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 You must log in to continue. ||||| DETROIT, MI - Kid Rock is responding to the National Action Network who is asking him to denounce the Confederate Flag.

 On Monday, The National Action Network Michigan chapter asked the Detroit-area rocker to denounce the flag and stop displaying it at his concerts. Kid Rock has displayed the flag at some of his shows in the past.

 FOX News reports Kid Rock released a statement to them in response, with the host modifying it on-air to say: "please tell the people who are protesting to kiss my...ask me some questions."

 The National Action Network also wants an exhibit about Detroit music inside the museum, which is paid for in part by Kid Rock, to be taken down if the rocker does not denounce displaying the Confederate Flag.

 The Kid Rock Music Lab at the Detroit Historical Museum is one of ten permanent exhibitions there.

 The museum released this statement: "The lab explores Detroit's rich musical legacy and the worldwide impact made by Detroiters in every genre of music, including pop, rock, gospel, blues, hip-hop, techno and more. Kid Rock's contribution to Detroit's music history is significant and warrants his inclusion along with other key figures like Stevie Wonder, Bob Seger, Aretha Franklin and Eminem. There are no displays of the Confederate flag in the Kid Rock Music Lab or anywhere else inside the Detroit Historical Museum."

 Kid Rock is touring right now, with a show in Virginia Beach on July 10.

 He will be at DTE Energy Music Theatre beginning August 7 for 10 shows.

 Here is the FOX News report:

 Edward Pevos is the entertainment reporter for Mlive covering Detroit and Southeast Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter @PaparazzoPevos ||||| Just because the Confederate flag has been removed from the South Carolina states house doesn't mean the flag has stopped generating controversy. On Monday, the National Action Network's Michigan chapter protested outside the Detroit Historical Museum, which houses a Kid Rock exhibit, demanding that the rocker stop displaying the Confederate flag, Deadline Detroit reports. In a statement to Fox News' Megyn Kelly, Kid Rock relayed his message to those upset in his native Detroit: "Please tell the people who are protesting to kiss my ass/Ask me some questions."

 Related The Killer Inside Kid Rock Shooting hogs and talking trash with America's wildest red-state rocker

 Although Kid Rock was born and raised in Michigan, a Union state during the Civil War, the rocker has adopted the Confederate flag to highlight his Rebel Soul, the name of his 2012 album. In recent years, Rock has retreated to his estate in rural Alabama. Rock also toured extensively with Lynyrd Skynyrd, another – albeit Southern – act that made frequent use of the Confederate flag. However, Rock's current trek does not display the flag.

 A representative for Kid Rock declined to comment.

 As Fox News points out, Kid Rock aligns himself with the Southern pride connotations of the flag and not its racial implications, since Rock's son Robert Ritchie Jr., is biracial, and as of December 2014, the First Kiss singer also has biracial grandchildren.

 Despite the controversy, the Detroit Historical Museum stood by the rocker, saying his contributions to the Motor City outweigh his appropriation of the Confederate flag, which does not feature at all in the exhibit.

 "The Kid Rock Music Lab is one of 10 permanent exhibitions at the Detroit Historical Museum," the museum said in a statement, WXYZ reports. "Kid Rock’s contribution to Detroit’s music history is significant and warrants his inclusion along with other key figures like Stevie Wonder, Bob Seger, Aretha Franklin and Eminem. There are no displays of the Confederate flag in the Kid Rock Music Lab or anywhere else inside the Detroit Historical Museum."

Summary: – With South Carolina taking down the confederate flag and NASCAR banning it, Kid Rock chose to defend his own use of the Old South emblem: In his words, protesters can "kiss my ass." The rocker was reacting to people who opposed his display at the Detroit Historical Museum, which included the Confederate Flag but may not anymore, Rolling Stone reports. Rock sent a statement to Megyn Kelly at Fox News, saying, "Please tell the people who are protesting to kiss my ass/Ask me some questions." Kelly quoted it in a video available on her Facebook page, editing his words to read, "kiss my ... ask me some questions," she says. "I modified that." Raised in Michigan, Rock lives on an estate in Alabama and uses the Confederate flag "to highlight his Rebel Soul, the name of his 2012 album," Rolling Stone says. He has also toured with Lynyrd Skynyrd, a southern band that often used the Confederate flag. But Rock isn't using the flag on his current tour. While Rock says he hasn't raised the flag to symbolize hate, a reverend at Michigan Chapter of the National Action Network tells MLive.com that if the flag stays up, the museum is "consenting to this attitude and this promotion of the flag that we feel is a hate symbol." For its part, the museum says that "there are no displays of Confederate Flag in the Kid Rock Music Lab or anywhere else inside the Detroit Historical Museum."


Aug 25, 2015 2:44 PM Aug 25, 2015 2:44 PM

 For eight seasons, Jerry Seinfeld’s television persona dealt with the fictional “Newman,” his neighbor and arch-nemesis. Mr. Seinfeld, a part-time East Hampton resident, dealt with a real-life meddling neighbor last Tuesday afternoon, August 18, when his family’s lemonade stand on Egypt Lane in the village was shut down following complaints.

 Mr. Seinfeld’s wife, Jessica, posted a photo on Instagram of Mr. Seinfeld, their son, Julian, and two friends with their hands on top of their heads in surrender. An East Hampton Village Police car could clearly be seen in the back right corner of the photo.

 “Lemonade dreams crushed by local neighbor, but not before raising lots of money for @loverecycled,” wrote Ms. Seinfeld in the caption. “Thanks to all of our customers and big tippers! Thanks, Xander and Jaden, for crushing it today with Julian and Jerry.”

 East Hampton Village Police Chief Jerry Larsen said police received a complaint about illegally parked vehicles at the location of the lemonade stand. At the scene, an officer advised the Seinfeld family that village code does not permit lemonade stands on village property. The village prohibits all forms of peddling on its property.

 While the money was ultimately raised for Ms. Seinfeld’s charity, Baby Buggy, many of Ms. Seinfeld’s Instagram followers expressed their disdain over the neighbor’s complaint and strict policies about lemonade stands in the area.

 “People always talk about how kids today need to get back to the basics, and when they do, they change their mind,” PamB2001 commented in an Instagram post.

 Tom Keaney, Mr. Seinfeld’s publicist, said he could not add anything beyond what was posted on Instagram.

 Ms. Seinfeld founded Baby Buggy in 2001. The organization focuses on providing families under financial strain with clothing, gear and services, and has donated 16 million items since its formation. Its motto is “Love Recycled,” hence its Instagram handle. ||||| Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

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 It’s “No lemonade for you!” in East Hampton, where a sourpuss neighbor put the squeeze on the drink stand Jerry Seinfeld and his family had set up for charity, resulting in this goofy “arrest.”

 The roadside business was selling cold drinks on hot days to benefit the group Baby Buggy, before it was shut down for violating a village prohibition on peddling.

 “Lemonade dreams crushed by local neighbor but not before raising lots of money for @loverecycled. Thanks to all of our customers and big tippers!” Seinfeld’s wife, Jessica, wrote on Instagram.

 An accompanying photo shows Jerry, son Julian and two young pals standing with their hands behind their heads.

 Police Chief Jerry Larsen told the East Hampton Press that cops got a complaint about cars parked illegally at the spot, and that the Seinfelds were told their philanthropic efforts weren’t permitted under village law.

 Jerry couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday.

 Jessica’s Baby Buggy charity, founded in 2001 after the birth of the couple’s first child, has given away more than 16 million pieces of children’s clothing, strollers and other gear to needy families.

Summary: – Whether it's Newman or a grumpy person in the Hamptons, Jerry Seinfeld seems to have bad luck with neighbors. The comedian and his family were selling lemonade for charity in East Hampton last week, but were shut down after someone called the police. The Seinfelds were raising money for Baby Buggy—an organization founded by Jerry's wife, Jessica, that provides baby clothes and childcare items to needy families, according to Page Six. Out hawking lemonade were the couple, their son Julian, and his two friends. The problem? Peddling is illegal on East Hampton Village property. Police were called to the scene because of illegally parked vehicles, and told the Seinfelds to move it along, the East Hampton Village Police Chief tells the East Hampton Press. Jessica captured a photo of Jerry and the boys with their hands behind their heads, as if they were being arrested. An East Hampton Village police car and officer are in frame. "Lemonade dreams crushed by local neighbor but not before raising lots of money for @loverecycled," Jessica captioned the Instagram post. "Thanks to all of our customers and big tippers!"


Tweet with a location

 You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more ||||| As Saudi officials lashed out at Canada, the US remained on the sidelines, signaling a blatant shift in the relationship

 Soon after Donald Trump took office, it became clear that the longstanding relationship between the United States and its northern neighbour was about to change: there were terse renegotiations of Nafta, thousands of asylum seekers walking across the shared border and attacks on against Canada’s protectionist trade policies.

 A tweet, then a trade freeze: latest row shows Saudi Arabia is asserting new rules Read more

 But this week laid bare perhaps the most blatant shift in the relationship, as the US said it would remain on the sidelines while Saudi officials lashed out at Canada over its call to release jailed civil rights activists.

 “It’s up for the government of Saudi Arabia and the Canadians to work this out,” state department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said this week. “Both sides need to diplomatically resolve this together. We can’t do it for them.”

 Canada’s lonely stance was swiftly noticed north of the border. “We do not have a single friend in the whole entire world,” Rachel Curran, a policy director under former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper, lamented on Twitter.

 The UK was similarly muted in its response, noted Bob Rae, a former leader of the federal Liberal party. “The Brits and the Trumpians run for cover and say ‘we’re friends with both the Saudis and the Canadians,’” Rae wrote on Twitter. “Thanks for the support for human rights, guys, and we’ll remember this one for sure.”

 The spat appeared to have been sparked last week when Canada’s foreign ministry expressed its concern over the arrest of Saudi civil society and women’s rights activists, in a tweet that echoed concerns previously voiced by the United Nations.

 Saudi Arabia swiftly shot back, expelling Canada’s ambassador and suspending new trade and investment with Ottawa, making plans to remove thousands of Saudi students and medical patients from Canada, and suspending the state airline’s flights to and from Canada, among other actions.

 Speaking to reporters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister urged Canada to “fix its big mistake” and warned that the kingdom was considering additional measures against Canada.

 Analysts and regional officials said the spat had little to do with Canada, instead characterising Riyadh’s actions as a broader signal to western governments that any criticism of its domestic policies is unacceptable.

 Several countries expressed support for Saudi Arabia, including Egypt and Russia. But Canada continued to stand alone, even as state-run media in the kingdom reported the beheading and “crucifixion” of a man convicted of killing a woman and carrying out other crimes.

 Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, said Canada was continuing to engage diplomatically and politically with Saudi Arabia. “We have respect for their importance in the world and recognise that they have made progress on a number of important issues,” he told reporters this week.

 He insisted, however, that his government would continue to press Saudi Arabia on its human rights record. “We will, at the same time, continue to speak clearly and firmly on issues of human rights at home and abroad wherever we see the need.”

 In this particular dispute, Canada did not need US help, said Thomas Juneau, a professor at the University of Ottawa. “Saudi Arabia-Canada relations are very limited, so there’s not a lot of damage being done to Canada right now,” he said. “But this should be a source of major anxiety: when a real crisis comes and we are alone, what do we do?”

 Saudi critics jab Canada on Twitter and TV as diplomatic feud deepens Read more

 The week’s events have added impetus to a conversation that is slowly getting under way in Canada, Juneau said. “We are starting some serious soul-searching in the sense of what does it mean for Canada to have a US that is much more unilateral, much more dismissive of the rules and the norms and of its leadership role in the international order that it has played for 70 years?”

 These changes south of the border have clearly emboldened Saudi Arabia, Juneau argued, describing the kingdom’s recent actions in Yemen, Qatar and Lebanon as a pattern of aggressive, ambitious and reckless behaviour.

 He saw no immediate end to the row, particularly as neither side is suffering significant costs in the dispute. Saudi Arabia has shown little inclination in recent years to walk back from its reckless and impulsive behaviour, he said, while Canada’s federal government – facing an election in 14 months and already under fire for signing off on the sale of more than 900 armoured vehicles to Riyadh – is loath to be seen adopting any kind of conciliatory posture towards the conservative kingdom.

 While some in Canada had been disappointed to see the UK and Europe opt to publicly stay out of the diplomatic spat, Juneau described it as unsurprising. “When Saudi Arabia had comparable fights with Sweden and Germany in recent years, did Canada go out of its way to side with Sweden and Germany? No, not at all,” he said. “We stayed quiet because we had nothing to gain from getting involved. So on the European side, the calculation is the same.”

 Canada’s lonely stand for women’s rights in the kingdom did earn the support of some around the world; this week saw the Guardian and the New York Times publish editorials urging Europe and the US to stand with Canada. So did the Washington Post, going one step further by publishing their editorial in Arabic.

 Their call was echoed by a handful of prominent voices in the US, including Bernie Sanders. “It’s entirely legitimate for democratic governments to highlight human rights issues with undemocratic governments,” the US senator wrote on Twitter. “The US must be clear in condemning repression, especially when done by governments that receive our support.” ||||| Tweet with a location

 You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more ||||| BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union has asked Saudi Arabia to shed light on the arrests and charges facing women human rights activists, saying that the detainees should be granted due process to defend themselves.

 FILE PHOTO: European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini arrives for the second day of a NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium, July 12, 2018. Tatyana Zenkovich/Pool via REUTERS

 Saudi Arabia has in recent months detained several women’s rights activists, some of whom had campaigned for the right to drive and an end to the kingdom’s male guardianship system.

 The detentions have triggered a major diplomatic row with Canada after the Canadians demanded the immediate release of the jailed activists.

 The European Commission, the EU executive, said it has contacted Saudi Arabia.

 “The EU has been engaging constructively with the Saudi authorities seeking clarification on the circumstances surrounding the arrests of women human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia, notably with regard to the specific accusations brought against them,” spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.

 “We have been emphasizing the relevance of the role of human rights defenders and civil society groups in the process of reform which the Kingdom is pursuing as well as the importance of respecting the rules of due process for all those arrested,” she said.

 Earlier on Saturday, Mogherini spoke to Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland on the phone, with both sides agreeing to intensify their cooperation in human rights as well as other areas.

Summary: – Canada's growing rift with the US has included tense trade talks and tit-for-tat remarks. Now the US is among countries leaving Canucks in the diplomatic cold over their spat with Saudi Arabia, the Guardian reports. "It's up for the government of Saudi Arabia and the Canadians to work this out," says State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert. "Both sides need to diplomatically resolve this together. We can't do it for them." America isn't the only country refusing to support Canada after it called for Saudi Arabia to free arrested women's rights activists, and the Saudi government lashed out in a rage: The UK also gave Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government a muted response. "The Brits and the Trumpians run for cover and say 'we're friends with both the Saudis and the Canadians,'" tweeted Bob Rae, former leader of the Liberal Party in Canada. "Thanks for the support for human rights, guys, and we’ll remember this one for sure." As Rachel Curran, a former official under the Stephen Harper government, tweeted: "We do not have a single friend in the whole entire world." Meanwhile, Reuters reports that the European Union is asking Saudi Arabia to explain why activists Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sadah were arrested and urged the Saudi government to grant them due process. (A Saudi government-linked youth group threatened a 9/11-style attack on Toronto.)


Deputy Pakistani Taliban leader Wali-ur-Rehman (C) is flanked by militants as he speaks to a group of reporters in Shawal town, which lies between North and South Waziristan region in the northwest bordering Afghanistan, in this July 28, 2011 file photo.

 PESHAWAR, Pakistan A U.S. drone strike killed the number two of the Pakistani Taliban in the North Waziristan region on Wednesday, three security officials said, in what would be a major blow in the fight against militancy.

 The drone strike killed seven people, Pakistani security officials said, including Taliban deputy commander Wali-ur-Rehman, in the first such attack since a May 11 general election in which the use of the unmanned aircraft was a major issue.

 Wali-ur-Rehman had been poised to succeed Hakimullah Mehsud as leader of the Pakistani Taliban, a senior army official based in the South Waziristan region, had said in December.

 "This is a huge blow to militants and a win in the fight against insurgents," one security official told Reuters, declining further comment.

 The Pakistani Taliban are a separate entity allied to the Afghan Taliban. Known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), they have launched devastating attacks against the Pakistani military and civilians.

 Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ihsanullah Ihsan told Reuters the group did not have "confirmed reports" that Wali-ur-Rehman had been killed. He declined further comment.

 Drone casualties are difficult to verify. Foreign journalists must have permission from the military to visit the Pashtun tribal areas along the Afghan border.

 Taliban fighters also often seal off the sites of drone strikes immediately so Pakistani journalists cannot see the victims.

 "That the Taliban are remaining silent and neither denying or confirming the news is itself peculiar," said Saleem Safi, a Pakistani expert on the Taliban. "But if this news is true, then the Pakistan army has the U.S. to thank."

 The security officials and Pashtun tribesmen in the northwestern region said the drone fired two missiles that struck a mud-built house at Chashma village, 3 km (2 miles) east of Miranshah, the region's administrative town.

 They said seven people were killed and four wounded.

 FOREIGN MINISTRY DENOUNCES DRONES

 "Tribesmen started rescue work an hour after the attack and recovered seven bodies," said resident Bashir Dawar. "The bodies were badly damaged and beyond recognition."

 The Pakistan government had yet to confirm Wali-ur-Rehman's death.

 A U.S. drone killed Pakistani Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud in 2009. There had been several reports that his successor, Hakimullah Mehsud, was killed the same way but they turned out to be untrue.

 But the Foreign Ministry again denounced drones in general on Wednesday.

 "The government has consistently maintained that the drone strikes are counter-productive, entail loss of innocent civilian lives, have human rights and humanitarian implications and violate the principles of national sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law," it said.

 U.S. President Barack Obama recently indicated he was scaling back the drone strike program, winning cautious approval from Pakistan, a key ally in the U.S. fight on militancy.

 North Waziristan is on the Afghan border and has long been a stronghold of militants including Afghan Taliban and their al Qaeda and Pakistani Taliban allies.

 Prime Minister-elect Nawaz Sharif said this month that drone strikes were a "challenge" to Pakistan's sovereignty.

 "We will sit with our American friends and talk to them about this issue," he said.

 Obama's announcement of scaling back drone strikes was widely welcomed by the people of North Waziristan, where drones armed with missiles have carried out the most strikes against militants over the past seven years, sometimes with heavy civilian casualties.

 The strike also coincided with the first session of the newly elected provincial assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the former Northwest Frontier Province.

 Former cricketer Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf party won most seats in the assembly and denounced the strike, saying Obama had gone back on his word.

 (Additional reporting by Mehreen Zahra-Malik and Syed Raza Hassan in Islamabad, Saud Mehsud in Dera Ismail Khan; Writing by Nick Macfie; Editing by Robert Birsel) ||||| Pakistani intelligence officials say a pair of suspected U.S. missiles fired from an unmanned aerial vehicle has killed four alleged foreign militants near the Afghan border.

 They say an American drone fired the missiles Wednesday into a house in Miran Shah, the main town of Pakistan's tribal region of North Waziristan.

 The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

 The tribal region is home to a variety of local and Afghan militant outfits including al-Qaida-linked fighters.

 Washington's drone program is extremely unpopular in Pakistan, although the number of strikes has dropped dramatically since the height of the program in 2010. ||||| Story highlights Rehman was wanted by U.S. in connection with 2009 attack that killed CIA employees

 Seven killed, one wounded in drone strike, officials say

 Rehman was second in command to Hakimullah Mehsud

 It's the first drone strike since the Pakistani elections

 The Pakistan Taliban's No. 2 leader was killed in a drone strike Wednesday in the country's tribal region, a local tribal official and an intelligence official confirmed to CNN.

 He was Wali-Ur Rehman Mehsud -- second in command to Hakimullah Mehsud, the militant group's leader. The Pakistan Taliban's spokesman told CNN he could neither confirm nor deny the information. The sources said Rehman was killed along with his close aide, Fakhar-ul-Islam, and two Uzbek nationals whose identities the sources didn't know.

 This is the same strike reported earlier by intelligence officials in Pakistan, who said seven people were killed and one other was injured in the attack at a compound near the town of Miranshah in the North Waziristan district.

 Rehman was wanted by the United States on suspicion of being involved in the December 2009 suicide bomb attack that killed seven CIA employees at Forward Operating Base Chapman in Khost, Afghanistan, according to a publication by the U.S. National Counterrorism Center

 The publication described him as the Pakistan Taliban's No. 2 leader and chief military strategist, and said he participated in cross-border attacks in Afghanistan against U.S. and NATO personnel.

 The United States has long conducted drone strikes in its fight against suspected Taliban and Pakistani jihadist groups in Pakistan near the Afghan border. This one is the first known hit since Pakistan held general elections on May 11 and since President Barack Obama announced his new counterterrorism policy last week.

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 The last reported drone strike in Pakistan was in mid-April.

 White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters Wednesday that he couldn't confirm reports of Rehman's death, but he said the militant was wanted for the Khost incident and mentioned his participation in attacks. "It's important to note who this individual is," he said.

 Carney read a portion of Obama's counterterrorism speech that laid out standards for taking action.

 "In the Afghan war theater, we must support our troops until the transition is complete at the end of 2014. That means we will continue to take strikes against high value al Qaeda targets, but also against forces that are massing to support attacks on coalition forces. However, by the end of 2014, we will no longer have the same need for force protection, and the progress we have made against core al Qaeda will reduce the need for unmanned strikes," Carney said, reciting the address.

 Core al Qaeda is a reference to the terror group along the Afghan-Pakistan border.

 Drone strikes have become controversial and unpopular because they have killed civilians, and Pakistan has said it has "serious concerns" over the latest attack.

 Pakistan, which describes itself as a front-line state in the fight against terrorism, said it has "consistently maintained that the drone strikes are counterproductive, entail loss of innocent civilian lives, have human rights and humanitarian implications and violate the principles of national sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law."

 When Obama discussed drone strikes last week, he said they must be used with more temperance and caution, but they remain a necessary tool to take on terrorists.

 "It is a hard fact that U.S. strikes have resulted in civilian casualties, a risk that exists in all wars," Obama said. "As commander in chief, I must weigh these heartbreaking tragedies against the alternatives. To do nothing in the face of terrorist networks would invite far more civilian casualties."

 Nawaz Sharif, the Pakistani politician who is expected to serve as the next prime minister, has said he plans to address the unrest in his country.

 Talks with militants such as the Pakistan Taliban should be taken seriously, he has said.

 Taking on militants in Pakistan

 The United States, in its fight against terrorism, has been using drones to go after militants it calls high-value targets.

 The Long War Journal, a website that tracks, reports and analyzes the U.S. fight against terrorists, said the United States has launched 14 drone strikes so far this year.

 "The number of strikes in Pakistan has decreased since the peak in 2010, when 117 such attacks were recorded. In 2011, 64 strikes were launched in Pakistan, and in 2012 there were 46 strikes," the journal said.

 The strikes have been confined mostly to North and South Waziristan, the journal said, with 322 of the 339 strikes recorded since 2004 occurring in those two tribal regions.

 Obama and other U.S. officials have stressed that al Qaeda's core in Afghanistan and Pakistan is being degraded. In his speech, Obama said al Qaeda in that region is "on a path to defeat."

 Asked how many high-value targets like Rehman are left in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, Bill Roggio, the Long War Journal's editor, estimated the number is at least in the dozens, including members of the Pakistani Taliban.

 "Al Qaeda has replaced its top leadership, often using seasoned Pakistani jihadists from the cadre of Pakistani terror groups," Roggio said, citing such militant movements as Harakat ul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e Jhangvi, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami.

 Peter Bergen, CNN national security analyst, said it's hard to say how many high-value targets are left because people keep being added to the list.

 He also said many militants remain concentrated in the rugged North Waziristan region, where the army's lack of clearing operations makes it safe for jihadis to operate.

Summary: – A suspected US drone strike assassinated the Pakistani Taliban's No. 2 commander today, according to multiple reports sourced to Pakistani intelligence. Officials tell the AP that their informants on the ground saw Waliur Rehman's body firsthand, while others say intercepted Taliban communications confirmed the kill. But a spokesman for the Taliban said the report "appears to me to be false news; I don't have any such information." Rehman was considered the heir apparent to Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud. "This is a huge blow to militants and a win in the fight against insurgents," a security official tells Reuters. Earlier, Pakistani officials had condemned the strike, which is the first since President Obama announced that the program was being scaled back—and the first since Pakistan's elections, in which the unpopular attacks were a major issue. Reports vary on how many were killed; the AP and CNN have 4 dead, but a resident tells Reuters that rescue workers have pulled seven bodies from the rubble.


This is the first time I have seen June Steenkamp smile. She is sitting at the far side of a long wooden table overlooking a swimming pool in the shady courtyard of a guesthouse, which has become her second home in Pretoria.

 The avenues outside are flush with jacaranda blossoms. Pupils from Pretoria Boys High School, which is just across the road, are trickling through the gates in their old-fashioned uniforms: short-sleeved khaki shirts and ties, matching khaki shorts and tan socks pulled up to their knees.

 It was as a pupil there that her daughter’s killer, Oscar Pistorius, first discovered he could run.

 June Steenkamp has stayed in this small, discreet guesthouse many times since March, when South Africa’s national hero went on trial… ||||| REUTERS Oscar Pistorius and his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. File photo: Thembani Makhubele

 Johannesburg - Oscar Pistorius and his law-graduate girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp did not have sex, her mother June Steenkamp wrote in her book, the Sunday Times reported.

 In “Reeva: a Mother's Story”, June Steenkamp wrote that her daughter confided in her that although they spent nights together, they did not have sex because she “was scared to take the relationship to that level”.

 Speaking about the athlete, she wrote: “To look at him now, he's a pathetic figure. He looks haunted. He's already been punished in a way.

 “Whatever is in his head is in his head forever. He will have to live with that.”

 Pistorius was sentenced to prison for five years for the culpable homicide of Steenkamp. He shot her through a locked toilet door in his Pretoria home on February 14, 2013, thinking she was an intruder.

 Sunday Times reported that June Steenkamp wrote that she did not believe Pistorius's version.

 “He said pulling the trigger was 'an accident'. What? Four times an accident? He said Reeva did not scream, but she would definitely have screamed. I know my daughter as she was very vocal,” she wrote.

 “There is no doubt in our minds that something went horribly wrong, something upset her so terribly that she hid behind a locked door with two mobile phones.”

 In the book, June Steenkamp dissects every text, tweet and email in the three month relationship, looking for hidden meaning, according to the report.

 Steenkamp, 68, and her husband Barry Steenkamp, 71, will feature in Monday’s edition of UK celebrity magazine Hello.

 The British media reported that June Steenkamp believes Pistorius “would have killed someone sooner or later” and that her daughter’s “bad luck” conspired against her.

 In the seven-month trial, Pistorius was cleared of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva, but found guilty of culpable homicide and sentenced to five years in prison.

 In an interview with The Times magazine, June Steenkamp describes Pistorius as: “moody”, “volatile”, “arrogant”, “combustible”, as well as “trigger-happy”, “possessive”, “gun-toting”, “vague”, “shifty” and “evasive”.

 The newspaper said Steenkamp claimed that Pistorius had shot her daughter “in a jealous rage, then finished her off with three more bullets so she ‘couldn’t tell the world what really happened’.”

 She said her daughter’s death haunts her at night – she regularly wakes up around 3am, the time Reeva died at Pistorius’s home.

 “Why decide to say sorry to me in a televised trial in front of the whole world? I was unmoved by his apology,” she writes.

 “I felt if I appeared to be sorry for him at this stage of his trial on the charge of premeditated murder, it would, in the eyes of others, lessen the awfulness of what he had done.”

 Meanwhile a snippet and photos have been published on Hello’s website, announcing the magazine had the “world exclusive interview moments after the trial ended in South Africa” on Tuesday.

 June Steenkamp told Hello the court’s decision to send Pistorius to jail “was the best sentence we could have expected”.

 Steenkamp said she “believe(s) Oscar expected to go to prison” by the time his seven-month trial concluded. She told the magazine: “It’s been a terrible, long journey”.

 “He was almost resigned to what was coming. It was obvious in the court from his manner; he was calm and wasn’t performing,” she said.

 She said she and her husband were still coming to terms with “the vision of Reeva suffering this terrible trauma”.

 Blood-splattered images of the crime scene were exhibited during the Pistorius trial.

 Steenkamp added: “We’re not looking for vengeance or for him to get hurt; we’re just happy because he’s going to be punished for what he’s done.

 “He may come out early on good behaviour, but by the time he’s served that time, it will have taught him that he can’t go around doing things like that.”

 His five-year sentence has been criticised by some as too lenient.

 But Reeva’s parents told ITV’s Good Morning Britain they accepted the sentence and “don’t want revenge”. They said their daughter’s Valentine’s Day death last year remained shrouded in mystery, and “only Oscar knows” the truth.

 After sentencing, Pistorius was sent to the hospital section of the Kgosi Mampuru prison in Pretoria. He reportedly cried himself to sleep on his first night in jail.

 The athlete’s fans meanwhile have written supportive messages on his website. One fan, Noluthando, wrote: “Oscar you made us proud in the world by your courage. Please keep strong.”

 Another, Carina, wrote: “I feel so sorry for Oscar. He really doesn’t deserve to spend the rest of his life in jail. He’s a great guy… ”

 Weekend Argus and Sapa

 Related Stories ||||| POOL/REUTERS June (l.) and Barry Steenkamp seen during the sentencing hearing of Olympic and Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius in October. POOL/REUTERS Pistorius was given a five-year sentence for Steenkamp’s death, but could serve as little as 10 months. Previous Next

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 Reeva Steenkamp never had sex with Oscar Pistorius and was about to leave him when he gunned her down through a bathroom door, her mother claims.

 June Steenkamp told the Sunday Times of London magazine that her daughter "was scared to take the relationship to that level" and had avoided getting physical with the Paralympian known as the Blade Runner.

 “She wouldn’t want to sleep with Oscar if she wasn’t sure,” she said. “I believe their relationship was coming to an end. In her heart of hearts, she didn’t think it was making either of them happy.”

 In her memoir, "Reeva: A Mother's Story,” June says the couple had spent several nights together but never had sex. The 68-year-old believes the rocky, three month-old relationship was over and that Reeva planned to leave him Valentine’s Day 2013, the night she was killed.

 "Her clothes were packed. There's no doubt in our minds: she decided to leave Oscar that night," she said.

 FRENNIE SHIVAMBU/EPA Reeva Steenkamp (l.) with Olympian Oscar Pistorius, who was convicted of culpable homicide for shooting her to death on Valentine’s Day 2013. STR/EPA June Steenkamp's book goes on sale Nov. 6. Previous Next

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 She added that if Pistorius — whom she described as “volatile”, “combustible” and “trigger-happy” — hadn’t killed Reeva, the 27-year-old would have killed someone else "sooner or later."

 Reeva, 29, was shot dead by Pistorius, a double amputee who uses prosthetics to walk and run, as she huddled inside a bathroom. The fallen Olympic runner has stood by his claim that he shot four times through the locked door because he thought there was an intruder in his Pretoria home.

 Reeva's mother, though, claims that Pistorius, who is serving a five-year sentence for culpable homicide, lied in court and knew he was actually firing at Reeva.

 “There is no doubt in our minds that something went horribly wrong, something upset her so terribly that she hid behind a locked door with two mobile phones,” June writes.

 Amazon ‘Reeva: A Mother's Story.’

 Convicted of culpable homicide last week, Pistorius will be able to seek parole after 10 months behind bars, and then apply to serve out the remainder of his sentence at home.

 The marathon eight-month trial drew international attention to South Africa and featured the country’s most famous athlete and a gorgeous young supermodel.

 Reeva’s parents, June and Barry Steenkamp, told a newspaper that they they never met Pistorius while the two dated.

 June Steenkamp’s book is due out Nov. 6. ||||| Image copyright EPA Image caption Reeva Steenkamp's relationship was Pistorius was "coming to an end", her mother says

 It was bad luck Reeva Steenkamp met Oscar Pistorius, her mother has said, as the "volatile" athlete "would have killed someone sooner or later".

 Speaking to The Times, June Steenkamp calls Pistorius "pathetic", "moody", "gun-toting" and "possessive".

 She rejects both his apology and his version of events, but admits: "He's the only one who knows the truth."

 Pistorius is serving five years for the culpable homicide of girlfriend Reeva. He could be out in 10 months.

 The South African athlete was cleared of murder.

 'About to leave'

 June Steenkamp told The Times, which is serialising her book, Reeva: A Mother's Story, which is to be published on 6 November, that Reeva had told her the couple had not yet entered a sexual relationship and had "nagging doubts about their compatibility".

 She says: "She had confided to me that she hadn't slept with him. They'd shared a bed, but she was scared to take the relationship to that level.

 Media caption Judge Thokozile Masipa hands down the sentence

 "She wouldn't want to sleep with Oscar if she wasn't sure. I believe their relationship was coming to an end. In her heart of hearts, she didn't think it was making either of them happy."

 Ms Steenkamp, 68, who was not called to testify at the trial, says this may have played a part in what happened on the night of the shooting, Valentine's Day last year.

 She rejects his version of events, that there was no row and that he had thought there was an intruder in the toilet cubicle when he fired four shots through the door "without thinking".

 "There is no doubt in our minds that something went horribly wrong, something upset her so terribly that she hid behind a locked door with two mobile phones," June writes.

 Media caption June Steenkamp speaks after the sentencing

 Other words she uses to describe Pistorius are "arrogant", "moody", "combustible", "trigger-happy", "vague", "evasive" and "shifty".

 She believes Reeva, 29, was about to leave Pistorius, 27.

 She says: "Her clothes were packed. There is no doubt in our minds: she had decided to leave Oscar that night."

 In the excerpt of the book serialised in the paper, Ms Steenkamp refers to Pistorius's apology to them in court.

 "Why decide to say sorry to me in a televised trial in front of the whole world? I was unmoved by his apology.

 "I felt if I appeared to be sorry for him at this stage of his trial on the charge of premeditated murder, it would in the eyes of others lessen the awfulness of what he had done. He was in the box trying to save his own skin."

 Nevertheless, the parents say they do want to meet Pistorius.

 Image copyright EPA Image caption Oscar Pistorius holds the hands of family members as he is led away

 Although she says "I am not entirely sure what I am going to say", father Barry, 71, says he wants an apology.

 "I would like him to really, truthfully say, although he said it in court, 'I'm sorry.' I would like him just to say it to our faces."

 Ms Steenkamp also talks about the "wrenching pain that you get in your heart" when thinking of her daughter's death.

 "It's always there. The minute your eyes open in the morning, or if you wake up in the middle of the night, there it is."

 Pistorius, an amputee sprinter, became the first athlete to compete in the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

 He is serving his sentence in Pretoria's Kgosi Mampuru II jail.

 Pistorius was also given a three-year suspended sentence for firing a gun in a restaurant.

 Inside Oscar Pistorius's home

 INTERACTIVE 1 2 3 5 4 ×

 × Balcony × Mr Pistorius said he and Ms Steenkamp had dinner at about 19:00 before going to bed at 21:00. He said he woke in the early hours, spoke briefly to his girlfriend and got up to close the sliding door and curtains. Judge Thokozile Masipa questioned the reliability of several witnesses who said they heard screams and gunshots between about 03:12 and 03:17, saying most had 'got facts wrong'.

 × Bathroom noise × Mr Pistorius said he heard the bathroom window sliding open and believed that an intruder, or intruders, had entered the bathroom through a window which was not fitted with burglar bars. Mr Pistorius said he grabbed his firearm and told Ms Steenkamp, who he thought was still in bed, to call the police. The judge said it made no sense that Ms Steenkamp did not hear him scream 'Get out' or call the police, as she had her mobile phone with her.

 × Shooting × Mr Pistorius could see the bathroom window was open and toilet door closed. He said he did not know whether the intruders were outside on a ladder or in the toilet. He had his firearm in front of him, he heard a movement inside the toilet and thought whoever was inside was coming out to attack him. 'Before I knew it, I had fired four shots at the door,' he said. The judge said she did not accept that Mr Pistorius fired the gun by accident or before he knew what was happening. She said he had armed himself with a lethal weapon and clearly wanted to use it. The other question, she said, was why he fired not one, but four shots before he ran back to the room to try to find Ms Steenkamp.

 × Bedroom × Mr Pistorius said he went back to the bedroom and noticed that Ms Steenkamp was not there. Mr Pistorius said this was when he realised she could have been in the toilet and rushed back to the bathroom.

 × Toilet door × Mr Pistorius said he screamed for help and went back to the bathroom where he found the toilet was locked. He returned to the bedroom, pulled on his prosthetic legs and turned on the lights before bashing in the toilet door with a cricket bat. When the door panel broke, he found the key and unlocked the door and found Ms Steenkamp slumped on the floor with her head on the toilet bowl. He then carried her downstairs, where he was met by neighbours.

 3D animation of the apartment

Summary: – Reeva Steenkamp's mother says the 29-year-old South African model "was scared to take the relationship to the next level" with Oscar Pistorius, so she never slept with the man who eventually killed her, the Sunday Times reports via the New York Daily News and the BBC. In the memoir Reeva: a Mother's Story, June Steenkamp says Pistorius and Steenkamp were together for several nights but never went all the way. "She had confided to me that she hadn't slept with him," says June, whose book is being serialized by the Times and is out Nov. 6. "There's no doubt in our minds that she decided to leave Oscar that night," says June. She adds that "something went went horribly wrong, something upset her so terribly that she hid behind a locked door with two mobile phones," the Independent reports. According to June, a jealous, "trigger-happy" Pistorius shot her daughter and fired three more bullets so she "couldn’t tell the world what really happened." June goes on to describe the athlete as "pathetic," "moody," "shifty," and "arrogant."


CAIRO (Reuters) - An Egyptian court gave jail terms to 43 Americans, Europeans, Egyptians and other Arabs on Tuesday in a case against democracy promotion groups that plunged U.S.-Egyptian ties into their worst crisis in decades.

 Friends of Egyptian suspects react as they listen to the judge's verdict at a court room during a case against foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Cairo June 4, 2013. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih

 Judge Makram Awad gave five-year sentences in absentia to at least 15 U.S. citizens who left Egypt last year. He sentenced an American who stayed behind to two years in prison and gave the same sentence to a German woman.

 U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry harshly criticized the decision, calling it “incompatible with the transition to democracy” and a violation of the government’s commitment to support civil society as it emerges from years of authoritarian rule by close U.S. ally former President Hosni Mubarak.

 Beginning in late 2011, Egypt’s crackdown on organizations which included U.S.-based groups linked to America’s two main political parties caused outrage in Washington, which supplies Cairo with $1.3 billion in military aid each year.

 The court ordered the closure of the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) involved in the case, including the U.S.-based International Republican Institute (IRI), National Democratic Institute (NDI) and Freedom House.

 Both NDI and IRI plan to challenge the verdict.

 In Washington, the State Department issued a tough statement in Kerry’s name but did not hint at any consequences - such as a cut in U.S. assistance to Egypt - as a result of the verdict.

 “The United States is deeply concerned by the guilty verdicts and sentences ... handed down by an Egyptian court today against 43 NGO representatives in what was a politically-motivated trial,” he said.

 “The decision to close these organizations’ offices and seize their assets contradicts the government of Egypt’s commitments to support the role of civil society as a fundamental actor in a democracy,” he added.

 ‘POLITICALLY MOTIVATED’

 IRI said in an emailed statement that the ruling “was a politically-motivated effort to squash Egypt’s growing civil society, orchestrated through the courts, in part by Mubarak-era hold overs.”

 The NDI said separately: “The Institute will do whatever it can to clear the names of its innocent employees.”

 The Egyptian investigation focused on charges that the groups were operating without necessary approvals and had received funds from abroad illegally. Eleven Egyptians who faced lesser charges were handed one-year suspended sentences.

 The Americans sentenced in absentia include the son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

 At one point Egypt placed travel bans on the suspects, including U.S. citizens who took refuge in the U.S. embassy. They were allowed to leave the country on bail of $330,000 each, money that ultimately came from the U.S. government.

 Egypt was run at the time by a military council that assumed power from deposed President Hosni Mubarak. Although the case is a legacy of that era, analysts say it further darkens prospects for an open society after the Islamist-led administration drew up a new NGO law seen as a threat to democracy.

 The American who stayed behind is Robert Becker, a former NDI employee. The German sentenced to two years is an employee of the Berlin-based Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

 “We are outraged and very concerned about the court’s harsh decisions against the employees of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Cairo and the order to close the office,” said German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle.

 “A CHILLING EFFECT” ON CIVIL SOCIETY

 The government said the NGOs were operating illegally in Egypt and complained that after the anti-Mubarak revolt, the U.S. government had diverted $150 million from its Egypt aid budget to these NGOs, breaking bilateral agreements.

 Civil rights campaigners in Egypt saw it as part of a concerted campaign against NGOs waged by remnants of the Mubarak administration to crush the nascent democracy.

 “The verdict is obviously going to have a chilling effect on the climate for civil society in Egypt, but that’s already been happening for some time,” said Shadi Hamid, director of research at the Brookings Doha Centre, a think-tank based in the Gulf.

 The judge handed five-year sentences in absentia to other defendants identified as citizens of Norway, Serbia, Germany and Arab states and one whose nationality was not given.

 Despite the furor over the case, the United States released its annual military aid for Egypt in March, 2012, saying U.S. national security required continued military assistance.

 The U.S.-based groups were training Egyptians in advocacy, voter education and election monitoring.

 Related Coverage Kerry harshly critical of verdict in Egypt NGO case

 The Muslim Brotherhood, banned under Mubarak, has come under fire for proposing new regulations that would severely restrict independent groups. Seeking to ease the concerns, President Mohamed Mursi last week submitted a new draft law to parliament.

 But Western and Egyptian critics say the draft falls short.

 The EU, a major donor to Cairo, said on June 2 it would unnecessarily constrain the work of NGOs in Egypt, while Washington said the bill imposed significant government controls on the activities and funding of civic groups. ||||| An Egyptian court on Tuesday convicted 43 nonprofit workers, including at least 16 Americans, of illegally using foreign funds to foment unrest in the country, sentencing them to up to five years in jail.

 Colleagues and family members react to a court verdict convicting 43 nonprofit workers, including at least 16 Americans, of illegally using foreign funds to foment unrest in the country, sentencing them... (Associated Press)

 Most of the Americans had left the country. They include Sam LaHood, son of the U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. He received a five-year jail term.

 Present at Tuesday's hearing was American Robert Becker, who received a two-year sentence. Becker has maintained that his refusal to flee Egypt with fellow Americans who were in the country at the time of the crackdown on nonprofit groups was to show solidarity with his Egyptian colleagues.

 The verdict read out by judge Makram Awad also ordered the closure and seizure of the offices and assets in Egypt belonging to U.S. nonprofit groups as well as one German organization for which the defendants worked. These are the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute, Freedom House, a center for training journalists and Germany's Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

 Of the 43 defendants, 27 received five-year jail terms. Another five received two years and 11 got one year. Defendants tried in absentia typically are convicted and receive the maximum sentence but also get an automatic retrial. All 43 were fined 1,000 Egyptian pounds ($143).

 Beside the Americans, eight other foreigners of Serbian, Jordanian, Lebanese, and other nationalities were tried.

 The trial began in early 2012 during the nearly 17 months of military rule that followed the ouster in the previous year of U.S. ally Hosni Mubarak. The case led to a period of tension in U.S.-Egyptian relations, with Washington warning that, unless resolved, it could lead to the loss of American aid.

 There was no immediate comment from the Obama administration on the verdicts, but a senior U.S. congressman, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Ed Royce, condemned the ruling in a statement and urged Islamist President Mohammed Morsi to allow nonprofit groups to work toward a democratic Egypt.

 "This is another assault on Egyptian civil society. As if these trials were not bad enough, the Egyptian government is pushing a new law targeting NGOs (non-governmental organizations) that will further suffocate civil society," said Royce, a Republican from California. "President Morsi should immediately reverse course and allow for Egyptian domestic and international NGOs to work toward a democratic and secure Egypt."

 In Berlin, the German foreign minister said his country was outraged by the verdicts and will work for their overturn.

 "The actions of the Egyptian judiciary are troubling. They weaken civil society, which is an important pillar of democracy in the new democratic Egypt," the minister, Guido Westerwelle, said in a statement. "The German political foundations are doing wonderful work in Egypt. They are doing exemplary work during a historical phase for Egypt, laying the foundations for democracy, rule of law, pluralism and intercultural dialogue."

 The former head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation received a five-year sentence on Tuesday and an employee was jailed for two.

 Egypt and the United States have been close allies for more than three decades, with the Egyptian military receiving more than $1 billion in aid annually. The aid is linked to Egypt's adherence to an American-mediated 1979 peace treaty with Israel, Washington's closest Middle East ally. Besides the $1.3 billion in U.S. military aid, Egypt also receives about $250 million in economic aid every year.

 Mubarak, the military rulers who followed him, and now Morsi's government have all been at odds with nonprofits over both their activities and their funding. Last week, the New York-based Human Rights Watch and 40 Egyptian rights groups said an Egyptian draft law regulating non-governmental organizations would restrict the funding and operation of independent groups.

 The contentious bill, proposed by Morsi and shortly to be debated by the country's interim legislature, would allow the state to control nonprofits' activities as well as their domestic and international funding, HRW said. The current form of the bill is a serious regression from earlier versions, it added.

 In a joint statement, the 40 Egyptian rights groups accused Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood and its political arm of seeking to curb the freedom of rights groups through legal restrictions. They said the proposed law potentially gives Egypt's security apparatus the power to suppress rights group, drawing parallels to Egypt's recent past under Mubarak's 29-year rule

 They also expressed fears foreign nonprofits would be treated with hostility and that vaguely worded legislation would hinder operations or the issuance of work permits.

 A spokesperson for Catherine Ashton, the EU's foreign affairs chief, said Morsi's bill contained elements that would constrain the work of nonprofit groups and hinder the European Union's own capacity as a foreign donor to support their work.

 "The draft law has to be in line with international standards and obligations of Egypt," the spokesperson said in a statement issued Sunday.

 Nonprofit pro-democracy groups have trained thousands of young Egyptians in political activism and organizing, an education that played a key part in the success of the 2011 uprising that toppled Mubarak.

 The crackdown against the nonprofit groups began in late December 2011, when Egyptian security raided offices of 10 pro-democracy and human rights groups. Workers, including the 16 Americans, were then charged with using illegal funds and promoting protests against the then-ruling military.

 The groups hotly denied the charges. They insisted their financing is transparent, and all their efforts to register had been stalled by the Egyptian government.

 During the trial, the prosecution maintained that, between them, the four U.S. groups and one German organization illegally received about $50 million in funds, most of that in the months that followed Mubarak's ouster in February 2011. It claimed that the groups were engaged in illegal polling, training in political activism and other activity without the knowledge or the approval of authorities.

 Their activity, prosecutor Abdullah Yassin told the court last year, amounted to an "infringement of the sovereignty of the state of Egypt.

 __

 Associated Press reporter Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report. ||||| International

 16 Americans Among Nonprofit Workers Convicted In Egypt

 Sixteen Americans were among 43 people convicted in Egypt on Tuesday for what the transitional government at the time had said was illegal interference in the nation's affairs. The investigation began in 2011 under military rule.

 Those judged guilty all worked for foreign non-governmental organizations, including two U.S. groups that have tried to promote democracy in Egypt.

 From Cairo, NPR's Leila Faidel reports that 15 of the Americans were convicted in absentia. They include Sam LaHood, the son of outgoing Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. The 16th American, Robert Becker, "refused to leave Egypt in solidarity with the Egyptian employees who faced charges," she tells our Newscast Desk. He works for the National Democratic Institute.

 Becker has been sentenced to two years in prison. Leila tells us he plans to appeal the conviction. It is not known yet whether he will remain free in the meantime.

 As we reported in March 2012, the Americans charged with interference denied the accusations. They also said that another charge — that they were in the country illegally — was unfair because the Americans had repeatedly tried to obtain the required clearances but had been ignored by the government.

 According to Leila, 27 of the defendants — including the 15 Americans other than Becker — have been "sentenced to five years in absentia." Along with Becker, four other defendants have been given two-year prison sentences. Eleven Egyptians, she reports, got "one-year suspended sentences."

 All the defendants were fined 1,000 Egyptian pounds each (about $143). Their NGOs will be closed.

 The Associated Press notes that:

Summary: – If Egypt had its way, the son of one of President Obama's Cabinet members would spend the next five years in prison. Sam LaHood, son of transportation chief Ray LaHood, was among 16 Americans convicted today in an Egyptian court, accused by the government there of trying to foment unrest in their roles with non-governmental organizations, reports Reuters. LaHood and 15 others are back in the US and were convicted in absentia. They all received five-year sentences. The 16th, Robert Becker, stayed behind in solidarity with Egyptians caught up in last year's crackdown on NGOs, and he received a two-year sentence, reports the AP. Becker plans to appeal, and it's not clear whether he will remain free in the interim. In addition to the Americans, the court convicted 27 others of various nationalities. The Americans convicted belonged to both Republican and Democrat groups. "The government of President Mohammed Morsi basically accused them of trying to undermine that regime by encouraging unrest," writes Mark Memmott at NPR.


Every outstanding missing person's case in Australia will be re-examined after a man was charged with the 'horrific' kidnap and attempted murder of two female backpackers, police have revealed.

 It comes after pictures emerged of the bedroom of the man suspected of trying to kill the two girls in a remote South Australian national park near Salt Creek on Tuesday night.

 The pictures come as the newly set up Taskforce Coorong updated the public on its investigation so far.

 Acting Asst Commissioner Douglas Barr told media: "About 45,000 cases reported in Australia every year, we will be looking at all outstanding missing persons.

 "Every outstanding case will be looked into. These two women have been subject to a horrifying incident."

 The acting commissioner said that the 'terrifying incident' had shocked the community and he understood there were lots of questions that the police are unable to answer at this time.

 "Speculation is rife in the community and the press, and rightly so.

 "It's prudent, if nothing else, to invest the background of this offender. The man is before the courts with a serious offence and is entitled to the presumption of innocence.

 "His name will remain suppressed at least until committal proceedings are finalised but I don't think its appropriate to detail this person's criminal history," Acting Asst Commissioner Barr added.

 7 News revealed yesterday that the suspect was already in police sights as detectives had already raided his southern suburbs home several times in the past year seizing items of interest.

 The accused man and his elderly father live in Morphett Vale. Late on Thursday afternoon his family reacted to the arrest.

 “That's horrible, unexpected,” said the accused’s father.

 His ex-wife said: “But he's never put hands on family. At least not on me or the kids you know.”

 When residents saw last night's chilling report on 7 News they immediately knew the man police arrested was their neighbour.

 “The age, description, the car, he goes away a lot, when they said it was Morphett Vale…my heart sank,” one woman said.

 “It's just unbelievable really, shock, feeling of sickness… I did call the police cause I had concerns he was a neighbour and then it obviously unraveled and he was,” another woman said.

 “We don't know if he was watching our kids, we've got no idea, that's what's scary about the whole thing.”

 This week SA Police announced the formation of Task Force Coorong to investigate the Salt Creek incident and to find out whether the suspect has been involved in any other crimes.

 Acting Superintendent Trent Cox said a dedicated team comprising of 12 investigators and intelligence officers had been created.

 “It is difficult for police to detail some matters at this time given the arrest of a man, and the legal constraints that brings,” Superintendent Cox said.

 “However, I would like to assure the public that at this time police are not seeking any other suspect in connection with this matter, but are following every avenue of inquiry.

 Neighbours claim police have visited the home several times over the past year.

 “There's a lot of cop activity at that house, coming and going, he ran up the alley-way one night, had the dogs chasing him, I've seen evidence being taken with computers and stuff,” a woman said.

 They said the man is a loner, cleans his boat and keeps to himself.

 “Seems like a normal bloke and then you see that on the news and it's pretty scary, knowing there's kids in the street, it's just out of the blue,” one young man said.

 “He just looked creepy, something about him… He's been there about 12 months, I know his father, been over there for a BBQ, so it's just disbelief,” a man said.

 “I don't like walking past him when he's out the front, he stares, he just doesn't say anything,” one of the women said.

 One of the two women rescued from the terrifying alleged abduction ordeal on the isolated South Australian beach has been released from hospital.

 The identities of the alleged victims cannot be published for legal reasons, however, 7 News can reveal one is a 23-year-old nurse from Brazil.

 The other woman, also believed to be aged in her 20s is believed to be from Germany. She remains in hospital.

 Both the girls were travelling from Adelaide to Melbourne with the man charged with kidnapping and attempted murder.

 A group of about 12 locals managed to find and rescue the young women after fishermen saw one running from sand dunes, naked, bleeding and crying for help.

 They were flown to the Flinders Medical Centre with serious injuries after being taken to the Salt Creek Road House.

 One is believed to have been hit in the head with a hammer while another was run over with a vehicle.

 Dramatic amateur video showed the moment police arrested the man now accused of inflicting the terrifying ordeal upon the two travellers.

 The 59-year-old man has been refused bail and is scheduled to appear in court again in April.

 His Facebook page shows him posing with a gun, and documents other trips to Salt Creek.

 He operates several Facebook pages and has an online profile with a dating site seeking a new Asian wife, where he says he is “respectful to women and gets along with everyone, well almost.”

 The rescue of the backpackers

 Four fishermen raised the alarm after spotting one of the female backpackers running from the dunes, begging for help.

 One of the fishermen said she did not appear to know what was happening.

 “She ran straight to the car yelling,” Abdul-Karim Mohammed said.

 “She opened the back door, jumped straight in and like, ‘get me out of here, get me out of here. He’s going to kill us all’.

 “She had some scratches and that on the legs, looked like she’d been pulled around, dragged around and that.

 “She had a bruised eye; maybe would have punched her or something.”

 Fearing for the woman’s friend, the fishermen got an S.O.S to the Salt Creek Roadhouse.

 Owner Adam Stewart took the call and rushed to help.

 “The young guys were pretty scared so they wanted to get out of there, but we got them to go back in and, with that, they've seen the vehicle and sweet talked him into basically getting in there and rescuing the girl,” Mr Stewart said.

 Rescuers then found the second backpacker, barely conscious and unable to speak.

 Police would not reveal the backpacker’s injuries but 7 News understands at least one had been tied up.

 At one stage they helped each other escape but it was short lived.

 “Her and her friend split up, started running different directions,” Mr Mohammed said.

 “I think it was to get him, you know what I mean, and she got away.

 “Looks like he captured them again and unfortunately she was the one who sustained the serious injuries.”

 Mr Stewart said the women “were in pretty bad shape”. The shock of the scene also affected the rescuers and police officers.

 “We’re all pretty rattled, obviously. It’s a heavy event at any level,” Mr Stewart said.

 “Even the police were rattled by it at a very high level.”

 Crime scene investigation officers spent Wednesday and Thursday scouring the beach and searching the scene.

 A campsite was found a kilometre away from where the first woman was found. A fishing knife and a hook were among the items left behind.

 It is believed the pair met the man on Tuesday and they were travelling interstate.

 Police are now investigating if the man could be involved in any other crimes.

 There were a dozen people from the small Salt Creek community involved in the rescue.

 Anyone with information that they believe may assist investigators should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 – you can remain anonymous. ||||| Image copyright 7News Image caption A screen grab shows the moment an Australian man, 59, is arrested on a remote beach south of Adelaide

 An Australian man has been charged over the alleged kidnapping and attempted murder of two female backpackers on a beach south of Adelaide.

 Reports said the women, believed to be European, were rescued after they managed to escape from their captor and run off in different directions.

 One was recaptured, but the other ran screaming from sand dunes towards a group of fishermen, witnesses said.

 The man was arrested at Coorong National Park on Tuesday evening.

 "She ran straight to the car yelling. She opened the back door, jumped straight in and like, 'get me out of here, get me out of here. He's going to kill us all'," fisherman Abdul-Karim Mohammed told 7 News.

 He said the trio was travelling together from Adelaide to Melbourne, and had stopped at the small settlement of Salt Creek.

 The second woman was found barely conscious and unable to speak, the fishermen said.

 Salt Creek Roadhouse owner Adam Stewart said he encouraged the fishermen to return for the second woman after they phoned him for help.

 "Unfortunately, [the women] were in pretty bad shape... We're all pretty rattled, obviously. It's a heavy event at any level. Even the police were rattled by it at a very high level," Mr Stewart told 7 News.

 Details including the accused man's identity, vehicle and alleged actions during the crimes have been suppressed.

 He is expected to face court again in April. ||||| Two female backpackers were allegedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted by an Australian man in an isolated region of South Australia, who is now facing charges including attempted murder.

 The women, who were visiting from overseas, had met their alleged attacker in a rural area more than 100km from Adelaide. The man drove them to a campsite at Salt Creek in Coorong national park, where he allegedly kidnapped, sexually assaulted and attempted to kill the women.

 Police were called after one of the women escaped her alleged attacker and found a group of fishermen camping on a nearby beach. One of the fishermen told the Adelaide Advertiser the woman ran towards him, screaming: “He’s going to kill us all.”

 A 59-year-old South Australian man has been arrested and charged with attempted murder and unlawful sexual intercourse with the two women. The man did not apply for bail and was taken into custody on Thursday.

 At a media conference on Thursday, South Australian police superintendent James Blandford said the women were found in a “dire” situation.

 “Given the nature of the charges, their situation was obviously very dire and they were somewhat distressed,” he said. “One of the victims was able to run away and came across some people who were fishing in the area,” he said.

 “They were able to comfort and secure her and make a call to the police.”

 The second woman was later found by rescuers in the sand dunes. The woman had sustained serious injuries.

 One of the fishermen, Abdul-Karim Mohammed, said the scene was confronting, with the woman screaming, crying and yelling.

 “First of all she just started waving,” he told Seven News. “She looked at us. She didn’t know what was going on. She ran straight to the car yelling. She opened the back door, jumped straight in and like ‘Get me out of here, get me out of here. He’s going to kill us all.’

 “First of all she had no clothes on so we just straight away gave her our jacket.

 “She had some scratches and that on the legs. Look liked she’d been pulled around, dragged around and that.”

 Camper Josh Harris saw the woman, who was possibly hit with a hammer, as her rescuers brought her to a roadhouse at Salt Creek.

 “At first I thought it was mud on her face. As she walked, supported by people, blood was all over her,” he said.

 “The guys who dropped her off were in shock. She’d said her attacker was going to kill her.”

 Harris said the second woman caught up in the attack seemed “okay physically”.

 “She was holding a pillow to her head but was running around saying ‘where is she? I need to see her. She saved my life’.

 “It was horrific. It was like something from a movie. It was Storm Boy turned into Wolf Creek.”

 The women, aged in their 20s, were hospitalised. By Thursday, one had been discharged with the second still under observation in a stable condition after suffering serious injuries.

 The attack has shocked locals in the popular tourist destination.

 “Something like that, you wouldn’t expect it to happen on your front door. It’s a beautiful area,” Coorongdunes Holiday Accommodation owner Mandell Tiver said.

 A police statement issued on Wednesday said: “At 6.30pm on Tuesday 9 February, police were called to the Coorong national park after reports of an assault. Two women were transported to the Flinders medical centre with serious injuries. Both remain at the hospital in a stable condition.”

 “The 59-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder and kidnapping.”

 “Murray Bridge CIB [Criminal Investigation Branch] are investigating and Major Crime Investigation Branch detectives are assisting.”

 The court suppressed the man’s name and police have not revealed the women’s nationalities to protect their identities.

 The man will face court again in April.

 Police have also established a task force to investigate the attack including whether the man was linked to other crimes.

Summary: – Two female backpackers have escaped a living nightmare near Adelaide, Australia. Police say a German and Brazilian, both in their 20s, met a man in a rural area of South Australia who drove them to a remote beach campsite in Coorong National Park on Tuesday, per 7 News and the Guardian. There, police say the man sexually assaulted the women, then tried to kill them. One was hit in the head with a hammer while the other was reportedly run over by a car. Incredibly, both managed to escape and run in different directions, reports the BBC. One was recaptured, but the other found a group of fishermen. "She ran straight to the car yelling. She opened the back door, jumped straight in and [was] like, 'get me out of here, get me out of here. He's going to kill us all,'" one man says. "She had no clothes on so we just straight away gave her our jacket." Another witness says she had "blood all over her." A dozen or so locals eventually set out in search of the second woman and found her barely conscious in sand dunes. A 59-year-old South Australian man—7 News reports he is of German heritage—was arrested later Tuesday in Coorong National Park and faces charges of kidnapping, unlawful sexual intercourse, and attempted murder. The man cannot be named for legal reasons, but neighbors say police have raided his home several times over the last year, taking items including computers. A photo on Facebook shows him holding a gun, while a fishing knife and hook were found at the campsite. "He's never put hands on family. At least not on me or the kids," his ex-wife says. He's due in court in April. Both victims were admitted to a hospital, where the German backpacker remained in stable condition on Thursday. (A Swedish doctor allegedly held a woman in a bunker.)


Michelle Obama is Barbara Walters' Most Fascinating Person of 2009.

 Almost a year since the Obama family moved to Washington, D.C., the first lady reflected on the transition to the White House.

 "It has been a whirlwind. But it's been amazing," she told Walters. "I mean, if you think about this year, I had to get these two beautiful girls settled into a new city, into a new home, into a new school. We got a dog. I visited eight countries with my husband. I planted a garden. I've started a mentoring program. It has been everything. And now, here we are at our first Christmas in the White House."

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 During her tenure as first lady, Obama has promoted healthy living and taken steps to combat childhood obesity -- creating a vegetable garden on the White House lawn and holding health fairs with exercise stations for kids.

 "I think I've begun to lay the foundation to a conversation about the health of our kids -- particularly when we're looking at statistics that say that one in three kids in this country are obese, and those numbers increase if you're African-American or Hispanic," she said. "So we're going to spend a lot more time on that issue in the years to come."

 The first African-American first lady is also one of the fittest. Wearing a sleeveless dress in her official White House portrait, Obama's toned arms have become part of her signature style -- and the envy of many.

 Obama, who often joins her husband in the White House gym, told Walters that her workout regimen began after the birth of their first daughter, Malia.

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 "My personal routine hasn't changed much in the past 11 years," she said. "I really started right after I had Malia, our oldest, and some of that was, you know, in all honesty it was a little sort of revenge because I'm married to a man who has worked out all of his life. And regardless of how busy he is, he finds the time to work out. And there was a point at which I got a little resentful of that."

 "[Malia] was still waking up for that four o'clock feeding and I'd get up because I'd be the first one to hear her, and he'd be asleep," she added. "And I thought, 'I'm up, I might as well go to the gym. And if I get to the gym, then he'll have to wake up and do that feeding.' I get a workout in and everyone will be happy. So you know, if there's anything that I can attribute these arms to, it's probably just determination."

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 Michelle Obama on Marriage, Family, Bo

 The Obamas who have been married for 17 years have had their share of ups and downs. Michelle Obama told Walters that despite her confidence in her husband's natural ability, at a certain point, the grueling demands of politics bothered her.

 "I had always had this dilemma," she said. "It wasn't that I didn't believe in my husband as a phenomenal leader. I mean, that was always the pull -- because I always thought, 'Well, if I wanted somebody as my state senator, or as my U.S. senator, or as my president, I would want Barack Obama.' And the only reason he wouldn't do it is if I said no."

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 When asked by Walters if the president would have stopped pursuing politics if she really put her foot down, the first lady said, "He would have."

 "I think it's the truth, the fact that he would have not pursued any of this had I really, really put my foot down," she said. "It made it really hard to be the person that would stand in the way of someone else's dreams, and the possibilities of his leadership. And I definitely didn't want to be in that position. I think I made the right call."

 First Lady's Guilty Pleasures?

 Between greeting world leaders and raising tweens, Malia and Sasha, in the national spotlight, Obama's scheduled is packed. But even she has her "lazy days." The first lady said her guilty pleasures are often "food based," or are watching "really bad TV" with the family's Portuguese water dog, Bo.

 "I sit with Bo, who usually climbs up on my lap. He thinks he's a lap dog," she said. "He'll cozy up with me, and I'm just clicking through mindless shows. A lot of, you know, shows about food and design, and all that good stuff. And it's just quiet, and I'm not thinking about anything for that second -- not about the kids, not about my husband, not about my schedule. If I get an hour of that during the course of a week, it feels like heaven."

 Obama gushed about Bo, who instantly became the apple of the family's eye.

 "Bo is my baby, he's our son. He's wonderful. He's growing," she said. "It's like I'm a mother. You ask about my kid, I'm gone."

 But the reality of life at the White House has not yet set in for the first lady, who said she sometimes walks through the grand, historic rooms and has to pinch herself.

 "There are moments when -- especially at night when it's quiet or you're driving up to the White House at night and the white lights are shining on … this beautiful home and you pull up to it, and somebody opens the door and says, 'Welcome home' -- those are the times when you think, 'Really? Wow. OK, here we go,'" she said

 Barack Obama was dubbed Walters' Most Fascinating Person of 2008.

 Click here to see photos of this year's Most Fascinating! ||||| Ball Bustin' Barbara Walters Won't Take Any Lip on The O'Reilly Factor

 Barbara Walters was kind of tough on Bill O’Reilly on Wednesday evening when she went on The Factor to promote her “10 Most Fascinating People” special. “What are you watching, Nickelodeon?” she said before calling O’Reilly “old fashioned — my god!” She also rolled her eyes and shouted O’Reilly down when he challenged her decisions to include Lady Gaga and Adam Lambert (“this gay guy”) on her list. Then Barbara took it below the belt and accused O’Reilly of being jealous of his colleague, Glenn Beck, also on the list. O'Reilly laughed it off awkwardly.

 Barbara Walters Tells Bill O'Reilly: You're Jealous Of Glenn Beck [HuffPo]

Summary: – Barack Obama, Barbara Walters’ most fascinating person of 2008, was succeeded this year by…his wife, Michelle. Walters named the first lady her top pick during last night’s ABC special, which also included interviews with the rest of the top 10. Obama discussed the “amazing whirlwind” of life in the White House, the importance of her healthy kids campaign, her guilty pleasures (“really bad TV”), and—of course—how she keeps up those toned arms. The rest of the 10 were Lady Gaga, Adam Lambert, Glenn Beck, Michael Jackson's children, Jenny Sanford, Kate Gosselin, Sarah Palin, Brett Favre, and Tyler Perry. Bill O’Reilly, who interviewed Walters yesterday, did not agree with some of her choices, leading Walters to criticize him—and accuse him of being both homophobic and jealous of Glenn Beck, New York reports. Watch their spat, as well as a few of Walters’ other interviews, above.