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Wieners to Wunderbar: How Germany got cool


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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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.


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(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.


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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.


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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.”


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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.


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Bayern vs. Dortmund in numbersBayern 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. 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 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. 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.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.


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Man City and Yankees partner in MLS expansion side New York City FCMan 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. 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 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 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.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.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.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 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.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.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.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 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 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 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 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.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.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.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 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 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.Beckham acts as England’s captain during the 2004 European Nations Championship football match against Croatia in Lisbon, Portugal.


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David Beckham through the yearsDavid 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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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. 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. Decked-out attendeees chat on Friday, October 5.

A father and son dressed in traditional Bavarian clothing ride in a bumper car on Friday.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.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.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.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. 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. 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.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.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 in front of the Bavaria statue during the Oktoberfest concert in Munich on Sunday, September 30.

Musicians perform Sunday at the Theresienwiese in Munich.Musicians perform Sunday at the Theresienwiese in Munich.

A girl holds balloons during Sunday's concert.A girl holds balloons during Sunday’s concert.

Alphorn musicians play at the foot of the Bavaria monument Sunday.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 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. A man dressed in traditional Bavarian clothing eats fried calamari on Friday.

People dressed in traditional Bavarian clothing attend the beer festival.People dressed in traditional Bavarian clothing attend the beer festival.

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

A man dressed in traditional Bavarian clothing rests.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 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.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.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.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. 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.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. 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 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 young woman drinks beer at the Oktoberfest beer festival on Monday, September 24.

A woman serves Hendl at the Theresienwiese Oktoberfest fairgrounds on Monday.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.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.Two men wearing traditional Bavarian clothes take part in the costumes and riflemen parade on Sunday.

Visitors rest on the grass on Sunday.Visitors rest on the grass on Sunday.

Revelers dressed in traditional Bavarian clothes celebrate at Schottenhamel beer tent on Saturday, September 22.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. 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.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.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.Revelers wearing different types of mock lederhosen walk at the festival.

Waitresses prepare for the opening day of Oktoberfest 2012.Waitresses prepare for the opening day of Oktoberfest 2012.

Typical Oktoberfest heart badges are seen at a beer tent.Typical Oktoberfest heart badges are seen at a beer tent.

Police officers wait for the opening parade to begin.Police officers wait for the opening parade to begin.

A woman wearing a traditional Bavarian Dirndl dress drinks beer.A woman wearing a traditional Bavarian Dirndl dress drinks beer.

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

A waiter brings beer mugs to participants.A waiter brings beer mugs to participants.

Horses pulling a beer coach march in the parade. Horses pulling a beer coach march in the parade.

A tuba player performs as a parade kicks off the festival.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.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.Waitresses of the Spaten brewery wave with beer mugs. See more of CNN’s best photography.


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Photos: Oktoberfest 2012 beer festivalPhotos: 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/sp4FiuxP1NU/wieners-to-wunderbar-how-germany-got-cool

10 fun Tumblr blogs


There's something addictive about looking at, and in some cases loathing, what rich kids decide to share on Instagram.

(CNN) — Sure, serious-minded folks from the White House on down have taken to Tumblr, the popular blogging platform that Yahoo announced it had purchased this week.

When you host 105 million blogs, you’re bound to have all types. But since hitting the Web in 2007, the blogs that have emerged as hits on Tumblr have tended to be silly, snarky or both.

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With its quick and easy tools for posting and image-friendly layouts, Tumblr has become a natural landing spot for folks in the entertain-me-now world of the Web.

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With lots of folks giving the site a look for the first time since news of the $1.1 billion deal was announced, here are 10 fun Tumblr blogs you might want to check out:

Reasons My Son Is Crying

This one will probably resonate the most with parents who will likely recognize those moments where frustration meets hilarity.

Greg Pembroke of Rochester, New York, started the blog to find the humor in those out-of-left field toddler meltdowns, as practiced by his sons William and Charlie. Among the captions on his photos of weeping wee ones:

“He can’t climb into the sea lion tank.”

“I touched his foot with my foot.”

“We helped him put on the boots he loves to wear.”

He’s since opened the blog up to reader submissions — meaning there are now daughters crying, too.

Kim Jong Il Looking at Things

This blog, like the Dear Leader himself, is no longer active. But scrolling back through its hundreds of photos is still pretty hilarious.

Say what you will about his anti-West rhetoric and dictatorial tendencies. Kim Jong Il knew how to rock a pair of giant sunglasses. And he loved looking at things.

Among the North Korean propaganda shots are images of Kim stoically examining such items as fish, snack food, pizza dough, soy sauce and a juice box.

“Why is it so funny?” wrote Joao Rocha, who ran the blog from Lisbon, Portugal. “I have no idea either.”

Once you’ve inspected Kim’s inspections, don’t give up hope. As a self-described “shameless knock-off” shows, his successor, Kim Jong Un, likes to look at things too.

How Do I Put This Gently?

Even if you don’t follow the blog, you’ve probably seen some of its posts crop up on Facebook, Twitter and other sites.

Tech journalist Robert Scoble posted a photo of himself in the shower. It landed on Tumblr's White Men Wearing Google Glass.

Tumblr probably played the biggest role on the Internet in reviving the animated GIF — those looping snippets of video that, when done right, are strangely entrancing.

This one takes scenes from movies and TV and uses them to describe everyday situations.

Humans of New York

If most of these are silly, HONY is captivating and, at times, poignant.

In 2010, having just lost his job in finance, Brandon Stanton set out to create a sort of photographic census of New York City. Three years later, he’s approached more than 10,000 people, taken 5,000 photos and, in the process, showcased the diversity of a city and a world.

He interviews each subject and usually captions the photos with a choice quote or detail from that interview.

Actresses Without Teeth

It’s actresses. Photoshopped. Without teeth. (Warning: Once these images are seen, they cannot be unseen.)

Literally Unbelievable

OK, folks. “Literally,” according to Merriam-Webster, means “in a literal sense or manner; actually.” So when you say something is literally unbelievable, it means no one should believe it.

If only some folks on Facebook could take their own advice.

This blog rounds up public Facebook posts in which people share articles from The Onion, a satire site, thinking they’re real. Its name comes from one reaction to “news” of Planned Parenthood’s “$8 billion Abortionplex,” complete with coffee shops, bars and a 10-screen movie theater.

“My favorite posts are the ones that express complete shock but not an ounce of doubt,” Hongo told CNN in 2011. ” ‘I can’t believe this!’ is a pretty funny response to something you should not believe.”

Rich Kids of Instagram

“They have more money than you, and this is what they do.”

This round-up of shots from the Facebook-owned photo app is enough to get even the biggest supply-side economist a little steamed.

Posing in front of their yachts. Partying in The Hamptons. Showing off their birthday-present Porsches or sipping Dom Perignon through a straw.

Each of those, and so much more, is on display for all the propaganda your class-warfare inclinations will ever need.

Awesome People Hanging Out Together

If you want to see famous people on the Internet, there are millions of places to find them.

But there’s something cool about the often-surprising meetings chronicled here that makes you wish you could be listening in.

Like President Gerald Ford kicking a soccer ball with Pele. Or Jack Nicholson listening to The Monkees warm up. Or CNN’s own Anthony Bourdain cooking something with a lot of tentacles while a horrified Christopher Walken watches.

From vintage images to glossy publicity shots, these are guaranteed to draw you in.

White Men Wearing Google Glass

A new entry to the Tumblr-scape, this one highlights, without words, an issue Google will face while pushing its innovative new piece of wearable tech. If you looked a little dorky before, you’ll look a lot dorky with these things strapped around your head.

Bun B’s Jumbo Coloring and Rap Activity Tumblr

Who among us has never wanted to color a picture of Vanilla Ice? Or do a connect-the-dots to put a crown on The Notorious B.I.G.’s head? Or pencil their way through a maze to help Humpty Hump find the Burger King bathroom (to get busy, obviously).

Almost all of us, I’m betting. But that’s what you get on this Tumblr, from the wonderfully twisted mind of rapper Bun B.

The mashup of childhood memories and hip-hop stars doesn’t make any sense. Which, in its way, makes perfect sense.

In other words, it’s perfect for Tumblr.


Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/22/tech/web/tumblrs-to-follow/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/f0CSsA1ANCE/10-fun-tumblr-blogs

Gaza boy’s killing: What’s truth?

Jerusalem (CNN) — As Jamal al-Durrah washes his son Mohammad’s tombstone in a Gaza graveyard, he fears that the boy’s spirit rests uneasy.

The image of the father shielding his 12-year-old son in a hail of bullets, under the glare of a camera, became the symbol of the second Palestinian uprising, or Intifada.

Thirteen years later, the controversy behind those pictures is still alive.

An Israeli government committee concluded in a report presented Sunday that the story, which was broadcast by France 2 in 2000, cannot be substantiated by the pictures.

Children of the conflict: Innocence interrupted by war

The news report aired by France 2 stated: “Here Jamal and his son Mohammad are the target of fire coming from the Israeli position. … But, a new round of fire, Mohammad is dead and his father badly hurt.”

However, the Israeli government committee report states: “There is no evidence that the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) was in any way responsible for causing any of the alleged injuries to Jamal or the boy.”

It’s a statement that pains a still-grieving father. But Jamal al-Durrah is prepared to have his son’s remains exhumed to demonstrate that he was killed by Israeli bullets, as reported in 2000.

“I would like to show the world the truth, and I am sitting in front of my son’s grave and ready to accept an international independent investigation commission including Arabs,” he said. “If Israel agrees, I am ready to open the grave.”

The head of the Israeli government review committee, Yossi Kuperwasser, said he does not know what happened to Mohammad al-Durrah.

Showing the raw material provided by France 2 to CNN, he said, “See, he was supposed to be dead. He was declared dead a moment ago, understand, he was declared dead when he was lying (there.) That’s where he cut it. He said the boy is dead. But a second later, he (Mohammad al-Durrah) raises his hand.”

Analysis: Conflict shifts balance of power in the Middle East

Israel places the implications of the Mohammad al-Durrah story in a much wider context.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “It is important to focus on this incident, which has slandered Israel’s reputation. This is a manifestation of the ongoing, mendacious campaign to delegitimize Israel.

“There is only one way to counter lies, and that is through the truth. Only the truth can prevail over lies.”

The search for that truth has been conducted in courthouses, human rights reports and media investigations.

Cameraman Talal Abu Rahma, who filmed the event for France 2, and also works for CNN, has been at the center of trying to understand what happened on that fateful day.

Thirteen years later, he points to the camera that recorded the event as his most solid source, saying: “My witness is (my) camera. … I am sorry this camera does not talk, but really this camera recorded that footage.”

Mohammad al-Durrah’s story has become an important symbol in the Palestinian struggle for statehood. The image of his final moments is shown on stamps in Egypt, Tunisia, Iraq, Iran and Morocco.

Israel says that the false narrative of al-Durrah’s death has been used to justify terrorist attacks against Israel and worldwide anti-Semitism.

It is perhaps the ongoing struggle between Israelis and Palestinians over the righteousness of their narrative that will not let this image be forgotten.


Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/21/world/meast/israel-palestinians-disputed-video/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/IQ5YOkmfG60/gaza-boys-killing-whats-truth

Woman hailed for confronting suspect


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The victim killed in a cleaver attack Wednesday was identified as Drummer Lee Rigby of 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. The brutal killing of Rigby shocked the United Kingdom, with Prime Minister David Cameron saying the act appears to have been a terrorist attack.The victim killed in a cleaver attack Wednesday was identified as Drummer Lee Rigby of 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. The brutal killing of Rigby shocked the United Kingdom, with Prime Minister David Cameron saying the act appears to have been a terrorist attack.

A police officer stands with flowers in a hail storm on Thursday, May 23, close to the crime scene in front of Woolwich Barracks in southeast London.A police officer stands with flowers in a hail storm on Thursday, May 23, close to the crime scene in front of Woolwich Barracks in southeast London.

A man contemplates at a scene where flowers lay, outside Woolwich Barracks in London.A man contemplates at a scene where flowers lay, outside Woolwich Barracks in London.

Flowers lie outside Woolwich Barracks on May 23.Flowers lie outside Woolwich Barracks on May 23.

Soldiers walk outside Woolwich Barracks on Thursday, May 23, near where the soldier was killed.Soldiers walk outside Woolwich Barracks on Thursday, May 23, near where the soldier was killed.

Notes and shirts sit outside Woolwich Barracks on May 23. The slain soldier was wearing a Help for Heroes shirt when he was killed. Notes and shirts sit outside Woolwich Barracks on May 23. The slain soldier was wearing a “Help for Heroes” shirt when he was killed.

British soldiers stand guard outside the barracks on May 23.British soldiers stand guard outside the barracks on May 23.

Members of the far-right English Defence League wear balaclavas as they gather outside a pub in Woolwich on Wednesday, May 22.Members of the far-right English Defence League wear balaclavas as they gather outside a pub in Woolwich on Wednesday, May 22.

EDL supporters confront police in Woolwich on May 22.EDL supporters confront police in Woolwich on May 22.

EDL leader Tommy Robinson joins supporters at the crime scene on May 22.EDL leader Tommy Robinson joins supporters at the crime scene on May 22.

A police officer guards a tent that's been set up at the crime scene as investigations continue late May 22.A police officer guards a tent that’s been set up at the crime scene as investigations continue late May 22.

Mary Warder brings flowers to the scene of the crime on May 22 to pay respects to the victim.Mary Warder brings flowers to the scene of the crime on May 22 to pay respects to the victim.

Men place flowers near the scene on John Wilson Street.Men place flowers near the scene on John Wilson Street.

A police officer guards a blocked-off area in Woolwich on May 22.A police officer guards a blocked-off area in Woolwich on May 22.

A general view of Woolwich Barracks, near the scene in Woolwich.A general view of Woolwich Barracks, near the scene in Woolwich.

Police officers block off a road in Woolwich.Police officers block off a road in Woolwich.

Forensic officers investigate the crime scene on May 22.Forensic officers investigate the crime scene on May 22.

Police walk to the scene in Woolwich on May 22.Police walk to the scene in Woolwich on May 22.

A still frame from video shows a man outside the Woolwich Barracks in London holding a cleaver and addressing the camera directly, moments after a serving soldier was hacked to death in the street on Wednesday, May 22. a href='http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/bestoftv/2013/05/22/sot-london-attack-suspect-video-itn.cnn'The man in the video/a swore by almighty Allah to keep fighting. British Prime David Cameron called the attack terrorism.A still frame from video shows a man outside the Woolwich Barracks in London holding a cleaver and addressing the camera directly, moments after a serving soldier was hacked to death in the street on Wednesday, May 22. The man in the video swore “by almighty Allah” to keep fighting. British Prime David Cameron called the attack terrorism.

Britain's prime Minister David Cameron addresses media representatives at 10 Downing Street in London on May 23, 2013, a day after a soldier who was hacked to death in a London street by two suspected Islamist extremists. Britain’s prime Minister David Cameron addresses media representatives at 10 Downing Street in London on May 23, 2013, a day after a soldier who was hacked to death in a London street by two suspected Islamist extremists.


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Were you there? Send us your photos, videos

(CNN) — Wednesday afternoon, former teacher Ingrid Loyau-Kennett was just a passenger on a bus passing through southeast London.

Thursday she was being hailed as one incredibly brave woman who confronted a man seconds after he hacked a British soldier to death in broad daylight.

READ MORE: Cameron condemns brutal hacking death, says Britain stands firm

Ingrid Loyau-Kennett

It began when Loyau-Kennett, a Cub Scout leader, peered out of her window on the Number 53 bus, according to London’s Guardian newspaper. She saw a car that looked like it had crashed and a man on the sidewalk. “I thought it was a bit bizarre,” she said.

Thinking she could help, she got off the bus and hurried toward the bloody man.

“When I approached the body, there was a lady cradling him,” Loyau-Kennett said on ITV’s “Daybreak” Thursday morning.

Watch her recount what happened


UK PM seeks answers on London attack


Muslim community reacts to London attack


Tensions running high in London

She took stock of who was around. There were two men with weapons including a butcher knife and a meat cleaver. She earlier told the London Daily Telegraph one had a revolver.

One man’s arm and hand were soaked in blood.

“The guy who was the most excited of the two said, ‘Don’t go too close to the body,’” she recalled.

Her eyes zeroed in on the man’s weapon and the blood.

In a few seconds, Loyau-Kennett’s mind tried to process what she was seeing.

“I thought, ‘What the heck, what happened there?’ And I thought, ‘OK, obviously he’s a bit excited.’”

And then Loyau-Kennett did something that most people probably cannot imagine. She started talking to him.

“I thought I had better start talking to him before he starts attacking somebody else,” she told the Daily Telegraph. “I thought these people usually have a message, so I said, ‘what do you want?’”

Indeed the men had a message.

“The only reasons we killed this man … is because Muslims are dying daily,” he said in video aired by CNN affiliate ITN.

“This British soldier is an eye for an eye, a tooth for tooth,” the man said in the video. “We swear by almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you until you leave us alone.”

Loyau-Kennett kept trying to engage the man.


The problem with homegrown terrorism


Who are London terror suspects?

“I asked him if he did it and he said yes and I said why? And he said because (the victim) has killed Muslim people in Muslim countries. He said he was a British soldier, and I said really, and he said, ‘I killed him because he killed Muslims and I am fed up with people killing Muslims in Afghanistan. They have nothing to do there,” Loyau-Kennett said, according to the Telegraph.

As she recalled the ordeal to “Daybreak,” incredulous journalists asked her how she found the courage to continue to talk to a man holding a knife who had clearly just murdered someone steps away.

“Are you trained in any way to do this?” a journalist asked her.

No, Loyau-Kennett responded, laughing a little. “I used to be a teacher and (that) can be stressful at times.”

“I know it’s big to die but, for me, it was just a regular guy … just a bit upset,” she explained. “He was not on drugs, he was not drunk.”

But she did get nervous.

At some point, Loyau-Kennett took a moment to look around and realized that many people were snapping photos and taking videos.

“There is so many people around,” she said on “Daybreak.” “I mean … I just look(ed) one, two second(s) around, (and it was) so daunting, so many people watching like this.”

She worried that the man might react to the attention and try to hurt her or someone else.

But, she said, “I said to myself, ‘Just carry on.’” So she kept engaging him.


London attack suspect caught on video


Fears of backlash in London


Man who taped London suspect speaks out

A “Daybreak” journalist asked: “Were you scared for yourself?”

“No,” Loyau-Kennett replied.

“Why not?”

“Better me than the child,” she answered, explaining that she realized there were mothers and children walking nearby. The scene was not far from a school.

“It was more and more important that I talk to him,” she said.

Loyau-Kennett kept asking the man, “What would you like?”

“I tried to make him talk about what he felt,” she told journalists.

He told her that he was tired of bombs being dropped in Muslim countries and Muslim women and children being blindly killed.

As this went on, Loyau-Kennett thought: When are the police coming?

But, still, she asked the man, “Is there anything I can do for you?”

“He said, ‘If the police come, I just shoot them.’”

Out of the corner of her eye, Loyau-Kennett said, she saw the bus start moving. It was going to leave without her and she had to go.

She figured the police were going to get there any second.

So Loyau-Kennett got on the bus and left.

It took armed officers 14 minutes to arrive, according to London Metropolitan Police.

Two suspected attackers were shot by police at the scene and are being treated in London hospitals. Authorities have not released their names.

READ MORE: Slaughter of a soldier: Suspects and shoppers mingle on one London street

READ MORE: Terrorists targeting soldiers at home again?

READ MORE: UK Muslim groups condemn London slaying, urge leaders to act


Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/23/world/europe/uk-woman-terrorists/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/kRCC66R2bYQ/woman-hailed-for-confronting-suspect

Surreal scene of gruesome attack


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The victim killed in a cleaver attack Wednesday was identified as Drummer Lee Rigby of 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. The brutal killing of Rigby shocked the United Kingdom, with Prime Minister David Cameron saying the act appears to have been a terrorist attack.The victim killed in a cleaver attack Wednesday was identified as Drummer Lee Rigby of 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. The brutal killing of Rigby shocked the United Kingdom, with Prime Minister David Cameron saying the act appears to have been a terrorist attack.

A police officer stands with flowers in a hail storm on Thursday, May 23, close to the crime scene in front of Woolwich Barracks in southeast London.A police officer stands with flowers in a hail storm on Thursday, May 23, close to the crime scene in front of Woolwich Barracks in southeast London.

A man contemplates at a scene where flowers lay, outside Woolwich Barracks in London.A man contemplates at a scene where flowers lay, outside Woolwich Barracks in London.

Flowers lie outside Woolwich Barracks on May 23.Flowers lie outside Woolwich Barracks on May 23.

Soldiers walk outside Woolwich Barracks on Thursday, May 23, near where the soldier was killed.Soldiers walk outside Woolwich Barracks on Thursday, May 23, near where the soldier was killed.

Notes and shirts sit outside Woolwich Barracks on May 23. The slain soldier was wearing a Help for Heroes shirt when he was killed. Notes and shirts sit outside Woolwich Barracks on May 23. The slain soldier was wearing a “Help for Heroes” shirt when he was killed.

British soldiers stand guard outside the barracks on May 23.British soldiers stand guard outside the barracks on May 23.

Members of the far-right English Defence League wear balaclavas as they gather outside a pub in Woolwich on Wednesday, May 22.Members of the far-right English Defence League wear balaclavas as they gather outside a pub in Woolwich on Wednesday, May 22.

EDL supporters confront police in Woolwich on May 22.EDL supporters confront police in Woolwich on May 22.

EDL leader Tommy Robinson joins supporters at the crime scene on May 22.EDL leader Tommy Robinson joins supporters at the crime scene on May 22.

A police officer guards a tent that's been set up at the crime scene as investigations continue late May 22.A police officer guards a tent that’s been set up at the crime scene as investigations continue late May 22.

Mary Warder brings flowers to the scene of the crime on May 22 to pay respects to the victim.Mary Warder brings flowers to the scene of the crime on May 22 to pay respects to the victim.

Men place flowers near the scene on John Wilson Street.Men place flowers near the scene on John Wilson Street.

A police officer guards a blocked-off area in Woolwich on May 22.A police officer guards a blocked-off area in Woolwich on May 22.

A general view of Woolwich Barracks, near the scene in Woolwich.A general view of Woolwich Barracks, near the scene in Woolwich.

Police officers block off a road in Woolwich.Police officers block off a road in Woolwich.

Forensic officers investigate the crime scene on May 22.Forensic officers investigate the crime scene on May 22.

Police walk to the scene in Woolwich on May 22.Police walk to the scene in Woolwich on May 22.

A still frame from video shows a man outside the Woolwich Barracks in London holding a cleaver and addressing the camera directly, moments after a serving soldier was hacked to death in the street on Wednesday, May 22. a href='http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/bestoftv/2013/05/22/sot-london-attack-suspect-video-itn.cnn'The man in the video/a swore by almighty Allah to keep fighting. British Prime David Cameron called the attack terrorism.A still frame from video shows a man outside the Woolwich Barracks in London holding a cleaver and addressing the camera directly, moments after a serving soldier was hacked to death in the street on Wednesday, May 22. The man in the video swore “by almighty Allah” to keep fighting. British Prime David Cameron called the attack terrorism.

Britain's prime Minister David Cameron addresses media representatives at 10 Downing Street in London on May 23, 2013, a day after a soldier who was hacked to death in a London street by two suspected Islamist extremists. Britain’s prime Minister David Cameron addresses media representatives at 10 Downing Street in London on May 23, 2013, a day after a soldier who was hacked to death in a London street by two suspected Islamist extremists.


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London (CNN) — A soldier lies in a pool of blood in the middle of a nondescript inner-city London street. His two apparent killers brandish bloodied kitchen knives and meat cleavers. One of them rants at a passer-by who films the whole extraordinary encounter on a mobile phone.

These shocking images are unlike anything seen before on the streets of Britain, where the murder rate is one of the lowest in the world and where police officers do not routinely carry guns.

London attack: Terrorists targeting soldiers at home again?

There is little sense of panic among the dozens of witnesses, some of whom argue rationally with the suspected killer. If the British can still be characterized as being hard to panic with stiff upper lips, this street scene was a bizarre illustration.

Others mill round taking photos — as if a celebrity has arrived. At one point a woman with a shopping trolley even walks past the man without changing course as he makes his radical statement. In the distance is the sound of police sirens: later the men will be shot — although both survive — by armed officers.


London attack suspect caught on video


Tensions running high in London

This is suburban London on a quiet day in May 2013.

The attack, which is being treated as a suspected terrorist incident by the UK government, begins in a fairly anonymous road in Woolwich, a deprived largely blue-collar neighborhood in comparison to its historic neighbors Greenwich and Blackheath.

The area was hit hard, as was much of London, by the summer riots of 2011, when several shops and properties were burned to the ground. But beyond that violence is rare: thousands of visitors attended Olympic shooting events last year at the army barracks where the soldier was heading, without incident.

At 2.20pm on Wednesday, a small blue Vauxall Tigra hatchback with blacked-out windows mounts the sidewalk of Artillery Place and mows down a soldier.

Read more: London attack mirrors plot to behead Muslim soldier

The soldier, later named as Lee Rigby, 25, a father of a 2-year-old boy, is wearing a T-shirt bearing the logo of “Help for Heroes,” a military charity that in little more than five years has raised well over £100 million ($150 million) for members of the Armed Forces wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The two attackers get out of the car, then fall on Rigby, stabbing and slashing him to death with their knives and cleavers before they drag his body into the middle of the road.

The murder brings the mid-afternoon traffic on Artillery Place, just yards from the busy arterial John Wilson Street, to a standstill. From the relative safety of a stationary bus, passengers start to film: later the footage will be broadcast by the world’s media.

One clip starts by showing the car smashed into a lamp-post: then the camera pans round to show that this is no ordinary traffic accident. The footage reveals that the victim lying in the road being tenderly stroked by a passer-by. We do not know at this stage at what point Rigby died.

Watch: Terrorism analyst on soldier killing

About 50 yards behind the commotion a silent crowd of people has gathered to watch proceedings. One woman, apparently oblivious to the unfolding carnage, casually walks past the scene carrying her shopping bag.

In one clip that will later be streamed on a newspaper website, one bus passenger feels sufficiently emboldened to leave the vehicle while filming — even though it is far from clear that the attackers will not strike out at other people. Then, amazingly, one of the two suspected assailants walks up to the camera in an agitated state. He is dressed in black and wearing a black beanie hat, his hands drenched in blood. In his left hand he grips a knife and machete.

Opinion: The real enemy in London hacking death

The suspect begins to address the camera, as if explaining himself to a wider audience that goes beyond those gathered on the street.

“The only reason we killed this man today is because Muslims are dying daily by British soldiers,” he begins. “And this British soldier is one. It is an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. I apologize that women had to witness this today but in our lands our women have to see the same. You people will never be safe. Remove your governments. They don’t care about you. You think David Cameron is going to get caught in the street when we start busting our guns, you think politicians are going to die?”

At this point in his rant, an elderly woman pulling a shopping trolley bustles past the man without even slowing and continues on her way. Both ignore each other.

The man continues. “No, it’s going to be the average guy like you, and your children. So, get rid of them. Tell them to bring our troops back so we can all live in peace.”

He then walks back up the road, towards the victim and a second man with whom he has a conversation. They make no attempt to flee the scene. Instead they walk up and down the street, having heated conversations with passers-by, some of whom plead with the pair to refrain from further violence.

One such bystander, Ingrid Loyau-Kennett, will later tell the Guardian newspaper she spoke to one of the attackers. “He was very excited and he told me not to get close to the body. I didn’t really feel anything. I was not scared because he was not drunk, he was not on drugs. He was normal. I could speak to him and he wanted to speak and that’s what we did.”

Loyau-Kennett, a passenger on the bus, will tell reporters that she asked the suspect what he was going to do next. “He said it was a war and if the police were coming, he was going to kill them. I asked him if that was a reasonable thing to do but it was clear that he really wanted to do that. He talked about war but he did not talk about dying and then he left to speak to someone else.”

But the violence is not yet over. Fourteen minutes after the attack, police say, armed officers arrive. According to eyewitnesses, the two attackers, one of whom was brandishing a handgun, charged at the officers who opened fire, wounding both of the men.

The men are left at the scene while crowds surge around them, according to media reports. A police helicopter then arrives to take the men under armed guard to separate London hospitals. A large section of Woolwich is sealed off for the evening by forensics officers who comb the area around Artillery Place for evidence.

Wednesday’s attack is not the first time that soldiers in Woolwich have been visited with violence. In 1974 a bomb was thrown through the window of the King’s Arms pub at the far end of Artillery Place, killing a gunner as well as a sales clerk.

The Provisional IRA claimed responsibility for that attack — but unlike the two attackers on Wednesday, they were far less brazen. They fled after the bombing and went on to kill more than 30 others in a 14-month campaign across London before surrendering to police in December 1975 following a six-day siege.

Wednesday’s killing is the first jihadist attack that has killed a victim since the July 7, 2005 bombings in London that killed 52 people and the four bombers. Just like the 1970s IRA bombing campaign and the 7/7 attacks, it is likely to resonate in London and the wider British society for a long period.


Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/23/world/europe/london-attack-color/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/8Cgo3IbbC9Y/surreal-scene-of-gruesome-attack

Soldier was Royal Palaces drummer

(CNN) — The British soldier slain in a gruesome cleaver attack in London was a well-liked infantryman and machine gunner who served in Afghanistan and Cyprus, and then became a military recruiter and ceremonial drummer outside the Royal Palaces, the military said Thursday.

Drummer Lee Rigby, 25, was part of the Regimental Recruiting Team in London, and as a machine gunner, he was part of the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

The Fusiliers, an infantry group, are known for the hackle, or feather plume, in their military headdress.

The victim killed in a cleaver attack Wednesday was identified as Drummer Lee Rigby of 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. The brutal killing of Rigby shocked the United Kingdom, with Prime Minister David Cameron saying the act appears to have been a terrorist attack.The victim killed in a cleaver attack Wednesday was identified as Drummer Lee Rigby of 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. The brutal killing of Rigby shocked the United Kingdom, with Prime Minister David Cameron saying the act appears to have been a terrorist attack.

A police officer stands with flowers in a hail storm on Thursday, May 23, close to the crime scene in front of Woolwich Barracks in southeast London.A police officer stands with flowers in a hail storm on Thursday, May 23, close to the crime scene in front of Woolwich Barracks in southeast London.

A man contemplates at a scene where flowers lay, outside Woolwich Barracks in London.A man contemplates at a scene where flowers lay, outside Woolwich Barracks in London.

Flowers lie outside Woolwich Barracks on May 23.Flowers lie outside Woolwich Barracks on May 23.

Soldiers walk outside Woolwich Barracks on Thursday, May 23, near where the soldier was killed.Soldiers walk outside Woolwich Barracks on Thursday, May 23, near where the soldier was killed.

Notes and shirts sit outside Woolwich Barracks on May 23. The slain soldier was wearing a Help for Heroes shirt when he was killed. Notes and shirts sit outside Woolwich Barracks on May 23. The slain soldier was wearing a “Help for Heroes” shirt when he was killed.

British soldiers stand guard outside the barracks on May 23.British soldiers stand guard outside the barracks on May 23.

Members of the far-right English Defence League wear balaclavas as they gather outside a pub in Woolwich on Wednesday, May 22.Members of the far-right English Defence League wear balaclavas as they gather outside a pub in Woolwich on Wednesday, May 22.

EDL supporters confront police in Woolwich on May 22.EDL supporters confront police in Woolwich on May 22.

EDL leader Tommy Robinson joins supporters at the crime scene on May 22.EDL leader Tommy Robinson joins supporters at the crime scene on May 22.

A police officer guards a tent that's been set up at the crime scene as investigations continue late May 22.A police officer guards a tent that’s been set up at the crime scene as investigations continue late May 22.

Mary Warder brings flowers to the scene of the crime on May 22 to pay respects to the victim.Mary Warder brings flowers to the scene of the crime on May 22 to pay respects to the victim.

Men place flowers near the scene on John Wilson Street.Men place flowers near the scene on John Wilson Street.

A police officer guards a blocked-off area in Woolwich on May 22.A police officer guards a blocked-off area in Woolwich on May 22.

A general view of Woolwich Barracks, near the scene in Woolwich.A general view of Woolwich Barracks, near the scene in Woolwich.

Police officers block off a road in Woolwich.Police officers block off a road in Woolwich.

Forensic officers investigate the crime scene on May 22.Forensic officers investigate the crime scene on May 22.

Police walk to the scene in Woolwich on May 22.Police walk to the scene in Woolwich on May 22.

A still frame from video shows a man outside the Woolwich Barracks in London holding a cleaver and addressing the camera directly, moments after a serving soldier was hacked to death in the street on Wednesday, May 22. The man in the video swore by almighty Allah to keep fighting. British Prime David Cameron called the attack terrorism.A still frame from video shows a man outside the Woolwich Barracks in London holding a cleaver and addressing the camera directly, moments after a serving soldier was hacked to death in the street on Wednesday, May 22. The man in the video swore “by almighty Allah” to keep fighting. British Prime David Cameron called the attack terrorism.

Britain's prime Minister David Cameron addresses media representatives at 10 Downing Street in London on May 23, 2013, a day after a soldier who was hacked to death in a London street by two suspected Islamist extremists. Britain’s prime Minister David Cameron addresses media representatives at 10 Downing Street in London on May 23, 2013, a day after a soldier who was hacked to death in a London street by two suspected Islamist extremists.


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Photos: Attack in Southeast LondonPhotos: Attack in Southeast London


Fears of backlash in London

Rigby had a 2-year-old son, Jack, the UK Ministry of Defense said.

Witness: Attackers ‘were just animals’

Fellow soldiers described him as having an engaging personality. He joined the army in 2006 and acquired the nickname “Riggers” in his platoon.

“He was a real character within the Second Fusiliers,” Lt. Col. Jim Taylor, commanding officer of the 2nd Fusiliers, said in a statement. “Larger than life, he was at the heart of our Corps of Drums. An experienced and talented side drummer and machine gunner, he was a true warrior and served with distinction in Afghanistan, Germany and Cyprus.”

Rigby also loved soccer’s Manchester United, soldiers said.

“He was one of the Battalion’s great characters, always smiling and always ready to brighten the mood with his fellow Fusiliers,” Warrant Officer Ned Miller of the 2nd Fusiliers said in a statement. “He was easily identified whilst on parade by the huge smile on his face and how proud he was to be a member of the Drums. He would always stop for a chat just to tell me Manchester United would win the league again.”

Rigby was born in Crumpsall, Manchester.

After joining the army, his first post was in Cyprus as a machine gunner in Dhekelia, the military said.

In 2008, he was assigned to Hounslow, West London, and became “an integral member of the Corps of Drums throughout the Battalion’s time on public duties, the highlight of which was being a part of the Household Division’s Beating the Retreat — a real honour for a line infantry Corps of Drums,” the ministry said.

London attack mirrors plot to behead Muslim soldier

In 2009, he deployed on operations “for the first time,” sent to Afghanistan’s Helmand province, where he was a member of a fire support group at Patrol Base Woqab.

He then returned to the UK and completed a second tour of public duties. Later, he followed the battalion to Celle, Germany.

In 2011, he became a recruiter at the Regimental Headquarters in the Tower of London.

London attack: Terrorist targeting soldiers at home again?

Rigby “was a cheeky and humorous man, always there with a joke to brighten the mood; he was an extremely popular member of the Fire Support Group,” said Capt. Alan Williamson, who was Rigby’s platoon commander from 2010 to 2011.

Rigby’s death has attracted worldwide attention because the slaying scene was captured on a cell phone camera. A man with bloodied hands, holding a meat cleaver and a knife, carried out the killing because, he said to the camera, “Muslims are dying daily.”

That man, Michael Adebolajo, and a second person are under arrest. They are being treated in London hospitals for injuries suffered in a confrontation with armed police at the scene, in southeast London’s Woolwich neighborhood.

Two other people were also arrested Thursday, London’s Metropolitan Police said. Authorities have not released the identities of the other three.


Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/23/world/europe/uk-attack-soldier-profile/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/vxntDGW-lzE/soldier-was-royal-palaces-drummer

Are lone wolf attacks the new threat?


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The victim killed in a cleaver attack Wednesday was identified as Drummer Lee Rigby of 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. The brutal killing of Rigby shocked the United Kingdom, with Prime Minister David Cameron saying the act appears to have been a terrorist attack.The victim killed in a cleaver attack Wednesday was identified as Drummer Lee Rigby of 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. The brutal killing of Rigby shocked the United Kingdom, with Prime Minister David Cameron saying the act appears to have been a terrorist attack.

A police officer stands with flowers in a hail storm on Thursday, May 23, close to the crime scene in front of Woolwich Barracks in southeast London.A police officer stands with flowers in a hail storm on Thursday, May 23, close to the crime scene in front of Woolwich Barracks in southeast London.

A man contemplates at a scene where flowers lay, outside Woolwich Barracks in London.A man contemplates at a scene where flowers lay, outside Woolwich Barracks in London.

Flowers lie outside Woolwich Barracks on May 23.Flowers lie outside Woolwich Barracks on May 23.

Soldiers walk outside Woolwich Barracks on Thursday, May 23, near where the soldier was killed.Soldiers walk outside Woolwich Barracks on Thursday, May 23, near where the soldier was killed.

Notes and shirts sit outside Woolwich Barracks on May 23. The slain soldier was wearing a Help for Heroes shirt when he was killed. Notes and shirts sit outside Woolwich Barracks on May 23. The slain soldier was wearing a “Help for Heroes” shirt when he was killed.

British soldiers stand guard outside the barracks on May 23.British soldiers stand guard outside the barracks on May 23.

Members of the far-right English Defence League wear balaclavas as they gather outside a pub in Woolwich on Wednesday, May 22.Members of the far-right English Defence League wear balaclavas as they gather outside a pub in Woolwich on Wednesday, May 22.

EDL supporters confront police in Woolwich on May 22.EDL supporters confront police in Woolwich on May 22.

EDL leader Tommy Robinson joins supporters at the crime scene on May 22.EDL leader Tommy Robinson joins supporters at the crime scene on May 22.

A police officer guards a tent that's been set up at the crime scene as investigations continue late May 22.A police officer guards a tent that’s been set up at the crime scene as investigations continue late May 22.

Mary Warder brings flowers to the scene of the crime on May 22 to pay respects to the victim.Mary Warder brings flowers to the scene of the crime on May 22 to pay respects to the victim.

Men place flowers near the scene on John Wilson Street.Men place flowers near the scene on John Wilson Street.

A police officer guards a blocked-off area in Woolwich on May 22.A police officer guards a blocked-off area in Woolwich on May 22.

A general view of Woolwich Barracks, near the scene in Woolwich.A general view of Woolwich Barracks, near the scene in Woolwich.

Police officers block off a road in Woolwich.Police officers block off a road in Woolwich.

Forensic officers investigate the crime scene on May 22.Forensic officers investigate the crime scene on May 22.

Police walk to the scene in Woolwich on May 22.Police walk to the scene in Woolwich on May 22.

A still frame from video shows a man outside the Woolwich Barracks in London holding a cleaver and addressing the camera directly, moments after a serving soldier was hacked to death in the street on Wednesday, May 22. a href='http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/bestoftv/2013/05/22/sot-london-attack-suspect-video-itn.cnn'The man in the video/a swore by almighty Allah to keep fighting. British Prime David Cameron called the attack terrorism.A still frame from video shows a man outside the Woolwich Barracks in London holding a cleaver and addressing the camera directly, moments after a serving soldier was hacked to death in the street on Wednesday, May 22. The man in the video swore “by almighty Allah” to keep fighting. British Prime David Cameron called the attack terrorism.

Britain's prime Minister David Cameron addresses media representatives at 10 Downing Street in London on May 23, 2013, a day after a soldier who was hacked to death in a London street by two suspected Islamist extremists. Britain’s prime Minister David Cameron addresses media representatives at 10 Downing Street in London on May 23, 2013, a day after a soldier who was hacked to death in a London street by two suspected Islamist extremists.


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Editor’s note: Are you in London? Tell us your reaction to this incident.

London (CNN) — The only thing more horrifying than the murder of a British soldier in a London street is the fear that there is little police can do in the age of “open-source jihad” to prevent these types of terror attacks.

“It’s always the one we feared, the lone wolf that can come from nowhere and not be on our radar,” said ex-London police chief John Yates.

On Wednesday two men hacked the soldier to death near his military barracks in Woolwich, southeast London before delivering a message to a witness’s camera: “We swear by almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you until you leave us alone … this British soldier is an eye for an eye, a tooth for tooth.”

LATEST: London murder victim named

The message has all the hallmarks of classic al Qaeda rhetoric, and experts believe the blood-soaked men wielding cleavers for the cameras in London are just the latest proponents of the “open-source jihad” that seems to have grown just as the U.S.-led “War on Terror” scattered the organization’s terror cells around the world.


Fears of backlash in London


Man who taped London suspect speaks out


London attack: Probing the suspects


Muslim community reacts to London attack

“Nearly a decade ago there was a debate within al Qaeda about the future of the organization,” according to Shiraz Maher, Head of Outreach at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation. “Afghanistan had been overrun by U.S. forces, the Taliban had been forced to retreat, and as a result al Qaeda lost its ability to train recruits there.”

The organization needed a new plan to stay relevant as the U.S. struck at the heart of its traditional operation in places like Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen. Enter a man called Abu Musab al-Suri, the so-called architect of the new al Qaeda, who had a simple plan to change the way al Qaeda took the fight to the West.

“Every Muslim should be an army of one,” Maher told CNN. “That was his grand idea — every individual Muslim should be an autonomous hub that goes out and strikes the West and you can’t contain it.”

READ: Slaughter of soldier on London street

Al-Suri may have had the vision, but it was al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) that translated it into reality in 2010 through the online speeches of radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki — since killed by a U.S. drone strike — and the publishing of “Inspire,” the English-language magazine that acts as a how-to guide for followers to carry out small-scale terrorist attacks in the West.

“Since 2010 al Qaeda has been telling its followers in the West: ‘Don’t try and do another 9/11 or 7/7-style attack because invariably these things catch the attention of security services and you go to jail. Think small, think easy, think unsophisticated. Really scale it down to make it difficult to detect, because really it’s a detection battle,’” Maher said.

So this is the growing struggle facing police forces around the world today, say experts — not more traditional terror cells, which are more likely to show up through traditional surveillance methods, but self-starters who become radicalized through online sermons and publications.

READ MORE: The changing face of terrorism

In 2011 New York police arrested Jose Pimentel and accused him of plotting to detonate pipe bombs that he allegedly learned to make after reading “Inspire” magazine. Pimental pleaded not guilty to terrorism charges and is awaiting trial.

The pressure cooker bombs that killed three people near the finish line of April’s Boston Marathon bore strong similarities to a design laid out in the first issue of the magazine titled “How to Build a Bomb in Your Mom’s Kitchen,” according to CNN’s Paul Cruickshank.

In 2010 British MP Stephen Timms was nearly killed when a 21-year-old British student stabbed him during a meeting with his constituents in east London. The student, Roshonara Choudhry, told police she had become radicalized after watching the speeches of al-Awlaki online, and tried to kill Timms because he voted in favor of the Iraq War.

Yates, who was Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner until he retired in 2011, told CNN: “As someone who has tried to prevent these attacks in the past, they’re the most difficult ones.

“If we have some serious targets, then of course you can apply the correct level of resources and tactics … (but) Choudhry had never come to the attention of any authorities at any point.”

OPINION: Real enemy in London hacking death

So what, if anything, can be done to prevent lone wolf attacks? The grisly murder in Woolwich has prompted calls for Britain’s government to look again at a shelved bill that would greatly expand law enforcement’s powers to monitor suspects’ use of the internet, which is currently only possible on a more limited basis.

“There is some internet surveillance going on,” said Yates. “It’s been made very clear by police chiefs in recent weeks that if you download something like ‘Inspire’ you will be arrested, it is an offence and you will be charged.”

So where to draw the line between free speech and invasion of privacy? The proposal to expand police powers for collecting online data caused uproar among privacy advocates in late 2012, but the government says more robust surveillance tools are now needed to effectively combat terrorism.

While acknowledging there are “powerful” arguments on both sides, Yates said: “All I know is that you’ve got to do something, because the level of sophistication in technology is going to make it extraordinarily challenging to improve the way that the internet and other means of communication are monitored if nothing’s done.”

READ MORE: UK Muslims condemn London slaying

But radicalization expert Maher said monitoring the internet and tracking down anyone who downloads an al-Awlaki speech or a bomb-making guide won’t solve the lone wolf problem.

“You don’t have to have read ‘Inspire’ anymore — everyone knows what’s going on because, if nothing else, the media talks about it so much. The idea of committing an unsophisticated attack against a high-profile symbol is out there. It’s an impossible thing to work against,” he said.

Yates says in order to prevent future attacks, counter-terrorism police must bolster their community engagement strategy — making local people feel “free and able to provide relevant information at the right time.”

“It comes back to the line from the 1980s with the IRA: ‘Communities defeat terrorism.’ That was the strap-line then, and it’s no different today.”


Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/23/world/europe/london-attack-lone-wolf-fears/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/uFwMw7hUK-A/are-lone-wolf-attacks-the-new-threat

Hacking death


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The victim killed in a cleaver attack Wednesday was identified as Drummer Lee Rigby of 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. The brutal killing of Rigby shocked the United Kingdom, with Prime Minister David Cameron saying the act appears to have been a terrorist attack.The victim killed in a cleaver attack Wednesday was identified as Drummer Lee Rigby of 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. The brutal killing of Rigby shocked the United Kingdom, with Prime Minister David Cameron saying the act appears to have been a terrorist attack.

A police officer stands with flowers in a hail storm on Thursday, May 23, close to the crime scene in front of Woolwich Barracks in southeast London.A police officer stands with flowers in a hail storm on Thursday, May 23, close to the crime scene in front of Woolwich Barracks in southeast London.

A man contemplates at a scene where flowers lay, outside Woolwich Barracks in London.A man contemplates at a scene where flowers lay, outside Woolwich Barracks in London.

Flowers lie outside Woolwich Barracks on May 23.Flowers lie outside Woolwich Barracks on May 23.

Soldiers walk outside Woolwich Barracks on Thursday, May 23, near where the soldier was killed.Soldiers walk outside Woolwich Barracks on Thursday, May 23, near where the soldier was killed.

Notes and shirts sit outside Woolwich Barracks on May 23. The slain soldier was wearing a Help for Heroes shirt when he was killed. Notes and shirts sit outside Woolwich Barracks on May 23. The slain soldier was wearing a “Help for Heroes” shirt when he was killed.

British soldiers stand guard outside the barracks on May 23.British soldiers stand guard outside the barracks on May 23.

Members of the far-right English Defence League wear balaclavas as they gather outside a pub in Woolwich on Wednesday, May 22.Members of the far-right English Defence League wear balaclavas as they gather outside a pub in Woolwich on Wednesday, May 22.

EDL supporters confront police in Woolwich on May 22.EDL supporters confront police in Woolwich on May 22.

EDL leader Tommy Robinson joins supporters at the crime scene on May 22.EDL leader Tommy Robinson joins supporters at the crime scene on May 22.

A police officer guards a tent that's been set up at the crime scene as investigations continue late May 22.A police officer guards a tent that’s been set up at the crime scene as investigations continue late May 22.

Mary Warder brings flowers to the scene of the crime on May 22 to pay respects to the victim.Mary Warder brings flowers to the scene of the crime on May 22 to pay respects to the victim.

Men place flowers near the scene on John Wilson Street.Men place flowers near the scene on John Wilson Street.

A police officer guards a blocked-off area in Woolwich on May 22.A police officer guards a blocked-off area in Woolwich on May 22.

A general view of Woolwich Barracks, near the scene in Woolwich.A general view of Woolwich Barracks, near the scene in Woolwich.

Police officers block off a road in Woolwich.Police officers block off a road in Woolwich.

Forensic officers investigate the crime scene on May 22.Forensic officers investigate the crime scene on May 22.

Police walk to the scene in Woolwich on May 22.Police walk to the scene in Woolwich on May 22.

A still frame from video shows a man outside the Woolwich Barracks in London holding a cleaver and addressing the camera directly, moments after a serving soldier was hacked to death in the street on Wednesday, May 22. a href='http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/bestoftv/2013/05/22/sot-london-attack-suspect-video-itn.cnn'The man in the video/a swore by almighty Allah to keep fighting. British Prime David Cameron called the attack terrorism.A still frame from video shows a man outside the Woolwich Barracks in London holding a cleaver and addressing the camera directly, moments after a serving soldier was hacked to death in the street on Wednesday, May 22. The man in the video swore “by almighty Allah” to keep fighting. British Prime David Cameron called the attack terrorism.

Britain's prime Minister David Cameron addresses media representatives at 10 Downing Street in London on May 23, 2013, a day after a soldier who was hacked to death in a London street by two suspected Islamist extremists. Britain’s prime Minister David Cameron addresses media representatives at 10 Downing Street in London on May 23, 2013, a day after a soldier who was hacked to death in a London street by two suspected Islamist extremists.


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Are you from the area affected, or London in general? What is your reaction to the incident? Send us your images, video and experiences.

London (CNN) — Why did Lee Rigby have to die?

That’s what people around Britain — its officials, its authorities, its citizens — asked themselves Thursday, a day after the soldier was hit with a car, then hacked to death on a London street in broad daylight.

There’s been no indication that the 25-year-old machine gunner, drummer and father of a 2-year-old boy knew the men who attacked him with meat cleavers. One of them who approached a man filming the gory scene in southeast London’s Woolwich neighborhood suggested Rigby had been targeted only “because Muslims are dying daily” at the hands of British troops like him.

Soldier slain in London was a machine gunner, Royal Palaces drummer, father

That man and another who suffered gunshot wounds in a confrontation with police minutes after Rigby’s killing spent Thursday in stable condition at separate South London hospitals.


Cameron: Strong indication of terrorism


London attack suspect caught on video


Deadly attack near London barracks

Even with those two suspected attackers under guard, authorities pressed for answers — and to determine if others might have been somehow involved and, if so, why.

Six residences have been searched, and two people — a man and a woman, both of them age 29 — were arrested Thursday on “suspicion of conspiracy to murder,” London’s Metropolitan Police said.

“This is a large, complex and fast-moving investigation which continues to develop,” added police.

The attack, which Prime Minister David Cameron and others called an act of terror, stirred anxiety and alerts in Britain not seen since the summer of 2005, when coordinated bomb attacks struck London’s public transport network.

An additional 1,200 police are now on London’s streets to reassure the public, Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Crime and Operations Mark Rowley said, with extra patrols at key locations such as religious institutions and transport hubs. Steps were also taken to further protect military installations and personnel, he added.

Abu Barra blamed Wednesday’s attack not on his friend Michael Adebolajo — who he says is the bloody, cleaver-wielding man shown talking in the video aired by CNN affiliate ITN — but on the British government and predicted there may be more attacks.

“As long as (British) foreign policy is engaging in violence, they’re only inviting violence in retaliation,” Barra told CNN.

By sharp contrast, Cameron said “the fault lies solely with sickening individuals who carried out this attack,” adding that “nothing in Islam … justifies this truly dreadful act.”

“This was not just an attack on Britain and on the British way of life; it was also a betrayal of Islam and of the Muslim communities who give so much to our country.”

London attack: Terrorists targeting soldiers at home again?

Suspect knew British Muslim radical leader

It is understood that the two individuals suspected of carrying out the knife attack were known to Britain’s domestic security service. They had featured in previous investigations into other individuals, but were not themselves under surveillance.

Friends, acquaintances and British media identified the 28-year-old Adebolajo as the suspect seen on the ITN video. The identities of the other man, 22, and the two people arrested Thursday aren’t known.

A British national of Nigerian descent, Adebolajo converted to Islam and became passionate about his faith, said Barra.

British Muslim radical leader Anjem Choudary told CNN on Thursday that he knew Adebolajo, noting that 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.

Barra described his friend as a “very caring” man who “just wanted to help everybody.” He was also “very vocal” about his feelings that Muslims were being oppressed, injustices he pinned, in part, on the British government.


London attack: Eyewitness heard gunshots


Terrorism analyst on soldier killing


Cell phone video of London attack scene

“I wasn’t surprised that it happened,” Barra said of Wednesday’s attack. “… Britain is only responsible, the government. And I believe all of us, as a public, we are responsible. We should condemn ourselves, why we did not do enough to stop these wars going on in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

The Woolwich bloodshed spurred concerns not only about violence by Islamic extremists but also about attacks targeting Muslims by people angry about Rigby’s killing.

“People can only take so much. And people will break,” said Victor Easdown, a construction worker who heard shots ring out in Woolwich as police took on Rigby’s attackers.

London attack mirrors plot to behead Muslim soldier

In Kent, police arrested a man on suspicion of “racially aggravated criminal damage” at a religious building. And Wednesday night in Essex, a man with two knives was arrested after throwing a smoke grenade at the Al Falah Braintree Islamic Center and demanding someone come outside to answer to the Woolwich slaying, the mosque’s secretary Sikander Sleemy said.

Members of the far-right English Defence League clashed with police late Wednesday, with a tweet from its official account touting that “it’s fair to say that finally the country is waking up!:-) NO SURRENDER!”

“Don’t listen to the Government cover ups, The lies about Islam being peaceful,” read another EDL tweet Thursday.

Political and social commentator Mohammed Ansar appealed for “a sense of calm (and) perspective” after what he called “a really, really heinous act of, I would say, criminality, … not terrorism.”

“What we don’t need are knee-jerk reactions … to really ratchet up tensions and really stoke and inflame anxieties within communities,” he told CNN.

Watch: Terrorism analyst on soldier killing

Paper: Woman says she talked to attacker

The attack may have wide-ranging repercussions in Britain, including possibly enflaming sectarian tensions and leading to more violence.

But it’s already have an impact on people who live and work in Woolwich — the working-class, multicultural neighborhood where the mutilation took place — and witnessed the carnage firsthand.

A man who identified himself as James told London’s LBC 97.3 radio station that he saw two men standing by the victim, who was on the ground.

At first, James thought they were trying to help the man. But then he saw two meat cleavers, like a butcher would have.


Could London killing inspire other attacks?

“They were hacking at this poor guy, literally,” he told the radio station. “These two guys were crazed. They were just not there. They were just animals.”

Witness: Attackers ‘were just animals’

Amid the horror, an individual story of courage emerged Thursday in the person of a Cub Scout leader named Ingrid Loyau-Kennett.

Loyau-Kennett told Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper that she had jumped off a bus to try to revive a man — later determined to be Rigby — she thought had been hurt accidentally.

She swiftly realized the man was dead, and it was no accident.

“When I went up, there was this black guy with a revolver and a kitchen knife. He had what looked like butcher’s tools, and he had a little ax, to cut the bones, and two large knives, and he said, ‘Move off the body,’ ” she told the newspaper.

“So I thought, ‘OK, I don’t know what is going on here,’ and he was covered with blood. I thought I had better start talking to him before he starts attacking somebody else.”

Unarmed police — like most in Britain — arrived at 2:29 p.m. Wednesday, nine minutes after the first call came in police. Armed officers were on site five minutes later. Witnesses recounted the suspects then ran at the police, who responded with gunshots.

Recalling the incident later on ITV, Loyau-Kennett said she wasn’t scared when she talked to one of those suspects — who then had a revolver, knife and cleaver in his bloody hands — minutes before those shots rang out.

“Better me than a child,” she said.

CNN’s Laura Smith-Spark reported and wrote from London, and CNN’s Greg Botelho did the same from Atlanta. CNN’s Dan Rivers, Jonathan Wald, Carol Jordan, Atika Shubert, Erin McLaughlin, Richard Allen Greene, Ed Payne and Nic Robertson contributed to this report.


Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/23/world/europe/london-attack/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/AvTvLoDZsMI/hacking-death

Does Brad Pitt suffer from face blindness?


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Actor a href='http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/23/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/brad-pitt-esquire-face-blindness/index.html?hpt=en_c1' target='_blank'Brad Pitt/a told Esquire that he has such a hard time remembering the faces of those he meets, he thinks he might suffer from prosopagnosia, or face blindness. He has not been tested or diagnosed with the disorder. Here's a look at others who have said they have face blindness.Actor Brad Pitt told Esquire that he has such a hard time remembering the faces of those he meets, he thinks he might suffer from prosopagnosia, or face blindness. He has not been tested or diagnosed with the disorder. Here’s a look at others who have said they have face blindness.

Artist Chuck Close, best known for his giant face portraits, says he suffers from the condition. He said in an a href='http://www.radiolab.org/blogs/radiolab-blog/2010/jun/15/strangers-in-the-mirror/' target='_blank'interview with RadioLab/a that he paints faces by dividing a photo up on a grid.Artist Chuck Close, best known for his giant face portraits, says he suffers from the condition. He said in an interview with RadioLab that he paints faces by dividing a photo up on a grid.

Neurologist Oliver Sacks has spoken on a number of occasions about the science behind the condition and his personal experience with it. He a href='http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/health/2011/01/04/sacks.face.blindness.cnn' target='_blank'told CNN's Sanjay Gupta/a that he sometimes can't even recognize his own face in a mirror. Neurologist Oliver Sacks has spoken on a number of occasions about the science behind the condition and his personal experience with it. He told CNN’s Sanjay Gupta that he sometimes can’t even recognize his own face in a mirror.

Primatologist Jane Goodall said she didn't realize that she had the condition until later in life when she met someone else who had difficulty recognizing faces. She wrote to Oliver Sacks, who diagnosed her. Chimps are no easier than people to recognize, a href='http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/goo1int-5' target='_blank'she said in an interview/a.Primatologist Jane Goodall said she didn’t realize that she had the condition until later in life when she met someone else who had difficulty recognizing faces. She wrote to Oliver Sacks, who diagnosed her. “Chimps are no easier than people” to recognize, she said in an interview.

Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria revealed in 2008 that she has been diagnosed with prosopagnosia. I find it very hard to remember names and faces, and that is a big drawback in my capacity because obviously I meet an awful lot of people, she told Sweden's Foraldrakraft magazine.Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria revealed in 2008 that she has been diagnosed with prosopagnosia. “I find it very hard to remember names and faces, and that is a big drawback in my capacity because obviously I meet an awful lot of people,” she told Sweden’s Foraldrakraft magazine.

Duncan Bannatyne, a business entrepreneur best known for his appearance on the BBC show Dragons' Den, a href='https://twitter.com/DuncanBannatyne/status/31289246186737664' target='_blank'tweeted/a that he was a mild sufferer in 2011. He said a href='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmFP9otYCd4' target='_blank'in a video interview/a that he once had a manager of his quit because the manager through Bannatyne was being rude when he couldn't remember his manager.Duncan Bannatyne, a business entrepreneur best known for his appearance on the BBC show “Dragons’ Den,” tweeted that he was a “mild sufferer” in 2011. He said in a video interview that he once had a manager of his quit because the manager through Bannatyne was being rude when he couldn’t remember his manager.

Markos Moulitsas, founder of the progressive blog Daily Kos, said a href='http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/01/28/831461/-Midday-open-thread' target='_blank'in a post in 2010/a that he has face blindness. It's a shitty condition to have when your job suddenly requires you to spend significant time in social situations, he wrote.Markos Moulitsas, founder of the progressive blog “Daily Kos,” said in a post in 2010 that he has face blindness. “It’s a shitty condition to have when your job suddenly requires you to spend significant time in social situations,” he wrote.

Journalista href='http://www.independent.co.uk/biography/mary-ann-sieghart' target='_blank' Mary Ann Sieghart/a said a href='http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/real-life-stories/everyone-looks-the-same-to-me-519700' target='_blank'she was tested /afor the condition after reading an article about it. Her husband also suffers from the condition.Journalist Mary Ann Sieghart said she was tested for the condition after reading an article about it. Her husband also suffers from the condition.

Writer Heather Sellers describes her condition in her memoir, a href='http://heathersellers.com/site/AnyoneIKnow.html' target='_blank'You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know/a. She said she would take social cues from people's voice, gait, hair and context.Writer Heather Sellers describes her condition in her memoir, “You Don’t Look Like Anyone I Know.” She said she would take social cues from people’s voice, gait, hair and context.

Karl Kruszelnicki, who hosts the science TV show Sleek Geeks, had his condition analyzed in an episode. Faces to me are just like brick walls, a href='http://www.theage.com.au/news/tv--radio/guineapig-geeks-get-their-revenge/2008/01/09/1199554717095.html' target='_blank'he said./aKarl Kruszelnicki, who hosts the science TV show “Sleek Geeks,” had his condition analyzed in an episode. “Faces to me are just like brick walls,” he said.


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(CNN) — It seems that anytime Brad Pitt speaks, the world stops to listen, and his latest interview with Esquire has been no exception.

The 49-year-old star, who’ll next appear in June’s “World War Z,” covers the magazine’s June/July issue. As you’ve probably noticed, bits and pieces of the profile have been floating around the Web all week.

Some of it isn’t all that new: We’ve heard him talk previously about how he was stagnant 10 to 15 years ago but made a conscious decision “not to squander my opportunities,” as he reiterated to Esquire in the interview. He also reminds us of how super-content he is in his new life, raising six kids with fiancée Angelina Jolie.

But there were a few revelations including a potentially startling medical one. Here, we recount the top five things we’ve learned so far from the interview:

1. Pitt won’t recognize you

Pitt told Esquire that he has such a hard time remembering the faces of those he meets, he thinks he might suffer from prosopagnosia, or face blindness, though he has not been tested or diagnosed with the disorder. We’re not sure whether the actor was being facetious or not, but he said even having a “real conversation” doesn’t help.

The lives of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, both on and off the big screen, make headlines around the world. Pictured here, Pitt and Jolie arrive at the 84th Annual Academy Awards on February 26, 2012, in Hollywood.The lives of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, both on and off the big screen, make headlines around the world. Pictured here, Pitt and Jolie arrive at the 84th Annual Academy Awards on February 26, 2012, in Hollywood.

Pitt speaks at a Paramount Pictures presentation to promote his upcoming film, World War Z during CinemaCon on April 15, 2013, in Las Vegas.Pitt speaks at a Paramount Pictures presentation to promote his upcoming film, “World War Z” during CinemaCon on April 15, 2013, in Las Vegas.

Jolie leaves Lancaster House after attending the G8 Foreign Minsters' conference on April 11, 2013, in London.Jolie leaves Lancaster House after attending the G8 Foreign Minsters’ conference on April 11, 2013, in London.

Jolie meets with refugees at the Zaatari refugee camp outside of Mafraq, Jordan, on December 6, 2012, in this handout image provided by UNHCR.Jolie meets with refugees at the Zaatari refugee camp outside of Mafraq, Jordan, on December 6, 2012, in this handout image provided by UNHCR.

Pitt and Kevin Bacon perform a one-night reading of 8 presented at The Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles, on March 3, 2012.Pitt and Kevin Bacon perform a one-night reading of “8″ presented at The Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles, on March 3, 2012.

Pitt arrives for a screening at the 65th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 22, 2012.Pitt arrives for a screening at the 65th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 22, 2012.

Accompanied by their six children, Pitt and Jolie arrive at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, on November 8, 2011.Accompanied by their six children, Pitt and Jolie arrive at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, on November 8, 2011.

Jolie visits a man in a hospital in Misrata, Libya, on October 11, 2011, in this handout photo provided by UNHCR.Jolie visits a man in a hospital in Misrata, Libya, on October 11, 2011, in this handout photo provided by UNHCR.

Jolie and Pitt visit refugees in the village of Medjedja, Bosnia, on April 5, 2010.Jolie and Pitt visit refugees in the village of Medjedja, Bosnia, on April 5, 2010.

Pitt, George Clooney, executive producer Jerry Weintraub and Matt Damon pose for a photo during their hand and footprints ceremony at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, on June 5, 2007.Pitt, George Clooney, executive producer Jerry Weintraub and Matt Damon pose for a photo during their hand and footprints ceremony at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, on June 5, 2007.


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Photos: Brad Pitt and Angelina JoliePhotos: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

“So many people hate me because they think I’m disrespecting them,” Pitt told the magazine. “I took one year where I just said, This year, I’m just going to cop to it and say to people, ‘OK, where did we meet?’ But it just got worse. People were more offended. …You get this thing, like, ‘You’re being egotistical. You’re being conceited.’ But it’s a mystery to me, man. I can’t grasp a face, and yet I come from such a design/aesthetic point of view. I am going to get it tested.”

(For more on face blindness, check out this 2011 video of CNN’s Sanjay Gupta speaking with Dr. Oliver Sacks, a famed neurologist who has face blindness. Occasionally, Sacks said he had trouble recognizing his own face.)

On Thursday, Carnegie Mellon University invited Pitt to have his brain imaged and be examined by Marlene Behrmann, a neuroscientist, professor of psychology and a member of the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition within the university’s Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

“Carnegie Mellon is one of the very few places that can both test for face blindness and perform the brain imaging in our state-of-the-art imaging center,” Behrmann said in a press release.

2. Pitt’s daughter Zahara doesn’t appreciate her parents’ PDA

Pitt’s relationship with Jolie is one of constant speculation, but those hungry for intimate details aren’t often satisfied. This month, however, they have been, thanks to Pitt’s friend Frank Pollaro.

After getting permission from the actor to speak openly, Pollaro told Esquire that he once walked into the Pitt-Jolie home just in time to hear the couple’s adopted daughter, Zahara, protesting her parents’ apparently frequent displays of affection.

“I walked in and Angie was standing there and Zahara walked up and said, ‘Daddy, you’re not going to start making out with Mommy again, are you?’ And it’s like that,” Pollaro said.

3. He tries to avoid on-screen sex scenes now that he’s with Angelina

That wasn’t the only reveal Pollaro offered. The chatty friend said that Pitt tries to avoid “sexy scenes with other women since he’s met Angelina,” whom he’s been with for years and became engaged to in April 2012. “He’s crazy about her, and she’s the same way about him,” Pollaro continued. “No matter how hard he’s working, if one of those kids runs by the window he’ll get out of his chair and give them a kiss. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen Angie without one of those children in her arms.”

4. He doesn’t have a ton of friends

We’ve seen Pitt pal around with the likes of George Clooney and we now know of Pollaro, but it seems Pitt’s buddy list might not extend far beyond that.

“I have a handful of close friends and I have my family, and I haven’t known life to be any happier,” the actor said. “I’m making things. I just haven’t known life to be any happier.”

5. His home life sounds about as chaotic as you think it is

“I always thought that if I wanted to do a family, I wanted to do it big,” he says. “There’s constant chatter in our house, whether it’s giggling or screaming or crying or banging. I love it. I love it. I love it. I hate it when they’re gone. I hate it. Maybe it’s nice to be in a hotel room for a day — ‘Oh, nice, I can finally read a paper.’ But then, by the next day, I miss that cacophony, all that life.”

Esquire’s full interview with Pitt lands on newsstands May 31.


Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/23/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/brad-pitt-esquire-face-blindness/index.html?eref=edition

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Family may exhume Todd for U.S. autopsy

(CNN) — The parents of American Shane Todd, found hanging in his Singapore apartment last June, tell CNN they may exhume their son’s body to conduct an autopsy in the United States.

Todd’s mother Mary says an exhumation may be the only way to prove “for sure” the family’s contention that he was murdered.

The Todds walked out of the Singapore inquiry into their son’s death earlier this week, saying, “We’ve lost faith in the process” and Singapore’s inquiry process was “pre-determined” to conclude their son’s death was a suicide, and that police and investigators never considered evidence that may suggest Todd was murdered.

“We told the police at the very beginning. We talked to Shane every week for three months at least, all the way up to June when he passed away, (and he said) that he was in fear for his life,” Todd’s father Rick told CNN. “You would think they would look into it. But none of that happened.”

The inquiry into the death of Todd, found hanging in his Singapore apartment on June 24, comes after Singapore’s medical examiner concluded that Todd committed suicide. State attorneys said during the hearing that Todd’s laptop shows he accessed suicide-related web pages in the months before his death, with a search in March on how to tie a hangman’s noose. But Todd’s parents — who had flown from their home in Montana to attend the hearings — claimed there was evidence that his death was a homicide.

The Todds claim their son was murdered because of sensitive knowledge he had of a project using gallium nitride (GaN) between the Institute of Microelectronics (IME) — a Singapore government-backed research agency — and the Chinese telecom giant Huawei.

GaN is material that can withstand high temperatures and can be used in power amplifiers with a range of applications from light emitting displays to radar communications.

Documents found on Todd’s laptop after his death reportedly indicate IME may have had plans with Chinese telecom giant Huawei to co-develop an amplifier using GaN. Such a device could have both military as well as civilian uses. The 31-year-old Todd had been working for 18 months at IME when he decided to quit his job and return home to the United States shortly before his death.

Employees of IME have testified that there were several meetings held with Huawei, including a meeting with their senior level employees that Todd attended, but both IME and Huawei assert no project agreement was concluded, according to testimony.

Patrick Lo, deputy executive director of research at IME and Todd’s supervisor, testified that his agency does not conduct any classified military research.

The Todds say they have evidence to show their son had been instructed to hand copy a GaN “recipe” or formula from a U.S. vendor where Todd had been sent for training.

The family says he had been left alone in a room to hand copy formulas, and say evidence from Shane’s computer shows he had handwritten “highly sensitive recipes.”

Lo denied in court that he had instructed Todd to hand copy recipes and said hand copied recipes would be inaccurate and therefore “useless.”

The Todds stood up in the middle of the inquest proceedings Tuesday and walked out in objection to a witness they were unfamiliar with — a friend and former work colleague of their son’s who testified he’d had a beer with him the night before Todd was found hanging on June 24.

“We’re getting sprung stuff at the last moment,” Rick Todd said outside court. He said the state had given them no prior notice of the witness Frenchman Luis Alejandro Andro Montes.

The Todds said they had been “told from the beginning that this will be honest and open” and pointed out that their own lawyers had just hours before been chastised by Singapore’s judge Chay Yuen Fatt for introducing last-minute documents.

Singapore Senior Counsel Tai Wei Shyong referenced Montes in his May 13 opening statement and at that same time said the state would try to bring Montes in as a witness.

Just hours before, a key witness for the Todd family, American medical examiner Dr Edward Adelstein, retracted his original assertion that Shane Todd had been strangled by a cord and hanged. Testifying via video link, Adelstein agreed with other forensic pathologists in the case including two U.S. medical examiners, who reviewed the case at Singapore’s request, that there would need to be evidence of internal neck injuries if Todd had been “garroted.”

However, Adelstein continued to assert that Todd had been murdered and speculated that he had been killed and then hanged to make it look like suicide.

“I have to assume that people who know how to kill you can do it in a way that is difficult to detect,” Adelstein added.

He did not examine Todd’s body and came to his initial conclusions on the basis of photographs taken by the family just before the funeral and Singapore’s autopsy report.

His new opinions come after the family provided him with a series of photos obtained from Singapore police and forensic officials.

Questioned about the photos by a lawyer for the state, Adelstein admitted, “The cause of death is difficult for me to say.”


Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/23/world/asia/singapore-todd/index.html?eref=edition

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