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Dwyane Wade, back, LeBron James, center, and Ray Allen of the Miami Heat celebrate after defeating the San Antonio Spurs during Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals on Tuesday, June 18, in Miami. The Heat beat the Spurs 103-100 to tie the series 3-3. See photos from Game 5.

Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs reacts in overtime against the Miami Heat.

LeBron James of the Miami Heat goes up for a shot against Danny Green of the San Antonio Spurs in overtime during Game 6.

Ray Allen of the Miami Heat makes a game-tying three-pointer over Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs to send the game to overtime.

Mike Miller, left, and LeBron James of the Miami Heat vie for a rebound with Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs.

The Miami Heat’s LeBron James, right, congratulates teammate Mike Miller after he hit a three-point basket wearing one shoe during the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs.

Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs makes a basket over Mario Chalmers of the Miami Heat near the end of the fourth quarter.

LeBron James of the Miami Heat drives to the basket against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals on Tuesday, June 18, in Miami.

The San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan drives to the net on Miami Heat’s Chris Andersen during Game 6.

Danny Green of the Suprs celebrates a basket against during the second quarter.

The Miami Heat regroup during a pause in play against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 6.

Miami Heat’s LeBron James takes a fade-away jumper while being guarded by San Antonio Spurs’ Boris Diaw.

The San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat face off during Game 6.

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich coaches his team during a timeout in the first half against the Miami Heat.

Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs shoots over Chris Andersen of the Miami Heat during Game 6.

Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat falls with the ball as Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs guards him.

Chris Andersen of the Miami Heat dives into the seats chasing a ball in the second quarter against the San Antonio Spurs.

Mike Miller of the Miami Heat tries to strip the ball from Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs.

Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs handles the ball against Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat during Game 6.

LeBron James of the Miami Heat goes up for a shot against Kawhi Leonard, left, Tim Duncan and Danny Green, right, of the San Antonio Spurs in the first half.

Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs dunks on Mike Miller of the Miami Heat.

Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat reacts after scoring in the first quarter while taking on the San Antonio Spurs during Game 6.

Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs shoots over Chris Andersen of the Miami Heat.

Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs drives on LeBron James of the Miami Heat in the first quarter.

LeBron James of the Miami Heat argues a call with referee Ken Mauer during the game.

Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs goes up for a shot against Mike Miller of the Miami Heat in the first quarter.

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(CNN) — With their backs against the wall, the Miami Heat thrived once again Tuesday night, defeating the San Antonio Spurs and staving off elimination.

The Heat pulled off a 103-100 overtime victory, forcing a decisive Game 7 on Thursday.

Mario Chalmers had a breakout game, scoring 20 points. LeBron James added 32 as the Heat mounted a fourth-quarter comeback and battled through overtime to even the best-of-seven series at three games each.

“We feel very grateful we have an opportunity to play for a title in a Game 7,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

The two teams have traded wins since the beginning of the series, and it now boils down to a single game Thursday. That pattern will have to be broken if the Heat is to win its second consecutive championship.

“It was a helluva game,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. “It’s a game of mistakes. And they ended up on the winning side.”

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/19/us/nba-finals/index.html?eref=edition

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Emirates has been voted the world’s best airline, and best in-flight entertainment, by passengers at the annual Skytrax World Airline Awards. The awards are decided by 18.2 million passengers in 160 countries around the world.

Japan’s ANA won a new award for cabin cleanliness, as well as receiving a five-star airline rating.

Cathay Pacific won the world’s best cabin crew.

Air Asia took the prize for best low-cost airline.

The best economy class award goes to Garuda Indonesia.

Malaysia Airlines’ satay service wins best signature dish.

Air New Zealand won best premium economy.

The best first class award goes to Etihad Airways.

Qatar Airways was voted best business class.

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CNN’s Bryony Jones will be reporting from the 50th Paris Airshow at Le Bourget. Follow her on Twitter.

Le Bourget, France (CNN) — Emirates has been voted the world’s best airline by passengers at the annual Skytrax World Airline Awards.

The awards — decided by 18.2 million passengers in 160 countries around the world — judge airlines on everything from the cleanliness of the cabin to the quality of the in-flight food and entertainment.

Dubai-based Emirates took the debut prize in 2001, and retained it in 2002, before missing out on the top spot for a decade.

Skytrax World Airline Awards 2013

Airline of the Year: Emirates

World’s Best Cabin Staff: Cathay Pacific

World’s Best Low-Cost Airline: Air Asia

Best Economy Class: Garuda Indonesia

Best Premium Economy: Air New Zealand

Best Business Class: Qatar Airways

Best First Class: Etihad Airways

Best In-Flight Entertainment: Emirates

Best Signature Dish: Malaysia Airlines’ Satay Service

Now they’re back to make it a hat-trick — and the company’s president, Tim Clark, puts their return to award-winning form down to one thing, “exteremely hard work.”

“We’ve got 200 aircraft, 18,000 cabin crew and ground staff,” he explained, admitting that with 200 aircraft and 18,000 cabin crew and ground staff the company’s operations were “not easy, but you work hard at what you’re doing, you deliver to people’s expectations, and hopefully exceed those expectations.”

Emirates was also named best airline in the Middle East, and won a third award for its in-flight entertainment system.

Cathay Pacific’s cabin crew were crowned the world’s best, while Air Asia took the prize for best low-cost airline. Japan’s ANA won a new award for cabin cleanliness, as well as receiving a five-star airline rating.

John Slosar, CEO of Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific said the win was recognition for the company’s “fabulous team.”

“We work very hard to make sure it’s all about the team, not about individuals. We teach our crew not to just follow the rules, but to express themselves through their work, to offer service straight from the heart.”

Test your knowledge of airline liveries

Presenting the awards, CNN’s Richard Quest said consistency was key to the success of those crowned the best in the world.

“It’s all about the ability to deliver a product every time — every flight, for every passenger in every class.”

The Skytrax World Airline Awards were established in 1999; they are compiled from the world’s largest airline passenger satisfaction survey — responses to questionnaires in English, Spanish, Chinese and Russian.

New Airbus makes first flight

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/18/business/the-worlds-best-airline-is/index.html?eref=edition

Washington (CNN) — Bomb plots targeting the New York Stock Exchange and the city’s subway were among more than 50 terrorist acts worldwide thwarted by top-secret surveillance programs since the 2001 al Qaeda attacks on the United States, security officials said Tuesday.

The startling details disclosed at a House intelligence committee hearing reflected a unified effort by the Obama administration and legislators to defend the telephone and e-mail surveillance made public this month by classified leaks to newspapers.

Testimony by Gen. Keith Alexander, the National Security Agency director, as well as officials from the FBI, Department of Justice and the Director of National Intelligence office called the programs created under the Patriot Act in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks a vital tool against terrorist plots.

NSA: 50 plots prevented since 9/11

Thwarted terror plot details revealed

Analysis of Obama on NSA policies

Joined by panel Chairman Rep. Mike Rogers and other legislators, they condemned the document leaks by former government contractor Edward Snowden as harmful to the United States and its allies.

The leaks also led to what officials called widespread public misinformation about the surveillance programs that necessitated the relatively rare open hearing by the intelligence panel, where they detailed previously classified information in order to set the record straight.

It was the most comprehensive and specific defense of the surveillance methods that have come under ferocious criticism from civil liberties groups, some members of Congress and others concerned about the reach of government into the private lives of citizens.

National security and law enforcement officials repeated that the programs are tightly run with significant regulation and oversight by federal judges and Congress.

Addressing the most basic questions that have emerged, Rogers asked Alexander if intelligence workers have the ability to simply “flip a switch” in order to listen to phone calls or read the emails of Americans.

When Alexander replied “no,” Rogers asked again to reinforce the message for anyone listening.

“So the technology does not exist for any individual or group of individuals at the NSA to flip a switch to listen to Americans’ phone calls or read their e-mails?” he repeated.

“That is correct,” Alexander answered.

He and others also asserted that the leaks were egregious and carry huge consequences for national security.

“I think it was irreversible and significant damage to this nation,” Alexander said when questioned by Rep. Michele Bachmann.

“Has this helped America’s enemies?” the conservative Minnesota Republican asked.

“I believe it has and I believe it will hurt us and our allies,” Alexander said.

President Barack Obama has defended the programs as necessary in an era of terror.

In an interview with PBS’ Charlie Rose broadcast on Monday night, Obama said the situation requires a national debate on the balance between security and privacy.

Obama bristles at suggestion he’s shifted on snooping

Alexander told a Senate committee last week that the surveillance programs helped stop dozens of terror plots, but he was unable then to provide classified details.

Under pressure from Rogers and other legislators, Alexander joined law enforcement officials Tuesday in making public some declassified details of the Patriot Act provisions.

In recent years, Alexander said, information “gathered from these programs provided government with critical leads to prevent over 50 potential terrorist events in more than 20 countries around the world.”

Details of most of the thwarted terrorism acts remain secret, but national security officials said they were working on declassifying more information and could have a report to Congress as early as this week.

Sean Joyce, the deputy FBI director, detailed how email surveillance of foreigners under one program helped authorities discover the two New York City plots.

In the fall of 2009, Joyce said, the NSA intercepted an e-mail from a suspected terrorist in Pakistan. That person was talking with someone in the United States “about perfecting a recipe for explosives,” he said.

Authorities identified Afghan-born Najibullah Zazi of Denver. The FBI followed him to New York and eventually broke up planning to attack the city’s subway system. Zazi pleaded guilty and is currently in prison.

Snowden claims online Obama expanded ‘abusive’ security

In the other New York case, the NSA was monitoring a “known extremist” in Yemen who was in contact with a person in the United States, Joyce said. The FBI detected “nascent plotting” to bomb the stock exchange, long considered a target of terrorists, and the plotters were later convicted, according to Joyce.

He also said e-mail surveillance disrupted an effort to attack the office of a Danish newspaper that was threatened for publishing a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed in 2006.

The plot involved David Headley, a U.S citizen living in Chicago. The FBI received intelligence at the time regarding his possible involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack that killed 164 people, Joyce said.

The NSA, through surveillance of an al Qaeda-affiliated terrorist, found that Headley was working on a plot to bomb the newspaper.

Headley later confessed to conducting surveillance and was convicted. He also pleaded guilty to conducting surveillance in the Mumbai case.

In a fourth case, secret surveillance “tipped us off” to a person who had indirect contacts with a known terrorist group overseas, Joyce said.

“We were able to reopen this investigation, identify additional individuals through the legal process and were able to disrupt this terrorist activity,” Joyce said.

In an exchange with Joyce, Rep. Mac Thornberry of Texas said the case involved someone financing a designated terrorist group in Somalia.

Rogers, who scheduled the hearing in recent days after Alexander pledged to declassify information on terror plots thwarted by the secret programs, said it was necessary to clear up public confusion caused by misinformation.

“If half the things I read in blog and other places were true, I wouldn’t support it,” the Michigan Republican said, later adding that skeptics “have no understanding” of what is going on.

In particular, he said Snowden disclosed only a sliver of information about the programs without knowing the full extent of what they did and the strict regulation and oversight of them.

“None of the things he talked about were accurate,” Rogers said of Snowden.

The hearing came one day after Snowden defended his actions in leaking classified documents to Britain’s Guardian newpaper and the Washington Post.

In a series of blog posts on the Guardian website, the 29-year-old Snowden said he disclosed the information because Obama worsened “abusive” surveillance practices instead of curtailing them as he promised as a presidential candidate.

The former NSA contractor insisted that U.S. authorities have access to phone calls, e-mails and other communications far beyond constitutional bounds. While he said legal restrictions can be easily skirted by analysts at the NSA, FBI and CIA, Snowden stopped short of accusing authorities of violating specific laws.

Instead, he said toothless regulations and policies were to blame for what he called “suspicionless surveillance,” and he warned that policies can be changed to allow further abuses.

At Tuesday’s hearing, officials detailed how the programs operate and the judicial and legislative oversight involved, repeating several times how access to the content of e-mails or telephone calls — or even the names of people involved — required authorization.

Deputy Attorney General James Cole noted that basic phone records collected under Section 215 of the Patriot Act were not protected by Fourth Amendment rights to privacy, citing a 1979 Supreme Court ruling.

In the case, Smith v. Maryland, the justices ruled that information about telephone calls — such as their time and duration — was different from the content of the calls and therefore not protected under the Fourth Amendment.

Cole also provided a detailed description of the legal framework of the programs, noting that the anti-terrorism surveillance effort is not “off the books” or “hidden away.”

“This is part of what government puts together and discusses,” he said. “Statutes are passed. It is overseen by three branches of our government — the Legislature, the Judiciary, and the Executive Branch.”

He described the U.S. phone records collected under Section 215 as basic information “just like what you would get in your own phone bill.”

“It is the number that was dialed from, the number that was dialed to, the date and the length of time. That’s all we get,” he said. “We do not get the identity of any of the parties to this phone call. We don’t get any cell site or location information as to where any of these phones were located. And, most importantly, and you’re probably going to hear this about 100 times today, we don’t get any content under this. We don’t listen in on anybody’s calls under this program at all.”

Tech companies jockey to seem the most transparent

Instead, it takes permission from a special court to get access to further information, based on a verifiable link to a terrorism investigation, Cole explained. Such links have mostly come from another surveillance program that collects communications information of foreign terrorism suspects living overseas.

Critics question the need to store the vast amount of U.S. phone records, saying it creates a database prone to abuses and provides little return for the risk and privacy concerns.

Alexander said Tuesday the phone database played a role in stopping 10 terrorist acts since the 9/11 attacks. At the same time, he and other officials said there were no cases they knew of in which anyone willfully misused the system to access information.

“If you’re looking for the needle in a haystack,” Cole said, “you have to have the haystack.”

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/18/politics/nsa-leaks/index.html?eref=edition

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People walk in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Tuesday, June 18. Brazilians took to the streets across the country to protest a 9 cent rise in bus fares. Brazil is building massive stadiums and revamping infrastructure ahead of the soccer World Cup, which it hosts next year.

Riot police form a line outside the Government Palace in Sao Paulo, on Monday, June 17.

Protesters set a fire outside the Tiradentes Palace in Rio de Janeiro during a protest on June 17.

A riot officer holds a position in downtown Rio de Janeiro on June 17.

Thousands participate in the protest in Rio de Janeiro on June 17.

Piles of trash burn in the streets of Rio de Janeiro on June 17.

Protesters clash with riot police in front of Rio de Janeiro’s Legislative Assembly building on June 17.

Protesters clash with riot police on June 17.

A riot police officer receives help after clashing with protesters on June 17.

A protester receives assistance after being shot in the leg in Rio de Janeiro on June 17.

Two men look at smashed ATMs in Rio de Janeiro on June 17.

People stand atop the National Congress building in Brasilia, Brazil, on June 17.

Thousands stand in the gardens of the National Congress in Brasilia during a protest on June 17.

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Are you witnessing the protests in Brazil? Share your images and videos with CNN iReport.

Sao Paulo, Brazil (CNN) — Sao Paulo is the scene of another night of protests in Brazil, with demonstrators calling for a government more responsive to Brazilians’ needs.

Protests have been staged in major cities across the country, but Sao Paulo was the focal point of Tuesday’s marches.

The thousands who gathered were mostly peaceful, and the atmosphere was almost festive. But at least one small group unsuccessfully tried to force their way into a municipal building.

Police for the most part stood back, but repelled those who tried to enter the government building by bashing its windows with police barriers.

Protests remain mostly festive in Brazil

Brazilian protester: Where do taxes go?

Tiny price hike triggers huge protests

Brazilians say they are angry about high taxes, corruption, and lavish spending on the upcoming World Cup soccer tournament, among other complaints. Protests on Monday were the largest in the country in at least 20 years.

President Dilma Rousseff said Tuesday their message was being heard.

“The direct message from the streets is for more citizenship, better schools, better hospitals, better health, for direct participation,” she said in a nationally televised address. “My government is trying and committed to social transformation.”

The feeling among the protesters is that they are paying into a system that is not giving them back enough in return.

“It’s all about national priorities,” said Fernando Jones, a CNN iReporter who participated in protests in Rio de Janeiro. “We want health, we want education.”

Brazilians like himself find themselves asking how the government is using their taxes for its citizens, while watching as millions are spent on preparations for the World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games.

“People can’t take it anymore,” he said.

Thousands protest over rising costs of 2014 World Cup

While praising the largely peaceful protests, Rousseff said that what she characterized as “isolated and minor acts of violence” should be confronted “with vigor.”

Government officials say they recognize the protester’s freedom of expression, but that there is a lack of a unified message from the demonstrators.

The country’s investment for the World Cup and Olympics includes money for health and public transportation projects that address some of the protesters’ concerns, Deputy Sports Minister Luis Fernandes said.

“There is absolutely nothing contradictory between organizing a World Cup and investing in health and education,” he said.

Are you there? Share photos or video, but stay safe

The protests are being organized largely by university students and a group called the Free Fare Movement, which wants public transportation to be free of charge.

The protests follow a week of smaller demonstrations that began in response to plans to increase fares for Brazil’s public transportation system, from 3 to 3.20 reais ($1.38 to $1.47), but have broadened into wider protests over economic and social issues plaguing the country.

Protesters say they are angry about, among other things, government decisions to spend money on the World Cup and other projects instead of improving health care, education and other social programs.

Brazil is building stadiums and revamping its infrastructure ahead of the World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, events that will put the world’s focus on the Latin American nation of 201 million people.

What’s really behind the Brazilian riots?

The protests have attracted international attention, and the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights urged Brazilian authorities Tuesday to show restraint in handling protesters.

Last week, at least 100 people were injured and 120 arrested after violent clashes between police and protesters in Sao Paulo. Police used rubber bullets and tear gas against protesters and journalists, bringing complaints of brutality and targeting of media covering the events.

Read: Brazil wins Confederations Cup opener

Read: ‘The man who made a nation cry’

Shasta Darlington reported from Sao Paulo; Mariano Castillo wrote from Atlanta; CNN’s Micheal Pearson, Marilia Brocchetto and Ben Brumfield also contributed to this report.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/18/world/americas/brazil-protests/index.html?eref=edition

Are you there? Share your story on CNN iReport, but please remember to stay safe.

Istanbul (CNN) — Turkish protesters are giving their government the silent treatment.

Hundreds of men and women stood silently Tuesday in Istanbul’s Taksim Square emulating the performance artist whose quiet protest Monday night quickly gained him the nickname “Standing Man.”

For more than five hours, Erdem Gunduz had stared toward a portrait of Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the modern Turkish state, whose likeness adorns the side of the Ataturk Cultural Center in the square.

Police eventually moved in to arrest many of those who had joined him, but it was unclear Tuesday whether Gunduz was in custody.

Turkish protests running out of steam?

A drone’s view of riot zone

‘Standing Man’ silent protest inspires

Police, protesters face off in Ankara

His quiet defiance came after police broke up weekend anti-government protests with tear gas and water cannon.

Turkey has been wracked by more than two weeks of protests against the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. But many of those who joined Gunduz said they were standing only for peace, not taking sides.

“I’m standing against all violence,” said Koray Konuk, one of those arrested. “I’m standing there so that the events that we’ve been witnessing and the events taking place over the last two to three weeks can come to a standstill.”

Woman labeled ‘icon’ of Turkey protests: It’s not about me

Konuk, 45, told CNN that police put him on a bus with up to 20 other people who had joined Gunduz, but that Gunduz was not among them.

“I was just standing. They arrested a man who was just standing,” he said. “That is absurd.”

People, alone or in pairs, continued to arrive and stand silently at the square throughout the day Tuesday. Some held hands in a quiet show of solidarity, and a few supporters even took to putting sunscreen on the faces of some protesters.

But police once again arrived in large numbers and took the placid protesters away in vans.

The hushed tableau came two days after police swept into Taksim Square and neighboring Gezi Park to clear out anti-Erdogan protesters.

The demonstrators tried to return to the park Sunday, only to be driven back by police.

Tear gas abates, music fills Turkey’s Gezi Park

Root of protests

The unrest began in Istanbul in late May, when a small group of people turned out to protest government plans to bulldoze Gezi Park, the city’s last green space, and replace it with a shopping mall housed inside a replica of 19th century Ottoman barracks.

Protesters said the plans represented a creeping infringement on their rights in a secular society.

Erdogan supporters turn out for rally

Demonstrators, police clash in Istanbul

What young Turks think of protests

Why are Turks protesting Erdogan?

Turkey was founded after secularists defeated Islamic Ottoman forces in the early 20th century, and many modern-day secularists frown on Ottoman symbols.

Soon after the demonstrations began, security forces cracked down on the protesters. Instead of ending the activity, however, the crackdown prompted more people to come out, many calling for political reforms.

The unrest also brought political risks for Erdogan, a populist and democratically elected politician serving his third term in office.

Speaking Tuesday to a parliamentary group meeting of his Justice and Development (AK) Party, Erdogan said he had no intention of restricting anyone’s democratic rights. “If you want to make a protest do it, do it, but do it within the framework of law,” he said.

He accused the international media of misrepresenting events in Turkey.

“Vandalism (footage) was twisted and displayed as if it was a innocent environmental protest,” he said. “International media reported on this in a manner to deceive those who are not acting with them to their side.”

He said security forces were being patient, refraining from using guns even when two police officers were wounded by gunfire. “When their warnings are not heeded, they use tear gas,” he said.

The police will not turn a blind eye to illegal actions, he said, in an apparent reference to the ongoing protests.

Erdogan reiterated that the government will abandon its plans to build in Gezi Park if the people of Istanbul vote against them.

Erdogan plans to muster a show of support this weekend in the Turkish heartland, where he has a strong base.

The prime minister told parliament that rallies will be held on behalf of the Justice and Development Party in Kayseri on Friday, in Samsun on Saturday and in Erzurum on Sunday.

Is Istanbul safe for tourists?

U.N. concerns

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on Tuesday expressed concern about the tactics used by security forces against demonstrators.

“I am particularly concerned about allegations of excessive use of force by police against peaceful groups of protesters as this may have resulted in serious damage to health,” she said in a statement issued from Geneva.

“Reports that tear gas canisters and pepper spray were fired at people from close range, or into closed spaces, and the alleged misuse of rubber bullets, need to be promptly, effectively, credibly and transparently investigated,” Pillay said, noting that “the atmosphere is still clearly highly combustible.”

And Human Rights Watch said Monday that the Turkish government’s response to weekend protests was excessive. “The police assault on a peaceful crowd in Gezi Park and tear gas use in confined spaces showed a dangerous disregard for the well-being — and indeed the lives — of protesters and bystanders,” said Emma Sinclair-Webb, senior Turkey researcher for the rights group.

“The repeated police violence against people who are dissatisfied with government policies has deeply polarized Turkey. The government urgently needs to change police tactics and issue a clear signal for restraint.”

But Erdogan defended the police approach.

“The police forces have passed the democracy test,” he said Tuesday, according to the semiofficial Anadolu Agency news service.

He described the use of tear gas on protesters as an “incontestable right of police” and the demonstrations as “an unprincipled, immoderate movement that is based on lies and deception,” Anadolu reported.

Trade unions had tried on Monday to put fresh pressure on Erdogan by mounting a nationwide strike. But a crowd that marched on Taksim Square dispersed when faced with riot squads backed by water cannon.

Letters from Turkey, with pride

‘There is a level of desperation’

While the protests are unlikely to threaten the rule of Erdogan, who is credited with overseeing a decade of economic growth, they are raising questions about what critics say is an increasingly authoritarian style of governing.

iReport: Wedding in the midst of teargas

Some demonstrators have shifted to protesting in their local neighborhoods in the city, putting up barricades. Meanwhile, the atmosphere in confrontations between police and protesters is turning uglier.

“Now it feels like there is a level of desperation,” said Clare Murray, who was vacationing in Istanbul from New York for the past week. “The police seem more comfortable with using aggression.”

Since Saturday night, 116 people have been detained during protests in Ankara and 242 people have been detained in Istanbul demonstrations, said Huseyin Aslan, general secretary of the Progressive Lawyers Association.

Erdogan has accused outsiders of taking advantage of the protests over the park. On Sunday, thousands of his supporters gathered at a rally a few miles from Taksim Square, waving flags and singing songs at a rally that was widely viewed as a re-election rally for the prime minister.

Journalist Karl Penhaul and CNN’s Gul Tuysuz reported from Istanbul, and journalist Ian Lee reported from Ankara. CNN’s Salma Abdelaziz, Arwa Damon and Joe Duran in Istanbul, Antonia Mortensen in Ankara and Tom Watkins in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/18/world/europe/turkey-protests/index.html?eref=edition

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People walk in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Tuesday, June 18. Brazilians took to the streets across the country to protest a 9 cent rise in bus fares. Brazil is building massive stadiums and revamping infrastructure ahead of the soccer World Cup, which it hosts next year.

Riot police form a line outside the Government Palace in Sao Paulo, on Monday, June 17.

Protesters set a fire outside the Tiradentes Palace in Rio de Janeiro during a protest on June 17.

A riot officer holds a position in downtown Rio de Janeiro on June 17.

Thousands participate in the protest in Rio de Janeiro on June 17.

Piles of trash burn in the streets of Rio de Janeiro on June 17.

Protesters clash with riot police in front of Rio de Janeiro’s Legislative Assembly building on June 17.

Protesters clash with riot police on June 17.

A riot police officer receives help after clashing with protesters on June 17.

A protester receives assistance after being shot in the leg in Rio de Janeiro on June 17.

Two men look at smashed ATMs in Rio de Janeiro on June 17.

People stand atop the National Congress building in Brasilia, Brazil, on June 17.

Thousands stand in the gardens of the National Congress in Brasilia during a protest on June 17.

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Are you witnessing the protests in Brazil? Share your images and videos with CNN iReport.

Sao Paulo, Brazil (CNN) — Sao Paulo is the scene of another night of protests in Brazil, with demonstrators calling for a government more responsive to Brazilians’ needs.

Protests have been staged in major cities across the country, but Sao Paulo was the focal point of Tuesday’s marches.

The thousands who gathered were mostly peaceful, and the atmosphere was almost festive. But at least one small group unsuccessfully tried to force their way into a municipal building.

Police for the most part stood back, but repelled those who tried to enter the government building by bashing its windows with police barriers.

Protests remain mostly festive in Brazil

Brazilian protester: Where do taxes go?

Tiny price hike triggers huge protests

Brazilians say they are angry about high taxes, corruption, and lavish spending on the upcoming World Cup soccer tournament, among other complaints. Protests on Monday were the largest in the country in at least 20 years.

President Dilma Rousseff said Tuesday their message was being heard.

“The direct message from the streets is for more citizenship, better schools, better hospitals, better health, for direct participation,” she said in a nationally televised address. “My government is trying and committed to social transformation.”

The feeling among the protesters is that they are paying into a system that is not giving them back enough in return.

“It’s all about national priorities,” said Fernando Jones, a CNN iReporter who participated in protests in Rio de Janeiro. “We want health, we want education.”

Brazilians like himself find themselves asking how the government is using their taxes for its citizens, while watching as millions are spent on preparations for the World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games.

“People can’t take it anymore,” he said.

Thousands protest over rising costs of 2014 World Cup

While praising the largely peaceful protests, Rousseff said that what she characterized as “isolated and minor acts of violence” should be confronted “with vigor.”

Government officials say they recognize the protester’s freedom of expression, but that there is a lack of a unified message from the demonstrators.

The country’s investment for the World Cup and Olympics includes money for health and public transportation projects that address some of the protesters’ concerns, Deputy Sports Minister Luis Fernandes said.

“There is absolutely nothing contradictory between organizing a World Cup and investing in health and education,” he said.

Are you there? Share photos or video, but stay safe

The protests are being organized largely by university students and a group called the Free Fare Movement, which wants public transportation to be free of charge.

The protests follow a week of smaller demonstrations that began in response to plans to increase fares for Brazil’s public transportation system, from 3 to 3.20 reais ($1.38 to $1.47), but have broadened into wider protests over economic and social issues plaguing the country.

Protesters say they are angry about, among other things, government decisions to spend money on the World Cup and other projects instead of improving health care, education and other social programs.

Brazil is building stadiums and revamping its infrastructure ahead of the World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, events that will put the world’s focus on the Latin American nation of 201 million people.

What’s really behind the Brazilian riots?

The protests have attracted international attention, and the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights urged Brazilian authorities Tuesday to show restraint in handling protesters.

Last week, at least 100 people were injured and 120 arrested after violent clashes between police and protesters in Sao Paulo. Police used rubber bullets and tear gas against protesters and journalists, bringing complaints of brutality and targeting of media covering the events.

Read: Brazil wins Confederations Cup opener

Read: ‘The man who made a nation cry’

Shasta Darlington reported from Sao Paulo; Mariano Castillo wrote from Atlanta; CNN’s Micheal Pearson, Marilia Brocchetto and Ben Brumfield also contributed to this report.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/18/world/americas/brazil-protests/index.html?eref=edition

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People walk in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Tuesday, June 18. Brazilians took to the streets across the country to protest a 9 cent rise in bus fares. Brazil is building massive stadiums and revamping infrastructure ahead of the soccer World Cup, which it hosts next year.

Riot police form a line outside the Government Palace in Sao Paulo, on Monday, June 17.

Protesters set a fire outside the Tiradentes Palace in Rio de Janeiro during a protest on June 17.

A riot officer holds a position in downtown Rio de Janeiro on June 17.

Thousands participate in the protest in Rio de Janeiro on June 17.

Piles of trash burn in the streets of Rio de Janeiro on June 17.

Protesters clash with riot police in front of Rio de Janeiro’s Legislative Assembly building on June 17.

Protesters clash with riot police on June 17.

A riot police officer receives help after clashing with protesters on June 17.

A protester receives assistance after being shot in the leg in Rio de Janeiro on June 17.

Two men look at smashed ATMs in Rio de Janeiro on June 17.

People stand atop the National Congress building in Brasilia, Brazil, on June 17.

Thousands stand in the gardens of the National Congress in Brasilia during a protest on June 17.

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Editor’s note: James Montague is the author of When Friday Comes: Football, War and Revolution in the Middle East (deCoubertin Books). He is in Brazil for the Confederations Cup. Follow him @JamesPiotr

Belo Horizonte, Brazil (CNN) — At 11 pm, the tired and the injured gathered in Belo Horizonte for one last expression of discontent.

More than a thousand sat in Praca Sete de Setembro, a square in the center of the city, chanting against the government and the police. But they weren’t the crowd’s only enemy. A sign hung from a nearby balcony. It read: “Anti Copa.” On the pavement the words “A FIFA é Foda” had been painted: “F*** You, FIFA,” in Portuguese. The roads had been blocked off by the military police, who watched the protesters from afar. A bank of police horses chewed on piles of hay left for them on the road.

Daniel Sanabria, a technician in his 20s, stood nearby cradling his arm, an ice pack on top of a bloody bandage. He peeled it off to reveal an ugly red welt on his left hand. “A bullet,” he explained.

Brazilian protester: Where do taxes go?

Protests remain mostly festive in Brazil

Tiny price hike triggers huge protests

Read: 9 cent hike leads to clashes on Brazil’s streets

The day was supposed to have been something of a coronation for Belo Horizonte, a relatively quiet and small city — if a population of 2.5 million people could ever be called small — surrounded by mountains, an hour’s flight north of Rio de Janeiro.

Its famous Mineirao football stadium had just hosted its first match of the 2013 Confederations Cup, a 6-1 victory for African champions Nigeria against the tiny Pacific islanders of Tahiti. It was a dry run for next year’s World Cup finals which return to Brazil for the first time since 1950, a chance to prove that the country was ready to host the most world’s most popular sports tournament.

Instead, military and civilian helicopters flew overhead, roads were blocked and military police stationed throughout the city as a series of protests sparked by anger about the cost of living, poor quality education and high transport costs took place at the same time as the match.

The initial spark for the protests was a rise in bus fares in Sao Paulo. The anger was such that, even in a country often caricatured for its deification of soccer, the World Cup, its surrogate cousin the Confederations Cup and the game’s global governing body FIFA, have all become symbolic of corruption and waste.

Protesters believe the tournament has seen the rich line their pockets, while the poor make do with crumbling public services. The World Cup, it seems, has sparked something that has lain dormant for a long time.

“Tonight this is about all of Brazil, we are moving against corruption. We have been suffering for too many years,” said Tainara Freitas, a teacher who had remained with the protest until the end.

“And this year we rise. We have woken up. We are on the streets like in Turkey and Greece. They have made us wake up about this. The World Cup in Brazil is about too much money. There are too many poor people suffering. The World Cup isn’t good for Brazil. It will bring tourists and money but this is not good for poor people.”

Earlier in the day 15,000 protesters had marched towards the Mineirao as hundreds of thousands of Brazilians took to the streets across the country in the first coordinated mass protests of this size since the end of Brazil’s military dictatorship in the mid 1980s.

Police responded with tear gas, firing rubber bullets into the crowd, and beat protesters who burned barricades in return. I watched Tahiti’s brave performance on the pitch as the protesters gathered outside, speaking to Brazilian sports writer Igor Resende at half time about the match and the reasons for the anger. A few hours later he was in hospital after apparently being shot in the back with a rubber bullet.

“The police came with a brutal force,” recalled Resende. “I didn’t see the protesters do anything. The police threw a bomb and it exploded in the middle of the protest. Then police began to shoot.”

Resende said he was hit in the back by a rubber bullet as he ran away.

“In that moment I just ran. I thought that if I looked back the police would probably shoot me again. I don’t think the police are well prepared. They are badly paid. They have a bad life. They act like this because they are scared.”

But Resende said he has doubt that the police response was related to the Confederations Cup.

“I spoke to one of the highest ranked police guys in state yesterday. He told me 3,500 policeman were on the streets because of the game. They are acting to avoid conflict near the stadiums. The police and FIFA don’t want the protesters near the stadiums.”

For FIFA, who have been critical of Brazil’s preparations for the World Cup, the protests are an unwelcome complication for a tournament already long behind schedule. “People are using the platform of football and the international media presence to make certain demonstrations,” said FIFA president Sepp Blatter who, alongside the Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff, was booed by the crowd at the opening ceremony on Saturday.

Speaking in an interview in Rio on Monday, he said: “You will see today is the third day of the competition this will calm down. It will be a wonderful competition.”

But the protests have not calmed down. The day after Blatter’s interview, the biggest demonstrations yet took place. Sanabria and Freitas agreed that the Confederations Cup, which continues for another 12 days, is an opportunity to make their voices heard.

I asked them both what messaged they wanted to send FIFA and the football world.

“Please, please, make more pressure on our government, on the Brazilian government to look out for us,” said Freitas before she made her way back into the protest, Sanabria still clutching his injured hand.

“They are looking out for people outside the country, they aren’t looking for us, for the poor people.”

The protestors now have the world’s attention.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/18/world/americas/brazil-protests-montague/index.html?eref=edition

(CNN) — The United States will have its first formal meeting with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday, a source close to the talks who did not want to be named told CNN.

Meanwhile, the Taliban told reporters in Doha that they want to improve relations with the world. CNN’s Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson explains what’s happening and why now.

What are we talking about?

The Taliban will open an office in Qatar and begin talks there with Afghan and U.S. officials to end the fighting in Afghanistan.

Taliban talks announced

Is there a grand bargain to be had?

International representatives close to the process in the past have told me not to rule it out. A bargain where the Taliban accept United States bases in Afghanistan beyond the 2014 pullout date is possible and agree to not attack them is possible. The same people also say don’t hold your breath, this has been a long time coming.

Pakistan’s pivotal role in Taliban talks

Uncertainty marks Afghan handover

What are the demands?

The Taliban must renounce al Qaeda. In the past, the Taliban have demanded all foreign troops leave the country and have asked for specific percentages of representation in the Afghan political and military structures. They also want their prisoners released from U.S.-controlled detention.

Taliban officials have said in the past that theirs is a national struggle, and that al Qaeda has an international agenda. However they would take support where they could get it. The demand to renounce al Qaeda has been made to the Taliban since their first tentative “talks” in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in 2008.

Which Taliban are we talking about?

Mullah Omar’s Taliban, the Afghan leader or Emir of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan before September 2001. His right hand man, Tayyab Agha, heads the Taliban mission in Qatar. Other principal Taliban and Afghan opposition factions include the Haqqani faction, the TTP or Pakistani Mehsud faction and the Hekmatyar faction in the North East.

Those close to Mullah Omar’s Taliban say the vast majority of Taliban support him.

International representatives close to the process say while that may be true, powerful groups like the Haqqani’s could continue an insurgency even if Mullah Omar makes peace with Kabul.

Why would the Taliban talk now?

The civil war that the Taliban had all but won in 2001 has gone into remission with the presence of international forces. If the Taliban were to fight for the whole country again they may not do so well.

The civil war bubbles beneath the surface and should it resurface the former northern warlords who have profited from the U.S. presence would make a Taliban fight for supremacy much harder. In short, they may get a better deal at the table than the battlefield.

Why has it taken so much time to get talks going?

Afghan President Hamid Karzai on several occasions felt bypassed by back door U.S. conversations with the Taliban in Qatar. He reportedly blocked progress. The Taliban also walked out on talks when Taliban prisoners at the U.S. base in Guantanamo Bay were not released as they had expected.

Where is Mullah Omar and why’s that important?

He is widely believed to be in Pakistan unable to move freely without Pakistan’s approval. That’s what his supporters believe although Pakistan has denied it. Pakistan wants a say in Afghanistan’s future. If Afghanistan drifted towards Pakistan’s arch enemy India, its sphere of influence would be upset.

What influence will Pakistan have on the talks?

Mullah Omar’s representative Tayyab Agha could not have established an office in Qatar and be in a position to talk to Afghans and Americans without Pakistan’s permission. That’s the understanding of some in the Taliban at least.

Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI, has long been accused by Afghan President Karzai and U.S. officials of supporting the Taliban in Afghanistan. The ISI denies that.

What hiccups can we expect?

Karzai says the next talks must be in Afghanistan. That is unlikely to sit well with Pakistan.

But just to get to this point has been very difficult. For the talks to work all sides will need to be committed.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/18/world/asia/taliban-talks-qa/index.html?eref=edition

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Emirates has been voted the world’s best airline, and best in-flight entertainment, by passengers at the annual Skytrax World Airline Awards. The awards are decided by 18.2 million passengers in 160 countries around the world.

Japan’s ANA won a new award for cabin cleanliness, as well as receiving a five-star airline rating.

Cathay Pacific won the world’s best cabin crew.

Air Asia took the prize for best low-cost airline.

The best economy class award goes to Garuda Indonesia.

Malaysia Airlines’ satay service wins best signature dish.

Air New Zealand won best premium economy.

The best first class award goes to Etihad Airways.

Qatar Airways was voted best business class.

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CNN’s Bryony Jones will be reporting from the 50th Paris Airshow at Le Bourget. Follow her on Twitter.

Le Bourget, France (CNN) — Emirates has been voted the world’s best airline by passengers at the annual Skytrax World Airline Awards.

The awards — decided by 18.2 million passengers in 160 countries around the world — judge airlines on everything from the cleanliness of the cabin to the quality of the in-flight food and entertainment.

Dubai-based Emirates took the debut prize in 2001, and retained it in 2002, before missing out on the top spot for a decade.

Skytrax World Airline Awards 2013

Airline of the Year: Emirates

World’s Best Cabin Staff: Cathay Pacific

World’s Best Low-Cost Airline: Air Asia

Best Economy Class: Garuda Indonesia

Best Premium Economy: Air New Zealand

Best Business Class: Qatar Airways

Best First Class: Etihad Airways

Best In-Flight Entertainment: Emirates

Best Signature Dish: Malaysia Airlines’ Satay Service

Now they’re back to make it a hat-trick — and the company’s president, Tim Clark, puts their return to award-winning form down to one thing, “exteremely hard work.”

“We’ve got 200 aircraft, 18,000 cabin crew and ground staff,” he explained, admitting that with 200 aircraft and 18,000 cabin crew and ground staff the company’s operations were “not easy, but you work hard at what you’re doing, you deliver to people’s expectations, and hopefully exceed those expectations.”

Emirates was also named best airline in the Middle East, and won a third award for its in-flight entertainment system.

Cathay Pacific’s cabin crew were crowned the world’s best, while Air Asia took the prize for best low-cost airline. Japan’s ANA won a new award for cabin cleanliness, as well as receiving a five-star airline rating.

John Slosar, CEO of Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific said the win was recognition for the company’s “fabulous team.”

“We work very hard to make sure it’s all about the team, not about individuals. We teach our crew not to just follow the rules, but to express themselves through their work, to offer service straight from the heart.”

Test your knowledge of airline liveries

Presenting the awards, CNN’s Richard Quest said consistency was key to the success of those crowned the best in the world.

“It’s all about the ability to deliver a product every time — every flight, for every passenger in every class.”

The Skytrax World Airline Awards were established in 1999; they are compiled from the world’s largest airline passenger satisfaction survey — responses to questionnaires in English, Spanish, Chinese and Russian.

New Airbus makes first flight

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/18/business/the-worlds-best-airline-is/index.html?eref=edition

(CNN) — The United States will have its first formal meeting with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday, a source close to the talks who did not want to be named told CNN.

Meanwhile, the Taliban told reporters in Doha that they want to improve relations with the world. CNN’s Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson explains what’s happening and why now.

What are we talking about?

The Taliban will open an office in Qatar and begin talks there with Afghan and U.S. officials to end the fighting in Afghanistan.

Taliban talks announced

Is there a grand bargain to be had?

International representatives close to the process in the past have told me not to rule it out. A bargain where the Taliban accept United States bases in Afghanistan beyond the 2014 pullout date is possible and agree to not attack them is possible. The same people also say don’t hold your breath, this has been a long time coming.

Pakistan’s pivotal role in Taliban talks

Uncertainty marks Afghan handover

What are the demands?

The Taliban must renounce al Qaeda. In the past, the Taliban have demanded all foreign troops leave the country and have asked for specific percentages of representation in the Afghan political and military structures. They also want their prisoners released from U.S.-controlled detention.

Taliban officials have said in the past that theirs is a national struggle, and that al Qaeda has an international agenda. However they would take support where they could get it. The demand to renounce al Qaeda has been made to the Taliban since their first tentative “talks” in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in 2008.

Which Taliban are we talking about?

Mullah Omar’s Taliban, the Afghan leader or Emir of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan before September 2001. His right hand man, Tayyab Agha, heads the Taliban mission in Qatar. Other principal Taliban and Afghan opposition factions include the Haqqani faction, the TTP or Pakistani Mehsud faction and the Hekmatyar faction in the North East.

Those close to Mullah Omar’s Taliban say the vast majority of Taliban support him.

International representatives close to the process say while that may be true, powerful groups like the Haqqani’s could continue an insurgency even if Mullah Omar makes peace with Kabul.

Why would the Taliban talk now?

The civil war that the Taliban had all but won in 2001 has gone into remission with the presence of international forces. If the Taliban were to fight for the whole country again they may not do so well.

The civil war bubbles beneath the surface and should it resurface the former northern warlords who have profited from the U.S. presence would make a Taliban fight for supremacy much harder. In short, they may get a better deal at the table than the battlefield.

Why has it taken so much time to get talks going?

Afghan President Hamid Karzai on several occasions felt bypassed by back door U.S. conversations with the Taliban in Qatar. He reportedly blocked progress. The Taliban also walked out on talks when Taliban prisoners at the U.S. base in Guantanamo Bay were not released as they had expected.

Where is Mullah Omar and why’s that important?

He is widely believed to be in Pakistan unable to move freely without Pakistan’s approval. That’s what his supporters believe although Pakistan has denied it. Pakistan wants a say in Afghanistan’s future. If Afghanistan drifted towards Pakistan’s arch enemy India, its sphere of influence would be upset.

What influence will Pakistan have on the talks?

Mullah Omar’s representative Tayyab Agha could not have established an office in Qatar and be in a position to talk to Afghans and Americans without Pakistan’s permission. That’s the understanding of some in the Taliban at least.

Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI, has long been accused by Afghan President Karzai and U.S. officials of supporting the Taliban in Afghanistan. The ISI denies that.

What hiccups can we expect?

Karzai says the next talks must be in Afghanistan. That is unlikely to sit well with Pakistan.

But just to get to this point has been very difficult. For the talks to work all sides will need to be committed.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/18/world/asia/taliban-talks-qa/index.html?eref=edition