Three Hawaii-based Marines accused of hazing a fellow Marine who later committed suicide in Afghanistan will be tried in a court-martial, the Marine Corps said Wednesday.

 A trial date for Sgt. Benjamin E. Johns, Lance Cpl. Jacob D. Jacoby and Lance Cpl. Carlos Orozco III has not been set. The three are charged with wrongfully humiliating and demeaning 21-year-old Lance Cpl. Harry Lew, who killed himself April 3.

 Jacoby and Orozco have also been charged with assault, and one was charged with cruelty and maltreatment.

 They'll face a general court-martial, which is a forum for the most serious charges in the military justice system. Less serious charges may be addressed in a summary court-martial or a special court-martial.

 Lew, of Santa Clara, Calif., was a nephew of U.S. Rep. Judy Chu of California.

 Brig. Gen. Frederick Padilla, 3rd Marine Division commander, decided the case should go to trial, Lt. Col. Curtis Hill, a spokesman for Marine Corps Forces Pacific, said in an email.

 "The Marine Corps prides itself on holding its members to the highest levels of accountability. The Marine Corps does not tolerate hazing of any kind," Hill said. "When allegations of hazing are made, they are investigated and if substantiated, appropriate corrective action is taken."

 Hill said the Marines would not make anyone involved in the case available for interviews while legal action was pending "to maintain the integrity of the investigative and legal process."

 An Article 32 hearing _ similar to a civilian grand jury hearing _ was held regarding the charges last month.

 The hearing depicted a squad of Marines actively fighting on the front lines while at the same time trying to cope with a habit Lew developed of falling asleep on watch duty.

 Lew fell asleep four times in the 10 days he spent at Patrol Base Gowragi, a remote outpost in Afghanistan. Because Lew's life and the lives of his fellow Marines depended on him being awake and alert, several Marines in his squad grew increasingly frustrated with the dozing.

 Lew's leaders tried various approaches to keep him awake, including taking him off patrols so he could get more rest, according to testimony at the hearing.

 But on Lew's last night, those efforts escalated into alleged acts of violence and humiliation, according to the charges heard. The Marines are accused of punching and kicking him, making him do pushups and pouring sand in his face.

 Commanders in retrospect said Lew's sleeping may have been a symptom that he was suffering from depression or some other medical condition.

 Chu said in a statement in August that her nephew was a patriotic American, and that no one deserves being "hazed and tortured like he was." She said the military justice system must hold any wrongdoers accountable.

 Hill stressed the Marines are presumed innocent until proven guilty. ||||| Click photo to enlarge «

 1

 »

 In a case closely watched from Silicon Valley to Washington, D.C., the Marine Corps announced Wednesday that three Marines now face court-martial on charges of hazing a fellow Marine, from Santa Clara, so badly that he shot himself to death in a foxhole in Afghanistan.

 Lance Cpl. Harry Lew's suicide stunned family and friends, who learned the 21-year-old wrote a farewell note to his mother just hours after his fellow Marines punished him for falling asleep on duty in April.

 The military's action will send three of Lew's combat mates to a general court-martial -- the military equivalent to a trial court -- for the extremely unusual charge. Unless the Marines take a plea bargain, they would stand trial in a way similar to the courtroom drama portrayed in "A Few Good Men," when fictional Marines were accused of murdering their combat mate.

 Lew's death has captured the attention of Washington, where his aunt, U.S. Rep. Judy Chu, of Southern California, has held congressional hearings on military suicides since his death on April 3. The Marine Corps also have taken a hard stance in announcing the case, saying repeatedly that it "does not tolerate hazing of any kind."

 The three Marines have yet to face any disciplinary action, and it's unclear what punishment they would face if convicted by a military panel. In the only other similar case in recent years, two Army soldiers received several months in confinement and a third was fined for hazing an Ohio soldier who committed suicide.

 In August, the Marines recommended charges against Lance Cpls. Jacob Jacoby, 21; Carlos Orozco III, 22; and their 26-year-old squad leader, Sgt. Benjamin Johns.

 The Marines then held a tense hearing over several days last month in Hawaii, where the unit was based. Fellow Marines testified that they thought the three accused Marines had gone too far in punishing Lew, The Associated Press reported while covering the hearing. They allegedly kicked Lew in the back, punched and kicked him in the head and forced him to do push-ups, side planks and other exercises in full combat gear before warning him he was going to get his "ass beat."

 The accused Marines defended themselves by saying Lew, a Santa Clara High School graduate just a few months from returning home, had fallen asleep at least four times in 10 days while on watch, an extremely serious offense that in some cases can be punishable by death.

 Lt. Col. Douglas Gardner acted as the judge in the hearing and gave his recommendations to the general of the Marines' brigade, Frederick Padilla, who, acting like a district attorney, filed the charges Friday. The Marines announced the decision Wednesday, without providing further detail on its decision.

 Jacoby faces three counts of assault, one for threatening and one for hazing. Orozco is accused of one count each of assault, cruelty and maltreatment, dereliction and hazing. Johns is accused of dereliction and hazing.

 Neither Lew's family, which includes former Sunnyvale Mayor Dean Chu, nor the military attorneys assigned to defend the accused Marines could be immediately reached for comment late Wednesday.

 No trial date has been set.

 Lew has been described as an avid breakdancer and a happy young man who signed up for the military to "take care of the Taliban." But 10 days before his death, he was transferred to a new unit, where the alleged abuse began.

 Contact Mike Rosenberg at 408-920-5705. |||||

Write a summary.

– Three Marines accused of hazing a fellow Marine so harshly that he committed suicide are to be court-martialed, the Marine Corps says. Harry Lew, a 21-year-old from Hawaii, shot himself in a foxhole in Afghanistan earlier this year after he was allegedly attacked and humiliated by the trio. The three Marines face charges including hazing, assault, cruelty and maltreatment, and dereliction, the San Jose Mercury News reports. At a hearing last month, Marines from the same unit testified that the three accused punched and kicked Lew, forced him to do push-ups and other exercises in full combat gear, and poured sand in his face. The accused Marines argued that they were angry with Lew because he had fallen asleep on guard duty at a remote base in Afghanistan four times in 10 days, endangering the unit. After Lew's death commanders said that the sleeping may have been a sign that he was suffering from depression or some other medical condition, AP notes.


Jimmy McMillan in a comedy sketch: need we say more? It's no secret that the Internet finds the "Rent Is Too Damn High" candidate who gained fame during the New York gubernatorial debate last month absolutely hilarious, and by the looks of this Funny Or Die video, he is definitely in on the joke.

 In this PSA of sorts, McMillan and his "son" Timmy McMillan (played by Billy Eichner) tell you about the latest thing that is "too damn high": Charlie Sheen. The McMillan boys feel very strongly that Sheen is in danger of losing his gig on "Two And A Half Men," among other things. They don't even trust Sheen with a shoe, saying that if they married a shoe, "Charlie Sheen would probably snort that shoe."

 The bottom line is, according to McMillan Sr., "The only thing higher than the rent is Charlie Sheen!"

 WATCH:

  ||||| 1. Customize Widget THEME Dark Light LAYOUT Horizontal Vertical HEIGHT WIDTH 2. Customize Title TITLE HEIGHT FONT SIZE Preview 3. Copy and Paste this HTML wait for it...

 Loading... Want More Widgets? We hope you do, because we made a shit-ton.

 Go to our Widget Headquarters. |||||

 As Carl Paladino took the stage at a downtown Buffalo ballroom last night to give his concession speech, Rachel Maddow was on MSNBC surmising what would unfold: "he's going to reveal himself as a performance artist."

 Paladino essentially lived up to that measure, as he stammered through a bitter and angry speech, railing against his political opponents and critics in the media. Staring into his telepromter, battling with a crowd who kept interrupting him with their own concessions speeches and criticisms, he said, "I promised to bring a baseball bat to Albany, well here it is." Paladino proceeded to hoist an orange baseball bat over his shoulder, pose like an aging baseball star, and challenge Andrew Cuomo to grab the baseball bat, or "have it wielded against you."

 Paladino ended his speech and campaign with this chilling threat: "Make no mistake -- you have not heard the last of Carl Paladino."

 WATCH:

  |||||
What is a one-paragraph summary of the above article?

– Carl Paladino may have taken his bat and gone home, but another of the losing New York gubernatorial candidates is still with us. Happily, it's Jimmy McMillan of the Rent-Is-Too-Damn-High fame. He's back in a Funny or Die video with a new passion: Charlie Sheen Is Too Damn High. His "son" is played by Billy Eichner. See the Huffington Post for more.


Article:
KILIS, Turkey — As the boom of shelling resounded along Turkey’s border with Syria here on a recent afternoon, Zakaria Deeb had nowhere left to run.

 He had traveled 100 miles to Kilis with his family, chasing a false rumor that refugees would be allowed into a Turkish-run camp in the city, about 50 miles north of the Syrian city Aleppo. Instead, along with hundreds of other Syrians, the Deebs were now squatting in a gravel-strewn field across from the camp, sleeping under plastic sheets hanging from the branch of a cypress tree.

 Nearly three years of bloody civil war in Syria have created what the United Nations, governments and international humanitarian organizations describe as the most challenging refugee crisis in a generation — bigger than the one unleashed by the Rwandan genocide and laden with the sectarianism of the Balkan wars. With no end in sight in the conflict and with large parts of Syria already destroyed, governments and organizations are quietly preparing for the refugee crisis to last years.

 The Deebs fled their home a year ago because of fighting between Syrian rebels and government forces. Recent clashes between Kurdish fighters and the Al Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, pushed them into Turkey. Now, just on the other side of the border here, ISIS fighters were battling yet another rebel group, the Northern Storm.

 “We expected the revolution to be over quickly, like in Libya and Egypt, but it’s been nearly three years already, and God knows when this war will end,” Mr. Deeb, 31, said, peering at the plumes of white smoke rising inside Syria. Children shrieked as another large mortar shell exploded across the border.

 A stray bullet from Syria had landed inside the camp in the morning, wounding a 5-year-old girl in the foot. “If this camp is full, we’re willing to go to any camp inside Turkey,” he said. “We don’t want to go back to Syria.”

 Syrians have been pouring out of their country in recent months, fleeing an increasingly violent and murky conflict that is pitting scores of armed groups against one another as much as against the government. Numbering just 300,000 one year ago, the refugees now total 2.1 million, and the United Nations predicts their numbers could swell to 3.5 million by the end of the year.

 “The fighting continues, people are getting displaced and we don’t know how long it’s going to take,” said Amin Awad, the head of the United Nations’ refugee agency in the Middle East. “Therefore, aside from making sure the humanitarian operations are running, we need to support the host communities and governments.”

 The exodus has stretched the resources of the region’s host countries — Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and even Turkey, the biggest and richest by far. Camps are full. But so are many neighborhoods in cities, towns and villages, where the Syrians’ presence has raised rents, undercut wages and increased tensions. In Lebanon, the smallest of the host nations and the most politically fragile, Syrian refugees are expected soon to make up a quarter of the population.

 The flood has also raised fears that the refugees will import the Syrian conflict into the host countries, and destabilize already fragile borders. Like the other host nations, Turkey, which is actively supporting the Syrian opposition, was struggling to control the mass movements across its border.

 In Hatay, Turkey’s southwestern province, hundreds of Syrians could be seen crossing illegally, unchecked by border guards or soldiers. Stretches of the border appeared porous and lawless. Criminal gangs thriving in the cross-border smuggling of gasoline and other goods could be seen working in broad daylight, using walkie-talkies to direct trucks in and out of Syria.

 A few miles from one of the biggest smuggling centers, the Turkish border town Bes Arslan, soldiers could sometimes be seen chasing individual Syrians clambering down a hill into Turkey. In a cat-and-mouse game played out over the day, Syrians crouched behind trees and rocks, some successfully slipping into Turkey; others were caught by soldiers and sent back. ||||| Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – In this photo provided by the anti-government activist group Aleppo Media Center, Syrian men help survivors out of a building in Aleppo after it was bombed, allegedly by a Syrian regime warplane on Saturday, February 8. The United Nations estimates more than 100,000 people have been killed since the Syrian conflict began in March 2011. Click through to see the most compelling images taken during the conflict, which is now a civil war: Hide Caption 1 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrians gather at a site hit by barrel bombs, allegedly dropped by a regime helicopter on the opposition-controlled Mesekin Hananu district of Aleppo on February 8. Hide Caption 2 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Civilians wave national flags as they take part in a rally in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, in a handout photo released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency on February 8. Hide Caption 3 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A man stands next to debris in the road following a reported airstrike by Syrian government forces in the northern city of Aleppo on February 8. Hide Caption 4 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Medical personnel look for survivors after a reported airstrike in Aleppo, Syria, on Saturday, February 1. Hide Caption 5 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrians carry a dead body following an airstrike on February 1. Hide Caption 6 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A man walks amid debris and dust on January 31. Hide Caption 7 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – An injured man is covered in dust after an airstrike on January 29. Hide Caption 8 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A man tries to fix electrical wires in a neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria, on January 27. Hide Caption 9 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Rebels and civilians check out a crater that activists say resulted from a Syrian government airstrike on an Aleppo bus station on Tuesday, January 21. Hide Caption 10 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Men rush to a site that Syrian government forces reportedly hit in Aleppo on January 21. Hide Caption 11 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Buildings lie in ruins in Aleppo on Sunday, January 19, after reported air raids by Syrian government planes. Hide Caption 12 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian child collects items from a garbage pile on Saturday, January 18, in Douma, northeast of the capital. Hide Caption 13 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A piece of exploded mortar lies in a street in Daraya, a city southwest of Damascus, on Friday, January 17. Hide Caption 14 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Residents search for survivors in Aleppo on Saturday, December 28, 2013, after what activists said were airstrikes by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Hide Caption 15 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A man appears distraught after an air raid in Aleppo on Monday, December 23. Hide Caption 16 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Free Syrian Army fighters sit in a damaged house in Old Aleppo on Saturday, December 21. Hide Caption 17 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – People search for survivors amid the rubble after an airstrike in Aleppo on Tuesday, December 17. Hide Caption 18 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A man sits on the ground after the airstrike in Aleppo on December 17. Hide Caption 19 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A woman carries children following airstrikes on a rebel area of Aleppo on Sunday, December 15. Hide Caption 20 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrians look at the aftermath of an airstrike on a rebel area of Aleppo on December 15. Hide Caption 21 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrians help a wounded woman following airstrikes in Aleppo on December 15. Hide Caption 22 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrians look at the aftermath of an airstrike on a rebel area of Aleppo on December 15. Hide Caption 23 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrian rebel fighters clash with pro-government forces in Aleppo on Wednesday, December 11. Hide Caption 24 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A woman weeps inside a damaged vehicle after forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad captured the town of Nabak on Monday, December 9. Hide Caption 25 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A rebel fighter takes position during fighting with government forces in Deir Ezzor on Monday, December 2. Hide Caption 26 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Shiite fighters from a group called the Hussein Brigade search for rebels from the Free Syrian Army in Hejeira on Thursday, November 21. Hide Caption 27 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Free Syrian Army rebels battle government forces in Aleppo on Monday, November 18. Hide Caption 28 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A rebel fighter holds his position in a damaged building during clashes with government forces in Deir Ezzor on Monday, November 11. Hide Caption 29 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A rebel fighter fires during clashes with government forces in Deir Ezzor on November 11. Hide Caption 30 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A rebel fighter prepares an improvised mortar shell in Aleppo, Syria, on Saturday, November 9. Hide Caption 31 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Two injured men are transported on a cart in Aleppo, Syria, following shelling as fighting between pro-government forces and rebels continues on Saturday, October 26. Hide Caption 32 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Rebel fighters hold a position in Deir Ezzor, Syria, on Thursday, October 24. Hide Caption 33 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – An opposition fighter stands in the doorway of a building as he smokes a cigarette in Deir Ezzor, Syria, on Tuesday, October 22. Hide Caption 34 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – People use buckets as they try to extinguish a fire that ignited at a fuel station in Aleppo, Syria, on Sunday, October 20. Hide Caption 35 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian opposition fighter aims a catapult toward regime forces in Aleppo, Syria, on Thursday, October 17. Hide Caption 36 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Firefighters extinguish a burning vehicle after two mortar rounds struck the Abu Roumaneh area in Damascus, Syria, on Saturday, October 12. Hide Caption 37 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – An opposition fighter aims as others run for cover while they hold a position behind burning tires in the Salaheddin district of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Wednesday, October 9. Hide Caption 38 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – An opposition fighter smokes a cigarette as he takes a break following the injury of his friend in the Salaheddin neighborhood of Aleppo on October 9. Hide Caption 39 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Smoke rises after a mortar shell hit a residential area during fighting between Syrian government forces and rebels in Maaret al-Numan, Syria, on October, 9. Hide Caption 40 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Rebel fighters cover a car in mud for camouflage at an undisclosed location in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib on Tuesday, October 8. Hide Caption 41 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Masked female rebel fighters walk alongside their trainer on a street in the Salaheddin district of Aleppo, Syria, on October 8. Hide Caption 42 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A rebel fighter prays moments before heading into battle in Maaret al-Numan, Syria, on Monday, October 7. Hide Caption 43 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A mother comforts her baby in an area where she and her family have taken shelter after fleeing their village turned battlefield in Syria's Idlib province on Sunday, September 22. Hide Caption 44 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A man checks an AK-47 at his gun shop in Aleppo, Syria, on Saturday, September 21. Hide Caption 45 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Free Syrian Army fighters take cover moments after firing a rocket toward government forces in the Idlib province of northern Syria on Friday, September 20. Hide Caption 46 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Rebel fighters inspect a stairwell amid fighting against Syrian government forces on Thursday, September 19, in the Saif al-Dawla district of Aleppo, Syria. Hide Caption 47 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian child sits in a village in the Idlib province countryside on September 19. Hide Caption 48 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Opposition fighters react after returning from the battlefield in the Idlib province countryside on September 19. Hide Caption 49 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Smoke rises after a bomb was thrown from a helicopter, hitting a rebel position during heavy fighting between troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and opposition fighters in the Idlib province on September 19. Hide Caption 50 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Rebel fighters duck behind a barricade from firing in Aleppo on Wednesday, September 18. Hide Caption 51 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – AFP reporter Sammy Ketz hits the ground as a Syrian soldier runs past during sniper fire in Maalula on September 18. Ketz and a photographer were reporting on the ancient Christian Syrian town northeast of Damascus. Hide Caption 52 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian opposition fighter takes a break on a mountain near a rebel camp in Idlib province on September 18. Hide Caption 53 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Free Syrian Army fighter rests inside a cave at a rebel camp in Idlib province on Tuesday, September 17. Hide Caption 54 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Volunteers wear protective gear to show a class how to respond to a chemical attack in Aleppo, Syria, on September 15. For two months, Mohammad Zayed, an Aleppo University student, has been training a group of 26 civilians to respond to a chemical attack. Hide Caption 55 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syria's pro-Assad militia rest near Maalula, Syria, on Friday, September 13. Hide Caption 56 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrian soldiers take aim at rebel fighters positioned in the mountains of the Christian town of Maalula on September 13. Hide Caption 57 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Rebels parade at a former military academy north of Aleppo during a September 13 ceremony to mark an agreement to unite two rebel brigade forces. Hide Caption 58 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A fighter of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine General Command squats next to the covered body of an alleged foreign rebel fighter in the Yarmouk refugee camp in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Thursday, September 12. Hide Caption 59 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – An opposition fighter runs in front of a sniper curtain in the industrial area of Deir Ezzor, Syria, during clashes with regime forces on September 12. Hide Caption 60 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A sheet hangs across an alley way to shield fighters from sniper fire as a fighter of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine General Command walks past destroyed buildings in the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus, Syria, on September 12. Hide Caption 61 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Free Syrian Army fighter stands guard inside a damaged house in Aleppo's Qastal al-Harami neighborhood on September 11. Hide Caption 62 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Free Syrian Army fighters climb a flight of stairs to take positions near the Hanano barracks on September 11. Hide Caption 63 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian government tank is seen during clashes with Free Syrian Army fighters in Maaloula, Syria, on September 11. Hide Caption 64 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A funeral is held on September 11 for three Christian Syrians killed during battles with an al Qaeda-linked rebel group that took control of the historic Christian town of Maaloula from regime forces during the weekend. Hide Caption 65 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A man walks through a destroyed residential area of Saraqib, Syria, on Monday, September 9, following repeated airstrikes by government forces. Hide Caption 66 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A soldier wears a picture of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on his chest while at a market in old Damascus on September 8. Hide Caption 67 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Free Syrian Army fighter prays in a trench in the Damascus suburbs on September 8. Hide Caption 68 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Free Syrian Army fighter takes up a shooting position in Aleppo on September 8. Hide Caption 69 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Free Syrian Army fighter runs for cover in Raqqa province on September 8. Hide Caption 70 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Buildings are heavily damaged in the Salah al-Din area of Aleppo on September 8. Hide Caption 71 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A boy named Issa , 10, carries a mortar shell in a weapons factory of the Free Syrian Army in Aleppo on Saturday, September 7. The boy works with his father in the factory. Hide Caption 72 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Issa fixes a mortar launcher in the Aleppo weapons factory on September 7. Hide Caption 73 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A bedroom lies in ruins after clashes between government forces and rebels around Ariha on September 7. Hide Caption 74 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrian forces are seen in the Syrian Christian town of Maaloula on September 7. Hide Caption 75 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian soldier prepares large-caliber bullets for a machine gun in Maaloula on September 7. Hide Caption 76 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A man stands inside a home damaged by heavy shelling in Arbeen, a suburb of Damascus, Syria, on September 7. Hide Caption 77 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Men gather on the remains of a destroyed building after reported airstrikes by Syrian government forces in the rebel-held northwestern Syrian province of Idlib on Thursday, September 5. Hide Caption 78 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Free Syrian Army fighter takes cover as he watches forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad near Hanano barracks in Aleppo on September 3. Hide Caption 79 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Free Syrian Army fighters walk inside a damaged house in Aleppo on September 3. Hide Caption 80 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Free Syrian Army fighters talk inside a burnt house in Aleppo on September 3. Hide Caption 81 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Free Syrian Army fighter peeks through the curtains of a bedroom in Deir ez-Zor, Syria, on Monday, September 2. Hide Caption 82 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Free Syrian Army fighters take their positions behind piled sandbags, as one of them points his weapon, in Deir ez-Zor on September 2. Hide Caption 83 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A rebel fighter points his weapon at Syrian regime forces in Deir ez-Zor on September 2. Hide Caption 84 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrian firefighters try to extinguish a fire after a missile hit a residential building in Damascus, Syria, on September 2. Hide Caption 85 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A U.N. arms expert collects samples during an inspection of a suspected chemical weapons strike site in the Ghouta area outside Damascus on August 29. Hide Caption 86 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – People search for belongings in rubble in Raqqa, Syria, on August 29. Hide Caption 87 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Free Syrian Army fighters launch a rocket toward forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Deir Ezzor on August 29. Hide Caption 88 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian Kurd uses hay to hide another woman in a training session organized by the Kurdish Women's Defense Units on Wednesday, August 28, in a northern Syrian border village. They're preparing if the area comes under attack. Hide Caption 89 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Free Syrian Army fighters escort U.N. vehicles with chemical weapons experts on August 28 through a site of a suspected chemical weapons attack outside Damascus. Hide Caption 90 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Free Syrian Army fighter takes position behind sandbags in the old city of Aleppo, Syria, on Tuesday, August 27. Hide Caption 91 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A U.N. team leaves its Damascus, Syria, hotel in a convoy on Monday, August 26. The team was to investigate an alleged chemical attack that killed hundreds last week in a suburb of the Syrian capital. Sniper fire hit a vehicle used by the U.N. chemical weapons investigation team multiple times Monday, according to the United Nations. Hide Caption 92 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian soldier walks down a street in Damascus on Saturday, August 24. Hide Caption 93 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Pigeons lie dead on the ground on August 24 from after what activists say is the use of chemical weapons by government forces in the Damascus suburb of Arbeen. Hide Caption 94 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Columns of smoke rise in Barzeh after heavy shelling on Friday, August 23. Hide Caption 95 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A young Free Syrian Army fighter is reflected in a mirror as he takes position in a house in Aleppo on Thursday, August 22. Hide Caption 96 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Rebels move around a building in Aleppo on August 22. Hide Caption 97 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrian rebels claim pro-government forces used chemical weapons to kill citizens outside Damascus on Wednesday, August 21. People inspect bodies in this photo released by the Syrian opposition Shaam News Network. Hide Caption 98 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – People search the rubble of a bombed building in Aleppo, Syria, on Friday, August 16. Hide Caption 99 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Men bury the bodies of six members of the same family killed in a bombing in Raqqa on Saturday, August 10. Hide Caption 100 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrian Army soldiers patrol a devastated street in Homs on Wednesday, July 31. Hide Caption 101 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Free Syrian Army fighters move through a hole in a wall in Khan al-Assal on Monday, July 22, after seizing the town. Hide Caption 102 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A rebel fighter walks past swings in a deserted playground in Deir al-Zor, Syria, on Sunday, July 21. Hide Caption 103 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A rebel fighter speaks with a fellow fighter through a hole in a wall in Deir al-Zor on July 21. Hide Caption 104 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Free Syrian Army fighter casts a shadow on a wall as he carries his weapon in a shelter in Deir al-Zor on Thursday, July 18. Hide Caption 105 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Yahya Sweed, 13, is comforted by his father as he lies on a bed in Kfar Nubul on Tuesday, July 16. The boy was injured by shrapnel, resulting in the amputation of his right leg. Hide Caption 106 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A rebel fighter naps in a trench about 300 feet from the Syrian government forces' positions along the highway connecting Idlib with Latakia on Monday, July 15. Hide Caption 107 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A rebel fighter uses a hole in the wall of a destroyed school to aim at Syrian government forces in the Izaa district of Aleppo on Sunday, July 14. Hide Caption 108 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Free Syrian Army fighter uses a mirror to scope out snipers loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo on Friday, July 12. Hide Caption 109 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Free Syrian Army fighter stands over a boy who was injured during shelling in Al-Bara on Monday, July 8. Hide Caption 110 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Members of the Free Syrian Army fire a homemade rocket toward regime forces in Deir al-Zor on Sunday, June 16. Hide Caption 111 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrian rebels leave their position in the northwestern town of Maaret al-Numan on Thursday, June 13. The White House said that the Syrian government has crossed a "red line" with its use of chemical weapons and announced it would start arming the rebels. Hide Caption 112 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are seen near Qusayr on Thursday, May 30. Hide Caption 113 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrian rebels take position in a house during clashes with regime forces in the old city of Aleppo on May 22. Hide Caption 114 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrian army soldiers take control of the village of Western Dumayna north of the rebel-held city of Qusayr on Monday, May 13. Syrian troops captured three villages in Homs province, allowing them to cut supply lines to rebels inside Qusayr town, a military officer told AFP. Hide Caption 115 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Rebel fighters fire at government forces in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Sunday, May 12. Hide Caption 116 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Searchers use a flashlight as they look for survivors among the rubble created by what activists say was a missile attack from the Syrian regime, in Raqqa province, Syria, on April 25. Hide Caption 117 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Kurdish fighter from the "Popular Protection Units" (YPG) takes position inside a building in the majority-Kurdish Sheikh Maqsood area of Aleppo, on Apri. 21. Hide Caption 118 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – People walk past destroyed houses in the northern Syrian town of Azaz on Sunday, April 21. Hide Caption 119 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Free Syrian Army fighters take positions prior to an offensive against government forces in the Khan al-Assal area, near Aleppo on Saturday, April 20. Hide Caption 120 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Men inspect damage at a house destroyed in an airstrike in Aleppo on April 15. Hide Caption 121 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrian and Kurdish rebel fighters walk in the Sheikh Maqsud district of Aleppo on April 14. Hide Caption 122 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A female rebel monitors the movement of Syrian government forces in Aleppo's Sheikh Maqsud neighborhood on Thursday, April 11. Hide Caption 123 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A rebel runs to avoid sniper fire from Syrian government forces in Aleppo on April 11. Hide Caption 124 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrian rebels observe the movement of Syrian government forces around Al-Kendi hospital in Aleppo on Wednesday, April 10. Hide Caption 125 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Rescue teams and security forces check out the scene of a deadly car bomb explosion in Damascus on April 8. Hide Caption 126 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – The fighting has taken a toll on buildings in Aleppo's Saladin district, seen here on April 8. Hide Caption 127 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian rebel runs for cover in Deir ez-Zor on April 2. Hide Caption 128 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A rebel checks for snipers across the street toward the Citadel in Aleppo, Syria, on Saturday, March 30, in this photo taken by iReporter Lee Harper. Hide Caption 129 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Free Syrian fighter mourns the death of a friend in Aleppo on March 30, in this photo taken by iReporter Lee Harper. Hide Caption 130 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian opposition fighter runs for cover from Syrian army snipers in Aleppo on Wednesday, March 27. Hide Caption 131 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian girl covers her face to protect herself from fumes as a street covered with uncollected garbage is fumigated in Aleppo on Sunday, March 24. Hide Caption 132 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian man and his family drive past damaged buildings in Maarat al-Numan, on Wednesday, March 20. Hide Caption 133 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrians carry the body of a Syrian army soldier during a funeral ceremony in Idlib province on Tuesday, March 19. Hide Caption 134 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrian rebels take position in Aleppo, the largest city in the country, on March 11. Hide Caption 135 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrian men search for their relatives amongst the bodies of civilians executed and dumped in the Quweiq River on March 11. Hide Caption 136 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Free Syrian Army fighter looks back as smoke rises during fighting between rebel fighters and forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad on the outskirts of Aleppo on Saturday, March 2. Hide Caption 137 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Residents read Shaam News newspapers published by the Free Syrian Army in Aleppo on March 2. Hide Caption 138 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A member of the Free Syrian Army reacts to the death of a comrade who was killed in fighting, at Bustan al Qasr cemetery in Aleppo on Friday, March 1. Hide Caption 139 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A rebel fighter throws a home-made grenade at Syrian government forces in Aleppo on February 16. Hide Caption 140 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A member of the Free Syrian Army stands with his weapon as he looks at a rainbow in Aleppo on February 16. Hide Caption 141 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian woman looks through a bus window in Aleppo on February 14. Hide Caption 142 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Free Syrian Army fighters walk through a dust-filled stairwell in Damascus on February 7. Hide Caption 143 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian rebel gestures at comrades from inside a broken armored personnel carrier in Al-Yaqubia on February 6. Hide Caption 144 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A rebel fighter throws a hand grenade inside a Syrian Army base in Damascus on February 3. Hide Caption 145 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – People stand in the dust of a building destroyed in an airstrike in Aleppo, Syria on February 3. Hide Caption 146 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Free Syrian Army fighters run as they enter a Syrian Army base during heavy fighting in the Arabeen neighborhood of Damascus on February 3. Hide Caption 147 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – An unexploded mortar shell fired by the Syrian Army sits lodged in the ground in Damascus on January 25. Hide Caption 148 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Fighters from Fateh al Sham unit of the Free Syrian Army fire on Syrian Army soldiers at a check point in Damascus on January 20. Hide Caption 149 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Free Syrian Army fighter walks between buildings damaged during Syrian Air Force strikes in Damascus on January 19. Hide Caption 150 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian rebel fighter tries to locate a government jet fighter in Aleppo on January 18. Hide Caption 151 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrian rebels launch a missile near the Abu Baker brigade in Albab on January 16. Hide Caption 152 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian boy walks near rubbish next to tents at a refugee camp near the northern city of Azaz on the Syria-Turkey border, on January 8. Hide Caption 153 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrians look for survivors amid the rubble of a building targeted by a missile in Aleppo on January 7. Hide Caption 154 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A father reacts after hearing of a shelling by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo on January 3. Hide Caption 155 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A patient smokes a cigarette at Dar Al-Ajaza psychiatric hospital in Aleppo on December 18, 2012. The psychiatric ward, housing around 60 patients, has lacked the means to function properly since fighting broke out there in July. Hide Caption 156 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrians mourn a fallen rebel fighter at a rebel base in the al-Fardos area of Aleppo on December 8, 2012. Hide Caption 157 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Members of Liwa (Brigade) Salahadin, a Kurdish military unit fighting alongside rebel fighters, monitor the area in the besieged district of Karmel al-Jabl in Aleppo on December 6, 2012. Hide Caption 158 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A member of Liwa Salahadin aims at a regime fighter in the besieged district of Karmel al-Jabl in Aleppo on December 6, 2012. Hide Caption 159 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Two young boys sit underneath a washline in a refugee camp on the border between Syria and Turkey near Azaz on December 5, 2012. Hide Caption 160 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Hide Caption 161 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – The bodies of three children, who were allegedly killed in a mortar shell attack that landed close to a bakery in Aleppo, on December 2, 2012, are laid out for identification by family members at a makeshift hospital at an undisclosed location of the city. Hide Caption 162 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Smoke rises in the Hanano and Bustan al-Basha districts in Aleppo on December 1, 2012 as fighting continues through the night. Hide Caption 163 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Damaged houses in Aleppo are seen after an airstrike on November 29, 2012. Hide Caption 164 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian rebel mourns the death of a comrade in Maraat al-Numan on November 20, 2012. Hide Caption 165 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrians protesters stand on Assad's portrait during an anti-regime demonstration in Aleppo on November 16, 2012. Hide Caption 166 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian rebel takes cover during fighting against Syrian government forces in Aleppo on November 15, 2012. Hide Caption 167 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrian opposition fighter Bazel Araj, 19, sleeps next to his pistol in Aleppo on November 11, 2012. Hide Caption 168 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A rebel fighter fires at a Syrian government position in Aleppo on November 6, 2012. Hide Caption 169 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian rebel leaps over debris left in the street while running across a "sniper alley" near the Salahudeen district in Aleppo on November 4, 2012. Hide Caption 170 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Rebels hold their position in the midst of a battle on November 3, 2012 in Aleppo. Hide Caption 171 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A man cries while being treated in a local hospital in a rebel-controlled area of Aleppo on October 31, 2012. Hide Caption 172 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A man is treated for wounds after a government jet attacked the Karm al-Aser neighborhood in eastern Aleppo on October 31, 2012. Hide Caption 173 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian rebel interrogates a handcuffed and blindfolded man suspected of being a pro-regime militiaman in Aleppo on October 26, 2012. Hide Caption 174 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Smoke rises from a fuel station following a mortar attack as Syrian women walk on a rainy day in the Arqub neighborhood of Aleppo on October 25, 2012. Hide Caption 175 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian rebel fires at an army position in the Karm al-Jabal district of Aleppo on October 22, 2012. Hide Caption 176 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A wounded Syrian boy sits on the back of a truck carrying victims and wounded people to a hospital following an attack by regime forces in Aleppo on October 21, 2012. Hide Caption 177 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A man lies on the ground after being shot by a sniper for a second time as he waits to be rescued by members of the Al-Baraa Bin Malek Battalion, part of the Free Syria Army's Al-Fatah brigade, in Aleppo on October 20, 2012. Hide Caption 178 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrian army soldiers run for cover during clashes with rebel fighters at Karam al-Jabal neighborhood of Aleppo on October 20, 2012. Hide Caption 179 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Smoke rises after a Syrian Air Force fighter jet fired missiles at the suburbs of the northern province of Idlib on October 16, 2012. Hide Caption 180 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian opposition fighter stands near a post in Aleppo on October 11, 2012. Hide Caption 181 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian man mourns the death of his father, who was killed during a government attack in Aleppo on October 10, 2012. Hide Caption 182 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A rebel fighter is carried by his friends and laid on a gurney to be treated for gunshot wounds sustained during heavy battles with government forces in Aleppo on October 1, 2012. Hide Caption 183 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrian rebels help a wounded comrade to an Aleppo hospital after he was injured in a Syrian army strike on September 18, 2012. Hide Caption 184 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Free Syria Army fighters are reflected in a mirror they use to see a Syrian Army post only 50 meters away in Aleppo on September 16, 2012. Hide Caption 185 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian man carrying grocery bags tries to dodge sniper fire as he runs through an alley near a checkpoint manned by the Free Syria Army in Aleppo on September 14, 2012. Hide Caption 186 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A woman walks past a destroyed building in Aleppo on September 13, 2012. Hide Caption 187 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Free Syrian Army fighters battle during street fighting against Syrian army soldiers in Aleppo on September 8, 2012. Hide Caption 188 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian man wounded by shelling sits on a chair outside a closed shop in Aleppo on September 4, 2012. Hide Caption 189 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A woman sits in her wheelchair next to her house, damaged by a Syrian air raid, near Homs on August 26, 2012. Hide Caption 190 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Members of the Free Syrian Army clash with Syrian army soliders in Aleppo's Saif al-Dawla district on August 22, 2012. Hide Caption 191 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Hide Caption 192 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A man mourns in front of a field hospital on August 21, 2012 in Aleppo. Hide Caption 193 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Hide Caption 194 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Wounded civilians wait in a field hospital after an air strike on August 21, 2012 in Aleppo. Hide Caption 195 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – People pray during the funeral of a Free Syrian Army fighter, Amar Ali Amero, on August 21, 2012. Hide Caption 196 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A man cries near the graves of his two children killed during a recent Syrian airstrike in Azaz on August 20, 2012. Hide Caption 197 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Hide Caption 198 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian woman holds her dead baby as she screams upon seeing her husband's body being covered following an airstrike by regime forces on the town of Azaz on August 15, 2012. Hide Caption 199 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian rebel runs in a street of Selehattin during an attack on the municipal building on July 23, 2012. Hide Caption 200 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrian rebels hunt for snipers after attacking the municipality building in the city center of Selehattin on July 23, 2012. Hide Caption 201 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Members of the Free Syrian Army's Mugaweer (commandos) Brigade pay their respects in a cemetery on May 12, 2012 in Qusayr. Hide Caption 202 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrian rebels take position near Qusayr on May 10, 2012. Hide Caption 203 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Free Syrian Army member takes cover in underground caves in Sarmin on April 9, 2012. Hide Caption 204 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Rebels prepare to engage government tanks that advanced into Saraquib on April 9, 2012. Hide Caption 205 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Men say prayers during a ceremony in Binnish on April 9, 2012. Hide Caption 206 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A young boy plays with a toy gun in Binnish on April 9, 2012. Hide Caption 207 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Free Syrian Army rebel mounts his horse in the Al-Shatouria village near the Turkish border in northwestern Syria on March 16, 2012, a year after the uprising began. Hide Caption 208 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrian refugees walk across a field before crossing into Turkey on March 14, 2012. Hide Caption 209 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A rebel takes position in Al-Qsair on January 27, 2012. Hide Caption 210 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A protester in Homs throws a tear gas bomb back towards security forces, on December 27, 2011. Hide Caption 211 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A man stands under a giant Syrian flag outside the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus on December 24, 2011. Hide Caption 212 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A member of the Free Syrian Army looks out over a valley in the village of Ain al-Baida on December 15, 2011. Hide Caption 213 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Members of the Free Syrian Army stand in an valley near the village of Ain al-Baida, close to the Turkish border, on December 15, 2011. Hide Caption 214 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Displaced Syrian refugees walk through an orchard adjacent to Syria's northern border with Turkey on June 14, 2011, near Khirbet al-Jouz. Hide Caption 215 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A Syrian man holds up a portrait of President Bashar al-Assad during a rally to show support for the president in Damascus on April 30, 2011. Hide Caption 216 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrians rally to show their support for President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on April 30, 2011. Hide Caption 217 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A screen grab from YouTube shows thick smoke rising above as Syrian anti-government protesters demonstrate in Moaret Al-Noman on April 29, 2011. Hide Caption 218 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A screen grab from YouTube shows Syrian anti-government protesters run for cover from tear gas fired by security forces in Damascus on April 29, 2011, during the "Day of Rage" demonstrations called by activists to put pressure on al-Assad. Hide Caption 219 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – A woman sits by the hospital bed of a man allegedly injured when an armed group seized rooftops in Latakia on March 27, 2011, and opened fire at passers-by, citizens and security forces personnel according to official sources. Hide Caption 220 of 222

 Photos: Unrest in Syria Syrian civil war in photos – Syrians wave their national flag and hold portraits of al-Assad during a rally to show their support for their leader in Damascus on March 29, 2011. Hide Caption 221 of 222 |||||Summary:

– The horrific toll civil war is taking on the children of Syria is laid bare in the first major report to focus on the issue. At least 11,420 children, more than a tenth of the conflict's casualties, have been killed since the conflict began in March 2011, including hundreds who were shot dead by snipers or summarily executed, the report from a London think-tank finds. Teenage boys were the most likely to be killed but children as young as just a year old have been tortured and executed, reports the BBC. Bombing and shelling were the cause of most deaths and the report's authors have urged both sides to stop targeting civilians. More than 2.1 million refugees have now fled the conflict and the United Nations, which says this is the worst refugee crisis in a generation, warns that there could be 3.5 million refugees by the end of the year, reports the New York Times. To make matters even worse for internally displaced Syrians, al-Qaeda fighters have been making major gains in northern Syria in recent months, displacing more moderate opposition groups and imposing strict Islamic law in areas under their control, CNN finds. The jihadist groups are even more dangerous in Syria than they were in Iraq, and are "more likely to sustainably control territory, project power around the region, possibly sponsor global terrorist attacks, and catalyze a new generation of jihadist insurrection," a counterterrorism expert warns.


Here is a news article: PHOENIX (AP) — A tour helicopter carrying seven people on board crashed in the Grand Canyon, killing three people and injuring four others.

 Six passengers and a pilot were on board the Papillion Grand Canyon Helicopters chopper when it crashed around 5:20 p.m. Saturday on the Hualapai Nation near Quartermaster Canyon, Hualapai Nation Police Chief Francis Bradley said. The four who were injured were level 1 trauma patients and were being treated at the scene.

 An after-hours phone call and email to Papillion were not immediately returned Saturday. The company's website says it flies roughly 600,000 passengers a year on Grand Canyon and other tours. It also notes that it "abides by flight safety rules and regulations that substantially exceed the regulations required by the Federal Aviation Administration."

 Longtime helicopter crash lawyer Gary C. Robb represented a woman badly burned in a deadly Papillion crash at the Grand Canyon in 2001. He said the company has made big improvements since that crash.

 "They've improved their piloting qualifications as well as their maintenance over the last 10 years and as far as I know they've not had a crash since 2001," he said. He said flying in the Grand Canyon can be treacherous simply because of the number of helicopters there.

 Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said the Eurocopter EC130 crashed in unknown circumstances and sustained heavy damage.

 Robb said his heart went out to the victims.

 "This is not just the fact that a helicopter crashed, this is a human tragedy. People died and were horribly injured. It's a tragedy for human beings," Robb said. ||||| (CNN) Three people died when a EC-130 helicopter operated by sightseeing tour company Papillon Airways went down at 5:20 p.m. (7:20 p.m. ET) Saturday near Quartermaster Canyon, within the Grand Canyon on the Hualapai Nation.

 Three other passengers and the pilot were injured.

 The six passengers on board were visiting from the United Kingdom, Police Chief Francis E. Bradley Sr. of the Hualapai reservation said.

 Passengers Becky Dobson, 27, Jason Hill, 32, and Stuart Hill, 30, suffered fatal injuries in the crash, according to a news release from the Hualapai Nation Police Department. Their bodies were recovered early Sunday afternoon.

 The survivors of the crash were rescued during an operation that stretched into the early hours of Sunday morning, Bradley said.

 The injured pilot was identified as Scott Booth, 42. The hospitalized passengers were identified as Ellie Milward, 29, Jonathan Udall, 32, and Jennifer Barham, 39, according to the police news release.

 Rescue efforts

 In a statement, Bradley expressed his condolences to the family and friends of the crash victims.

 He said first responders and rescuers had arrived at the scene within 30 minutes of the crash: "Without their valiant and diligent efforts to stabilize and rescue the survivors under extreme conditions, we may have had more loss of life," he said.

 Bradley earlier said first responders had been hindered by windy, dark and rugged conditions and had a 20-minute hike to the crash scene.

 Rescuers got help from military aircraft from Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas and were eventually able to fly all four of the injured to the University Medical Center in Las Vegas, he said. The pilot had severe injury to one of his limbs.

 Rescuers were delayed from reaching the crash sight because of the terrain

 Photos of the crash scene showed flames and dark smoke rising from rocky terrain.

 Teddy Fujimoto told CNN affiliate KSNV he was in the area taking photographs when he witnessed the aftermath of the crash.

 "I saw these two ladies run out of it, and then an explosion. One of the survivors ... looked all bloody. Her clothes probably were burnt off," Fujimoto told KSNV.

 "The ladies were screaming. ... It was just horrible," he said.

 A witness said survivors of the crash ran out of the helicopter screaming

 FAA spokesman Allen Kenitzer earlier said the aircraft sustained considerable damage in the crash.

 The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate, Kenitzer said.

 An aerial view of Quartermaster Canyon, the area where the helicopter crashed

 Papillon Airways describes itself on its website as "the world's largest aerial sightseeing company" and adds that it provides "the only way to tour the Grand Canyon."

 The company says it flies roughly 600,000 passengers a year on Grand Canyon and other tours. It also notes that it "abides by flight safety rules and regulations that substantially exceed the regulations required by the Federal Aviation Administration."

 "It is with extreme sadness we extend our heartfelt sympathy to the families involved in this accident. Our top priority is the care and needs of our passengers and our staff," Papillon Group CEO Brenda Halvorson said Sunday.

 NTSB records show a helicopter operated by Papillon was involved in a deadly crash on August 10, 2001, near Meadview, Arizona. The pilot and five passengers were killed; one passenger survived, the NTSB report shows.

 NTSB investigators determined the probable cause of the 2001 crash was pilot error. |||||
A summary of this is?

– A tour helicopter carrying seven people crashed in the Grand Canyon, reports the AP, killing three people and injuring four others. Six passengers and a pilot were on board the Papillion Grand Canyon Helicopters chopper when it crashed around 5:20pm Saturday on the Hualapai Nation near Quartermaster Canyon, Hualapai Nation Police Chief Francis Bradley said. The four who were injured were level 1 trauma patients and were being treated at the scene. "We are having difficulties getting the four people out of the crash site area to the hospital," Bradley tells CNN. "It is too windy and it's dark and the area is very rugged." The company's website says it flies roughly 600,000 passengers a year on Grand Canyon and other tours. It also notes that it "abides by flight safety rules and regulations that substantially exceed the regulations required by the Federal Aviation Administration." Longtime helicopter crash lawyer Gary Robb represented a woman badly burned in a deadly Papillion crash at the Grand Canyon in 2001. He said the company has made big improvements since that crash. "They've improved their piloting qualifications as well as their maintenance over the last 10 years and as far as I know they've not had a crash since 2001," he said. He said flying in the Grand Canyon can be treacherous simply because of the number of helicopters there. FAA spokesman Allen Kenitzer said the Eurocopter EC130 crashed in unknown circumstances and sustained heavy damage. Robb said his heart went out to the victims. "This is not just the fact that a helicopter crashed, this is a human tragedy. People died and were horribly injured. It's a tragedy for human beings," Robb said.


Here is a news article: LONDON (AP) — British restaurant chain Pret a Manger says a second customer has died after eating a sandwich containing an allergen that was not noted on the label.

 The coffee-and-sandwich business has promised to improve its labeling following criticism at an inquest into the death of 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died in 2016 after eating a Pret baguette that contained traces of sesame.

 The company said an investigation was underway into a second case, in which a customer died in December after eating a supposedly dairy-free product that contained dairy protein. Pret a Manger blamed a supplier of its dairy-free yoghurt.

 The parents of Ednan-Laperouse, who are campaigning for stronger allergen warnings, said Sunday they were "incredibly saddened to learn of someone else losing their life from allergens in their food." ||||| Pret a Manger has been hit by further controversy over the weekend, as it emerged that a second customer had died after eating one of its sandwiches in 2017.

 The sandwich chain found itself in a escalating row with a former supplier, after it blamed the second death on an ingredient supplied by the vegan brand CoYo, a claim the yoghurt company said was unfounded.

 It emerged on Saturday that a Pret customer had died in 2017 after eating a “super-veg rainbow flatbread” that was supposed to be dairy-free.

 Pret said it had been mis-sold yoghurt that forms one of the ingredients of the flatbread and which was guaranteed dairy-free but was found to contain dairy protein.

 The company agreed to full labelling of ingredients on all its freshly made products last week following the case of 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who was allergic to sesame and died on a flight after eating one of its baguettes bought at Heathrow airport.

 Following the news of another death, Natasha’s parents, Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, said: “We were incredibly saddened to learn of someone else losing their life from allergens in their food. Our hearts go out to the bereaved family.”

 The pair have been campaigning for allergy awareness and a change in food-labelling laws.

 Pret a Manger to bring in full labelling after teenager's death Read more

 The second customer, who has not been named, collapsed and died on 27 December after buying the sandwich in a shop in Stall Street, Bath.

 Bath’s council alerted Pret to the incident and the chain said it withdrew all affected products. The firm said it had ended its contract with CoYo and was taking legal action.

 “Subsequent testing by Pret and two independent authorities found that the CoYo dairy-free yoghurt contained traces of dairy protein,” a Pret spokesman said. “This is believed to have resulted in the tragic death of a customer from an allergic reaction in December 2017.

 “Our deepest sympathies are with the family and friends of our customer in this terrible case and we will seek to assist them in any way we can.”

 CoYo, a coconut milk brand that the TV cook Nigella Lawson has endorsed, said on Sunday that Pret’s claims that it was to blame were unfounded. It accused the sandwich chain of hampering its own investigation into the death by failing to provide vital information.

 “Pret’s inability to provide us with a batch code, despite several requests, has severely limited our ability to investigate this further,” it said

 CoYo recalled its yoghurts in February 2018 after dairy traces were found. The Food Standards Agency investigated together with Bexley council in London, where CoYo is based, before it issued an allergy alert.

 CoYo denied on Sunday that the product recall was related to the death. “The dairy-free product we provided to Pret in December 2017, at the time of this tragedy, is not linked to the product we recalled in February 2018,” a spokeswoman said.

 The company would continue to help to find the true cause of the death, she said. “We urge all parties to work together, and not to speculate on the cause of this tragic death which is unknown as far as we are aware and is still being investigated by the coroner’s court.”

 Following the February recall, Coyo said it had been devastated to discover dairy in its yoghurts, “especially as being dairy-free sits at the heart of everything we do”.

 It said it had carried out a “thorough review” of its ingredients and identified that the contaminated material was provided by an external third-party supplier, whose relationship had now been terminated. |||||
A summary of this is?

– British restaurant chain Pret a Manger says a second customer has died after eating a sandwich containing an allergen that was not noted on the label, reports the AP. The coffee-and-sandwich business said an investigation was underway into the second case, in which a customer died December 27 after eating a supposedly dairy-free "super-veg rainbow flatbread" that contained dairy protein, reports the Guardian. "This is believed to have resulted in the tragic death of a customer from an allergic reaction," says a Pret a Manger spokesperson, and blaming CoYo, a supplier of its dairy-free yogurt. Pret a Manger has promised to improve its labeling following criticism at an inquest into the death of 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died in 2016 after eating a Pret baguette that contained traces of sesame. Natasha's parents, who are campaigning for stronger allergen warnings, said Sunday they were "incredibly saddened to learn of someone else losing their life from allergens in their food."


Here is a news article: Image copyright AFP Image caption Pairs of John Lennon's signature round glasses were also found

 German police have recovered more than 100 items stolen from John Lennon's estate, including three diaries.

 The diaries were put on display at Berlin police headquarters with other items including a tape recording of a Beatles concert, two pairs of glasses, sheet music and a cigarette case.

 Police said a 58-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods.

 The items were stolen in New York in 2006 from Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono.

 Detectives said much of the haul was confiscated from an auction house in Berlin in July, sparking an investigation to find the rest of the stolen items.

 Ono identified the objects from photos she was shown at the German consulate in New York, German media reported.

 Image copyright AFP Image caption The diaries, along with other items, were displayed by police in Berlin

 The suspect was arrested on Monday in Berlin after police searched his home and cars.

 Martin Steltner, a spokesman for the Berlin prosecutor's office, said another suspect, who lives in Turkey, "is unattainable for us at the present time".

 It is understood the second suspect used to work as a chauffeur for Ono.

 Mr Steltner said it was not clear when the recovered items could be returned to Lennon's estate.

 Image copyright EPA Image caption John Lennon, pictured here with Yoko Ono in 1969, was shot dead in New York in 1980

 Memorabilia connected to the Beatles can fetch huge prices at auction.

 In February, a leather jacket believed to have been worn by Lennon sold for £10,400 at an auction in England.

 In September, an original score for The Beatles' song Eleanor Rigby was removed from another auction in England amid claims it had been stolen.

 The handwritten score, signed by Paul McCartney, was due to be sold with a guide price of £20,000. ||||| An original tape from a recording and play list of a Beatles concert on Aug. 30, 1965, is displayed at the police headquarters in Berlin, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017 after German police have arrested a man... (Associated Press)

 An original tape from a recording and play list of a Beatles concert on Aug. 30, 1965, is displayed at the police headquarters in Berlin, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017 after German police have arrested a man suspected of handling stolen objects from the estate of John Lennon, including diaries which were... (Associated Press)

 BERLIN (AP) — German police recovered around 100 items that belonged to late Beatles star John Lennon that were stolen from his widow in New York, including three diaries, two pairs of his signature metal-rimmed glasses, a cigarette case and a handwritten music score.

 The retrieved possessions were displayed Tuesday at Berlin police headquarters.

 "This was a spectacular, unusual criminal case," police spokesman Winfrid Wenzel told reporters.

 German authorities first became aware of the items, stolen from Yoko Ono at her New York home in 2006, when a bankruptcy administrator for the Berlin auction house Auctionata contacted them in July. The administrator had found the memorabilia in the company's storage.

 Police confiscated the items from the auctioneers two weeks later, and on Monday arrested a suspect and raided his Berlin home and cars. They said another suspect, who is living in Turkey, is currently "not available," but they would try to get him extradited to Germany.

 During their investigation, police officers and prosecutors also flew to New York, where they met Ono to have her verify the stolen goods' authenticity.

 "She was very emotional and we noticed clearly how much these things mean to her and how happy she would be to have them back," prosecutor Susann Wettley said of the moment they showed Ono some of the recovered items and pictures of some others.

 Wettley said that Ono's former driver, who is now living in Turkey, is one of the suspects. He has a previous conviction in New York related to the stolen items, she said.

 The other suspect, who was arrested in Berlin on Monday, was identified as a 58-year-old German businessman of Turkish origin. During the search of his car, police said they found additional belongings of Lennon in a briefcase hidden under the spare tire in the trunk. Neither suspect's name was released because of German privacy rules.

 Police are still checking confiscated computer files and business contracts to better understand how exactly the stolen goods ended up at the auction house in Berlin and if the auctioneers were aware that they bought stolen goods from the two suspects. They said the items have been in possession of Auctionata since 2014, but were never available for sale online.

 The trove of Lennon memorabilia also includes a recording of a Beatles concert from 1965, a school exercise book from 1952, contract documents for the copyright of Lennon's "I'm the Greatest" song and handwritten scores for "Woman" and "Just like starting over."

 There are also three of Lennon's leather-bound diaries, from 1975, 1979 and 1980. The last entry was made by Lennon on the morning of Dec. 8, 1980, a few hours before he was killed, Wettley said.

 It included a note on the famous photo shoot by Annie Leibovitz that same day showing a naked Lennon embracing his wife.

 It wasn't immediately clear when Ono will get all the items back. |||||
A summary of this is?

– Yoko Ono is going to be reunited with a trove of John Lennon memorabilia that apparently took a long and winding road after being stolen from her New York home in 2006. Police in Germany say they have recovered more than 100 items, including diaries, glasses, and sheet music, many of which were confiscated from a Berlin auction house in July, the BBC reports. Police say a 58-year-old man was arrested Monday after a search of his home and cars turned up additional Lennon items. Prosecutors say a second suspect, Ono's former chauffeur, is living in Turkey and they will try to have him extradited. Police say they became aware of the items when a bankruptcy administrator at the Auctionata auction house contacted them in July, the AP reports. They are now trying to determine whether the auction house knew the items were stolen when it acquired them in 2014. The diaries are from 1975, 1979, and 1980. The final entry in the 1980 diary was made on Dec. 8, hours before he was murdered, says prosecutor Susann Wettley. She says that when investigators flew to New York to have Ono verify the items, the widow was "very emotional and we noticed clearly how much these things mean to her and how happy she would be to have them back." (An angry letter from Lennon to Paul McCartney was auctioned off last year.)


– Drinking and the sport of curling aren't totally incompatible, the manager of the Red Deer Curling Center says—but most teams wait until after the game. A team that included Canadian Olympian Ryan Fry, however, got so drunk before a game Saturday that they were banned from a tournament in Red Deer, Alberta, and told never to come back, the CBC reports. "They went out to curl and they were extremely drunk and breaking brooms and swearing and just unacceptable behavior that nobody wants to watch or hear or listen to and it was just 'enough was enough,'" says facility manager Wade Thurber. He says there was "some damage in the locker room" and other teams complained about having their stuff kicked around. Thurber tells the Red Deer Advocate that the foursome drank so much before the game that staff at the curling club lounge cut them off. They ended up with only three players on the ice because skipper Jamie Koe was too drunk to even play. Thurber says there were complaints from spectators and other teams. Fry, who was part of the team that won gold for Canada in Sochi in 2014, issued an apology. "I will strive to become a better version of myself while contributing positively to the sport and curling community that I love so much," he said. The team forfeited the rest of its games in the Red Deer Classic, which is part of the World Curling Tour, the BBC reports. (American curlers surprised the world by winning gold in Pyeongchang earlier this year.)

Expand this summary.

Image copyright AFP/Getty Image caption Ryan Fry won gold in Canada's victory over Great Britain at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics

 A curling team led by an Olympic gold medallist has been kicked out of a Canadian tournament for poor behaviour and drunkenness.

 Ryan Fry, who won gold for Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympics, and his teammates forfeited their final game at the Red Deer Curling Classic in Alberta after fans and opponents complained.

 The group reportedly broke brooms and damaged locker rooms.

 In a statement, Fry apologised for his behaviour.

 He was part of the Canadian curling team that beat Great Britain's curlers in the Sochi 2014 final.

 "They went out to curl and they were extremely drunk and breaking brooms and swearing," Red Deer Curling Centre facility manager Wade Thurber told Canadian broadcaster CBC.

 Mr Thurber also said there was "some damage in the locker room". Fry and teammates Jamie Koe, Chris Schille, and DJ Kidby were disqualified as a result.

 "I wish nothing more than to apologise to everyone individually," Fry said.

 "I will strive to become a better version of myself while contributing positively to the sport and curling community that I love so much."

 Although he was not taking part, Jamie Koe also issued a statement apologising on behalf of the team.

 The Red Deer Classic bonspiel, or curling event, is a part of the World Curling Tour.

 It takes place annually in Red Deer, Alberta, and counts towards rankings of the best curling teams in Canada.

 YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN: ||||| The curling foursome of Jamie Koe, Ryan Fry, Chris Schille, and DJ Kidby was kicked out of the Red Deer Curling Classic on Sunday for "unacceptable behaviour" that included being "extremely drunk."

 The four were ejected from the World Curling Tour event and forced to forfeit their final match.

 After receiving numerous complaints from opponents and spectators, the tournament committee at the Red Deer Curling Centre was compelled to intervene.

 "They went out to curl and they were extremely drunk and breaking brooms and swearing and just unacceptable behaviour that nobody wants to watch or hear or listen to and it was just 'enough was enough,'" facility manager Wade Thurber told CBC Sports.

 "There was some damage in the locker room and other teams complaining about their stuff being kicked around in the locker room. So at the end of the day, it was like 'OK, that's enough of this gong show.' The committee for the bonspiel collectively decided that we needed to remove them from the spiel for this year and what happens down the road, I'm not sure yet."

 Complaints from players, teams

 However, a sign was placed on the main board of the arena to make it clear that a decision had been made to remove Koe's team from the competition and all future events at the club.

 "We did that because we had so many complaints from other players and teams, not to mention the spectators, and so we wanted them to know that we did something about it," said Thurber.

 "We had people taking pictures of the sign and also lots of people telling us we did the right thing. When you have people complaining like that, there is a need to do something, right?"

 Olympic champ apologizes for 'embarrassing' actions

 Fry, who is normally a third on Brad Jacobs's team, was serving as a spare with Koe's rink at the event. He lives in Calgary while the rest of the team curls out of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., and says a bad lapse in judgment affected the experience for others.

 "I would like to sincerely apologize to the fans, participants and organizers of the Red Deer Curling Classic," Fry, who has offered to pay for damages, said in a statement to CBC Sports.

 "I came to the event to play and enjoy the sport. My actions were truly disrespectful and embarrassing — the committee was right to disqualify us from play."

 Fry won gold at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi as a member of Team Canada along with Jacobs, E.J. Harnden, Ryan Harnden and alternate Caleb Flaxey. He's played in 10 Briers and won the national title in 2013 and a silver at the world championship that same year.

 "I allowed myself to lose control and I offended people with my actions. I wish nothing more than to apologize to everyone individually," Fry said.

 We in no way support that type of behaviour. ... We're taking the necessary steps to handle it internally. — Canadian skip Brad Jacobs on teammate Ryan Fry's actions at Red Deer Curling Classic

 "I will be taking proper steps to ensure this problem can never happen again and I will strive to become a better version of myself while contributing positively to the sport and curling community that I love so much."

 My official statement regarding the 2018 Red Deer Curling Classic. pic.twitter.com/FUEbW92dG5 —@JKnwt

 Koe wasn't part of the last game but still took responsibility for the actions of his teammates.

 "We're all very disappointed," Jacobs said from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. "We in no way support that type of behaviour, whether it's displayed on or off the ice. It's absolutely unacceptable. We've shared that with Ryan. Really at this point, we're just taking the necessary steps to handle it internally and that's really where we're at."

 Stern message

 The team won a Grand Slam title earlier this month in Thunder Bay, Ont.

 "We are handling it as a team," Jacobs said. "We do need to have further discussions about this. Our plan is to move forward with Ryan and hopefully resolve this as quickly as possible and not have it affect our play on the ice."

 Thurber, who said he "probably did them a favour" by kicking them out, admits he may have worded his notice harshly as far as Team Koe's future at the event, but said it was important to deliver a stern message.

 "Maybe the wording wasn't quite right on that paper. At the end of the day, we put it up because we wanted all the spectators and the curlers to know that we've done something about it, because there was quite a bit of backlash, getting lots of complaints and everyone saying the same thing that we needed to get them out of here," Thurber said.

 "Then people were commenting and saying 'I suppose they just have to apologize and they're back in next year.' So we kind of said it in a way that there's no guarantee that's what's going to happen — an apology may not cut it."

 Thurber added that the event committee was asked by the World Curling Tour to file a formal complaint. |||||


Write a summary based on this article:

CHICAGO (CBS) — New security measures have been announced to improve safety on CTA trains, under a federal counter-terrorism initiative.

 CBS 2’s Susanna Song reports, starting Nov. 3, if you ride the “L,” prepare to be asked to hand your bags, purses, or suitcases to a Chicago police officer to be screened for explosives at some stations.

 Passengers will be selected at random before passing through turnstiles at CTA train stations.

 Police officers with a mobile explosive screening team will swab bags and place the sample in a machine to check for explosive compounds. Bags will not be opened. The test takes only about 30 seconds.

 “We know the fears and the possibilities. It’s going to take 20 to 30 seconds of someone’s time. While we know our commuters’ time is precious, we think their safety is probably priceless,” Chicago Police Public Transportation Cmdr. Nancy Lipman said. ||||| Riders and a public transit expert expressed skepticism about a Chicago police plan to stop some rush-hour riders before they pass through rail station turnstiles to screen their bags for explosives.

 There is "no known terrorist threat" that prompted the new procedure slated to begin the week of Nov. 3, Nancy Lipman, Chicago police commander for public transportation, said Friday at a news conference announcing the initiative.

 Chicago police spokesman Marty Maloney says the security measure is a "proactive, protective measure."

 "We know that surface transportation has been targeted in other places in the past [Madrid, New York, London, Russia] and want to take whatever precautions possible," Maloney told RedEye.

 Amtrak and the New York City and Washington transit stations employ a similar screening measure, Lipman said. While officials won't disclose the pricetag for the CTA security initiative, it is being fully funded with part of a $3.5 million federal anti-terrorism grant.

 Some CTA riders Friday said they were concerned that passengers stopped for bag checks could opt out of the procedure. Joseph Schwieterman, a DePaul professor specializing in transportation issues, said it's difficult for mass transit systems to provide airport-level security.

 "Unfortunately, it's needle in a haystack trying to identify vulnerabilities in mass transit systems," Schwieterman said. "We have hundreds and hundreds of access points to our stations."

 Chicago police say they will randomly select one rail station each day to set up the screening table outside the rail turnstiles during rush hour. Lipman said most of the stations will be downtown but other stops will be included as well.

 A team of four to five officers will man the table, which will have two explosives testing machines.

 Police will approach riders, whom they have randomly selected by picking a random number that morning, Lipman said.

 For example, if police pick the number 10, they will ask the 10th person who enters the station, then the 20th and so on, Lipman said.

 Police say they will swab the outside of the bags but will not open them during the test.

 Cloth rubbed on the bag is inserted into the testing machine. At that point, a positive or negative result registers on the machine's screen.

 Riders who pass the test are free to enter the turnstiles. Officers will ask to inspect the bags of riders who fail the test. Police say the machines are testing the presence of explosives, not drugs.

 The whole process should take "less than a minute," Lipman said during the Friday press conference at the Clinton stop on the Green and Pink lines. "We expect it to have no impact on a customer's commute time."

 Riders who refuse to have their bag swabbed won't be allowed to get on the train—in fact they'll be ordered to leave the station. But they can head to another station to board the train, police said.

 Or, if police suspect the rider is involved in "further suspicious activity, and if we determine that probable cause exists to stop him/her for questioning, we might do so," Maloney said. Riders who say no to the swabbing but try to enter that station's turnstiles face arrest, police say.

 The screenings at stations will occur "several times a week," police said.

 Michael Garcia, 30, said he typically carries a backpack when he rides CTA trains from Skokie to the Midway Airport Orange Line every day for work. Garcia said he would agree to testing if he is asked but questioned whether there could be a better process.

 "If they swab one random person's bag, what about the next person who might have something?" Garcia asked. "I think it's just a waste of money and time."

 CTA spokesman Brian Steele said the screenings will be performed during rush hour so riders won't have to worry about missing their train if they undergo the test because of continual train service.

 More than 229 million CTA rail rides were taken in 2013. The CTA has more than 140 rail stations.

 Tim Looney, who typically rides the Brown Line to the Clark/Lake Loop station for work, said he doesn't believe this program will be successful because riders can opt out of the screenings.

 "It seems like the way they're announcing it, they're letting us know you can just leave the station and go to the next station if you had a bomb in your bag. To me, I just don't imagine too many people would get caught," said Looney, of Andersonville. |||||

– Chicago police will screen the bags of passengers getting on the city's CTA trains in what the department calls a "proactive, protective measure," the Chicago Tribune reports. "We know that surface transportation has been targeted in other places in the past"—places like Madrid and New York—and police "want to take whatever precautions possible," says a spokesman. A few days a week, passengers at a single station will be randomly selected to have their bags swabbed, but not opened, in a check for explosives. If passengers refuse the test, they'll be required to leave the station, but they can get on the train elsewhere—unless police have "probable cause" to question them, the spokesman says. If a passenger fails the swab test, police will ask to look in his or her bag. The program, funded using a portion of a federal anti-terror grant, has some riders questioning its usefulness. "If they swab one random person's bag, what about the next person who might have something?" asks one passenger. "I think it's just a waste of money and time." As for time, a police officer says it will take "20 to 30 seconds" to do a check, CBS 2 reports. "While we know our commuters’ time is precious, we think their safety is probably priceless."


– One of Jerry Sandusky's six adopted children is following in his father's footsteps—and it's not as a football coach. Jeffrey Sandusky is on his way to a Pennsylvania state prison after pleading guilty to 14 counts of child sexual abuse, reports CNN. Under a plea deal, the 41-year-old will spend between three and eight years in prison. Prosecutors say Sandusky pressured a teenage girl under 16 to send him nude photos, the New York Times reports. After her father reported messages from Sandusky to police last year, investigators discovered that he had asked the girl's sister to perform oral sex on him in 2013, when she was 13. He pleaded guilty to charges including soliciting sex from a child younger than 16. Authorities say Sandusky, a former state prison guard who knew the girls through dating their mother, tried to persuade them that what he was doing was normal, saying "it's not weird because he studied medicine," but asking them not to show his messages to anybody. Sandusky, like his mother, Dottie, loyally supported his father through his trial for the sexual abuse of 10 boys, the Times notes. Sandusky will now be classed as a Tier III sex offender, Pennsylvania's highest level, meaning he will have to register with state police for life and verify his information four times a year. (In June, three Penn State officials went to prison for failing to report allegations against the elder Sandusky.)

Expand this summary.

BELLEFONTE, Pa. — A son of the former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky pleaded guilty Friday to charges that he pressured a teenage girl to send him naked photos and asked her teenage sister to give him oral sex.

 The plea deal for Jeffrey Sandusky, Jerry Sandusky’s son, comes one week before his trial was to begin, and nearly six years after his father was arrested in a child molestation case that shook Penn State and is still working its way through criminal and civil courts.

 Jeffrey Sandusky pleaded guilty to all 14 counts, including solicitation of statutory sexual assault and solicitation of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse.

 A call seeking comment from his lawyer was not immediately returned Friday.

 As part of the deal, Mr. Sandusky, 41, will spend up to six years in state prison, but the judge could impose a sentence of as much as eight years. ||||| Story highlights The DA says he entered the pleas a week before his scheduled trial

 The charges included soliciting sex from a child and soliciting child pornography

 (CNN) Jeffrey Sandusky, the son of convicted sex abuser and former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky, pleaded guilty Friday to all 14 counts of child sexual abuse against him.

 The Centre Country district attorney's office said the younger Sandusky, 41, entered the guilty pleas a week before his trial was scheduled to begin.

 The 14 counts included soliciting sex from a child younger than 16 and soliciting child pornography.

 According to the district attorney's office, Sandusky will become a Tier III sex offender, the highest level in Pennsylvania.

 The charges involve incidents with two girls, one in 2013 and one in 2016.

 Read More |||||