Raul A. Reyes, an attorney and member of the USA Today board of contributors, writes frequently for CNN Opinion. Follow him on Twitter @RaulAReyes . The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.
(CNN) The Associated Press last week released the results of an analysis of donors to the Clinton Foundation. Coming just 72 days before Election Day, it seemed to hold bombshell potential, or at least to present another complicated ethical issue for Clinton to explain.
"More than half of the people outside the government who met with Hillary Clinton while she was secretary of state gave money -- either personally or through companies or groups -- to the Clinton Foundation," its first sentence reads.
The AP found that 85 out of 154 people from private interests who met with Clinton also gave money to the Clinton Foundation.
According to AP reporters Stephen Braun and Eileen Sullivan, these donors constituted an "extraordinary proportion" of the larger group of donors, one that suggests Clinton's "possible ethics challenges if elected president."
The AP report sounds bad for Clinton, right? Not so fast. The problem is that the AP presented facts out of context and somehow built a whole report around Clinton having done nothing wrong. Although the AP is one of the most respected news organizations in the world, this "Big Story" does not live up to its usual high standards.
To understand why the AP's supposed exposé is "a mess," as Vox termed it , start with its fundamental premise. The AP makes it sound as though the majority of people that Clinton met with -- during the two years that the AP reporters analyzed her calendar -- were Clinton Foundation donors. The facts are more complicated.
The key phrase to consider in the AP's analysis is that it excludes "people outside of the government." That means the AP numbers do not include military personnel, US government officials, diplomats, White House staff, foreign leaders and State Department officials. These are all the kinds of people that any secretary of state would normally meet in the course of doing his or her job. If we factored in all these people, the number of people that Clinton met with who were also donors would be nowhere near half.
JUST WATCHED Clinton: Remarkable Trump won't release tax returns Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Clinton: Remarkable Trump won't release tax returns 02:20
Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon rightfully noted that the AP story left out the 1,700 meetings Clinton had with foreign leaders while she was secretary of state. Using this larger number as a measuring tool, the 85 donors who received access to Clinton works out to about 5% of her meetings. Alternatively, if we consider the 85 donors who received a meeting or a phone call with Clinton out of the more than 6,000 Clinton Foundation donors, the percentage of donors to access becomes even smaller
The AP judged the ratio of donors who met with Clinton and donated to the foundation (85 out of 154) to be "extraordinary" without explaining why that was extraordinary. Compared to what? Hillary Clinton's running for president while her husband chairs a global initiative is a highly unusual situation -- indeed, one without precedent. For the AP to label its donor/meeting ratio "extraordinary" seems a term that belongs in an op-ed, not a news story.
Still, on social media the AP tweeted out the headline, "More than half those who met Clinton as Cabinet secretary gave money to Clinton Foundation." This tweet garnered more than 5,000 likes and more than 7,000 retweets
JUST WATCHED Carville: People will die if Clinton Foundation folds Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Carville: People will die if Clinton Foundation folds 02:57
In its story, the AP cites Muhammad Yunus, who met with Clinton three times and talked with her by phone as well. Yunus is a Bangladeshi economist who won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for championing "micro-loans" for the poor. The AP mentioned Yunus because American affiliates of his nonprofit Bangladesh bank contributed to the Clinton Foundation, as did Yunus' research firm.
But Yunus is far from a shady figure seeking some type of illegal "pay to play" access. He sits on the UN Foundation Board and has received numerous international awards and honors . He reached out to Clinton because the Bangladeshi government was going after him as a perceived political threat, a situation that also merited the concern of then-Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry.
The AP did not mention that Clinton and Yunus have known each other for 30 years, going back to when Bill Clinton was governor of Arkansas and wanted to learn about micro-finance projects. It makes sense that Hillary Clinton would be in touch with man whose charitable interests overlap with her, and with whom she has a longstanding relationship
The AP goes on to note that Clinton met with other donors, with the head of an AIDS charity and with the president of the Kennedy Center. The key takeaway is that, in all of these cases, there are no allegations of illegal conduct. There is no evidence of impropriety. None.
JUST WATCHED CharityWatch gives Clinton Foundation an 'A' rating Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH CharityWatch gives Clinton Foundation an 'A' rating 02:47
Instead, the AP story relies on the notion, popular on the right, that the Clintons are presumed to be guilty of possible ethical violations. In fact, the most concrete allegation the reporters come up with against Clinton is the she may have helped a wealthy businessman with a visa. That's it. It's hard to see how this qualifies as an exposé or breaking news.
True, Clinton did meet with 85 individuals who gave to the Clinton Foundation, and maybe the overlap of her influence and position might justify shutting down the foundation in the future. That does not warrant the AP report writing darkly, "(T)he frequency of the overlaps shows the intermingling of access and donations, and fuels perceptions that giving the foundation money was a price of admission for face time with Clinton."
The AP is itself fueling such "perceptions" with its flawed reportage. No wonder that Donald Trump has already taken to making the false claim that "it looks like it's 50% of the people that saw her (Clinton) had to make contributions to the Clinton Foundation."
JUST WATCHED Clinton Foundation lines are blurred, rules not broken Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Clinton Foundation lines are blurred, rules not broken 02:07
Appearing Sunday on CNN, AP Executive Editor Kathleen Carroll seemed to attempt to play down the significance of the report, saying, "We didn't say it (the report's findings) amounted to the end of the world." That's setting an awfully low bar. Defending the controversial tweet, Carroll said that the AP "is a lot better at breaking news and covering stories and taking photographs" than tweeting.
If that's the case, then maybe the AP should be more particularly conscientious about tweeting, although the idea of a media company not recognizing the importance of social media is not convincing. Beyond that, Carroll said she did not regret the tweet despite calling it "sloppy." Her lack of concern for the AP's usually meticulous accuracy is troubling.
The report on the Clinton Foundation was a disservice to the AP's vast readership, which expects impartial, sound analysis from the organization. Sadly, it was also a disservice to the foundation's good works and to voters.

AP's 'Big Story' on Clinton Foundation is big failure


A flawed, misleading story implying that Hillary Clinton gave more access to those who donated to the Clinton Foundation was a disservice to readers and to the good works of the foundation, Raul Reyes says.


Story highlights One resident initially didn't buy into the creepy clown stories
(CNN) It's like a scene straight out of Stephen King's "It."
Young kids. A creepy clown. And everybody's freaking out.
Children at the Fleetwood Manor Apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina, say someone dressed as a clown is hanging out behind the basketball courts there, trying to lure kids into the woods.
The apartment complex took it seriously enough to put out a letter to its residents, acknowledging the complaints from parents and their children, and telling them to call the police if they see something -- or someone -- suspicious. The person apparently is dressed in a clown costume, with a painted face and possibly using laser lights.
One resident didn't believe at first.
Read More

Apartment complex warns residents about clown trying to lure kids into woods


A South Carolina apartment complex puts out a letter after some kids complained about a clown trying to lure them into the woods.


Story highlights A Good Samaritan rescues one person
A search is underway for two others still missing
(CNN) Two people are missing after a small plane crashed in Lake Pontchartrain near New Orleans, authorities said.
A Good Samaritan rescued one person, and the Coast Guard is searching for two others in the water following the crash Saturday night near Lakefront Airport.
The person rescued is undergoing medical care, but their condition is unknown.
In a statement, the Coast Guard said it received a report that a Cessna training flight crashed into the water about 8:20 p.m.
The Coast Guard and several local agencies are still searching for the two people missing, authorities said early Sunday.
Read More

2 missing after plane crashes in Lake Pontchartrain


Two people are missing after a small plane crashed in Lake Pontchartrain near New Orleans, authorities said.


Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.

Did Foundation Donors Buy Access to Hillary Clinton?


The delay of Hillary Clinton's full Sec of State calendar until after Election Day leaves unanswered questions. Peter Schweizer and Julian Epstein face off


Story highlights 323 wild reindeer killed after being hit by a single lightning strike
The carcasses were scattered across Norway's mountain plateau, Hardangervidda
(CNN) More than 300 reindeer have been killed by a single lightning strike at a Norwegian national park.
Pictures released by the Norwegian Environment Agency on Sunday show 323 carcasses scattered across a small, isolated area in Hardangervidda National Park. The plateau-like park in south-central Norway is home to Europe's largest herds of wild reindeer, according to its website.
One of the agency's inspectors discovered the dead animals over the weekend after a storm passed through.
Wild animals are occasionally struck by lightning, but the agency has never seen so many killed at once, spokesperson Kjartan Knutsen told CNN.
"We have never experienced such numbers before. This is very large," Knutsen said. He said the wild reindeer were huddled together because of heavy weather on Friday, when the strike occurred.
Read More

300 reindeer killed by lightning in Norway


Pictures were released by the Norwegian Environment Agency after one of their inspectors found the 323 carcasses scattered across a national park in Norway.


Santa Clara, Cuba (CNN) When Jet Blue flight 387 touches down in Cuba on Wednesday, it will be the first direct commercial flight between the US and the island in over a half-century.
The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Santa Clara, Cuba, flight is the latest symbol of the thawing of relations between the former Cold War adversaries, who restored diplomatic ties in 2015.
Until now, Santa Clara was most famous for being the site of the tomb of Ernesto "Che" Guevara, the Argentine revolutionary who fought alongside Fidel Castro and was later killed with the help of the CIA while leading an insurrection in Bolivia.
Soon up to a maximum of 110 daily flights operated by such carriers as Jet Blue, American Airlines, Delta, Frontier, Southwest and Silver Airways are due to begin flying to the Communist-run island, according to the US Department of Transportation.
Although the Obama administration has eased restrictions on travel to Cuba, there is still a travel ban for Americans visiting the island.
Tourism to Cuba is still illegal, but there are now 12 categories of "authorized travel ."
Before US citizens can board flights to Cuba, they will need to sign an affidavit swearing their travel falls within the permitted categories, including educational, religious and humanitarian reasons.
With the relaxing of the travel ban, Cuba has seen a spike in US visitors: about 93,000, or nearly double from the year before, according to Cuban tourism officials.
Despite the increase, Cuban officials say the embargo, or the "blockade" as they refer to US sanctions, must be lifted before there is full freedom of travel between the two countries.
"This process of establishing regular flights is a positive step," said Eduardo Rodríguez, the Cuban Vice Minister of Transportation at a news conference on Monday in Havana."Although the restrictions of the blockade remain, which among other things impede United States citizens from traveling to our country as tourists."
Rodríguez said US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx would travel to the island on Wednesday to mark the historic occasion of the first direct commercial flight.
More than 50 years of no commercial flights
Until Fidel Castro's revolution in 1959, Cuba had been a favorite vacation spot for Americans in the Caribbean. But in 1961, after Castro declared his government to be in the Socialist camp, diplomatic relations were severed and direct commercial fight service disrupted.
"Castro cracks down on flights from Cuba," reads a UPI wire service headline from the era.
During the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, US carriers were briefly banned from flying over the island and the Cuban military shot down a U2 spy plane, killing the pilot.
Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Photos: President Obama visits Cuba U.S. President Barack Obama attends a baseball game in Havana, Cuba, with his family and Cuban President Raul Castro, right, on Tuesday, March 22. The Cuban national team was playing an exhibition against Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays. Obama is the first U.S. President to visit Cuba since Calvin Coolidge in 1928. Hide Caption 1 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Tourists in a Havana antique shop watch Obama give a speech on March 22. Hide Caption 2 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Obama waves to the crowd before delivering his speech at the Grand Theater in Havana on March 22. In his speech, Obama urged Cubans to look to the future with hope, casting his historic visit as a moment to "bury the last remnants of the Cold War in the Americas." Hide Caption 3 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba First lady Michelle Obama and her daughter Malia stand with children of U.S. Embassy workers after dedicating a bench and two magnolia trees at a small park in Havana on March 22. Hide Caption 4 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba The Obamas pose with Castro before a state dinner in Havana on Monday, March 21. Hide Caption 5 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, right, speaks with Cuban First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel ahead of the state dinner on March 21. Hide Caption 6 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Castro tries to lift up Obama's arm at the end of a joint news conference on March 21. Hide Caption 7 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Obama meets with Castro in Havana on March 21. Hide Caption 8 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Michelle Obama speaks with Cuban girls during a Let Girls Learn roundtable in Havana on March 21. Hide Caption 9 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Obama lays a wreath at the Jose Marti monument in Havana's Revolution Square on March 21. "It is a great honor to pay tribute to Jose Marti, who gave his life for independence of his homeland," Obama wrote after he laid the wreath. "His passion for liberty, freedom, and self-determination lives on in the Cuban people today." Hide Caption 10 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Backdropped by a monument depicting revolutionary hero Che Guevara, Obama listens to the U.S. national anthem during the wreath-laying ceremony on March 21. Hide Caption 11 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Obama and Castro review troops before bilateral meetings on March 21. Hide Caption 12 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Obama walks up the stairs of the Palace of the Revolution on March 21. Hide Caption 13 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Obama and members of the first family take a walking tour of a Havana cathedral on Sunday, March 20. Hide Caption 14 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba The first family stops to look at a painting of Abraham Lincoln in the Museum of the City of Havana on March 20. Hide Caption 15 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Obama's convoy drives along the Malecon sea wall on March 20. Hide Caption 16 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba The President and first lady greet families of embassy personnel on March 20. Hide Caption 17 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Obama waves shortly after arriving at Jose Marti International Airport. Hide Caption 18 of 19 Photos: President Obama visits Cuba Obama and his family exit Air Force One on March 20. Hide Caption 19 of 19
For the decades that followed, the only US aircrafts that traveled to the island were the result of frequent hijackings.
In 2001, a change in US regulations allowed Cuban Americans to visit family on the island and for charter flights to begin to travel between the two countries.
Cuban officials say that since then they have coordinated closely with their American counterparts and are ready for the US carriers to return.
"In relation to aviation security, we have been working with the US government for about 15 years. This isn't new," said Alfredo Cordero, the president of the Cuban Civil Aviation Institute. "Cuba gives the maximum attention to this aspect of aviation security and we have achieved the training of personnel and the necessary resources to obtain the security that's required by the International Civil Aviation Organizations."
Concerns about security
But not everyone is celebrating the resumed flight service.
Rep. John Katko, a New York Republican, said the flights pose a risk to US security.
"TSA has not come close to doing a thorough security assessment of the airports in Cuba," he said, referring the Transportation Security Administration.
Katko and two other lawmakers introduced legislation earlier this summer in an effort to block the flights to Cuba until they felt certain Cuban airport security could effectively prevent terrorists from targeting US-bound flights.
They were unsuccessful in stopping the flights, but Katko told CNN he remains concerned about how the Cuban Civil Aviation authority will prevent insider threats, meaning airport workers who may conspire to target a US-bound aircraft.
"I just think its dangerous and, again, I'm not saying anything bad is going to happen, but we just got to do our due diligence and we are just not doing it," he said.
The TSA said the agency has inspected Cuban airports and found they comply with international standards.
In an email to CNN, agency spokesman Michael England said, "TSA has assessed eight of the ten airports and will complete the final two before flights commence at those locations."
When asked about the lack of high-tech screening machines, England responded, "Technology is only one element of a security system that is multi-layered and involves people, processes and technology. TSA has sent teams of TSA inspectors on a regular basis to Cuba to assess airports currently operating as last points of departure to ensure compliance with international standards" set out by the International aviation arm of the United Nations, ICAO.
Over the summer, Cuban airports adopted US security requirements like requiring passengers traveling to the US to remove their shoes and leave liquids at checkpoints.
JUST WATCHED The New Cuba Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH The New Cuba 03:10
The agency said it would not say how Cuban airport workers would be vetted because "releasing this information publicly could pose a threat to aviation security."
For many Americans, though, the immediate concern is not security but seeing Cuba before the island emerges from the Cold War time warp of the last 50 years.
"Our friends had been here and said, why don't you come to Cuba before its too Westernized," said Gerry Hall, a New York educator who joined a "people-to-people" tour of the island in August.
"We wanted to come before you see McDonalds and Walmart and other US companies in Cuba," she said.


When Jet Blue flight 387 touches down in Cuba on Wednesday, it will be the first direct commercial flight between the US and the island in over a half-century.


Story highlights Thousands of animals are without homes in Louisiana, PETA estimates
Many people had to leave animals behind when floodwaters rose
(CNN) Peanut Butter and her five puppies huddled under a porch for days as floodwaters rose in Livingston, Louisiana.
As the water level crept up, someone in a neighboring house heard the puppies whining.
It took breaking through the porch to rescue the family of six.
"They could barely breathe," Leah Craig Feiser with animal rescue organization Brother Wolf told CNN as she cradled one of Peanut Butter's puppies. Peanut Butter kept a close eye on Feiser the entire time, she noted.
When the flooding began, many people left their homes with only the clothes they had on. In one of the worst natural disasters since Hurricane Sandy, many people also had to leave behind beloved family pets and farm animals.
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Rescuing the furry victims of Louisiana's flooding


After the Louisiana floods, rescuers and volunteers work to save dogs, cats, pets and other animals left behind and reunite them with their owners.


(CNN) From the first explicit photos to his denial, resignation from Congress, bid for New York mayor and the latest scandal, here's a look at former Rep. Anthony Weiner's last few years in the spotlight:
Weiner, a Democratic congressman from New York, gains national attention for an impassioned speech on the House floor about health care for 9/11 emergency responders . Videos of the speech go viral and catapult Weiner into the public spotlight.
-- May 27, 2011: A lewd photo appears briefly on Weiner's Twitter account. Conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart is first to report the image, which shows the bulging crotch of a man in his underwear.
-- May 30, 2011: The congressman tells reporters a hacker got control of his Twitter account. "Look, this is a prank and not a terribly creative one," Weiner says.
-- June 1, 2011: Weiner tells CNN he did not post the picture and has hired a law firm to investigate. He continues to evade the question about whether the photo is of him.
-- June 6, 2011: In an abrupt about-face, a tearful Weiner apologizes for having lied about his Twitter account being hacked and admits to having engaged in inappropriate online relationships with several women he met on the Internet, generally on Facebook. He tells reporters he will not resign and does not plan to separate from his wife. "To be clear, the picture was of me, and I sent it," Weiner says.
-- June 9, 2011: CNN learns that Weiner and his wife, CNN learns that Weiner and his wife, Huma Abedin , are expecting their first child. Abedin is an adviser to Hillary Clinton.
-- June 11, 2011: Weiner decides he will seek treatment "to focus on becoming a better husband and healthier person" and will ask for a "short leave of absence" from Congress, his spokeswoman says. It was not clear what type of treatment he would undergo.
-- June 12, 2011: TMZ publishes photos of Weiner, in various states of undress, which he apparently took of himself in a locker room.
-- June 16, 2011: Weiner announces his resignation from Congress to reporters at a senior center in Brooklyn, New York. He apologizes "for the personal mistakes I have made and for the embarrassment I have caused."
JUST WATCHED Who is Huma Abedin? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Who is Huma Abedin? 03:25
-- December 21, 2011: Weiner's wife gives birth to their first child, a boy named Jordan Zain Weiner.
-- July 12, 2012: In an interview published by People magazine, Weiner says he has no immediate plans to run for office again.
"I can't say absolutely that I will never run for public office again, but I'm very happy in my present life," Weiner said when asked about rumors he might run for New York mayor. "I'm not doing anything to plan a campaign."
-- May 21, 2013: After months of speculation, Weiner announces he is running for mayor of New York City.
"Look, I've made some big mistakes and I know I've let a lot of people down. But I've also learned some tough lessons," Weiner says in a video posted on his campaign website. "I'm running for mayor because I've been fighting for the middle class and those struggling to make it for my entire life. And I hope I get a second chance to work for you."
JUST WATCHED Weiner sexting scandal Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Weiner sexting scandal 01:49
-- July 23, 2013: A gossip website publishes screen shots of sexual conversations that Weiner allegedly had with a woman last summer.
Hours later, Weiner said some of the explicit online chats took place after his resignation from the U.S. House in 2011.
Abedin, his wife, joined Weiner during the press conference for the first time. She said while her husband has made some "horrible mistakes, both before he resigned from Congress and after," she was sticking with him.
"What I want to say is I love him, I have forgiven him, I believe in him, and as I have said from the beginning, we are moving forward," Abedin said.
On the same day, Harper's Bazaar publicized excerpts of an article Abedin wrote for the magazine's September issue.
"New Yorkers will have to decide for themselves whether or not to give him a second chance," she wrote. "I had to make that same decision for myself, for my son, for our family. And I know in my heart that I made the right one."
But the editorial board of The New York Times said Weiner's problems have marred his mayoral run:
"The serially evasive Mr. Weiner should take his marital troubles and personal compulsions out of the public eye, away from cameras, off the Web and out of the race for mayor of New York City."
JUST WATCHED Anthony Weiner campaign's final days Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Anthony Weiner campaign's final days 01:31
-- August 12, 2013: In an interview with Buzzfeed, Weiner says In an interview with Buzzfeed, Weiner says his conduct has hurt Abedin.
"I feel that what I've done has hurt her, yeah. It's hurts her professionally. It's hurt her personally. We made a decision that these things were behind us and we made a calculated gamble on the question of whether or not citizens would be more interested in their family's future than in my personal failings that are behind me. She's gotten roughed up and it's been completely unfair in my view."
-- September 4, 2013: Weiner gets into a Weiner gets into a heated exchange at a Brooklyn bakery after Jewish man says that he's "married to an Arab." "Look, you're allowed to say stuff to me," said Weiner. "But if you're going to say vile things about me and my family, you should expect that I'm going to go back at you."
JUST WATCHED Weiner campaign bites the dust Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Weiner campaign bites the dust 02:24
-- September 11, 2013: Weiner finishes a distant fifth place in the mayoral race. His campaign imploded after he admitted to having more lewd conversations with women he met on the Internet. Bill de Blasio wins the Democratic nomination.
-- June 13, 2014: Weiner Weiner apologizes for another misstep on Twitter , the same social media site that's been at the crux of his political downfall. This time, he "favorited" a tweet labeling the hookup app Tinder as the "ultimate sext machine." He later apologized for "favoriting" the message saying that he "accidentally hit the star thingy on a @voxdotcom story about Tinder. Sorry."
-- January 15, 2016: The documentary on Weiner's disastrous 2013 run for New York City mayor The documentary on Weiner's disastrous 2013 run for New York City mayor debuts at the Sundance Film Festival. "Weiner" chronicles what begins as a redemption story for the disgraced politician. But it descends into tears and, eventually, farce after it is revealed that the conduct leading to Weiner's initial disgrace continued well after he left Washington, D.C.
JUST WATCHED Huma Abedin, Anthony Weiner split after sexting claims Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Huma Abedin, Anthony Weiner split after sexting claims 02:51
-- August 29, 2016: Abedin announces separation from Weiner after new reports surfaced that he sent sexually suggestive photos again. Abedin announces separation from Weiner after new reports surfaced that he sent sexually suggestive photos again.
"After long and painful consideration and work on my marriage, I have made the decision to separate from my husband. Anthony and I remain devoted to doing what is best for our son, who is the light of our life. During this difficult time, I ask for respect for our privacy," Abedin said in a statement.
Abedin was "furious and sickened" by a picture of Weiner and their 4-year-old son, Jordan, according to two people close to the family. Weiner was alleged to have sent a picture of a barechested man with white boxers and a bulge, while a small child is asleep beside him.
Abedin and Weiner had been distant and "heading on a path apart" for a few months, but she was reluctant to leave, according to the two sources close to the family.


Here's a look at former Rep. Anthony Weiner's last few years in the spotlight:


(CNN) Cape Verde, a remote Atlantic archipelago, is not the most likely candidate for soccer supremacy. And yet, remarkably, the island nation has risen from obscurity to the point where, until a few months ago, they were the top ranking team in Africa.
But how? The obstacles standing in the way of the archipelago, 600 km off the west coast of mainland Africa, are many. The standard of league football isn't that high and resources are limited -- for instance teams based in Santiago, the largest island, all play in the same, old-fashioned stadium. Unlike football-mad Nigeria, with a population of 181 million, Cape Verde only has 500,000 people from which to source footballing excellence.
In April 2000, Cape Verde were languishing at 182nd in the FIFA world rankings. They'd never qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations. Known as the Blue Sharks, in reality they were minnows among the big fish of African soccer. But then Cape Verde won the now defunct Amilcar Cabral Cup, a competition between West African countries, and the ball started rolling.
Over the following 14 years Cape Verde moved into ascendancy, due in part to the -- sometimes literal -- groundwork of FIFA initiatives. In 1998 the nation had no grass pitches -- now there are 25.
"They made great contributions to the development of football in Cape Verde," explains former president of the Cape Verde FA Mario Semedo. "FIFA projects were indispensable in fostering the soccer culture of the region."
It's a soccer culture that humbled former colonial masters Portugal 0-2 in March 2015 and, but for fielding a suspended player , would have taken them to the World Cup in Rio in 2014.
Caught in the dragnet of national team success is a generation of children hoping to emulate their idols. From Semedo to coach Jose Maria Lobo to national team goalkeeper Nilson Batilha, all agree injecting money into grassroots soccer is key.
"Cape Verde is producing excellent players from the senior level down to the youth level," says Batilha. "There is a lot of talent amongst youth and if we don't invest in youth, we won't be able to have good players later."
Another challenge is talent retention. Batilha is one of the few national team players still based in Cape Verde. Most of his teammates have traveled abroad to play in other leagues in pursuit of glory.
This exodus is mostly keenly felt in those who have turned away from the Cape Verdean national squad. Valencia and ex-Manchester United player Nani was born in Praia but opted to represent Portugal; Gelson Fernandes, once of Manchester City, plays for Switzerland. Soccer royalty such as French international Patrick Vieira and Swedish legend Henrik Larsson could both have played for Cape Verde given their parentage.
JUST WATCHED Cape Verde football team defies odds Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Cape Verde football team defies odds 07:06
"Before it was really hard for a player to have any interest in playing for the national team," Semedo admits. "But today things have changed... We have examples of players who have turned down offers to play in other countries so they could play for Cape Verde instead -- and they have no regrets.
"[They] can't buy what we offer them. We give them love, caring and friendship. They aren't admired only when they score a goal or play for the team. Even after retirement, they are cared for; the friendship continues. That is one important aspect about how we and Africa must treat our players so they may contribute to their countries of origin."
They may be able to offer their players love, but former player, coach, and 40 year veteran of Cape Verde soccer Luiz Da Silva says the nation needs to open its coffers if it wants to secure longterm success.
"How is it possible that a team that has made it to the qualifiers, and then qualified [for the African Cup of Nations] must rely on donations to play?" he asks. "That's unheard of."
Cape Verde is not a rich nation, and hardly ever plays friendlies because of the expense incurred. It's a serious handicap, preventing the national coach from experimenting or introducing fresh blood from local teams. Silva argues the lack of trickle-down opportunities stymies soccer at a domestic level.
How long Cape Verde can continue to defy the odds remains to be seen. It's going to take time and money to maintain their remarkable trajectory, and sustained exposure at international level. For the players on the pitch the job is much simpler: keep on winning.
"[Soccer] happens to unify everyone," says captain Marcos Soares. "We hope to continue getting good results so that we can give a good example to the country, particularly for the youth to follow."

Cape Verde's remarkable journey to the top of African football


Cape Verde, a remote Atlantic archipelago, is not the most likely candidate for soccer supremacy. And yet, remarkably, the island nation has risen from obscurity to the point where, until a few months ago, they were the top ranking team in Africa.


Photos: The Beatles: Myths and misconceptions
Over the years, the facts of the Beatles' story have sometimes been shoved out of the way by half-truths, misconceptions and outright fiction. Here are a few details you might have heard, with the true story provided by The Beatles arrived in the U.S. 50 years ago and embarked on a history-making path of pop culture dominance. "The Sixties: The British Invasion" looks at John, Paul, George and Ringo and how the Fab Four's influence persists.Over the years, the facts of the Beatles' story have sometimes been shoved out of the way by half-truths, misconceptions and outright fiction. Here are a few details you might have heard, with the true story provided by Mark Lewisohn's "Tune In" and others. Hide Caption 1 of 12
Photos: The Beatles: Myths and misconceptions John Lennon once said that Ringo Starr not only wasn't the best drummer in rock, he wasn't the best drummer in the Beatles. Biographer Mark Lewisohn says this is a line from a TV comedy sketch in the 1980s -- after Lennon died. The Beatles actually defended Ringo strongly over the years. . Biographer Mark Lewisohn says this is a line from a TV comedy sketch in the 1980s -- after Lennon died. The Beatles actually defended Ringo strongly over the years. Hide Caption 2 of 12
Photos: The Beatles: Myths and misconceptions The Beatles were against wearing suits. Again, not true, says Lewisohn. Though Lennon later trashed the neat look as a sellout demanded by manager Brian Epstein, in the early '60s they were eager for a change. "I just saw it as playing a game," said Harrison. "I'll wear a f****** balloon if somebody's going to pay me!" said Lennon. Hide Caption 3 of 12
Photos: The Beatles: Myths and misconceptions They grew up poor. Not really. Harrison's and McCartney's families were working class, and Lennon's childhood included trips to an upscale relative's house in Scotland. Only Starr, who was also sickly, grew up in poverty, in the blighted Dingle neighborhood. Hide Caption 4 of 12
Photos: The Beatles: Myths and misconceptions They booted drummer Pete Best out of jealousy. Producer George Martin wasn't impressed by Best (second from left), and McCartney has said he "was holding us back." The rest of the Beatles were equally unsentimental. Ringo Starr, who had played with the Beatles occasionally, was a far better drummer -- and when he joined, "from that moment on, it gelled," said Harrison. Hide Caption 5 of 12
Photos: The Beatles: Myths and misconceptions Stu Sutcliffe was a terrible bassist. Though Sutcliffe (standing, third from left) was no McCartney, he went from complete neophyte to solid rhythm player during the band's Hamburg days. He left the job because he wanted to pursue his painting, and McCartney remembers being "lumbered with" the position as new bassist. Hide Caption 6 of 12
Photos: The Beatles: Myths and misconceptions John Lennon saw his mother, Julia, killed in front of him. Julia Dykins, as she was known after her marriage to Bobby Dykins, died on July 15, 1958. After a chat with her sister, John's Aunt Mimi, she went to catch a bus and was hit by a car crossing Menlove Avenue. John found out about her death later that day. Hide Caption 7 of 12
Photos: The Beatles: Myths and misconceptions The Beatles made their U.S. television debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show," February 9, 1964. It was the band's first U.S. television performance, but they'd already been seen on American TV during a CBS News segment in December, 1963. Pieces from the segment also ran on Jack Paar's talk show in January 1964. Hide Caption 8 of 12
Photos: The Beatles: Myths and misconceptions The title "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" is a reference to LSD. Though its imagery of "plasticine porters" and "kaleidoscope eyes" owes a lot to drugs (as well as John Lennon's fondness for Lewis Carroll-esque absurdity), the song was inspired by a drawing made by Lennon's son, Julian. Hide Caption 9 of 12
Photos: The Beatles: Myths and misconceptions "Paul is dead." An elaborate theory -- perhaps best explained by An elaborate theory -- perhaps best explained by Joel Glazier in a 1979 article for the Beatles fanzine "Strawberry Fields Forever" -- maintains that Paul McCartney (here with Brian Epstein) died in 1966 and was replaced by a talented double. (There are dozens of clues for you all -- especially on the White Album.) Though it's fascinating to ponder all the backwards sounds and colorful images, this theory says more about our abilities to find patterns than it does about McCartney's fate. Hide Caption 10 of 12
Photos: The Beatles: Myths and misconceptions The Beatles performed on Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show." Lennon and McCartney Lennon and McCartney did visit "Tonight" on May 14, 1968 , but they didn't perform -- and the guest host for the evening was Joe Garagiola. Ed McMahon was around, though. Hide Caption 11 of 12

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Story highlights Border Patrol: "This is one of our larger cash seizures"
California is a hub for money laundering by Mexican cartels
(CNN) Border Patrol agents in California hit a jackpot this week in terms of cash seizures: $3 million.
For the agency that deals with border security, it was a major intercept of smuggled cash. The Border Patrol noted most of its past seizures has been in smaller amounts: $300,000, $51,000 and $43,000.
"This is one of our larger cash seizures," said Ralph DeSio, spokesman for the San Diego office of US Customs and Border Protection. Normally, he said, the big figure reported is the value of confiscated drugs.
The U.S. Border Patrol photographed the boxes it says carried $3 million in the trunk of a Volkswagen Passat
Currency smuggling and money laundering are the lifeblood for the Mexican cartels moving the majority of heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine across the US border as well as for human traffickers.
If the sophisticated gangs can't get their tens of millions of dollars in cash home each year, the US market wouldn't be nearly as attractive. And California is central to those type of activities, experts say.

San Diego Border Patrol seizes $3 million


Border Patrol agents in California seize $3 million from currency smugglers who launder money for mexican cartels, drug smugglers and human traffickers


Story highlights The outrage was immediate and for good reason
This isn't the first time Sharma has stoked controversy
(CNN) India's tourism minister is furiously backpedaling after suggesting that women who visit India shouldn't wear skirts for their own safety.
Mahesh Sharma made the comments over the weekend while promoting a welcome kit that will be handed out to tourists when they arrive in India.
"There's a card in there listing the do's and don'ts. Basic things like, 'Don't go out at night alone.' 'Don't wear skirts.'"
The outrage was immediate. And for good reason.
A string of sexual assaults against foreign women has sullied India's reputation.
Read More

Safety tip from India's tourism minister: Don't wear skirts


India's tourism minister is backing off comments he made suggesting female tourists avoid wearing skirts while visiting India.


Why do people sext? Why do they send racy or naked photos or videos and sexually loaded texts?
For a short-term hookup, sexting might seem like a direct way to get what you want -- or at least try to. But according to my research, sexting is actually most likely to occur within a committed relationship . Some research suggests that people often engage in sexting after being coerced by romantic partners or to avoid an argument with their romantic partner. So perhaps anxiety and concern about what your romantic partner thinks about you promote behaviors like sexting.
As a human development researcher who studies how technology influences relationships , I wanted to understand if people who are anxious about dating or about what their partner thinks of them are more likely to sext.
So where does this relationship anxiety come from?
One of the major theories regarding relationships is called attachment theory . It suggests that the way you related to your caregiver as an infant (and vice versa) shapes how you come to view relationships later in life.
If your caregiver was attuned to your needs and responsive, you will develop a secure attachment. That means you are comfortable with close relationships because your experience paid off -- Mom or Dad was there when you were distressed or hungry or cold. From that experience, you learned that relationships are safe and reciprocal, and your attachment anxiety is low.
But if your caregiver was not so attuned to your needs, was intrusive or inattentive, you might develop what is called an insecure attachment. If something you wanted emotionally or physically (like comfort) went unfulfilled, you might end up anxious about relationships as an adult. You might realize that relationships may not be trustworthy, not invest in close relationships, and avoid intimacy all together.
Do people sext because of relational anxiety?
My colleagues, Michelle Drouin and Rakel Delevi, and I hypothesized that people who were afraid of being single or had dating anxiety and who were, at the same time, anxious or insecure in their attachment style would be more likely to sext. We also thought these singles would be more likely to sext their romantic partners, even when their relationship wasn't very committed.
We gave 459 unmarried, heterosexual, undergraduate students an online questionnaire to learn more about how relational anxiety influences sexting behavior. It covered questions measuring their sexting behaviors, relationship commitment needed to engage in sexting, their fear of being single, their dating anxiety and their attachment style (secure or insecure). Half of the people who took the survey were single, and about 71 percent were female.
We found that people in romantic relationships -- whether of long or short duration -- were more likely to have sexted than those who did not have romantic partners. There were no gender differences for engaging in sexting, except that males were more likely than females to have sent a text propositioning sexual activity.
We also found that, generally, dating anxiety from fear of negative evaluation from the romantic partner (basically, worrying about what your partner thinks of you) and having a more secure attachment style (i.e., comfort with intimacy and close relationships) predicted if someone had sent a sexually suggestive photo or video, a picture in underwear or lingerie, a nude photo or a sexually suggestive text.
We expected to find that anxiety would prompt people to sext but were surprised that comfort with intimacy related to sexting behaviors. We also expected to find that sexting would occur in relationships without a lot of commitment, meaning that we thought that sexting would be part of the wooing.
But it turns out that people who are comfortable with close relationships (a secure attachment style) and also worry about what their partner might think of them are more likely to engage in sexting, but only if there some level of commitment in the relationship.
So our hypothesis was only partially confirmed.
What's dating anxiety got to do with it?
Join the conversation See the latest news and share your comments with CNN Health on Facebook and Twitter.
What this tells us is that people may be concerned with pleasing their partner's desire -- or perceived desire -- to engage in sexting and that it is the comfort with intimacy in relationships that may allow sexting to occur. And, when there is greater relationship commitment, this continues to be the case.
It appears that there is less stigma and greater comfort with sexting, provided that one perceives that his or her partner wants to sext and if there is a degree of relationship commitment.
So, a little sexting within a relationship might not be too bad.


According to one researcher, sexting is actually most likely to occur within a committed relationship.


(CNN) Mayors do not have the right to ban burkinis, France's highest administrative court ruled Friday.
The Council of State's ruling suspends a ban in the town of Villeneuve-Loubet, near Nice, and could affect cities around the country that have prohibited the full-length swimsuit.
More than 30 French towns have banned burkinis , which cover the whole body except for the face, hands and feet.
Officials say banning the burkini -- worn mostly by Muslim women -- is a response to growing terror concerns and heightened tensions after a series of terror attacks.
Human rights activists argue that burkini bans are illegal, and that pushes to outlaw the garment are Islamophobic.
They hailed Friday's ruling as a significant step.
"By overturning a discriminatory ban that is fueled by and is fueling prejudice and intolerance, today's decision has drawn an important line in the sand," Amnesty International Europe Director John Dalhuisen said in a statement.
But it's unclear how other towns with burkini bans will respond to Friday's decision. If mayors continue to enforce and enact such decrees, they could face similar legal challenges.
No matter what, battles over the burkini in the court -- and in the court of public opinion -- are far from over.
Friday's decision was an initial ruling by the Council of State while it continues to prepare its more detailed judgment on the legal issues in the case.
Meanwhile, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has said he supports banning burkinis. And former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who plans to run again for the nation's top job, has said he would immediately enact a national ban of the swimsuits.
Photo sparks outrage
Critics of the bans say they discriminate against the women they claim to protect.
"These bans do nothing to increase public safety, but do a lot to promote public humiliation," Dalhuisen said. "Not only are they in themselves discriminatory, but as we have seen, the enforcement of these bans leads to abuses and the degrading treatment of Muslim women and girls."
Earlier this week, photos of police enforcing a ban in Nice spread rapidly on social media. The images show armed officers apparently ordering a woman to remove part of her clothing
Police confront a woman in a burkini on the beach along the Promenade des Anglais in Nice this week.
Authorities in Nice say the officers were simply exercising their duties. Deputy Mayor Christian Estrosi denounced the photos, saying they put the officers in danger.
"I condemn these unacceptable provocations," he said.
In London, demonstrators created a makeshift beach Thursday outside the French Embassy for a "Wear what you want beach party."
Jenny Dawkins, a Church of England priest, told CNN she joined the protest after seeing a photo of the incident in Nice.
"I think it's a frightening image," she said. "I find it quite chilling to see an image of a woman surrounded by men with guns being told to take her clothes off."
What are France's burqa laws?
In April 2011, France became the first European country to ban wearing in public the burqa, a full-body covering that includes a mesh over the face, and the niqab, a full-face veil with an opening for the eyes.
And much like the recent burkini bans, opinion in the country is divided between those who see the laws as an infringement on religious freedom, and those who view the Islamic dress as inconsistent with France's rigorously enforced secularism.
Those breaking the burqa law f ace fines of 150 euros (about $205) or public service duties.
The law was upheld by the European Convention on Human Rights in 2014 after a 24-year-old woman brought the case to court, claiming it infringed on her religious freedom.


French mayors do not have the right to ban burkinis, the French Council of State ruled Friday.


(CNN) In the spring of 1972, three Kyoto dropouts -- a folk singer, a photographer and a poet -- decided to build a space where their creative and political ideas could meet.
For the last 17 years, the US and its allies had been fighting communist Vietnam in a brutal and unpopular war.
The trio were antiwar activists -- they had already founded the notorious Hobbit café in Iwakuni, Japan's largest US naval base, which had grown into a hub for US army defectors -- knew Kyoto needed its own counterculture salon -- a meeting place for art, coffee and politics.
And so Café Honyarado was born. The two-floor wooden house served cheap meals and hosted poetry readings, bread-making workshops and parties for its free-thinking clientele.
Frequented by artists and writers from Japan and abroad, the café became a hub for literary and civic engagement, including a campaign to release political prisoners from Korea and Vietnam.
Two million of Fusayoshi's black and white negatives, tens of thousands of prints, as well as precious books and diaries were lost.
Sharing some of his surviving photos, Fusayoshi told CNN Style how Honyarado shaped Kyoto life for almost half a century, and how its artistic legacy will endure the devastating blaze.
Folk singer Nobuyasu Okabayashi, a Honyarado co-founder, was dubbed "the Bob Dylan of Japan."
Before Honyarado, you opened the Hobbit café. Why was that so controversial?
Around 1970 weariness spread within the US forces. People rebelled or ran away to avoid killing the Vietnamese. We made a hub to help active the G.I. activities in Iwakuni, as many soldiers came there.
Japanese police followed me all day long during its two month construction. The US and Japanese governments were worried about this situation. They tried to frame us to stop it, saying that Hobbit had been made by the Japanese Red Army (a militant communist group).
We had the bond of the underdog.
When the JRA attacked Lod Airport [now Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport] in 1972, massacring 26 people, the Japanese government made up a story that the gun had come from the Hobbit cafe. Then the commander of the Iwakuni base issued a ban: Hobbit was off-limits for all G.I.s. It didn't matter if we were JRM or not. Naturally, we went to court and won, but the U.S. and Japanese governments did not apologize.
What was the mood at the time when Honyarado was founded?
After the student power storm [of 1968] had disappeared, a strong apathetic mood had spread in Japanese society despite the many social problems left. However, many still had hidden feelings against the Vietnam War and it was stronger within the artistic community.
How did Café Honyarado community campaign for its causes?
Our first priority was to cherish fun. Before Honyarado started, we were antiwar movement activists, as well as a small team of moving carpenters; a singer, poet, sculptor, professor, kindergarten teacher; all dropouts. It is no exaggeration to say we had the bond of the underdog.
In Honyarado, many groups were born as ad hoc councils -- we used to publish monthly newsletters. Many events there led to the activation of the neighborhood and of Kyoto.
When the oil shock of 1973 occurred, we thought that the US would cut off our food supply. We adopted such a tragicomic operation very seriously. First we rushed to City Hall to appeal the situation. We dressed like Chindon'ya, brightly dressed Japanese street musicians. Fortunately no one was arrested.
Did the police ever try to stop you?
The police followed me whenever I brought something to the coffee shop. Bad rumors had been spreading in the neighborhood. A few months after opening, our singer friend [Nobuyasu Okabayashi] was accused of writing obscene novels for teenagers -- they were actually harmless. We fought this in court for seven years.
A rice cake making party at the Cafe, held "instead of a general shareholders meeting". Pictured left is prominent anti-nuclear activist Aileen Mioko Smith.
Tell us about the poetry readings. Were they wild?
They were unique in style. Not just the poets, but the audience too used to share their here-and-now feelings. It was full of humor.
We welcomed the founder of Beat Generation poetry, Allen Ginsberg, American writer Gary Snyder, and French novelist and film director Jean-Philippe Toussaint, as well as hugely popular Japanese figures like poet Shuntaro Tanigawa and jazz singer Maki Asakawa.
What impact did Honyarado have on you?
I was a dropout since birth. I couldn't speak or walk until four years old. At the café, everyone was supported.
Receiving the news of the fire in bed, it was if I was watching a dream. Some negatives were rescued from the ruin, though only a few.
I think it's important to remember that while living in the same place, we shouldn't forget to consider the world's social problems. It seems like a merry-go-round of history repeating itself.
Thanks to places like Honyarado, we sometimes witness unexpected happenings and encounters. Above all, as a photographer, I have taken millions of pictures with help from those I met there. I hope they are not forgotten.
Fusayoshi now runs Hachimonjiya, another Kyoto haunt for artists & writers.

Cafe Honyarado: The death of Kyoto's counterculture hub


Cafe Honyarado was a hub for counterculture and activism in Kyoto in the 1970s. When it burned down, street photographer Kai Fusayoshi lost a lifetime of work.


(CNN) A five-day-old newborn peers out from a pink blanket. His dark, almond-shaped eyes stare directly at the camera, his tiny hand tucked underneath his chin.
His short life has been anything but easy.
He, his twin brother and his mother were among the 6,500 refugees and migrants rescued in a 30-hour period while attempting to make the treacherous journey across the Mediterranean.
A five-year-old and his twin brother were traveling with their mother before they were rescued.
Médecins Sans Frontières' ship Dignity 1 and the Spanish humanitarian group Proactiva Open Arms rescued people who were aboard 15 rubber boats and one wooden vessel Monday.
The twins and their mother were transferred via Medevac for treatment in Italy, according to a tweet from MSF.
UPDATE: The 5 day old babies have been transferred for a medevac to Italy,
As many as 3,000 of the migrants were rescued off the coast of Libya by MSF, Proactiva Open Arms and Italian coast guard crews and one rescue took place in Maltese waters.
A total of 40 different rescue operations were responsible for bringing in the 6,500 migrants and refugees, including EU's Marine mission "Sophia," which fights smugglers; and Frontex, the European Agency tasked with border security.
The Italian coast guard said the rescued migrants are being taken to ports in Calabria and Sicily.
A man carries his 5-day-old son after being rescued from a crowded wooden vessel in the Mediterranean sea. The pair were fleeing from Libya.
The number of people plucked from sea on Monday was much higher than the average. Just two weeks ago, in the week that started August 14, the route was used by 2,197 migrants, according to the International Organization for Migration. Monday's rate nearly tripled that weekly amount.
Migrants flee conflict and violence
Most of the migrants rescued this week came from sub-Saharan Africa. Many of them using the central Mediterranean route, which runs roughly from Libya or other north African countries to Italy, are from Nigeria, Eritrea and Gambia, according to the IOM.
According to the IOM , migrants are taking advantage of Libya's ongoing political chaos to escape over the mostly open borders. The Libyan crisis has helped boost a lucrative smuggling business, with African migrants who reach southern Libya being transported through the desert to northern beaches where they board boats bound for Europe.
Migrants, most of them from Eritrea, jump into the water from a crowded wooden boat as they are helped by members of an NGO during a rescue operation at the Mediterranean sea, about 13 miles north of Sabratha, Libya.
This year, 264,513 people arrived in Europe by sea , landing mostly in Greece and Italy, according to IOM estimates released in mid-August.
Migrants from Eritrea hold their children during a rescue operation in the Mediterranean sea, about 13 miles north of Sabratha, Libya.
Of those who attempted the crossing, 3,165 people have died at sea, authorities said. At this rate, according to the IOM, the number of deaths will likely exceed last year's total of 3,771.
Most of the deaths in 2016 came from people risking this particular route -- Libya to Italy -- which is considered dramatically more dangerous. They're also using flimsy plastic rafts or wooden crafts not built for such a voyage, and all of the vessels tend to be overcrowded -- some carrying 600 or more passengers, according to the UN Refugee Agency.
While the number of deaths is expected to be worse this year, the total number of illegal migrant crossings into Europe via the Mediterranean is significantly lower, according to Frontex.
Thousands of migrants and refugees from Eritrea were rescued Monday morning from more than 20 boats by members of Proactiva Open Arms NGO. They were later handed over to the Italian cost guards and others NGO vessels operating in the zone.
But as migrant boats and rafts cross the Mediterranean Sea, gateways into Europe are narrowing and many are growing wary.
The Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS), which conducts rescue operations in the Mediterranean, has called on the international community to consider safe and legal routes to end the number of deaths at sea. It says decision-makers should not think in terms of numbers, but rather about the individuals.
"It is only by treating the hundreds of thousands like the deserving individuals they are that dignified and humanitarian solutions can truly be reached," MOAS said.

Migrant rescues in Mediterranean: Newborn twins among 6,500 rescued


A pair of twins are among the 6,500 refugees and migrants rescued recently as families attempted to make the treacherous journey across the Mediterranean.


Aaron David Miller is a vice president and distinguished scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and author of "The End of Greatness: Why America Can't Have (and Doesn't Want) Another Great President." Miller was a Middle East negotiator in Democratic and Republican administrations. Follow him on Twitter @aarondmiller2 . The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.
(CNN) Earlier this week, Russia's Vladimir Putin reportedly told Egypt's President Abdul Fattah Sisi that he would be willing to host direct talks between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Moscow.
Putin did speak to Netanyahu by phone Tuesday, and according to press reports , they did discuss the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Having pushed Russia into the middle of Syria's civil war with great effect last September, is Vladimir Putin now making a serious bid to become a Middle East peacemaker too? If he's serious -- and this is far from certain -- Washington should let him try.
Given the moribund state of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the long odds of success, Putin would almost certainly fail, tarnishing his vaunted image and likely angering Israelis and Palestinians in the process.
Here are some key questions:
Is Putin serious?
Clearly Putin is only testing the waters at this stage. Had he wanted to own his proposal for talks, Putin might have announced the offer publicly himself. By using al-Sisi -- someone he knows is close to the Israelis and also has leverage over the Palestinians --he assured himself a favorable hearing and a way out should the Israelis and Palestinians say no. Sisi has for months offered to host talks between the sides in Cairo -- an idea whose time has clearly not yet come.
If Putin wanted to take his idea a step further without risking failure, he could invite both Netanyahu and Abbas to Moscow again for separate consultations in Moscow to see whether there actually was a basis for getting them together.
What's in this for Putin?
Putin loves the big stage, particularly if the play includes an angle to counter Washington and make the Americans look bad. Traditionally, the peace process -- or what remains of it -- has been a US preserve. And Putin knows how much effort John Kerry has invested in this to little avail.
The pursuit of an Israeli-Palestinian peace is high-stakes, prestigious diplomacy and has been conducted most often over the years with the Russians excluded. But should Russia find a way to nibble around the edges or insert itself in the middle of the game, it would only reinforce the impression that Moscow is a key player and has exploited successfully the vacuum the Obama Administration has created through what its critics charge is an abdication of leadership. Besides whatever comes of the offer to host talks, Putin loves jerking Washington's diplomatic chain.
Would Abbas and Netanyahu agree?
Clearly neither Abbas nor Netanyahu is happy with Washington's mediation efforts. Netanyahu fears the administration will in its final months try to do something on the peace process he can't accept, such as push for a UN Security Council Resolution or pressure him in some way. And Abbas is frustrated because he believes the Americans haven't squeezed Netanyahu hard enough.
It's certainly possible that Netanyahu is already looking beyond President Obama to the next President and would see the Russian offer as a way to hedge his bets and get through the next several months -- just as he encouraged Sisi to host direct talks in Cairo. Anybody but Obama, Netanyahu might muse to himself.
Still, Netanyahu would have to think very hard -- however important Russia is in the context of Israel's stake in Syria and Lebanon -- about the consequences of a Russian centered peace process. Could he trust Russia, whose views traditionally on the issues in the negotiations (borders, Jerusalem and refugees) have been much closer to the Palestinian side than to Israel.
And what would the impact be in the US and Israel, if Netanyahu agreed to a Russian-led process, particularly with Russia growing closer to Iran and when Netanyahu seems so close to signing a 10-year package of security assistance worth billions with the US.
As for Abbas, he may believe that the Russians would indeed take his side on some key issues. But having refused to agree to direct negotiations with the Israelis these many months, Abbas would not allow himself to cede that point for free. He would demand that Moscow provide assurances that Israel would make concessions on key issues. And why would Putin have any more success in that area than the Obama Administration after eight years?
Most likely, Putin's offer is pot stirring, an effort to create drama and news by demonstrating that Russia might be a peace mediator too. And it's certainly possible that some symbolic meeting -- devoid of substance -- could take place in Moscow.
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But Putin's idea has failure written all over it. And if the Russian leader persists, Washington should stand back and let him try.
If there ever was a loser issue designed to suck huge amounts of thankless effort out of any would-be mediator without achieving results, it's the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Not only is the issue not ready for prime time, it's bound to make those who take it on look weak and feckless and earn the anger and animosity of the Israelis and Palestinians to boot.
Putin knows all of this, of course, which is why more than likely he'll steer clear of any serious effort. But who knows. After Ukraine and Syria, maybe he feels like he's on a roll. Having spent 20-plus years trying to push this particular big rock up the hill, I wish him luck.

Could Putin make peace between Israel, Palestinians?


Aaron David Miller says reports that Putin might try to broker peace shouldn't disturb the U.S; he says the Russian leader would only court failure


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Story highlights Aden governor's office said the death toll could be as high as 60
The site was a training camp for Yemen leader's Saudi-backed forces
Sanaa, Yemen (CNN) ISIS has claimed responsibility for a suicide car bombing Monday that killed dozens of recruits at a military training camp in Yemen's southern port city of Aden, according to the ISIS-affiliated Amaq news agency.
At least 45 people were killed in the attack, and 60 others were wounded, Doctors Without Borders communications manager Malak Shaher told CNN. The Aden governor's office said the death toll was as high as 60.
The car bomb exploded inside a training camp for forces allied to Saudi-backed Yemeni President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi, according to two senior security officials in Aden.
The explosion occurred at 8:15 a.m. local time (1.15 a.m. ET) while recruits were waiting in line to be enrolled among troops heading to battle at the Saudi-Yemeni border, the officials said.
Read More

Yemen bombing: ISIS claims responsibility for attack on military training camp


ISIS has claimed responsibility for a suicide car bombing Monday that killed dozens of recruits at a military training camp in Yemen's southern port city of Aden, according to the ISIS-affiliated Amaq news agency.


Activists protest France's burkini ban as French politicians defend it. CNN's Erin McLaughlin reports.


Woman humiliated returning items after miscarriage


A Connecticut woman says she was humiliated trying to return items to Babies "R" Us after suffering a miscarriage.


Story highlights The outrage was immediate and for good reason
This isn't the first time Sharma has stoked controversy
(CNN) India's tourism minister is furiously backpedaling after suggesting that women who visit India shouldn't wear skirts for their own safety.
Mahesh Sharma made the comments over the weekend while promoting a welcome kit that will be handed out to tourists when they arrive in India.
"There's a card in there listing the do's and don'ts. Basic things like, 'Don't go out at night alone.' 'Don't wear skirts.'"
The outrage was immediate. And for good reason.
A string of sexual assaults against foreign women has sullied India's reputation.
Read More

Safety tip from India's tourism minister: Don't wear skirts


India's tourism minister is backing off comments he made suggesting female tourists avoid wearing skirts while visiting India.


(CNN) Editor's Note: Ruwan Rujouleh is a Middle East analyst at the Centre on Religion and Geopolitics, an initiative of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation . The views expressed in this piece are solely those of the author.
If you look at the headlines coming out of France, you might conclude that the country's famous brand of "laicite," or secularism, is now being defended by a theocracy that would give Iran a run for its money.
Pictures of a Muslim woman surrounded by armed police on a beach in Nice have rightly caused an outcry. The images show the condescending way law enforcement officers forced the women to undress, while her children watched.
France abandons Western values
France seems to have completely turned against Western liberal values -- and there's a danger that France no longer looks any different from Iran or any other theocratic state, where religious police patrol the streets, monitoring women in public places, and checking whether or not they are following the rules.
The only difference is that France is suffocating individual freedoms in the name of "protecting secularism," while Iran and others do so to "protect religious identity." Both have a distinct absence of liberal pluralism that the Western world has so far taken for granted. Extreme secularism in France looks no different to extreme Shia ideology in Iran.
As an American Muslim citizen raised in Syria, I am in shocked by these pictures. Growing up in Damascus, life used to offer a cultural pluralism that most now take for granted. Throughout the Middle East, people look at countries in the West in awe, seeing laws that are enacted to guarantee an individual's right to practice their faith and live freely without chains or fear.
A turning point in the West?
But we are at a fundamental crossroads -- one that is causing those of us who care about upholding these values to worry that this may no longer be the case in the future.
This isn't a problem only in France and Iran. Left and right, we're seeing a growing polarization of the political sphere, from Donald Trump i n America to Jeremy Corbyn in Britain.
This move toward the extremities should be cause for concern for all those who want to uphold the liberal, centrist values that the West has historically fought for. Not purely because illiberalism is at odds with our nature, but because if we choose to allow this culture to creep into our political life, incidents like what happened to an innocent Muslim French citizen Tuesday could become the norm.
'Don't give illiberal populism space to breathe'
A woman wears a burkini, on a beach near Tunis, Tunisia.
If we give these sorts of populist "movements" the space to flourish, the Western millennial generation will be forced to spend their adult lives living in an atmosphere the Western world is no longer accustomed to.
This is a generation who've rightly grown up taking Western values for granted. As children they were told that they should live and let live, to appreciate and thrive on the intrinsic differences that some seek to divide us on.
You can see that in the way young people overwhelmingly voted in favor of staying in the European Union. It may sound trite, but they want to be able to enjoy the beach in peace, whatever they are wearing.
We've advanced beyond illiberalism, beyond accepting hate and division as a way of life, beyond the insecurity that drives such actions.
The answer has to be a revived, renewed political center as the only political thought capable of owning and enhancing these values. The alternative allows extreme illiberal populism the space to create the type of atmosphere that will lead to more incidents like we've seen in Nice.

Burkini bans: France is giving Iran a run for its money


In instituting burkini bans, France is defending the country's famed secularism with a theocracy that would give Iran a run for its money, writes Ruwan Rujouleh.


Gaziantep, Turkey (CNN) Turkey flexed its military muscle across the border in war-torn Syria this week by helping rebels retake the border town of Jarablus from ISIS, marking a decisive win for the Free Syrian Army.
On Saturday, the air force pounded more targets in the region. But in the bloody five-year-old conflict, replete with many power players and varying loyalties, it was unclear whether the latest airstrikes targeted ISIS or its other foes -- Syrian Kurdish fighters.
One Turkish soldier was killed in fighting on Saturday, and Turkish officials believe Kurdish fighters launched the rockets that killed him, according to Turkish sources and the state-run Anadolu Agency.
"The Turkish role here will be to protect the region," said Faheem Issa, who commands the Sultan Murad brigade -- a Syrian Turkmen unit. "Because of the world's indifference and insufficient backing for the Free Syrian Army, Turkey is providing that support."
Villages seized, 'terror' HQ pounded
Turkey launched airstrikes that injured civilians in Al Amarneh in eastern Jarablus, according to Manbij Military Council Cmdr. Shirvan Darwish. It struck areas to the south of the town, destroying an ammunition dump and the headquarters of a "terror organization," according to military sources speaking to Anadolu.
And, a spokesman for a Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army group called the Sultan Murad Brigade said its fighters have seized a series of villages to the west of Jarablus. The villages -- Tal Shair, Hamir al-Ajaaj, and al-Helwaniah -- are near a key border crossing, Bab al-Salama, but it is unclear from whom they were seized.
In comments televised by CNN Turk, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus referred to Turkey's fight against "terrorist groups operating in Marea-Jarablus line," an area running along the border between Bab al-Salama and the town of Jarablus. That suggests Turkey aims to control a long stretch of the border as part of Operation Euphrates Shield.
"We will cleanse the area from ISIS and other terrorist groups. The swift and result-oriented operation continues successfully. We are in coordination with international organizations. We use our right of self defense that international law gives us."
Turkey views both ISIS and Kurdish rebels as foes and its allegiances have complicated its relationship with the United States.
Kurdish fighters have been a key ally of the United States in the war against ISIS in Syria and Iraq, but the Turkish government views those fighters -- the People's Protection Units in Syria, also known as the YPG -- as an affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, a pro-separatist group that Turkey has been fighting for years.
The YPG is believed to have fired rockets at two Turkish tanks six or seven kilometers south of Jarablus as Turkish-backed rebels were advancing south, Anadolu said.
Along with the one soldier killed, three others were injured. The death was the first in the fourth day of Operation Euphrates Shield.
A military source says it was 99.9 % certain that "YPG that launched the rockets. Two Turkish tanks hit. One soldier injured in one of them. Two injured and one killed in the other."
Anadolu said Turkey retaliated by firing howitzers.
Getting back to normal
In Jarablus on Saturday, shops were being restocked, street life appeared to be getting back to normal, and the Red Crescent was seen distributing aid.
That comes after the Free Syrian Army rebels drove ISIS out of that city in a key military victory on Friday. The FSA took control of the town in less than 24 hours with the help of Turkey's potent and huge military -- the second-largest in NATO after the United States.
"For now, our focus is on ISIS," said Issa, the commander of the Sultan Murad brigade.
At the same time, he doesn't deny that his fighters have battled US-backed Kurdish militias, which, Turkey insists, must withdraw east of the Euphrates River.
The United States has spent millions of dollars arming and training Syrian rebels, with little to show for it. In contrast, American officials regard Kurdish fighters as far more effective in fighting ISIS.
US aircraft did strike ISIS targets during the push on Jarablus, but the boots on the ground are Turkish. Turkish involvement, not American support, helped provide these Syrian fighters with a rare victory.
Officials said one of the goals of this operation is to set up a "terror-free" zone -- in effect a buffer zone -- to ensure the safety of Turkish citizens living along the border.
"We came to rid this area of ISIS," Issa said.


Turkey flexed its military muscle across the border in war-torn Syria this week by helping rebels retake the border town of Jarablus from ISIS, marking a decisive win for the Free Syrian Army.


Story highlights Chelsea secures maximum points
Emphatic win for Arsenal
Liverpool and Tottenham struggle
(CNN) Chelsea has taken an early lead at the top of the English Premiership after an emphatic win over Burnley.
Belgian Eden Hazard opened the scoring -- his second in three games -- with contributions from Willian shortly before half time and then a late goal from Victor Moses.
But The Blues were joined later Saturday by Manchester United who beat the newly-promoted Hull. A 1-0 win against the Tigers meant the Manchester club also collected maximum points from the first three games and is in joint first place with the same goal difference as Chelsea.
The Red Devils left it late with a Marcus Rashford winner scored in stoppage time.
Both Chelsea and Manchester United have new managers this season and early results already show that the EPL could turn into a clash of coaching giants, pitching Antonio Conte at Chelsea with the club's former manager Jose Mourinho who is now at Man United.
Read More


Chelsea has taken an early lead at the top of the English Premiership after an emphatic win over Burnley.


Orlando (CNN) Sen. Marco Rubio still won't take back the many attacks he launched at former rival Donald Trump when they faced off in the bitter presidential primary. But ahead of voting in Tuesday's Senate primary in Florida, the freshman lawmaker is reluctant to alienate Trump's supporters in a state the billionaire won by nearly 20 points.
"The primary is over," Rubio told CNN in an interview Monday following a campaign appearance with veterans in Fort Myers. "Republican voters chose a nominee and we have a choice between two people ... I do disagree with Donald on a number of things. I disagree with Hillary [Clinton] on everything."
The balance Rubio is trying to strike is about more than Rubio's political career. His success in November could be crucial to helping the GOP maintain its tenuous grip on the Senate.
In a sign of how far he's moved, Rubio said he was open to campaigning with Trump in Florida if schedules allow. In campaign appearances, Rubio tells voters that the country "can't afford" to elect Clinton. And despite his repeated denunciations of the businessman's negative and personal tone on the trail, he refused to take Trump to task for recently calling Clinton a bigot.
"Democrats have been calling Republicans bigots for a long time," Rubio said. "I think Hillary Clinton has a lot or problems. I think she's corrupt, she's dishonest, she lies constantly. She's always in the center of some controversy."
Pressed on the caustic characterization, Rubio said Trump would have to account for his own words.
"I do think some of the policies she stands for do harm minority communities, absolutely," Rubio said. "I can tell you, I don't want Hillary Clinton to be president."
After he ended his presidential run, GOP officials -- who were increasingly worried they were on track to lose the Senate to Democrats -- successfully lobbied Rubio to reverse his pledge to quit the chamber. But even as he runs for another term, Rubio refused to commit to complete a new six-year term, a clear sign a presidential run in 2020 remains an option for the ambitious young politician.
"No one can make that commitment because you know now what the future is going to hold in your life personally or politically," he said. "I can commit to you this, if I'm running to a be a US senator, I'm prepared to let the US Senate be the last political office that I ever hold."
Rubio is part of a group of more than a half dozen Senate Republicans whose fate this November is in part linked to Trump's. Republicans need the controversial candidate to stay competitive with Clinton to boost their chances of keeping control of Congress. They also need to court Trump's passionate supporters as well as disillusioned establishment Republicans and independents who may be turned off by the GOP nominee.
Polls show Clinton with an edge in Florida and Rubio with a lead over his likely Democratic opponent, Rep. Patrick Murphy, who has come under scrutiny for claims about his professional qualifications as a certified public accountant and claims of being a small business owner.
"He is a hyper-partisan liberal and Florida cannot afford a hyper-partisan liberal in the United States Senate," Rubio said about Murphy teeing up his general election argument against his foe. "Unlike Patrick Murphy, I don't make up my qualifications."
Murphy denied he has made any false statements and said Rubio was making the charge to draw attention away from his dismal attendance record in the Senate when he was running for president.
"He doesn't like the job and this is what he is going to do to distract from the facts," Murphy told CNN. "I have been a CPA since 2009 and if elected to the US Senate I would be the second CPA in the history our country to serve there. If you asked me, our fiscal house could use some private sector experience."
In the interview, Murphy said "yes, I do," when asked if he trusts Clinton, even though polls show most Floridians distrust the former secretary of state. And he said he was "as shocked as a lot f people I spoke with" about Rubio's support for Trump.
"Donald Trump is perhaps the most racist bigot ever to make it this far," Murphy said.
Yet, Rubio is also taking heat from the right for not embracing Trump tightly enough. Carlos Beruff, the wealthy businessman who spent millions of his own cash in Tuesday's primary, said that voters are "irritated" by Rubio's handling of Trump.
"I will vote for him, but I'm not going to endorse him," Beruff said. "Because I don't respect the guy."
Unlike many of his Senate colleagues, Rubio is in a more awkward position with his own party's nominee after their many toxic encounters on the campaign trail that included the senator saying Trump would be a "disaster for America" and was a "con artist" who could not be trusted with the nuclear codes.
Reminded that he had charged Trump was too erratic to be trusted with the nuclear codes, Rubio repeated, "the primary is over."
Asked how he could support Trump despite his contention that the GOP nominee wouldn't keep the country safe, Rubio deflected and put the focus back on Murphy.
"How can Patrick Murphy support Hillary Clinton after all the outrageous things that keep coming out about her?" he said.
Rubio is trying to make the case to voters that he's been an "effective" senator, yet the Florida lawmaker has been repeatedly attacked for skipping Senate business while running for president. In the interview, Rubio would not say if he regretted the large number of votes and hearings he skipped, saying it's common for senators to miss the chamber's business when seeking the White House.
"I don't know anyone who's ever run for president as a senator who didn't," Rubio said. "Hillary Clinton missed more than I did."
On Wednesday, Trump is slated to give a major speech on immigration; but in a sign of how Rubio is navigating his party's nominee, he pulled his punches when asked about Trump's hardline views and rhetoric on the subject, which contrasts with the senator's approach on the issue.
While he said that deporting millions of undocumented immigrants is not the "right approach" and that Mexico is "not going to pay" for a border wall to be built, as Trump contends, Rubio refused to say if he thought Trump should soften his rhetoric on the issue.
"I'd be more focused on the Democrats rhetoric on this issue, which is to accuse any Republican who doesn't agree with their version of immigration reform as being anti-immigrant," he said. "That's ridiculous."

Ahead of Florida primary, Rubio offers Trump a tepid embrace


Sen. Marco Rubio still won't take back the many attacks he launched at former rival Donald Trump when they faced off in the bitter presidential primary. But ahead of voting in Tuesday's Senate primary in Florida, the freshman lawmaker is reluctant to alienate Trump's supporters in a state the billionaire won by nearly 20 points.


An enormously groovy Jimi Hendrix, swathed in opulent clothes.
A wide-eyed, long-lashed Twiggy, posing against a Union Flag.
This is the work of famed photographer Terence Donovan. His subjects were some of the most celebrated icons of the last century.
The list is a long one. "Almost a million negatives and a great number of photographic prints," said his widow, Diana, who inherited his archives after his death in 1996. The collection has already spawned two books. The third, and latest, is devoted to his work in portraiture
"He was a consummate photographer and craftsman -- the lights, the camera, everything," Diana Donovan said of her late husband.
Photographer Terence Donovan
The pages of "Terence Donovan: Portraits" cross industry and personality, much like the photographer himself, described by his wife as "enormously dynamic. Hugely amusing. Lovely to be with."
During his career, he was highly sought after for his obvious range and skill.
"He was completely and utterly dedicated to photography," Diana Donovan said.
This devotion began at a very young age.
Terence Donovan was born in East London in 1936 to a working-class family. Fascinated with taking pictures, he began his career at 11, studying at the London School of Photo-Engraving. He became an apprentice at 15 and opened his own studio at 22.
He was an instant success, his daybook filled to the brim with appointments, including commissions from the royal family, particularly Princess Diana.
"He created a name for himself," Diana Donovan said.
Social media Follow @CNNPhotos on Twitter to join the conversation about photography.
He was an architect of "swinging London" -- a cultural revolution in the 1960s that redefined art, fashion and dancing. Donovan was there to capture and influence it.
He captured the faces of fashion models for the illustrious pages of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. But he could also photograph his children.
His wife said he was able to adjust from "the tenderness of say, Davey, his daughter, compared to the very formal portrait of Margaret Thatcher," which now hangs inside the walls of 10 Downing Street.
"He was hugely amusing, clever," Diana Donovan said. "He always made an effort to put the person at ease, making them feel confident."
No matter who it was, she said, "it was always going to be the best possible representation of what he saw through his lens.
"(Photography) was in his soul and in his spirit."

The man who photographed iconic 1960s stars


Terence Donovan's subjects were some of the most celebrated icons of the 1960s. Sean Connery, Jimi Hendrix and Twiggy are some of the faces in his latest book.


Story highlights Two large earthquakes have rocked Iceland's largest volcano
Scientists are monitoring the situation in case of an eruption
(CNN) The Icelandic Meteorological Office is on alert for a possible eruption from the country's largest volcano, Katla, after two earthquakes rattled the region.
The volcano, which stands at 1,500 meters (nearly 5,000 feet) tall, hasn't had a major eruption since 1918. Scientists say Katla usually erupts once every 50 years.
Two magnitude 4.5 earthquakes shook the area early Monday morning.
CNN Map
The meteorological office confirmed an increase in seismic activity in recent weeks and said it was monitoring the situation. An eruption is not imminent, scientists said, but they can't rule it out.
"Such summertime increases in seismicity are common at Katla and the ongoing activity within the caldera is similar to summertime unrest observed in 2012 and 2014," the office said.
Read More

Iceland volcano: Katla may erupt after quakes


The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) is on alert for a possible eruption from the country's largest volcano, Katla, after two earthquakes in the region.


(CNN) Team Europe has showed its hand -- now it's over to you Team USA.
Chasing a fourth straight Ryder Cup triumph, Europe unveiled Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Belgian rookie Thomas Pieters on Tuesday for the golf showdown that tees off at Hazeltine on September 30.
The trio join nine players who have already qualified for the team after finishing in the top positions in the European points list
The inclusion of both Westwood and Kaymer, two highly-experienced players, was expected with the European team already boasting five rookies.
"Narrowing it down to those three wildcards has been a very difficult process, but I said that I was going to look to experience and with Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer I had two former world No. 1s," Europe captain Darren Clarke told reporters.
Clarke enjoyed the support of many high profile European players, world No. 1 and Rory McIlroy (pictured) part of a group that included Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Grame McDowell.
Clarke enjoyed the support of many high profile European players, world No. 1 and Rory McIlroy (pictured) part of a group that included Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Grame McDowell.
Clarke has also served a vice captain twice, in 2010 and 2012. He assisted Jose Maria Olazabal (R) during Europe's incredible comeback at Medinah in 2012, when it retained the trophy 14½ to 13½ having trailed 10-6 going into Sunday's singles.
Clarke has also served a vice captain twice, in 2010 and 2012. He assisted Jose Maria Olazabal (R) during Europe's incredible comeback at Medinah in 2012, when it retained the trophy 14½ to 13½ having trailed 10-6 going into Sunday's singles.
Clarke's last Ryder Cup appearance as a player was perhaps the most memorable. Playing just six weeks after his wife Heather had succumbed to cancer, Clarke was roared on by a vociferous home crowd at the K Club in Dublin, Ireland. An emotional Clarke won three out of three points as Europe repeated a huge victory margin of nine points.
Clarke's last Ryder Cup appearance as a player was perhaps the most memorable. Playing just six weeks after his wife Heather had succumbed to cancer, Clarke was roared on by a vociferous home crowd at the K Club in Dublin, Ireland. An emotional Clarke won three out of three points as Europe repeated a huge victory margin of nine points.
More success followed in 2004 when Europe trounced the U.S. team 18½ - 9½ at Oakland Hills. Clarke won 3½ points out of a possible five in the biggest winning margin since 1981.
More success followed in 2004 when Europe trounced the U.S. team 18½ - 9½ at Oakland Hills. Clarke won 3½ points out of a possible five in the biggest winning margin since 1981.
After a year's postponement due to the 9/11 tragedy in New York, Clarke was back on the winning side in 2002 when Europe regained the trophy thanks to a 15½ - 12½ victory at the Belfry near Birmingham.
After a year's postponement due to the 9/11 tragedy in New York, Clarke was back on the winning side in 2002 when Europe regained the trophy thanks to a 15½ - 12½ victory at the Belfry near Birmingham.
Clarke has been involved in seven Ryder Cups as a player and a vice captain and has lost only once -- in 1999. The infamous "Battle of Brookline" was punctuated by moments of controversy as the U.S. stormed back from a deficit of 10-6 going into the singles to win 14½ to 13½.
Clarke has been involved in seven Ryder Cups as a player and a vice captain and has lost only once -- in 1999. The infamous "Battle of Brookline" was punctuated by moments of controversy as the U.S. stormed back from a deficit of 10-6 going into the singles to win 14½ to 13½.
Clarke's first Ryder Cup appearance came in 1997 when Europe defeated the United States by a score of 14½ to 13½ at Valderrama in Spain under the captaincy of the late, great Seve Ballesteros.
Clarke's first Ryder Cup appearance came in 1997 when Europe defeated the United States by a score of 14½ to 13½ at Valderrama in Spain under the captaincy of the late, great Seve Ballesteros.
Clarke beat off competition from Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez (pictured) to become captain, with Denmark's Thomas Bjorn also under consideration by Europe's five-man selection panel that included former skippers Paul McGinley, Jose Maria Olazabal and Colin Montgomerie.
Clarke beat off competition from Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez (pictured) to become captain, with Denmark's Thomas Bjorn also under consideration by Europe's five-man selection panel that included former skippers Paul McGinley, Jose Maria Olazabal and Colin Montgomerie.
Darren Clarke will be Europe's Ryder Cup captain for the 2016 battle against the United States. The Northern Irishman has a storied history in the competition, featuring five times as a player and twice as a vice captain. He has been on the losing side just once, in 1999.
Darren Clarke will be Europe's Ryder Cup captain for the 2016 battle against the United States. The Northern Irishman has a storied history in the competition, featuring five times as a player and twice as a vice captain. He has been on the losing side just once, in 1999.
"The last was very difficult. Graeme McDowell and Luke Donald had an argument with their experience to join that, but they would admit that they have not been on top of their game.
"It came down to Thomas Pieters and Russell Knox and the phone call to Russell was one of the hardest I have ever had to make.
"But, given his form, I found it impossible to leave Thomas out."
Hazeltine is the host venue for the 2016 Ryder Cup.
Westwood, 43, has played in every Ryder Cup since 1997 and has won 23 points in the process.
He went unbeaten in 2004 and 2006 and tied Arnold Palmer's record in 2008 after making it 12 matches without defeat at Valhalla.
"I'm incredibly proud," Westwood told reporters after being confirmed in the team.
"When I look back over my career, the Ryder Cup has provided most of the very special moments.
"Myself and Darren are very close and I was very relieved and thrilled to get the pick.
"It's going to be a very tough task. The US is going to be very strong but we are equally as strong -- it's a good mix of experience of youth.
"I think it's going to be a very close contest."
JUST WATCHED Europe's historic Ryder Cup comeback Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Europe's historic Ryder Cup comeback 02:56
Germany's Kaymer played a starring role in 2012 at Medinah - - holing the winning putt to cap off an improbable comeback victory.
The two-time major winner, made his debut in the competition in 2010 and is already relishing another opportunity to lead Europe to glory.
"The first time I played the Ryder Cup, it was very overwhelming," Kaymer told reporters. "2012 was a very special one for me because I really got to know the feeling of what the Ryder Cup means.
"I really didn't want to miss out in 2016 and I'm really glad Darren gave me his trust. I am really glad for Thomas Pieters too -- I played with him last week and was really impressed.
Martin Kaymer will be hoping for more celebrations at this year's tournament.
"I put all my heart in it -- that's all you can ask for and all I can give. It was a bit of a relief to get the phone call from Darren.
"Now is the time to start to prepare and I'm really excited. It's almost the end of the year but it's a massive highlight. I can promise I will play with everything I have because it means a lot to me."
Pieters finished fourth at the Olympics and second at the Czech Masters. The 24-year-old impressed Clarke while playing alongside him at the Made in Denmark tournament where he won the title after opening rounds of 62 and 71.
Thomas Pieters will make his Ryder Cup debut at Hazeltine.
Spain's Sergio Garcia adds yet more experience while rookies Rafa Cabrera Bello, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Andy Sullivan and Chris Wood are all included.
US captain Davis Love III will reveal three of his four picks on September 11, and will make his final selection on September 25.

Ryder Cup 2016: Westwood, Kaymer and Pieters get Europe wildcard picks


Team Europe is chasing a fourth straight Ryder Cup triumph -- and captain Darren Clarke reckons he's got just the men to do it when the competition gets underway at Hazeltine on September 30.