This and that | Ripple's Web

Taking heart amid Syria’s civil war carnage

May 25th, 2013 ripley@ripley.za.net No comments

Holon, Israel (CNN) — She never displayed the boundless energy of other children — all she seemed to do was cry.

Her mother couldn’t figure out why until a doctor examined her baby girl and broke the news. She had a heart condition that would eventually kill her if left untreated. Doctors said surgery should be done when she turned one but there was no one able to do it in her home town. The family did not have the money to go elsewhere.

It was torture. The longer she waited, the worse her daughter would get. Then something happened that changed everything. War broke out in Syria and eventually spread to their town. They tried to wait it out but it raged on with non-stop ferocity.

Escape from ruins

Then six months ago, the girl and her mother escaped what was left of their home. But they could not escape their child’s medical problems. The girl had turned four and her condition was getting worse — as doctors predicted.

“She could not play or walk or talk. She would get tired. She could not indulge in anything,” her mother said. “She could only eat very little.”

Graphic images show gruesome acts in Syria

Pressure to end Syria’s war

Assad’s forces gain momentum in Syria

Syrian refugees stuck in limbo

The child’s mother asked us to keep their identity secret because of what happened after they left Syria. Their journey eventually landed them in Israel, which is technically still at war with Syria and has been for decades. The family worries they will be seen as traitors or spies when they return to their homeland if their neighbors find out they’ve been inside the “enemy state.” But the family acknowledge their journey to Israel saved the girl’s life.

Oxygen starved

Their perilous journey from Syria first landed them in a refugee camp with hundreds of thousands of others. Desperate and dirty, the camp was no place for a sickly child whose heart condition was slowly but surely starving her of oxygen.

“We all have in the heart two pumps but she has only one that is working,” explained Dr. Sion Houri, the head of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, Israel. “We have two tubes in our body — one going to the lung, one going to the body. The one going to the lung was severely narrowed.”

Dr. Houri is from an organization called “Save a Child’s Heart.” Founded in Israel in 1995 by another surgeon at the Wolfson, the non-profit organization’s mission is to provide heart surgery to children wherever they are. So far they have treated 3,200 children from 44 nations. Last week they added another nation to their list, Syria. The civil war across the border sent them a child in need they would probably never been able to help due to the breakdown in relations between the two neighbors. When Save a Child’s Heart heard about the little girl’s plight, they jumped through all the necessary security hoops to get her the treatment she badly needed.

Bridge stereotypes

“We hope that we can contribute in our small way first and foremost to the medical care to the children in our neighborhood. We also believe that this has the ability to bring people closer together to bridge stereotypes,” said Simon Fisher, the executive Director of Save a Child’s Heart.

While the treatment is free for the patients, the organization relies on donations to pay the bills that invariably need to be settled.

A team of doctors and nurses at the Wolfson performed open-heart surgery on the girl. Though it was a major operation, doctors say it is a relatively simple procedure that often produces amazingly fast results.

“You can see differences that are absolutely crazy. Kids that were thought to be retarded all of a sudden start talking and walking, all they needed was a little bit of oxygen,” Dr. Houri added.

Healthy child

We met the little girl three days after surgery. Her curly hair, big brown eyes and huge smile captivated everyone around her. She was playing with bright colored plastic toys strewn alongside her bed. Though still hooked up to a machine, she acted like any typical four-year old, rather than the sickly, constantly exhausted child she was until very recently.

“Thank God, thank God, my daughter has recovered. She is so much better than before,” her mother explained.

She is incredibly relieved. She had been worried about how she would be treated — like so many others who have come to the hospital from far afield. At the moment there are young heart patients being treated from the West Bank, Ethiopia, Sudan, China and Tanzania.

As for the little Syrian girl who has survived a war and now open-heart surgery, she will need one more operation in about a year’s time as her body grows.

As she sits on the bed recovering from surgery, the little girl begins to sing a lullaby asking God to protect her baby brother. It turns out she was the one who needed protection the most. The mere fact the wide-eyed infant is able to sing easily without losing her breath is evidence enough to give her mother a sense of hope she hasn’t felt since before her country was plunged into war.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/20/world/meast/syria-heart-surgery-girl/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/0pxK_f0b-Y4/taking-heart-amid-syrias-civil-war-carnage

Categories: Uncategorized Tags:

Winnie and the debt collectors

May 25th, 2013 ripley@ripley.za.net No comments

Johannesburg (CNN) — “This shouldn’t be happening” — these were the words of a visibly nervous and frustrated sheriff of the court as he rang the outside bell and knocked at the gate belonging to a woman still considered by many in South Africa as the “mother of the nation.”

Joe Maluleke and two other officials arrived at Winnie Mandela’s house in Soweto on Tuesday to execute a court order granting a Johannesburg school permission to auction her belongings and pay an old debt. Among the goods meant to go under the hammer were 50 paintings, a round table, chairs and a silver tea set.

The problems started when the ex-wife of Nelson Mandela, the country’s first black president and an international icon, registered her great niece, Nobantu Vutela, as a boarding student at Abbotts College in Northcliff, Johannesburg, according to court papers filed in 2008.

The accommodation fees for the year were 40,000 South African rand — the equivalent of about $4,000 today. Winnie Mandela, 76, who earns an annual salary of around $90,000, as a member of parliament, was given six months to pay the full amount. It’s unclear why she and not the girl’s own parents enrolled her into the private school.

Despite the documents stipulating that R10,000 ($1000) be paid up front, lawyers representing the school say Mrs Mandela never paid a cent. They started instituting proceedings against her in October 2008. The case dragged on for five years. A lawyer acting on behalf of the school told CNN Mrs Mandela made her first payment last year but that she still owes nearly $5,000 with interest included. Mrs Mandela’s lawyer is disputing the interest amount.

With dozens of journalists surrounding him, not a single bidder in sight, and Mrs Mandela’s bodyguards stationed on the other side of the wall, Sheriff Maluleke knocked in vain. People could be seen moving around inside and outside the house, but nobody came out to let the sheriff in. At one point a car sped out of the premises using a side entrance. It is unclear who was in the car.

Maluleke was instructed by lawyers to get a locksmith and force his way into Mandela’s house, but he was understandably reluctant. At one point a spectator shouted, “Why don’t you climb over the wall?” The sheriff’s irritated retort: “And get shot at?”

The tense standoff lasted for about two hours. Maluleke left Winnie Mandela’s property empty-handed and dejected. He later admitted that the task he was expected to carry out was a difficult one. “Is it because she is the mother of the nation?” he was asked. “Exactly,” he responded.

Read this: How South Africa avoided ‘bloody racial war’

Outrage at pictures of ailing Mandela

2012: Nelson Mandela’s early years

Nelson Mandela’s family wine venture

Celebrating Mandela at 94

On Monday night Winnie Mandela’s lawyer Yandisa Dudula had been frantically trying to stop the auction from going ahead.

“Mrs. Mandela has given me a check for R16,000 ($1,696), and another R4,000 ($212) has been given to the sheriff,” he told CNN. “The auction is not necessary.”

The school’s lawyers insisted on getting the money in cash, failing which, they said the sale of her goods would go ahead as planned.

Confused neighbors looked on as the spectacle at Mandela’s property unfolded.

“We thought she had money, it is very surprising that her goods are now having to be auctioned in order to recoup funds for a debt,” one of them told CNN.

When asked what it is like to live next door “the mother of the nation,” the neighbor said, “We never see her. When the old man (Nelson Mandela) lived in Soweto he would walk around, shake people’s hands, greet and talk to them, he even invited us into his home.”

“Winnie keeps to herself, but we still call her ‘mother of the nation’ and no-one wants to see her humiliated,” the neighbor said.

Commentators say Winnie Mandela has become increasingly isolated, not only by her political family, the ruling African National Congress, but seemingly by her biological family as well.

“Internal tensions within the family could have played a role in no one coming to Mrs Mandela’s aid,” political analyst Somadoda Fikeni told CNN. “The family is fragmented and recent squabbles over money have further emphasized these divisions.”

Two of Nelson Mandela’s daughters — Makaziwe Mandela and Zenani Dlamini — are currently embroiled in a legalbattle over the former political prisoner’s money. They have filed court papers in an attempt to remove Mandela’s longtime lawyer and friend, 84-year-old George Bizos, and others as directors of companies owned by the Mandela Trust.

The children’s legal battle over their iconic father’s monies has come under heavy criticism in South Africa. Bizos told local media the lawsuit is “a ploy to resuscitate the sale of Mandela’s artworks” whose proceeds go to the companies at the center of the dispute.

Andrew Mlangeni, who was incarcerated on Robben Island with Mr Mandela, told CNN: “This is a matter that should have been resolved internally within the family.”

Makaziwe recently rebutted accusations that her intentions are motivated by greed, telling the New York Times: “This issue that we are greedy, that we are wanting this money before my dad passes away is all nonsense.”

The feud over Nelson Mandela’s millions and now the threat of an auction at his former wife’s residence underscore the contradictions and complexities in what many consider South Africa’s political “royal family.”

Read this: Big brands target South Africa’s middle class

This is by no means Winnie Mandela’s first brush with the law, although for years many saw her as untouchable.

The former freedom fighter was implicated in the 1980s murder of 14-year-old anti-apartheid activist Stompie Seipei. Her then-husband, Nelson Mandela, stood by her, despite a mountain of damning evidence. In 1991 she was convicted of kidnapping Seipei and for being an accessory to assault, but her six-year jail term was reduced on appeal to a fine and a suspended sentence.

In 2003 Mrs Mandela was convicted for theft and fraud in connection with an elaborate bank loan scheme where the ANC party letterhead was used to obtain loans for bogus employees including her youngest daughter Zinzi. The conviction carried a jail term, but that sentence too was suspended.

A few months ago police confirmed that they have reopened the murder case of two more former freedom fighters, allegedly last seen at her house more than 20 years ago. Their bodies were exhumed in March.

Musical tribute to Nelson Mandela

Securing the release of Nelson Mandela

From prison number to fashion line

In recent years, “the mother of the nation’s” influence in the country and within the ruling party has waned, and the protection she once enjoyed along with it. Last year she was voted second-last in the party’s national executive committee. She had been top of the list at the previous ANC conference in 2007.

Still, respected columnist and journalist Justice Malala says he is astonished Winnie Mandela couldn’t get help from a single one of her former comrades.

Malala told CNN: “It’s great that she was paying for her great niece’s school fees but I’m surprised that firstly she didn’t feel she could raise the money from her own salary and secondly that no-one in the ANC was willing to help her. She could have also approached the Mandela Trust. Mandela has given money to president Jacob Zuma before when he was in trouble.”

Perhaps the most astonishing part of the tale is why her children and grandchildren appear to have stood by and watched as threats of an auction became more serious.

Two of her grandchildren, Zaziwe and Swati Dlamini have recently launched a reality show in the U.S. called “Being Mandela.” They also have a clothing line named “Long Walk to Freedom” after their grandfather’s autobiography. Their mother Zenani Dlamini, Winnie’s eldest daughter, is South Africa’s ambassador to Argentina.

Despite the family’s many ventures and connections, Winnie’s lawyer says money isn’t always readily available.

Winnie Mandela has often courted controversy, but she is still adored by many in South Africa.

She endured years of torture, torment, banishment and imprisonment by the apartheid regime while fighting resolutely for racial equality in the country.

And despite her legal and financial troubles over the years, very few South Africans are celebrating her downfall. Many of them took to Twitter to express their solidarity. “We cannot forget Winnie Mandela who stood tall for three decades” wrote one person.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/24/world/africa/winnie-mandela-sheriff-auction/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/S9oCMChXowE/winnie-and-the-debt-collectors

Categories: Uncategorized Tags:

Is Germany now cool?

May 25th, 2013 ripley@ripley.za.net 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}
]]

Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp has won plaudits for his intelligent musings on football. “You can speak about spirit — or you can live it,” he told the Guardian newspaper this week.

The Bratwurst, a traditional German sausage, is renowned all over the world and is a big favorite with football fans.

Kim Kardashian is just one of a whole host of celebrities to have visited Munich’s Oktoberfest — a beer festival which is held in the city every year.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is a huge football fan and will be a keen spectator at the Champions League final.

While Dortmund’s players have produced on the pitch, its fans have done likewise in the stands with a number of outstanding montages on the famous Sudtribune terrace.

Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira have become an integral part of Germany’s new multicultural team under manager Joachim Low. The pair have established themselves as stars on the world stage with the national team and Spanish club side Real Madrid.

Six-time grand slam tennis champion Boris Becker, who once sat on the Bayern board, believes hosting the 2006 World Cup transformed his country’s image.

Sebastian Vettel, Formula One’s treble world champion, is one of Germany’s most famous faces and is revered across the sporting world.

Christoph Waltz has become a leading name in Hollywood since winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in Quentin Tarantino’s film “Django Unchained.” Waltz is the son of a German father and Austrian mother.

(CNN) — The Germans are coming — and this time London cannot wait.

Germany suddenly finds itself in the unusual position of being uber cool, and that is in no small part thanks to the first all-German European Champions League final on Saturday, when Bayern Munich takes on Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium, the home of English soccer.

From triple world champion Sebastian Vettel revving up as the poster boy of Formula One, to Oscar-winning actor Christoph Waltz, — who is the son of a German father and Austrian mother — starring on the big screen, Germany has a newfound confidence about itself.

And yet, some stereotypes just won’t disappear.

Within minutes of Dortmund’s semifinal victory over Real Madrid, the first “jokes” began to emerge with the UK’s tabloid papers jesting that “fans had their towels on the seats already” — a reference to German holidaymakers’ apparent habit of claiming sun loungers at beach resorts.

Traditionally the British have had a particularly testing relationship with Germany, and it has much to do with the two World Wars of the 20th Century.

David Beckham calls it a career

FIFA’s anti-racism campaign

Alex Ferguson’s recipe for success

As recently as a decade ago, stereotypical images of Germans decked out in Lederhosen, socks and sandals goosestepping to the beat of the Oompah Band armed with a Bratwurst and quaffing a Weissbier were not uncommon in British red-top tabloids.

On the terraces, England fans would taunt their German opponents with songs about World War II and the infamous “Ten German Bombers song” where the victory of the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain is recounted.

Peep Show, one of the most popular British TV sitcoms of recent years, is one of the more contemporary programs to reference the “Sausage-munching Bosch” and “Fritz, the Bratwurst Guzzler.”

But former tennis star Boris Becker believes his country’s successful hosting of the World Cup in 2006 has helped transformed Germany’s image.

“I think we have shown the world how diverse and multicultural Germany has become,” says the six-time grand slam champion, who has been hugely popular in Britain since winning Wimbledon at the age of 17 in 1985.

“We did a great job with the visiting fans,” he told CNN. “And whoever was there seven years ago has seen a different side of Germany and have realized that the new Germans are much ‘cooler.’

“I wouldn’t say that the English are falling in love with Germany, but I think they have respect for what Germany has achieved in the sporting world.

“There is a new multicultural wave coming from Germany, which is very international and very cosmopolitan.”

Swashbuckling style

Britain, too, has come a long way in its perception of Germany since John Cleese famously goosestepped his way around Fawlty Towers as hotel owner Basil Fawlty in one of the country’s most beloved TV comedies during the 1970s.

How to manage like Alex Ferguson

Thiago Silva targets PSG dominance

Beckham brand will outlast soccer career

It’s not just the swashbuckling style personified by Bayern and Dortmund that has helped reinvent attitudes to Germany — it’s also been reinforced by the nation’s football team under the guidance of ultra-cool Joachim Low.

Comprised of players from the German, Polish, Turkish, Tunisian and African communities, Low’s squad produced the kind of exhilarating and vibrant football which helped the team reach the final of the 2008 European Championships, as well as the semifinals of the 2010 World Cup and 2012 Euros.

Behind the scenes, the Bundesliga, with its low ticket prices, safe standing areas and stylish infrastructure, has eclipsed the English Premier League and Spain’s La Liga as the hipsters’ choice.

These days fans from all over Europe flock to stand on Dortmund’s famous Sudtribune terrace, to catch a glimpse of Bayern or venture further to the likes of St. Pauli in Hamburg, a favorite with many foreign supporters.

“The weather is good and the beer is better,” quipped the Bundesliga’s chief executive Christian Seifert after being asked why German football attracts so many tourists.

“But I think it’s more to do with safe standing, the relatively low ticket prices in relation to very attractive games and a good atmosphere at the stadium,” he told CNN.

“In 2006, more English tourists were in Germany than ever before and in those four weeks we had great marketing and great weather. It was the best summer I can remember.

“After the World Cup, a lot of investment was made in stadium infrastructure, so it was really easy to get there.

“We have a relatively low amount of season tickets, so it’s possible to get a ticket in the ‘free’ sale at a fair price. If then, somebody says they want to see a Bundesliga game, then that’s great.”

Hargreaves: Scholes is the best

Friedel: ‘Bale can be world’s best’

Exclusive: What makes Ibrahimovic tick?

Football fans are also attracted to the Oktoberfest, a 16-day celebration of beer held in Munich each year, with its clubs and bars making it a popular destination for bachelor parties and weekends away.

Jingoistic stereotypes

Matthias Krug, an author and journalist, says he heard and witnessed anti-German chants and rhetoric when he lived in England between 2004 and 2007.

The nations’ footballing rivalry stems back to the 1966 World Cup final, when England controversially beat West Germany in extra time at Wembley as Geoff Hurst scored a goal that is still debated to this day.

West Germany got revenge in Mexico four years later, while the English have since suffered heartbreak against “Die Mannschaft” in several high-profile tournaments since — though 2001′s 5-1 triumph in a World Cup qualifier in Munich provided some respite.

“I once traveled on a train in northern England which was completely packed and then people suddenly began singing a vivid song about one English victory in football and two in wars,” says Krug, who lived in Nottingham between 2004 and 2007, but now works in Qatar.

“I think fighter pilots from the RAF were also mentioned. It must have been my looks which sparked them. I don’t remember having said a word, either pre- or post-singing,” he told CNN.

“Obviously stereotypes related to Germany, both positive and negative, that have been very strong as a result of history and also our sporting history.

“They also vary greatly; others in England showed a strong sense of respect for the achievements and consistency of German football.”

In 1996, before England hosted a semifinal clash with Germany at the European Championships, the tabloid Daily Mirror published a front page with the words, “Achtung, surrender, for you Fritz, ze Euro 96 Championship is over.”

Ten years later, The Sun newspaper provoked fury from German Chancellor Angela Merkel after publishing an unflattering photo of her from behind while she changed into a swimming costume with a headline of: “I’m bigger than the Bumdestag.”

That incident provoked fury in Germany and no shortage of embarrassment in the UK.

Bayern vs. Dortmund in numbers

New York Yankees president Randy Levine, MLS chief Don Garber and Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano revealed the new franchise plans.

Former Manchester City star Patrick Vieira threw a ceremonial pitch at a recent New York Yankees game against Toronto.

Former French international star Thierry Henry is the star player at the only current MLS franchise in the Big Apple, the New York Red Bulls.

David Beckham played for six seasons with Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS and helped popularize football in the United States. He helped them to the last two MLS titles.

Man City and Yankees partner in MLS expansion side New York City FC

David Beckham waves after his team Paris St. Germain played Brest in his final home match in Paris on Saturday, May 18. Beckham signed on with the team just a few months ago, and now he is retiring. Click through for a look back at Beckham through the years.

Beckham poses with Paris Saint-Germain President Nasser Al-Khelaifi, left, and PSG sports director Leonardo during a press conference announcing his new gig in January 2013.

Beckham makes his England debut at a World Cup Europe Qualifying Round Group 2 match against Moldova in 1996.

Beckham celebrates his goal in the 1998 World Cup Finals versus Colombia in 1998.

Becks as a member of Manchester United cools down during the FA Charity Shield match against Arsenal at Wembley Stadium in London in 1998.

At the 1998 World Cup in France, in a second-round match against Argentina, Beckham was sent off for kicking out at Diego Simeone. England lost the match on penalties and was eliminated, with Beckham becoming a hate figure for some fans.

Beckham poses after a press conference in Awaji-shima Island, Japan, in 2002.

Beckham poses with Beyonce, left, and Jennifer Lopez during a presentation of the new Pepsi “Samourai” in Madrid in 2004.

Becks waves after a la Liga match between Real Madrid and Deportivo La Coruna in Madrid in 2007.

The midfielder celebrates with his sons in 2007 after Real Madrid won the Spanish League title by beating Mallorca.

Beckham makes an appearance to promote his fragrance “David Beckham Intimately Night” in Sydney in 2007.

Beckham reveals his new No. 32 Adidas jersey as part of an announcement of the start of his loan move to AC Milan from the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2008.

Beckham controls the ball during the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier of European Group 6.

Beckham unveils the new Emporio Armani underwear ad campaign for the fall/winter of 2009-2010.

Beckham, No. 23 of the Los Angeles Galaxy soccer team, walks toward the line judge to have a chat during Game 1 of the MLS Western Conference Semifinals against Chivas USA in 2009.

Becks arrives at Sydney International Airport in 2010.

David and Victoria Beckham arrive at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey in 2011.

The Beckhams attend the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in West Hollywood, California, in 2012.

Beckham celebrated his second MLS Cup success with the Los Angeles Galaxy in December 2012, when he decided to leave with a year left on his contract as he sought one final career challenge in Europe.

Beckham passes under Tower Bridge in a speedboat which carries the Olympic Torch and its torchbearer in 2012.

Beckham acts as England’s captain during the 2004 European Nations Championship football match against Croatia in Lisbon, Portugal.

David Beckham through the years

Philipp Lahm, left, of the German football team Bayern Munchen attends the Oktoberfest beer festival with his teammate Thomas Mueller in Munich, Germany, on Sunday, October 7, the last day of the world’s biggest beer festival. See more of CNN’s best photography.

People in traditional Bavarian garb fire a salute Sunday on the steps of the Bavaria monument.

A Bavarian riflewoman waits before the salute on Sunday.

Visitors and the giant bronze sculpture ‘Bavaria’ are reflected in the brass players’ instruments on Sunday.

Christian Ude, Munich’s lord mayor, attends the traditional Boellerschiessen salute on the last day of Oktoberfest on Sunday.

Visitors drink beer while rain falls on the Oktoberfest festival fairground on Sunday.

Bayern Munchen football club CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, from left, head coach Jupp Heynckes, Bundesliga league board member Karl Hopfner and sporting director Matthias Sammer clink steins on Sunday.

Young people, some dressed in traditional Bavarian clothing, wait outside a duck roast beer tent at the Oktoberfest beer festival in Munich, Germany, on Saturday, October 6.

Decked-out attendeees chat on Friday, October 5.

A father and son dressed in traditional Bavarian clothing ride in a bumper car on Friday.

People dressed in traditional Bavarian clothing ride swings during Friday’s festivities.

Oktoberfest visitors get into the spirit in a festival tent at the Theresienwiese on Friday.

An Oktoberfest visitor has a rest on the lawn at the Theresienwiese.

It’s standing-room only at Oktoberfest in Munich on Wednesday, October 3.

Festivalgoers enjoy a ride at the Theresienwiese fairgrounds in Munich, Germany, at the Oktoberfest beer festival on Tuesday, October 2.

A booth sells gingerbread hearts at Oktoberfest on Tuesday.

Grigoris Makos of the football team TSV 1860 Munich and his wife, Athena, enjoy some suds Tuesday.

Musicians perform in front of the Bavaria statue during the Oktoberfest concert in Munich on Sunday, September 30.

Musicians perform Sunday at the Theresienwiese in Munich.

A girl holds balloons during Sunday’s concert.

Alphorn musicians play at the foot of the Bavaria monument Sunday.

A waiter carries beer mugs through the Braeurosl beer tent during day seven of Oktoberfest 2012 on Friday, September 28, in Munich.

A man dressed in traditional Bavarian clothing eats fried calamari on Friday.

People dressed in traditional Bavarian clothing attend the beer festival.

Revelers enjoy themselves as they drink beer outside the Braeurosl beer tent Friday.

A man dressed in traditional Bavarian clothing rests.

A girl wearing a Bavarian Dirndl dress fires a rifle at a shooting range at Oktoberfest.

A waitress carries mugs of beer to customers at the Braeurosl beer tent.

People enjoy themselves as they drink beer outside the Lowenbrau beer tent.

A woman dressed in traditional Bavarian clothing attends day seven of Oktoberfest on Friday.

People sit on benches under a tent on Thursday, September 27.

A woman stands in front of gingerbread hearts on Wednesday, September 26, the fifth day of the festival.

Michael Schifferl decorates a gingerbread cookie at his stand on Tuesday, September 25.

A colorful swing ride turns on Tuesday, the fourth day of the festival.

A young woman drinks beer at the Oktoberfest beer festival on Monday, September 24.

A woman serves Hendl at the Theresienwiese Oktoberfest fairgrounds on Monday.

Revelers fill an Oktoberfest tent at the Theresienwiese festival grounds on Sunday, September 23.

Two men wearing traditional Bavarian clothes take part in the costumes and riflemen parade on Sunday.

Visitors rest on the grass on Sunday.

Revelers dressed in traditional Bavarian clothes celebrate at Schottenhamel beer tent on Saturday, September 22.

The attractions light up the fairgrounds on the first night of the festival on Saturday.

A booth selling fried nuts attracts people evening on Saturday evening.

German actor Axel Milberg and his wife, Judith, cheer with beer mugs on Saturday.

Revelers wearing different types of mock lederhosen walk at the festival.

Waitresses prepare for the opening day of Oktoberfest 2012.

Typical Oktoberfest heart badges are seen at a beer tent.

Police officers wait for the opening parade to begin.

A woman wearing a traditional Bavarian Dirndl dress drinks beer.

Visitors hold umbrellas as they wait in front of a beer tent.

A waiter brings beer mugs to participants.

Horses pulling a beer coach march in the parade.

A tuba player performs as a parade kicks off the festival.

A man in traditional Bavarian clothes and his dogs wait for the opening parade.

Waitresses of the Spaten brewery wave with beer mugs. See more of CNN’s best photography.

Photos: Oktoberfest 2012 beer festival

But it’s not just in Britain, where this deep-rooted hostility towards Germany is alive and kicking.

Most recently, Merkel has suffered from having her economic policies compared to those of the Nazis by the Hungarian Prime Minister, while the the German leader has also been lampooned by the Greek press.

Media perception

According to the 2011 UK census, there are 274,000 Germans living on British shores.

“At the moment it is really cool to read all the very well-informed and positive articles about German football in the British press,” says Karl Pfeiffer, the director of educational links at London’s Goethe-Institut.

“Since the 2006 World Cup in Germany, the media perception of German football and Germany in general has dramatically changed,” added Pfeiffer, who has lived in England since 1986.

“Personally I never encountered stereotypical comments or remarks, but parts of the press here before 2006 were a different matter.

“In my job I work on a German football project with Arsenal, which has two great and popular German players, Lukas Podolski and Per Mertesacker.

“The project is for school children and it is great to see how interested they are in in German football, too.”

Dortmund’s success in reaching the final has particularly struck a chord with neutral fans given the club almost went out of business eight years ago.

Under the guidance of charismatic coach Jurgen Klopp, whose popularity has seen a pop song written about him, Dortmund’s run to the final has left even the most hard-hearted of seasoned aficionados willing on the men in yellow and black.

“It is really nice to see how well Dortmund and Klopp are liked all over Europe,” Sandra Goldschmidt, a devoted follower of the club, told CNN.

“Everyone loves a little fairytale story like ours from nearly having to go into administration to being in a Champions League final, and that is really all thanks to Klopp.

“I guess that people in England also really admire it that we have done this without making big-money signings but by finding talents.”

So as Bayern and Dortmund fans walk down Wembley Way, originally constructed by German prisoners of war in the 1940s, it will provoke a timely reminder of how the world has moved on.

And it is Krug’s hope that Saturday’s showpiece will galvanize further change in attitudes towards Germans.

“This year’s Champions League final may well prove to be a temporary culmination of changing perceptions towards Germany,” he said.

“Football has the power to change worldwide stereotypes and perceptions. It’s done so in the past and it will do so again.”

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/24/sport/football/champions-league-bayern-dortmund-football/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/ZY1G23cm4Ik/is-germany-now-cool

Categories: Uncategorized Tags:

Bundesliga trouble

May 25th, 2013 ripley@ripley.za.net No comments

Bayern Munich won the German Bundesliga title by a margin of 25 points from second placed Borussia Dortmund, who have been champions in the two previous seasons. Bayern finished an incredible 36 points clear of fourth placed Schalke. Critics argue the dominance of both clubs could be bad for Germany’s top tier, which they say is becoming too predictable.

As well as domestic dominance, both clubs are excelling in European competition. Germany’s top two — Bayern and Dortmund — will contest the Champions League final at Wembley on May 25.

Just days before Dortmund’s Champions League semifinal with Spanish giants Real Madrid it was confirmed one of their star players, Mario Gotze, would be joining Bayern next season for a deal reported to be worth $56 million. Signing one of their nearest rivals’ best players should only strengthen Bayern’s grip on domestic competition.

All-conquering Bayern, who will contest the German Cup final on June 1 as they seek an historic treble, are preparing to welcome Josep Guardiola as their new coach for next season. The former Barcelona manager won 14 trophies in a four-year spell at the Spanish giants, sparking a clamor for his signature after he spent a year out of the game.

German clubs are famed for being well run, creating a good atmosphere at games, with Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion a case in point. Cheap tickets for standing areas play a large part in that, and Dortmund’s players make a point of thanking their supporters after every game.

All but three top-flight clubs — Bayer Leverkusen, Wolfsburg and Hoffenheim — are owned by supporters under the 50+1 rule, that dictates clubs must be majority owned by fans to prevent them being taken over by private investors. The last vote on changing the “50+1″ rule came back in 2009 and only Hannover 96 voted to scrap it. Here Hamburg fans hold up banners at a recent Bundesliga match against Hannover that reads: “Us for you, you for us.”

There are exceptions lower down the leagues too. In 2009, soft drinks giant Red Bull bought the license of German fifth division club SSV Markranstädt to create Rasen Ballsport Leipzig. The aim was to make the top tier — the Bundesliga — within 10 years. Leipzig will contest a playoff to make the third division in June.

Red Bull was prevented from attaching its brand name to the club so settled for calling it Rasen Ballsport Leipzig, shortened to RB Leipzig so as to carry the energy drink firm’s initials.

The club moved from its old home to the newly-built Red Bull Arena in 2010. It is the fifth soccer team in the company’s portfolio.

Reports estimate that Red Bull is prepared to pump $128 million into the club. A new training center and youth academy, currently being built, will open in 2015 at a cost of $45 million.

(CNN) — Most fans would agree that a great football league needs some key ingredients: skilful players, excitement and drama on the pitch; and off the field, passionate supporters and owners who love and understand the game.

But these days soccer is also about big business, million-dollar deals and billionaire benefactors lining up to plow money into the game.

Those seeking a balance between these sometimes awkward bedfellows will often point to Germany and the Bundesliga. With two clubs in Saturday’s Champions League final at London’s Wembley Stadium, high attendances, keenly-priced season tickets, equitable club ownership and the national team on an upward trajectory, German football appears to be in rude health. But is it?

In the domestic Bundesliga, Bayern finished 25 points clear of Dortmund and 36 points ahead of fourth-placed Schalke 04. If Manchester United’s path to the English Premier League title looked like a cakewalk, the German champions could have taken the entire dessert trolley along with them.

Arguably the competition is beginning to resemble anything but.

Writing in the German tabloid Bild last month, Bayern’s former goalkeeper Oliver Kahn expressed fears that the domination of the Munich club and Dortmund — Bundesliga champions in 2011 and 2012 — is here to stay, and that the gulf at the top could widen even further in the future.

Even Dortmund’s manager Jürgen Klopp has remarked that the league is in danger of becoming boring.

CNN Football Club: Bayern dominate Barca

Do Bayern Munich need Pep Guardiola?

CNN FC: Do Bayern Munich need Guardiola?

Arguably Dortmund were unable to mount an effective challenge this season as they saved their best performances for the Champions League.

But the brilliance of both Bayern and Dortmund in their respective semifinal wins against Real Madrid and Barcelona suggests the Bundesliga needs to be wary of an emerging duopoly.

Read: Bayern give Heynckes winning Bundesliga farewell

It’s not hard to see why Bayern and Dortmund have become so omnipotent both at home and abroad.

“Two great managers, two teams that almost mirror each other in the way they play, the way they attack, the way they defend without the ball,” former Bayern midfielder Owen Hargreaves told CNN.

“Bayern have only conceded something like 15 goals, which is ridiculous in a full season,” he added.

“At Dortmund, the average age is 23, and I think Jürgen Klopp has done such a remarkable job to take that group of players and virtually dominate some terrific European teams.”

Yet among German fans there are concerns.

“Of course the current situation could become unhealthy,” said Stuart Dykes, a Schalke season ticket-holder since 1988, and the supporter liaison officer project consultant at fan ownership campaigning body, Supporters Direct.

“Even Bayern, while obviously delighted to have won the title so comfortably, have talked about it not being in their interests to do it every year. Ultimately the overall product of German football would suffer.”

Dortmund revival

Not content with running away with the Bundesliga this season, Bayern are already laying plans to dominate next season, notably with the appointment of former Barca coach Pep Guardiola — who guided the Catalonia club to 14 trophies in four years — to take over from Jupp Heynckes.

Dortmund’s hopes of catching Bayern next season have been further jeopardized by the loss of playmaker Mario Gotze, who recently agreed to join the Munich club at the end of this season in a $56 million deal.

Are German teams the best in Europe?

Alex Ferguson’s recipe for success

Friedel: ‘Bale can be world’s best’

Rumors of a Bayern bid for the Bundesliga’s second-highest scorer Robert Lewandowski, whose four goals against Real Madrid in the semis propelled Dortmund to Wembley, suggest a strategy centered on dismantling their only rivals’ chances before next season has even begun.

Read: English Premier League should follow Bundesliga example

The consolation for Dortmund fans is that at least the club has some money to spend to try to keep pace.

Eight years ago it was on the brink of financial ruin, missing rent payments on its stadium and facing crippling losses.

Extraordinarily, a loan from Bayern played a part in Dortmund’s survival — with $2.5 million handed over to help stave off bankruptcy.

Dortmund’s path back to solvency and success has been paved by Klopp’s highly astute signings, such as Poland striker Lewandowski, as well as his trust in talented graduates from the club’s youth academy, like midfielder Nuri Sahin.

But it has been the club’s willingness to part with its top players at the height of their value that has restored Dortmund’s financial health.

Shinji Kagawa, signed for just $300,000 from the Japanese second division, was sold to Manchester United for $17 million, while Sahin joined Real Madrid for $12.8 million.

“Obviously (Dortmund and Bayern) have the power and the money to buy the best players as Bayern has done again; they’ve signed Götze for £37 million, and you know, the rich get richer, and that’s just the way that football works,” said Hargreaves.

“People can argue that’s not fair, but they paid a lot of money to Dortmund — and they can invest that money in younger players.”

Read: Bayern complete rout of Barcelona

In England, the Premier League has taken a laissez-faire approach to regulating clubs’ finances.

Alongside huge television deals — the latest of which could see a record £5.5 billion ($8.3 billion) windfall in broadcasting income — extraordinarily wealthy owners such as Chelsea’s Roman Abramovich and Sheikh Mansour at Manchester City have been allowed to spend big for success.

But the model in Germany is very different.

Gullit: Mourinho will return to Chelsea

Marcel Desailly’s Ghana regret

Bayern Munich puts a hurt on Barcelona

Under the league’s “50+1″ rule, Bundesliga clubs must be controlled by their members — with at least 50% of shares, plus one, in their hands.

This means a club cannot be taken over by private investors. At the last vote on changing this rule, back in 2009, only Hannover 96 voted to scrap it.

The German system is geared towards preventing the influence of a rich benefactor from skewing the competition, but some argue that it will only serve to perpetuate the status quo.

Hannover has now won concessions in its attempt to change the “50+1″ rule, and these will allow sponsors with a long-term relationship with a club — more than 20 years — to take a stake in it.

However club fans are already protesting about these changes, perhaps anxious at the advantage such a move might give their rivals.

“The next five years will be interesting,” said Dykes. “The rules have had exceptions to allow for the different ownership structures of teams like Bayer Leverkusen and Vfl Wolfsburg, but Hannover has argued that this leaves them at a disadvantage, and you can see why.”

Read: Football enters space age with ‘Footbonaut’

But how is a booming Bundesliga affecting German football further down the feeding chain?

In the former East Germany, far from the country’s football powerbase, one lowly team’s fortunes are being transformed by Austrian soft drink company Red Bull’s takeover.

In 2009, Rasen Ballsport Leipzig (better known as RB Leipzig) became the fourth club in Red Bull’s football portfolio, alongside Red Bull Salzburg of Austria, Red Bull Brasil, and the New York Red Bulls of the American MLS.

Formerly known as SSV Markranstädt, league regulations prevent the club using the Red Bull brand in its name, so it settled on RB Leipzig instead; but there is no ambiguity over the power driving it forward, with a reported planned $128 million investment to take the club to the Bundesliga by 2017.

After promotion in its first season, followed by two years in German football’s fourth tier, its plans look to be on track as the club prepares to contest the playoffs for another promotion in June.

2012: Football gloom in Munich

Cristiano Ronaldo had a wonderful chance to put Real in front early on but sent his volley straight at Dortmund keeper Roman Weidenfeller.

Mesut Ozil reacts after missing a glorious opportunity to give Real the lead after breaking clear of the Dortmund defense only to drill his effort wide of the post.

Substitute Karim Benzema finally made the breakthrough in the 82nd minute when he slotted home Ozil’s pass from close-range to make it 1-0 on the night and 2-4 on aggregate.

Sergio Ramos set up a nervous finale when he rifled home with two minutes of normal time remaining. That strike left Real needing one more to pull off an unlikely comeback.

Real piled forward in search of a dramatic winner but not even the mercurial Ronaldo could find that elusive third goal.

Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp celebrates with his players following the 2-0 defeat which allowed his side to qualify for the final 4-3 on aggregate. It is the first time since 1997 that Dortmund has reached the final when it defeated Juventus 3-1.

Dortmund will face either Barcelona or Bayern Munich at Wembley on May 25. Bayern, which has already won the Bundesliga title, will take a 4-0 lead into the second leg at the Camp No Wednesday.

Close but not close enough for Real

Olivier Giroud gave Arsenal the perfect start when he slammed home from close-range after Theo Walcott had got in behind the Bayern defense. Following a 3-1 defeat in the first leg, Arsenal needed a fast start and it got it.

Arjen Robben was a constant danger to the Arsenal defense and kept the visiting players busy as Bayern looked for an equalizer.

Bayern, which is 20 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga, had not suffered a defeat since October 28 in any competition. Its frustration was clear to see with striker Mario Mandzukic aggrieved with his side’s showing.

With just four minutes of normal time remaining, Arsenal grabs its second goal to set up a thrilling finale thanks to Laurent Koscielny’s header. The Frenchman headed home to leave Bayern clinging on.

Bayern Munich duo Philipp Lahm and Thomas Muller look relieved after the 2-0 home defeat, a result which takes the German side through on away goals following a 3-3 overall draw.

Malaga’s Javier Saviola goes up against Porto’s Alex Sandro with the Spanish club aiming to overturn a one-goal deficit from the first leg.

Just two minutes before the break, Malaga made the breakthrough when talented midfielder Isco collected Manuel Iturra’s pass and fired an unstoppable effort into the top corner.

Substitute Roque Santa Cruz netted a 77th minute winner to make it 2-0 on the night and send Malaga through 2-1 on aggregate.

Malaga’s players celebrate at the final whistle following the 2-0 win over Porto — a result which secured a 2-1 aggregate victory overall and its place in the quarterfinals for the first time in its history.

Bayern clings on

The club’s stadium, the impressive 45,000 capacity Red Bull Arena, is certainly ready.

“We accept this rule,” said RB Liepzig’s managing director Ulrich Wolter, referring to the “50+1″ rule.

“The intention of the rule is to secure the league’s integrity against short-term investment, I think everyone understands that.”

However, Wolter is frustrated at the resistance to RB Leipzig’s owners.

“Red Bull is not a Russian oligarch, or an Arabian sheikh,” he said. “We’ve shown elsewhere that we’re about a strong, sustainable investment and commitment.

“Why is our way the wrong way? What is the difference between our approach and a club with 50 different sponsors delivering the same thing?”

Even so RB Leipzig’s new investors have encountered resistance.

The pitch at its former stadium was attacked with weed killer not long after the takeover, and fans of other clubs can be less than welcoming.

“It’s getting better,” says Wolter. “We’re proud of our family and spectators. We don’t have ‘ultras’ and we don’t need them. It’s a friendly family atmosphere here, with men, women, children, pensioners, it’s a different way.”

Germany’s often raucous fans are, however, part of the fabric of the Bundesliga experience.

The biggest obstacle to change in Germany may come from those very supporters, many of whom view the English Premier League with disdain, given that they see themselves at the center of a club’s structure.

The Bundesliga boasts some of the world’s finest stadia, and its commitment to safe standing areas has helped enable clubs to keep prices low, as well as creating the boisterously vibrant atmosphere that characterizes top-flight games.

But while the cheapest season tickets represent superb value, if fans turn up on match day looking for tickets then the story is rather different. “People are always talking about cheap tickets, but it can be misleading,” says Dykes.

The “Footbonaut” — is a robotic cage which footballers can use to improve passing, spatial awareness and control. The machine is being used by German champions Borussia Dortmund.

Once inside the “Footbonaut”, a player is fed balls by eight different machines and then has deliver the ball to one of the 72 panels – – which is indciated by a flashing green light — that make up the space-age contraption before they receive another ball. This picture shows Dortmund’s German star Mario Gotze testing himself against the machine.

German coach Jurgen Klopp has overseen Dortmund’s recent domination of German football. Dortmund have won the Bundesliga in each of the last two seasons, winning plaudits for the adventurous style of play. Klopp’s team also currently sit top of a European Champions League group containing Real Madrid, Manchester City and Ajax.

Dortmund’s rise to prominence has forced their attractive young squad into the limelight. None more so than Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, who was strongly linked with a move to Manchester United earlier this year.

One player who did swap Dortmund for Manchester was Shinji Kagawa. The Japanese playmaker had made a promising start to his Old Trafford career before being sidelined with a knee injury last month. Another player developed by Dortmund was Nuri Sahin, the Turkish midfielder who signed for Real Madrid in 2011 before joining Liverpool on a season-long loan deal in August.

Dortmund’s training pays dividends

The Schalke Fan Feld, whose centerpiece will be a club logo made up of blue and white flowers lying between two goals, looks directly on to the Bundesliga club’s home stadium – the white domed Veltins-Arena, which can be seen in the gap between the trees in this picture.

Schalke fans are known as some of the most passionate in German football.

The cemetery will only have space for 1,904 graves — reflecting the year of Schalke’s foundation — and the club says there will not be another site when the entire allocation is taken up.

Schalke’s on-field fortunes have improved in recent years to the point where they have brought in leading strikers Raul Gonzalez, who left the club earlier this year, and current Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

The cemetery will be laid out in the shape of a stadium, with the miniature pitch located at the centre.

The “pitch” will feature the Schalke logo, made up of blue and white flowers, with a goal at each end and benches in the middle of those.

Schalke’s Veltins-Arena was built in the run-up to the 2006 World Cup and can hold over 65,000 fans.

From the cradle to the grave

“Of course standing tickets are cheap, as you would expect; but once these go, and they’re usually in demand, the ticket prices at the top end are broadly comparable to those in England.”

In fact, at $88 the most expensive match-day ticket for Bayern is the same as that at Manchester City, for example — and $9 more expensive than at Manchester United.

Read: Bayern coach celebrates 1,000 games

This year, partly in response to incidents of crowd trouble at games, there have even been whispers that the prized standing areas could be abolished.

“Standing is vital to low ticket prices, but also the atmosphere and the overall product of German football,” said a skeptical Dykes.

“The league realizes that and I can’t see the standing areas being given up. It would be difficult under German federal law to ‘ban’ them anyway, so I just can’t see it happening.”

The worry for other Bundesliga clubs must be that the success of Dortmund and Bayern could put them out of sight in the financial and playing stakes; last year Chelsea received an estimated $77 million from winning the Champions League, while beaten finalist Bayern pocketed $53.65 million.

Youth and prudence

However, the notion that a couple of teams might dominate their league is not confined to Germany.

“Spain’s that way, the last three or four years the third or fourth place team, they still play Champions League and they’re 30 points behind,” said Hargreaves.

“A lot of people in Germany love Bayern and love Dortmund, in the same way as people (in England) love Manchester United or Chelsea,” he added, “but there are a lot of people who root for the underdog as well. So I think, in a way, it’s a fair balance.”

Read: Why Guardiola will make Bayern better

And Dykes remains unconvinced that a tipping point has been reached.

“It’s too early to be talking about a duopoly,” he said. “Success comes and goes. If we’re still talking about those two in a few years’ time, or Bayern are still miles ahead, then it would be a worry.

“People look at that possibility and of course it could be bad, but why would it happen? Bayern have always spent big; Dortmund is an exceptional team, but where will they be in three years?

“Players lose form, get injured, things can change quite quickly. I’m not worried.”

For Wolter, the key to success lies in a combination of youth and prudence.

“You look at a team like Freiburg, they have a good academy, a good coach; it’s still possible (to be successful). The new television contract has also given clubs more money … and these academies are profit centers,” he says. “But it’s not all about money. It’s also about education, good background work.”

Nevertheless, as Bayern and Dortmund take the field at Wembley, some may be wondering if, as well as a moment of national pride, this game might also mark a less welcome watershed in German football.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/21/sport/football/champions-league-final-dortmund-bayern-bundesliga/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/rxK0oSz0Myc/bundesliga-trouble

Categories: Uncategorized Tags:

A tornado is heading your way: Now what?

May 25th, 2013 ripley@ripley.za.net No comments

(CNN) — You’ve just that heard a tornado is headed directly toward you. You don’t have a safe room, and you’re not near a shelter. Do you hunker down and hope for the best or do you flee?

Emergency officials have long held that you should just stay put if you’re inside anything other than a mobile home — and head for the lowest floor and the inner-most room.

Yet even with improvements to severe weather prediction, no one can say with certainty what a tornado will do.

In Moore, Oklahoma, a woman and her brother took shelter inside their restaurant’s walk-in freezer and survived. Another woman and her baby did the same thing at a convenience store — and died.

Terimy Miller initially put her three sons into a closet but changed her mind when she turned on the TV and heard a reporter talking about her neighborhood.

“He said, ‘Get out now if you have no shelter. If you have shelter, get in it. But if you don’t, get out … it’s not safe. Go! It’s too huge!’”

So Miller put the boys — 6, 7 and 11 — into her car and drove off, her radio on.

“They said, ‘It’s getting right close to 19th and 4th,” she recalled. “I said, ‘Boys, it’s right behind us! You can see it, you can see it!’ “

Map: Moore, Oklahoma

Are tornadoes getting stronger?

Inside a personal tornado shelter

Child born just before tornado

She steered out of its path, escaping unharmed. When she returned, her home — closet and all — was destroyed.

Another woman who hid inside her closet survived unharmed after the closet door landed on top of her and protected her.

Outrunning the storm?

While the most common advice is to shelter in place, some experts say it may sometimes be smart to do what Miller did — get into a car and drive — especially if you have enough warning.

“You rarely ever have less than 15 minutes, and usually considerably more,” said Ed Bates, an architect who designs buildings that incorporate storm shelters.

“With the good lead time, I’d tell people to get in their automobile and go 90 degrees from that perceived path,” said Bates. “It’s manageable and easy to do — even in a city environment.”

Given open roads and a reliable vehicle, the race should not be close. Funnel clouds can travel as fast as 70 mph, but their average forward speed is only 30 mph, according to FEMA.

The tornado that ripped through Moore on Monday was one of the strongest on record, with winds topping 200 mph. Twenty-four people were killed, 10 of them children. Hundreds more were injured.

The twister damaged or destroyed about 12,000 homes, and state insurance adjusters expect the claims to exceed $2 billion.

Aerial views of what’s left of the Oklahoma City suburb testify to the danger courted by those who sheltered in place.

Residents of Moore had 36 minutes from the time the National Weather Service issued its warning until the time the twister entered the city.

But even that lead time would not necessarily have persuaded Ernst Kiesling to try to race out of harm’s way.

“It’s a tough question,” said Kiesling, a civil engineering professor at Texas Tech University who has spent his life studying tornadoes and developing above-ground storm shelters to protect against them.

“My advice would be to seek the safest place available. That is: lie in a ditch or … (get) behind a heavy object if you had a tractor or even a tree.”

He cited the 1979 Wichita Falls, Texas, tornado as a cautionary lesson. That twister killed 54 people and, Kiesling noted, “many people were killed in automobiles because they tried to outrun it.”

Still, Kiesling allowed, there may be times when fleeing an impending tornado might be a good option.

“If you have good information on the storm, if you have plenty of warning, if you have an automobile, it may make sense, but I personally don’t feel that’s the advice that we want to give the public.”

A better answer, he said, would be to plan. “I think there is today a storm shelter or solution for just about every situation, so I would urge people to consider procuring a storm shelter for their home.”

The options for shelters are many: above-ground, below-ground, mounted in the garage, on the patio, on a poured slab or even in a space carved out beneath the slab.

Why most Oklahoma homes don’t have basements

Shelters at schools

Ed Bates said he includes provisions for storm shelters in the buildings he designs, but sometimes it’s a tough sell.

Mom speeds away from a tornado

Tornado claims could top $2 billion

Hospital team’s heroism during tornado

Carol Kawaykla holds a picture of her mother she found in the rubble of her tornado-devastated home in Moore, Oklahoma, on Friday, May 24. View more photos of the aftermath in the region and another gallery of aerial shots of the damage.

The sun sets over debris from houses littering the ground in Moore, Oklahoma, on Thursday, May 23, three days after the town was damaged by a tornado.

Debris is scattered across a driveway on May 23. Severe thunderstorms barreled through this Oklahoma City suburb at dawn Thursday, complicating cleanup efforts.

Lightning strikes during a thunderstorm as people search for items that can be saved from their devastated home on May 23.

A devastated neighborhood is seen on May 23 in Moore.

A woman searches for belongings at a home on May 22 in Moore.

Michael Pritz swings a golf club while taking a break from helping his friend to salvage belongings on May 22.

Debris litters what remains of a classroom at Plaza Towers Elementary School on May 22. Seven children died at the school in Monday’s tornado.

A makeshift shelter stands next to a home destroyed by the tornado on May 22.

Casey Angle walks on the bunk bed she shared with her sister Sydney, who was among the students killed at Plaza Towers Elementary School during the tornado.

Tara McDonald shows some items salvaged from her home on May 22.

A swing set sits warped at Plaza Towers Elementary School on May 22.

Plaza Towers Elementary School students Monica Boyd and Lavontey Rodriguez sit at the parking lot of their tornado devastated school.

Travis French and his wife, Amy, of Capitol Hill Baptist Church hand out fresh fruit, water and hygiene packs to Thomas and Kelcy Trowbridge.

Teachers from Fairview Elementary School help clean up former school counselor Kay Taylor’s home in south Oklahoma City on May 22, two days after an extremely powerful tornado tore through Moore, Oklahoma.

Jake English, 12, cleans up retired school counselor Kay Taylor’s home on May 22 in south Oklahoma City, just west of Moore. The storm was part of a tornado outbreak that began in the Midwest and Plains on Sunday, May 19.

A man talks on his cell phone in front of a destroyed house on May 22.

A man looks through a pile of clothing at a roadside relief camp on May 22 in Moore.

Volunteers form a chain to retrieve clothing and other household items on May 22.

Jon Booth moves a piece of debris from his mother’s destroyed home across the street from Plaza Towers Elementary School on May 22.

Matt Johnson salvages items from his grandparents’ home on Tuesday, May 21.

An aerial view of the destruction on May 21.

The storm, which touched down near Newcastle, Oklahoma, spanned 1.3 miles. Some areas along the path were completely flattened.

Two men fold an American flag found in the debris of a house on May 21 in Moore.

A young girl stands among the rubble outside Briarwood Elementary School on May 21.

A doll covered in dirt is among the rubble scattered throughout a neighborhood in Moore on May 21.

Bonnie Lolofie, left, and Ashley Do carry belongings from their apartment, which has no power, on May 21.

Residents salvage belongings from their demolished homes in Moore on May 21.

Kelli Kannady weeps after finding a box of photographs of her late husband in the rubble near where her home once stood in Moore on May 21.

Tufts of pink insulation hang from the rafters of a store in Moore on May 21 that was destroyed in the storm.

Natalie Johnson searches through her mother’s destroyed car outside Briarwood Elementary School in Moore on May 21.

Rescuers dig out a house in Moore on May 21.

June Simson embraces her cat Sammi after she found him standing among the rubble of her destroyed home in Moore on May 21.

A man stands on the roof of a destroyed home in Moore on May 21.

A man helps move a resident’s belongings from a destroyed home on May 21 in Moore.

Air Force Airman First Class Justin Acord sifts through the rubble of his father-in-law’s home in Moore on May 21.

People recover belongings from the rubble of a home in Moore.

People sort through a leveled home in Moore on May 21.

Debris lies among headstones in the Moore Cemetery on May 21.

Workers clean up the Warren movie theater in Moore on May 21.

Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett surveys damage in Moore on May 21.

Piles of debris lie around the north side of Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore on May 21.

As dawn breaks, storm clouds roll in over a devastated neighborhood in Moore on May 21.

Members of the Oklahoma National Guard look for survivors in rubble in Moore on May 21.

A National Guardsman assists in the search for victims on May 21.

A rescue worker leads a horse from the wreckage of a day care center and barns on Monday, May 20, in Moore.

Men tie an American flag on debris in a neighborhood off Telephone Road in Moore on May 20.

Children wait for their parents to arrive at Briarwood Elementary School in south Oklahoma City on May 20.

Teachers carry children away from Briarwood Elementary School on May 20.

Teachers lead children away from Briarwood Elementary School on May 20. Read more about the photo.

A fire official drives through the rubble of Moore Medical Center on May 20.

Abby Madi, left, and Peterson Zatterlee comfort Zatterlee’s dog, Rippy, on Monday, May 20, in Moore.

A woman is treated for her injuries on May 20 at a triage area set up for the wounded.

Two girls stand in rubble in Moore.

Rescue workers help free one of more than a dozen people who were trapped at a medical center in Moore on May 20.

Oklahoma City firefighters check on Gene Tripp on May 20 as he sits in his rocking chair where his home once stood.

A nurse helps an older man who suffered a head injury on May 20 in Moore.

Cars marked with an orange X, meaning they have been checked for occupants, are piled up in front of the entrance to the damaged Moore Medical Center on May 20.

Jim Routon hugs his neighbor, 7-year-old Hezekiah, after the tornado strikes on May 20. An earlier version of this caption incorrectly stated that Routon was Hezekiah’s teacher. See an interview with the pair.

People look through the wreckage of their neighborhood after a tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, on May 20.

Dana Ulepich searches inside a room left standing at the back of her destroyed house in Moore on May 20.

Residents look through the debris in Moore on May 20.

A man looks through the remains of a home after the massive tornado struck Moore on May 20.

A woman is transported on a stretcher after she was rescued from the damaged medical center in Moore on May 20.

A woman walks through debris in Moore on May 20.

A man is taken away from the IMAX Theater in Moore that was used as a triage center on May 20.

A girl wraps herself in a blanket near the Moore Hospital on May 20.

A nurse walks by the destruction at a Moore hospital on May 20.

Destroyed cars scatter the landscape in Moore, Oklahoma, where hundreds of homes and buildings were put to ruin on May 20.

A woman with an arm injury is helped on May 20 in Moore.

Extensive damage from the tornado destroyed cars and demolished structures in Moore on May 20.

Onlookers stop to view a portion of the destruction left behind on May 20 in Moore.

Overturned cars are among the rubble from the tornado that hit Moore on May 20.

A woman is comforted after the May 20 tornado in Moore.

A shredded tree stands amid debris in the aftermath of the storm in Moore on May 20.

A shopping center parking lot is covered with debris and damaged cars on May 20.

Law enforcement officers block a roadway in Moore where there was extensive damage from the tornado.

A massive tornado approaches Moore on May 20. The storm first touched down to the west of the city near Newcastle, Oklahoma. Visit CNN.com/impact for ways to help the victims.

Photos: Deadly tornado hits Oklahoma

“It’s just disgraceful for me to see how many schools in Oklahoma continue to get built with all the priority on athletic facilities,” the architect said. “They don’t seize the opportunity to protect from a very imminent danger in this area.”

That was not the case at Northeastern State University in Tulsa, where his proposals were welcomed. “We were able to build honest-to-goodness tornado vaults, concrete vaults, as double-purpose classrooms,” he said.

Inside the shelter’s blast-resistant doors is ample space to accommodate the school’s thousands of students and staff members, he said. Its value was driven home soon after it was completed, when a tornado struck nearby, causing damage, he said.

“I went out there to the campus about three days later, and three of the lady professors just ran up and hugged me and said, ‘Mr. Bates, we just want to thank you,’” he said. “They said, ‘What a peace of mind!’ “

Teachers at schools without shelters can find themselves in untenable positions, he said. “A tornado gets announced, and then the teachers have no choice but to stay right there until every one of the parents of those children arrive,” he said. “That’s not the way it ought to be.”

The fact that seven students at Plaza Towers Elementary School were among the dead has given momentum to advocates for shelters in schools. Plaza Towers had neither a basement nor a shelter, and neither did Briarwood Elementary, which was also destroyed, although there were no fatalities there.

Remnant of children’s book reflects loss

The schools that were rebuilt in Moore after a tornado in 1999 do have storm shelters, he said. That one, too, was an EF5, the most powerful category of storm. Such tornadoes represent a tiny fraction — about one-tenth of a percent — of all tornadoes, according to FEMA.

Most of the schools in Oklahoma don’t have a shelter because of the cost, Moore Mayor Glenn Lewis told CNN. But he predicted that will change.

Protecting the school children

CNN Explains: Tornadoes

Getting a ‘Fraidy Hole’

Moore superintendent on storm shelters

“There should be a place that, if this ever happened again during school, that kids can get to a safe place,” said Mikki Dixon Davis, whose 8-year-old son, Kyle, died at Plaza Towers.

Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma, said it was not clear Kyle would have survived even if he had had access to a shelter. “Some of the shelters that were utilized collapsed or were destroyed by the tornado,” he said.

“We’ll never replace her child or fill that void in her heart, and we ought to do what we can do to prevent this kind of result, but there’s only so much we can do. We put 200 shelters in in the last four, five years in Oklahoma in schools, so it’s not like the state hasn’t been making an effort.”

Leslie Chapman-Henderson rejected “chatter” suggesting that no above-ground shelters could have withstood Monday’s winds.

“We don’t know that; that hasn’t been determined,” said Chapman-Henderson, the president and CEO of the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes Inc.

“We’re concerned it’s going to set the cause of tornado safety back decades if we can’t get fact-based conversations rolling forward,” Chapman-Henderson said.

She expressed confidence that Oklahomans will learn from Monday’s events. “I hear a very diverse voice converging on one message: that this time, we have got to do this differently.”

As the debate continues over whether to invest in storm shelters, here are a few tips that experts say everyone should follow:

– Don’t ignore those warnings

There’s a saying in Oklahoma: If you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes. The skies can change fast and that makes it hard for weather forecasters to predict the weather.

But whether you’re in Oklahoma or anywhere else, don’t dismiss tornado watches and warnings just because the forecaster got last week’s predictions wrong.

And don’t fall victim to thinking a tornado can’t happen in your neighborhood.

“Time and fading memories are the worst enemies,” said Chapman-Henderson. “People think it can’t happen twice, but in the case of Moore, Oklahoma, the tragedy here is this is the third strike — 1999 to 2003.”

Tornadoes can sometimes form so quickly that little, if any, warning is possible, according to FEMA.

– Grab a helmet

As Monday’s tornado approached, football players at Southmoore High School were getting ready for practice. The coach rounded up the players and ordered them to put on their helmets, he told Fox Sports Southwest

The tornado just missed the school.

It’s an important lesson: Protect your head. A 200 mph gust of wind can turn a stick into a lethal weapon, something even a $10 bicycle helmet might protect against.

– Work with what you’ve got

There’s a good chance that if a tornado approaches, you might not be near a storm shelter or a basement or your emergency kit, so it’s important to use what you have at the time of the impact to increase your survival chances.

Emergency room doctors at Moore Medical Center pulled mattresses and blankets off hospital gurneys and used them to cover themselves and their patients as the tornado approached.

Those simple items might have saved lives as the tornado wiped out the hospital’s second floor.

Workers and customers at a credit union got inside the bank vault, which proved to be the only thing standing after the tornado reduced the rest of the building to rubble.

Teachers and parents lay on top of kids at Briarwood Elementary, using their bodies to shield the children from debris as they rode out the storm.

The tornado wiped out the school and many sustained serious injuries, but everyone survived.

The Red Cross and the National Weather Service have more tips on their websites.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/25/us/tornado-safety/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/NyXXYWMkNxk/a-tornado-is-heading-your-way-now-what

Categories: Uncategorized Tags:

How ‘normal’ day turned to horror

May 25th, 2013 ripley@ripley.za.net No comments

(CNN) — It was like any other day. If anything, it might have been a little better than usual — with more deserved honors for the kids, more jokes and songs, more smiles. Even Mother Nature, after storms the previous day, seemed at first to cooperate as the sun shone brightly.

But things changed quickly.

And in Oklahoma, where adults and children alike habitually practice what to do if a tornado strikes, change can prove deadly.

Things are different, more heartbreaking now for students and staff at Plaza Towers and Briarwood elementary schools in Moore, both of them leveled by a tornado.

“A lot of pain, a lot of tears, very little food and very little sleep is the way you get through it,” Plaza Towers principal Amy Simpson said Friday.

The memories linger. They are not just of the horrible moments when the twister tore through their schools, but the minutes before as teachers did what they could to keep their students safe and in control as it approached, the short time before that as frenzied parents rushed in looking for their sons and daughters, and the hours before that when everything seemed perfect.

“What started off as a normal day at Plaza Towers tuned into a horrible, horrible thing for seven families,” said Simpson, referring to the seven of her students killed by the storm.

Principal: Teachers saved students

Exclusive: Classroom’s tornado encounter

Principal: ‘The evening was a nightmare’

Principal, teachers reunite amid rubble

A frenzied, yet controlled few horrific minutes

Each school week at Plaza Towers starts with “Rise and Shine.” It’s a chance for students to see their teachers and counselors, to sing and recite the school creed, and to honor youngsters’ accomplishments inside and outside school.

“During that morning meeting, we celebrate kids,” the school’s principal said.

On Monday, the celebrations didn’t end there. Simpson recalled then heading to an hour-long award ceremony for first and second graders to toast their many achievements, then to a practice for sixth-graders’ commencement exercises.

After that, kids started filing into the cafeteria for the first of six lunch sessions the school has.

“Everything in the morning went exactly as it has for the last 170 days,” Simpson recalled.

It was after lunch that teachers first got word to be on alert for severe weather.

Still, at that point, no one knew a twister was heading their way. Simpson continued to go about her business, interviewing a candidate for a pre-kindergarten position, when she noticed heavy thunderstorms roll through.

Simpson ended the interview and noticed parents starting to stream in to pick up their kids. This happens often when it rains heavily, but the principal sensed something abnormal was up as parents rushed in faster and in greater numbers than usual.

“At that point, I made a decision that you didn’t have to check out your child the formal way,” Simpson recalled, saying she stood out front to see who was coming and going.

Some parents were noticeably scared. One father, Simpson said, was “in a panic.” She told him that he had to calm down — so as not to alarm any students — before he went through the hallways to retrieve his child.

This steady stream lasted 5 or 6 minutes before the sirens went off, indicating a tornado on the ground. Simpson got on the intercom and told everyone to do what they’d practiced in all those drills. Then she walked up and down the hallways. (She couldn’t get to where her second and third-graders were, however, as they were in a different building.)

Some teachers tracked the twister on mobile devices, until Simpson asked them to turn them off. She did another walk-through and saw her staffers rubbing the backs of their students, some of whom — with their heads down and hands over their heads — sang.

When the principal got back to the front of the school, the tornado was nearly on top of them. She got on the intercom one more time.

“It’s here.”

Rising from the rubble

Simpson huddled in a bathroom with four other women. “The only time I yelled (I said), ‘In God’s name, go away, go away.’ I said it about four times.”

Debris was still flying when Simpson pushed out the door, stepped over a sink, and noticed “the whole neighborhood was gone.”

Somehow, her phone rang. It was her mother, and she told her to call 911.

There were no more walls left in her school. The bumper of a car sat between the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students.

“I could see the kids peeking around what used to be a corner,” Simpson said.

Justin Ayres, a fifth-grade teacher who was the first to spot the twister, was the first one out on one side of what had been the school. Men and women, meanwhile, were running foward to help.

Within minutes, Simpson recalled, the pre-K, kindergarten and first graders were safely out. Her husband soon arrived and put his hand on her shoulder.

“I said, ‘Go help second and third grade,’” referring to those students who were in a different, nearby building. “I haven’t seen any of them yet.”

More and more students emerged, some of them heading to a nearby church. But what had been the second- and third-grade building was precarious, at best.

“I made my way around there, then I begged and pleaded for the human chain to get me up there,” Simpson said. “They did. And they were pulling out students and teachers.”

All seven killed at Plaza Towers died in that rubble.

“The rest of the evening was a nightmare.”

‘They grew up really fast’

Briarwood Elementary Principal Shelley Jaques-McMillin’s first impression of Monday?

“I remember thinking, “Yeah, it’s sunny! So we’re going to be able to go outside.”

School started, as it always does, with what’s called the Grizzly Growl — a time for singing, dancing, celebrating.

“(I remember) the happy faces, how excited they were, just seeing them smile,” said Jaques-McMillin. And there was laughter when a special guest — a sheep — made a special appearance. Staffers had to give it a kiss, because a group of students had reached their reading goal.

Lunchtime that day was especially fun.

“This is what school is about,” Jaques-McMillin remembered saying at the time. “This is why we do what we do. They’re so happy.”

The next few hours went by in a blur — in some ways, much like at Plaza Towers. There were the students and staff doing what they’d practiced in tornado drills — the sirens, and more.

Jaques-McMillin felt stronger, more resolute this time than when the last EF5 tornado — the strongest such classification — came through Moore. When that happened, she was alone and horrified.

This time was different. She had a sense of purpose, beyond simply making sure they survived.

“I have 675 students that I promise their parents every single day, I will protect your kids,” Jaques-McMillin said. “I’ll feed them, they’ll be safe, and I’ll give them back at the end of the day.”

Briarwood Elementary didn’t survive the tornado, but everyone who had been inside did.

They included 4-year-olds and students set to move onto seventh grade, though they were still kids at heart.

Yet on Monday, one of them reached down to a teacher, who was trapped in the rubble with water from a busted pipe blowing in her face.

“He grabbed her hand and said, ‘Calm down, I’m going to dig you out.”

And he did, just a few days after letting loose during a “Glow in the Dark” party.

“Here they were, being silly on Friday night, … dancing, being sixth-graders,” Jaques-McMillin said. “They grew up really fast.”

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/25/us/oklahoma-tornado-school-day/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/99nqzMbrbiU/how-normal-day-turned-to-horror-2

Categories: Uncategorized Tags:

Soldier’s suspected killer: ‘Quiet, shy’

May 25th, 2013 ripley@ripley.za.net No comments

(CNN) — One was a “nice guy,” who was “friendly and very polite” and “just wanted to help everybody.”

Then there was the “crazed … animal” — someone who’d brutally hack to death a man in broad daylight on the streets of London, then tried to justify it and suggested there was more violence to come.

Two vastly descriptions, for one person: Michael Adebolajo.

While British police have not named any of the men arrested in connection with Wednesday’s gory slaying of British soldier Lee Rigby, one of them didn’t hide his identity at the time. That man — toting a meat cleaver and large kitchen knife in his bloody hands — sought out a cell phone camera minutes after the attack to justify what he and another man allegedly had just done.

Capture of London terror suspects

UK PM seeks answers on London attack

London hacking victim named

Family of Woolwich victim speaks

“The only reason we killed this man … is because Muslims are dying daily,” he said in a video later aired by CNN affiliate ITN. “This British soldier is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”

He was not done. The man insisted British people should force their government to remove troops from “our lands” — an apparent reference to largely Islamic countries like Iraq and Afghanistan — or else they’d see more bloodshed.

“You will never be safe,” he said.

Friends, acquaintances and British media identified the man of this video as Adebolajo. He hasn’t been heard from in public since he made those remarks, as Rigby’s mutilated body lay behind him.

He and the 22-year-old with him rushed at armed police when they arrived at the site of the attack on southeast London’s Woolwich neighborhood. Both were wounded by gunfire, and are now under guard in South London hospitals.

Others, though, have spoken about the 28-year-old Adebolajo — explaining who he was and, in some cases, why he allegedly did what he did.

“He was dedicated to Islam and wanted to put himself at its service and defend it,” said one of his former associates in Al-Muhajiroun, a British group of Islamic extremists virulently opposed to UK intervention in Iraq and openly supportive of al Qaeda.

Described as polite, passionate about Islam

A British national of Nigerian descent, Adebolajo was born into a Catholic family, according to this former associate. At least a decade ago, he converted to Islam.

The Guardian newspaper reported that he attended Marshalls Park School, Havering Sixth Form College, then Greenwich University.

A former girlfriend told the Independent that Adebolajo was “really friendly and really polite,” saying she didn’t detect anything that may suggest he was capable of horrific violence.

Syrian cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed, who founded Al-Muhajiroun in the late 1990s, said by phone from Tripoli, Lebanon, that he was acquainted with the man he knew by his Muslim name, Mujahid.

Adebolajo had been particularly impressed that Islam was a brotherhood between all races “whites, black and Arabs,” Bakri said.

He described him as “quiet and shy” and highly respectful.

Adebolajo had two wives, whom he married at the same time during a religious ceremony, said the former associate, who said he was among the attendees. At the time, Al-Muhajiroun frequently conducted marriage ceremonies for followers who were not registered with the British government.

Abu Baraa said he’s been friends with Adebolajo for seven years.

In that time, Baraa came to know him as a “very caring” man who “just wanted to help everybody.”

And Adebolajo, who the ex-associate said had children, was especially passionate in his faith, as well as his desire to protect it and his fellow followers.

“He’s always been very vocal and very concerned about the affairs of Muslims and people being oppressed,” Baraa told CNN. “And he could never tolerate anybody believed to really be oppressed.”

Ex-associate: May have been tired of ‘no action’

Adebolajo attended several talks that Bakri Mohammed gave in London from 2003 to 2004, the radical cleric told CNN. In fact, Bakri Mohammed said Adebolajo was at his side at a number of Al-Muhajiroun protests against the war in Iraq around that time.

One talk Adebolajo attended was at a community center in Woolwich — the neighborhood where Rigby was killed — recalled Bakri Mohammed, who noted the group met in such locations because they were not welcomed in mosques.

The vast majority of British Muslims reject the views of Bakri Mohammed — who hasn’t been allowed back in the United Kingdom since the 2005 bombings of London’s transit system. His group has been barred since that time as well, though it’s continued to operate under different guises. Its leaders drum home the idea that the British government is at war with Islam, but have been careful to cross legal red lines that would implicate them for inciting terrorism.

Bakri Mohammed said that, although they did not have many interactions, Adebolajo stood out because he was a new convert to the religion.

The former associate — who was himself “born again” into Islam, but has since shed his radical views — said that “like all of us, (Adebolajo) had a literal understanding of Islam.”

Even after Bakri Mohammed left England, Adebolajo remained active in Islam circles.

British Muslim radical leader Anjem Choudary told CNN that he knew Adebolajo, noting the suspect attended demonstrations and a few lectures organized by Choudary’s group Al-Muhajiroun.

In fact, an ITN video from April 2007 shows Adebolajo standing behind Choudary at a rally protesting the arrest of men who allegedly made inflammatory speeches inside a mosque.

Two or three years ago, Al-Muhajiroun leaders have said that Adebolajo moved away from the group.

The former associate — who last saw Adebolajo in 2005 — suspects this break might be related to this week’s attack in Woolwich.

“What tends to happen is some of the group’s members start to see Al-Muhajiroun as all talk and no action,” he said. “So they leave the group, and then they do something.”

CNN’s Greg Botelho wrote this story from Atlanta, and CNN’s Paul Cruickshank — CNN’s Terrorism Analyst — reported from London. CNN’s Dan Rivers contributed to this report.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/24/world/europe/uk-woolwich-michael-adebolajo/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/kZeSuYvl2uY/soldiers-suspected-killer-quiet-shy-2

Categories: Uncategorized Tags:

Tornado horror

May 25th, 2013 ripley@ripley.za.net No comments

But things changed quickly.

And in Oklahoma, where adults and children alike habitually practice what to do if a tornado strikes, change can prove deadly.

Things are different, more heartbreaking now for students and staff at Plaza Towers and Briarwood elementary schools in Moore, both of them leveled by a tornado.

“A lot of pain, a lot of tears, very little food and very little sleep is the way you get through it,” Plaza Towers principal Amy Simpson said Friday.

“What started off as a normal day at Plaza Towers tuned into a horrible, horrible thing for seven families,” said Simpson, referring to the seven of her students killed by the storm.

Principal: Teachers saved students

Exclusive: Classroom’s tornado encounter

Principal: ‘The evening was a nightmare’

Principal, teachers reunite amid rubble