Tuesday 24 June 2014

Court to Christians: You can't say Allah


Muslim activists wait outside Malaysia's highest court in Putrajaya for the verdict on June 23, 2014.


Muslim activists wait outside Malaysia's highest court in Putrajaya for the verdict on June 23, 2014.






  • Malaysia's top court dismisses bid to overturn ban on Christians using Arabic word for God

  • Confusion over ruling as government says ban only applies to Church's newspaper

  • Muslims say use of "Allah" in non-Muslim texts could cause Muslims to convert

  • Church says it will continue to fight the ruling




(CNN) -- Malaysia's highest court has rejected a challenge from the Catholic Church seeking to overturn a ban on non-Muslims using the word "Allah" to refer to God.


But after the Federal Court announced its verdict on Monday, the government released a statement saying that the ruling would only apply to the Church's newspaper, which has been at the center of the court battle since Malaysian authorities ordered the publication to cease using the Arabic word in 2007.


Malaysian Christians will still be able to use the word "Allah" in church, the government's statement said.


"Malaysia is a multi-faith country and it is important that we manage our differences peacefully, in accordance with the rule of law and through dialogue, mutual respect and compromise," the statement said.





Malaysian court rules on 'Allah' use

Confusion


The conflicting interpretations of the ban have only added confusion to a debate that has inflamed religious tensions in the Muslim-majority country in recent years.


The editor of the the newspaper, the Herald, said it remains unclear what the implications of the court's verdict would be for the Christian community.


"We are in limbo," Father Lawrence Andrew told CNN.


But the chairman of the Christian Federation of Malaysia, Reverend Eu Hong Seng, said in a statement that Christians will continue to use the word "Allah" in bibles and during church gatherings.


The dispute began in 2007 when the Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs, which grants publishing licenses, threatened to withdraw the Herald's permit for using the Arabic word in its Malay-language edition, on the grounds of national security and public order.


Malaysian authorities say non-Muslim literature that contains the word could confuse Muslims and cause them to convert away from Islam, which is a crime in many parts of the country.


Christian leaders argue that the word "Allah" predates Islam, and has long been used in Malay-language bibles and other texts to refer to God.


Anti-Christian violence


The dispute has sparked violence in recent years against Malaysia's Christian community, which accounts for around 9% of the country's population of 29 million, while more than 60% are Muslim.





We have a moral obligation to champion the cause of minorities. We have a responsibility to uphold religious freedom.

Father Lawrence Andrew, Herald editor




A series of fire bomb attacks were carried out on places of worship after a court ruled in 2009 that the Church had a constitutional right to refer to God as "Allah" in the Herald.


But an appeals court reinstated the ban in October 2013. Three months later, arsonists set fire to a church in Kuala Lumpur, and Islamic authorities confiscated hundreds of bibles containing the word "Allah" from a Christian organization in the state of Selangor.


On Monday, a panel of judges at the Federal Court in Putrajaya ruled 4 to 3 that the word was not an integral part of the Christian faith, upholding the decision of the appeals court.


Outside the building, hundreds of Muslim activists celebrated the verdict, shouting "Allahuakbar" (God is great).


"We thank Allah because the court's decision has favored us this time. We hope that this is no longer an issue in the peninsular, which does not allow others (to use) the term," the head of Perkasa, a conservative Muslim rights group, told reporters.


Father Andrew from the Herald said the Church was looking into ways to challenge the ban.


"We need to fight this case to end, because we have to fight for justice when justice is derided or denied," he said.


"We have a moral obligation to champion the cause of minorities. We have a responsibility to uphold religious freedom."


Politics


It's likely that the ban is politically motivated, according to William Case, a political scientist with the City University of Hong Kong's Department of Asian and International Studies.


Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak is a reformist to some extent, says Case, but his party failed to win a majority in the last election and he needs to recapture the support of the country's ethnic Malay, and mostly Muslim, community.


However, it's too soon to tell how the Malaysian government will implement the ban in practice, he says.


"This is the kind of ambiguity you would expect, because it's a very complex and tense set of circumstances. You might have the judiciary saying one thing, the cabinet saying another -- meanwhile pressure is mounting from the many Muslim groups involved who bring tremendous mass-based support, and on the other side from Christian groups."


The ruling may lead to further attacks on churches, Case warned.


"We do know that Malaysia has become more and more polarized in recent years on ethnic, and increasingly religious, grounds -- and that's becoming more and more severe."


But while the latest court ruling is distressing, Case says verbal threats against religious groups in Malaysia seldom translate into the kind of violence seen in neighboring countries, like Indonesia.


"We don't see extrajudicial killings, religious-inspired violence and abductions, and that distinguishes Malaysia in the region."


In 2013: Christian churches in Borneo vow to continue using the word 'Allah'


Sudanese Christian woman rearrested, legal team says



Sudan Christian woman detained again





  • NEW: Sudanese authorities summon U.S. and South Sudanese ambassadors

  • NEW: They cite problems with Mariam Yehya Ibrahim's travel documents

  • The U.S. says Ibrahim and her family were temporarily detained, not arrested

  • Ibrahim had been sentenced to death for apostasy, then released on appeal




(CNN) -- A Sudanese Christian woman who was sentenced to die for refusing to renounce her faith -- and then released -- was detained with her family on Tuesday as they tried to leave the African country.


Her legal team told CNN that Mariam Yehya Ibrahim, her American husband, Daniel Wani, and their two children were stopped at an airport in Khartoum and interrogated at national security headquarters in the Sudanese capital.


The problem involved what the legal team described as an alleged "irregularity with her documentation," according to Ibrahim's lawyers, who said she was in police custody.


Ibrahim has a U.S. visa and was headed to the United States with her family, her legal team said. The U.S. State Department said the family was stopped at the airport.


"The State Department has been informed by the Sudanese government that the family was temporarily detained at the airport for several hours by the government for questioning over issues related to their travel, and I think travel documents," said spokeswoman Marie Harf. "They have not been arrested. The government has assured us of their safety."


Harf said that the U.S. Embassy "has been and will remain highly involved in working with the family and the government," saying "we are engaging directly with Sudanese officials to secure their safe and swift departure from Sudan."


Sudanese authorities said Ibrahim had been detained because of the documents she submitted.


Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Services said that she had South Sudanese travel documents, despite not being a citizen of South Sudan, and she was heading to the United States, which is not her native country.


"This was considered illegal by the Sudanese authorities, who have summoned both the U.S. and South Sudanese ambassadors," the agency said in a message posted on its media Facebook page early Wednesday.





Christian woman escapes death sentence




Man claiming to be brother: Repent or die




Purported brother: If she refuses, 'execute her'




Sudanese Christians worship in fear

The airport detention came a day after Ibrahim's legal team announced the 27-year-old woman had been released from prison after weeks of international controversy over her conviction on apostasy and adultery charges.


According to her lawyer, the case began when one of Ibrahim's relatives, a Muslim, filed a criminal complaint saying her family was shocked to find out she had married Wani, a Christian, after she was missing for several years.


The Sudanese court considered Ibrahim a Muslim because her father was Muslim, but she said she was a Christian and never practiced Islam. She was charged with adultery, because a Muslim woman's marriage to a Christian man is illegal in Sudan, and with apostasy, accused of illegally renouncing what was alleged to be her original faith.


Authorities warned her to renounce Christianity by May 15, but she did not, instead responding that her mother, an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian, raised her as a Christian. She said her Sudanese Muslim father abandoned her when she was 6.


"I am a Christian," she said during her sentencing hearing last month, "and I will remain a Christian."


She was convicted and sentenced to death by hanging, along with 100 lashes. Sudanese Parliament speaker Fatih Izz Al-Deen defended the apostasy conviction, insisting last month that Ibrahim was raised in a Muslim environment.


After her sentence drew international condemnation from rights groups and foreign embassies in Khartoum -- including those of the United States, United Kingdom and Canada -- an appeals court this month ruled that the judgment against her was faulty and she was released, according to her lawyer.


Her husband, Wani, called CNN on Tuesday to say he and his family were being held at the national security office, but he provided no additional information. Ibrahim's legal team said the family was trying to leave the country when it was stopped by authorities and taken to the security headquarters.


Meanwhile, a man who says he is Ibrahim's brother, Al-Samani Al-Hadi, slammed the appellate court's decision and hinted at retribution.


"The family is unconvinced by the court's decision. We were not informed by the court that she was to be released; this came as a surprise to us," al-Hadi said Tuesday. "The law has failed to uphold our rights. This is now an issue of honor. The Christians have tarnished our honor, and we will know how to avenge it."


Al-Hadi did not comment on Ibrahim's detention at the airport on Tuesday. In court proceedings earlier this year, Ibrahim denied being related to al-Hadi.


Ibrahim gave birth to her second child -- a girl -- in prison last month. Her first child, a 1-year-old son, stayed with her at the prison but was free to leave at any time, Ibrahim's lawyer said.


Woman's 'brother' says she should repent


CNN's Nima Elbagir reported from Baghdad, Iraq, and CNN's Jason Hanna and Tom Cohen wrote this report in Atlanta. Journalist Muhammed Osman and CNN's Yasmin Amer and Maryam Arif contributed to this report.



World's tallest tower planned






The Phoenix Towers, designed by UK-based Chetwoods Architects, will be taller than Burj Khalifa in Dubai, currently the world's tallest completed building.The Phoenix Towers, designed by UK-based Chetwoods Architects, will be taller than Burj Khalifa in Dubai, currently the world's tallest completed building.

Three of the spheres in between the towers will serve as celestial-themed restaurants. There are also plans for a giant, wind-powered kaleidoscope.Three of the spheres in between the towers will serve as celestial-themed restaurants. There are also plans for a giant, wind-powered kaleidoscope.

Last year, another architectural attempt to beat the world's tallest building record was postponed in the Chinese city of Changsa, due to the lack of government approval. The Phoenix Towers are still waiting for the final nod from Wuhan's mayor.Last year, another architectural attempt to beat the world's tallest building record was postponed in the Chinese city of Changsa, due to the lack of government approval. The Phoenix Towers are still waiting for the final nod from Wuhan's mayor.

If completed, the largest Phoenix tower will reach one kilometer into the sky. It will be 172 meters taller than <a href='http://ift.tt/1nByJxU'>Burj Khalifa</a> (pictured) in Dubai, which currently holds the record as the tallest structure ever built.If completed, the largest Phoenix tower will reach one kilometer into the sky. It will be 172 meters taller than Burj Khalifa (pictured) in Dubai, which currently holds the record as the tallest structure ever built.

Saudi Arabia's Kingdom Tower is also planned to reach one kilometer into the sky, but is not due for completion until 2019.Saudi Arabia's Kingdom Tower is also planned to reach one kilometer into the sky, but is not due for completion until 2019.









  • China to build the world's tallest towers, called the Phoenix Towers, in Wuhan in central China

  • The buildings will reach one kilometer into the sky, 172 meters higher than Burj Khalifa in Dubai

  • Both will feature high-tech environment features as well as the world's biggest kaleidoscope




(CNN) -- No one can accuse China of stinting in its efforts to reach for the sky.


Less than a year after construction was halted on a world-beating 838-meter tower in Changsa in central China (just days after it began) architects have revealed plans to build something even bigger.


At one kilometer (0.6 miles) high, the largest of the two Phoenix Towers planned for Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province in central China, will be the tallest in the world if completed on schedule in 2017/2018.


The towers will also be crazily futuristic and super environmentally friendly.


And pink


"Yes, [they are pink]," Laurie Chetwood of UK-based design firm Chetwoods Architects tells CNN.


"They reflect the spectacular colors of the sunsets in the region."


Designed to sit on an island in a lake, the largest of the towers will stand 172 meters (564 feet) taller than Burj Khalifa in Dubai.


The project is still awaiting government final approval, but if all goes to plan it could steal a march on the Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which is also designed to top out at one kilometer, but not until 2019.


With a 2012 population of 9.7 million, Wuhan is located on the Yangtze River. It's a major transportation hub that's been called "the Chicago of China."


MORE: Gallery: China's crop of outrageous new hotel designs


Biggest kaleidoscope and floating restaurants


"[We were asked] to create an iconic building for Wuhan, which embodied a strong environmental and social content as well as reflecting Chinese tradition," says Chetwood.




Urban Oasis, another eco-design by Chetwoods Architects, is meant to mimic a growing flower. It collects light, water and wind as energy and serves as a light sculpture at night.

Urban Oasis, another eco-design by Chetwoods Architects, is meant to mimic a growing flower. It collects light, water and wind as energy and serves as a light sculpture at night.



The design is inspired by dualism in Chinese culture -- the traditional Chinese phoenix symbol of the two birds, "Feng" and "Huang," as well as the idea of yin and yang.


Feng Huang, or phoenix, are a pair of mythical birds in Chinese culture traditionally used to denote royalty.


Three large spheres containing celestial-themed restaurants accessible via "skywalks" will be suspended between the two towers.


The spheres "represent planets orbiting the Towers," according to the designers.


If giant pink towers and celestial spheres aren't gaudy enough, the larger building will have the unlikely boast of housing the world's tallest kaleidoscope driven by a wind turbine.


It'll project a psychedelic display for people gazing up from below.


A ground-level commercial center looks set to continue China's current obsession with imitating global architectural styles.


"You'll have a French street, a Japanese street, a Turkish street and so forth ... to allow people to see the world without necessarily having to leave China," Chetwood told the Guardian.


READ: Google captures view from world's tallest building


Sci-fi environmental features


The towers are designed to have green features such as pollution-absorbing surfaces to filter the city's air as well as technology to aerate and filter the water.


Thermal chimneys, suspended air gardens and biomass boilers for waste recycling are also part of the plan.


The towers are designed to be able to generate enough power to fulfill their own needs and those of neighboring areas.


"The Feng tower uses cutting-edge technology to 'feed' the Huang tower with renewable power in a symbiotic process," the design firm said in a statement.


The two towers will cover seven hectares of a 47-hectare site on the island.


"It is wonderful to work in China -- the response to new ideas is always enthusiastic and optimistic," says Chetwood.


"The chance to develop a unique site -- a large lake in a large city -- provides a wonderful opportunity to create something very special for China."



France 'should be friendlier'


Officials say France's tourism industry needs to work harder to safeguard billions of dollars in revenue.


Officials say France's tourism industry needs to work harder to safeguard billions of dollars in revenue.






  • French ministers say their country could try harder to welcome visitors

  • Fleur Pellerin warns situation must improve or $16 billion annual tourism revenues could be hit

  • Plans unveiled to reform restrictive retail hours and drive to improve non-French languages




(CNN) -- It's a big nation that can take a long hard look at itself and reach the conclusion it might be a bit rude toward tourists.


France, which regularly tops lists of countries that are surly to travelers, appears to be waking up to the notion this might not actually be good for business.


While not exactly prompting a full-blown existential crisis, the admission does seem to have led to discussions on how to make its boulevards and brasseries more inviting.


"We must rediscover the meaning of hospitality," Innovation Minister Fleur Pellerin told a tourism conference last week. "Everyone recognizes we can do better on the welcome and quality of service."


This won't be news to anyone who's visited Paris in recent years and received Gallic shrugs of indifference from waiters or hoteliers.


Neither is it the first time that France has done some soul searching about its attitudes.


MORE: Eight ways Lyon outshines Paris


Targeted by pickpockets


Last year Parisian tourism and trade officials launched a manual offering advice to service industry employees on how to befriend the various nationalities that flock to the city.


Problems apparently persist -- not helped by a 2013 crime wave in which crowds of Chinese tourists were reportedly targeted by pickpockets.


A six-day strike by French air traffic controllers that's expected to create major delays for travelers this week is also unlikely to burnish the nation's image.


Pellerin said France mustn't "rest on its laurels" at a time when the country badly needs the annual $16 billion injection that tourism provides to its economy.


Her comments came as Laurent Fabius, France's foreign minister, said in an interview that he wants to push through new measures to attract visitors.


He told BFMTV that he was involved with discussions to ease France's restrictive Sunday trading laws to open up more shops in Paris.


Fabius said he hopes improved road and rail links between the capital and Charles de Gaulle Airport will also improve matters.


As might a drive to encourage more tourism industry workers to learn other languages.


MORE: Eiffel Tower celebrates 125 years


Shifting attitudes


Fabius said it's "essential" that people understand that any tourist "whether French or foreign -- is someone we should welcome."


Some, however, say that France is at least making progress.


"I think that, on the whole, French attitudes have shifted and that French people are more courteous with tourists than they used to be," French commentator and journalist Agnes Poirier told CNN.


"They are also more likely to be able to speak English and give indications.


"It is difficult for Parisians to simply ignore tourists. They know tourists spend a lot, and are a vital element of the country's prosperity, and should therefore be well treated."



Wrong way! Air ticket mix ups


Who wouldn't want to go to Grenada in the Caribbean? Those trying to get to Granada, Spain.


Who wouldn't want to go to Grenada in the Caribbean? Those trying to get to Granada, Spain.






  • U.S. passenger is suing British Airways for being flown to Grenada in the Caribbean, instead of Granada, Spain

  • The same mix-up happened the week before

  • Many passengers have ended up in wrong cities, wrong countries and wrong continents




(CNN) -- You'd think with all the technology at our disposal, destination mix-ups would be a rarity.


Not so.


They're surprisingly common.


One that's attracted attention this week is the unfortunate story of a couple flown to the southern Caribbean island of Grenada, instead of the ancient city of Granada, Spain.


The incident is now the subject of a lawsuit.


U.S. dentist Edward Gamson thought he'd bought tickets from London's Gatwick Airport to Granada, Spain, for himself and his partner via a British Airways booking agent, but only realized he was actually headed to Grenada in the Caribbean once on board, reported The Independent.


The destination country and flight duration hadn't been listed on his e-tickets, which instead displayed only the city name.


"It's just so sad," Gamson told The Independent. "A trip we had been really looking forward to was ruined and ... BA won't do the decent thing."


Gamson claims the airline refuses to reimburse his first-class tickets and didn't reroute the travelers to Granada from Grenada.


Gamson is now suing British Airways for the cost of the trip, including planned tours in Spain that he and his partner didn't get to take.


A spokesperson for BA told CNN the company doesn't comment on matters of litigation.


READ: Doh! 20 biggest travel mistakes




British Airways made the Grenada/Granada mix-up twice in two weeks.

British Airways made the Grenada/Granada mix-up twice in two weeks.



Grenada, Granada


Remarkably, the same mix-up happened just the week before.


Lamenda Kingdon from Plymouth, UK, had also booked a British Airways flight to Granada, Spain, but found herself on a flight bound for Grenada in the Caribbean.


She'd planned the trip after being diagnosed with cancer.


When notified of the mistake, the BA crew moved Kingdon to first class and sent her back to Gatwick when the flight made a scheduled stop in St. Lucia, reported the Daily Mail.


"I genuinely don't blame anyone," she told the Daily Mail. "The person on the other end of the phone probably just misheard me. I honestly didn't notice the spelling difference."


Wrong continent


In May 2013, Sandy Valdivieso and her husband, Triet Vo, boarded a Turkish Airlines flight in Los Angeles, intending to travel to Dakar, Senegal, in western Africa, but ended up in Dhaka, Bangladesh.


The mix-up was due to the similar sounding destinations and airport codes.


The couple didn't realize the error until they were already on their connecting flight from Istanbul.


"When the flight attendant said we were heading to Dhaka, we believed that this was how you pronounced 'Dakar' with a Turkish accent," Valdivieso told the LA Times.


READ: Most annoying things people do on planes




Southwest Airlines flew the same woman to wrong destinations twice.

Southwest Airlines flew the same woman to wrong destinations twice.



Wrong state


In December 2013, 85-year-old Maria Nieves ended up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, after she'd booked a Southwest Airlines flight to Fort Myers, Florida.


It was the second time such a mix-up had happened to her -- two years ago, the airline flew Nieves to Tampa, Florida, instead of New Orleans, Louisiana.


According to Louisiana's WAFB, Nieves had requested wheelchair assistance, which meant airline staff were responsible for assisting her from gate to gate.


"I can see it happening once, but twice to the same person, it's kind of like lightning striking twice in the same place," her son Robert Ortiz told WAFB.




A VietJet Air flight landed at the wrong airport last week.

A VietJet Air flight landed at the wrong airport last week.



Wrong airport


Last Thursday, a VietJet Air plane that took off from Hanoi landed at the wrong airport.


Instead of arriving in Cam Ranh Airport near Nha Trang, the aircraft landed 140 kilometers away in Da Lat.


The airline flew the misdirected passengers to their original destination via another flight, reported local news outlet Thanh Nien News.


In January, another Southwest Airlines plane landed at a small airport in Taney County, Missouri, approximately seven miles from where it was meant to land at Branson Airport.


Due to the difference in airport runway lengths -- Taney County airport's runway is 3,738 feet compared with Branson Airport's 7,140 feet -- pilots were forced to brake hard when the plane touched down.


No one was hurt and the airline refunded all tickets and provided future travel credit for passengers.


MORE: Tattoos gone wrong: Permanently lost in translation



Star chef without a restaurant






Ferran Adria, the man who led Spain's elBulli to five "world's best restaurant" titles has a bold new venture. His elBulli Foundation will promote his "theory of everything," a model to unlock creativity in any walk of life.Ferran Adria, the man who led Spain's elBulli to five "world's best restaurant" titles has a bold new venture. His elBulli Foundation will promote his "theory of everything," a model to unlock creativity in any walk of life.

Adria's elBulli Foundation will encompass everything from an Internet search engine of gastronomy called Bullipedia to a food laboratory to a visitor center (proposal model pictured).Adria's elBulli Foundation will encompass everything from an Internet search engine of gastronomy called Bullipedia to a food laboratory to a visitor center (proposal model pictured).

Ferran Adria's "creativity map" outlines the process that takes an idea from trial and error to finished product.Ferran Adria's "creativity map" outlines the process that takes an idea from trial and error to finished product.

A pioneer in molecular gastronomy, Adria has developed new methods such as nitrogen-infused foams. Innovative drinks and dishes served at the now-closed elBulli included pina coladas (pictured) and frozen whisky sour candy. A pioneer in molecular gastronomy, Adria has developed new methods such as nitrogen-infused foams. Innovative drinks and dishes served at the now-closed elBulli included pina coladas (pictured) and frozen whisky sour candy.

Adria speaks with his hands as much as his mouth, kneading the air as if it were pastry, pinching fingers together to make points as if adding salt. He waves his arms so vigorously you're glad he's not wielding a kitchen knife.Adria speaks with his hands as much as his mouth, kneading the air as if it were pastry, pinching fingers together to make points as if adding salt. He waves his arms so vigorously you're glad he's not wielding a kitchen knife.









  • Former head chef of Spain's elBulli, is launching a new venture

  • Ferran Adria's elBulli Foundation will include a search engine of gastronomy and visitor center

  • Adria says he's come up with a "theory of everything" ... a model to unlock creativity in any walk of life

  • His "creativity map" outlines the process that takes an idea from inspiration to finished product




Barcelona (CNN) -- What does an acclaimed chef do for an encore after he's closed the best restaurant in the world?


For Ferran Adria, former head chef of Spain's elBulli, it's creating a new menu of big ideas.


Called the elBulli Foundation, Adria's new umbrella enterprise will encompass everything from an Internet search engine of gastronomy to a food laboratory to a huge visitor center.


All of this is necessary, he says, to explain his theories not just about cooking but about creativity writ large.


"Here you will eat knowledge," says the great chef of his elBulli Foundation.


More like a physicist or philosopher than a chef, Adria says he's come up with a "theory of everything" -- a model to unlock creativity in any walk of life.


MORE: The magical culinary world of elBulli's Albert Adria


Dali in the kitchen


"This is not about cooking. It's about creativity," he says, speaking through a translator while walking through the building that will house his new operation, an abandoned textile factory, in Barcelona, home to great Catalan innovators such as architect Antoni Gaudi and surrealist paint Salvador Dali .


The elBulli Foundation will spawn a research laboratory, BulliPedia (an online encyclopedia of food) and massive open online courses to teach gastronomy and creativity.


"I am a cook but no one else is thinking these things," he says.


He believes Bullipedia will become the most disruptive Internet venture since Wikipedia.


Adria tends to speak of himself as "we."


It's his way of recognizing his collaborators, some of who have gone on to create their own great restaurants.


"We have thought many times that we are crazy," he says. "If that is so then we must be changing many things."


With the passion of the self-taught, Adria speaks with his hands as much as his mouth, kneading the air as if it were pastry, pinching fingers together to make points as if adding salt.


MORE: Insider Guide: Best of Barcelona




Ferran Adria became a cook after joining the army at age 19.

Ferran Adria became a cook after joining the army at age 19.



It's all in the recipe


Any business, skill or art can be improved with a touch of elBulli magic, he suggests.


"The aim of this project is to show people they can be creative ... to be creative about any process," says Adria, waving his arms so vigorously you're glad he's not wielding a kitchen knife.


Adria, 52, is a native of Catalonia. He joined the army at 19 and became a cook.


He was hired to the kitchen staff of elBulli restaurant at 22, working in the little restaurant on the beach at Roses on the Costa Brava north of Barcelona.


Rising to head chef, he was recognized as an innovator, leading elBulli to a record five wins in the "world's best restaurant" awards.


A pioneer in molecular gastronomy, Adria liberated new tastes and developed new methods such as nitrogen-infused foams.


Despite holding three Michelin stars -- menu items included frozen whisky sour candy and tobacco-flavored blackberries -- elBulli closed in July 2011.


MORE: Noma wins top prize at San Pellegrino World's best Restaurants awards


During a two-hour tour of his enormous new space, Adria explains the creative force that drove him to lead the world's best restaurant, only to close it after 25 years.


A polymath and control freak, Adria's new kitchen of ideas features hundreds of meters of foam pinboards with ideas big and small sketched on them.


There's also a scale model of the huge visitor center he plans for the coast next to the now-closed elBulli restaurant.


Articles about Google founder Larry Page are pinned to one board. Another has diagrams of cuts of meat from a pig.


MORE: Spanish cuisine: Best food in the world right now?


Truffle ice cream


A sprawling library houses every recipe ever cooked at elBulli and an archive of food and recipes going back to the 15th century.


"In 1768 there was black truffle ice cream," says the man who created liquid olives. "If you think I do crazy things, that's even more amazing. The things that were done many years ago were so far ahead of their time."


Adria is planning what he says will be the first exhibition of its kind about the creative process, set for an October opening at Telefonica exhibition space in Madrid.


The "Investigación y del Método Científico" will be an examination of the scientific methods behind elBulli.


At the center of the exhibition is a Creativity Map, a sort of astrological chart outlining the process that takes an idea through trial and error to finished product.


"Everything is in the map," he says, explaining how the broad chart can provide the answer to almost anything.


Adria is free with his advice and major institutions around the world seek his input. He lectures at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.


MORE: Barceloneta and more of Europe's best city beaches




Those are pina coladas the way elBulli used to fix them.

Those are pina coladas the way elBulli used to fix them.



It's how he tells 'em


Some of his truisms may sound so simple as to be half-baked, but there's a driving force behind his seeming madness: deconstruct everything.


A few beauties from the Adria lexion:


"A fried egg is chemistry."


"Eating with chopsticks is more sensual so we made (elBulli) chopsticks."


"People ask me how I get my ideas ... if you go to the toilet with a magazine you are thinking."


Critics have called his food pretentious, even dangerous to consume.


But the fans of haute cuisine love him.


The big question, of course, is when is Adria going to cook again?


His answer will disappoint many.


Adria says he turned away two million potential reservations for elBulli in its final year.


He now plans to serve only 20 meals a year: 10 paid and 10 free.


Right now he's focused on solving bigger questions: "What type of information do we need about ravioli so that it becomes knowledge?"


MORE: 10 of Europe's most expensive restaurants



Inside the case against an NFL star





  • Aaron Hernandez, former football star, is behind bars facing three murder charges

  • Hernandez's troubles surfaced in college, where he played for the Florida Gators

  • His former friend also accuses him of shooting him in the eye

  • Hernandez has pleaded not guilty in the killings




Watch Susan Candiotti's documentary, "Downward Spiral: Inside the Case against Aaron Hernandez," at 9 p.m. ET Tuesday.


(CNN) -- Aaron Hernandez was destined to be a football superstar and was already one of the NFL's most promising tight ends.


But less than a year after signing a $40 million contract extension with the football powerhouse New England Patriots, he was charged with first-degree murder.


Two hours after his arrest on June 26, 2013, the Patriots dropped him from the team.









Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez is led into the courtroom to be arraigned on homicide charges on Wednesday, May 28, in Boston. Hernandez pleaded not guilty in the 2012 killings of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado. He has also been charged in the 2013 death of semipro football player Odin Lloyd.Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez is led into the courtroom to be arraigned on homicide charges on Wednesday, May 28, in Boston. Hernandez pleaded not guilty in the 2012 killings of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado. He has also been charged in the 2013 death of semipro football player Odin Lloyd.



At a press conference on May 15, Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley announces that Hernandez has been indicted for the July 2012 killings of de Abreu and Furtado and charged with three counts of armed assault with attempt to murder. Prosecutors allege Hernandez killed de Abreu and Furtado after de Abreu bumped into Hernandez at a nightclub, causing him to spill his drink.At a press conference on May 15, Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley announces that Hernandez has been indicted for the July 2012 killings of de Abreu and Furtado and charged with three counts of armed assault with attempt to murder. Prosecutors allege Hernandez killed de Abreu and Furtado after de Abreu bumped into Hernandez at a nightclub, causing him to spill his drink.



Hernandez is brought into the Attleboro, Massachusetts, District Court for his arraignment on June 26, 2013. He was charged with first-degree murder in Lloyd's death. Hernandez was release by the Patriots less than two hours after his arrest.Hernandez is brought into the Attleboro, Massachusetts, District Court for his arraignment on June 26, 2013. He was charged with first-degree murder in Lloyd's death. Hernandez was release by the Patriots less than two hours after his arrest.



Hernandez answers questions during Media Day on January 31, 2012, before Super Bowl XLVI against the New York Giants in Indianapolis. Hernandez answers questions during Media Day on January 31, 2012, before Super Bowl XLVI against the New York Giants in Indianapolis.



Hernandez carries the ball as the Patriots play the Cincinnati Bengals in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on September 10, 2010.Hernandez carries the ball as the Patriots play the Cincinnati Bengals in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on September 10, 2010.



Hernandez looks up after being tackled during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles on November 27, 2011, in Philadelphia.Hernandez looks up after being tackled during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles on November 27, 2011, in Philadelphia.



Tattoos on Hernandez's arm are visible during the pregame warmup on December 4, 2011.Tattoos on Hernandez's arm are visible during the pregame warmup on December 4, 2011.



Hernandez scores a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills on January 1, 2012, in Foxborough, Massachusetts.Hernandez scores a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills on January 1, 2012, in Foxborough, Massachusetts.



Hernandez catches a pass against Chase Blackburn and Aaron Ross of the New York Giants during Super Bowl XLVI on February 5, 2012, in Indianapolis.Hernandez catches a pass against Chase Blackburn and Aaron Ross of the New York Giants during Super Bowl XLVI on February 5, 2012, in Indianapolis.



Hernandez runs for a 12-yard touchdown past Deon Grant of the New York Giants in the third quarter of Super Bowl XLVI on February 5, 2012, in Indianapolis.Hernandez runs for a 12-yard touchdown past Deon Grant of the New York Giants in the third quarter of Super Bowl XLVI on February 5, 2012, in Indianapolis.



Hernandez celebrates his touchdown in the third quarter of Super Bowl XLVI.Hernandez celebrates his touchdown in the third quarter of Super Bowl XLVI.



Hernandez, center, reacts during the SEC Championship game between the Florida Gators and the Alabama Crimson Tide on December 6, 2008. The Gators went on to win the national title.Hernandez, center, reacts during the SEC Championship game between the Florida Gators and the Alabama Crimson Tide on December 6, 2008. The Gators went on to win the national title.




Rise and fall of Aaron Hernandez

Rise and fall of Aaron Hernandez

Rise and fall of Aaron Hernandez

Rise and fall of Aaron Hernandez

Rise and fall of Aaron Hernandez

Rise and fall of Aaron Hernandez

Rise and fall of Aaron Hernandez

Rise and fall of Aaron Hernandez

Rise and fall of Aaron Hernandez

Rise and fall of Aaron Hernandez

Rise and fall of Aaron Hernandez

Rise and fall of Aaron Hernandez






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Photos: Rise and fall of Aaron HernandezPhotos: Rise and fall of Aaron Hernandez



Hernandez, then 23, pleaded not guilty in the slaying of Odin Lloyd and is being held in a Massachusetts jail without bail. Hernandez has also been charged in the slayings of two other men, and some of his closest associates are facing serious charges in connection with the alleged crimes.





Source: Lloyd killed over trivial matter




Aaron Hernandez taken to hospital

Friends and fans alike wonder: How could the star player who had more than 900 receiving yards in 2011 now be accused of murdering three people?


From 'golden boy' to behind bars


Long before Hernandez made national headlines, he was a standout athlete in Bristol, Connecticut, who came from a family described as a local sports dynasty.


"I don't think there was another family that was more familiar in Bristol," Bob Montgomery, who covers high school sports for the Bristol Press, told CNN.


The young Hernandez was the "golden boy," playing football, basketball and running track, following in the footsteps of his uncle, older brother and father -- all well-known athletes in the community.


Hernandez's father constantly pushed his son, requiring him to practice for hours before he could go out with friends.


"I saw a closeness with them that I'd never seen before," Montgomery said of the relationship between Hernandez and his father.


But his father, the man who kept the 16-year-old anchored, died from complications after a routine surgery.


Hernandez left high school halfway through his senior year in January 2007 to join the University of Florida Gators, and trouble seemed to follow.


In just his first semester, a police report says Hernandez got into a fight at an off-campus restaurant, sucker-punching the manager and rupturing his eardrum.


The following fall, there was a shooting near a local club. Police reports link Hernandez and several other University of Florida football players to an argument in the parking lot.


Hernandez was one of more than 20 people interviewed by police, and he was the only one who did not make a statement after invoking his right to counsel.


At the time, Hernandez's mother told the Orlando Sentinel newspaper, "I know he was at the club, but he never saw any shooting."


The case remains open, and no one has been charged.


Hernandez was also suspended at least once for marijuana, an issue that would follow him as he entered the draft his junior year.


Trying to put the alleged drug use behind him, Hernandez wrote a letter to the Patriots' director of personnel.


"If you draft me as a member of the New England Patriots, I will willfully submit to a bi-weekly drug test throughout my rookie season. ... In addition, I will tie any guaranteed portion of my 2010 compensation to these drug tests and reimburse the team a pro-rata amount for any failed drug test," he wrote, according to the Boston Globe.


Before the draft, Hernandez was expected to be a first or second round pick. He was passed over until the fourth round, when the Patriots selected him.


By the end of the second season, he was a bona fide star, inking the five-year contract extension worth $40 million.


One month before signing the deal, however, he was partying at a Boston club. That same night, two men from the club were found dead.


Did spilled drink lead to slaying?


Investigators allege Hernandez shot and killed Daniel Abreu and Safiro Furtado on July 16, 2012, because one bumped into him on a nightclub dance floor and spilled his drink.


District Attorney Patrick Haggan described the scene in a Massachusetts courtroom in May, saying Hernandez became "angered and increasingly agitated, particularly after Mr. Abreu smiled and did not apologize."


Prosecutors: Bump, spilled drink led to double homicide


Hernandez's friend tried to calm him down, and the pair walked outside and eventually entered a second club across the street, the prosecutor said. Court documents identify that friend as Alexander Bradley, who would go on to accuse Hernandez of shooting him in the eye in an incident that would take place seven months later.


After leaving the second nightclub, Hernandez and the friend returned to their SUV and pulled over on a nearby street where Hernandez removed a revolver from the engine block, Haggan said.


Hernandez began trailing Abreu, Furtado and three of their friends in his SUV, authorities said.


He then pulled up to the victims' car at a red light and leaned out the driver's side window with a loaded revolver, Haggan told the court.


Hernandez allegedly said, "Yo, what's up now," followed by a racial slur, and fired at least five rounds from a .38-caliber revolver, Haggan said.


Abreu, the driver, was shot several times and fatally hit in the chest. Furtado was sitting in the front passenger seat and suffered multiple gunshot wounds, including one to the head, Haggan said.


Hernandez was charged in the double homicide just last month, and he pleaded not guilty. Investigators found evidence they believe links him to the 2012 slayings while investigating an entirely different case -- the slaying of Odin Lloyd.


Do tattoos provide clues?


The killing of Odin Lloyd


In the early hours of June 17, 2013, Lloyd was shot seven times. The semi-pro football player's body was found by a jogger the next afternoon in an industrial park in North Attleboro, Massachusetts.


Lloyd, who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancee, had been partying with Hernandez just before his death, his friends told CNN.


Lloyd's mother: 'Talking to my son in the ground'


Prosecutors say Lloyd was last seen with Hernandez and Hernandez's two associates, Carlos Ortiz and Ernest Wallace, around 2:30 a.m. in a rented silver Nissan Altima.


Surveillance video from security cameras at an industrial park showed an Altima heading toward a secluded area at 3:22 a.m.


At the same time, chilling text messages from Lloyd's phone were sent to his sister telling her he was with "Nfl," adding, "just so u know."


Between 3:23 and 3:27 a.m., workers nearby reported hearing gunshots. At 3:29, a camera showed an Altima pulling into Hernandez's driveway, about a half a mile from the death scene.


Three people got out of the car, and Lloyd was not one of them.


Nine days later, Hernandez was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and other weapon-related charges. He has pleaded not guilty.


Investigators believe Hernandez's simmering anger over two incidents at a nightclub and his apartment led him to allegedly kill Lloyd two nights later, CNN has learned.


One of the incidents involved Lloyd seeing guns and ammunition stored at Hernandez' so-called flop house, his apartment in Franklin, Massachusetts. The other thing that set off Hernandez was a conversation Lloyd had with two men at a club earlier that night, June 14, 2013, a source tells CNN.


The cumulative effect apparently reached a breaking point for reasons that most people would find inconsequential. The source would not say what that was, but compared it to something as insignificant as the spilled drink that allegedly led to the 2012 Boston double slaying.


Lloyd's killing did not involve possible knowledge of that double slaying as investigators previously considered, the source added.


In April, Ortiz and Wallace were also charged in Lloyd's slaying. They, too, have pleaded not guilty.


Life in a jail cell


Today, Hernandez is behind bars in a 7-by-10 foot cell. Sheriff Thomas Hodgson, who runs the jail where Hernandez is incarcerated, says he has talked to inmate No. 174954 at length.


Hernandez, Hodgson says, spends his time reading the Bible and another book he suggested, "Tuesdays With Morrie."


Hernandez taken from jail cell and moved briefly to hospital


Hodgson has encouraged Hernandez to turn to his childhood anchor, his late father. The father-son relationship has come up in their conversations and could have played a role in his checkered past.


"His dad clearly kept him grounded," Hodgson said. "When you lose that person and there's no one there to help you process it in a healthy way, at 16 you're going to reach out to anybody that's older than you to deal with it."









A Bristol County, Massachusetts, grand jury indicted former NFL player Aaron Hernandez on a first-degree murder charge, as well as five weapons charges, on August 22. The former New England Patriots' tight end was arrested in the shooting death of his friend Odin Lloyd in June. Hernandez has pleaded not guilty. Here's a look at other professional athletes who have been charged with murder. Some have been able to create new lives in the free world. Others are incarcerated.A Bristol County, Massachusetts, grand jury indicted former NFL player Aaron Hernandez on a first-degree murder charge, as well as five weapons charges, on August 22. The former New England Patriots' tight end was arrested in the shooting death of his friend Odin Lloyd in June. Hernandez has pleaded not guilty. Here's a look at other professional athletes who have been charged with murder. Some have been able to create new lives in the free world. Others are incarcerated.



South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius, seen here in August, is accused of murdering his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, on February 14, 2013. Pistorius became the first amputee to compete in the able-bodied Olympics when he ran for South Africa in London 2012.South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius, seen here in August, is accused of murdering his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, on February 14, 2013. Pistorius became the first amputee to compete in the able-bodied Olympics when he ran for South Africa in London 2012.



Rae Carruth, who was a wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers, became the first active NFL player ever charged with first-degree murder. His pregnant girlfriend, Cherica Adams, was killed in December 1999, and prosecutors said he arranged for her to be killed in a drive-by shooting. Carruth was eventually convicted of conspiring in her murder and is now in prison. The unborn child, a boy, survived.Rae Carruth, who was a wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers, became the first active NFL player ever charged with first-degree murder. His pregnant girlfriend, Cherica Adams, was killed in December 1999, and prosecutors said he arranged for her to be killed in a drive-by shooting. Carruth was eventually convicted of conspiring in her murder and is now in prison. The unborn child, a boy, survived.



Middleweight boxer Rubin Carter, known as "Hurricane" in the ring, served 18 years in prison for a triple homicide that took place in a bar in 1966. A federal judge overturned his sentence and that of his supposed accomplice, John Artis, in 1985, ruling that the conviction was based on "racial stereotypes, fears and prejudices."Middleweight boxer Rubin Carter, known as "Hurricane" in the ring, served 18 years in prison for a triple homicide that took place in a bar in 1966. A federal judge overturned his sentence and that of his supposed accomplice, John Artis, in 1985, ruling that the conviction was based on "racial stereotypes, fears and prejudices."



Groundbreaking skateboarder Mark "Gator" Rogowski confessed to beating and raping Jessica Bergsten, then choking her to death and burying her in the desert in 1991. Bergsten was a friend of Rogowski's former girlfriend, and Rogowski testified that he acted out of misplaced anger against his ex. Rogowski was denied parole in 2011 and will not be eligible for parole again until 2018.Groundbreaking skateboarder Mark "Gator" Rogowski confessed to beating and raping Jessica Bergsten, then choking her to death and burying her in the desert in 1991. Bergsten was a friend of Rogowski's former girlfriend, and Rogowski testified that he acted out of misplaced anger against his ex. Rogowski was denied parole in 2011 and will not be eligible for parole again until 2018.



Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and two others were charged with murder in 2000 after a fight in a popular Atlanta bar district left two men dead on the street. The murder charges against Lewis were dropped after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of justice and testified against his friends; they were later acquitted. Lewis announced his retirement before helping the Ravens win the Super Bowl in 2013.Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and two others were charged with murder in 2000 after a fight in a popular Atlanta bar district left two men dead on the street. The murder charges against Lewis were dropped after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of justice and testified against his friends; they were later acquitted. Lewis announced his retirement before helping the Ravens win the Super Bowl in 2013.



Bruno Fernandes das Dores de Souza, a former goalie for the Brazilian soccer club Flamengo, was convicted in the murder of his ex-girlfriend, a court said in March 2013. He was sentenced to 22 years and three months for the murder of Eliza Samudio, who had disappeared in 2010. Souza, his lover and his ex-wife were among nine people charged with torturing and murdering Samudio, who had been trying to prove Souza had fathered her son.Bruno Fernandes das Dores de Souza, a former goalie for the Brazilian soccer club Flamengo, was convicted in the murder of his ex-girlfriend, a court said in March 2013. He was sentenced to 22 years and three months for the murder of Eliza Samudio, who had disappeared in 2010. Souza, his lover and his ex-wife were among nine people charged with torturing and murdering Samudio, who had been trying to prove Souza had fathered her son.



Although O.J. Simpson was found not guilty, the former football star's 1995 murder trial has kept him a household name. Simpson was acquitted in the death of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ron Goldman. In October 2008, Simpson was sentenced to 33 years in prison on multiple counts, including armed robbery and kidnapping, in connection with a robbery at a Las Vegas hotel in 2007.Although O.J. Simpson was found not guilty, the former football star's 1995 murder trial has kept him a household name. Simpson was acquitted in the death of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ron Goldman. In October 2008, Simpson was sentenced to 33 years in prison on multiple counts, including armed robbery and kidnapping, in connection with a robbery at a Las Vegas hotel in 2007.




Athletes charged with murder

Athletes charged with murder

Athletes charged with murder

Athletes charged with murder

Athletes charged with murder

Athletes charged with murder

Athletes charged with murder

Athletes charged with murder



Photos: Athletes charged with murderPhotos: Athletes charged with murder



Even behind bars, Hernandez has found trouble. He has been accused of getting into a physical altercation with another inmate and is facing charges of assault and threatening a guard's life.


That's on top of three murder charges, the lawsuit claiming he shot his friend in the face and three civil suits from the families of his alleged victims, among other things.


New England Patriots added to wrongful death suit


As for the Lloyd case, Hernandez's lawyers contend the circumstantial evidence is full of gaps.


"There's certainly a lot of what I would call smoke. There's no doubt about it," defense lawyer Jamie Sultan said during a June 16 hearing. "But that's not probable cause that he committed murder. And you can't just throw a bunch of stuff against the wall and say that's good enough."


No murder weapon has been found, and while at one point it seemed likely that Ortiz would be a key witness against Hernandez, there are now serious questions about his credibility.


And the text Lloyd sent to his sister? The jury may never hear about it.


"I expect the defense to say that this is hearsay," legal analyst David Frank said.


Hernandez's lawyers and mother declined to be interviewed, but both predict he will be cleared. It's a possibility that haunts Lloyd's loved ones.


"That's my biggest fear," Michael Branch, Lloyd's former coach and mentor, said. "All it takes is one juror."


Susan Candiotti, Laura Dolan and Michelle Rozsa reported this story from Massachusetts. Lorenzo Ferrigno wrote it from New York.