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| Syrian Peace Talks Resume in Geneva - Voice of America Posted: 10 Feb 2014 08:41 AM PST A second round of peace talks between delegates from the Syrian government and the opposition is underway in Geneva. U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi held separate meetings Monday with the two sides as he attempts to get them to commit to discussing issues such as setting up a potential transitional government and humanitarian aid in besieged areas. Syrian opposition spokesman Monzer Akbik said during Monday's meeting with Brahimi, his side laid out their vision of a transitional government in Syria. "We submitted also another paper talking about our vision to the political solution by transition to a transitional governing body, this is what Geneva communique says and the vision shows that a transitional governing body should be able, with the full authority, in a neutral environment, should be able to end the violence and take the country towards reconciliation and democracy." A spokesman for Syria's opposition National Coalition, Louay al-Safi, also denounced what he said were the government's use of "barrel bombs", which the opposition says were responsible for the deaths of more than 1,800 people last week. "It is not acceptable that the regime would send its own delegation to talk peace while it is killing our people in Syria. This must stop, we ask the international community to do something about it. " Monday's talks follow an initial round last month that ended with little progress, but one that Brahimi called "a modest beginning" to build on. Following the meeting with opposition delegates, Brahimi met with the Syrian government delegation but no afternoon talks were expected. Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Monday that France is preparing a new draft U.N. Security Council resolution to help speed food and medicine to those in besieged areas. His comments follow the evacuation Sunday of 600 people from rebel-held areas in the war-battered city of Homs. The city's mayor said an aid shipment reached the city, despite snipers hindering the operation and reports the road into the old city was mined. The International Red Cross said Monday that one driver was wounded Saturday when clearly labeled trucks from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent entered the old city and came under fire. The group called for all parties in Syria to protect health care and humanitarian personnel, and for access to all besieged areas in the country. U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos said she was disappointed by reports aid workers were deliberately targeted. She called it a stark reminder of the dangers civilians and aid workers face each day in Syria. A year-long blockade of Homs by Syrian government forces has created severe food shortages, and the U.N. says 2,500 people have been stranded since mid-2012. Also Monday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Islamist fighters killed at least 40 people Sunday in an attack on an Alawite village. The monitoring group said the attack happened in Hama province, and that the dead included at least 20 civilians. More than 130,000 people have been killed and 9 million forced from their homes since the conflict began in 2011. |
| Michael Sam, college football star and top NFL prospect, says he's gay - CNN Posted: 10 Feb 2014 09:17 AM PST  Former Missouri Tigers defensive end and 2014 NFL draft entrant Michael Sam tells ESPN and The New York Times on February 9 that he is gay. Sam is seen here before the NCAA Senior Bowl on Saturday, January 25, in Mobile, Alabama. HIDE CAPTION Football player Michael Sam Football player Michael Sam Football player Michael Sam Football player Michael Sam Football player Michael Sam Football player Michael Sam Football player Michael Sam Football player Michael Sam Football player Michael Sam Football player Michael Sam Football player Michael Sam Football player Michael Sam STORY HIGHLIGHTS
(CNN) -- Michael Sam, an All-American defensive lineman from the University of Missouri, publicly revealed that he's gay Sunday, creating the possibility he'll be the first openly gay player drafted by the National Football League. "I came to tell the world I'm an openly proud gay man," he said in an interview with ESPN. He said he told his Missouri teammates in August and suffered no repercussions. He said he was surprised to discover many people in the media already knew he was gay. "I understand how big this is," Sam said in the ESPN interview. "It's a big deal. No one has done this before. And it's kind of a nervous process, but I know what I want to be ... I want to be a football player in the NFL."  Former Missouri Tigers defensive end and 2014 NFL draft entrant Michael Sam tells ESPN and The New York Times that he is gay on February 9. Sam is seen here running on to the field before the NCAA Senior Bowl on Saturday, January 25, in Mobile, Alabama. Openly gay athletes HIDE CAPTION Sam also spoke about his sexual orientation Sunday to The New York Times, saying: "I just want to make sure I could tell my story the way I want to tell it. I just want to own my truth." Sam, at 6-foot-2 and 260 pounds, starred in college football last season. Besides being first team All-American, he was named the top defensive player in the Southeastern Conference, considered the nation's best league. Teammates named him the team's most valuable player. With those credentials, he's expected to be picked in the NFL draft in May. The Bleacher Report mock draft projected him to go in the late rounds because "athletic limitations including a lack of flexibility and a lack of optimal size are concerning." The NFL issued a statement on Twitter on Sunday: "We admire Michael Sam's honesty and courage. Michael is a football player. Any player with ability and determination can succeed in the NFL. We look forward to welcoming and supporting Michael Sam in 2014." However, the NFL has made headlines on the issue of sexual orientation in the past. Last year, a University of Colorado player said an NFL team asked him if he liked girls and had a girlfriend. The NFL quickly said, "Any team or employee that inquires about impermissible subjects or makes an employment decision based on such factors is subject to league discipline." Sam issued his own Tweet: "I want to thank everybody for their support and encouragement, especially @espn, @nytimes and @nfl. I am proud to tell my story to the world!" Sam's announcement comes as the federal government expands its recognition of same-sex marriages. Attorney General Eric Holder said the Justice Department will issue a memo Monday that extends the federal government's recognition of same-sex marriages, even in the 34 states that don't consider it legal. Other athletes have come out as gay, but they didn't have Sam's profile. GLAAD, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender media advocacy group, said Sam is "the latest high-profile athlete to come out as LGBT. Others include the NBA's Jason Collins, the WNBA's Brittney Griner, WWE's Darren Young, UFC's Liz Carmouche, MMA's Fallon Fox and Major League Soccer's Robbie Rogers." Of those athletes, Collins made the biggest media splash. He's not playing in the NBA this season. Praise poured in for Sam, who overcame a rough childhood in which one of his brothers was killed and others ended up in prison. Sam's head football coach at Missouri, Gary Pinkel, said: "We're really happy for Michael that he's made the decision to announce this, and we're proud of him and how he represents Mizzou. Michael is a great example of just how important it is to be respectful of others, he's taught a lot of people here first-hand that it doesn't matter what your background is, or your personal orientation, we're all on the same team and we all support each other." GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis said in a prepared statement: "By rewriting the script for countless young athletes, Michael has demonstrated the leadership that, along with his impressive skills on the field, makes him a natural fit for the NFL. With acceptance of LGBT people rising across our coasts -- in our schools, churches, and workplaces -- it's clear that America is ready for an openly gay football star." |
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