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(CNN)Kenya Goodson, a 46-year-old Black woman from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, has voted in every election since she was 19. But last week's Supreme Court decision to allow Alabama's new congressional map -- which voting rights advocates say dilutes the power of Black voters -- to remain in place has left Goodson, who volunteers to register voters, discouraged about casting a ballot herself. "I was really very hurt, you know, and angry really by the decision by our Supreme Court," said Goodson, an adjunct professor at the University of Montevallo. "There are people that are making decisions, not because it's the law, but they're making decisions to uphold White supremacy by diluting my vote." "It is discouraging because I don't know what I could do as a citizen to change anything," she added. Kenya Goodson registers voter and assists with the Census count at the Government Plaza in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.Legal challenges are expected to continue in this case, and similar lawsuits have been filed in Texas and Georgia, which will bring the issue of voting rights, racial gerrymandering and discriminatory election practices to the forefront ahead of the midterm elections. Read MoreThe Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments over the Alabama map, which could determine the fate of the landmark Voting Rights Act.Goodson said she is still going to vote, and will encourage others to do so, because "our ancestors ... helped us to get this right," but community organizers worry there could be "devastating implications" that marginalize Black voters and could, in turn, impact turnout and faith in the democratic process. LaTosha Brown, an Alabama native and founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund, said this ruling is "really rubber-stamping voter disenfranchisement." "But it's not just about Alabama," Brown added. "It has implications for voter protections around the country." What is redistricting?Felicia Scalzetti, a redistricting organizer for the Alabama Election Protection Network and the Ordinary People Society, told CNN, "The problem with redistricting is that ... it changes who you can vote for." "You can encourage people to turn out all you want," Scalzetti said. "But if the slate of people on the ballot do not actually represent your community because your community is cut six ways to Sunday, there's no amount of turning out that's going to fix that." Redistricting is the process of reallocating congressional seats every 10 years based on population changes reflected in the US Census and then redrawing the boundaries of the congressional districts so each has an equal population. In 35 states, the legislature has control over the redistricting process, which raises concerns about the incumbent party manipulating the process in its favor, also known as partisan gerrymandering. In this election cycle, 20 of the 35 states are controlled by Republicans, compared with 11 favoring Democrats, according to the Pew Research Center. Four states have divided governments. 'They know where Black voters live': Challengers say 'race blind' redistricting maps are anything butSimilarly, redrawing in terms of race is known as racial gerrymandering. Since voters of color tend to favor Democrats, redistricting driven by party interests or fueled by racial motivation -- whether to curb voters of color or amplify their influence -- go hand in hand. Alabama's Republican-drawn map gives Black voters the majority in only one of seven districts despite them making up 27% of the population. Thus, the Alabama lawsuit argued that it had been drawn based on race, and used the "cracking" and "packing" tactics to specifically dilute the power of Black voters. The map lumped areas with high concentrations of Black people together in one district where they could be the majority -- known as packing -- and split up other Black voters in the state so they remain a minority in all other districts -- known as cracking. It will remain in place for the state's primaries in May. "The thinking that we could just disenfranchise people at the state level is still here and it still operates a large part of the state's attitude toward our voting structure," Dev Wakeley, policy analyst at Alabama Arise, a nonprofit public policy advocacy organization, told CNN.Wakeley and others say the map is a violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibits any practice that denies or curtails the right to vote based on race. The law included a provision that mandated states with a history of discriminatory practices, which included Alabama, to obtain federal approval before changing electoral practices, but it was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013. In fact, a lower court unanimously ruled that the new congressional map violates the Voting Rights Act, and the three-judge panel -- which included two judges appointed by former President Donald Trump -- ordered the state to draw another district where Blacks made up a majority of voters or close to it. What the Supreme Court's decision on Alabama's maps could mean for the Voting Rights Act"No one had any faith that the state of Alabama was going to have voters' best interests at heart," Wakeley said. "We expected a little more of an attempt at a fig leaf by the Supreme Court." But with a conservative majority and in a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court allowed the new map to stay in place while the case plays out, and experts say the highest court's decision "sends a very strong signal." David Canon, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who focuses on redistricting, told CNN, "It'll be harder for states to follow what we thought was settled law when it comes to creating minority-majority districts or even influence districts." "It's going to be more of an uphill climb now for anyone to win a voting rights challenge," he added. Similar battles nationwide "The sort of anti-democratic ideas that have infested a lot of Alabama decision makers are much more widespread," Wakeley said. "While we might be the sort of sandbox where these terrible policies come into play," he added, "we're far from alone." Other states have also been accused of intentionally suppressing the vote of communities of color in their redistricting plans. A short history of the long conservative assault on Black voting powerMark Gaber, who litigates redistricting cases for the Campaign Legal Center, told CNN, "It just seems, you know, that wherever the folks in power want to retain their power, they'll, you know, have no sort of shame about violating voting rights of minorities." The Campaign Legal Center is a non-profit legal advocacy organization that has filed lawsuits against multiple states for racial and partisan gerrymandering. Texas faces multiple lawsuits, including one filed by the Biden administration in December, for its congressional map, which the Justice Department says does not reflect the state's growth in minority population. The state was awarded two additional congressional seats due to minority communities, who made up 95% of the state's overall population growth, but the Justice Department said Texas had drawn the map in a way that the two new seats would be decided by majority-White voting populations. The Southern Poverty Law Center filed a lawsuit against Georgia last month on behalf of multiple advocacy groups, saying the state's new congressional map is "its latest assault on the rights of Black voters and other voters of color to participate meaningfully in the democratic process and elect candidates of their choice."The lawsuit alleges that Georgia, similarly to Alabama, packed voters of color into one district and spread out remaining voters of color to ensure they are the voting minority in two other districts. "We're in a very sort of unstable time in this landscape of voting rights law, and also just generally about elections in the country," Gaber said. "And I think the last decade of experience in America proves that now more than ever we need protections for Black and Latino voters."

Story highlightsUK PM David Cameron promises to hold a referendum on EU membership by 2017 French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius says Europe cannot be "a la carte"Germany warns against "cherry-picking" saying Europeans are in the same boatU.S. President Barack Obama had told Cameron the U.S. valued the UK's place in the EUEuropean leaders have warned Britain against the dangers of cherry-picking European Union policy after David Cameron announced Britain would hold a referendum on its European Union membership if his Conservative Party is re-elected in 2015.Ahead of the British prime minister's speech, U.S. President Barack Obama had also advised Cameron that the United States valued Britain's membership of the European bloc.However, Cameron used Wednesday's speech in central London to say Britons should have a choice about whether to remain in the EU on the basis of a renegotiated settlement.He promised to hold a referendum by the end of 2017.Read more: Cameron promises referendum on Britain's place in EuropeAfter Cameron's speech, the President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz tweeted: "#Cameron's Europe a la carte not an option. We have to focus on jobs & growth rather than getting lost in treaties discussions.""We need a #UK as a fully fledged member not harboring in the port of Dover. UK can shape #EU by working with its partners," the German politician said.JUST WATCHEDCameron promises EU referendumReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHCameron promises EU referendum 00:59JUST WATCHEDSorrell: Cameron's speech not positiveReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHSorrell: Cameron's speech not positive 00:23French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius used similar language in an interview on France Info radio saying Europe could not be "a la carte," Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported."Imagine the EU was a football club: once you've joined up and you're in this club, you can't then say you want to play rugby," it quoted him as saying."It risks being dangerous for Britain itself because Britain outside of Europe, that will be difficult," Fabius said.German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters that being part of Europe involved compromise."Europe also always means that you have to find fair compromises. In this context, we are of course ready also to talk about British wishes but one must keep in mind that other countries also have other wishes," Merkel said.German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle told reporters his country wanted Britain "to remain an active and constructive part of the European Union" and warned against "cherry-picking.""We strive to create a better Europe, the European Union becoming even stronger with overcoming the debt crisis and regaining global competitiveness," AFP quoted him as saying."We share a common destiny in challenging times of globalization. And in challenging times of globalization, we as Europeans, we are all in the same boat."iReport: Do you think Britain should stay in the EU?EU Commission spokeswoman Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen told it was "very much in the EU's interest and UK's interest" that London remain "an active member."Ireland's Deputy Prime Minister Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore said Britain's membership of the EU was in both parties' best interests."And as far as Ireland is concerned, because of our close connections with Britain, we want to see Britain as a fully engaged member of the EU," the Press Association (PA) quoted him as saying.Former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt warned against trying "hold the EU to ransom."The leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament said Cameron's speech was "filled with inconsistencies" and showed "a degree of ignorance about how the EU works.""By holding out the prospect of renegotiating the terms of Britain's membership of the EU and subjecting it to a referendum, David Cameron is playing with fire. "He can control neither the timing nor the outcome of the negotiations and in so doing is raising false expectations that can never be met."Obama last week told Cameron that "the United States values a strong UK in a strong European Union."Philip Gordon, the U.S. assistant secretary for European affairs, also made it clear that there would be consequences for Britain if it either left the EU or played a lesser role in Brussels. "We have a growing relationship with the EU as an institution, which has an increasing voice in the world, and we want to see a strong British voice in that EU," he told reporters at the U.S. Embassy in London. "That is in America's interests. We welcome an outward-looking EU with Britain in it."The New York Times reported Wednesday that the implications of Cameron's speech had "alarmed" the Obama administration and were likely to set up "a divisive debate within Britain and across Europe."Deutschewelle's Europe Editor Joanna Impey wrote that leaving the EU would "not insulate the UK from the crisis in the eurozone.""The EU is Britain's biggest trading partner, and it makes sense to remain within the bloc and to be able to make the rules rather than simply abide by them," she said. But Impey added that the Conservative Party would need to be re-elected for the referendum to go ahead.A Downing Street spokeswoman said criticism of Cameron's referendum plan could be expected."But it is not always our job to worry about what the foreign ministers are saying," she told PA."It is our job to worry about what the British people are saying."Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg -- whose Liberal Democrat party is in coalition with Cameron's Conservatives -- told PA a referendum was not in the national interest.In Britain's House of Commons, Labour Party Leader Ed Miliband said he was opposed to an in/out referendum.Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, speaking at the Davos summit, told Sky News he did not see "a compelling reason" to put the question of Britain's EU membership on the agenda."Europe does need Britain and Britain needs Europe," Blair said. "Why say we're actually going to put on the agenda the prospect of leaving Europe altogether?"

(CNN)Additional testing is planned after Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit failed a postrace drug test, throwing the horse's victory at Churchill Downs earlier this month into doubt.Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert revealed the test results Sunday, saying the 3-year-old colt tested positive for elevated levels of betamethasone, which is an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid and sometimes used to relieve joint pain in horses.Medina Spirit wins the 147th Kentucky DerbyBetamethasone is allowed in horse racing in certain amounts, but Baffert said he'd been informed Medina Spirit's postrace test detected 21 picograms per milliliter -- more than double the allowed limit in Kentucky within 14 days of a race."I feel so bad not only for the horse, you know, but the owner, everybody involved, because this is something that, you know, we didn't do," Baffert told CNN's Carolyn Manno on Monday, adding that he planned not to go to the Preakness Stakes on Saturday. The test revelation came just over a week after Medina Spirit won the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, beating second-place Mandaloun by half a length. The win delivered Baffert a record seventh Derby victory.Read MoreA split sample from Medina Spirit's postrace blood sample will now be tested, and if the original results are confirmed, Baffert will have a chance to appeal.The time frame for receiving the results from a requested split sample averages four to eight weeks, but could take up to six months, according to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. Trainer suspendedIn the meantime, Churchill Downs said it had "immediately suspended" Baffert "from entering any horses at Churchill Downs Racetrack.""Failure to comply with the rules and medication protocols jeopardizes the safety of the horses and jockeys, the integrity of our sport and the reputation of the Kentucky Derby and all who participate," Churchill Downs said in a statement Sunday."We will await the conclusion of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission's investigation before taking further steps."Baffert denied Medina Spirit, who trained and raced in California before the Derby, has ever been treated with betamethasone and said his team will conduct its own investigation."The testing is it's been really tough everywhere we go in California, and that's why we have all these rules now that, there's a lot of transparency," he said. "They know everything we give them and we have to write it down, we turn it in. So they know every medication this horse has gotten and betamethasone is not one of them. "And that's the troubling part of it. He wasn't administered that drug."He said he has no idea how the drug ended up in the horse's system.Preakness in doubtHorse race enthusiasts are keeping an eye on how this will impact Saturday's Preakness Stakes. The race at Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course is the second leg of horse racing's Triple Crown.Organizers said they will "review the relevant facts and information" related to Medina Spirit's positive blood test and are consulting with the Maryland Racing Commission on any decision regarding the horse's entry in the Preakness Stakes.Baffert told CNN that as of Monday they were prepared to run the horse in Saturday's race and the horse was at the time of the interview being transported from Kentucky to Maryland.Baffert alleges 'problems in racing'Bob Baffert talks to reporters before the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in 2019 in Louisville. Baffert was inducted into the sport's Hall of Fame in 2009.This is not Baffert's first run-in with reports that his horse failed a drug test: Last month, according to multiple reports, including the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the Arkansas Racing Commission upheld a ruling that two of Baffert's horses had tested positive for lidocaine beyond the accepted levels. However, the commission dropped a 15-day suspension for Baffert.Baffert alluded to previous controversies on Sunday -- "I don't feel safe to train," he said -- but cast the allegation about Medina Spirit as an issue with the broader horse racing industry, saying the industry "needs to step up and we need to do a better job in racing.""I'm not a conspiracy (theorist) -- I know everybody's not out to get me. But there's definitely something wrong. Why is it happening, you know, to me?" he asked. "There's problems in racing, but it's not Bob Baffert."He told CNN that he knew some people were enjoying him having to deal with negative publicity."I've had some success with all these great horses and, you know, there's a lot of people that there's a lot of jealousy and animosity out there," he said. "And I understand that I have my critics. But this is really, you know, when it happens in the most prestigious race in America, the Kentucky Derby, Bob Baffert is not stupid."In 2009, Baffert was inducted into the sport's Hall of Fame, which puts his number of thoroughbred wins at 3,120, with more than $320 million in purse earnings.He became the 11th trainer to win the Triple Crown in 2015 when American Pharoah won the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. He became only the second trainer to ever win the Triple Crown twice just a few years later with the horse Justify.CNN's Wayne Sterling and Steve Almasy contributed to this report.

Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. (CNN)With a once-in-a-few-centuries partial lunar eclipse in the sky, stargazers in North America and northeast Russia are in for a historic treat this week.November's full beaver moon will see the longest partial lunar eclipse in over 500 years, lasting over six hours from Thursday night into Friday morning, according to NASA. Parts of South America can catch a glimpse at moonset, and parts of East Asia and Australia might see the eclipse at moonrise.The last lunar eclipse in May was a rare "super blood moon," appearing brighter and larger than a normal full moon in a reddish hue.A partial lunar eclipse occurs when part of the full moon falls under Earth's shadow (unlike May's total lunar eclipse) — more than 97% of the moon will be covered at the peak of the eclipse, according to NASA. The eclipse can be divided into the penumbral and umbral phases, according to Sky & Telescope magazine. The penumbra is the outer edge of the Earth's shadow, lasting over six hours, and the umbra is the deepest part of the shadow, lasting 3.5 hours.You won't have to stay outside the whole time for the experience, but you might have to choose between going to bed late and waking up early, depending on where you live. Read MoreNASA forecasts the eclipse to peak at 4:03 a.m. ET on Friday. The eclipse will begin at 1:03 a.m. ET, but the dimming of the moon won't be noticeable until 2:19 a.m. ET, when the moon falls under the Earth's umbra. The website timeanddate.com can tell you when you'll be able to see the eclipse based on where you are.Bread baking, fresh strawberries claim top spots in NASA's Deep Space Food ChallengeWe can expect clear skies across the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and from Michigan and Ohio to Texas in the United States, CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said. Most of western Mexico and Southern Baja to Mazatlán will also have a clear view. The eclipse in other regions of North America — most of the Southeast, from the High Plains to the West Coast and in most of New England and Canada — could be obscured by clouds. But don't be entirely discouraged."It is a very long eclipse so be a little patient and try to stay warm," Myers said. In full autumnal spirit, the moon will appear a reddish-brown color during the eclipse. The Earth's atmosphere, which scatters sunlight, will create the effect of a sunset projected onto the moon. Beaver moon festivitiesKnown as the beaver moon, November's full moon will be visible for about three days. The beaver moon is named after the time of year beavers retreat to their shelters for the winter, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac. A beginner's guide to stargazing (CNN Underscored)The Cree and Assiniboine peoples call this moon the frost moon as cold weather settles in, and the Tlingit call this the digging moon for foraging animals, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac.Cultures throughout Southeast Asia also celebrate this moon with festivals, according to NASA. During the Loi Krathong festival in Thailand, people decorate and release baskets into a river. This full moon also marks the Cambodian Water Festival, which features dragon boat races.Celestial events in DecemberIf you still need to knock stargazing off your 2021 bucket list, there are a handful of celestial events to catch before the year ends.The Geminid meteor shower will peak from December 13 to 14, and the Ursid meteor shower will peak on December 22, according to EarthSky. A total eclipse of the sun, when the moon passes between the Earth and sun, will occur on December 4, according to NASA.

London (CNN)Team GB sprinter Bianca Williams has accused London's Metropolitan Police of "racial profiling" after she and her partner were stopped and searched while driving in Britain's capital on Saturday. Williams had been in the west London neighborhood of Maida Vale with her partner, Portuguese 400m record holder Ricardo dos Santos, and their three-month-old son when they were stopped by police. Footage of the incident, which was posted on social media by the pair's trainer and Olympic gold medalist Linford Christie, appears to show two people -- although their faces aren't visible -- being pulled out of a car. 'The greatest trick racism ever pulled was convincing England it doesn't exist'When asked to step outside the car by a police officer, a man is heard asking "For what?"Once out of the car, two other officers approach the woman who tells them "he didn't do anything." Read MoreThe woman grows increasingly distressed and shouts: "My son is in the car [...] I don't want you to look after him." Officers tell her to "relax" and "get out of the car."Bianca Williams and Ricardo dos Santos (pictured) were stopped by police in London on Saturday.Christie later posted a message on social media referring to the incident: "Two of my Athletes were stopped by the police today, both International athletes, both parents of a three- month old baby who was with them & both handcuffed outside of their home [...] Was it the car that was suspicious or the black family in it which led to such a violent confrontation & finally an accusation of the car smelling of weed but refusing to do a roadside drug test." "It's always the same thing with Ricardo. They think he's driving a stolen vehicle, or he's been smoking cannabis. It's racial profiling," Williams told The Times of London newspaper."They spoke to him as if he was nothing, as if he was worthless. As if he was just -- like he was scum. It was horrible," Williams told CNN.Williams told CNN that when approached by police, her first priority was the safety of her young son. "He's our son, and his safety is everything to us. We don't know what's gonna happen with the police, the police are so unpredictable," she said."We're raising a Black boy who's then going to be going to school by himself and he's going to be doing things by himself. We're going to have to get used to it and to teach him that...he can be stopped by the police because of the color of his skin. It's just shocking that we have to tell our son this to be honest," Williams told CNN.A Metropolitan police statement on Sunday said a car had been stopped in the W9 area on Saturday afternoon around 1:25p local time after it was seen "driving suspiciously." After the end of Aunt Jemima, what's next?"Following a search of the vehicle, the man and the woman, nothing was found. No arrests were made and the occupants were allowed on their way," read the statement. Dos Santos told CNN that he had been stopped 15 times since December 2017. He said that he has previously been accused by police of driving a stolen vehicle, and mistakenly profiled as someone who sold drugs and carried weapons. Speaking about Saturday's incident, he said: "The bad thing is it didn't affect me as much as it should, because for me I feel like this is my new normal. Unfortunately, this is my normal. It has happened so often that it's become second nature," he told CNN.Earlier this year, UK government data showed that between April 2018 and March 2019, there were four stop and searches for every 1,000 White people, compared with 38 for every 1,000 Black people in England and Wales.Racism in the UK may attract less attention than in the US, but it is no less present. An exclusive CNN/Savanta ComRes poll found that many Black people in the UK are twice as likely as White people to say they have not been treated with respect by police. Black people are also about twice as likely as White people to say UK police are institutionally racist -- among White people, just over a quarter believe it.On Monday, police commander Helen Harper said that officials were "keen to speak personally to the occupants of the vehicle to discuss what happened and the concerns they have."Harper said that The Directorate of Professional Standards had reviewed the stop, and were "content" there were no misconduct issues after reviewing the officers' body camera footage, social media footage and details of the incident."However, that does not mean there isn't something to be learnt from every interaction we have with the public. We want to listen to, and speak with, those who raise concerns, to understand more about the issues raised and what more we can do to explain police actions," she said in a statement. "Where we could have interacted in a better way, we need to consider what we should have done differently and take on that learning for the future."

(CNN)One of the two police officers hospitalized after a deadly shooting in southwest Missouri has died in the line of duty as a result of his injuries, the Joplin Police Department announced Saturday. Officer Jake Reed died Friday, officials said, just a few days after police Corporal Benjamin Cooper, a 19-year officer, was killed and a third officer was wounded Tuesday night in the pursuit of suspect Anthony Felix, spanning two different locations in Joplin. "Yesterday evening Officer Jake Reed continued his service to others as his vital organs were escorted to the airport and flown across the country to give life to others," Joplin Police said in a statement Saturday.Police say Felix was subsequently fatally shot by Captain William Davis, who was not hurt and was placed on routine administrative leave.An officer was killed and 2 others wounded after a chase in Missouri, police say. The suspect is also dead"If not for Captain Davis' actions, additional officers or citizens could have been killed," said Chief Rowland.Read MorePolice in Joplin responded Tuesday afternoon to a disturbance call. "As officers attempted to take the subject into custody, he shot two officers and fled the scene in a stolen patrol car," Assistant Police Chief Brian Lewis said. The suspect crashed the car and fired at officers, striking one. The suspect was shot when officers returned fire, police said. The suspected shooter was identified by police Wednesday as 40-year-old Anthony Felix. Seventy-one US police officers have died in the line of duty this year through early March, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. Reed died one day after police chief Sloan Rowland publicly announced he was not expected to recover from his injuries. "We're honored to have served with Jake. Jake is an outstanding young man," Rowland said at a news conference Thursday.Rick HirsheyThe third officer who was shot, identified as Rick Hirshey, is expected to recover from his injuries. "Rick is going to face some serious challenges in the days and months to come as he recovers," Chief Rowland said."Officer Hirshey retired from the Joplin Police Department three months ago, and chose to come back and continue to work," Mayor Ryan Stanley said Wednesday. A public funeral service for Cooper is set for Tuesday. Reed's service will follow on Friday.

London (CNN)Boris Johnson's embattled chief aide Dominic Cummings may indeed have broken the UK's coronavirus rules by driving to a castle town during lockdown, British police have concluded, heaping further pressure on the Prime Minister to change his position and sack his adviser. Durham Police have found following an investigation that Cummings' 26-mile drive to Barnard Castle "might have been a minor breach of the regulations that would have warranted police intervention."No further police action will be taken against Cummings, and police said they did not deem him to have committed an offense by driving some 260 miles from London to Durham to relocate his family while they were self-isolating.But the announcement from police Thursday has delivered another twist in a scandal which has threatened to derail Johnson's response to the pandemic.Both Cummings and the Prime Minister had repeatedly insisted he did nothing wrong by driving from London to Durham in late March, nor by visiting Barnard Castle in mid-April on their way back to London.Read MoreBoris Johnson's chief adviser Dominic Cummings says he 'doesn't regret' 260-mile lockdown tripCummings claimed on Monday that he drove for half an hour to the town only to test his eyesight and check whether he could indeed drive safely -- a claim that was met with skepticism by critics and some lawmakers. At the time, Johnson was urging Britons to "stay at home," and government guidance allowed people to leave the house once a day for exercise but not to drive to other locations to do so.Johnson's reaction to the police announcement suggests he will not back down in his support of Cummings. "The police have made clear they are taking no action against Mr. Cummings over his self-isolation and that going to Durham did not breach the regulations," a Downing Street spokesman said Thursday."The Prime Minister has said he believes Mr. Cummings behaved reasonably and legally, given all the circumstances, and he regards this issue as closed."But a growing group of lawmakers have called on Cummings -- seen by many as the architect of many of the government's policies -- to resign, and accused Johnson of undermining his own public health messaging in the middle of a pandemic. "Boris Johnson's unwillingness or inability to do the right thing has left the government looking untrustworthy and unprincipled," Labour leader Keir Starmer said on Thursday. "Worst of all, he's undermined the public health advice that keeps us all safe, just to keep one aide in his job. Our nation's health must come first."On Wednesday, Johnson said he understood the "indignation" the public may feel over Cummings' actions, adding: "But I think what they want now is for us to focus on them and their needs rather than on a political ding dong about one adviser may or may not have done."UK suffers 'worst death rate' of any countryThe controversy has piled further scrutiny on Johnson's management of the worst coronavirus outbreak in Europe.Earlier on Thursday, an analysis of excess mortality figures by the Financial Times concluded that the UK likely has the highest actual coronavirus death rate compared to countries such as Italy, Spain and the United States.The figures, which use historical data to compare total deaths beginning from mid-March, provide an estimate of actual deaths related to the coronavirus, beyond the official numbers of confirmed virus-related deaths. The estimates are considered helpful because many people who died were not tested, and not officially recorded as victims of Covid-19. The Financial Times did not disclose the specific range of dates the analysis covers.The UK has suffered more coronavirus deaths than any other country in Europe, according to official statistics.The newspaper examined mortality data available from 19 countries' national statistical agencies and found the UK emerged worst when comparing excess death data per million people.A CNN analysis of death statistics from Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland shows there has been just over 59,000 deaths in excess of the long-term average from mid-March until mid-May, which are the most recent statistics available.In response to the Financial Times analysis, a spokesperson for the UK's Department of Health and Social Care told CNN: "Our absolute priority as we tackle this outbreak is to save lives. Although it is important to look to evidence from other countries, comparing figures directly can be misleading as different countries compile their figures in different ways with different categories of patient included."The numbers deliver a cold judgment on the way Johnson's government has responded to the pandemic, and come as some raise concerns about a second wave of cases as society reopens in June.Experts say it's not safe to reopen schoolsMeanwhile, on Thursday morning a leading group of experts said it would be unsafe for the government to reopen schools in England next week as planned.Johnson later confirmed at a news conference that he is pushing ahead with his plan to welcome selected year groups back to the classroom starting June 1, as part of a wider relaxation of the country's lockdown. Teachers' unions, local authorities and headteachers have raised concerns about the plan to reopen schools on Monday. The experts said schools could only safely reopen when local infection rates were low and when a "well-functioning, coordinated, local test, track and isolate strategy" was in place."We have seen no compelling evidence that these conditions have so far been met across the country. Until they are, it is not safe to open schools everywhere on June 1," said the report from the Independent SAGE group of scientists. The group was established by former UK chief scientific adviser David King and includes several leading scientists concerned about the advice being given to ministers.Schools will need to make these changes to protect students from coronavirus, expert saysThe report suggested that the plan to reopen schools on June 1 had not been properly vetted by the experts in the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), the official body of scientists who advise the government. SAGE is not connected to the Independent SAGE group."The school reopening scenario chosen by the government is not one of those modelled by SAGE, making the potential impact of reopening even more uncertain," King's group said.It also warned that the step should not be taken until more complete testing and tracing programs are up and running. "Robust testing systems are not in place everywhere," the report said. "Public adherence to social distancing is influenced by trust in the government and its messaging. This trust is increasingly strained," the report added.Downing Street did not respond to CNN's request for comment.Unlike England, the UK's devolved nations of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will not be sending children back to school next week.CNN's Simon Cullen, Sarah Dean, Samantha Tapfumaneyi and Luke McGee contributed reporting.

(CNN)Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke has been hospitalized with Covid-19 and placed on a ventilator, according to a tweet over the weekend from his official account.In an tweet on August 10, Burke, a Covid-19 vaccination critic, announced he had tested positive for coronavirus, and said, "Thanks be to God, I am resting comfortably and receiving excellent medical care."It is unclear whether Cardinal Burke, who is in his early 70s, has been vaccinated against Covid-19.Burke, a cardinal prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, was scheduled to participate in several Masses over the past few weeks at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin, which was founded by Burke.About 99.999% of fully vaccinated Americans have not had a deadly Covid-19 breakthrough case, CDC data showsHe was set to celebrate Mass as recently as August 5, according to a tweet that has since been deleted from the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Read MoreThe most recent video on the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe's YouTube page of Burke celebrating Mass is from July 30.CNN has reached out to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe for comment and to confirm the last time Burke shared Mass, but has not yet heard back.In a homily given at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in December 2020, Burke referred to Covid-19 as the "mysterious Wuhan virus" and said that "it has been used by certain forces, inimical to families and to the freedom of states, to advance their evil agenda."In May 2020, Burke spoke at the Rome Life Forum and said "Vaccination itself cannot be imposed in a totalitarian manner on citizens. When the state takes on such a practice, it violates the integrity of its citizens. While the state can provide reasonable regulations for the safeguarding of health, it is not the ultimate one, it is not the ultimate provider of health, God is. Whatever the state proposes must respect God and His law."Burke also repeated baseless claims in his Rome Life Forum remarks, even passing along the continuously disproven viewpoint that Covid-19 vaccines may carry hidden microchips that make vaccinated individuals susceptible to government control.Covid-19 hospitalizations are surging again, but they're different this time"There is a certain movement to insist that now everyone must be vaccinated against the Coronavirus Covid-19, and even that a kind of microchip needs to be placed under the skin of every person, so that at any moment, he or she can be controlled regarding health and regarding other matters which we can only imagine as a possible object of control by the state," Burke alleged.CNN religion commentator Father Edward Beck on Monday characterized these conservative viewpoints as "outliers," and says they are not common among the people he encounters on a regular basis."I think that by the majority of Catholics, Cardinal Burke and some other very right-wing bishops are seen as outliers, especially with this issue. So, while they have some followers who are listening to what they're saying, I don't think by any means it's the majority, or that they're having a great influence on what they're saying," Father Beck said."I'm working in three parishes, practically everybody I talked to is getting vaccinated, if they are not getting vaccinated, it's for health reasons, it's not because the church is saying anything that they're getting second thoughts about. So, I really don't think that the positions of Cardinal Burke and his ilk right now are having a great effect with most Roman Catholics," Father Beck added. Burke has been a critic of Pope Francis and was reassigned from the Vatican's high court to a lower post in 2014.

Story highlightsKamau Bell: We need to hear speakers like Richard Spencer because sunlight is the best disinfectantWe also need to hear immigration stories because they show us the best of America, he writesW. Kamau Bell is a sociopolitical comedian and the author of the new book, "The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell: Tales of a 6'4", African-American, Heterosexual, Cisgender, Left-Leaning, Asthmatic, Black and Proud Blerd, Mama's Boy, Dad, and Stand-Up Comedian" (Dutton). Tune in Sunday, April 30 at 10 p.m. Eastern to watch the premiere of the second season of CNN's "United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell." The views expressed in this commentary are solely his. (CNN)"Why are you giving Richard Spencer a platform?"That is the No. 1 question people have been asking, writing, and tweeting at me since the commercials began airing for season two of "United Shades of America." In case you missed it, in the first episode I interview Spencer, a white supremacist who believes, among other things, that America is a country for white people only and that white people define America's culture (which means that Spencer is neither a fan of history books nor the TV show Grey's Anatomy). And he also believes that a woman's place is in the home. How he didn't end up with a cabinet position in President Trump's White House, I'll never know. Spencer is also credited with inventing the term "alt-right." The alt-right is the Tea Party's younger, cooler, meaner brother. Like if the movie "Back to The Future" was just about Biff.Understandably, many people don't want that on their TV, hence the question: "Why are you giving Richard Spencer a platform?" Though many times, people don't phrase their question as one they'd like an honest answer to. It comes across the way it does when a disappointed parent sees a broken vase and "asks" their child "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?"Read MoreI have to admit that, initially, I was surprised at the question. I thought I had answered it pretty thoroughly a year ago when "United Shades" had its series premiere with me visiting the Ku Klux Klan. I put Spencer on TV for the same reason that I put the KKK on TV. We all need to make sure that we fully understand our country. And platforms are amazing things. Despite how it seems, platforms don't have a stake in who is standing on them. Just watch Olympic diving some time to see that everybody doesn't dive off the platform and get a perfect score. Just because you put someone on TV, you aren't necessarily cosigning everything (or anything) they do. It is about how you frame it -- and in this case, the frame around Richard Spencer is beautiful. While you are watching Spencer express horror at the idea of a "Black James Bond" (sorry, Idris Elba) you will also meet...Ruby Corado, a refugee and LGBT activist who specializes in helping refugees who have been victimized and are in need of shelter.Sarah Zullo, a woman who came to this country from Ethiopia and dedicated her life to welcoming people who have come from war-torn countries and have no place to go.Mohammad, a newly-arrived Syrian refugee who wants to work hard and provide for his family.Williams Guevara, a refugee whose court testimony changed a law and thereby saved the lives of refugees including his sister's life.They are all refugees. Extremely. Vetted. Refugees. And their stories are beautiful, and you need to hear them.JUST WATCHEDHow are immigrants and refugees different?ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHHow are immigrants and refugees different? 01:53You will also see I/O Spaces, an incubator for African immigrant businesses in Silver Spring, Maryland. These immigrants have big ideas and more pride in this country than I can summon up while watching fireworks, on the 4th of July, while competing in a hot dog eating contest, dressed up like Uncle Sam, draped in the American flag, drinking a Unicorn-Frappuccino-flavored-apple-pie smoothie, and perfectly burping Lee Greenwood's "God Bless The USA."These stories of immigrants and refugees are incredible on their own, but I believe you need Spencer in the show to prove how tenuous their safety and peace of mind is. Spencer and his people want all those beautiful people gone. And the scariest part is that the alt-right doesn't think Steve Bannon (or President Trump for that matter) is alt-right enough.But if you are afraid that just having Spencer on TV and talking is going to help him recruit more people to his side, then what you are really saying is that you think his ideas are better than your ideas. I don't think his ideas are better than mine. In fact, I think his ideas are much, much, MUCH worse.We need an old-school approach to Richard SpencerSo let's get back to the question: Why am I giving the alt-right a platform? For the same reason I gave the KKK a platform. For every person who asked me why I was giving the KKK a platform, there were many, many, many, MANY more who said, "OH. MY. GOD. I HAD NO IDEA THAT KU KLUX KLAN STILL EXISTED!" Ultimately, that flabbergasted person is who I wanted to reach with that episode of the show. And if you are #woke about the KKK being alive and well in America, all I can say is: keep watching "United Shades" this season -- there's more you need to see.I guarantee that we will cover some subject, some group of people, and/or some cuddle business that you have never heard of or thought much of before you saw our show. Because that's what we do. But as much as I disagree with Richard Spencer, I know that more people need to be aware of these ideas, because again...There. Are. People. Who. Vote. That. Believe. Them. The more people who know about the alt-right and their influence, and the more people see that smash cut up against people like the refugees and immigrants in the episode who are working hard everyday to make this country live up to its ideals that we brag about having to the rest of the world, the faster we can truly make America great.Follow CNN OpinionJoin us on Twitter and FacebookAnd believe me when I say that I have a serious stake in how this turns out, because right now Berkeley, California is being used as tool of the alt-right (and others who want to hang with the "cool kids" *cough* Ann Coulter *cough*). The alt-right is working hard to cloak its desire to create chaos in the streets as free speech. They say they want to air their views, but it's about provoking violent reactions. We all can easily see that this is not about free speech. It is about community's need for safety no matter who comes through town. I know this because I live in Berkeley, and when media sources say, "Berkeley is rioting," I know that "Berkeley" isn't rioting. Berkeley is pissed that the Farmer's Market is canceled because outside agitators have caravanned into town to start trouble. Berkeley is walking around the riot to take Berkeley's two daughters to the store to buy them helmets. (Bicycle helmets. Not riot helmets.) But ultimately, I'm not afraid of these people or Richard Spencer's ideas, because I know my ideas will win. My ideas are better.Welcome to season two of "United Shades of America." Let the sunshine in!

Story highlightsBuffon has three different lines in wineKeeper, 39, played over 1,000 professional gamesBuffon set to play in Champions League final (CNN)He's been likened to a fine wine who gets better and better with age.Gianluigi Buffon recently played his 1,000th professional game and the 39-year-old's cup could potentially runneth over in the coming weeks as Juventus chase the treble.The Turin club is almost certain to secure yet another Serie A title this weekend and face Real Madrid in the Champions League final next month.On Wednesday, Juve beat Lazio to win the Italian Cup final, though Buffon was on the bench with the club's second-choice goalkeeper Neto picked to play in the Coppa Italia games.Follow @cnnsport But Buffon will be back between the sticks Saturday when Juve plays Crotone -- a win will guarantee the Italian club its sixth successive league title. Read MoreChampagne will be probably sprayed around the dressing room in celebration, which might just resonate with Buffon given he's launched his own wine brand. Swapping the goalmouth he regularly patrols for vineyards, Buffon's venture involves the production of a line of wines in the historic cellar of Novoli, Southern Italy, in the Apulia region famed for its wine-making traditions.The grapes of enjoyment ... Buffon savours a glass of his own win.Fabio Cordella, the man who is helping Buffon in this new venture and owner of the cellar "Fabio Cordella Cantine," first suggested the viticulture collaboration to the Juve goalkeeper through his agent Silvano Martina. READ: Italian team's crest represents the future of footballREAD: Juventus claim fifth straight Serie A title"Knowing about Gigi's passion for wines, I pitched him the idea of Buffon having his own line of wines," Cordella told CNN Sport. "Within 24 hours, I was in Turin to close the deal."'Refined palate'Cordella describes Buffon as "a big expert of wine" and having a "refined palate." By the sound of it, according to Cordella, the Juve keeper is also a bit of a perfectionist."He expects the best, but he is also very critical with himself, a feature that surely comes from years at the top level in football," said Cordella.Buffon's illustrious career started at Parma 22 years ago. Moving to Juventus, he won practically everything -- including seven Serie A titles -- and with Italy the crowning achievement of his career came with the 2006 World Cup win. The only significant trophy missing from his impressive cabinet is the Champions League. Having lost finals against Barcelona in 2015 and AC Milan in 2003, Buffon has another shot June 3 when Juve plays Real in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.Gianluigi Buffon will appear in his third Champions League final next month.Football and wine -- the perfect marriage? Buffon currently makes three different lines of wine, under the name "Buffon #1."He is keeping the production limited to 90,000 bottles per year with 30,000 each of red, white and rose, while also producing 30,000 bottles of olive oil per year. The price of the wines range from $22 to $33.All the grapes used by Buffon for his wine are local to Apulia and, Cordella assures, "of top quality." The red wine will be of the Primitivo variety, one of the finest in the region, while the white will consist of imported Chardonnay grapes.For Cordella, a career in football and wine-making has enabled him to indulge his two passions. "I was always involved in football. It has always interested me since my studies in business management," he says. "My first job as a sporting director was at Africa Sport Abidjan in Ivory Coast, where I won two league titles with former Inter Milan and Italy player Francesco Moriero."READ: How Monaco toppled PSG to win Ligue 1 titleREAD: How tart cherry juice helped fuel Monaco successREAD: Eight foods to improve athletic performanceBuffon is not the only footballer with his own line in wine. Dutch footballer Wesley Sneijder has also invested.Cordella then worked for Honved in Hungary, home of national football hero Ferenc Puskas back in the 1950s. (2/2) Twice runner-up, but never a #championsleague winner. Can Gianluigi #buffon win the #ucl this time with Juventus? The Italian club holds a 2-0 lead from the first leg semifinal against Monaco. #gianluigibuffon #Juve #seriea #finoallafine #footballlife A post shared by CNNSport (@cnnsport) on May 9, 2017 at 9:17am PDT The contacts he created throughout the years proved key to his project of producing wine alongside footballers. He has created what he calls a "selection of champions" -- a group of footballers dedicated to wine-making, including, along with Buffon, Dutch captain Wesley Sneijder and former Inter Milan and Chile star Ivan Zamorano."These wines are created ad hoc for every single player," explains Cordella. "I'm not just putting their name on the label, it's a project they actually take care of from the beginning to the end."Naturally it's a business, both for me and for them. But it's a serious business that is proving to be rewarding, both for me and for the footballers. "They are basically given a second life, which can become as exciting and satisfying as their first one."'Second life'Italian footballers are renowned for playing to a ripe old age given many players' careers wind down in their early 30s. While Buffon is approaching his 40s, the 40-year-old Francesco Totti -- the oldest goalscorer in Champions League history -- is playing in his final season for Roma in Serie A and former Italy and AC Milan captain Paolo Maldini retired when he was 41. So in Buffon's case, it's not quite time to throw himself entirely at this "second life" especially as the goalkeeper has unfinished business to attend to and a Champions League title to win.Visit cnn.com/tennis for more news and videosVictory for Juventus next month would be the perfect way to toast a remarkable career.

Story highlightsArmed man detained after trying to enter synagogue with gas canisterInjured security guard has been hospitalized, police say (CNN)An armed man carrying a gas canister attempted to barge into a Moscow synagogue Saturday and wounded a security guard who tried to impede him from entering the building, police told CNN.The man has been detained, and the security guard has been hospitalized, police said. According to a security source, cited by state media, the man threatened to torch the Moscow Choral Synagogue.A motive is not yet known, and authorities haven't said whether the suspect is connected to a group.The attack took place on the Jewish Sabbath, which falls on Saturday, and occurred a day before Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, which starts Sunday evening.Read MoreThe synagogue is one of the country's oldest, according to its website."Since the day of the grand opening on June 1, 1906, the synagogue has been active without interruption, and has remained the center of the religious and social life of the Jewish people in Russia," the website says.

(CNN)It proved less of a match, more a walk in the park for Brooks Koepka.So much so that the fifth edition of "The Match" in Las Vegas, which was scheduled to be over 12 holes, didn't go the distance.Bryson DeChambeau didn't win a single hole, before conceding on the ninth as Koepka won 4&3 at the Wynn Golf Course."Man, I haven't seen a beatdown like this since me and Phil put it on [Peyton Manning] and Steph [Curry]," quipped commentator Charles Barkley, referring to when he partnered with six-time major champion Phil Mickelson in the third edition of "The Match." Brooks Koepka plays his shot from the 10th tee as Bryson DeChambeau looks on during Capital One's "The Match" at Wynn Golf Course on November 26, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada.READ: Pigs run amok on golf courseRead MoreAlongside Barkley, Mickelson was also a TV commentator for the match between Koepka and DeChambeau.The rivalry between Koepka and DeChambeau has brewed for over two years. It's been played out on golf courses and social media and has encompassed plenty of jibes and memes.It all began with a dispute over slow play, and Koepka's criticism of DeChambeau's meticulous approach.But it was Koepka who won the bragging rights on Friday -- and then some."It was fun to come out here and settle this," said Koepka. "I'm not going to lie. I just wanted to spank him."DeChambeau plays his shot from the bunker on the second hole.DeChambeau handed out cupcakes to the gallery on the first tee -- a nod to how you pronounce Koepka's name -- but thereafter struggled to find the sweet spot in his game.With Koepka so dominant, DeChambeau's opportunities to trash talk his rival were limited, though he did his best."Where is this on the PGA Tour, man?" DeChambeau asked Koepka. "You play so good right now." That was a barbed reference to Koepka missing his last two cuts."It's kind of like my major right now, right?" responded Koepka."Does this want to make you play with [Bryson] more?" Koepka was then asked. "Nah, I'm good."The clash between the two US golfers helped raise money for Advocates Pro Golf Association Tour and Feeding America, as well as DeChambeau donating to Shriner's Hospital and Koepka to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.Brooks Koepka plays his shot from the fourth tee.Over the four previous installments of the series, more than $30 million has been raised for various charities and initiatives. DeChambeau (L) and Koepka shake hands after the latter's victory.Visit CNN.com/sport for more news, features, and videosTNT exclusively broadcasted the event, although its coverage simulcasted on TBS, truTV and HLN. CNN is a division of WarnerMedia, along with HBO, Warner Bros, TNT, TBS and other media assets.

London (CNN)The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have repaid the $3 million of public money that they used to renovate their home in the UK. Settling the debt could be regarded as the couple's final move in their split with Britain, though the house on the Windsor estate will remain their official residence when in the country. Harry and Meghan's UK home was renovated using public money.In January, Harry and Meghan announced that they were "stepping back" from their roles as senior members of the British royal family, and would divide their time between the UK and North America. The work to the Sussexes' official residence, Frogmore Cottage, which was carried out in 2019, cost £2.4 million (around $3 million) from the Sovereign Grant, which comes from taxpayers to support the monarchy. Harry and Meghan say they're 'stepping back' from the royal family. The palace says it's 'complicated'The house became the subject of controversy after the couple distanced themselves from public life and declared their intention to become "financially independent." They later declared their intention to pay back the renovation cost.Read MoreThe couple, who have since bought a home in Santa Barbara, California, moved into the early 19th-century building shortly before the arrival of their son Archie in May 2019. The property had undergone structural changes to turn five small dormitory-style units into a single home How Harry and Meghan might become 'financially independent'Other works included the removal of a chimney, re-finishing the roof, new staircases, fireplace installations and a new "floating" wooden floor, all of which were detailed in planning applications to the local council. The Sovereign Grant, which pays for salaries of the Queen's staff, upkeep of palaces and official royal duties, including travel, footed the bill for the renovations. Harry and Meghan paid for all the fittings, fixtures and furnishings themselves.Harry and Meghan sign production deal with Netflix A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in a statement to CNN: "A contribution has been made to the Sovereign Grant by The Duke of Sussex. This contribution as originally offered by Prince Harry has fully covered the necessary renovation costs of Frogmore Cottage, a property of Her Majesty The Queen, and will remain the UK residence of The Duke and his family." Earlier this month, it emerged that the couple had signed a multi-year production deal with Netflix, to produce exclusive films and series for the streaming service. The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

(CNN)The horse racing industry is facing renewed scrutiny over animal welfare after footage emerged showing an amateur jockey jumping onto the back of a dead horse.On Tuesday, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board tweeted that it was "aware of further social media content circulating and the matter is under investigation."The video, which was widely circulated on social media on Monday, shows people laughing and joking when an individual poses on the back of the stricken horse. The group appears to be standing on the gallops, where racehorses train. The man who sits on the horse is yet to be officially confirmed by authorities but, in an interview with The Irish Field, amateur jockey Rob James confirmed it was him and apologized for his actions. "To try defending my stupidity at the time would add further insult and hurt to the many loyal people that have supported me during my career," he said, stating the video was taken nearly five years ago. Read More"I have caused embarrassment to my employers, my family and most importantly the sport I love."I am heartbroken by the damage I have caused and will do my best to try and make amends to those hurt by my conduct."Top racing trainer Gordon Elliott apologizes over photo of himself sitting on a dead horse The footage comes after top racing trainer Gordon Elliott apologized earlier this week when a photo of him sitting on top of a dead horse went viral.The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has since temporarily banned Elliot whilst the Irish authorities conduct an investigation.The image shows Elliott astride the horse, which is lying on its side. He is making a peace sign with one hand and holding his phone to his face with the other, and a caption across the photo reads: "New work rider this morning."Elliott apologized for the image and said he had received a phone call as he was standing over the horse, waiting to help with the removal of the body.When the call came he sat down "without thinking" and then responded to a shout from a member of his team by gesturing "to wait until I was finished," read his statement.'Endemic in racing'Animal Aid, an organization that fights against animal abuse and bids to promote a cruelty-free lifestyle, says the two incidents this week speak to what it calls a wider problem within the sport."The treatment of horses in the racing industry requires a root and branch review by an independent body that should be given statutory powers to force welfare changes on the racing industry as a whole," Animal Aid's Horse Racing Consultant Dene Stansall told CNN Sport."Welfare issues are endemic in racing. In the short term, lifetime bans should be given to professionals found to be seen abusing racehorses, whether dead or alive."The BHA told CNN Sport it was aware of the latest footage on social media and previously said it had been "appalled" by the images of Elliot."We expect all those in our sport to demonstrate respect for horses, on the racecourse, in the training yard, on the gallops, and wherever they have horses in their care," it said in a statement on Monday."People who work in our industry believe their values -- of caring for and respecting our horses -- have been deeply undermined by this behaviour. On their behalf, and on behalf of all horse-lovers, we say unequivocally that British horseracing finds this totally unacceptable.According to Animal Aid, 186 horses died in 2019 "as a direct result of racing" in Britain. The charity said 145 of those 186 horses were killed in jump racing.

Story highlightsMoussa Sow wins CNN Goal of the WeekAl-Nassr's Victor Ayala narrowly loses out (CNN)Moussa Sow has won the latest CNN Goal of the Week award after securing over 230,000 votes. The Fenerbahçe striker, on loan from Al-Ahli Dubai Club, narrowly edged out Victor Ayala to claim the title after scoring an audacious overhead kick against Manchester United.Have your say on the CNN Goal of the Week:— CNN Football (@CNNFC) November 9, 2016 Sow received 49% of the Twitter vote -- with nearly half a million people taking part -- but the weekly poll went down to the wire, with Al-Nassr FC midfielder Ayala also bagging over 225,000 nominations. If you've somehow not yet seen Moussa Sow's phenomenal overhead kick, this one's for you!👏👏👏 #UEL https://t.co/l68JhRd2c4— BT Sport Football (@btsportfootball) November 4, 2016 Visit cnn.com/football for more news and videosC.S. Emelec defender Byron Mina took third, with Charlton striker Ademola Lookman trailing in fourth position. Read MoreSow's stunning strike helped Turkish club Fenerbahçe earn a 2-1 Europa League win against Jose Mourinho's Manchester United team.Read: Jose Mourinho tears into Manchester United players after Fenerbahce defeatIt's the only second goal Sow has scored this season, with his first coming in a 5-1 away win against Kasimpasa.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan greets supporters on August 7, 2016 during a rally against July's failed military coup.On April 16, Turkish voters will be asked to approve controversial reforms that would hand sweeping powers to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkish lawmakers have already passed what's been dubbed the "power bill." If Turkish voters follow suit it'll lead to profound changes in the the way the country's 80 million people are governed.The 18-article constitutional reform package -- put forward by Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) -- would turn Turkey's parliamentary system into a presidential one, effectively consolidating the power of three legislative bodies into one executive branch with the president as its head. The reforms would also abolish the role of prime minister while granting authority to the president to issue law, declare states of emergency, dismiss parliament and to appoint ministers, public officials and half of the senior judges. It's known as the "power bill."Read MoreThe bill would also allow Erdogan -- who served as prime minister from 2003 to 2014 before becoming president -- to extend his term in office until at least 2029.Tensions running highParliament can change the constitution directly if the bill gets 367 yes votes -- a two-thirds majority -- in the 550-seat assembly. But if the bill only gets between 330 and 366 votes, it must be put to the public in a referendum. On January 21, after three weeks of debate, Turkish lawmakers approved the package with 339 votes, clearing the way for a public vote. Its path wasn't easy. Turkey's main opposition parties -- the Republican People's party (CHP) and the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) -- opposed the bill, creating tense scenes in parliament.In January, a fist-fight erupted during a debate on one measure that would end "parliament's authorization to inspect ministers and the Cabinet."One senior AKP lawmaker was left with a broken nose in the melee, according to state news agency Anadolu. JUST WATCHEDBrawl breaks out in Turkish parliamentReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHBrawl breaks out in Turkish parliament 00:46Political uncertainty looms If the outcome of the April referendum is "yes," it could potentially catapult Turkey into snap elections.The role of president is largely ceremonial under the current constitution. In order to become president in the new system, Erdogan would have to be reelected after the constitutional changes kick in.Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim says elections will be held in 2019 as scheduled.Erdogan's rise to powerJUST WATCHEDWho is Recep Tayyip Erdogan?ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWho is Recep Tayyip Erdogan? 01:53Opponents fear the reforms will give too much power to Erdogan.Since an attempted coup in July, Erdogan has led an intense crackdown on government critics and those with alleged ties to US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey blames for the coup attempt.Hundreds of military officers have been dismissed, roughly 11,000 teachers were suspended and many media organizations were shut down.More than 110,000 people have been detained in the post-coup crackdown; nearly 50,000 of them have been arrested on specific charges, according to Turkey's Ministry of Interior.How did Turkey get to this point? Here's a look back at some of the key moments that defined Erdogan's political rise and that helped to lay the groundwork for this historic vote.

Story highlightsWitness: Concertgoers risked their lives to try to hold other people's wounds closedGunman's brother: "We're still just completely befuddled. Dumbstruck." (CNN)Stephen Paddock, who sent bullets and terror down on thousands attending a Jason Aldean concert in Las Vegas, had an arsenal in his 32nd-floor hotel room and at his home 80 miles away, officials said.Police recovered 23 guns from his Las Vegas hotel room and another 19 guns from Paddock's home in Mesquite, Nevada, Clark County Assistant Sheriff Todd Fasulo said. Authorities said Paddock killed 59 people and injured another 527 early Monday in the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history. In the hours after the retired accountant committed the shooting, authorities rolled out frightening new details, including the discovery of scopes on rifles at the resort and explosives at his home. But what they couldn't explain is why the man who had never faced any notable criminal charges did it. There was no known motive late Monday.Read MoreEven Paddock's brother had no answers. "We're still just completely befuddled. Dumbstruck," Eric Paddock said in Orlando, Florida.Latest developmentsJUST WATCHEDThese concertgoers hid in a freezerReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHThese concertgoers hid in a freezer 02:18-- A team of six officers spoke with security at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, where Paddock was staying, and searched the hotel floor-by-floor Sunday night before they found Paddock's room, Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo told reporters. -- Paddock, 64, fired at the officers through the door, Lombardo said. A SWAT team broke down the door, but Paddock had already killed himself, Lombardo said.-- Authorities recovered 23 guns from Paddock's room, said Clark County NV Assistant Sheriff Todd Fasulo. Lombardo said several of the rifles had scopes on them. -- Another 19 firearms, along with explosives and several thousand rounds of ammunition in Paddock's Mesquite, Nevada, home. The gunman apparently had smashed out two windows to increase his range of targets.-- The sheriff said a SWAT team was standing by at a house in northern Nevada. A law enforcement official confirmed the FBI is present in Reno.A vigil was held on the corner of Sahara and Las Vegas Blvd in Las Vegas, in honor of the victims of the shooting.-- Several vigils were held Monday night to honor the victims of the shooting. Communities came out in Reno, Las Vegas and at the campus of University of Nevada Las Vegas. -- Sandra Casey, a special education teacher in Manhattan Beach, California, was killed, the Manhattan Beach Unified School District said. "We lost a spectacular teacher who devoted her life to helping some of our most needy students," school board President Jennifer Cochran said.-- Sonny Melton also was identified as among the dead. His employer, Henry County Medical Center in Paris, Tennessee, said Melton was a registered nurse. His wife survived the shooting. -- Police had no prior knowledge of the gunman before the attack, Lombardo said. "I don't know how it could have been prevented," he said. -- Paddock bought multiple firearms in the past, but investigators believe the firearms were purchased legally, a law enforcement official said. The official said initial reports suggest at least one rifle was altered to function as an automatic weapon. -- Chris Michel, owner of Dixie GunWorx, in St. George, Utah, recalled selling Paddock a shotgun earlier this year, CNN affiliate KTVX reported. "He talked about how he just moved closer to where we are," Michel said of Paddock. "He said he was visiting local firearms shops." Paddock lived in Mesquite, Nevada, about 35 miles from St. George.'Everyone's dying around me'Witnesses described the horror that unfolded. Taylor Benge said he "could see a guy with a bullet wound right in his neck, motionless," several feet away. "From there on ... people just started dropping like flies."Alexandria Cheplak, 25, called her father as she ran from the bullets. "Everyone's dying around me," Jon Cheplak recalled her saying. "Everyone's dying. They shot my friend ... I've got to get out of here."Police said Paddock, unleashed a hailstorm of bullets from the 32nd floor of the resort, Lombardo said Monday. Police say Stephen Paddock killed more than 50 people at a Las Vegas concert. Authorities are still piecing together a motive. "I can't get into the mind of a psychopath," the sheriff said. Mayor Carolyn Goodman described the gunman as "a crazed lunatic full of hate."Festival turns into massacre Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalDebris is scattered on the ground Monday, October 2, at the site of a country music festival held this past weekend in Las Vegas. Dozens of people were killed and hundreds were injured Sunday when a gunman opened fire on the crowd. Police said the gunman fired from the Mandalay Bay hotel, several hundred feet southwest of the concert grounds. It is the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.Hide Caption 1 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalBroken windows of the Mandalay Bay are seen early in Las Vegas on Monday. Police said the gunman fired on the crowd from the 32nd floor of the hotel.Hide Caption 2 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalPeople cross a street near the Las Vegas Strip just after sunrise on Monday. Thousands were attending the music festival, Route 91 Harvest, when the shooting started.Hide Caption 3 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalPeople embrace outside the Thomas & Mack Center after the shooting. Hide Caption 4 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalPolice arrive at the Sands Corporation plane hangar where some people ran to safety after the shooting.Hide Caption 5 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalA woman cries while hiding inside the Sands Corporation plane hangar.Hide Caption 6 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalConcertgoers dive over a fence to take cover from gunfire on Sunday night.Hide Caption 7 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalPolice take position outside the Mandalay Bay.Hide Caption 8 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalA man lays on top of a woman as others flee the festival grounds. The woman reportedly got up from the scene. Hide Caption 9 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festival Hide Caption 10 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalPeople are seen on the ground after the gunman opened fire.Hide Caption 11 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalPeople run from the festival grounds.Hide Caption 12 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalA woman is moved outside the Las Vegas Tropicana resort. Multiple victims were being transported to hospitals in the aftermath of the shooting. Hide Caption 13 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalPeople are searched by police at the Tropicana.Hide Caption 14 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalAn ambulance leaves the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue.Hide Caption 15 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalA man in a wheelchair is evacuated from the festival after gunfire was heard.Hide Caption 16 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalVictims of the shooting are tended to in the street.Hide Caption 17 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalConcertgoers help an injured person at the scene.Hide Caption 18 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalPeople gather around a victim outside the festival grounds.Hide Caption 19 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalA couple huddles after shots rang out at the festival.Hide Caption 20 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalAn injured woman is helped at the Tropicana.Hide Caption 21 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalPolice and emergency responders gather at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue.Hide Caption 22 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalA police officer takes position behind a truck.Hide Caption 23 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalA crowd takes cover at the festival grounds.Hide Caption 24 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalPolice officers advise people to take cover in the wake of the shooting.Hide Caption 25 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalPeople tend to a victim at the festival grounds. Hide Caption 26 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalPolice stand at the scene of the shooting.Hide Caption 27 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalA woman sits on a curb at the scene of the shooting.Hide Caption 28 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalPolice are deployed to the scene.Hide Caption 29 of 30 Photos: Mass shooting at Las Vegas music festivalA man makes a phone call as people run from the festival grounds.Hide Caption 30 of 30The massacre started about 10:08 p.m. Sunday (1:08 a.m. ET Monday) at the Route 91 Harvest festival, Lombardo said.Benge was enjoying the concert with his sister when he heard a relentless onslaught of at least "200 to 300" bullets. "The firing went on forever," witness Kimberly Chilcote said.She and her husband ran in short bursts -- sprinting and hiding to avoid being targeted. "There were purses and shoes everywhere ... there were bodies and blood," she said. "We just kept running."JUST WATCHEDDeadliest mass shootings in modern US historyReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHDeadliest mass shootings in modern US history 01:25Benge lauded the heroics of his sister, who "threw herself on top of me and said, 'I love you, Taylor,'" he said. "Even after an hour and 30 minutes, I didn't know if I was safe."Witness Bryan Hopkins said he survived by jumping into a walk-in freezer at the Mandalay Bay hotel. "There must have been, I don't know, 23 to 30 of us inside this freezer," he said. Corrine Lomas recalled the heroism of fellow concertgoers, risking their lives to save others. "A lot of really good people (were) holding people's wounds shut, trying to help them while everybody was just ducked down," she said.The investigationPolice said they believe Paddock acted alone. "Right now, we believe it's a sole actor, a lone-wolf-type actor," the sheriff said. Full coverageWhat we knowHundreds rush to donate bloodPhotographer witnesses massacreThe gun debate, againOpinion: America the lethalDeadliest shooting in modern US historySo far, the massacre has no known link to overseas terrorism or terror groups, a US official with knowledge of the case said.And a woman who was described as a "person of interest" after the attack is now not believed to be involved in the shooting, police said in a statement. "Marilou Danley is no longer being sought out as a person of interest," the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said. "LVMPD detectives have made contact with her and do not believe she is involved with the shooting on the strip."The gunman's brother, Eric Paddock, said he was stunned to learn Stephen was believed responsible.He described his brother, a retired accountant, as "a wealthy guy. He liked to play video poker. He went on cruises." The last time Eric Paddock spoke to his brother was when Stephen texted him, asking how their mother was doing after losing power from Hurricane Irma.Eric Paddock said he knew his brother owned a few handguns and maybe one long rifle, but said he did not know of any automatic weapons.Blood donations neededWith hundreds of victims still hospitalized, officials feared the death toll will rise. The sheriff implored the community to donate blood. And hundreds of Nevadans did exactly that. Donation lines stretch down the street at Las Vegas blood bank after call to help shooting victims https://t.co/DzDOU7F6ha pic.twitter.com/NZ5xygnKx4— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) October 2, 2017 Shanda Maloney tweeted a photo while she stood in line at 4:30 a.m. "This. Is. Vegas. This is our community. These are our people. Thank you to everyone here donating," she tweeted. Maloney told CNN she also gave transportation to anyone who needed it after the attack. "I just started picking people up and giving people rides," she said. Aldean speaks outAldean posted a statement on Instagram saying that he and his crew were safe."My Thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved tonight. It hurts my heart that this would happen to anyone who was just coming out to enjoy what should have been a fun night," he wrote. Tonight has been beyond horrific. I still dont know what to say but wanted to let everyone know that Me and my Crew are safe. My Thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved tonight. It hurts my heart that this would happen to anyone who was just coming out to enjoy what should have been a fun night. #heartbroken #stopthehate A post shared by Jason Aldean (@jasonaldean) on Oct 2, 2017 at 1:17am PDT Country singer Jake Owen, who was on stage with Aldean, said children were among the crowd. "I saw kids on their parents' shoulders tonight," he said. "This is something they'll never forget." Trump says he will visit Las Vegas after massacre10 minutes of gunfireRachel De Kerf filmed her escape, starting just after the first shots were fired.JUST WATCHEDConcertgoer captures chaos among the crowdReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHConcertgoer captures chaos among the crowd 01:01"The gunshots lasted for 10-15 minutes. It didn't stop," she said. "We just ran for our lives."Her sister, Monique Dumas, said everyone dropped to the ground as as the gunman sprayed bullets. "It seemed there was a pause in the gunfire, and the people in the yellow shirts were telling the people to 'go, go, go, go,' " she said. But "the gunfire never ended, it seemed like it went on and on and on.Full coverage Portraits of the victimsEmpire State Building goes darkGunman: Poker playing accountantBrother: Family is dumbstruckMinute by minute: Bullets rainA concertgoer told CNN affiliate KLAS that frantic concertgoers piled on top of each other, trying to get out of the shooter's line of fire."My husband and I ran out toward our car, and there were people hiding underneath my car for cover," she said. "There was a gentleman who was shot and he said, 'Can you help me?' And so I put him in my car, and I had like six people in my car -- people without shoes, running, just to get away."Read: Country music world stunned by shooting'Like shooting fish in a barrel'Audio of the shooting suggested that the shooter had used a military-style weapon, CNN law enforcement analyst James Gagliano said. JUST WATCHEDRapid-fire shots at Las Vegas concertReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHRapid-fire shots at Las Vegas concert 01:55"Automatic weapon(s) like that -- had to be numbers of magazines or a very large drum," he said. "It sounded to me like a belt-fed weapon, a military-style weapon. And then to be shooting down, to use the analogy, it was like shooting fish in a barrel in that space."MGM Resorts, which owns the hotel the gunman fired from, tweeted its condolences. As local hospitals rushed to treat hundreds of patents, some relatives were still trying to find their loved ones.Those looking for friends and family still missing after the attack can call 866-535-5654. Facebook has set up a crisis response page to help people determine whether their loved ones are safe.CNN's Susannah Cullinane, Amanda Jackson, John Couwels, Amanda Watts, Paul Murphy, Jean Casarez, Shimon Prokupecz, AnneClaire Stapleton, Evan Perez, Euan McKirdy and Lawrence Davidson contributed to this report.

Story highlightsTiger Woods in good shape to end a five year long major championship droughtWorld No. 1 last won one of golf's four major titles at the U.S. Open in 2008Woods has won five PGA Tour titles in 2013 most recently at Bridgestone InvitationalFourteen-time major champion is happy with form going into US PGA ChampionshipIt is a regular refrain in the build-up to one of golf's four major championships these days: 'Will this be Tiger's time?'The world number one has been marooned on 14 majors for over half a decade now, his quest to match Jack Nicklaus' haul of 18 stuck firmly in neutral.Despite five tournament victories this year on the PGA Tour, he's flattered to deceive when it comes to golf's four bumper tournaments.In contention at both the Masters and the British Open he faded at the business end, finishing tied sixth and fourth respectively, while injury affected his U.S. Open bid.Read: Woods romps to seven-shot victory at FirestoneBut he arrives for the U.S. PGA Championship at Oak Hill in New York on the back of an emphatic win at the Bridgestone Invitational, finishing seven shots clear of the field.No wonder then that he's content with his form going into the final major of 2013.JUST WATCHEDMickelson revels in British Open win ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHMickelson revels in British Open win 02:40JUST WATCHEDNew golf course at St. AndrewsReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHNew golf course at St. Andrews 04:02JUST WATCHEDBubba Watson on Tiger WoodsReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHBubba Watson on Tiger Woods 02:12Asked at a press conference on Tuesday whether the 15th major is proving the most difficult of his career to snare he replied: "It kind of seems that way. It has been the longest spell that I've had since I hadn't won a major."I've certainly had my share of chances to win. I've had my opportunities on the back nine of probably half of those Sundays for the last five years and just haven't won it. "But the key is to keep giving myself chances and eventually I will start getting them. I'm very pleased with where my game is at."Given the phenomenal success he's enjoyed so far in 17 years as a professional, it is unsurprising his career has come to be determined by how he performs in the majors.Coincidentally, it is now also 17 majors he's gone without winning one. But even if he doesn't collect his fifth US PGA title this weekend, he'll still think of his 2013 campaign as a positive one."It has been a great year for me so far, winning five times," Woods said. "I think winning one major championship automatically means you had a great year."Woods has been hard at work honing his short game ahead of Thursday's opening round at Oak Hill, tricky greens forming a big part of the test in Rochester.Again he turned to his United States Ryder Cup teammate Steve Stricker -- as well as caddy Joe La Cava -- for some tips on how to negotiate the undulating greens."There are quite a few subtleties," Woods said. "These little ridges and waves in the greens, a little bit of grain here and there. They are tough. They are tricky to read. I'm sure I'll be calling Joey in on a few putts as well."A lot of the long putts had double breaks in them. It's going to be important to hit a lot of greens and give yourself opportunities because these are a little bit tricky to read, there's no doubt."Woods is still the biggest draw at any tournament he attends but he revealed his popularity nearly caused an injury for a young fan in Rochester."We had a little girl get crushed," Woods said. "She was just on the ground crying. People get so aggressive for autographs. You try and sign but sometimes the adults start running over the little kids up front."Read: Mickelson savors 'greatest day'Meanwhile, the man who won the last major title on offer at the British Open in July -- Phil Mickelson -- is gunning for the sixth of his career.His inspired run of four birdies in the final six holes at Muirfield delivered Lefty's first British Open title at the 20th attempt. Now he has his sights of the final major of the season."I've studied the golf course," Mickelson said. "I know exactly how I'm going to play it. I just need to get my game sharp now.""You've got to hit fairways. The rough is extremely long and thick, as long and thick a rough as I've seen in a long time."

Australia will create a reparations fund of 380 million Australian dollars ($280 million) for members of its Indigenous population who were forcibly removed from their families, Australian media reported on Thursday, months after 800 survivors filed a class action lawsuit.The program will be announced on Thursday by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Indigenous Australians Minister Ken Wyatt as part of a 1 billion Australian dollar ($738.5 million) boost to measures to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, according to the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper.The program will cover Australia's three internal territories: the Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory and Jervis Bay Territory. Those who were under 18 and removed from their families while living in these territories before the granting of self-government will be eligible for the fund.Her babies taken, this Indigenous woman died alone in a police cell — the victim of a problem Australia can't seem to fixUnder the compensation scheme, survivors will receive a one-off 75,000 Australian dollar ($55,387) payment for the harm caused by their forced removal, plus a further 7,000 Australian dollars ($5,169) to support their healing, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.Since Australia's colonization began in 1788, thousands of Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families by governments, churches and welfare bodies. They were instead raised in institutions or adopted by non-Indigenous families, and stripped of their culture and language. More than 100,000 children were affected, and are known as the Stolen Generations.Read MoreThe removal of children devastated the community, with lasting intergenerational trauma that is still felt today through broken family ties, fragmented identity and a large number of Indigenous children in state care. It wasn't until 2008 that then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd led a landmark parliamentary apology to members of the Stolen Generations -- and survivors say much more still needs to be done.In April, 800 survivors in the Northern Territory launched a class action against the federal government in the New South Wales Supreme Court seeking compensation, covering a period ranging from 1910 to the 1970s.Indigenous Australians had their languages taken from them, and it's still causing issues todayThe offices of the prime minister and Indigenous Australians minister did not immediately respond to request seeking comment.Australia's 700,000 Indigenous people track near the bottom of its near 26 million citizens in almost every economic and social indicator.The life expectancy of Indigenous Australians is eight years shorter than for non-Indigenous people, government statistics show. They also report higher infant mortality rates, higher obesity rates, lower educational attainment, higher unemployment rates and higher suicide rates than the general population.Indigenous people are also incarcerated in disproportionate rates -- they only make up 2.4% of the population aged 20 and over, but over the past 10 years have made up more than a quarter of all adult prisoners. Many are swept into the justice system at an early age, depriving them of an education and jobs, perpetuating social problems passed from one generation to the next.CNN's Ben Westcott and Hilary Whiteman contributed reporting.

(CNN)Scrabble's game is officially on fleek, blud.The hugely popular board game has added nearly 3,000 words to its dictionary, with the new batch of phrases embracing the modern world and incorporating slang, gender identity and politics. Fleek, blud and yowza all make the first updated list since 2015. Plus, you can now play Scrabble with bae (5 points), which will delight any wordie (10).Cisgender, agender and misgender are also included, as is transphobia -- showing how issues relating to gender identity have taken a larger role in discourse around the world over the past four years.Commuters' frustrations have been listened to, with manspreading -- the act of a man spreading his legs across multiple seats -- and shebagging -- when a woman places her bag on the seat beside her -- each earning 18 points.Read MoreMerriam-Webster adds new words that'll make English teachers cringe (but you'll be perfectly fine with them)Mansplaining has also been added. In case you're confused, that's when a man explains something in a condescending manner, and it will earn 13 points. Understand now?The new additions join the existing 276,000 words in the Official Scrabble Words book, and reflect terms used in the US, UK, Australia, Canada and South Africa. The updated dictionary was released by Collins on Thursday, and forms the official basis for international Scrabble tournaments.Many new phrases serve as a reminder of themes that have appeared in the news in recent years. Antivaxxer and postfact are added to the list, as is kompromat -- a Russian term for compromising material held on someone else.Remainer and omnishambles have entered common parlance in the UK during the Brexit process and have now been added to the dictionary, while anti-fascism group Antifa has also been recognized.Upskirting, which was made illegal in the UK after a lengthy campaign, is included. So is burquini -- the full-body swimming costume that made headlines after it was controversially banned by a French court in 2016.Instagram, bingeable, overshare and sharenting all reflect modern lifestyles, while foodies can tuck into new additions like bao and sriracha.But most importantly for serious Scrabble players, OK is now okay. The two-letter abbreviation has been excluded from the game's officially dictionary for years, causing consternation among some players. It was added to Merriam-Webster's Scrabble dictionary for US players last year, and international players can now follow suit. Philip Nelkon, a four-time UK Scrabble Champion, said two-letter words are the "lifeblood" of the game.Ew is also added, while ze -- a gender-neutral pronoun -- adds to the list of short words that could get players out of a bind."Not only is the list fascinating in itself, with many areas of contemporary life in evidence, but the inclusion of high-scoring words like 'dox' and 'zen' means Scrabble enthusiasts at every level can improve their game," Helen Newstead, language content consultant at Collins, said in a statement.Hench, preggo, and fatberg are included, while hackerazzo and equivocacy are game-changing additions -- all score over 26 points. Qapik -- the currency of Azerbaijan -- could also help players cash in.The previous batch of additions in 2015 included phrases like emoji, ridic, lolz and bezzy.

Story highlightsRonda Rousey's signature move has helped her earn an undefeated recordEarly in her career, she made Olympic history in judoShe has appeared in movies and is an "Ultimate Fighter" head coach (CNN)It's the video you have to watch from this weekend: American mixed martial artist Ronda Rousey takes down Brazilian Bethe Correia on her own turf in just 34 seconds at the Ultimate Fighting Championship's Women's Bantamweight Title Fight.With the swift knockout, the 28-year-old defending champion maintained her dominance as the only female bantamweight champion in the UFC with a 12-0 record.Her fight against Cat Zingano in February also ended swiftly, thanks to her signature move, the armbar. Rousey tackles her opponent to the ground, traps the other woman's arm between her legs and bends it back at the elbow. If her opponent doesn't tap out to signal defeat, the move could snap the arm. Zingano tapped out in just 14 seconds, the fastest submission in a UFC title fight, according to MMA Weekly. Photos: Women in sports Photos: Women in sportsAustralian jockey Michelle Payne became the first woman to win the Melbourne Cup, riding Prince of Penzance on Tuesday, November 3. Payne said she hopes her win will open doors for female jockeys because she believes "that we (females) sort of don't get enough of a go."Hide Caption 1 of 9 Photos: Women in sportsSerena Williams has won 21 Grand Slam singles titles, putting her third on the all-time list. She has been ranked No. 1 in the world six times and is the oldest No. 1 player in WTA history. Williams is also the most recent player, male or female, to hold all four major singles titles at the same time.Hide Caption 2 of 9 Photos: Women in sportsUFC fighter Ronda Rousey, the women's bantamweight champion, has never lost in mixed martial arts, and she holds the UFC record for quickest finish in a title fight: 14 seconds. Rousey also won a bronze medal in judo at the 2008 Summer Olympics.Hide Caption 3 of 9 Photos: Women in sportsAt 18, New Zealand's Lydia Ko became the youngest winner of a women's major when she won the Evian Championship in September. Her victory also made her the youngest golfer, male or female, to win a major title since 1868. She already held the record for the youngest winner on the LPGA Tour, claiming the Canadian Open as a 15-year-old amateur in 2012. Ko is also the youngest to reach No. 1 in the world rankings.Hide Caption 4 of 9 Photos: Women in sportsJennifer Welter, a veteran player on professional women's football teams, became the National Football League's first female coach when she was hired as a training camp and preseason intern for the Arizona Cardinals in 2015. Welter is also the first woman to coach in a men's professional football league, having been named a coach for the Indoor Football League's Texas Revolution.Hide Caption 5 of 9 Photos: Women in sportsDanica Patrick holds the only victory by a woman in an IndyCar Series race, having won the 2008 Indy Japan 300. By coming in third at the Indianapolis 500 in 2009, she achieved the best finish ever by a female driver in the race. She also holds the highest finish by a female driver in NASCAR's Daytona 500.Hide Caption 6 of 9 Photos: Women in sportsLaila Ali, the daughter of boxing legend Muhammad Ali, began her boxing career in 1999 at the age of 18. She went on to have an undefeated boxing career, winning 24 fights before retiring in 2007.Hide Caption 7 of 9 Photos: Women in sportsAbby Wambach has scored more international goals (184) than any soccer player in history, male or female. She received the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year award in 2011, becoming the first individual soccer player to do so. She played her last World Cup this year and helped the United States win the tournament. She has since announced she will retire from the sport.Hide Caption 8 of 9 Photos: Women in sportsLindsey Vonn became the first American woman to win the gold medal in downhill skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics. She has also won four World Cup titles in her career to go with an Olympic bronze and six medals at the World Championships.Hide Caption 9 of 9Rousey's groundbreaking career is full of firsts and superlatives. She's been called a pioneer, a megastar, a badass, a beast. She's also been called arrogant, brash and cocky. Few would dispute her claim that she's "the best fighter in the whole world" -- male or female. But her unabashed confidence has made her a polarizing figure in the male-dominated world of sports. Magazine profiles and TV interviews play up what they call contrasting qualities, as if none could mutually exist: an attractive woman excelling in a bloody sport; friendly and laid-back in person while exhibiting brute force against opponents; masculine in physicality while relying on her sexuality to sell magazine covers. Read MoreShe's not afraid to call out -- or blow off -- critics, and she does not mince words in describing her perceived advantages over opponents, in and out of the ring. When asked whether she would ever fight boxer Floyd Mayweather, her response was "unless we ended up dating," an apparent reference to domestic violence allegations against him. In July, when she took home the Best Fighter ESPY award over Mayweather and others, she remarked, "I wonder how Floyd feels being beat by a woman for once." She appears to have accepted her provocateur role. As she told the New Yorker in 2014, "I'm the heel. I'm the antihero. ... And I like it that way."Even if you're unfamiliar with Rousey's record-breaking feats in the octagon, there are plenty more reasons to give her credit where credit is due. Here are a few:She's already made Olympic history.Before Rousey was a UFC champion, she was a top-ranked judoka in the United States.In 2008, she was favored to become the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in judo, according to her first New York Times profile. She began training after the death of her father by suicide when she was 8. Before then, swimming was her sport, something she did with her father. After his death, she took up her mother's sport, judo, and began traveling the country to train.She was 17 when she went to the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens but fell short of a medal.She won a silver medal at the 2007 world championships. Her second visit to the Olympics in Beijing in 2008 went better. She took home a bronze medal and became the first American woman to earn an Olympic medal in judo.She considered training for 2012 until deciding that MMA fighting offered a better chance of a career. She began training in 2010 in Southern California's Armenian-American fighting community, learning boxing and muay thai techniques before starting to fight on the amateur MMA circuit. She's inspired by her mother, who also made sports history.In 1984, Rousey's mother, AnnMaria De Mars, became the first American -- man or woman -- to win gold at the World Judo Championships in Vienna. With few options for professional female judokas at the time, she turned her sights to a career in psychology and raising a family.Rousey, De Mars' third child, was born in 1987. Birth complications led to a speech defect that left Rousey unable to speak until she was 5 or 6 years old. Rousey's father, Ronald Rousey, helped his daughter with speech therapy and pushed her toward competitive swimming. After her father's death in 1995, Rousey took up judo training under her mother. In addition to judo technique and skills, Rousey says, she also learned not to be "the kind of chick that just tries to be pretty and be taken care of by somebody else." She has a term for it: "do-nothing b***h," or a "DNB," she said in a UFC YouTube vlog.It's the rationale she uses to fend off critiques that her body looks "masculine.""I think it's feminist-ly bad-ass ... because there isn't a single muscle in my body that isn't for a purpose," she said.That may not be eloquent, she acknowledges, "but it's to the point, and maybe that's what I am. I'm not eloquent. I'm to the point."She's had crossover success in Hollywood.In several interviews, she has spoken of her desire to figure out her next move after fighting, much like her mother did. For now, she's spreading her reach into Hollywood.You might recognize her from the silver screen or numerous magazine covers. This year, she appeared as herself in "Entourage" as a love interest of one of the main characters. She also appeared in "Furious 7," mixing it up with Michelle Rodriguez, and "The Expendables 3" with Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Wesley Snipes and Dolph Lundgren.We're not ready to nominate her for an Academy Award, but there are clear benefits to making friends in Hollywood. The vintage action heroes were among her squad of celebrity cheerleaders Saturday night, honoring her with nicknames and titles usually accorded to male athletes.Rhonda rousey is a beast Daaaaaaaaaam— SHAQ (@SHAQ) August 2, 2015 Ronda Rousey is the Greatest Champion of this era! Keep Punching CHAMP!— Sylvester Stallone (@TheSlyStallone) August 2, 2015 She also served as a head coach on season 18 of "The Ultimate Fighter," the UFC's reality show, in which up-and-coming fighters live together while competing in a tournament to win a UFC contract. She bonded with her roommates: Jessamyn Duke, Shayna Baszler and UFC newcomer Marina Shafir, who are now known by fans as the Four Horsewomen of MMA -- a moniker based on the famed 1980s pro wrestling team the Four Horsemen. The Four Horsewomen sill live together in Venice Beach, California, not far from the Glendale gym where Rousey trains under Gokor Chivichyan of the Hayastan MMA Academy and Edmond Tarverdyan of the Glendale Fighting Club. She's an advocate for healthy body image.Throughout her career, Rousey has been outspoken about insecurities with her body and how it led to substance abuse and bulimia in her teens.The pressure to make weight aggravated her insecurity about her thick, muscular body, and she became bulimic as a teen."Whenever people talk about how cocky and arrogant I am, it blows me away, because I worked so hard to develop self-confidence," she told the New Yorker. She has held fundraisers and participated in awareness campaigns for treating eating disorders.

Bishkek, KyrgyzstanKyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov declared a state of emergency in the capital Bishkek on Friday and ordered troops to deploy, as supporters of rival political groups took to the streets after days of unrest following an overturned election.A Reuters journalist in the capital heard gunshots and saw demonstrators from rival groups throwing rocks and bottles at each other and scuffling. One of the groups scattered, averting further violence, and there appeared to be no fatalities.Jeenbekov's office said in a statement the state of emergency, which includes a curfew and tight security restrictions, would be in effect from 8 p.m. on Friday until 8 a.m. on October 21.His order did not say how many troops would be deployed but they were instructed to use military vehicles, set up checkpoints, and prevent armed clashes.Earlier the president had said he was ready to resign once a new cabinet was appointed.Read MoreThe country has seen a power vacuum, with opposition groups quarrelling among themselves since seizing government buildings and forcing the cancellation of results from Sunday's parliamentary election.Opposition supporters seized government buildings and demanded a new vote after widespread claims of vote-rigging in the parliamentary election.Two leading opposition figures reached an agreement to join forces on Friday, and won the backing of Jeenbekov's predecessor as president, Almazbek Atambayev. But their followers and followers of other groups held rival rallies, which politicians said posed a danger of violence.Russia has described the situation in Kyrgyzstan, which borders China and hosts a Russian military base, as "a mess and chaos."The crisis tests the Kremlin's power to shape politics in its former Soviet sphere of influence, at a time when fighting has erupted between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and Belarus is also engulfed in protests.The opposition is divided between 11 parties which represent clan interests in a country that has already seen two presidents toppled by popular revolts since 2005.Rival candidates for the premiership Omurbek Babanov and Tilek Toktogaziyev joined forces on Friday, with Toktogaziyev agreeing to serve as Babanov's deputy. They were backed by four parties, local news website 24.kz reported.Protesters lit a bonfire in front of the seized main government building, known as the White House, on October 6.They were joined at a rally in Bishkek by the former president Atambayev. A few thousand followers chanted "I am not afraid" and "Kyrgyzstan" to the rhythmic beating of large drums.Followers of another candidate, Sadyr Zhaparov, also numbering a few thousand, held a demonstration nearby. Some of Zhaparov's supporters later rushed into the square, leading to scuffles between the rival groups until the Babanov and Toktogaziyev supporters withdrew.Several other opposition parties had yet to make their positions clear.Jeenbekov's allies swept Sunday's parliamentary vote in the official results that have now been discarded. They have kept a low profile as the opposition parties have taken to the streets. Western observers said the election was marred by credible allegations of vote-buying.So far, veteran officials who supported the revolt have been in control of the security forces. On Friday, self-appointed provisional heads of the interior ministry and the state security service left their respective buildings and handed over the leadership to their deputies. The two state bodies said the move was meant to ensure security forces remained apolitical.

Story highlights Colorado and 29 other states don't have sexting laws and rely on child pornography lawsDistrict attorney says it might be unfair to punish only those directly linked or who cooperated with authoritiesStill, a "warning" letter will go to parents of the children implicated (CNN)Colorado high school and middle school students accused of exchanging hundreds of naked photos won't face criminal charges, a district attorney announced Wednesday, but he warned of more severe consequences if it happens again.Thom LeDoux, the district attorney for the state's 11th Judicial District, said investigators did not find aggravating factors like adults' involvement, the posting of graphic images to the Internet, coercion, and related unlawful sexual contact.He added that while the "decision does not condone or excuse the behavior of the individuals involved," authorities wanted to avoid "the inequities in punishing just those that have come forward, have been identified, or have cooperated with the authorities." Moreover, he expressed hope that students and parents will learn from the ordeal. He noted presentations this week to high school and middle school students in Cañon City, about 115 miles south of Denver, as proof of educators' and law enforcement's efforts to drive those points home.JUST WATCHEDPolice: Teens cited for sexting in classReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHPolice: Teens cited for sexting in class 01:27Still, those who don't heed these lessons -- and are found to still possess "any illegal materials of this nature, associated with this situation or otherwise" -- could face charges. Parents of those students implicated in the scandal will receive "warning" letters noting their children's alleged involvement.Read More"In other words, we expect and demand that the children of our community comply with the laws of this state, particularly in this area moving forward," LeDoux said.As the district attorney pointed out, the lack of charges doesn't mean the implicated students won't be punished by the school district. Cañon City High School already canceled one of its football games after "a large number" of players were implicated.The school district said it also suspended an undisclosed number of students after the scandal was publicized in November.LeDoux revealed Wednesday that middle school students were also allegedly involved in sexting.In Cañon City, hundreds of students' body parts were photographed and shared in the secret phone-apps, and Schools Superintendent George Welsh said that "there isn't a school in the United States" that hasn't dealt with students sexting.Some of the nude photos were believed to have been taken on the high school campus, Welsh said last month.Students used a photo vault app that hides the nude photos by appearing to be a calculator or media player, Welsh said. A password is required to access the photo vault.The offenses could have carried serious felony charges for the youths.That's because Colorado is one of 30 states without modern-day sexting laws, which often provide leniency to adolescents as long as the sexting is consensual and is considered a misdemeanor mistake in exploring sexuality.Instead, Colorado and 29 other states rely on long-standing child pornography laws that could ultimately put a minors on a sex offender registry, experts say.JUST WATCHEDWhat the law says about underage sexting ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWhat the law says about underage sexting 01:24The result is that underage sexting in America can have vastly different legal implications depending on the state in which it occurs.At one end, some states rely on child porn laws originally intended to prosecute adults preying on children. Those laws are now sometimes used against sexting teenagers and can carry heavy penalties: felony imprisonment with sex offender registration.At the other end are new laws providing informal punishments to underage youths such as counseling, community service, and Internet safety education, perhaps without any juvenile record of the misdemeanor offense as long as coercion, blackmailing and other serious offenses aren't involved, experts say."What we learned in Colorado is a perfect cautionary tale of why it should be put into the books," Florida Atlantic University's criminology professor Sameer Hinduja said of adolescent sexting."If nothing else, what happens in Colorado should enforce a conversation across the nation in dealing with this phenomenon with kids," said Hinduja, who advocates keeping youth offenders out of the criminal justice system and instead using informal penalties such as community service and fines.JUST WATCHEDParents turn daughter in for sextingReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHParents turn daughter in for sexting 01:39Of the 20 states with sexting laws, 11 of them classify the offense as a misdemeanor, prescribing out-of-court "diversion" remedies or informal sanctions such as counseling, according to the Cyberbullying Research Center run by Hinduja and criminal justice professor Justin W. Patchin of University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.Four of the 20 states, however, also allow for felony charges. Florida and Utah, for example, allow for a felony charge for repeat offenders. Georgia law says the charge depends on the facts of the case. The fourth state, Nebraska, is the only state among the 20 that makes all sexting offenses a felony, but grants an affirmative defense to those age 18 and younger if the sexting was with another minor at least age 15 and was consensual, without distribution to another to another person.Even with all the new laws, most of the country remains far behind the fast-moving pace of teens and technology, analysts say."Since they don't have these teen sexting laws, there are draconian measures to deal with these children" in 30 states, including Colorado, CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson said. "But the reality is kids do what they do. So should there be statutes on the books that are going to throw the book at the kid?... In essence, make them felons?" Jackson said. Jackson and other experts prefer putting teenage offenders through "the juvenile (rehabilitation) route, so that the draconian measures don't really apply to these (students) who I'm sure are just generally good, wonderful kids, but they're just acting like kids and now deemed to be criminal," he said.The other 20 states with modern-day sexting laws are Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia.Follow @MMartinezCNN

Story highlightsMatt Every wins his first PGA title after rallying at the Arnold Palmer Invitational Every trailed by four shots heading into Sunday but passed Adam Scott Scott slipped to third at Bay Hill and finishes two shots behind the U.S.'s EveryScott misses a chance to overtake Tiger Woods as golf's world No. 1 Even though he was ill, Adam Scott could do little wrong in the early rounds at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He led by seven shots at the halfway mark at Bay Hill in Orlando and, despite his advantage being cut entering the final round, still held a comfortable three-shot advantage as play began Sunday. Unfortunately for the Aussie, he faltered and thus missed a chance to overtake the injured Tiger Woods as the world No. 1. Matt Every of the U.S. was the unlikely winner, compiling a strong round to claim his first PGA title.Scott shot a four-over 76, hitting five bogeys, to slip to third, two shots behind Every's total of 275.It wasn't the tournament he wanted ahead of the defense of his Masters crown next month. JUST WATCHEDCould there ever be a golf World Tour?ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHCould there ever be a golf World Tour? 06:30JUST WATCHEDIs Matt Fitzpatrick ready for the Masters?ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHIs Matt Fitzpatrick ready for the Masters? 06:15JUST WATCHEDSee amazing trick golf shotReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHSee amazing trick golf shot 00:49"I didn't putt well at all today," Scott told the Golf Channel. "If nothing else it's a good reminder on how much putting practice I need to do before going to the Masters and just how important it is. "If I think back to last year, I made every putt that you expect to in that last round and ultimately that's what gave me the chance to win." Every, who trailed Scott by four shots overnight, made up ground thanks to five birdies. But two bogeys on the last three holes gave Keegan Bradley an opportunity to force a playoff. Bradley, however, missed a birdie putt at the 18th that would have forced the playoff. Every's drought was over. "It's really cool," Every, who turned pro in 2006, told reporters. "I have had a lot of looks (at wins) and I kept telling myself maybe it's going to come somewhere special. I still can't believe I won. "It's hard, it's tough man. You just never know if it's going to happen."

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN)Women will be barred from appearing in television dramas in Afghanistan under the Taliban's new media restrictions, in the latest rollback of women's freedoms since the militant group seized power three months ago. All dramas, soap operas and entertainment shows featuring women are prohibited, according to the government guidelines issued to broadcasters on Sunday.The country's Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice issued eight directives concerning what is allowed to be broadcast, in the first restrictions of their kind imposed on the country's media network.Among the directives, women news presenters must now wear headscarves on screen. Similarly, men on screen must wear "proper clothes," although the guidelines do not specify which types of clothes are considered "proper." JUST WATCHEDActs of resistance from women living under Taliban rule ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHActs of resistance from women living under Taliban rule 08:09The ministry added that films in opposition to Islamic law and Afghan values should not be broadcast, nor should foreign and domestic films that "promote foreign culture and values."Read MoreThe rules also state that entertainment and comedy programs "should not be based on insulting others," nor "for the insult of human dignity and Islamic values." Finally, TV shows depicting the "prophets and companions" should not be broadcast, it said.Under the previous Taliban government -- in power from 1996 to 2001 -- television was prohibited as well as most other forms of media. Afghanistan women's junior football team granted UK visasMonday's tough new media rules come despite pledges from the Taliban that they would be more moderate in exercising power this time around.The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in mid-August as the United States and Western allies withdrew their forces. Women and girls were quickly instructed to stay home from work and school, and the restrictions on television appearances further limit women's freedoms under the new regime. When a group of women protested the announcement of the all-male government in Kabul in September, Taliban fighters beat them with whips and sticks.In October, CNN spoke to women in Kabul who were returning to public spaces after staying inside during the initial first few uncertain weeks of Taliban rule.But the Taliban's latest media ruling shows women's presence in public life is still precarious.

Story highlights A Leonardo da Vinci expert says the claim is worth further research Swiss foundation unveils what it claims is a predecessor to "Mona Lisa"An Oxford University professor cast doubt on its authenticityThe Mona Lisa Foundation exists solely to research this one paintingLeonardo da Vinci painted an earlier version of his famed masterpiece "Mona Lisa," claims a private Swiss art foundation dedicated solely to the alternate painting, which it unveiled Thursday.But an expert on da Vinci in Britain says there is evidence that the Renaissance master may not have been behind the picture presented as the "Earlier Mona Lisa" but known more commonly as the "Isleworth Mona Lisa."The Mona Lisa Foundation, based in Zurich, offers a wealth of documentation to support its argument that the painting it represents is a predecessor -- from the master's own hand -- to the world's most famous portrait hanging in the Louvre Museum in Paris.Martin Kemp, professor emeritus at Oxford University, who has examined the arguments, says the "reliable primary evidence provides no basis for thinking that there was 'an earlier' portrait of Lisa del Giocondo."Da Vinci's lost masterpiece may be foundIn addition to a 320-page art book titled "Mona Lisa: Leonardo's Earlier Version," the foundation's website makes its case using visual widgets of painstaking side-by-side comparisons of the "Isleworth" with "Mona Lisa," magnifying their similarities down to the small details.The obvious resemblance, easily visible to the untrained eye, could be evidence that the work is just another copy of the portrait of Lisa del Giocondo that was painted after da Vinci's masterpiece was completed -- and probably by someone else, Kemp said in a news release.The "Mona Lisa" that millions of art lovers flock to gaze upon behind its protective case in the Paris museum was altered from a previous state."The Isleworth picture follows the final state of the Louvre painting," Kemp said. "It does not therefore precede the Louvre painting."The foundation and Kemp also disagree on the results of modern technical examinations of the "Isleworth," which the foundation has invested in."The images produced by infrared reflectography and X-ray are not at all characteristic (of) what lies below Leonardo's autograph paintings," Kemp says. Museum displays earliest known Mona Lisa copyThe Mona Lisa Foundation presents historical notations by artists and intellectuals in the 16th century and beyond to back up the possible existence of a second portrait, but Kemp finds it inconclusive.In a 20-minute art history video, its own in-house expert Stanley Feldman, main author of the book, presents the foundation's detailed arguments.The video also includes sound bites from the director of an Italian museum dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci."I believe it is more than possible that there existed two pieces of art," said professor Alessandro Vezzosi, director of the Museo Ideale Leonardo da Vinci, pointing to features that could tie the painting to historical references to an earlier work of art.What the brain draws from: Art and how we see itBut Vezzosi does not say directly that he believes the "Isleworth" is the predecessor of the world-renowned coyly grinning "Gioconda."In a speech in Geneva on Thursday, Vezzosi again hedged his bets, not backing the foundation's claim outright but saying it had presented a "fascinating possibility" that merited further study."The 'Isleworth Mona Lisa' is an important work of art deserving respect and strong consideration as well as a scientific, historic and artistic debate among specialists rather than a purely media interest," he said.He is conducting parallel research in conjunction with another expert, Carlo Pedretti of the Armand Hammer Center for Leonardo Studies of the University of California in Los Angeles, Vezzosi said.Meanwhile, Kemp recommends "that questions are asked about the relationship of the Foundation to the current owners."The Swiss nonprofit was established by bank chairman Markus Frey, financier Daniel Kohler and auctioneer David Feldman, who shares his last name and hometown of Dublin with the foundation's art historian.It does not divulge who owns the "Isleworth" on its website but explains that "the owners of the painting have endowed The Mona Lisa Foundation with exclusive rights to carry out its objectives."If the "Isleworth" is not a da Vinci original, as the foundation claims, but a copy, which Kemp thinks is more likely, then it's not a great one, he says. It doesn't quite have that Mona Lisa smile.Scientists unlock secret of Mona Lisa's face

Story highlights"There's an immediate feeling of loss," athlete says of being denied gold for eight years Missing out on the gold in 2004 drove him to compete for the next two Olympics (CNN)For over a decade, American shot putter Adam Nelson had to settle for second best. A silver medalist in the 2000 Olympic Games, he missed out on first place in the 2004 Athens Olympics by a slim margin. He competed again in the 2008 but received no medal. In 2012, he didn't make the cut for London trials.There were suspicions about unfair play in some of the competitions, but Nelson told CNN he put his faith in the anti-doping authorities. "There's a little bit of a chosen ignorance that you have to have as an athlete," he explained. "Sometimes you look around and you say, wow, there's something that's unusual here ... but at the end of the day, you choose to be ignorant and you choose to trust the anti-doping association and hope they are doing their job properly." Read MoreSee complete Rio Olympics coverage here A full eight years after he competed in Athens, he was informed by the Olympics committee that he was in fact the real 2004 shot put champion.Ukrainian winner Yuriy Bilonoh tested positive in 2012 for a banned substance in a retroactive drug test and was stripped of the title. It took another year after he was notified to final get the gold medal in his hands.Nelson said that when he first got the news he had an "immediate feeling of loss, immediate feeling of frustration, immediate feeling of anger. At some level there's some vindication but the actual meaning of the medal takes a long time to develop." How much is a Rio Olympics medal worth?His missed medal in 2004 completely changed the following eight years of his life."I gotta be honest, the silver medal when I received it at the time it changed the course of my life for the next eight years," he said. "I stayed involved with the sport pursuing that one perfect opportunity to win a gold medal at the moment."'Russia should not be allowed'With a new doping scandal swirling around the Rio Olympics -- Russia has been accused of cheating on an institutional level -- Nelson said he feels the entire team should not be allowed at Rio. "Given the amount of structural cheating that was going on, I find it very hard not to penalize the whole country to force the change," Nelson said.

Story highlightsChelsea sub Fernando Torres seals 3-2 aggregate win over BarcelonaChelsea captain John Terry sent off in the 37th minuteBarcelona take lead through Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta before Ramires scores away goalLionel Messi hits the bar with a penalty, and later has a shot pushed onto the postTen-man Chelsea produced an astonishing comeback to recover from 2-0 down on the night and beat defending champions Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate in a scarcely believable Champions League semifinal at the Camp Nou on Tuesday.Chelsea began the second-leg tie with a slender 1-0 lead and looked doomed when captain John Terry was sent off for violent conduct in the 37th minute and Andres Iniesta put Barcelona 2-1 up overall shortly afterward.But Ramires put Chelsea ahead on away goals moments before halftime and Chelsea somehow held off wave after wave of Barcelona attack after the break before snatching a 2-2 draw.Lionel Messi hit the bar with a penalty early in the second half and later had another shot pushed onto the post by Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech.Substitute Fernando Torres completed the most unlikely of wins when he scored on the break in injury time to guarantee Chelsea's place in the final of Europe's top club competition for the second time in the English side's history.Is Chelsea win sport's greatest upset?"It is an incredible achievement by this group of players," said Chelsea coach Robeto di Matteo, who took over in early March on an interim basis when Andre Villas Boas was sacked. Photos: Barcelona-Chelsea rivalry Photos: Barcelona-Chelsea rivalryIniesta shatters Chelsea dream – Andres Iniesta, right, celebrates after scoring in the final moments of the 2009 European Champions League semifinal against Chelsea. Hide Caption 1 of 5 Photos: Barcelona-Chelsea rivalryGoal! A nail-biting finish – The Spain midfielder's injury-time equalizer at Stamford Bridge put Barcelona into the final on away goals, and the Catalan side went on to triumph in Rome.Hide Caption 2 of 5 Photos: Barcelona-Chelsea rivalryA sore point for Drogba – Didier Drogba's outburst at the ref during the second leg of that 2009 semifinal landed the Chelsea striker a three-game European ban. Hide Caption 3 of 5 Photos: Barcelona-Chelsea rivalryA fierce rivalry – Barcelona won at Stamford Bridge in the first leg of a last-16 tie in the 2005-06 season and went on to win the title. Wednesday's semifinal first leg in London will be the fifth meeting between the two sides in the European competition's knockout stages.Hide Caption 4 of 5 Photos: Barcelona-Chelsea rivalryHistory repeats for Guardiola – Barca coach Josep Guardiola lined up against Chelsea's interim manager Roberto di Matteo as players in a quarterfinal between the two teams in 2000, which also ended in triumph for the Spanish side.Hide Caption 5 of 5"A lot of people have written us off but we showed the character these players have."Chelsea will play either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the May 19 final at the latter's Allianz Arena. They will have to do without Terry, Branislav Ivanovic, Ramires and Raul Meireles, who will all be suspended, but that was at the back of the players' minds as they celebrated one of the club's greatest wins."It was not beautiful," Torres said, "and we were playing the best team in the world, but Barcelona did not take their chances and, in the end, it worked for us."Barcelona, meanwhile, now only have the Spanish Cup to play for after losing to Real Madrid at the weekend and all but conceding the La Liga title."It wasn't meant to be this year," coach Josep Guardiola said. "The first thing that goes through my head is immense sorrow. "We played exceptionally well for 180 minutes, we did everything we could to be in the final. We've never worked this hard to be in a final. We failed because we didn't score (more goals)."Having come away from the first leg ahead due to Didier Drogba's goal, Chelsea traveled to the Camp Nou knowing Barcelona had won their last 15 home matches in the Champions League.Things started badly when defender Gary Cahill limped off after 12 minutes and got worse when midfielder Sergio Busquets put Barcelona ahead in the 35th minute from Isaac Cuenca's cutback.Two minutes later, former England captain Terry inexplicably raised his knee as he ran up behind Alexis Sanchez and was shown a straight red card -- leaving Chelsea without both their center halves."I want to apologize to the lads and the fans," Terry said later. "I feel like I've let the lads down."A minute after Terry departed, Iniesta looked to have set Barcelona on their way to the final when he finished off a trademark passing move with a precise, low shot into the far corner from Messi's through ball.Terry's absence meant midfielder Ramires was pushed into action as a right back but it was the Brazilian who unexpectedly gave Chelsea hope before halftime.Barcelona had their own defensive reorganization to carry out when Gerard Pique came off after 25 minutes with a head injury to be replaced by Dani Alves, and the hosts were wide open at the back as Ramires skipped on to Frank Lampard's pass and expertly lifted the ball over the stranded Victor Valdes.Barcelona began the second half in determined mood and quickly won a penalty when Drogba -- who was otherwise superb -- slid in rashly and brought down Cesc Fabregas.Messi stepped up to try to score his 64th goal of the season but smacked the bar with his spot kick. The three-time world player of the year is still yet to score against Chelsea.It still seemed only a matter of time before Barcelona got the crucial goal but as the minutes ticked down amid increasing desperation among the home fans, it began to look like fate was on Chelsea's side.Sanchez had the ball in the net but the offside flag was up against Alves before Messi was again denied when Cech got fingertips to his shot minutes before full time, leaving him without a goal against Chelsea in eight games.Torres, by contrast, has hardly found the net since moving to Chelsea but it was left to the misfiring Spaniard to run through and score his eighth goal in 11 games against Barcelona.In the English Premier League on Tuesday, Bolton came from a goal down to beat Aston Villa 2-1 to raise hopes of escaping relegation and leave their opponents just three points above the drop zone.

(CNN)"They always told me I could go back (to school) whenever. So, this is whenever."JR Smith may be 35 years old, but that doesn't mean his athletic dreams are extinguished. Smith, a 16-year NBA veteran, has enrolled at North Carolina A&T State University with the intention of joining the university's golf team. He is primarily pursuing a degree in liberal studies -- his classes start on August 18 -- but he is waiting for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to work out his eligibility before he applies for the team of one of the nation's top historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).Smith skipped going to college and went straight from high school to the NBA in 2004 but said he began thinking about going to college during a trip to the Dominican Republic with Hall of Famer Ray Allen.Read More"Golf is one of those games that has you feeling really high and or can bring you down to your knees and humble you," Smith -- who is a two-time NBA champion -- told WFMY News 2 Sports on Wednesday ahead of the pro-am at the Wyndham Championship.Smith hits his tee shot at the 10th hole prior to The Northern Trust at Ridgewood Country Club on August 22, 2018."And to have that feeling and knowing that all of the game's pretty much on my own hands, and I don't have to worry about teammates to pass the ball and receiving passes and playing defense, so I can play my game and just have fun."Smith can often be seen among the gallery at PGA Tour events -- and he says he plays to a five handicap. He has petitioned the NCAA to be eligible to play but it is not clear on how long that process will take.According to NCAA rules: "An individual shall not be eligible for intercollegiate athletics in a sport if the individual ever competed on a professional team in that sport." It does not ban a former professional athlete from competing in a different sport. Richard Watkins, who coaches both the men's and women's teams at the university, said Smith's arrival is a "big deal.""It's a big deal for A&T. It's a big deal for him," Watkins, who was in Smith's gallery on Wednesday, said. "It's not very often that somebody in his position really has an opportunity to have a thought, a dream, an idea, and to be able to go ahead and move in that direction.Visit CNN.com/sport for more news, features, and videos"He's a former professional athlete, but (it's) a unique set of circumstances. He didn't go to college, never matriculated, the clock never started."The 6-foot-6 shooting guard played professionally for a host of NBA teams, winning NBA titles with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 and Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.

Story highlightsWorld No. 1 Serena Williams beats Maria Sharapova in final to retain Madrid titleAmerican notches up 50th win of her career, becoming the 10th woman to do soWilliams is hoping to win the French Open for the first time since 2002Rafael Nadal wins the Madrid men's title for the third timeSerena Williams is looking forward to the "ultimate challenge" of trying to win the French Open after again proving her dominance over biggest rival Maria Sharapova and defending her Madrid title on Sunday.The American triumphed 6-1 6-4 to retain her No. 1 ranking and claim the 50th WTA Tour crown of her career, becoming only the 10th player to do so.The 31-year-old is the only player to have won on three different colors of clay -- and she is confident that the Madrid surface's reversion to red after the blue of 2012 will help her bid to end an 11-year wait for her second grand slam success at Roland Garros."This court is definitely different from last year," Williams said. "It definitely plays more like Roland Garros, so I think that's a plus. It's a little slower than it was last year and plays more like a true clay court. So I think it's great preparation. It's a good start in the right direction."Read: Sharapova in love and in the finalLast year Williams fell at the first hurdle in Paris -- a tournament she won back in 2002 -- before going on to triumph at Wimbledon, the Olympics, the U.S. Open and the season-ending WTA Championships. Photos: Sharapova faces Serena in Madrid final Photos: Sharapova faces Serena in Madrid finalSharapova faces Serena in Madrid final – World No. 2 Maria Sharapova won through to the final of the Madrid Masters after beating Serbia's Ana Ivanovic 6-4 6-3 in the semis.Hide Caption 1 of 6 Photos: Sharapova faces Serena in Madrid finalSharapova faces Serena in Madrid final – Ivanovic, a former world No. 1 now ranked 16th, was unable to repeat the form of her quarterfinal victory over German sixth seed Angelique Kerber. Hide Caption 2 of 6 Photos: Sharapova faces Serena in Madrid finalSharapova faces Serena in Madrid final – Defending champion Serena Williams will seek to retain her No. 1 ranking by beating Sharapova for the 12th consecutive time in the final. Hide Caption 3 of 6 Photos: Sharapova faces Serena in Madrid finalSharapova faces Serena in Madrid final – The American became the first women's player to reach 30 wins this season as she defeated Italian seventh seed Sara Errani 7-5 6-2 to set up a chance of her 50th career title.Hide Caption 4 of 6 Photos: Sharapova faces Serena in Madrid finalSharapova faces Serena in Madrid final – Rafael Nadal reached the men's final in Madrid for the fourth time, beating fellow Spaniard Pablo Andujar -- who made it to the semis after being given a wild-card entry into the tournament.Hide Caption 5 of 6 Photos: Sharapova faces Serena in Madrid finalSharapova faces Serena in Madrid final – Nadal will next face Swiss 15th seed Stanislas Wawrinka, who upset world No. 6 Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic in three sets in the second semifinal at the Caja Magica.Hide Caption 6 of 6 Photos: Brand Max: Maria Sharapova Photos: Brand Max: Maria SharapovaBrand Max: Maria Sharapova – Maria Sharapova has capitalized on her on-court success by becoming one of tennis' most successful brands. Hide Caption 1 of 9 Photos: Brand Max: Maria SharapovaBrand Max: Maria Sharapova – Her partnership with longtime agent Max Eisenbud has made her the highest-paid female athlete on the planet. They met 15 years ago when Sharapova was training at the IMG Academy in Florida. "There was so much going on and so many kids, so many parents to take care of, so it was actually fun to see him juggle all those different things and maintain a very clear vision of what he wanted to do," Sharapova recalls.Hide Caption 2 of 9 Photos: Brand Max: Maria SharapovaBrand Max: Maria Sharapova – Pictured here during a shoot for CNN's tennis show Open Court, they are already plotting her future after tennis -- but she plans to play for several more years yet.Hide Caption 3 of 9 Photos: Brand Max: Maria SharapovaBrand Max: Maria Sharapova – Sharapova with two of the most important men in her life -- hugging her father Yuri after winning her first grand slam title at Wimbledon as a 17-year-old in 2004, while Eisenbud looks on. Hide Caption 4 of 9 Photos: Brand Max: Maria SharapovaBrand Max: Maria Sharapova – That success allowed Eisenbud to court major sponsors, and helped Sharapova launch her own perfume among other non-tennis sidelines. Hide Caption 5 of 9 Photos: Brand Max: Maria SharapovaBrand Max: Maria Sharapova – Sharapova has long been associated with Nike, and signed a reported eight-year deal with the sportswear giant in 2010 that could be worth up to $70 million.Hide Caption 6 of 9 Photos: Brand Max: Maria SharapovaBrand Max: Maria Sharapova – Part of that sum includes royalties from her fashion collection with Nike subsidiary Cole Haan. Sharapova is pictured here at a promotional event in Tokyo in 2009.Hide Caption 7 of 9 Photos: Brand Max: Maria SharapovaBrand Max: Maria Sharapova – Sharapova's "Sugarpova" candy collection is her first independent venture. "Everyone loves a treat and everyone loves candy. When I was young and I would finish a practice, what would I ask for? I would ask for little lollipops," she told Open Court.Hide Caption 8 of 9 Photos: Brand Max: Maria SharapovaBrand Max: Maria Sharapova – Her portfolio of endorsements keeps growing -- in April 2013 she was named as a brand ambassador for German car manufacturer Porsche. She has now won the tournament it sponsors two years in a row.Hide Caption 9 of 9 Photos: Tennis still Sharapova's top priority Photos: Tennis still Sharapova's top priority Still motivated – Maria Sharapova won the French Open last year to become the 10th woman to claim all four grand slams. But she plans on playing for several years before pursuing her business interests. Hide Caption 1 of 8 Photos: Tennis still Sharapova's top priority Comeback complete – At Roland Garros, Sharapova won her first major after undergoing shoulder surgery in 2008. Some thought she would never triumph at a grand slam following the injury. Hide Caption 2 of 8 Photos: Tennis still Sharapova's top priority Shoulder woes – After a win in Montreal in July 2008, an MRI revealed that Sharapova had two tears in the tendon of her serving shoulder. Hide Caption 3 of 8 Photos: Tennis still Sharapova's top priority Not quite ready – Sharapova attempted a comeback in 2009 when she played doubles in Indian Wells. But she still wasn't ready to return. Hide Caption 4 of 8 Photos: Tennis still Sharapova's top priority German success – Once self described as a "cow on ice" on clay, Sharapova began her clay-court campaign last year by beating Victoria Azarenka in the Stuttgart final. Hide Caption 5 of 8 Photos: Tennis still Sharapova's top priority Another title – Sharapova defeated Li Na in last year's final of the Italian Open, the perfect buildup to the French Open. Sharapova and Li are the two highest-paid female athletes in the world and share the same agent. Hide Caption 6 of 8 Photos: Tennis still Sharapova's top priority Sweet success – Sharapova launched her own premium candy line, Sugarpova, with individual bags selling for $5.99. She has plans to expand to more markets, including Asia. Hide Caption 7 of 8 Photos: Tennis still Sharapova's top priority Helping hand – Max Eisenbud, Sharapova's agent, first met the player when she was 12 at the renowned IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Sharapova still lives nearby.Hide Caption 8 of 8"It is the ultimate challenge," Williams said. "Whether I reach it, I don't know. I'm not going to put that pressure on myself. "I wanted to do it last year and I didn't get it. So this year I'm just looking forward to Rome, and then after that Roland Garros."Williams has now beaten second-ranked Sharapova in their past 12 meetings, and was in control for most of the match despite trailing 3-1 in the second set."I don't know if her start was shaky, but I felt I played well in the first few games -- playing such a great athlete and great tennis player like Maria, you have to come out and play well. I had no choice," she said."She definitely started playing better in that second set -- I think she came out with a different game plan. I missed a very crucial point in that first game, but after that I just had to refocus."Read: The man behind Maria's millionsWilliams is now three wins behind Monica Seles on the WTA list, but a long way behind Martina Navratilova's record 167."I don't know how many more I can win. Like I say every day, 'Who knows if I'll ever win another title?' I just want to live in the moment," said Williams, who returned to action in 2011 after a long injury break that caused life-threatening blood clots on her lungs."I feel like every moment I play -- I don't know if it's because of what I went through -- I feel like I'm so fortunate to be out there and healthy and to have an opportunity to play a sport and be really good at it."Hopefully I can just keep it going."JUST WATCHEDThe story behind Sharapova's successReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHThe story behind Sharapova's success 06:26JUST WATCHEDCan 'Baby Federer' become a champion?ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHCan 'Baby Federer' become a champion? 04:54Sharapova arrived in Rome having retained her Stuttgart title, but the Russian was once again unable to stand up to Williams' power."Obviously it's tough losing in the final today, but I think my preparation so far has been decent, winning a title in Stuttgart and getting to the final in this tournament for the first time," the 26-year-old said. "One more tune-up to go before Roland Garros, and everything seems to be going well."Rafael Nadal is in fine shape to defend his French Open title after winning a record-extending 23rd Masters level tournament in Madrid on Sunday.The Spaniard crushed Swiss 15th seed Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2 6-4 in the final to claim his fifth crown since returning from longterm knee problems in February.The 26-year-old joined Thomas Muster in equal second on the Open Era clay titles list with his 40th success on the surface. They are six behind Guillermo Vilas.Wawrinka can take some consolation in that he will return to the top-10 rankings for the first time since 2008. It was Nadal's third title in Madrid, where he has been runner-up twice.

Story highlightsFormer No. 1 Novak Djokovic has slipped to 22nd in rankings But he showed flashes of old form last week in Rome Boris Becker says quarterfinal result would be good for Djokovic Rafael Nadal is the heavy favorite to land record-extending 11th title (CNN)If world rankings told the whole story, you'd think Novak Djokovic's slump shows no signs of easing. But the pure statistics might just be blurring the picture for the struggling 12-time grand slam champion. Follow @cnnsport Even though the Serb found himself outside the top 20 this week for the first time since he was a precocious 19-year-old in 2006, his last outing on a tennis court suggests a brighter future. And with the French Open starting Sunday, the upturn may well continue some five kilometers west of the Eiffel Tower. Indeed, Djokovic says spirits are high heading into Roland Garros, the grand slam he conquered in 2016 for the last of his major titles. Read More"Looking back two or three months, this is the best that I've felt on the court, by far," Djokovic, just turned 31, told reporters at the Italian Open Saturday after testing heavy French Open favorite Rafael Nadal before losing the semifinal 7-6 6-3.READ: Who can stop Rafael Nadal in Paris? Photos: The faces of Roland Garros 2018The 2018 French Open will take place from May 21-June 10 on the clay courts of Roland Garros in Paris. Hide Caption 1 of 17 Photos: The faces of Roland Garros 2018Serena Williams turned heads in a black catsuit in her first-round match at Roland Garros, saying it made her feel like a "warrior princess." She also said it helped with ongoing blood clots following the birth of her daughter last year. Hide Caption 2 of 17 Photos: The faces of Roland Garros 2018Rafa Nadal is favorite to take the men's singles title, which would be his 11th grand slam victory on the clay. Hide Caption 3 of 17 Photos: The faces of Roland Garros 2018Serena Williams is playing her first grand slam for 16 months after maternity leave and is bidding for a fourth French Open crown and a record-equaling 24th major title, including both pre and Open era events.Hide Caption 4 of 17 Photos: The faces of Roland Garros 2018Novak Djokovic hasn't won a grand slam title since 2016 and has slipped to No. 22 in the world, but he enters the French Open on a good run of form. Hide Caption 5 of 17 Photos: The faces of Roland Garros 2018Young German Alexander Zverev is touted as the future of tennis but has struggled at grand slams so far in his career, his best result being the fourth round. Hide Caption 6 of 17 Photos: The faces of Roland Garros 2018Andy Murray continues his recovery from hip surgery and won't be at Roland Garros -- a tournament he finished runner-up at in 2016. Hide Caption 7 of 17 Photos: The faces of Roland Garros 2018Maria Sharapova is a two-time French Open champion but has missed the last two events at Roland Garros after serving a ban for testing positive for the illegal substance meldonium.Hide Caption 8 of 17 Photos: The faces of Roland Garros 2018Pauline Parmentier will be flying the flag for France in the women's draw having received a wild card entry for this year's competition. She reached the fourth round in 2014. Hide Caption 9 of 17 Photos: The faces of Roland Garros 2018Pat Cash claimed his sole grand slam singles title at Wimbledon in 1987. He'll be giving CNN his insight as a former player throughout the French Open. Hide Caption 10 of 17 Photos: The faces of Roland Garros 2018A year on from her return to tennis following a knife attack in her home, Petra Kvitova says she is living a "dream." Hide Caption 11 of 17 Photos: The faces of Roland Garros 2018Yannick Noah is still the only French man to win the French Open, since the Open era began in 1968. Noah's triumph at Roland Garros came way back in 1983.Hide Caption 12 of 17 Photos: The faces of Roland Garros 2018Juan Martin del Potro's lone major title was the US Open in 2009. However he's struggled with injury since beating Roger Federer in that 2009 US Open final, missing almost the entire 2010 season after undergoing surgery on his wrist.After slipping outside the world's top 400, Del Potro returned to the top five in 2013 but another wrist injury meant more surgery and led him to miss the majority of the 2014 and 2015 season. But earlier this year Del Potro ended Federer's best ever start to a season to become the first Argentine to win a top-tier Masters series event when he was victorious at Indian Wells.Hide Caption 13 of 17 Photos: The faces of Roland Garros 2018Serena Williams pulled out injured ahead of her much-anticipated fourth-round match against old rival Maria Sharapova.Hide Caption 14 of 17 Photos: The faces of Roland Garros 2018World No. 72 Marco Cecchinato beat David Goffin to reach the French Open quarterfinals where he will play Novak Djokovic. Cecchinato described his win over Goffin as the "best moment" of his life. He shortly followed up with a new best moment as he beat Djokovic in four sets. Hide Caption 15 of 17 Photos: The faces of Roland Garros 2018Diminutive Argentine Diego Schwartzman, who stands at 5 feet 7 inches tall, proved size isn't everything when he toppled 6-foot-8 Kevin Anderson to reach the quarterfinals. Hide Caption 16 of 17 Photos: The faces of Roland Garros 2018World No.1 Simona Halep is bidding for a first grand slam title after three previous losing final appearances in majors.Hide Caption 17 of 17'Machine-like at brilliant best'Rome is dubbed the "Eternal City" and when Djokovic claimed the French Open to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win four straight grand slams, it felt like his dominance would last forever.Plenty of progress and passion to take with me to RG. Thanks everyone for your continued support. See you back on court next week 🙌 #ibi18 pic.twitter.com/MId0tYNpBv— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) May 19, 2018 His peak level arguably usurped his two main rivals at their best, Nadal and Roger Federer, against whom he still holds winning records. However, what he called "private issues," an injury to his serving elbow that required surgery this year and seemingly a shift in attitude -- the ruthlessness on court vanished -- all contributed to the unexpected downturn. "The fact that he was machine like at his brilliant best, it was the total of hours, thousands and thousands of hours of practice," six-time grand slam winner Boris Becker, part of Djokovic's coaching setup in his heyday, told CNN Sport. "If you haven't done that for a year or even longer, then ultimately even though it's Novak Djokovic, a perfectionist, he will look ordinary. "And I think it's not that easy being the best. You have to do a lot of sacrifices, a lot of repetition, a lot of work and that's why only a few reach the summit." READ: 10 best French restaurants in Paris Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa?Rafael Nadal won his record-extending 11th title at the French Open when he beat Dominic Thiem on Sunday in Paris. Hide Caption 1 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa?The Spaniard won his first French Open on his debut as a 19-year-old at Roland Garros and has only lost two matches since then. Hide Caption 2 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa?Simona Halep beat Sloane Stephens in three sets Saturday to win the French Open and her first major after losing three grand slam finals. Hide Caption 3 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa?Halep finally got her name on the trophy, 10 years after winning the junior title at Roland Garros. Hide Caption 4 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa?Nadal had kept alive his bid for an unprecedented 11th French Open title with a dominant semifinal win over Juan Martin del Potro in Paris.Hide Caption 5 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa?Austria's Dominic Thiem is the pretender to Rafael Nadal's claycourt throne after booking a place in his first French Open final with victory against Marco Cecchinato. Hide Caption 6 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa?Nadal was rattled for a set and a half against Argentine Diego Schwartzman but he took advantage of an overnight rain delay and returned with renewed vigor to win in four sets to reach the semifinals. Hide Caption 7 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa?Schwartzman ended Nadal's 37-set winning streak at Roland Garros after taking the opener, but rain delayed their quarterfinal overnight and he went down in four sets to the resurgent Spaniard. Hide Caption 8 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa?Halep had reached her second consecutive French Open final with a straight sets win over Garbine Murguruza of Spain. Halep retained her world No.1 spot as she bids for a first grand slam title. Hide Caption 9 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa?Reigning US Open champion Stephens (right) beat fellow American Madison Keys to reach her first French Open final. Hide Caption 10 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa?Two-time champion Maria Sharapova, playing her first French Open since returning from a 15-month suspension for taking the banned heart drug meldonium, lost to Muguruza in the quarterfinals. Hide Caption 11 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa?Sharapova was due to meet old rival Serena Williams in the fourth round but the American pulled out ahead of the match with a shoulder injury.Hide Caption 12 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa?Novak Djokovic is undergoing a slump in his stellar career but was hoping to use the French Open as a springboard for better things. However, he lost out to Italy's Marco Cecchinato in the quarterfinals.Hide Caption 13 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa?The unseeded Cecchinato, who had never previously won a round at a grand slam, beat Djokovic, the 12-time major champion and 2016 French Open winner, in four sets. Hide Caption 14 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa?World No. 3 Alexander Zverev was expected to be one of the main challengers to Nadal but after squeezing through three five-set matches he fell to Thiem in straight sets in the quarterfinals. Hide Caption 15 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa?Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson was at Roland Garros watching Williams beat Julia Goerges in the third round.Hide Caption 16 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa?No Frenchman has triumphed on home clay since Yannick Noah in 1983 and the drought continued this year. No French players made the fourth round. Hide Caption 17 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa?Williams turned heads in this black catsuit as she made her first grand slam appearance for 16 months following the birth of her daughter in September. The 23-time grand slam champion said it made her feel like a "warrior princess" but added it helped with her circulation. Hide Caption 18 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa?The Williams sisters teamed up in doubles, but after overpowering Japan's Miyu Kato and Shuko Aoyama (pictured) in their first match they crashed out in the third round.Hide Caption 19 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa?Nadal is known as the "King of Clay" since winning his first French Open on his debut as a 19-year-old. No player has won the same grand slam as many times as the Spaniard has in Paris. Hide Caption 20 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa?The French Open oozes Parisian chic and is a springtime rite in the capital. Hide Caption 21 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa?Djokovic's recent results suggested he could be turning the corner in his recent struggles. A win on day two was a decent start for the 2016 champion, who had slipped to 22 in the world. Hide Caption 22 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa?On day one, defending champion Jelena Ostapenko was dethroned by Kateryna Kozlova.Hide Caption 23 of 24 Photos: French Open 2018: Title No. 11 for Rafa?Bad news traveled in two as Venus Williams also suffered a shock exit after losing to Wang Qiang.Hide Caption 24 of 24Something had to giveDjokovic only won two small tournaments in 2017 -- his last title was last July -- and he has failed to exceed the quarterfinals at a major since the 2016 US Open. My birthday present to myself. Uphill sprints. @rolandgarros see you soon 💪 #RG18 #training #birthday #fun pic.twitter.com/w3eAj5eWJI— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) May 22, 2018 This March, he fell in the second round of both Indian Wells and Miami, two of tennis' most prestigious events, which he has won a combined 11 times. "I saw the matches in Miami and Indian Wells and I was a little bit worried," added Becker.Something had to give — and it did for the man dubbed "Superman" in Serbia. Djokovic ended his partnership with tennis legend Andre Agassi in April. Out, too, went the flamboyant, former world No. 8 Radek Stepanek as his coach. Instead, he reunited with long-time coach Marian Vajda, as well as fitness trainer Gebhard "Phil" Gritsch. Djokovic's relationship with Agassi had seemed an ideal fit since the American sustained a similar dip in his career before undergoing a renaissance that included three Australian Open titles. Melbourne was Djokovic's stronghold through 2016. Agassi has also helped thousands of underprivileged children to get an education in Las Vegas, where he resides, and elsewhere in the US, and Djokovic's foundation assists preschool aged children. READ: Why spring is the best time to visit ParisJUST WATCHEDNovak Djokovic wins French OpenReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHNovak Djokovic wins French Open 01:26Acrimonious Agassi split?When Djokovic confirmed the coaching changes days later on his website, there was praise for Stepanek yet barely a mention of Agassi. The 48-year-old Agassi said in a statement to ESPN that the pair "too often found ourselves agreeing to disagree.""I don't know anything that went on but you have two of the greats who have every right to have strong views about the game and how to go about being one's best," Todd Martin, another ex coach of Djokovic's and Agassi's former Davis Cup teammate, told CNN Sport."You've got west at the 'nth' degree coming from Vegas and the east. "And then you have lives. Andre has forged an amazing life for himself, both with his family and with his work in education."If they agreed to disagree, that's a big sacrifice and that doesn't make any sense for someone like Andre." JUST WATCHEDAndre Agassi: Graf pushed me to coach NovakReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHAndre Agassi: Graf pushed me to coach Novak 04:20An interview request made for Agassi by CNN.com was declined by one of his representatives. Djokovic and Vajda, meanwhile, share a close bond. Martin witnessed it in the eight months he spent coaching Djokovic with Vajda beginning in 2009. "Marian has been there for him through thick and thin from a very early age and their relationship is father-son, older brother-younger brother, uncle-nephew, and everything in between," said the twice grand slam finalist. "There's a lot of emotion in that relationship."Becker was "happy" to see Djokovic's old gang back, although he ruled out his own return. Now the head of men's tennis in Germany and a mentor to world No. 3 Alexander "Sascha" Zverev, he said: "I don't read a very, very good book twice."READ: Rafael Nadal -- 'Living with pain and painkillers since 2005' Photos: The King of Clay over the yearsA lot has changed since a 19-year-old Rafael Nadal became only the second man in history to win Roland Garros at the first attempt. The bulging biceps, long hair and headband remain, but the Spaniard's sense of style has certainly changed.Hide Caption 1 of 14 Photos: The King of Clay over the years2005 – Nadal went into his first French Open as an inexperienced 18-year-old and emerged a grand slam champion -- beating Roger Federer in the semifinals on his 19th birthday. The 2005 season was the birth of what would go on to be Nadal's classic look: sleeveless top and three-quarter length shorts.Hide Caption 2 of 14 Photos: The King of Clay over the years2006 – By the following year, Nadal had cemented his place among tennis' elite and was developing a fearsome reputation on clay. This time wearing a slightly less garish light blue, Nadal picked up his second consecutive French Open title by becoming the first man to beat Roger Federer in a grand slam final.Hide Caption 3 of 14 Photos: The King of Clay over the years2007 – In 2007, the then 20-year-old Nadal's status as the 'King of Clay' was sealed. Defeat to Federer at the Masters Series in Hamburg ended an 81-match unbeaten streak on clay, which remains a men's Open Era record today. At that year's French Open, Nadal opted for the reverse of 2006's top-bandana combo -- this time with matching trainers to boot.Hide Caption 4 of 14 Photos: The King of Clay over the years2008 – A year later, Nadal opted for a variation on his debut French Option look, this time sporting an all-green combo. Nadal reached world No. 1 for the first time in his career in 2008, helped by his fourth consecutive Roland Garros title -- matching Bjorn Borg's record of consecutive trophies, while also becoming only the seventh man to win a grand slam without dropping a set.Hide Caption 5 of 14 Photos: The King of Clay over the years2009 – Nadal's first dramatic transformation came in 2009. Gone were the sleeveless shirts and three-quarter lengths, in came the sleeves and fluorescent, clashing colors. Perhaps it was the sleeves restricting the powerful arms (or maybe a knee injury), but Nadal suffered the first of only two French Open defeats. Despite a shock fourth-round loss to Robin Soderling, Nadal set a record of 31 consecutive wins at Roland Garros.Hide Caption 6 of 14 Photos: The King of Clay over the years2010 – In 2010, Nadal bounced back from the 2009 disappointment with a daring multicolored number. He went on to exact revenge on Soderling, beating him in the final after the Swede had upset Federer in the quarterfinals. Federer's failure to reach the semis meant Nadal regained the world No. 1 spot, while it was also the second time he won the French Open without dropping a set.Hide Caption 7 of 14 Photos: The King of Clay over the years2011 – The following year, Nadal dialed down the brightness, instead choosing to return to one of his earliest Roland Garros styles. And it worked -- he maintained his No. 1 ranking throughout the clay court season and beat perennial rival Federer in the final.Hide Caption 8 of 14 Photos: The King of Clay over the years2012 – Perhaps in an attempt to gain the upper hand on opponents by blending into the clay, Nadal opted for an orange-ish-red look for the first time at the French Open. It appeared to work, as Nadal dropped just 30 games in the first five rounds, before beating Djokovic in four sets in the final to claim his seventh Roland Garros title and surpass Borg as the tournament's most successful player.Hide Caption 9 of 14 Photos: The King of Clay over the years2013 – The 2013 French Open was the debut of Nadal's latest wardrobe change: the short shorts. In an all-Spanish final, Nadal defeated David Ferrer in straight sets -- although bizarrely dropped from fourth in the world to fifth after his victory.Hide Caption 10 of 14 Photos: The King of Clay over the years2014 – Perhaps a sign of entering into his late 20s, Nadal's colors switched from fluorescent to more mellow tones. Despite being hampered by injuries and suffering surprise defeats early in the clay court season, Nadal grinded out arguably his most impressive Roland Garros victory. Another victory in the final against Djokovic took him to 14 grand slams (level with Pete Sampras) and it was his fifth straight French Open triumph.Hide Caption 11 of 14 Photos: The King of Clay over the years2015 – Nadal's struggle to find form continued into 2015's clay court season, dropping outside of the world's top five for the first time since 2005. Looking like an athletic version of the Cookie Monster, Nadal crashed out of the French Open in the quarterfinals to Djokovic. It ended his 39-match unbeaten run and marked just his second defeat on the Parisian clay.Hide Caption 12 of 14 Photos: The King of Clay over the years2016 – The following year, the shorts got even shorter and the two-tone top returned as Nadal exited the French Open in the third round -- although this time it was a wrist injury that defeated him. Despite the disappointment, there was another milestone for Nadal as he became only the eighth man to reach 200 grand slam wins.Hide Caption 13 of 14 Photos: The King of Clay over the years2017 – Nadal debuted his strong blue look against Benoit Paire in the first round and the King of Clay went on to complete "'La Decima" of 10 Roland Garros titles.Hide Caption 14 of 14 Paris breakthrough Despite the promising showing in Rome, a French Open rematch against an in-form Nadal is a different proposition.However, in his pomp, Djokovic tormented Nadal: He compiled a pair of seven-match winning streaks against the Spaniard. And although he faded in the second set in Rome, Djokovic believes there was little to separate him and the "King of Clay." "I don't think that there was too much of a difference, which is great for me, because Rafa is, of course, the best player ever to play tennis on clay courts," said Djokovic. "I thought the level of my tennis was very high."JUST WATCHEDBoris Becker's 1985 Wimbledon quizReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHBoris Becker's 1985 Wimbledon quiz 01:30Martin doesn't discount a Djokovic run past the quarterfinals in Paris, assuming he benefits from a gentle start to the fortnight. "I think the resiliency on the physical side, which leads into the resiliency of the emotional side of things, will dictate his success," said Martin, the chief executive of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. "If he can win his first nine out of 10 sets or similar, then I could see him doing a little bit better" than the last eight. How far will Djokovic go in Paris? Have your say on our Facebook page Becker says a quarterfinal result in Paris would mark a "total success." Anything more and it's a "breakthrough." Visit CNN.com/tennis for more news, features and videos "And I wish him nothing but the best," said Becker. "If he plays against anyone, I want him to win -- except Sascha Zverev."

(CNN)Long-serving captain Sergio Ramos is to leave Real Madrid after 16 years at the club. The central defender joined from Sevilla in 2005 and went on to enjoy a glittering career with Real, winning four Champions League trophies and five La Liga titles. He made 671 appearances and scored 101 goals from defense, many of which came at crucial moments, notably the 2014 Champions League final when Ramos' stoppage-time header against rivals Atletico Madrid sent the game into extra-time, with Real eventually winning 4-1.On Wednesday, the La Liga giant released details of a press conference on Thursday which will be a farewell to the 35-year-old. The short statement confirmed Ramos would appear on video camera whilst club president Florentino Pérez would also be in attendance. Read MoreREAD: Zinedine Zidane leaves as manager of Real Madrid for second timeRamos, considered as one of the best players of his generation, will now be a free agent. He struggled with injuries during his last season at Madrid and finished the season without silverware. His patchy form led to Spain boss Luis Enrique leaving him out of the Spanish squad for Euro 2020. Ramos has made 180 caps for his country, winning one World Cup and two European Championships.

(CNN)Forward Marcus Rashford has said he has received "at least 70 racial slurs" on social media following Manchester United's Europa League defeat to Villarreal on Wednesday. Spanish side Villarreal won its first major European trophy in Gdansk, Poland, winning a marathon penalty shootout with Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea missing the decisive penalty after all previous 21 penalties had been scored.England international Rashford tweeted after the game that he had been the focus of racial abuse on his social media accounts. "At least 70 racial slurs on my social accounts counted so far," the 23-year-old said. "For those working to make me feel any worse than I already do, good luck trying."Rashford applauds after the Europa League final against Villarreal.In a later tweet, Rashford said an account which sent him "a mountain of monkey emojis" was "a maths teacher with an open profile."Read More"He teaches children!! And knows that he can freely racially abuse without consequence..."Manchester United tweeted that it was aware that some of its players had been the subject of racist abuse. "Following the UEL final, our players were subjected to disgraceful racist abuse," it said. "If you see any form of abuse or discrimination, act and report it."A number of players in English football, including several of Rashford's teammates, have also been targeted by online discrimination in recent months.Rashford controls the ball during the Europa League final.In February, racist symbols were left under an Instagram post by Anthony Martial following United's 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion. The Premier League, in unison with the rest of English football, held a social media boycott from April 30 to May 3 to bring awareness to the racial abuse directed at players.In Wednesday's final, it was Villarreal who took the lead just inside the half-hour mark when Gerard Moreno connected with Dani Parejo's free-kick -- the first goal scored between these two sides after their previous encounters produced four goalless draws.That was Moreno's 30th goal of the season and saw Villarreal lead at halftime. United did get an equalizer in the second half when Edinson Cavani reacted quickly following Paul Pogba's blocked shot from a corner to poke the ball past Gerónimo Rulli.Despite enjoying more chances throughout the second half, United was unable to take the lead, and the game went to penalties after an uneventful extra-time.Visit CNN.com/sport for more news, features, and videosRashford scores United's fourth penalty in the penalty shoot out during the UEFA Europa League Final.The penalty shootout, however, did provide drama.The teams went toe-to-toe throughout before De Gea's penalty was saved by Rulli, handing Villarreal a 1-1 (11-10) victory.It was the sixth time in the past eight competitions that a Spanish side has won the Europa League, European football's second-tier competition.

Rio de Janeiro (CNN)There's a pretty big question in Rio that doesn't have an answer just yet. How do the countless Olympic guests expected to stay in the luxury hotels lining the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema get from there to the Olympic Park without being stuck in hours of Rio's least popular asset: its traffic?The city thought it had a ready answer: an extension to its subway system, the Metro, known as Line 4, that would go from the beach areas, under all the car-clogged roads, almost all the way to the Olympic Park. But with Brazil reeling from unprecedented political and economic turmoil, the plan hit a snag; it was meant to be ready in July, but organizers announced recently the timing would be a little tighter than expected. Photos: Rio Olympics: Torch arrives ahead of 2016 Games Photos: Rio Olympics: Torch arrives ahead of 2016 GamesBrazilian president Dilma Rousseff lit the Olympic torch in Brasilia Tuesday. The torch will pass through 329 cities on its way to Rio de Janeiro where the Games begin on August 5.Hide Caption 1 of 5 Photos: Rio Olympics: Torch arrives ahead of 2016 GamesBrazilian sailor Felipe Rondina carried the Olympic flame on a speedboat at Lake Paranoa.Hide Caption 2 of 5 Photos: Rio Olympics: Torch arrives ahead of 2016 GamesCanoeist Rubens Pompeu carried the Olympic flame on an outrigger canoe at Lake Paranoa. The torch will be carried in a relay by 12,000 people throughout its journey across the country.Hide Caption 3 of 5 Photos: Rio Olympics: Torch arrives ahead of 2016 GamesThe Olympic flame arrived on its own private flight form Switzerland. It was kept inside a gold lantern and transferred to Planalto presidential palace.Hide Caption 4 of 5 Photos: Rio Olympics: Torch arrives ahead of 2016 GamesThe Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro will host the opening ceremony of the Games which run from August 5-21.Hide Caption 5 of 5It is now due to open on August 1 -- just four days before the Games begin.Today, the subway station nearest the Olympic Park is a hive of activity, packed with workers doing what organizers say are tests on the equipment, but clearly also some construction too. Read MoreRodrigo Vieira, secretary of transportation for the state of Rio, is on hand to check on progress. Over the noise of construction work, he told us: "We are completely sure that everything will be done by August 1. "Of course the schedule is tight, but we have 8,000 people working during the days and nights. Everything is on schedule."Trash obstacles for Rio's Olympic sailorsFinal preparationsAcross the city, the sound of jackhammers is at times overwhelming, as the city moves as fast as it can to fix the last bolts and apply the final coats of polish, ahead of the Opening Ceremony on August 5. The highways all the way to the Olympic Park are lined with last-minute construction; it's a dash to the finish line you often see ahead of huge sporting events, but one that has left some a little more disconcerted than usual, given the upheaval Brazil is going through at the moment. Cabinet resignations, a bid to impeach former President Dilma Rousseff, an outbreak of Zika virus, a financial crisis -- most countries could be forgiven for giving up even halfway through a list like that, but Brazil is fighting on. When we visited the edge of the Olympic Park with just 66 days to go to the Games, another struggle was in evidence. It was being led by Maria da Penha and Sandra Daniel. They are residents of a collection of homes called Vila Autodromo and for months they have steadfastly refused to get out of the way of the Olympic juggernaut. When we visited the community in February, it was a few houses stronger. Now it is mostly rubble. The community of hold-outs has shrunk -- some enticed away by new homes elsewhere. Maria da Penha amid the rubble of Rio de Janeiro's Vila Autodromo neighborhood near the city's Olympic Park.But Sandra and Maria are staying put, waiting for new homes that the state is rushing to build, just a few meters away from their original houses.Is Maria concerned the government might try to move her on before the Games? "I'm not afraid, as I don't think they can," she says. "Especially because it is very close to the Olympics. And if that happens we will start a protest right in the middle of the Olympics."Wave of gunbattles in Rio as Olympics nearHomes demolishedHomes around Rio's Olympic Park have been demolished to make way for the Games.It is a curious scene: a community living some five meters away from the edge of the Olympic Park, having new, tidier homes built, and refusing to leave, citing old property rights. Even here the schedule is tight: they expect their new homes to be ready just 12 days before the Games begin.The edge of the Olympic Park is a strange work in progress itself. When we were last here in February, the area was sealed. Now you can simply walk in along its watery edge, where stagnant pools of lake water provide little comfort for those worried about the mosquito-born Zika virus.We try to reach the home of Pedro Berto; in February he was holding out in his home on the water's edge. Now it has been demolished -- Pedro himself agreeing to move away. One of the workers in the Park tells us security are often in fixed places, but they aren't much in evidence when we were there. One guard sat idly by. Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Around the venues with 100 days to go Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Around the venues with 100 days to goOwl in one? – Rio 2016 is 100 days away but this spectator at the city's Olympic golf course couldn't give a hoot.Hide Caption 1 of 14 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Around the venues with 100 days to goSprint finish – Rio has been hosting a series of test events to get ready for the Games, despite a maelstrom of political and economic upheaval gripping Brazil.Hide Caption 2 of 14 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Around the venues with 100 days to goTreading water – President Dilma Rousseff, facing impeachment proceedings, has still made appearances at Olympic venues. She opened the aquatics venue earlier in April.Hide Caption 3 of 14 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Around the venues with 100 days to goAlmost ready – International Olympic Committee inspectors say Rio's venues are 98 percent complete, with just over three months to go. This is the aquatics venue from the outside.Hide Caption 4 of 14 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Around the venues with 100 days to goSwimming room only – This, believe it or not, will be the whitewater venue for canoe slalom during the Olympics. Until then, it's a great place to take a dip.Hide Caption 5 of 14 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Around the venues with 100 days to goOcean blue – Some of Rio's venues promise spectacular views during the Games.Hide Caption 6 of 14 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Around the venues with 100 days to goIconic backdrop – The city's Sugarloaf Mountain is never far from view during outdoor events like the marathon, race walking, and road cycling.Hide Caption 7 of 14 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Around the venues with 100 days to goKeeping watch – Members of Brazil's military police at the marina which will be home to Olympic sailing events. Water pollution at this venue and security concerns are just two of the issues Rio organizers face.Hide Caption 8 of 14 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Around the venues with 100 days to goGunning for gold – Test events in Rio have, in the main, gone smoothly. However, some venues experienced power outages. Shooting events will be held here.Hide Caption 9 of 14 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Around the venues with 100 days to goGoing green – Where London 2012 adopted blue and hot pink as its colours, many Rio events will boast a greener tinge as seen at the artistic gymnastics venue.Hide Caption 10 of 14 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Around the venues with 100 days to goBack in the swing – The greenest of all venues might be golf. While some leading pros are opting to skip Rio, the rest will take part in the first Olympic golf tournament since 1904.Hide Caption 11 of 14 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Around the venues with 100 days to goX factor – Inside Carioca Arena 3 at Rio's main Olympic Park, where fencing and taekwondo will take place.Hide Caption 12 of 14 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Around the venues with 100 days to goJourney begins – Giovane Gavio, a retired volleyball star, was the first Brazilian to take a leg of this year's Olympic torch relay during a lighting ceremony in Greece this month.Hide Caption 13 of 14 Photos: Rio 2016 Olympics: Around the venues with 100 days to goIn at the deep end? – Mexican Paralympic swimmer Luis Armando Andrade Guillen at a Rio test event last week. There are 133 days until the Rio Paralympics begin.Hide Caption 14 of 14It is a bizarre moment: walking straight into what should be a secure zone weeks from now. But Maria is relaxed that the safety measures seem somewhat laid-back. "It should be like that in every country, to walk freely", she says. "We were born to walk freely. I don't know why they came up with so much security. A man does not make another man safe. Security comes from god."Rio 2016: Brazil's 'perfect storm' of chaos

(CNN)Gregg Popovich has never shied away from speaking his mind.So its no surprise that the legendary coach of the San Antonio Spurs, a winner of five NBA titles, had a strong response when asked why it's important for the league to celebrate Black History Month.Gregg Popovich"I think it's pretty obvious. Our league is made up of a lot of black guys," Popovich told reporters Monday before the Spurs took on the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City. "To honor that and understand it is pretty simplistic. How would you ignore that? More importantly, we live in a racist country that hasn't figured it out yet. "It's always important to bring attention to it, even if it angers some people. The point is, you have to keep it in front of everybody's nose and understand that it still hasn't been taken care of and we still have a lot of work to do." It's not the first time Popovich has been outspoken about race or politics, especially about President Donald Trump:Read MoreOctober 2017"This man in the Oval Office is a soulless coward who thinks that he can only become large by belittling others. This has of course been a common practice of his, but to do it in this manner -- and to lie about how previous presidents responded to the deaths of soldiers -- is as low as it gets." -- in a call to The Nation writer Dave Ziri, after President Trump falsely claimed his predecessors hadn't written or called the families of slain American troops during their tenures.May 2017"I feel like there's a cloud, a pall over the whole country in a paranoid, surreal sort of way. It's got nothing to do with the Democrats losing the election, it has to do with the way one individual conducts himself, and that's embarrassing. It's dangerous to our institutions and what we all stand for and what we expect the country to be." -- before the Spurs played the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.November 2016"It's still early and I'm still sick to my stomach. Not basically because the Republicans won or anything, but the disgusting tenor and tone and all the comments that have been xenophobic, homophobic, racist, misogynistic, and I live in that country where half the country ignored all that to elect someone. That's the scariest part of the whole thing to me." -- just days after Trump's shocking victory in the 2016 presidential election.Popovich is also head coach of the US men's basketball team, which means he will be leading the country's highest-profile team during the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo -- giving him an international platform for his opinions.CNN's Chris Cillizza contributed to this report.

(CNN)Pope Francis ordered a Vatican investigation last year into abuse allegations against US Archbishop Theodore McCarrick but is not yet releasing the results, the Vatican revealed Saturday."The Holy See will, in due course, make known the conclusions of the matter regarding Archbishop McCarrick," the Vatican statement said.US Catholics have been reeling in recent months from allegations that McCarrick, a former top American cardinal, sexually abused seminarians and an altar boy.McCarrick, who has denied the accusations about the altar boy and not responded to the allegations about the seminarians, resigned from the College of Cardinals in July.US Catholic bishops announce new policies to police bishopsThe allegations, as well as an explosive letter from a former papal diplomat, have raised serious questions among senior church leaders about why McCarrick was allowed to rise through the church's ranks, as well as who knew about the accusations.Read MoreIn its statement, the Vatican said it had ordered a preliminary investigation in September last year after it was informed by the Archdicoese of New York that a man had accused McCarrick of having abused him in the 1970s.The investigation was conducted by the Archdiocese of New York, where the alleged abuse took place. The Archdiocese then sent its findings to the the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome, which acts as a watchdog division."In the meantime, because grave indications emerged during the course of the investigation, the Holy Father accepted the resignation of Archbishop McCarrick from the College of Cardinals, prohibiting him by order from exercising public ministry, and obliging him to lead a life of prayer and penance," the statement said.Sex abuse scandal sends Pope's approval among US Catholics to new lowsThe investigation's conclusions will be made known "in due course," and the information gathered during the preliminary investigation will be combined with other Church records regarding McCarrick "in order to ascertain all the relevant facts, to place them in their historical context and to evaluate them objectively," the statement said. The archdiocese earlier said it had found the allegations against McCarrick to be "credible and substantiated" and that it had handed the accusation over to law enforcement."The Holy See is conscious that, from the examination of the facts and of the circumstances, it may emerge that choices were taken that would not be consonant with a contemporary approach to such issues. However, as Pope Francis has said: 'We will follow the path of truth wherever it may lead,'" the Vatican statement said."Both abuse and its cover-up can no longer be tolerated and a different treatment for Bishops who have committed or covered up abuse, in fact represents a form of clericalism that is no longer acceptable."Germany's Catholic Church 'dismayed and ashamed' by child sex abuseThe US Catholic bishops' conference last month issued a dramatic apology for the role of bishops in the church's clergy sexual abuse scandal and announced new initiatives to hold abusive or negligent bishops accountable.Francis has come under increasing pressure to act over the sexual abuse crisis that has engulfed the Catholic Church in countries around the world, with survivors complaining that the Vatican is moving at a "glacial" speed on the issue.The Pope last month summoned the church's top officials from across the world to the Vatican for a February meeting to discuss the problem.In Saturday's statement, the Vatican said Francis "renews his pressing invitation to unite forces to fight against the grave scourge of abuse within and beyond the Church, and to prevent such crimes from being committed in the future to the harm of the most innocent and most vulnerable in society."CNN's Richard Allen Greene contributed to this report.

(CNN)Germany's Social Democrats have given the green light for their party to enter preliminary coalition talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel's party in a vote that could trigger an end to the country's political deadlock.More than 600 SPD delegates gathered on Thursday in Berlin and debated the question for several hours before voting overwhelmingly for the exploratory talks to begin.In a speech earlier in the day, party chief Martin Schulz -- who is facing a vote on his own leadership later on Thursday -- called for a "yes" vote in spite of significant misgivings.READ MORE: What next for Germany as Merkel myth implodes?Schulz had ruled out entering a coalition with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) -- the so-called "Grand Coalition" that has ruled Germany for the last four years -- but has recently retreated from his position.Read MoreFrank-Walter Steinmeier: Can Germany's 'anti-Trump' end Merkel's political crisis?"It's not about the question of Grand Coalition or no Grand Coalition, minority government or no minority government," he said on Thursday. "No, it's about the question: how can we live up to our responsibility, both today and towards the next generation?"He insisted that the party would not enter a new coalition without policy concessions from Merkel. "Governing cannot come at any price," he said. The news comes after nearly three weeks of deadlock following the collapse of coalition talks between Merkel's alliance, the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Green Party after federal elections in September.In a bid to avoid the possibility of fresh elections, Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier stepped in to break the deadlock, issuing what Schulz described as a "dramatic appeal" for his party to consider coalition talks.Formal talks between the parties are unlikely to start until the new year.