Saturday, 23 July 2011

Officials examine political motive for Oslo attacks

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Survivor 'pretended to be dead'
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
    NEW: The combined death toll in the attacks rises to 92, with 85 killed in the camp shooting
  • The attacks may have been politically motivated, foreign minister says
  • A suspect is charged in the Oslo bombing and youth camp shooting
  • The suspect purchased 6 tons of fertilizer, a store says
Editor's Note: Have you witnessed the events in Norway? What is the mood like in the country? Share your images, videos and personal accounts with CNN iReport. Please do not expose yourself to a risky or potentially dangerous situation.
Oslo, Norway (CNN) -- The death toll in the mass shooting and bomb attack in Norway rose to 92 Saturday, as leaders and the public alike tried to make sense of what the prime minister called the country's "worst atrocity" since World War II.
New details emerged surrounding Friday's attacks, as a fuller picture of the suspect charged in the crimes came to light. The man faces charges related to terrorism, which carry a maximum sentence of 21 years in prison if convicted. The charges may change, police said.
Norwegian television and newspaper reports have identified the suspect as 32-year-old Anders Behring Breivik.
An employee at a Norwegian agricultural cooperative told CNN that the man identified in media reports as the suspect bought six tons of fertilizer from her company in May.
Oddmy Estenstad, of Felleskjopet Agr, said she did not think the order was strange at the time because the suspect has a farm, but after Friday's explosion in Norway's capital, Oslo, she called police because she knew the material can be used to make bombs.
Campers shot at Utoya Island
Boater describes rescuing survivors
Utoya survivor: 'I'm glad I'm alive'
Norway in shock
"We are very shocked that this man was connected to our company," said Estenstad. "We are very sad about what happened."
Official sources and social media indicate that Breivik might be a right-wing Christian fundamentalist who may have had an issue with Norway's multi-cultural society. The attack may have been politically motivated, one official said.
"I think what we have seen today is that politically motivated violence poses a threat to society and I commend the police for carrying out a very swift and effective investigation, but that is still ongoing," Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store told reporters.
Police have not officially released the identity of the suspect, telling reporters only that they detained a 32-year-old Norwegian man who is being questioned in both the Oslo bombing -- which left seven dead and more than 90 wounded -- and the shooting attack at the youth camp on Utoya island, in which 85 people were killed.
The suspect was cooperating with police, making it clear he wanted to explain himself, Roger Andresen, a deputy police chief, told reporters during a news conference.
Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg did not rule out the possibility that there was more than one person involved in the attacks.
Indeed, a second person was arrested Saturday in a hotel where the prime minister was due to meet families of the victims of the attack, police said. He was carrying a knife, state-run broadcaster NRK reported.
Stoltenberg said later Saturday that many world leaders had reached out to him after the tragedy. "The world is with Norway at the moment. That will not restore the lives lost, of course, but it gives support and they hope it will help in their grief," he said.
The prime minister said it's too early to tell how the massacre will change Norwegian society.
Norwegian FM on attacks
Why target Oslo?
Oslo witness: 'People are in shock'
Who's reponsible for Oslo attack?
RELATED TOPICS
"But I hope we will maintain" the things that make us unique, Stoltenberg said.
Together with Norway's king, queen and crown prince, Stoltenberg visited with victims' family members and survivors of the attacks at a hotel.
Seven people were killed in Friday's explosion in the Norwegian capital, officials said. In all, 90 people were hospitalized as a result of the blast, said Erik Hansen, a spokesman for Oslo Mayor Fabian Stang.
It was while authorities were searching for survivors of the mid-afternoon bombing that a man wearing a police uniform and identifying himself as an officer arrived by boat at Utoya island, about 20 miles from Oslo, where word was spreading among the campers about the explosion in the capital, said Adrian Pracon, a survivor of the mass shooting.
The man asked to address the group, and then started shooting.
What followed, Pracon says, was panic and chaos as some campers ran from the shooter, while others went toward the man because they believed it was a drill or a test.
Pracon said the shooter chased people to the shore, screaming at them as he fired.
An elite police unit took the gunman into custody on the island, Andresen said. The man did not put up a fight during his arrest, he said.
Authorities were searching the waters Saturday around Utoya, looking for the bodies of campers who may have drowned trying to swim to safety, police said.
"This happened at a place where I, in my young side, became politically active and I said earlier today it was a paradise for youngsters and yesterday it was turned into a hell. We have to regain this. Nobody's going to take this away from us," Stoltenberg said.
The suspect matched the description of a person who was seen near the government buildings in Oslo shortly before the bombs erupted, police said.
The acting national police chief, Sveinung Sponheim, told reporters in Oslo that the gun used to shoot the campers was an automatic weapon and that undetonated explosives were found on the island after the attack.

Friday, 22 July 2011

Mohamed Bin Hammam expects Fifa to find him guilty.



Bin Hammam Bin Hammam was suspended by Fifa on 29 May
Suspended former Fifa presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam believes he is likely to be found guilty of bribery allegations.
Fifa's ethics committee has begun a two-day hearing to rule on claims the Qatari tried to bribe Caribbean delegates to vote for him as president.
"It seems likely that Fifa has already made its decision weeks ago," he wrote in a blog.
"None of us should be surprised if a guilty verdict is returned."
Bin Hammam, 62, pulled out of the presidential race in the wake of the allegations and was provisionally suspended on 29 May.
He continued: "I want you all to know that my legal team and I remain confident that the case and the evidence presented against me are weak and unsubstantiated. They are flimsy and will not stand up to scrutiny in any court of law; that has been clear throughout this process and it remains to be so.
"If we believe earlier press statements made by or on behalf of different Fifa officials or those working for them, then despite the weakness of the case against me, I am not confident that the hearing will be conducted in the manner any of us would like.

DAVID BOND'S BLOG

Blatter knows that with his and Fifa's reputation still on the line, this is not a time for the ethics committee to appear toothless
Read more from David's blog
"Following the events since my suspension, it now seems impossible for them to say that they were wrong, although I wish they would have the courage to correct their mistake.
"Rest assured, though, that justice will eventually prevail whether through the Fifa ethics committee, the Court of Arbitration of Sport or, if necessary, through other courts or legal proceedings in courts where we will be equal and no special privileges will be granted to either party."
Bin Hammam and former Fifa vice-president Jack Warner were suspended when a leaked report revealed four Caribbean Football Union associations were either offered money, or saw the offence occur, during a meeting in May.
It is alleged bribes of US$40,000 were paid or offered to each of the 25 associations who attended the meeting.
Fifa's ethics committee's preliminary report into the case was reported to have found "comprehensive, convincing and overwhelming" evidence against both Warner and Bin Hammam.
Bin Hammam's withdrawal from the presidential race allowed incumbent Sepp Blatter to be returned unopposed as head of football's governing body.

Phone hacking: PM says James Murdoch has 'questions to answer'

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David Cameron: "Clearly James Murdoch has got questions to answer in Parliament"
David Cameron says James Murdoch "clearly" needs to answer questions from MPs after his evidence on phone hacking was challenged.
Labour's Tom Watson wants a police probe after the evidence was disputed by two ex-News of the World executives.
The News International chairman had said he was not "aware" of an email suggesting hacking went wider than a "rogue" reporter at the firm's paper.
He has now written to an MPs' committee to say he stands by his testimony.
Mr Murdoch appeared before the Commons culture, media and sport select committee on Tuesday alongside his father Rupert Murdoch, chairman of NI's parent company News Corporation.
Former NoW editor Colin Myler and NI legal manager Tom Crone maintain they "did inform him" about the email.
Following a statement issued by Mr Myler and Mr Crone on Thursday, committee chairman John Whittingdale said Mr Murdoch had agreed to write to them on various points he had been unable to address at the hearing.
He said: "I'm sure if the statement suggests there's conflict between what Colin Myler is saying and what he said, we will ask him to answer that as well."
In a letter sent to Mr Whittingdale, James Murdoch said he was in the process of preparing his written response.
He added: "Allegations have been made as to the veracity of my testimony to your committee on Tuesday. As you know, I was questioned thoroughly and I answered truthfully. I stand by my testimony."
Speaking during a visit in Warwickshire, the prime minister said: "Clearly James Murdoch has got questions to answer in Parliament and I'm sure he will do that.
"And clearly News International has got some big issues to deal with and a mess to clear up, that has to be done by the management of that company."
Labour leader Ed Miliband said: "People will want to look at the comments that were made and want to resolve the different versions of events that we've seen."
Labour MP Tom Watson: "This is the most significant moment of two years of investigation into phone hacking"
In April 2008, James Murdoch authorised the payment of an out-of-court settlement of more than £600,000 to Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, over the hacking of his phone.
Mr Watson said he was going to formally bring the matter of James Murdoch's disputed evidence to the attention of Deputy Assistant Commissioner Sue Akers, who is leading Operation Weeting, the investigation into phone hacking.
The Metropolitan Police later confirmed Mr Watson's request for an investigation into the disputed evidence "was being considered".
The West Bromwich MP told the BBC: "This is the most significant moment of two years of investigation into phone hacking.
"If [Colin Myler and Tom Crone's] statement is accurate it shows James Murdoch had knowledge that others were involved in hacking as early as 2008, it shows he failed to act to discipline staff or initiate an internal investigation, which undermines Rupert Murdoch's evidence to our committee that the company had a zero tolerance to wrongdoing."
The MP added: "More importantly, it shows he not only failed to report a crime to the police but because there was a confidentiality clause involved in the settlement it means that he bought the silence of Gordon Taylor and that could mean he is facing investigation for perverting the course of justice."
He said: "There is only going to be one person who is accurate. Either James Murdoch, who to be fair to him is standing by his version of events, or Colin Myler and Tom Crone."
In other developments:
  • John Yates, who resigned from his role as assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police on Monday, has issued High Court proceedings for libel against the London Evening Standard over aspects of its reporting of his conduct in the phone-hacking investigation
  • The Law Society is to write to the judge leading the inquiry into phone hacking to investigate after revealing that police have warned solicitors that their phone messages might have been hacked
  • The Solicitors Regulation Authority has launched its own investigation into the role of solicitors in the events surrounding the crisis
  • Labour MP Chris Bryant, who is suing over allegations his phone was hacked, has written to non-executive directors of News Corporation asking for James and Rupert Murdoch to be suspended by the company's board
  • Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has confirmed he did raise questions about Mr Cameron's decision to bring ex-NoW editor Andy Coulson into No 10 as his director of communications
  • The BBC has learned the FBI plans to contact actor Jude Law following claims his mobile phone was hacked during a visit to the US. News International denies the claims.
'Every reason' In 2007, the News of the World's royal editor Clive Goodman and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire were jailed for hacking.
But the email referred to at the select committee was marked "for Neville" and Mr Watson's line of questioning was believed to be an attempt to see whether it implied that the News of the World's chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck also knew about such practices.
At the hearing, Mr Watson asked Mr Murdoch: "When you signed off the Taylor payment, did you see or were you made aware of the full Neville email, the transcript of the hacked voicemail messages?"
Tom Watson MP questions James Murdoch about whether he was aware of the email
Mr Murdoch replied: "No, I was not aware of that at the time."
He went on: "There was every reason to settle the case, given the likelihood of losing the case and given the damages - we had received counsel - that would be levied."
In their statement issued on Thursday Mr Myler and Crone said: "Just by way of clarification relating to Tuesday's CMS select committee hearing, we would like to point out that James Murdoch's recollection of what he was told when agreeing to settle the Gordon Taylor litigation was mistaken.
"In fact, we did inform him of the 'for Neville' email which had been produced to us by Gordon Taylor's lawyers."

US and Canada heatwave worsens in eastern regions

One New Yorker says being outside is like "sitting in a sauna all day long"

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A gruelling heatwave has intensified over eastern parts of the US and Canada, with Friday expected to be the region's hottest day yet.
Temperatures feel as high as 46C (115F) in places along the crowded east coast, with no relief expected until after the weekend.
At least 22 deaths have been blamed on the heat, and 223 heat records have been breached across the US alone.
As much as 45% of the US population was under a heat advisory, officials said.
Meteorologists have put the temperatures down to a "dome" of high pressure in the atmosphere.
Many regions in the central US and parts of the eastern seaboard have seen heat indexes - a combination of temperature and humidity - topping 43C.
In New York, though, residents were warned to stay out of the water at city beaches after sewage was pumped into the Hudson River.
Air sinks The blistering heat has also hit parts of Canada, with temperatures in Toronto expected to top 35C on Friday, according to Environment Canada.
Is there any chance of a drop in temperatures in the coming days?
At 38C (101F), Syracuse in New York State has already witnessed its hottest day since 1936, forecasters say.
"This is an exceptionally strong ridge of high pressure that really has an exceptional scope and duration," Eli Jacks, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, told the BBC.
"The air is sinking, as it sinks it compresses and gets warmer. It also dries out, so few clouds form to block the high early-summer sun," he said.
The combination of high heat and high humidity make it hard for the human body to cool itself - because sweat does not evaporate efficiently, he added.
Across the central and eastern US, people and animals alike have been struggling to keep cool amid the oppressive heat and humidity.
As the heat peaks in major population centres on the east coast, the number of deaths is expected to rise, officials warn.
Officials in the central state of Missouri say 13 people have died, and there have been fatalities in neighbouring Oklahoma, including a three-year-old boy.

Stay-cool tips from an Arkansas farmer

Douglas Holmstrom, a 67-year-old businessman and cattle farmer in Lonoke County, tells the BBC:
  • When doing outdoor construction work, keep the tools in the shade so they don't burn your hands
  • Start work early in the day
  • Wear a wet rag around your neck
  • "I wear a straw hat, I take plenty of breaks, and I make sure to work with somebody most of the time. You have to watch out for one another"
  • Don't get too used to the air conditioning: "The kids these days are so tuned to TV and to doing their games, they can't deal with the heat. If you stay outside and you're used to it, you can deal with it"
  • Eat fresh vegetables and fruits - stay away from greasy food
In the town of Hutchinson in Kansas three elderly people were found dead in separate homes.
States more used to cold weather, including Minnesota and North Dakota, have been hit hard.
In the south, more than three-quarters of Texas is suffering from drought amid the worst dry spell in the state for decades.
Smog and sewage Urban areas have opened cooling centres for the poor and elderly, and the National Weather Service has warned people in normally cool areas to be especially cautious.
As New Yorkers roasted in the heat, health officials warned them to stay out of the water at four beaches on New York Harbor after a sewage treatment plant damaged by fire began pumping raw waste into the Hudson River.
Electricity company Con Edison said scattered power cuts were likely in New York in the coming days amid a surge in usage of air conditioning units.
The city's fire chiefs have hired additional crews and officials have placed mobile fountains around the city to allow people to refill water bottles.
Philadelphia has deployed police officers to manage hot, irritated crowds at the city's public swimming pools.
Leena Allen, 9, cools off at a fan in front of the St Louis Zoo Across the US, people found ways to keep cool - like standing in front of a mist spray
In Nashville, Tennessee, hospital staff have reported several cases of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Chicago is experiencing unhealthy smog levels caused by the heat, with residents asked not to mow their lawns and to switch off idling cars.
Forecasters said the damage caused by the heat could be worse than that brought about by a heatwave in Chicago in 1995, when more than 700 people died over three days.
Asphalt and concrete pavements and buildings in cities were "re-radiating" the heat, forecasters say.
High temperatures - the number one weather-related killer in the US - claim 162 lives on average in the country each year.
The most severe heatwave in modern North American history took place during the Great Depression in 1936. The heat that summer was blamed for more than 5,000 deaths in the US and Canada.

Greece aid package boosts stock markets

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou Under the terms of the deal, Greece will have much longer to repay its existing debts
Shares have risen following the eurozone's agreement designed to resolve the Greek debt crisis.
UK and French markets gained more than 1% in morning trading, before slipping slightly, with the FTSE 100 index ending up 0.6% and the Cac 0.7% higher.
Eurozone leaders agreed a new package worth 109bn euros ($155bn, £96.3bn).
Private lenders will also be asked to contribute and, as a result, the Fitch ratings agency said it would consider Greece in "restricted default".
Japan's main Nikkei share index had earlier closed up 1.2%.
US stocks were lower in Friday morning trading in New York, with the Dow Jones index down 0.4%. However, analysts said Wall Street investors were more focused on the US's own debt problems.
'Unthinkable'
One of the key terms of the new eurozone package is that it lowers the interest rates that Greece and the other two countries that have received bail-outs - Portugal and the Irish Republic - have to pay.
The UK announced on Friday that it would follow suit and lower the interest rate that the Irish Republic has to pay on the £3.2bn loan it gave to the Irish government last year.
Speaking on Friday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel hailed the eurozone accord and said it was her country's duty to support the single European currency.
"It is our historical duty to support the euro," Mrs Merkel said.
"The euro is good for us, the euro is part of Germany's economic success, and a Europe without the euro is unthinkable."

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It remains an open question whether countries - Germany especially - will one day get to a point where they cannot credibly do what it takes to save the euro”
Relief at the deal offset any concerns about banks losing out as a result the planned debt restructuring.
"The deal removes one of the concerns related to the overall market... and EU finance ministers understand the risk associated with a possible default and that they're willing to step up and support weaker countries," said Robert Pavlik, a strategist at Banyan Partners in Florida.
Bond yields, which reflect the risk investors attach to government debt, fell across the eurozone, particularly those in Greece and Portugal.
Greece's Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos said the deal would provide "great relief for the Greek economy".
Package measures The eurozone agreement is a comprehensive package designed not only to resolve Greece's debt crisis but to prevent contagion to other European economies, thereby shoring up the euro in the process.
Many people feel there are even tougher times ahead
The package includes:
  • 109bn euros in new loans to Greece
  • Various options to extend Greece's repayment terms and reduce the amount it repays on existing loans
  • Voluntary private sector participation in these options, so that banks share taxpayers' burden
  • Doubling the length of repayment terms for the Irish Republic and Portugal, both of which have received financial assistance previously
  • Additional powers granted to the European Financial Stability Facility to buy up bonds and to make credit available to countries such as Spain and Italy that are not at immediate risk of insolvency.
The Institute of International Finance (IIF) - a global trade body representing big banks and other major lenders - said the planned debt restructuring would target participation by 90% of Greece's private sector lenders.

Debt to GDP ratios

  • Greece 142.8%
  • Italy 119%
  • Belgium 96.8%
  • Ireland 96.2%
  • Portugal 93%
  • Germany 83.2%
  • France 81.7%
  • Spain 60.1%
Source: Eurostat. Government debt expressed as a percentage of economic output.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said private lenders would contribute a total of 135bn euros of financing to Greece.
This is expected to provide some 50bn euros of debt relief to Greece.
Three of the four options offered to lenders to swap or relend existing debts would extend Greece's repayment terms by 30 years, while the fourth would do so by 15 years.
They all offer a much lower interest rate than Greece's current 15%-25% cost of borrowing in financial markets.
Two of the options would also involve "haircuts" - reducing the amount of debt Greece has to repay.
The terms of the deal imply a loss to Greece's lenders equivalent to 21% of the market value of their debts, said the IIF.
But because the contributions are "expressly voluntary", the International Swaps and Derivatives Association said that the deal should not trigger payments on default-swaps designed to protect against a default.
'Right signal' Fitch ratings agency said it would consider Greece to have defaulted on its debts once old bonds had been swapped for new bonds.
Although the agency welcomed the agreement as a positive step, it said it would have no choice but to declare a default once the swap had been made.
"An exchange that offers new securities with terms that are worse than the original contractual terms of the existing debt, and where the sovereign is subject to financial distress, constitutes a default event under Fitch's [ratings criteria]," the firm said in a statement.
Other ratings agencies have previously threatened to declare a default in the event of a debt restructuring.
Observers suggest they are under considerable political pressure not to do so, as if they do it could severely undermine confidence in both the eurozone economy and its banks.
Herman Van Rompuy: "This situation was... threatening the stability of the eurozone"
The ECB and France had been particularly opposed to a restructuring and involving the private sector, but it was ultimately insisted on by Germany.
Mr Sarkozy played down the significance of the banks' participation in the aid package.
"If the rating agencies are using the word you just used (default), it is not part of my vocabulary. Greece will pay its debt," he told reporters.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso indicated plans to rein in the power of the agencies.
"We... endorsed the plan of reducing over reliance on external credit ratings," he said, adding that policymakers would come forward in the autumn "with further proposals".

Somali Islamists maintain aid ban and deny famine

A Somali woman weeps for her dead child at Banadir hospital in Mogadishu, July 21, 2011. Many Somali mothers have already seen their children die in the drought
Somalia's al-Shabab Islamists have denied lifting their ban on some Western aid agencies and say UN reports of famine are "sheer propaganda".
The UN on Wednesday said that parts of Somalia were suffering a famine after the worst drought in 60 years.
A spokesman for al-Shabab, which has ties to al-Qaeda and controls much of the country, accused the banned groups of being political.
But the UN insists famine exists and it will continue its aid efforts.
Most Western aid agencies quit Somalia in 2009 following al-Shabab's threats, though some say they have managed to continue operating through local partners.
Some 10 million people are said to need food aid across East Africa but Somalia is by far the worst-affected country, as there is no national government to co-ordinate aid after two decades of fighting.
Thousands of people are fleeing areas under al-Shabab control to camps set up in areas of the capital controlled by the weak interim government, which is battling the Islamist insurgents.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) was one of those banned.
It says it is planning to airlift food into the capital, Mogadishu, in the coming days to help the thousands of malnourished children who face starvation in the country.
"We are absolutely adamant that there are famine conditions in two regions of south Somalia," WFP's Africa spokesman David Orr told the BBC.
"We've seen the evidence of the emergency in the faces and wasted limbs of the malnourished children who are being forced to trek out of the famine zone, sometimes for days and for weeks."
WFP spokesperson Emilia Casella said the agency would continue to operate where it was possible to do so.
"Al-Shabab is not a monolithic organisation. It's important to note that we're working where we can; we're making plans to work where it's feasible," she told AFP news agency.
The UN's children's agency Unicef said it was increasingly relying on its local partners but had been able to continue its operations.
"At the moment what we are trying to do is to look at how we can scale up our programmes and get more supplementary and therapeutic food into these area where we have the extreme starvation going on," spokeswoman Shantha Bloeman told the BBC.
"Yes, WFP had serious restrictions on it but as far as our operations are concerned we have been operating throughout."
Blame game

Agencies banned by al-Shabab

  • Care
  • International Medical Corps
  • UNDP
  • WFP
The two districts where a famine has been declared - Bakool and Lower Shabelle - are under al-Shabab control and aid agencies have been wary of resuming activities there amid fears for the safety of their staff.
Al-Shabab spokesman Ali Mohamud Rage earlier this month announced that aid agencies, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, would be allowed back into Somalia as long as they had "no hidden agenda".
This had prompted the US to say it was lifting its ban on allowing its food relief into areas controlled by al-Shabab, which it calls a terrorist group.
However, Mr Rage told journalists in Mogadishu on Thursday night: "The agencies we banned are still banned. The agencies were involved in political activities."
He admitted there was a drought but said reports of a famine were "utter nonsense, 100% baseless and sheer propaganda.
"There is drought in Somalia and shortage of rain but it is not as bad as they put it."
Rashid Abdi, a Somalia analyst at the International Crisis Group think-tank, told Reuters news agency that al-Shabab were trying to avoid being "seen as people who oversaw a large-scale humanitarian disaster".

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BBC Somali editor Yusuf Garaad Omar says food aid - as supplied by WFP - is sensitive for al-Shabab as it would like to ensure it goes to regions it controls, rather than government areas.
He also says that a lot of money can be made from transporting food. Helping women and children - the work Unicef does - is less of an issue, he says.
Mr Orr said the situation had been made much worse for many people by the restrictions on access for aid agencies.
"We are appealing for access as humanitarian aid workers. People, as I have said, are starving to death in there. This is a life and death situation," he told the BBC.
"We wouldn't be in this situation had the humanitarian community had access.
"We are appealing to all parties who have an interest in this situation to allow us to go in there and to get the aid in, in as fast and efficient a manner as possible."
More than 166,000 desperate Somalis are estimated to have fled their country to neighbouring Kenya or Ethiopia in recent months.
On Wednesday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said $300m (£184m) was needed in the next two months to provide an adequate response to the areas affected by famine.  

Oslo: Bomb blast near Norway prime minister's office

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Ingunn Anderson describes seeing injured people lying on the ground

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A large bomb blast has hit government buildings in the Norwegian capital Oslo, killing at least two people and injuring 15 others.
Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, whose offices were badly damaged, described the situation as "very serious".
Officials said some people were still inside the damaged buildings, some of which were on fire.
No-one has said they were behind the attack.
Television footage from the scene showed rubble and glass from shattered windows in the streets - smoke was rising from some buildings where fires were burning. The wreckage of at least one car was on one street.
All roads into the city centre have been closed, said national broadcaster NRK, and security officials evacuated people from the area, fearing another blast.
Mr Stoltenberg said all government ministers were believed to be safe, Reuters reports.
He said he had been advised by police not to reveal his current location.
Egil Vrekke, Assistant Chief Constable of Oslo police told the BBC: "The latest information we have is that there has been a heavy explosion, quite near the government buildings in Oslo this afternoon and there was extensive damage to the buildings."
"And we can confirm that people are dead and injured," he said.
A spokesman for Oslo University hospital said seven people had been taken there for treatment.
'Busy area' Government spokesman Hans Kristian Amundsen said Friday was a public holiday in Norway so the offices were not as busy as they might usually have been.
Soldiers treat an injured man in Oslo (22 July 2011) Some of the injured people received treatment in the street
"But there are many hundreds of people in these buildings every day," he told the BBC.
"We have to focus on the rescue operation - there are still people in the building, there are still people in the hospital."
Oistein Mjarum, head of communications for the Norwegian Red Cross, said his offices were close to the site of the explosion.
"There was a massive explosion which could be heard over the capital Oslo," he told the BBC.
"This is a very busy area on Friday afternoon and there was a lot of people in the streets, and many people working in these buildings that are now burning," he said.
An NRK journalist, Ingunn Andersen, said the headquarters of tabloid newspaper VG had also been damaged.
"I see that some windows of the VG building and the government headquarters have been broken. Some people covered with blood are lying in the street," AP quoted her as saying.
"It's complete chaos here. The windows are blown out in all the buildings close by."
Local resident Silvio told the BBC the blast shook everything in his apartment.
"I went running out onto the street to see what happened. All the neighbours came running out too."
He said he saw two or three unconscious people being carried on stretchers and others on the floor.
"If they were dead or not I wouldn't be able to tell you but they were receiving assistance at the time."
"The police were clearing the area and there was already various security guards who were going over to attend to the various shops whose glass had been broken out."
Mr Mjarum said people across the Oslo and Norway were in shock.
"We have never had a terrorist attack like this in Norway - if that's what it is - but of course this has been a great fear for all Norwegians when they have seen what has been happening around the world."
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The federal government's brain power is shrinking

The Department of Defense and other federal agencies are facing funding cuts while a significant percentage of their workforce nears retirement age. And several signs suggest that they are unprepared for what's waiting in the wings.

By Shelley DuBois, writer-reporter
FORTUNE -- The federal government -- our nation's largest employer -- is about to suffer a serious brain drain. And the Department of Defense, the biggest employer within the federal government, is not sitting pretty.
Besides the 1.4 million active duty men and women employed by the Department of Defense, the agency also has a civilian workforce of over 700,000. One-third of those 700,000 employees will be eligible for retirement in 2015, as will 90% of civilian senior executives. Among these civilian employees are engineers, language specialists, and intelligence personnel.
The DOD is hardly the only government agency facing this issue. In fact, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) flagged human capital management, or the ability to hire and keep good people, as a government-wide "high-risk" issue in 2001.
Today, this issue is particularly pressing across many agencies. About 35% of the employees at the Department of the Treasury will be eligible to retire by 2012. So will 40% of workers at the Department of Energy and 46% of people working for the Department of Transportation.
The good news is that many of these departments will have to slim down anyway, and this retirement cliff could offer an opportunity for agencies to become more efficient. The bad news is that it's often difficult for these agencies to do the kind of self-examination it takes to develop an ideal shrinking strategy. The Department of Defense is no exception.
On July 14, the GAO testified before Congress on the DOD's looming retirement issues, and pointed out an alarming mismatch between the positions that the DOD says it needs and the ones it's will be able to fund. The DOD requested to hire more than 400 new executives by 2015. Meanwhile, the administration's 2012 budget for the DOD calls for eliminating 200 senior civil servant positions.
"I don't know how they came up with the numbers," says Brenda Ferrell, director of defense capabilities and management for the GAO, and that's the problem: the DOD didn't have much data to support the request because it's just starting to learn how to perform the proper analyses. Before 2001, it never had to do this kind of analysis. Unfortunately for the department, it's going to have to learn fast.
"The sense of urgency is here now because they may have to make some very tough decisions about where they're going to put their resources," Ferrel says.
Luckily, this could also be an opportunity for the DOD. In fact, federal agencies in general could become significantly more efficient operations if they keeping better tabs on their talent pool, says Allen Zemen, president of the Center for Human Capital Innovation (CHCI), a consulting firm.
There are a couple of simple first steps. The Partnership for Public Service suggests distributing employee questionnaires to identify potential talent gaps. Agencies also need to conduct thorough exit interviews when members of senior leadership leave their jobs, and then make changes based on suggestions.
That process will require a mental shift, says Richard Rawlinson, a vice president at global management consulting firm Booz & Company. Typically, government agencies wait for executives to retire, then adjust accordingly, he says, "rather than manage the mix of skills that they have." Planning for future hiring needs may be a new skill, but it's a necessary one.
Government agencies could also sidestep problems on the front-end by improving civilian hiring efforts, says Zemen. "Many civilians would want to work for government agencies if they knew what their mission was and that they could be part of it." In other words, the new IT recruit should feel part of the "Army Strong" campaign too.
One way agencies can get that message out is to develop a relationship with the prospective employees early on, says Ashley Harshank, a vice president at Booz & Co. This means sending researchers to teach at universities, offering scholarships, and developing robust internship programs.
For now, though, the government needs to do some soul searching in a way that it hasn't had to in recent years. The administration is demanding that agencies such as the Defense Department do more with less. To make that happen, they will need to quickly learn which soon-to-be-open positions need to be replaced, and which ones can be let out to pasture.

Dow dragged down by Caterpillar

U.S. stock market
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NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Stocks were mixed in early trading Friday, with the Dow industrials dragged lower by shares of Caterpillar, after the industrial conglomerate reported disappointing earnings.
Investors were also on edge over the latest moves (or lack thereof) on the U.S. debt ceiling, as well as Greece's debt woes.
The Dow Jones industrial average (INDU) lost 44 points, or 0.3%; the S&P 500 (SPX) shed 3 points, or 0.2%; while the Nasdaq Composite (COMP) rose 5 points, or 0.2%.
Shares of Caterpillar (CAT, Fortune 500) sank more than 6%, making the construction equipment maker the weakest member of Dow and the third-worst performer on the S&P 500. Caterpillar's earnings fell short of forecasts.
Caterpillar's disappointing report dragged other equipment manufacturers lower as well, including shares of Deere (DE, Fortune 500), Cummins (CMI, Fortune 500) and Joy Global (JOYG).
"There were pretty high expectations for Caterpillar heading into its earnings this season," said Anthony Conroy, head trader with BNY ConvergEx. "Despite their miss, I'm still optimistic for this earnings season."

Latest economic news

Friday's early weakness comes a day after U.S. stocks surged, following news that European leaders reached an agreement to contain Greece's debt crisis.
The aid package, which officials said will cover all of Greece's financing needs, involves lowering interest rates and extending the payback period on existing loans to Greece from the EU and International Monetary Fund.
"The outlook for both the U.S. and Europe is clearly getting better but it's not over yet," Conroy said.
Companies: General Electric (GE, Fortune 500) reported operating earnings of $3.7 billion or 34 cents per share -- a jump of 17% from the year-ago quarter. Shares rose 1%.
CoinStar (CSTR) shares dropped 6%, after the head of the company's RedBox unit unexpectedly resigned on Friday. Coinstar makes the bulk of its profits from RedBox.
Shares of Verizon (VZ, Fortune 500) fell 2.7%, after the company announced it didn't sell as many iPhones as anticipated, despite reporting stronger-than-expected earnings. The company reported quarterly earnings per share of 57 cents, topping analyst estimates by 2 cents.
Former Dow member Honeywell (HON, Fortune 500) beat analyst estimates with second-quarter earnings of $1.02 per share. The company reported revenue of $9.1 billion, excluding $234 million from a newly discontinued operation. Shares fell about 3% in early trading.
Sandisk (SNDK, Fortune 500) shares shares jumped 9%, following the company reporting better-than-expected earnings and revenue, while also raising its full-year guidance.
Shares of AMD (AMD, Fortune 500) jumped 14% on Friday, after the company said it expected revenues to rise faster than previously forecasted. The company also posted a profit of 9 cents a share, beating analysts expectations by a penny.
McDonald's (MCD, Fortune 500) reported earnings of $1.35 per share, compared to $1.13 in year-ago quarter. Shares rose 3% in early trading.
World markets: European stocks were mixed in afternoon trading. Britain's FTSE 100 climbed 0.1% and France's CAC 40 gained 0.2%, while the DAX in Germany fell 0.2%.
Asian markets ended the session higher. The Shanghai Composite ticked up 0.2%, the Hang Seng in Hong Kong rallied 2.1% and Japan's Nikkei increased 1.22%.

Day trading the euro in your pajamas

Currencies and commodities: The dollar strengthened against the euro and British pound, but weakened against the Japanese yen.
Oil for September delivery slipped one cent to $99.07 a barrel.
Gold futures for August delivery rose $14.90 to $1,601.90 an ounce.
Bonds: The price on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury rose, pushing the yield down to 2.98% from 3.01% late Thursday.  To top of page

Senate rejects GOP debt plan as talks drag on


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Senate tables 'cut, cap and balance'
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • The Senate rejects the House GOP's "cut, cap, and balance" deficit reduction plan
  • Sources say a $3 trillion deficit-reduction plan is under discussion
  • Party leaders are still considering a fallback plan proposed by Sen. McConnell
  • The United States must raise its $14.3 trillion debt ceiling by August 2 or risk a default
Washington (CNN) -- The Democratic-controlled Senate rejected the GOP's "cut, cap, and balance" deficit reduction plan Friday, voting 51-46 to set the measure aside and clear a path for further talks on what Democrats insist must be a more centrist measure balancing spending reductions and tax hikes.
"Cut, cap, and balance," which passed the Republican-controlled House earlier in the week, would have tied a debt ceiling increase to sweeping reductions in federal spending, caps on future expenditures, and a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. While the measure was never expected to become law, holding votes on it allowed Republicans to demonstrate their preference for steps favored by many in the conservative tea party movement.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, dismissed the vote Friday morning as a waste of time.
"There is simply no more time to waste debating and voting on measures that have no hopes of becoming law," Reid said. There is "no more time to waste playing partisan games."
Republicans argued Democrats are obstructing sorely needed spending reforms.
Debt compromise a heated subject
'This is no time to compromise'
Consequences of not raising debt ceiling
Is Congress less partisan than we think?
"The House has done its job," declared Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. "We have a spending problem. Somebody's got to get serious about cutting spending."
With the GOP plan defeated, top administration and congressional officials are expected to continue talks on a potential deal tying roughly $3 trillion in new savings over the next decade to an increase in the debt ceiling.
The negotiations -- necessary to stave off an unprecedented national default that could prove economically devastating -- are testing the ability of leaders on both sides of the aisle to legislate effectively in an era of increasingly shrill and unyielding partisanship.
Republicans, who have railed against the growth of government, remain staunchly opposed to any tax increases. Democrats are desperately trying to protect some of their party's primary legacies -- entitlements such as Social Security and Medicare, programs forged at the height of the New Deal and Great Society.
What, if anything, either side is prepared to yield remains an open question.
The talks, meanwhile, have become a race against the clock. If Congress fails to raise the $14.3 trillion limit by August 2, Americans could face rising interest rates, a declining dollar and increasingly jittery financial markets, among other problems.
"Neither party is blameless for the decisions that led to this debt, but both parties have a responsibility to come together and solve the problem," President Barack Obama wrote in an op-ed appearing in Friday's USA Today. "That's what the American people expect of us."
Some congressional Democrats appeared to be on the verge of open revolt against their own president Thursday night after hearing some of the details in the $3 trillion plan -- a package many of them contend does not do nearly enough to ensure wealthier Americans share in the burden of stemming the tide of Washington's red ink.
Obama echoed their concerns Friday during a town hall meeting at the University of Maryland.
"If we're going to reduce our deficits, the wealthiest Americans and the biggest corporations should do their part as well," Obama said. ""This isn't some wild-eyed socialist position. ... This isn't about punishing wealth. This is about asking people who have benefited the most over the last decade to share in the sacrifice."
For his part, Boehner met behind closed doors Friday with House Republicans. The speaker told reporters Thursday that while some members of his caucus wouldn't compromise, he didn't believe they "would be anywhere close the majority."
Both the White House and Boehner's office have denied that any deal is imminent.
We are "not close to an agreement," Boehner told reporters Friday morning. "And so I would just suggest that it's going to be a hot weekend here in Washington, D.C."
Regardless, attention continues to swirl around the prospects of the $3 trillion compromise. The possible deal remains in limbo over a disagreement on whether to extend Bush-era tax cuts for families earning more than $250,000 a year, according to congressional aides who spoke on condition of not being identified.
If enacted, the deal would include spending cuts expected to total $1 trillion or more agreed to in earlier negotiations led by Vice President Joe Biden, the sources said. It would reform entitlement programs by changing the eligibility age for Medicare over time, and using a more restrictive inflation index for Social Security benefits, according to the sources.
On taxes, it would permanently extend the Bush tax cuts for families earning less than $250,000 while allowing the cuts to expire at the end of 2012 for those with income above that, the aides said. At the same time, the deal would include a commitment to reform the tax code next year, which is expected to lower all tax rates and eliminate loopholes and subsidies, the sources said.
Boehner, however, wants the deal to make all of the Bush tax cuts permanent while keeping the commitment to tax reform, the sources said. Republicans oppose any tax increases, and their resistance has been a major obstacle to any deal in the negotiations so far.
Some sources said the deal would work in two stages, with spending cuts and a debt ceiling increase occurring right away while entitlement reforms and tax reforms would occur later.
It is unclear -- even if a deal is reached -- that any sweeping package can be approved by the August 2 deadline.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney signaled to reporters earlier in the week that the president may now be willing to sign a short-term debt limit extension if Democratic and Republican leaders are close to agreement on a broad plan that includes both tax hikes and spending reforms.
Obama previously indicated he would veto any short-term extension.
Meanwhile, lawmakers are also continuing discussions focused on the $3.7 trillion debt reduction blueprint put forward by the "Gang of Six," a group of three Democratic and three Republican senators.
Under the group's proposal, $500 billion in budget savings would be immediately imposed, with marginal income tax rates reduced and the controversial alternative minimum tax ultimately abolished.
The plan would create three tax brackets with rates from 8% to 12%, 14% to 22%, and 23% to 29% -- part of a new structure designed to generate an additional $1 trillion in revenue. It would require cost changes to Medicare's growth rate formula as well as $80 billion in Pentagon cuts.
Obama has praised the plan, calling it "broadly consistent" with his approach to debt reduction because it mixes tax changes, entitlement reforms and spending reductions.
The proposal, however, has been hit with a barrage of criticism from both the right and the left. Conservatives have complained about some of the plan's tax changes, while liberals have warned it would cut entitlement benefits too deeply.
If all else fails, party leaders could still turn to a fallback plan initially put forward by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky. The measure would give Obama the power to raise the borrowing limit by a total of $2.5 trillion, but also require three congressional votes on the issue before the 2012 general election.
Specifically, Obama would be required to submit three requests for debt ceiling hikes -- a $700 billion increase and two $900 billion increases. Along with each request, the president would have to submit a list of recommended spending cuts exceeding the debt ceiling increase. The cuts would not need to be enacted in order for the ceiling to rise.
Congress would vote on -- and presumably pass -- "resolutions of disapproval" for each request. Obama would likely veto each resolution. Unless Congress manages to override the president's vetoes -- considered highly unlikely -- the debt ceiling would increase.
The unusual scheme would allow most Republicans and some more conservative Democrats to vote against any debt ceiling hike while still allowing it to clear.
McConnell and Reid are also working on two critical additions to the plan, according to congressional aides in both parties. One would add up to roughly $1.5 trillion in spending cuts agreed to in earlier talks led by Vice President Joe Biden; the other would create a commission meant to find more major spending cuts, tax increases and entitlement reforms.
Changes agreed to by the commission -- composed of an equal number of House and Senate Democrats and Republicans -- would be subject to a strict up-or-down vote by Congress. No amendments would be allowed.
Sources say the panel would be modeled after the Base Closing and Realignment Commission, which managed to close hundreds of military bases that Congress could not otherwise bring itself to shut down.

Afghan women hope to break new ground in the sky

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Afghan female pilots in training
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • The young women are on a military mission as young lieutenants in the Afghan army
  • They are sent to the U.S. to learn English
  • They join hundreds of other foreign military officers
  • Texas center has been teaching language to foreign military students for 55-plus years
Lackland Air Force Base, Texas (CNN) -- In a flower-filled courtyard near San Antonio, adult education students gather during a break, some celebrating the passage of final English exams and some discussing an upcoming social event.
The scene resembles very little of a typical campus. Everyone here is in a military uniform, each representing one of 80 countries. Loudly competing voices are conversing in dozens of different languages, each conversation competing against thunderous U.S. Air Force C-5 cargo planes training overhead.
However, it's not the campus that's most unique here. It's the school's four new female students -- each in their 20s and all wearing Afghan military camouflage and burkas -- that are turning heads.
These women, along with hundreds of other foreign military officers, were sent to the U.S. to learn English, courtesy of the U.S. military, but it's the women themselves who may soon teach their fellow students new English terms like "trailblazer," "role model," "groundbreaking" and "inner strength."
These four young women are on a military mission as young lieutenants in the Afghan army. They have been tasked by their home nation of Afghanistan with not only perfecting their English language skills but also in breaking new ground as military helicopter pilots in a progressing Afghan air force -- while the world is watching.
Lackland Air Force Base's Defense Language Institute English Language Center (DLIELC) has been teaching the English language to foreign military students for over 55 years.
Approximately 10% of its enrollment at any given time is made of up females; however, this marks the first time the school has welcomed Afghan women to its student body.
Among the names on this semester's historic roster: 2nd Lt. Sourya Saleh, 2nd Lt. Narges Safari, 2nd Lt. Masooma Hussaini and 2nd Lt. Mary Sharifzada -- all from Kabul.
Lt. Sourya Saleh, who joined the Afghan army after completing high school, says she responded to a newspaper advertisement looking for women interested in joining the Afghan military.
Saleh speaks with broken English, but her intent isn't likely to be misunderstood.
"It's the first time that ladies are coming to the military and joining the air force ... it's a very big deal for us. I thought with myself, let's do some new things for our country that all the other world countries know about."
Lt. Narges Safari also joined the Afghan military as soon as she head they were looking for women.
"For me, especially, it was my dream," she says. Lt. Mary Sharifzada, much like her colleague Saleh, hopes to be an inspiration in the future, specifically for Afghan women.
"We saw these women from other countries and they are strong, and they can do everything. Now, it's time for us. We should show the world that the women of Afghanistan are as strong," she says defiantly.
Lt. Col. Bonnie Ward, who is the center's dean, may be one of the young ladies' first official fans in the U.S.
Ward, who has spent some time with the women since their arrival on campus, believes the young lieutenants have shown "incredible strength" and determination.
"They're excited about flying, but more so, they are focused on providing a future for women in Afghanistan ... I'm inspired," she said.
U.S. Air Force Col. Howard Jones, who oversees the center, realizes the importance of this moment in history.
"Let's face it. These young ladies are pathfinders. They're trailblazers, and as such, they are subject to the criticism, the antagonism of those that don't want to see this particular path plowed," Jones said.
"All of us here in the United States are aware ... and understand the significance of what they're doing."
Jones admits he is impressed with these four "very poised" women noting how far they've come already in making it to the U.S.
The program is currently educating and housing nearly 900 students from 80 countries ... all of them from "partner countries" that the U.S. has a military relationship.
Jones is quick to credit the work being done by his colleagues in Kabul who operate "Thunder Lab," an English immersion program designed for Afghan air force officers awaiting pilot training.
These four Afghan women have graduated from the "Thunder Lab" program in Kabul before arriving to the United States earlier this month.
With a year or more of language study under their belts, it's now come time for more intensive immersion and professional aviation instruction. That means being away from Afghanistan and their families for many months.
Being homesick comes with the territory for most students.
"I think Afghan food is better," Sharifzada admitted at the lieutenants' news conference on base. The local press erupted in laughter.
The Afghan students will spend six to eight months at the center, roughly six hours each day in language classes. There is a lot of homework in addition to organized social and cultural activities aimed at increasing English-language proficiency ... and even some time allotted for watching television in the dorms.
Graduation requires mastering the nuance of some military terms necessary for future pilot training.
Time is set aside to allow for students' religious observation. There is an Imam on base along with religious leaders of various faiths. Early next year, these four Afghan women are expected to move from Texas to Fort Rucker, Alabama, where they will all receive advanced helicopter pilot training under the tutelage of the U.S. Army.
Jones does not question whether these Afghan lieutenants will succeed in his U.S.-based program.
"There's no doubt, to even arrive at the point they are now ... they've already faced many challenges. These young ladies know how to persevere. They know how to perform in a stressful environment," he said.
None of these four young women, however, will be able to claim the title of "first female pilot" in Afghanistan's military corps.
Capt. Latifa Nabizada has been a helicopter pilot in the Afghan air force for more than 20 years, and currently is the only female pilot.
Nabizada was trained in the days following Soviet regime in Afghanistan. She told CNN during a recent interview that, as the only female in the force, she had to flee the country when the Taliban took over, but has since returned and rejoined her male colleagues over the Afghan skies.
These young pilots-in-training realize the impact their decision may have on their own safety once back in Afghanistan ... and on their parents.
Lt. Sourya Saleh's father encouraged his daughter to apply for the Afghan military.
"Because it's the first time this is happening in our country, it's a very hard decision that our parents are making because about our safety ... about our everything that they should care about."
Saleh tries to explain further with her limited English vocabulary.
But, "My father said, 'why not? It's a new thing. Why not? ... You can do this."
Lt. Masooma Hussaini, who was the only female within her family or close high school friends to join the Afghan military, acknowledges her father was initially disappointed in her choice.
"He dreamed about me to be a doctor," Hussaini recalls.
She says her mother supported her and convinced her father that Masooma would never be happy as a doctor.
Eventually her father came around to her way of thinking, Hussaini says proudly, "and now I am very happy they are proud of me."
Young women in Afghanistan are making progress in improving gender equality among its military ranks, but they concede there is still a long way to go.
Saleh says there were about 35 other women in her class during a recent test back in Afghanistan, "and I hope that next year, we have more than that," says Saleh.
Clearly optimism is an attribute these four women possess -- arguably along with some fierce determination.
"There is an inner strength to them that you can just see. You can see how determined they are to succeed at what they've set out to do," says Christine Whittemore, an instructor working with two of the women.
Aware of her own impact on Afghanistan's history, Whittemore calls her work "a privilege." It's the first time she has taught females students at the language center.
Whittemore also admits she's been pleased to see male students at the school, many of them Middle Eastern, "very accepting" toward the female students in her classroom.
In comparing her students, the long-time instructor describes the Afghan women as "a little less boisterous than the men," pausing slightly before adding, "... but they make themselves heard!"
Whittemore smiles, a touch of feminine pride evident in her tone. "They're not afraid to say what they think.... Not at all!," she laughs.
Sharifzada hopes her message is heard loud and clear, especially by Afghan women. She may not be boisterous, but she is fearless. "Don't afraid anything ... if you want to do something, you can do it. Just believe yourself that you can do it," she states emphatically.
Fellow future pilot Saleh may also lack a boisterous attitude, but she's certainly a visionary and exudes confidence.
"We are going to open the door for our ladies in Afghanistan. It's a big deal for us to open this door ... and that the other ladies that have dreams that they can't do it, we want to show them!"
It may take these four brave women a bit more time to express themselves in perfect English, but their big hopes and dreams are clearly evident without any expert interpretation.

Who is Wendi Deng Murdoch?

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Wendi Deng: Murdoch's 'tiger wife'
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Deng Murdoch was nicknamed "gold digger;" now she's "Crouching Wendi: Hidden Tiger"
  • She became Murdoch's third wife shortly after he divorced his wife of more than 30 years
  • The Murdochs have two young children together; he has six in all
  • Murdoch is founder of News Corp., currently under investigation over phone-hacking
(CNN) -- It's the slap that's been heard around the world: Wendi Deng Murdoch putting herself between her husband Rupert Murdoch and a protester armed with a shaving cream pie.
Deng had already cut a formidable presence in her pink suit, looking severe, as she sat behind her media mogul husband. But it was her lunge at Murdoch's attacker that set Twitter on fire.
Suddenly it's no longer Wendi the "gold digger" -- as some called her -- who snared the aging boss of News Corp. Now she is being dubbed Crouching Wendi: Hidden Tiger.
Chinese microblogs have gone into overdrive: One slap for Wendi, one knockout blow for the pride of Asian women.
Read Time's 'Top 10 Bad-Ass Wives'
"The harder she slapped, the more we can tell how eager she was to protect her husband ... she is still a woman who longs for love," MissQccc wrote.
Another microblogger, Yan Yu Qing Liu, wrote, "People are starting to see the 'gold digger' differently ... Wendi Deng has redefined Tiger Mom."
Who is Wendi Deng?
But still others can't get past how this young Chinese woman snared the rich, powerful media mogul.
"If Murdoch was just one poor old man, would Wendi Deng stay with him and have his babies...Everything between them is about money," one microblogger wrote.
On the streets of Beijing, local Chinese are giving Mrs. Murdoch the benefit of the doubt.
"I used to think Deng only loves Murdoch's money. But her move yesterday was so fast and was kind of instinct... this may actually be true love!" one young woman said.
Another said, "I admire her courage. She did this out of her obligation and responsibility as a wife. She did it very well."
So, who is Wendi Deng?
She first made waves when she married Murdoch in 1999, shortly after he divorced his wife of more than 30 years, Anna Torv Murdoch Mann. Since then, the couple have had two daughters together, Chloe and Grace, the youngest among his six children.
By Rupert Murdoch's own account in an joint interview with his wife on CCTV's "Dialogue" program just last month, they met at a cocktail party shortly after she graduated with an MBA from Yale and went to work in Hong Kong at Star Television as an intern, a satellite television service he bought in 1993.
By then, his holdings under News Corp. included the Sunday Times, The Australian, News International, the New York Post, the Times of London, 20th Century Fox and Fox Broadcasting. (His acquisition of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team would coincide with their courtship.)
A native of China, she served as his interpreter during a tour in the mainland, he said. On CCTV, Rupert Murdoch recalled the days when he pursued Wendi-- a woman nearly half his age-- and his efforts to get her to marry him.
"I fell in love with her, and I asked her. She said no, and it took a long time to persuade her," he said.
They married after he finalized his divorce from his second wife.
It's been a long road for Deng. She has talked about growing up in a small town in China ("very,very poor"), the daughter of a factory engineer.
Her marriage with Murdoch wasn't her first; she married the man who, with his then-wife, had sponsored her for a student visa in the United States during the late 1980s. She eventually secured a "green card" to stay permanently in the United States, but her first marriage was short-lived.
Not much is known about Deng. She sits on the board of advisers at the Yale School of Management, her alma mater. She is listed as a co-founder for Big Feet Productions and also is co-producer (with Florence Sloan, friend and wife of former MGM CEO Harry Sloan) of "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan," a recent film directed by Wayne Wang ("Joy Luck Club").
But it is as Rupert Murdoch's wife that Wendi is now known.
And as the pie man found ... nothing comes between the slap-down sister and her mister.