become one of the most controversial bouts of his career.

Pacquiao was awarded the title Fighter of the Decade for the 2000s by the World Boxing Organization (WBO), World Boxing Council (WBC) and the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA).Pacquiao was awarded the title “Fighter of the Decade” for the 2000s by the World Boxing Organization (WBO), World Boxing Council (WBC) and the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA).

At the age of 14, Pacquiao moved to Manila, the Philippines, and started boxing. For a time, he lived on the streets.At the age of 14, Pacquiao moved to Manila, the Philippines, and started boxing. For a time, he lived on the streets.

Pacquiao trained in Los Angeles for the welterweight title match against Bradley.Pacquiao trained in Los Angeles for the welterweight title match against Bradley.

The WBO welterweight title fight was held on June 9, 2012, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.The WBO welterweight title fight was held on June 9, 2012, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The fight ended with Bradley winning a split decision that sparked controversy throughout the boxing world.The fight ended with Bradley winning a split decision that sparked controversy throughout the boxing world.


1


2


3


4


5


6

Pacquiao in trainingPacquiao in training

The girls giggle, somewhat embarrassed. I force a smile, but another patron, who hadn’t heard the quip gets up from his chair and smashed his shoe down on the husky insect.

The girls groan and the manager pretends to cry. This is too weird. Time to go. My photographer and I race through our San Miguel Lights and leave.

Bolly is there outside the door. He leads us through a labyrinth of roads and alleys. Fifteen minutes later, near the Manila port, we arrive at a strip club.

We’re seated near the front of the stage, where two girls sway in a bored dance. This time instead of the girls sitting in a line, the manager brings them to us.

More than a dozen girls in skimpy cocktail dresses line up in front of us. The manager shines a flashlight across each of their faces. He tells us to select one.

“No, that’s okay. I don’t want one,” my photographer says.

In the back, smaller than the others, I see a young girl, hiding behind the others. I can’t tell if she’s frightened or uninterested. “Her.”

The other girls part way. She hesitantly makes her way to sit beside me. She orders an ice tea. When the bill arrives, we’ll find out it cost us $22. How old are you? I ask “18,” she says.

“Really? You look younger.” She doesn’t budge. “18,”

“Do you like working here?” She looks forlornly at the stage. “Yes.”

How long have you been working? “Three months.”

Despite our best efforts, she has no interest in giving up information to two white strangers.

Read what girls rescued from trafficking say

We decide to leave and end up getting into an argument with the manager. The bill for two beers and an iced tea comes to $83 dollars.

But carrying undercover camera equipment, and because of the size and number of security guards, we only offer a half-hearted protest.

We would go to several other bars and speak to a number of women working in the sex industry.

Some seemed to enjoy their work, but most said it was a sort of last resort. They had children at home they have to feed and they hadn’t been able to find any other work.

Still, it’s important to note, no one we spoke with said they were being forced to do this work by another person despite our suspicions and their youthful looks.

Often, skeptics of the modern slavery issue will point to a story like this as proof that it doesn’t exist, or that the problem is overblown.

But the absence of evidence is not evidence of its absence and the simple fact is; it is very hard to get deep enough into an underground criminal culture to find evidence of trafficking, especially in a single night.

It’s equally difficult to convince a person who may be in that situation that it is safe and wise to speak openly with a foreigner.

In filming the documentary, “The Fighters,” we witnessed the hard work of the Filipino government’s Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, honest police officers and anti-slavery organizations like the Visayan Forum and International Justice Mission.

They are working to ensure that jaunts like the one we attempted aren’t successful, not only for a night, but for good.


Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/06/world/asia/freedom-fighters-undercover/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/0yTN5DgOzmY/undercover-in-manila

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RipleysStuff/~3/5UwE7_0OOAQ/undercover-in-manila

Categories: Uncategorized Tags:

Toughest bout

May 18th, 2013 No comments


.cnn_html_media_utility::before{color:red;content:’’;font-size:9px;line-height:12px;padding-right:1px}
.cnnstrylccimg640{margin:0 27px 14px 0}
.captionText{filter:alpha(opacity=100);opacity:1}
.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a,.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:visited,.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:link,.captionText a,.captionText a:visited,.captiontext a:link{color:outline:medium none}
.cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto{margin:0 auto;padding-right:68px;width:270px}
]]

Manny Pacquiao is known the world over for his boxing abilities, but in the Philippines he's also a national hero beyond the ring. Click through to see moments of Pacquiao's life. Manny Pacquiao is known the world over for his boxing abilities, but in the Philippines he’s also a national hero beyond the ring. Click through to see moments of Pacquiao’s life.

Pacquiao, center, and his wife Jinkee, right, display their certificates of candidacy at the election office in Alabel, Sarangani province, in the southern island of Mindanao, on October 2, 2012. Pacquiao registered to run for reelection as a congressman for the southern province of Sarangani, with Jinkee filing to stand for vice-governor. Pacquiao, center, and his wife Jinkee, right, display their certificates of candidacy at the election office in Alabel, Sarangani province, in the southern island of Mindanao, on October 2, 2012. Pacquiao registered to run for reelection as a congressman for the southern province of Sarangani, with Jinkee filing to stand for vice-governor.

Pacquiao attends a plenary session discussing a proposed reproductive health bill at the House of Representatives at Congress in Quezon City, east of Manila, Philippines, August 6, 2012.Pacquiao attends a plenary session discussing a proposed reproductive health bill at the House of Representatives at Congress in Quezon City, east of Manila, Philippines, August 6, 2012.

Pacquiao gestures during a prayer rally at the Araneta Coliseum in Manila on July 28, 2012. The prayer rally was a way for Pacquiao to thank his fans and supporters for the blessings he received.Pacquiao gestures during a prayer rally at the Araneta Coliseum in Manila on July 28, 2012. The prayer rally was a way for Pacquiao to thank his fans and supporters for the blessings he received.

Pacquiao gives a sack of rice and relief goods to a woman after floods struck in Glan, Sarangani province, southern Philippines, June 17, 2012. Pacquiao gives a sack of rice and relief goods to a woman after floods struck in Glan, Sarangani province, southern Philippines, June 17, 2012.

Pacquiao speaks to flood-affected residents at an evacuation center in Cagayan de Oro City, a southern island off Mindanao on December 23, 2011.Pacquiao speaks to flood-affected residents at an evacuation center in Cagayan de Oro City, a southern island off Mindanao on December 23, 2011.

Pacquiao is conferred the rank of lieutenant colonel by Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista, left, and Brig. Gen. Alex Albano, right, in Manila, on December 5, 2011.Pacquiao is conferred the rank of lieutenant colonel by Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista, left, and Brig. Gen. Alex Albano, right, in Manila, on December 5, 2011.

Pacquiao sits with fellow lawmakers during the 15th Congress at the House of Representatives in Quezon City on July 25, 2011.Pacquiao sits with fellow lawmakers during the 15th Congress at the House of Representatives in Quezon City on July 25, 2011.

Pacquiao shakes hands with a Special Forces Operation Course student during the 49th Special Forces Regiment anniversary at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, north of Manila, on June 27, 2011. During the event, Pacquiao received the Honorary Special Forces Warrior Badge, and wore the exclusive Special Forces uniform popularly known as the Tiger suit.Pacquiao shakes hands with a Special Forces Operation Course student during the 49th Special Forces Regiment anniversary at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, north of Manila, on June 27, 2011. During the event, Pacquiao received the Honorary Special Forces Warrior Badge, and wore the exclusive Special Forces uniform popularly known as the “Tiger suit.”

Pacquiao looks toward Congressman Edcel Lagman, right, at the House of Representatives on May 18, 2011.Pacquiao looks toward Congressman Edcel Lagman, right, at the House of Representatives on May 18, 2011.

Pacquiao speaks at a news conference during the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines in May 2011.Pacquiao speaks at a news conference during the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines in May 2011.

Pacquiao and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid exchange flags in Washington on February 15, 2011.Pacquiao and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid exchange flags in Washington on February 15, 2011.

Pacquiao waves as he joins hundreds of other runners in Manila on October 10, 2010, to raise funds and environmental awareness to help revive the Pasig River, a heavily polluted major waterway that cuts through the city of 12 million.Pacquiao waves as he joins hundreds of other runners in Manila on October 10, 2010, to raise funds and environmental awareness to help revive the Pasig River, a heavily polluted major waterway that cuts through the city of 12 million.

Pacquiao joins Harry Reid, a Nevada senator, on the campaign trail at the Orr Middle School in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 29, 2010, ahead of the midterm U.S. elections.Pacquiao joins Harry Reid, a Nevada senator, on the campaign trail at the Orr Middle School in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 29, 2010, ahead of the midterm U.S. elections.

Pacquiao tries out whitewater rafting to promote tourism in his district in New La Union in Maitum, Sarangani province, on August 14, 2010.Pacquiao tries out whitewater rafting to promote tourism in his district in New La Union in Maitum, Sarangani province, on August 14, 2010.

Pacquiao attends a session of the Lower House as congressman representing his home district of Sarangani during the State of The Nation address of President Benigno NoyNoy Aquino on July 26, 2010.Pacquiao attends a session of the Lower House as congressman representing his home district of Sarangani during the State of The Nation address of President Benigno “NoyNoy” Aquino on July 26, 2010.

Pacquiao listens during the turnover ceremony for the new commanding general of the Philippine army at Fort Bonifacio on July 23, 2010. Pacquiao listens during the turnover ceremony for the new commanding general of the Philippine army at Fort Bonifacio on July 23, 2010.

Pacquiao takes his oath of office as congressman at the provincial capitol in Alabel, Sarangani province, on June 28, 2010.Pacquiao takes his oath of office as congressman at the provincial capitol in Alabel, Sarangani province, on June 28, 2010.

Pacquiao holds his daughter Queen Elizabeth as he talks to members of the media during his victory party for winning a seat in parliament -- held jointly with her birthday celebration -- at a convention center on the southern island of Mindanao on May 15, 2010. Pacquiao holds his daughter Queen Elizabeth as he talks to members of the media during his victory party for winning a seat in parliament — held jointly with her birthday celebration — at a convention center on the southern island of Mindanao on May 15, 2010.

Pacquiao celebrates with local officials during his proclamation as congressman of Sarangani province in May 2010.Pacquiao celebrates with local officials during his proclamation as congressman of Sarangani province in May 2010.

Pacquiao plays billiards at his recreational center in General Santos, Mindanao, in May 2010.Pacquiao plays billiards at his recreational center in General Santos, Mindanao, in May 2010.

Pacquiao places his ballot into a vote-counting machine in Kiamba, Sarangani province, on May 10, 2010.Pacquiao places his ballot into a vote-counting machine in Kiamba, Sarangani province, on May 10, 2010.

Pacquiao greets supporters during a campaign rally in Kiamba in April 2010.Pacquiao greets supporters during a campaign rally in Kiamba in April 2010.

Pacquiao, center, greets supporters with presidential candidate Manny Villar, right, and vice-presidential candidate Loren Legarda, left, as he starts his campaign for Congress in March 2010. Pacquiao, center, greets supporters with presidential candidate Manny Villar, right, and vice-presidential candidate Loren Legarda, left, as he starts his campaign for Congress in March 2010.

Pacquiao poses with his certificate of candidacy next to his wife, Jinkee, after filing in the town of Alabel, Saragani province, on December 1, 2009. Pacquiao poses with his certificate of candidacy next to his wife, Jinkee, after filing in the town of Alabel, Saragani province, on December 1, 2009.


1


2


3


4


5


6


7


8


9


10


11


12


13


14


15


16


17


18


19


20


21


22


23


24


25

Editor’s note: This article is part of The Fighters, a series of reports from a full-length film that premieres on CNN International TV on May 17 and 18 at 1900 HKT; 2200 CET; 2200 ET. The documentary is a result of two years of undercover work and filming in the Philippines.

Manila, Philippines (CNN) — Manny Pacquiao is not a god, but that doesn’t stop millions of Filipinos worshipping him.

Since his first professional fight at 16, Pacquiao has amassed a formidable professional record of 54-5-2.

He is arguably the most famous person in the country’s history, a world title holder 10 times over and the first person to earn belts in eight separate weight divisions, and in 2012 was one of the highest paid athletes on earth, earning upwards of $62 million, more than Tiger Woods, Lebron James, Roger Federer and Cristiano Ronaldo.

In addition, he is an actor, TV host and singer. Oh, and in 2010, voters also elected Pacquiao to the Philippines’ House of Representatives, where he serves the district of Sarangani.

Pacquiao’s story reads something closer to fable than fact.

The man who earned the title “Fighter of the Decade” in the 2000s by the World Boxing Council (WBC), comes from the humblest of roots.

In these rarely seen photos, taken by Manny Pacquiao's personal photographer James Dayap, we take a glimpse at the boxer's training regimen for the Timothy Bradley fight in June 2012, which would become one of the most controversial bouts of his career. In these rarely seen photos, taken by Manny Pacquiao’s personal photographer James Dayap, we take a glimpse at the boxer’s training regimen for the Timothy Bradley fight in June 2012, which would become one of the most controversial bouts of his career.

Pacquiao was awarded the title Fighter of the Decade for the 2000s by the World Boxing Organization (WBO), World Boxing Council (WBC) and the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA).Pacquiao was awarded the title “Fighter of the Decade” for the 2000s by the World Boxing Organization (WBO), World Boxing Council (WBC) and the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA).

At the age of 14, Pacquiao moved to Manila, the Philippines, and started boxing. For a time, he lived on the streets.At the age of 14, Pacquiao moved to Manila, the Philippines, and started boxing. For a time, he lived on the streets.

Pacquiao trained in Los Angeles for the welterweight title match against Bradley.Pacquiao trained in Los Angeles for the welterweight title match against Bradley.

The WBO welterweight title fight was held on June 9, 2012, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.The WBO welterweight title fight was held on June 9, 2012, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The fight ended with Bradley winning a split decision that sparked controversy throughout the boxing world.The fight ended with Bradley winning a split decision that sparked controversy throughout the boxing world.


1


2


3


4


5


6

Pacquiao in trainingPacquiao in training


Pacquiao: I want to be a public servant


Child advocate wants Pacquiao’s help


Ride-along on a human trafficking raid

Born in 1978 in a small village called Kibawe, Pacquiao lived with his mother and five brothers and sisters: “When I was young my parents were jobless. We had no home. Sometimes we can’t even afford to have a single meal a day,” says Pacquiao.

“When you see my slippers, one is green, one is red. And they had holes. I would walk the streets to sell, that’s how I made my living as a kid. I felt sorry for my mother. I wanted so badly to study. I stopped though and pursued boxing.”

At 14, Manny moved to Manila where he says he lived for a time under a cardboard box in a city park.

He found work as a servant for a rich man. Luckily, he was treated well, he says. When he began boxing as a teenager, he admits having to put rocks in his pockets to make the minimum weight of 105 pounds (47kg).

When he was 16, Pacquiao decided to pursue a professional boxing career. At 4’11” and weighing 98 pounds, it’s unlikely he struck much fear in those early opponents. But his fast fists and unrelenting toughness quickly earned him respect.

He gained global recognition in 2001, when as a late replacement, he beat IBF Super Bantamweight title holder Lehlohonolo Ledwaba. Pacquiao won the fight by technical knockout to win the title, his second major boxing world title.

Ten years later, I’m standing in the middle of the MGM Grand’s casino.

“Do you want to meet him?” The question came across the table from a documentary film producer, who was profiling Pacquiao.

It was May 6, 2011, the night before the champion would defend his WBO Welterweight title against Shane Mosley. The Las Vegas strip buzzed with energy, gamblers and partiers just getting started as it neared midnight. Of course, I said yes.

As we got off the elevator and walked down the hallway to his penthouse suite, I had the same feeling you might get when entering a special, reverential space. Two bodyguards flanked the door. They recognized my friend and let us pass.

I had expected a reverential, ascetic scene. A peaceful room dotted with his family and close friends speaking in hush tones, careful not to disturb their leader as he prepared to do battle in less than 24 hours.


Government: 100,000 sex workers are kids

Cecilia Flores-Oebanda is presented with The World's Children's Prize for the Rights of the Child by Sweden's Queen Silvia on April 28, 2011.Cecilia Flores-Oebanda is presented with The World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child by Sweden’s Queen Silvia on April 28, 2011.

Manny Pacquaio, with Oebanda, meets girls rescued from human traffickers. The girls shared their stories with Pacquaio, who also spoke at congress in support of an anti-trafficking law.Manny Pacquaio, with Oebanda, meets girls rescued from human traffickers. The girls shared their stories with Pacquaio, who also spoke at congress in support of an anti-trafficking law.

Oebanda with President Jimmy Carter at the 2008 Skoll World Forum where she recieved the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship Oebanda with President Jimmy Carter at the 2008 Skoll World Forum where she recieved the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship

Oebanda meets with Desmond Tutu in 2008 while both were speaking at the Global Philanthropy Forum.Oebanda meets with Desmond Tutu in 2008 while both were speaking at the Global Philanthropy Forum.

Oebanda receives the 2005 Anti-Slavery Award at Chatham House in London on November 29, 2005. The award was presented by Lord Bill Brett, director of the International Labour Organization.Oebanda receives the 2005 Anti-Slavery Award at Chatham House in London on November 29, 2005. The award was presented by Lord Bill Brett, director of the International Labour Organization.

Oebanda speaks before the Philippine Senate during deliberations about the Magna Carta on Domestic Workers in 2002. The legislation was designed to improve conditions for domestic workers in the country.Oebanda speaks before the Philippine Senate during deliberations about the Magna Carta on Domestic Workers in 2002. The legislation was designed to improve conditions for domestic workers in the country.

Oebanda attends the first Southeast Asian Consultation, meeting to draft legislation on domestic workers in 2005. The meeting was organized by the Visayan Forum.Oebanda attends the first Southeast Asian Consultation, meeting to draft legislation on domestic workers in 2005. The meeting was organized by the Visayan Forum.

Oebanda is seen in the late 1990's working in poor communities of Manila with the Child Watch Network.Oebanda is seen in the late 1990′s working in poor communities of Manila with the Child Watch Network.

Oebanda's first day outside prison, with her children on February 26, 1986. She was captured while fighting for rebel forces against the dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos.Oebanda’s first day outside prison, with her children on February 26, 1986. She was captured while fighting for rebel forces against the dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos.


1


2


3


4


5


6


7


8


9

Anti-trafficker attracts power brokersAnti-trafficker attracts power brokers

What I found instead was a mob. At least 100 people had packed into his hotel room. Most were Filipino well-wishers. As we tried to make our way in, someone told us Pacquiao and his wife, Jinkee, had retreated to the bedroom. We left, but I wasn’t disappointed. I figured I would soon get to know him well in Manila.

That night I had drinks with his security guard. I wanted to get to know the man I would be covering. I wanted to hear what he was like from a person who was often closest to him, his bodyguard, in an unguarded moment.

He offered little dirt. “Manny is a very nice guy. Very good to the people around him. He believes he is here for a purpose. That his rise means he has a responsibility to take his position and do something good with it.”

Pacquiao won the fight easily. I watched it from the media room. Afterwards, Pacquiao felt good enough to perform a concert at the Mandalay Bay Hotel across from the MGM Grand Casino.

He said: “I consider my experience in life as an advantage in all that I do. I was down there and I have made my way up here now. I have experienced it all. I was trained through all the hardships of life, so I feel the pain of the poor.”

In 2010, shortly after being elected as a congressman from Sarangani district, he had given a speech in which he argued the country must do more to organize and fund the efforts of anti-trafficking agencies. Immediately, he began working with the Visayan Forum, at the time, the largest anti-trafficking charity in the country.

“I think Manny is a very important milestone in our fight against human trafficking here in the Philippines because young people actually believe and listen to Manny,” says Cecilia Flores-Oebanda, executive director of the Visayan Forum Foundation, a charity founded in 1991 to help victims of domestic servitude and forced prostitution.

“He’s a hard-working guy, he came from a very poor family. He inspires a lot of people. Of course, everybody wants Manny in their own campaign, but I’m happy Manny is joining our fight.”

Freedom Fighters

Click here to get full infographic on human trafficking in the Philippines

Pacquiao arrived at the Visayan Forum headquarters to hear first-hand from girls who had been victimized.

He spoke to three rescued girls, all under the age of 12. They had been forced to perform sexual acts in a video chat room for a number of foreign men. Some of the men demanded they perform sexual acts with men pulled off the street, drink their own urine and other even more awful acts. A man off-camera would force the girl’s compliance.

Pacquiao left shaken.

“Now that I’m here as a congressman, I know what to do. I know what I can do to help people.

“These traffickers have now been warned. We just need to be vigilant in order to sustain this. We also need funding from Congress. In addition, we need close coordination between government agencies. Likewise, we need coordination within various local governments,” said Pacqiuao.

Read how Oebanda was inspired to fight the traffickers

In February 2012, Pacquiao delivered a speech to congress in which he outlined the necessity to stop human trafficking.

“During my visit to the Visayan Forum I talked to children as young as 9-years-old who are trafficked for prostitution,” Pacquiao told Congress. “As politicians, we need to be true to our words and actions. We need to send a clear message; that Filipinos are not for sale.”

Now more than a year later, the Philippines is in the midst of an election. Congressman Pacquiao is again on the campaign trail — this time hoping to parlay his popularity into a victory for his wife, Jinkee, who is running to become vice governor of Sarangani district.

Campaigning with his wife is one step toward life after boxing. And rumors of the boxing champ’s own political ambitions push beyond the House of Representatives.

Now, fresh off his stunning loss to Juan Manuel Marquez, in which he was knocked unconscious and lay face-down for several seconds before being helped to his corner, Pacquiao is looking toward his future.

Thirty-four is old for a boxer. With more than 60 professional fights under his belt, the fear among those in his circle is that he will stay too long in the game, and do permanent damage to his standing.

Speaking to a CNN producer in Tagalog, Pacquiao says: “In boxing, I don’t think people will forget me after I retire. But I really want people to remember me as a public servant, who is good, who is a champion for the people.”

Less than two months after his loss to Marquez, Pacquiao scored an equally stunning victory.

On February 13, 2013, Philippines’s President Benigno Aquino III, signed the Anti-Trafficking bill Pacquiao had been championing, into law.

For thousands of vulnerable Filipinos whose lives may be changed or even saved, this Pacquiao fight is one whose legacy will last far beyond the ring.


Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/06/world/asia/freedom-fighters-manny-pacquiao/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/EkwLAkUsgeA/toughest-bout

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RipleysStuff/~3/OFURDdqCGUo/toughest-bout

Categories: Uncategorized Tags:

Human cloning: ‘Holy Grail’ or fantasy?

May 18th, 2013 No comments

Editor’s note: David King has a PhD in molecular biology and is the director of Human Genetics Alert, an independent watchdog group. He focuses on the ethical and social issues raised by genetics.

(CNN) — Today was a strange day. I’m used to handling the brief but overwhelming burst of media attention that comes with new stories about medical breakthroughs and ethical issues. But I don’t often get an accompanying deluge of passionate e-mails and phone calls from people who had read my comments, denouncing me for criticizing science, especially medical research that “can save millions of lives.”

There is definitely something special about this idea of “therapeutic cloning,” something that has a religious feel to it. Most of those messages come from people who have family members suffering from some of the diseases that we are told will be cured, and it’s hard to have to pour cold water on people’s hopes.

TIME: Scientists clone human stem cells

David King

I feel really angry at the scientists and PR people who have sold the idea of cloned human stem cells to so many patient support groups, when there is so little scientific substance to their promises. We are told that there will be great medical benefits and that the risks that there will be cloned babies are small, but in truth it’s the other way round.

Let’s deal with the cloned babies issue first. Ordinary people know perfectly well why human cloning is wrong, and that’s why governments around the world, including all developed nations except the USA have banned it. But there are plenty of desperate people and egoistic tycoons wanting to be cloned, and plenty of unscrupulous IVF doctors happy to relieve them of their cash. And there are still countries where those doctors can go to evade legal sanctions.

What the Oregon scientists have done is to deliver the baby that the would-be human cloners have been waiting for 15 years — what looks like a reliable technique for creating cloned embryos. I think it was irresponsible to publish their research before there is a comprehensive global ban on cloning, with tough sanctions.

But I think what makes me even angrier as a scientist is the hype and false promises around therapeutic cloning. Let’s be clear: this is not about embryonic stem cell research, which, despite the hype may deliver something given time, although the alternatives of adult stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells look set to deliver results much quicker. And I’m not a pro-lifer; destruction of embryos is not what bothers me.

Thecloning element is there purely for the purposes of creating tissues genetically identical to the patient that won’t be rejected, and that’s a nice idea. The trouble is it brings a whole raft of biological problems with it that create major risks to the patient as well as creating an impossibly expensive process.

With cloning, you are forcing nature to do something that it does not want to, so the new risks are to be expected. Cloning creates abnormalities in the genetic read-out, which is the reason that cloned animals are so often sick. Those errors will be there in any stem cells and tissues produced by cloning. Those problems are another reason why cloning babies would be hugely unethical, but they don’t necessarily make it impossible.

Finally, even if you could somehow solve these problems, the use of genetically matched tissues in mainstream medicine is simply not feasible and, unlike electronic gadgets, medical costs go up, not down.

In addition to the extremely expensive process of cloning, for each patient you have to culture stem cells and reliably turn them into the tissue you want with 100% efficiency, so you don’t get a single left over stem cell that will cause tumors. You have to do all that to a standard of accuracy that will satisfy government regulators and medical liability lawyers when something goes wrong. Forget it. We don’t do anything remotely approaching this in medicine and it doesn’t look like medical budgets are growing, does it? There are other much better solutions to the tissue rejection problem that will cost a fraction of the price.

The fact is that the cloning paper published on Wednesday is zombie science. Therapeutic cloning was dead and buried years ago, but it just seems to keep on going, and so do people’s hopes. There is definitely something weird here, something that brings out religious terminology like “the Holy Grail of medicine” around therapeutic cloning. That’s because therapeutic cloning is a fantasy, one that belongs to the modern religion, the religion of technocracy. That’s the only way I can explain how scientists who ought to know better seem to get drunk on their power over nature and keep pursuing this absurd dream.

People often say to me that scientists pursuing therapeutic cloning are “just trying to make money,” but the truth is worse. Driven by their technocratic ideology, they betray their own credo of sticking to the facts, and that’s bad enough. But to keep raising people’s hopes in this way is really unforgivable.

The opinions expressed in this piece are solely those of David King.


Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/17/opinion/human-cloning-king/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/EoIVxaPiSf0/human-cloning-holy-grail-or-fantasy

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RipleysStuff/~3/a3qWazbwGi0/human-cloning-holy-grail-or-fantasy

Categories: Uncategorized Tags:

Mourinho, Real Madrid lose to Atletico

May 18th, 2013 No comments


Atletico Madrid reversed a one-goal deficit to win Spain's Copa del Rey over Real Madrid.

(CNN) — If this was Jose Mourinho’s swansong in a major cup final with Real Madrid, it didn’t go as planned. It wasn’t the best of nights for Cristiano Ronaldo, either, as he saw red in the dying minutes.

Mourinho, being heavily linked with a managerial return to Chelsea, was ordered to leave the touchline by the referee for protesting a decision late in the second half and Atletico Madrid beat Real Madrid 2-1 in extra time to win its first Copa del Rey in 17 years.

The scrappy contest that featured more than a dozen yellow cards and two reds was settled by Miranda’s header in the eighth minute of extra time on a night when it seemed Atletico, which hadn’t downed its city rival since 1999, was destined to lift the trophy.

After Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a typically impressive header, Diego Costa leveled on a counter attack in the 35th.

Real Madrid struck the post three times prior to the game entering extra time and Atletico keeper Thibaut Courtois made two stunning saves to preserve the victory and help end his team’s three-match losing streak in Copa finals.


CNN FC: Beckham retires


One Direction vs. David Beckham


Beckham brand will outlast soccer career

The affair turned ugly in the dying minutes, with Ronaldo given a straight red card for kicking out at Gabi and players from both benches having to be separated. Courtois fell to the ground when struck by an item thrown from the stands at Real’s Bernabeu stadium.

For Mourinho, the past month has been one to forget. Real Madrid lost to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League semifinals, extending its title drought in Europe’s top club competition to 11 years, and Mourinho has complained of not being loved in Spain.

Having fallen out with Real Madrid fan favorite Iker Casillas, Mourinhodrew criticism from his fellow Portuguese, defender Pepe, who said Mourinho should have shown Casillas more respect. Pepe didn’t start against Atletico and was left on the bench.

Ronaldo gave Real Madrid the perfect start, rising the highest as he has done so many times before and sending a header past Courtois from Mesut Ozil’s corner.

Real Madrid continued to dictate proceedings but Atletico were always a threat on the break in the first half and equalized through Costa.

Real keeper Diego Lopez got a hand to Costa’s left-footed effort but not enough to prevent Costa from scoring his eighth goal in the competition this season.

Radamel Falcao beat two Real Madrid players before setting up Costa, although Falcao — one of the most coveted strikers in the world — otherwise had a quiet evening. Ozil almost gave Real Madrid the lead before halftime, his low effort beating Courtois but not the woodwork.


Alex Ferguson’s recipe for success


Thiago Silva targets PSG dominance

Real dominated most of the second half and the post came to Atletico’s rescue again in the 61st. Karim Benzema was frustrated this time, and Ozil’s frustration grew as his follow up from inside the box was cleared off the line by Francisco Juanfran.

Ronaldo looked skywards in angst when he, too, hit the post from a free kick.

Atletico hung on for extra time and took advantage of poor marking for the winner. Koke’s cross was met by defender Miranda, and his glancing header from close range eluded Lopez.

Courtois did the rest, first stopping Gonzalo Higuain with his legs and diving to get a piece of Ozil’s shot when it looked like the German international couldn’t miss.

Although contact appeared to be minimal, Ronaldo’s boot appeared to strike Gabi in the face, sparking the confrontation between the benches. Later in extra time, Gabi was shown a second yellow. But unlike Ronaldo, Gabi was soon joining his teammates in celebration.


Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/17/sport/football/atletico-copa-del-rey/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/gt0SbXl6cKI/mourinho-real-madrid-lose-to-atletico

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RipleysStuff/~3/VIm3I3iNeHQ/mourinho-real-madrid-lose-to-atletico

Categories: Uncategorized Tags:

Six killed in Texas twisters

May 18th, 2013 No comments


.cnn_html_media_utility::before{color:red;content:’’;font-size:9px;line-height:12px;padding-right:1px}
.cnnstrylccimg640{margin:0 27px 14px 0}
.captionText{filter:alpha(opacity=100);opacity:1}
.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a,.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:visited,.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:link,.captionText a,.captionText a:visited,.captiontext a:link{color:outline:medium none}
.cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto{margin:0 auto;padding-right:68px;width:270px}
]]

Beth Poledna walks through her garage on Thursday, May 16, in Cleburne, Texas, as she begins the cleanup process after a tornado swept through the area. At least six people were killed in a string of tornadoes that struck overnight Wednesday in North Texas.Beth Poledna walks through her garage on Thursday, May 16, in Cleburne, Texas, as she begins the cleanup process after a tornado swept through the area. At least six people were killed in a string of tornadoes that struck overnight Wednesday in North Texas.

An upturned vehicle lies next to an uprooted tree on Thursday, May 16, in Granbury, Texas.An upturned vehicle lies next to an uprooted tree on Thursday, May 16, in Granbury, Texas.

Debris from damaged homes litters a neighborhood in Granbury on Thursday, May 16.Debris from damaged homes litters a neighborhood in Granbury on Thursday, May 16.

Rescue workers search through debris in Granbury, on May 16.Rescue workers search through debris in Granbury, on May 16.

A rescue worker sifts through rubble on May 16 in Granbury, southwest of Fort Worth. A rescue worker sifts through rubble on May 16 in Granbury, southwest of Fort Worth.

Rescue personnel pass remnants of destroyed houses in Granbury on May 16. There were reports of homes in Granbury being flattened with people inside.Rescue personnel pass remnants of destroyed houses in Granbury on May 16. There were reports of homes in Granbury being flattened with people inside.

Pete Alaniz eyes damage to the garage of his Cleburne, Texas, rental home on May 16.Pete Alaniz eyes damage to the garage of his Cleburne, Texas, rental home on May 16.

At least 10 tornadoes touched down in northern Texas late Wednesday May 15, including this one in Millsap, west of Fort Worth.At least 10 tornadoes touched down in northern Texas late Wednesday May 15, including this one in Millsap, west of Fort Worth.

The living room of a Cleburne home is left without a roof on May 16.The living room of a Cleburne home is left without a roof on May 16.

An antique car sits in a collapsed garage on May 16 in Granbury.An antique car sits in a collapsed garage on May 16 in Granbury.

Eva Zapata, left, waits with a relative, Dario Segura, on May 15 for news of her children, who live in the Granbury neighborhood of Rancho Brazos. Six of the storm victims came from that subdivision, the Hood County sheriff said.Eva Zapata, left, waits with a relative, Dario Segura, on May 15 for news of her children, who live in the Granbury neighborhood of Rancho Brazos. Six of the storm victims came from that subdivision, the Hood County sheriff said.

John Bouyer collects a refrigerator on May 16 that blew away from his sister-in-law's home in Granbury.John Bouyer collects a refrigerator on May 16 that blew away from his sister-in-law’s home in Granbury.

A trailer rests against a garage in Cleburne on May 16 after being blown into a house.A trailer rests against a garage in Cleburne on May 16 after being blown into a house.


1


2


3


4


5


6


7


8


9


10


11


12


13

Are you in the affected area? Send us your images and videos, but please stay safe.

(CNN) — Tina and Billy Clark saw the funnel cloud approaching and did what many of their neighbors did.

“We just ran and hid in the closet,” Tina Clark told CNN after one of a swarm of tornadoes descended Wednesday night into their neighborhood in Hood County, 30 miles southwest of Fort Worth, Texas.

“I was holding the door shut,” Billy Clark told CNN. “You could feel the pressure from inside the house. It was like pulling on the door a little bit. The whole house was shaking really bad. It felt like the house was getting ripped apart, but we couldn’t see anything from inside the closet, so we didn’t know what exactly was going on.”

“You could just hear stuff hitting the house,” his wife said.


Texas homes reduced to splintered wood


Tornado ‘just set down’ on neighborhood


Mayor: Houses have nothing left but carpet


Code Orange after Texas tornadoes

Once the storm had passed, they emerged from the closet and noted that their house, perhaps because of its location on a slope, had escaped the brunt of the storm.

It was only after they got into their truck and began driving to get out of the impact zone that they began to realize that others had not fared so well.

“Once we turned the corner and got up the street a little bit, I mean, just everything was destroyed,” said Billy Clark.

They came upon neighbors who asked them for a ride to a hospital. “So we started loading them up,” Tina Clark said.

Among their passengers were two girls. “They couldn’t even walk, they were just covered in blood,” she said.

The couple then came upon a woman and her son. “They said that the wall got ripped off from the tornado and they got sucked out of the house,” Billy Clark said. “The mom, it threw her into a tree head first and busted her head open.”

“I thought that lady was gonna die in my truck,” Tina Clark said.

“The son, he went outside to go get her during the tornado, and then it pulled him out of the house. He said it threw him through a field and he cut his head on a piece of sheet metal.”

They picked up several other children, too. “The one little girl, all her teeth were knocked out,” Billy Clark said. “And then the other girl, she had bones sticking out of her legs, she had a big gash in her arm.”

The couple soon found the road blocked by downed trees and power lines. “There was no way out, so we took them back to the house and called the ambulance, and they just told us to wait,” Tina Clark said.

Instead, they got back into the truck and drove their injured passengers as far as they could, then continued on foot. “We just had to carry them to the paramedics because they couldn’t get to us,” Tina Clark said.

Three people were taken to a nearby hospital, and 13 others were taken to hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, authorities have said.

Some of the patients underwent amputations, said Dr. Kerri Sistrunk, head of the trauma unit at Lake Granbury Medical Center.

By Friday afternoon, all seven people who had been reported missing had been found, police said.

But many more were homeless; 31 people slept in a shelter Thursday night.

“What always amazes me on visits like this is how fast lives can totally change,” Gov. Rick Perry said Friday after touring Granbury.

Neighborhood hit hard

The devastation from what the National Weather Service said were at least 16 tornadoes that killed six people was centered in the Clarks’ neighborhood of Rancho Brazos.

Of the 110 houses that had stood there Wednesday afternoon, “there’s very few left untouched,” said Mario Flores, director of disaster-response field operations for Habitat for Humanity, which built 61 homes in the neighborhood.

“Fifty-eight had damage, from minor to total destruction,” Flores said. “It’s a scene of total devastation.”

“When you look down to where all the rest of the houses normally are, there’s nothing there,” Daniel Layne told CNN affiliate KTRK. “Piled-up cars, cars in trees, there’s a car in our water tower.”

He and his wife, Amanda, had waited two years to move into one of the Habitat homes.

“There literally is no Rancho Brazos anymore,” Amanda Layne said.

Hood County Sheriff Roger Deeds is no stranger to destruction. “I’ve seen bad,” he said. “But this is about as bad as it gets.”

A survey team for the National Weather Service concluded that the tornado that descended on this neighborhood was an EF4 — the second-most severe classification on a scale of zero to five.

How to help or find help

For some, the extent of their loss remains unclear.

Families have been able to return to their homes in Rancho Brazos since the storms rolled through. Deeds said Friday that “hopefully” they’ll be able to go in at 8 a.m. Saturday, adding that authorities plan only to “open things back up on a limited basis.” A curfew applies from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Ronna Cotten is one of those who haven’t been gone back, having been warned it would be days before she couldn’t re-enter her subdivision to “check to see if we have any belongings left.”

She has stayed in the home of a woman who picked her up from a rescue center Wednesday night.

The mother of four said she survived by clutching to a doorknob as winds tore through her home.

“I feel very lucky, because we are alive,” she said.

CNN’s Nick Valencia, Tristan Smith, Greg Botelho, Lateef Mungin, Dave Alsup, Chandler Friedman and Mayra Cuevas contributed to this report.


Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/17/us/texas-storm/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/8btHFfIK_sY/six-killed-in-texas-twisters

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RipleysStuff/~3/TsQ5ya6ljBc/six-killed-in-texas-twisters

Categories: Uncategorized Tags:

France nearer to same-sex marriage

May 18th, 2013 No comments


People celebrate in Paris on April 23, 2013, after the French National Assembly adopted a bill legalizing same-sex marriages.

(CNN) — France’s top court ruled Friday that a bill permitting same-sex marriage and allowing gay couples to adopt children adheres to the constitution.

President Francois Hollande is expected to sign the bill into law on Saturday.

After the lower house of Parliament, dominated by Hollande’s governing Socialist Party, passed the bill last month, conservative and centrist senators filed a legal challenge with the court, the Constitutional Council.

Same-sex marriage: Who will legalize it next?


France to vote on same-sex marriage law


Will France approve same-sex marriage?

The legislation admits France to a small but growing club.

Lawmakers in New Zealand this year made it the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to legalize same-sex marriage. The law is set to be enacted later this year.

Itsmove came a week after Uruguayan lawmakers approved a measure allowing same-sex marriage. The measure awaits the signature of Uruguay’s president, who has indicated he supports it.

If and when the laws in New Zealand, Uruguay and France are enacted as expected, the count of nations allowing same-sex marriage will rise to 14.

France would be the ninth country in Europe to allow same sex marriage.

The first same-sex couples walked down the aisle in the Netherlands in 2001, with others following suit in Canada, South Africa, Belgium and Spain. Argentina was the first Latin American nation to legalize such marriages, in 2010. Other countries on the list are Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Portugal and Sweden.

Many countries remain split over the issue. A Brazilian court this week issued a directive removing a barrier that had limited same-sex marriage, but no bill has made it through Congress.

Legislators in the United Kingdom are also weighing proposals to legalize same-sex marriage. Lawmakers in Australia voted against a bill to legalize same-sex marriage last September. A poll for the advocacy group Australian Marriage Equality indicated that 64% of those surveyed “support marriage equality.”

In the United States, the question went before the Supreme Court and justices are now deliberating over the matter.

Twelve U.S. states and the District of Columbia have legalized same-sex marriages. On the other side, many states have specific laws blocking same-sex couples from legally marrying.


Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/17/world/europe/france-gay-bill/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/md7j-FZ_gAU/france-nearer-to-same-sex-marriage

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RipleysStuff/~3/KzQ-wP7wPyQ/france-nearer-to-same-sex-marriage

Categories: Uncategorized Tags:

Somalia’s struggle with rape

May 17th, 2013 No comments

Mogadishu, Somalia (CNN) — In a classroom tucked away from the world in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, students practice spelling.

Ranging in age from 6 to 11, these girls all have one thing in common: They have either been raped or suffered through the rape of a loved one.

Even the 6-year-old is a rape survivor. The baby of the class, she can’t quite keep up with the spelling lesson but is happy to clap along.

Next door, in the clinic adjoining the class, a 7-year-old boy and his mother are in for a checkup.

The mother was raped and then watched, helpless, as her son was molested.


Tackling sexual violence in Somalia


Sexual crimes a crisis in Somalia

Too afraid to seek help, she did what she thought would help: washed her son’s wounds with hot water and salt for four excruciating days until they were found and brought here.

The classroom and clinic are both part of the Elman Peace and Human Rights Center. Founded in 2011, it is the first rape crisis center in Somalia.

Today, the center has bases both in and outside Mogadishu, providing a haven for the spiraling number of Somali victims of sexual violence.

The figures are horrifying, with at least 1,700 women raped in camps for internally displaced people last year in Mogadishu, according to United Nations figures.

The Elman Peace and Human Rights Center was founded by the parents of Ilwad Elman in the 1990s to help child soldiers, but it closed down after her father was assassinated by warlords, forcing the rest of the family to seek refuge in Canada.

Eventually, she and her mother returned, and in 2011, the center reopened with a new focus: helping the victims of sexual violence.

For the safety of the Elman center’s staff and the victims it helps, CNN agreed not to reveal the location of the centers it visited.

Rape isn’t just happening in the camps for those forced from their homes by fighting, Ilwad Elman told CNN, but in the wider community, “which is also affected by rampant abuse of sexual and gender-based violence.”

Elman says she believes a multitude of factors are to blame, but the chief one is conflict — something that has affected every Somali during more than two decades of war.

“Rape is a well-known weapon of war, so that is one thing that is undeniable,” said Elman. “There’s also harmful traditional practices. There’s also the destroyed social protection structures that were in place” but were destroyed by conflict, she adds.

Put all these factors together, she said, and “that is why rape is so indiscriminate” in Somalia.

Social stigma

For the first time in decades, there is reason for optimism in Somalia, thanks in part to the country’s newly appointed and popular president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and increased security in much of the country.

But the plight of Somalia’s women has seen little improvement.

While the center’s staff has gained some idea of the number of cases of sexual violence in Mogadishu and its surrounding area, little is known about the scale of the problem further afield.

Rape in Somalia carries huge social stigma, and after the long years of conflict, there is no way of knowing how many women are suffering in silence.

When the new president was appointed last year, his public commitment to punishing those guilty of sexual offenses had an immediate impact, said Elman.

But those advances have been undone, she said, by events since.

In February, Lul Ali Osman Barake made headlines when she reported her rape at the hands of men she says were government soldiers.

They took turns raping her, she told CNN, only stopping when they thought she was dead. But when she reported the crime, it was Barake who was arrested and convicted of defaming a government institution.

Eventually, she was freed after a huge international outcry, but she says her attackers have yet to face justice.

And, like many of the women CNN spoke to, she has no faith they ever will.

The United Nations says 70% of the rapes perpetrated in Somalia are carried out by men in military uniforms.

Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon admits there’s a problem but insists that it is being addressed.

“There’s been no effective government in Somalia for such a long time, and people are disorganized … but now we are organizing, and I think we’ll disconnect … from the past,” he told CNN. “We are doing everything possible, we are taking every step to ensure that women and girls are safe.

“We have nominated a new commissioner, judiciary reforms, and … we are constituting a new policy for making our women and children safer than ever.”

‘Underground network’ of women

But women’s rights activists say the damage might already have been done.

“I think it’s become a lot harder for women to report rape,” said Elman. “One clear message was sent to them: that if you do report a rape, there’s as much of a chance of you ending up in jail as a perpetrator. It has not only become harder for women who are a survivor of rape to report it, but also people working with these people to work towards ending or responding to sexual violence.

“There was a very dramatic decline in the figures for the last three months. I think it was nearly 60%.”

With public information limited and the stigma against speaking out so strong, the center has created “almost an underground network of women” to spread the word about its work, said Elman.

Some women who have been supported by the center go on to help others, letting them know through word of mouth that these services exist. Other women find their own way there or meet center staff out in the community, she said.

What makes the situation worse is that often, the same woman is raped repeatedly, by different perpetrators, said Elman.

The center can help the woman each time, but “without the government’s support and putting in place mechanisms to protect these people, there will be no end to this impunity,” she said.

Hawa, who agreed to talk to CNN as long as a pseudonym was used to conceal her identity, told how after being raped she fled her home for what she thought was a new beginning in another part of town.

In her new home — and in spite of being pregnant with the first rapist’s baby, she says — she was attacked again.

She, like Barake, has no hope that justice will ever be done.

Make the perpetrators ‘bear that burden’

The United Nations is due to send in a British-funded team of experts on sexual violence to help the Somali government establish protection mechanisms.

Delegates at an international donor conference, held this month in London by the UK and Somali governments, pledged to work together to tackle sexual violence. The issue will also be on the agenda at the G8 leaders’ summit to be hosted by the United Kingdom in June.

But it will take time and money to bring about change in a country that has so many pressing needs.

Matt Baugh, UK ambassador to Somalia, told CNN that there were “no guarantees,” but the involvement of international partners should improve the chances of Somalia living up to its commitments on sexual violence.

“What needs to happen practically (is) to redress the balance, to turn this from a stigma of shame where the survivors, the victims of these horrible attacks, bear that burden, to one where it’s the perpetrators who feel ashamed about it,” he said.

There is now a realization, he said, of the “huge, huge problem facing the country as a whole, as well as women and girls,” but it will take time to make the necessary changes to tackle sexual violence.

These include better documentation of such crimes; reforming the security sector, so that the army and police come under greater government control and win people’s confidence; and reforming the judiciary so that ordinary Somali families believe in the justice system, he said.

“We’ve got the opportunity for the first time in 20 years, based on Somali leadership and their compelling vision, to chart a way forward,” he added.

“I think that this newfound stability and these new steps that have been made by Somalia, that the entire world is celebrating, because it is, indeed, worth celebrating, … has to be something that everybody has access to,” said Elman, in Mogadishu.

“We need to make sure that women are in this human space where we are moving forward.”

For the moment, though, Somalia’s women are relying on themselves — and each other — to rebuild their lives as best they can.

READ MORE: Somali court clears woman alleging rape

CNN’s Laura Smith-Spark contributed to this report.


Article source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/ESseYo9MVGA/index.html

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/yas_9QtyJ5U/somalias-struggle-with-rape

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RipleysStuff/~3/NS2s-FDxn_U/somalias-struggle-with-rape

Categories: Uncategorized Tags: