berita mengenai paula abdul meninggal dunia-tewas

Salah satu dari juri american idol yang bernama paula abdul dikabarkan bahwa dia telah meninggal dunia di sebuah hotel di San Fransisco, California, Selasa (12/1/2010)
Seperti dilansir situs telewatcher, sejauh ini belum ada konfirmasi lebih lanjut mengenai kabar duka yang menimpa artis berusia 47 tahun itu. Sejumlah kalangan pun menantikan rekan-rekan Abdul, seperti Simon Cowell, Ellen Degeneres, Fox, Kara DiaGuardio, atau Randy Jackson, untuk memberikan penyataan.(YNI/SHA)
Berita paula abdul meninggal dunia ini merupakan gossip terkini dari artis mancanegara, kita semua tahu bahwa paula abdul merupakan salah satu pentolan juri ajang pencarian bakan terbesar di amerika yakni American idol, paula abdul dikabarkan tewas di di sebuah hotel di San Fransisco, California, Selasa malam, 12 Januari lalu, seperti yang berita unik kutip dari telewatcher.com, Kita tunggu saja kabar terbaru seputar meninggalnya paula abdul sambil kita menatikan kebnaran dari gossip tewasnya artis ini, bgai para penggemar dari paula abdul harap bersabar untuk mengetaui kepastianya, apalagi penyebab kematianya

Penyebab meninggalnya paula abdul serta foto meninggalnya paula abdul belum bisa kita dapatkan apalagi vieonya, sampai kabar ini di buat belum ada kepastian apakah benar paula abdul meninggal dunia atau hanya gossip murahan saja, berita tewasnya Paula Abdul, 47, mantan juri American Idol ini sedang menghiasi semua media internasional

Menurut rumor yang beredar, Paula Abdul pertama kali ditemukan tewas oleh kekasihnya, J.T. Torregiani. Sebelum meninggal, sang kekasih kerap menerima telpon beberapa kali dari Paula di malam yang sama.

osama bin laden meninggal dunia

Osama Bin Laden Meninggal .Berdasarkan informasi yang saya peroleh telah dikabarkan salah satu pimpinan jaringan teroros al qaedah yang selama ini diburu oleh amerika serikat yaitu Osama Bin Laden dikabarkan tewas.Karena saat ini jasadnya sudah ditemukan oleh anggota tentara militer amerika serikat.Mari kita bahas lebih lanjut mengenai berita Osama Bin Laden Meninggal ini pastinya akan menjadi perbincangan yang hangat kali ini.

Dikabarkan presiden amerika serikat barrack obama akan memberikan pidatonya mengenai kabar meninggalnya osama bin laden yang akan disampaikannya sesaat lagi.Setelah berita Osama Bin Laden Meninggal ini terdengar oleh banyak orang , beberapa jejaring sosial mulai dipenuhi dengan pemberitaan tersebut salah satunya di akunt twiiter bakalan akan menjadi trending topic hari ini.
Untuk kabar dan kronologi mengenai tewasnya osama bin laden ini pastinya akan terus di update melalui web saya ini.Namun hingga saat ini berita Osama Bin Laden Meninggal ini belum ada konfirmasi lebih lanjut dari bebeapa pihak yang lebih berwenang, kita tunggu aja kabar selanjutnya

mick jagger meninggal dunia

Mick Jagger meninggal.Salah satu personil dari band rolling Stone yang bernama mick jagger dikabarkan telah meninggal dunia.Sempat beberapa hari lalu dia telah tampil memukau pada acara grammy award 2011 .Dalam pemberitaan mick jagger sempat dilarikan dulu ke UGD Rumah Sakit St. Luke’s-Roosevelt New York, Namun dalam perjalanan menuju rumah sakir mick jagger sudah meninggal dunia terlebih dahulu.Apa penyebab mick jagger meninggal dunia ?

Pemberitaan berita mengenai mick jagger meninggal ini sudah menyebar luas di twitter dan telah menjadi trending topik dimana banyak diantara fans berat mick jagger mempertanyakan mengenai kebenaran dari berita mick jagger meninggal ini ?

Namun hingga jam segini berita mengenai mick jagger meninggal ini masih simpang siur karena blom ada pemberitaan secara resmi, dan jika blom ada konfirmasi yang jelas bisa dianggap berita mick jagger meninggal ini hanyalah hoax belaka.

tunggu kabar berikutnya

Payudara Kebesaran, Patung Disingkirkan

PARIS — Wali kota di sebuah kota kecil di Perancis menyingkirkan sebuah patung perempuan dari balai kota karena payudaranya terlalu besar. Patung terakota Marianne yang merupakan perwujudan perempuan tradisional Republik Perancis di Frigia dan merupakan karya orisinal seorang seniman lokal itu sudah dipasang sejak tahun 2007 di balaikota di Neuville-en-Ferrain, yang berpenduduk 10.000 orang.

"(Patung) itu membuat orang bergosip," kata salah seorang karyawan balaikota.

Sang Wali Kota, Gerard Cordon, telah membujuk anggota dewan untuk menyetujui anggaran senilai 900 euro tahun ini guna membeli penggantinya, sebuah patung yang lebih konvensional dari Marianne yang meniru model Perancis, Laetitia Casta, itu.

Seniman yang membuat patung yang ditolak itu, Catherine Lamacque, mengatakan, ia dengan sengaja membuat payudara dengan ukuran yang berlebih, "untuk melambangkan kemurahan hati Republik."

Pihak balai kota membeli patung terakota Lamacque tahun 2007 seharga 1.400 euro. "Wali Kota telah melihat patung itu di depan hidungnya selama beberapa tahun. Dia yang memilih itu dari beberapa desain lain, bahkan sebelum saya membakarnya (proses pembuatan patung)," kata Lamacque sebagaimana dikutip Telegraph, akhir pekan lalu. "Keputusannya absurd. Saya hanya berharap ia tidak menghancurkan patung tersebut."

Seorang pejabat balaikota lain berkata, ia menyesalkan penyingkiran patung itu. Ia menyesal karena apa yang dilakukan "bukan berdasarkan keputusan bersama, melainkan oleh wali kota seorang diri. Itu karya yang unik. Marianne adalah sebuah simbol ibu."

Mayat Alien Ditemukan di Siberia

istana indonesia - Anda boleh percaya atau tidak, sekelompok orang Rusia mengklaim menemukan jasad alien terbaring di atas salju di wilayah Irkutsk, sebelah selatan Siberia.

Tak hanya sekedar klaim, sekelompok orang itu juga membuat rekaman video lokasi temuan, juga jasad alien yang nampak kehilangan sebagian anggota badannya.

Video aneh yang diunggah di situs video sharing, YouTube, pada 18 April 2011, menyedot perhatian banyak pengunjung. PantauanVIVAnews.com, hingga Rabu, 20 April 2011, pukul 11.00, video itu ditonton lebih dari 2,6 juta orang.

Seperti diberitakan The Sun, temuan ini menyusul laporan adanya UFO bercahaya berwarna pink dan biru yang jatuh dari langit. Bahkan Kementerian Darurat telah menginvestigasi insiden tersebut. Hasilnya, tak ada kecelakaan pesawat yang terjadi di wilayah itu.

Namun, tak semua pengunjung YouTube yakin, video ini nyata. "Gagal. Maaf, kelihatan sekali palsunya," kata salah satu pengunjung. "Apakah alien benar-benar ada? Aku sih percaya. Tapi tidak dengan video ini," kata yang lain.
Klaim temuan mayat alien ini mengingatkan kisah serupa di tahun 1947. Di Roswell, New Mexico, Amerika Serikat.

Ketika itu, ditemukan sebuah piring terbang jatuh di dekat kota Roswell, New Mexico. Namun, militer AS langsung menyatakan bahwa yang sebenarnya terjadi adalah salah satu dari program mereka bernama Mogul. Namun, sejumlah pihak mencurigai alasan tersebut dan menganggap militer AS sengaja menutup-nutupi fakta tentang UFO yang jatuh beserta mayat-mayat alien di dalamnya.

Insiden Roswell juga tercatat dalam file Biro Investigasi Federal Amerika Serikat atau FBI yang baru-baru ini diungkap ke publik dalam the vault

sumber : viva news

Rekaman Video Mesum "Anwar Ibrahim" Beredar

KUALA LUMPUR — Rekaman video mesum antara seorang perempuan dan pria yang mirip tokoh oposisi Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, semula beredar di situs YouTube. Tayangan berdurasi 1 menit 47 detik yang memuat adegan seks antara pria mirip mantan Deputi Perdana Menteri Malaysia dan seorang wanita di sebuah kamar hotel itu diunggah pada Minggu (3/4/2011).

Menurut laporan harian Star, YouTube telah mencabut tayangan video adegan mesum itu sehari kemudian. Namun, tayangan telanjur beredar luas di sejumlah situs dan blog pro-Pemerintah Malaysia.

Dalam tayangan video, seorang pria yang bertelanjang dada dan mengenakan handuk terlibat komunikasi dengan seorang pria yang mengenakan kaus dan celana panjang. Pada saat yang sama, seorang wanita terlihat tengah duduk di atas sebuah ranjang.

Dalam tayangan video berdurasi lebih panjang, pria yang mengenakan handuk berhubungan badan dengan wanita itu setelah pria yang mengenakan kaus dan celana panjang meninggalkan ruangan.

Dalam keterangannya kepada portal berita Malaysiakini, Anwar Ibrahim menekankan bahwa pria yang ada di dalam video bukan dia. "Saat ini video tersebut telah tersebar. Apakah pria itu mirip saya atau tidak, saya tidak peduli. Pria itu bukan saya," bantah Anwar Ibrahim.

AC Milan Incar Pemain Keturunan Indonesia

Inilah Radja Nainggolan pemain genoa ini ternyata adalah pemain asal belgia keturunan Indonesia. pelatih AC Milan Massimiliano Allegri tertarik memboyong Radja Nainggolan dari genoa. AC Milan ingin lebih memperkuat serangan disertor gelandang. karena dimusim depan langkah AC Milan akan lebih berat dengan hengkangnya gelandang-gelandang mereka.

AT&T intros new postpaid plans for the iPad 2 and other tablets

AT&T introduced two new postpaid plans for tablets, a category that includes the upcoming iPad 2. Unlike prepaid plans which require customers to buy data allotments upfront, these new plans can be added to a customer's current monthly cellular bill. This new postpaid option is month-to-month and does not require a long-term commitment.
Pricing for the postpaid plans mirror the prepaid plans with a $14.99 plan that provides 250 MB of data or a $25 plan with 2 GB of data. Overages on the new postpaid plans will be charged at a rate of $10 per 1 GB of overage. This is slightly less than the prepaid plans which charge customers $25 for an additional 2 GB of usage. These new plans give customers the freedom to choose how they would like to be billed for data to be used with their shiny new 3G iPad 2.
As a benefit for early adopters of the iPad 2, AT&T is offering a limited-time promotion that provides one free month of service for those that signup for the new $25/2 GB plan.

thisa articel from:http://www.tuaw.com/2011/03/03/atandt-intros-new-postpaid-plans-for-the-ipad-2-and-other-tablets/

iPad 2 Cover Is Smart, All Right — If You’re Steve Jobs

Apple’s new Smart Cover for the iPad 2 is one of the most interesting protective cases yet, not because of the clever magnet design, but rather the aggressive business strategy behind it.
The iPad 2 is 33 percent thinner than the original iPad; a significant design difference. That means first-generation iPad cases won’t fit on the new iPad. And when the iPad 2 ships March 11, Apple, the only company that’s had direct access to the iPad 2, will be the only vendor selling a case made to fit the product just right.
That gives Apple a few weeks to rake in juicy profits with the $40-$70 Smart Cover before third-party case manufacturers whip up other variations of protective accessories for the iPad 2. Keep in mind the most sales for a product typically come on launch day, plus Apple retail stores carefully select which third-party cases they display on shelves. With the Smart Cover, Apple can potentially create a temporary pseudo-monopoly on protective cases for the iPad 2, bringing in millions of dollars in profits to pad hardware sales.
This isn’t the first time Apple has enjoyed a head start on accessories. Apple shipped its own “Bumper” cases for the iPhone 4 (which probably didn’t work out so well because of Antennagate and the free case program), and Apple also sold cases for the original iPad when it launched.
Still, the Smart Cover is Apple’s hardest push in the accessories game yet. The marketing behind it is intense. Apple devoted an entire webpage and video just for the Smart Cover, embellished with some truly over-the-top ad copy: “A magnetic attraction.” “An on-again, off-again relationship.” “A cover that’s smart. And bright.” “That’s not just smart. It’s genius.”
To be fair, it’s a well-designed cover, and the ability to prop up the iPad at an angle makes it easier to type on a touchscreen. But it’s a plastic cover with a magnet on it, people.
Steve Jobs even noted that the case is made of polyurethane, “which is used to make spacesuits.” Polyurethane is also used to make some condoms, baby toys, carpet underlayment and mattress filling, facts which Jobs neglected to mention.
The Smart Cover comes in leather, too, and surprisingly Jobs didn’t note that leather is the same material used to make Phillip Lim motorcycle jackets or Olivia Harris purses.
Jokes aside, Apple’s accessory strategy might point to a change in its hardware evolution.
In the past, Apple only gave major makeovers to Macintosh computers every three or four years; the smaller upgrades in between would be incremental improvements in chip speeds and other small features. The iPhone also didn’t get a hardware revamp until the iPhone 4.
So it’s peculiar that the iPad 2’s design is so different, just one year after the first iPad. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal claims the iPhone 5 will have a “different form factor” than the iPhone 4. Maybe we’ll see more rapid hardware design changes occurring in Apple’s mobile products, partly motivated by Apple’s desire to compete in the accessories game.
That’s wishful thinking, as it would make each Apple announcement a bit more exciting, so long as you’re not an avid upgrader who always buys a case.


this articel from:http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/03/ipad-smart-case/

How Political Cartoons Ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak

As Egyptians protested by the thousands in the streets of Cairo in the weeks leading up to the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak, the government attempted to respond by cracking down on the media and shutting down the nation's internet.

But Mubarak should have known that the shutdown wouldn’t prevent top Egyptian cartoonist Sherif Arafa from drawing about the corrupt leadership trying to retain power. After all, the Ancient Egyptians were the first civilization in history to have editorial cartoons, so it’s fitting that cartoons would come into play in the historic overthrow of Mubarak’s government.
Arafa is an interesting guy. A dentist by trade, he has drawn cartoons for 10 years at the state-run Rosa Elyoussef magazine in Egypt, struggling daily to give voice to criticism of the regime without triggering the censors in a country where free speech is too often trampled.
In a way, Arafa approaches cartooning the same way he would if someone came to his dental office with a sore tooth.
“I work as a cartoonist to spot the defects and criticize the wrong things I see,” Arafa explains. “I try to say anything I want, everything I want and diagnosis the problem, because it’s the first step to treat the disease of this nation.”
But even with all the barriers placed upon his creative freedom and the dangers he faces as a government critic, he wouldn’t want to draw anywhere else.
“Cartooning in Egypt is interesting and joyful,” Arafa said. “I used to get tens of cartoon ideas just by driving to work every day. Everything is sarcastic. Official speeches are saying the opposite of what you see around. When you have a vision for a better future, you’ll have a great motive to criticize everything the government did.”
Arafa struggled daily with the editor-in-chief of Rosa Elyoussef newspaper, who was so close to Mubarak and his son that the Egyptian President selected him to be a member of Parliament.
Arafa was not permitted to draw cartoons about specific politicians, such as President Mubarak, or to criticize religion. As a way around that, Arafa created a character called “The Responsible” that he featured in his cartoons, enabling him to say what he wanted without the risk of upsetting government censors.
“I draw him differently every time so he can have the physical characteristics and age of the top officials I want to criticize,” Sherif says. “My readers understand whom I mean by the context of the cartoon.”
In fact, Arafa wasn’t able to draw a cartoon depicting Mubarak until the Egyptian President stepped down from power.
“It was impossible to draw him in person back then,” Arafa explains. “Very dangerous.”
Freedom of the press has been a struggle in Egypt, with the government controlling messaging through a state-run media enterprise. A number of opposition newspapers have been allowed in recent years, but none have been so bold as to print a caricature of Mubarak. According to Arafa, fellow Egyptian cartoonist Essam Hanafy was arrested for criticizing a minister, and opposition writer Abdel Haleem Kandeel was kidnapped, tortured and thrown naked onto a desert highway in the middle of the night.
As the protest heightened in Egypt, Mubarak unleashed an attack on international media covering the demonstrations in the street. His supporters assaulted reporters and security forces obstructed and detained journalists in an effort to stymie coverage of the unrest that eventually brought down his government.
“Egypt had more press freedom compared to any other country in the region,” according to Arafa. “But if you were a reformist, had a clear vision and people that loved you, you were banned from the national media.”
Arafa says, now that Mubarak is out, he’s noticing changes on the country’s national media that make him hopeful about the future of press freedoms in Egypt.
“I’m noticing the return of respected experts who were banned from appearing on Egyptian TV, like Nobel Prize winners Dr. Mohammed El Baradei and Dr. Ahmed Zwail,” Arafa says. “TV and newspapers have suddenly become respectful.”
For now, Arafa will continue producing his sharply-constructed cartoons, and understands the importance of his role as a watchdog of the government and a defender of his country’s people.
“The difference between cartooning and dentistry is that thousands of people see your cartoon, but as a dentist, only you can see how great the cavity preparation you made is before you put the restoration on it.”


this srticel from:http://politicallyillustrated.com/index.php?/news_page/iw/2444/

Sumber:

Turkish President Offers Egypt Support

Turkish President Abdullah Gul, right, shakes hands with Amr Moussa, secretary general of the Arab League, during their meeting in Cairo, Egypt, March 3, 2011

Turkish President Abdullah Gul called on Egypt Thursday to hold a "transparent transition" as it moves to fill popular demands for democracy after protests forced the departure of longtime President Hosni Mubarak last month.

He commented as he led a Turkish delegation to Cairo for talks with Egypt's interim military leaders and political officials. He is the first Turkish official to visit Egypt since Mubarak resigned under pressure in February after three decades of rule.

Turkey is seen by analysts as an example of how a predominately Muslim nation can have both an Islamist government and democracy. The Turkish military has participated in the overthrow of four governments since 1960. Some Turkish leaders were vocal supporters of the Egyptian protest movement.

Gul arrived in Egypt as the nation faces continued political change. Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq, appointed whileMr. Mubarak was still in power, resigned on Thursday amid demands by protesters for a clean slate from the Mubarak era.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

this articel from:http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/north/Turkish-President-Abdullah-Gul-right-shakes-hands-with-Amr-Moussa-secretary-general-of-the-Arab-League-during-their-meeting-in-Cairo-Egypt-March-3-2011-117332698.html

* News * World news * Muammar Gaddafi Gaddafi is in dire need of help from his old comrade Hugo Chávez

Venezuelan president's proposal to mediate in the Libya crisis has met a frosty response – but could yield a diplomatic exit. Hugo Chávez has said: 'What Simón Bolívar is to the Venezuelan people, Gaddafi is to the Libyan people. Photograph: EPA

Muammar Gaddafi and Hugo Chávez are old comrades in the struggle against imperialism and American hegemony. But the Libyan leader has probably never before been in such dire need of solidarity and help from his Venezuelan friend.
It is thousands of miles from Tripoli to Caracas, but the two have forged a relationship that includes revolutionary political views, a shared reputation for eccentricity, membership of the oil-producing cartel Opec, exchanges of extravagant gifts – and a near-unlimited capacity for generating controversy at home and abroad.
Though not even the wildest critic of Chávez would put him in the same category as Gaddafi, their enemies insist that both men are dictators. Chávez's proposal to mediate in the crisis rocking Gaddafi's Jamahiriyah (state of the masses) remains vague and has met a frosty response from the Libyan rebels. But it was the first sign of a diplomatic exit from the impasse.
The two men, pictured right, clearly admire each other hugely, with Chávez, 56, deferring to the 68-year-old Libyan. "What Simón Bolívar is to the Venezuelan people, Gaddafi is to the Libyan people," Chávez gushed after attending the 40th anniversary celebrations of the al-Fateh revolution in 2009.
The event was shunned by western leaders but alongside Chávez were Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and Omar al-Bashir of Sudan – wanted for war crimes in Darfur.
Shortly afterwards Gaddafi and Chávez met again at the South America-Africa (ASA) summit on the Venezuelan island of Margarita where they signed a document rejecting attempts to link terrorism to "the legitimate struggle of the people for liberty and self-determination". They also proposed the establishment of a South Atlantic treaty organization to rival US-dominated Nato.
Gaddafi praised Chávez for "having driven out the colonialists," just like he had driven out those in Libya. "We share the same destiny, the same battle in the same trench against a common enemy, and we will conquer," he said. The US embassy in Caracas, monitoring events closely, noted drily in a cable released later by WikiLeaks: "The meeting with Gaddafi ... provided the opportunity for rhetorical assaults on capitalism, colonialism, and imperialism." The relevant section of the confidential document was headlined, with heavy irony: "Gaddafi and Chávez – revolutionary brothers."
Gaddafi spent part of his first visit to South America shopping for digital cameras and jewellery and posing in photographs for bemused tourists. He also took home a replica of Simón Bolívar's sword, and a medal called Orden del Libertador, Venezuela's highest civilian decoration. He reciprocated by giving Chávez a set of handmade silver armour.
Another Libyan gift came in handy last year when Chávez moved out of his Miraflores palace into a Bedouin style tent given him by Gaddafi to make room for families made homeless by torrential rains.
Politics apart, the two men have a military background in common. Gaddafi was a colonel in 1969 when he and his fellow "free officers" seized power from the western-backed King Idris. Chávez, a former paratroop lieutenant colonel, staged a failed coup in 1992.
They first met in 1999, a year after Chávez was first elected president.
Five years later the Venezuelan received the Gaddafi International Human Rights Prize from prize-committee member Daniel Ortega, the ex-president of Nicaragua, and dedicated part of it to their common friend Yasser Arafat, the PLO leader, who had recently died. A citation praised Chávez's "brave heart, intelligent mind, eloquent oratory and firm hand."
In 2006, Libya named a new 11,000-seat soccer stadium after Chávez near Benghazi, curiously now the headquarters of the eastern rebels seeking to overthrow Gaddafi. The Libyan soccer federation said the Venezuelan was being honoured for his "brave humanitarian positions, especially in support of the people of Gaza in the recent Israeli aggression."Early on in the current crisis there was speculation that Gaddafi might go into exile in Venezuela. But he has laughed off the idea and insists he will die a martyr in his homeland rather than flee abroad.
It remains unclear whether the two will meet again when Libya hosts the third ASA summit, which had been scheduled for sometime in 2011. Indeed it seems unlikely the event will now take place in Libya at all.

this articel from:http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/03/libya-gaddafi-hugo-chavez

Mubarak's man quits as PM

By Charlotte McDonald-Gibson

Egypt's Prime Minister, Ahmed Shafiq, resigned yesterday, bowing to pressure from opposition figures angered at his links to the ousted president, Hosni Mubarak.

Mr Mubarak had promoted the former air force officer in the dying days of his regime, hoping the move might redeem him in the eyes of protesters who took to the streets in their tens of thousands to rally against his rule.

The military named Essam Sharaf, a former transport minister, as the new Prime Minister. Mr Sharaf, who will now pick his own cabinet, is popular with pro-democracy activists who want a comprehensive purge of Mr Mubarak's old guard.

Mohamed ElBaradei, a Nobel laureate, praised the army for removing Mr Shafiq. "Today, [the] old regime has finally fallen. We are on the right track," he said on his Twitter account.

The military took power after Mr Mubarak fell on 11 February, and has promised to hand power to an elected government within six months. The country remains tense, however, with some cities still subject to a curfew. Youth groups had vowed to protest again today if Mr Shafiq was not removed from office.

The ousted president, meanwhile, is facing corruption allegations, with the public prosecutor on Monday freezing his assets and imposing a travel ban. 

this articel from:http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/mubaraks-man-quits-as-pm-2231910.html

Sheen's legal case against studios not so crazy

By Matthew Belloni and Eriq Gardner
Thu Mar 3, 2011 8:47pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Charlie Sheen might consider himself a "winner," but it's far from clear whether the "Two and a Half Men" star would prevail in what seems like an inevitable legal showdown over who is to blame for the implosion of America's most-watched sitcom.
After the CBS network and producer Warner Bros. Television (WBTV) canceled the show's eighth season last week, the 45-year-old actor launched a nonstop media blitz demanding that the cast and crew be paid for the remaining eight episodes (WBTV will pay the crew for four) and possibly for the ninth season.
Sheen's lawyer Marty Singer argued in a terse February 28 letter to the network and studio that his client is "ready, willing and able" to resume work and that he's been locked out "in retaliation for" criticisms of "Men" co-creator Chuck Lorre.
While showbiz legal experts say that referring to Lorre as a "clown" and a "retarded zombie" on television doesn't help Sheen's cause, many believe he has a decent case, especially if reports are true that his deal with WBTV includes no morals clause. The controversy, say the lawyers consulted by The Hollywood Reporter, will hinge on which side breached the heavily negotiated contract that pays Sheen more than $1.2 million an episode.
Sheen's lawyers believe that Warner Bros. and CBS violated their obligations by allowing Lorre to dictate that the show be shut down in the wake of Sheen's outrageous statements and partying with porn stars. Sheen maintains he's clean and sober and there's nothing in his private life that would trigger a "default" under his contract. The legal arguments mirror a path that has proved successful for other entertainers who have been terminated for offensive comments.
Martin Gold, a litigator at SNR Denton in New York, says the situation reminds him of when CBS fired shock jock Don Imus after he made derogatory statements about the Rutgers women's basketball team. CBS tried to avoid paying Imus on his contract, but it couldn't get around the argument that the conglomerate got exactly what it had bargained for, signing extension after extension even though it knew Imus' reputation.
Similarly, if the deal between WBTV and Sheen is "pay or play" -- as Singer's letter says it is -- then Sheen will argue that bragging that he's survived "banging seven-gram rocks" can't be held against him. Indeed, Warners knew for years about Sheen's behavior -- including stints in rehab and an arrest on charges of attacking then-wife Brooke Mueller -- but only acted after Sheen insulted Lorre, perhaps the studio's top producer.
Gold says, "This was going on for a long time, so it can hardly be called a surprise."
However, experts say CBS and Warner Bros. could have equally strong arguments that Sheen, not the network or studio, violated the contract. And if Sheen is found to have materially breached his deal, he could forfeit his rich deal and even be forced to reimburse CBS/WBTV for lost revenue, which could reach as much as $250 million if the show shuts down permanently.
Such a case would likely be premised on the notion that Sheen, despite his willingness to show up on set, has become such a high risk and has damaged so many relationships that continuing the show would not be possible. It's no coincidence that the statement released by CBS and WBTV on February 24 blamed the shutdown on "the totality of Charlie Sheen's statements, conduct and condition."
Ellyn Garofalo, a partner at Los Angeles' Liner Grode Stein firm, believes the studio and network would focus on Sheen's public statements about Lorre and take depositions from those who work on the Men set to "show Sheen had become impossible to work with," she says.
CBS/WBTV also could argue that Sheen is damaging the show and network with his media rampage, possibly violating a "disparagement" clause in his contract, and that his presence would cost TV's top comedy advertisers and viewers (though "Men" ratings have remained steady during the fiasco).
But Hollywood litigation expert Aaron Moss at Greenberg Glusker thinks an argument based on Sheen's outrageous behavior alone would be hurt by the absence of a morals clause. Instead, Moss believes that CBS/WBTV could target the actor's physical condition.
"The best argument that Warners would have would be to not focus on conduct and statements per se but only as evidence of his condition, tied to his inability to do his job," Moss says.
Which means that a judge would likely scrutinize Sheen's contract to determine whether he was actually fulfilling his job responsibilities. If, for instance, he was employed not just to deliver lines but also to promote the show, then CBS/WBTV could argue that Sheen had already shirked these duties by placing the show in a negative light. And, of course, Sheen's employers now have a week's worth of public tirades to use as evidence that perhaps he wasn't showing up to the set in top condition. Moss points to one statement made by Sheen on 'The Dan Patrick Show' that could come back to haunt the actor.
"(I've) never been drunk, never been high on the set once," Sheen told the syndicated sports show host on February 15. "But I would show up not having slept much. Doing a network run-through and asking the director, Jamie, to move my mark a little bit so I could be next to a piece of furniture or a table so I wouldn't fall over."

this articel from:http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/04/us-charliesheen-legal-idUSTRE7230FO20110304

Robert Levinson, former agent who vanished in Iran, is "alive"

Christine Levinson (C), the wife of former F.B.I. agent Robert Levinson, her son Daniel (L) and her sister Susan (R) hold a press conference at the Swiss embassy in Tehran, Dec. 22, 2007. (Behrouz Mehri/AFP/Getty Images)
A former FBI agent who vanished in Iran years ago is alive, says Hillary Clinton.

A former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent, Robert Levinson, who mysteriously vanished in Iran four years ago is reportedly alive, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement Thursday.
Levinson disappeared in Iran in March 2007 from the Iranian island of Kish, a Persian Gulf resort, and his fate was unknown for three and a half years.
Since he disappeared, Iran has repeatedly denied knowing what happened to him or where he might be. U.S. diplomats and investigators have long said they believed he was taken by Iranian government agents.
Documentary proof that he is alive surfaced late last year, prompting an intensification of diplomatic efforts to bring him home.
"It has been almost four years since I have seen my beloved husband Robert Levinson," his wife, Christine, wrote on the family's website. "Our family is tremendously encouraged by the news Bob is alive but remains concerned for his safety and well-being."
Levinson, 63, disappeared after meeting with an American fugitive known as Dawud Salahuddin, accused of killing a former aid to the Shah of Iran, reports the New York Times. However, Levinson's family and U.S. officials have since said he Levinson was in Iran investigating cigarette smuggling.
"Before Mr. Levinson’s retirement from the F.B.I. in 1998, he specialized in Russian organized crime, money laundering and narcotics-related cases. Most of his work as a private investigator involved product counterfeiting, though he also worked for some public advocacy groups," the Times reported.

"It was an assignment for one such organization, Global Witness, a London-based group that investigates corporate and governmental corruption that took him to Dubai in March 2007. After spending several days there, he flew to Kish for his meeting with Mr. Salahuddin."
It is still unclear where exactly Levinson is or who is holding him. Clinton said he is "being held somewhere in southwest Asia."
“As the government of Iran has previously offered its assistance in this matter, we respectfully request the Iranian government to undertake humanitarian efforts to safely return and reunite Bob with his family," Clinton said in her statement.
-- Hanna Ingber Win
Follow GlobalPost on Twitter: @GlobalPost

this articel from:http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/middle-east/110303/robert-levinson-former-agent-who-vanished-iran-alive

Charlie Sheen to pitch products on Twitter, sets Guinness world record

Charlie Sheen has a new job: He's been hired to pitch products on Twitter.

Just a day after starting up a Twitter account Tuesday afternoon, Sheen had amassed more than 910,000 followers the micro-blogging site, landing his user account among the fastest-growing the website has ever had.

And then, Thursday morning, Guinness World Records said on its Facebook page that Sheen was in fact the fastest to ever hit 1 million followers on Twitter, which he did in 25 hours and 17 minutes.
That news was followed by word that Sheen signed with Ad.ly, a Beverly Hills firm that writes messages from celebrities' Twitter or Facebook accounts to endorse products or brands. The celebrities are paid for each message.
"Brands lined up to advertise on 'Two and a Half Men' because of the show's reach, and they'll do the same with celebrities like Charlie because of who he reaches," said Arnie Gullov-Singh, chief executive of Ad.ly. "He's the guy who's had the No. 1 show on television for the last seven years, and he's been getting a lot of coverage lately from traditional media."
Sheen has been getting a lot of media coverage since "Two and a Half Men" was put on hiatus, a decision CBS and Warner Bros. Television said was "based on the totality of Charlie Sheen's statements, conduct and condition."
With Ad.ly, Sheen is joining a stable of more than 1,000 celebrities who include all three Kardashian sisters, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol of the L.A. Lakers, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, former-boxer Mike Tyson, and musicians Linkin Park, Enrique Iglesias and 50 Cent.
The celebrities are paired with more than 150 brands for specific ad campaigns, including companies such as Sony, Microsoft, Old Navy, Coca-Cola, Pepsi and American Airlines.
Sheen has struck some pitchman-style poses in recent Twitter messages, though he has been paid for no tweets as of yet, Ad.ly spokeswoman Krista Thomas said.
Sheen's first message on Twitter said, "Winning..! Choose your Vice..." and linked to a photo of Sheen holding a bottle of chocolate milk, with porn star Bree Olson — one of his two girlfriends — holding a Naked Juice smoothie.
On Wednesday afternoon Sheen sent out a message that said, "Still Winning..! Pong!" and showed the actor using his fingers to frame the DirecTV logo, displayed on a wall-mounted TV.
Neither Naked nor DirecTV paid Sheen or Olson for the photos, Thomas said.
"It's up us to bring the right brand, the right opportunity to Charlie," Thomas said. "We're working on opportunities right now and Charlie is open to that. But the stuff he's already done has all been Charlie being Charlie. It's all organic, and he hasn't been paid to do anything he's done so far."
Sheen's boom on Twitter is, in part, the result of highly publicized troubles in his personal life such as drug use and production problems for the CBS TV show "Two and a Half Men," in which Sheen stars.

  This week, Sheen has spoken with nearly every major media outlet in the U.S. in what he has said is an attempt to tell his side of the story and prove his sobriety.
It wasn't until many media critics called the interviews a public meltdown that Sheen looked to Twitter, at the suggestion of a friend.
Sheen's friend called Ad.ly and Ad.ly called Twitter to grab the @CharlieSheen user account (which was being used by an impostor) and the relationship began then, said Gullov-Singh.
"Our guys sat down with Charlie for a couple hours and gave him the 101 on how to do it," Gullov-Singh said.
And although Sheen and Ad.ly are expecting to profit from the TV star's sudden social-media popularity, Ad.ly hasn't yet been paid for anything it's done in helping Sheen build his presence on Twitter, the CEO said.
"There's no need for us to charge for the sort of thing we did for Charlie," Gullov-Singh said. "We do the same thing for a number of other celebrities. We just want to be top of mind when they think about monetizing, and if they don't monetize, that's OK too."

this articel from:http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/03/charlie-sheen-twitter-guinness-world-record.html

Britney Spears San Francisco concert details revealed

Streets will be closed later this month when Britney Spears tapes a performance for “Good Morning America” outside the Castro Theatre, according to Supervisor Scott Wiener.
Click on the photo to the right to see a slideshow of Britney's most memorable moments.

The 400 and 500 blocks of Castro Street between Market and 19th streets will be closed starting just before midnight on March 26 until about 4 or 5 p.m. on March 27, said Wiener, whose district includes the Castro neighborhood. The actual one-hour performance is slated to begin at noon. The piece is set to air on GMA the following Tuesday, March 29.

Wiener said a yet-to-be determined number of people will be allowed in to see it for free. ABC producers have been meeting with local groups to hash out plans for the segment.

The cost of the whole affair is unknown at this point, Wiener said, but ABC will foot the bill for any city expenditures, which could include police for crowd control, rerouting of Muni services and movement of street cables to accommodate the stage and recording equipment. Wiener said the 24 and 33 lines would be rerouted, and the F Line could also be impacted.

Wiener said ABC producers are in the process of submitting permit applications and details will be solidified in the coming weeks. Spears is set to arrive in San Francisco a few days before the Sunday performance, most likely to meet with youth organizations including the Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center and Larkin Street Youth Services.

Other than wanting to meet with kids, locals say Spears is clearly courting a gay audience, for good or ill.
“It’s a calculated move on Britney’s part to come down and sort of ‘reclaim my gays,’” said Heklina, a well-known local drag queen who founded Trannyshack, a monthly cabaret.

Still, Heklina said rooftop parties are already planned for the event and the novelty, at the very least, is exciting for the neighborhood. Former Supervisor Bevan Dufty said the rebounding pop star’s appearance can’t be a bad thing.

“The Castro is really rooting for Britney,” Dufty said.

dschreiber@sfexaminer.com

this articel from: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2011/03/britney-spears-san-francisco-concert-details-revealed#ixzz1FatKz7eX

Britney Spears continues comeback with leak of second single, 'Till the World Ends'

Funny how the tables have turned for two of pop's most prominent princesses.
As Christina Aguilera seems to be on the brink of a career -- and personal -- meltdown, her supposed rival, Britney Spears, is continuing the second act of her comeback with a new single, “Till The World Ends,” which surfaced online Thursday.
Notoriously guarded with her projects post-breakdown, Team Spears -- or someone with her best interest at heart -- have been smartly leaking snippets from her anticipated seventh album, “Femme Fatale,” set to hit stores March 29.
For the last week, fans have been treated to snippets of tracks such as "Criminal," "Inside Out" and the will.i.am-produced "Big Fat Bass."
The Ke$ha-penned, Dr. Luke- and Max Martin-produced track leaked in full Thursday afternoon after the net was abuzz that the single would hit radio as soon as next week.
Like its predecessor, “Hold It Against Me,” Spears’ main intention with her new single seems to be keeping the dance floor pulsating with sweaty bodies. And we don’t blame her, as the catchy song does make you want to grab some glow sticks and hit the clubs.

In her breathy vocals, which have always paled in comparison to Aguilera’s powerhouse growl, she muses about “dancing till the world ends."
The "Femme Fatale" era already shows an undeniably more confident Spears -- even if she isn't allowed to make all her own decisions, she has come a long way. Though her last album, 2008’s “Circus,” was a commercial success, she was criticized for her lack of energy, mainly her inability to deliver complex choreography like years past in live performances –- an argument that translated to the much-hyped video for “Hold It Against Me.”

How Spears will fare with “Femme Fatale” is yet to be seen. Although she has plans to perform on "Good Morning America," she continues to shy away from press, save for a highly publicized magazine cover here and there.
Judging from the material fans have been treated to so far, especially the sticky "Till the World Ends," she’s serious about delivering a dance album heavy on club bangers that proves why she remains a polarizing name in pop -- regardless of where she is mentally.
-- Gerrick D. Kennedy
Twitter.com/GerrickKennedy
Photo credit: Courtesy of Jive Records.

this articel from:http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2011/03/britney-spears-continues-comeback-with-leak-of-second-single-till-the-world-ends.html

Kadafi forces show Libya's northwest under government control

Government-run checkpoints have replaced those set up by rebels. Along the 110-mile stretch between Tripoli and the Tunisian border, there were few visible signs of the unrest reported in recent days.

Reporting from Ajaylat, Libya

A burned-out police station and the absence of the once-ubiquitous portraits of Col. Moammar Kadafi are evidence of what happened here recently. The camouflage-clad soldiers wielding AK-47s and glaring at passing motorists show who is in charge now.

"God. Moammar. Libya. And that's it," said a handwritten sign displayed at a hastily set-up checkpoint at the center of this once-contested town.

An emboldened Libyan government on Thursday took a large group of journalists across the lengthy expanse of the country's northwestern corridor to the Tunisian border in an attempt to show how firmly it was in control here.

The northwest is one of the sparsely populated nation's most developed areas, home to industry, a major oil refinery and numerous small cities, as well as the capital, Tripoli. Kadafi's consolidation of power over the restive piece of real estate, which appears to have taken place over the last few days, may explain his bold gambit Wednesday to try and seize rebel-controlled Port Brega, the oil terminal community far to the east of his center of power.

Kadafi's forces turned their sights on Port Brega — without success — only after they had apparently neutralized any large-scale rebellion in the northwest. At the same time, an air of uncertainty hung over the largely barren scrubland.

Opposition supporters have called for renewed protests Friday in the region's government-controlled areas. In apparent anticipation, authorities late Thursday shut down the Internet, cellphone service and other means of communications in Tripoli and flooded the highway west with tanks and other armored vehicles.

Along the 110-mile stretch between Tripoli and the Tunisian border, there were few visible signs that the unrest reported in recent days by refugees fleeing the country and residents reached by telephone was continuing in the region.

But with the large number of government checkpoints to maneuver past, and efforts to avoid any possibly rebel-controlled areas, a tour that normally would have taken no longer than five hours became a 12-hour journey.

 

Checkpoints that had been run by rebels along the highway to Tunisia had apparently been dismantled. A massive government checkpoint stood at the capital's western edge, where uniformed men loyal to Kadafi searched cars and checked identity papers of travelers headed both east and west.

A mishmash of security forces including soldiers in olive garb, police officers, militiamen, men in street clothes and possible mercenaries from sub-Saharan Africa manned the large checkpoint. Some aimed high-caliber machine guns at approaching vehicles.

Pickup trucks with antiaircraft guns and soldiers camped out in tents were scattered along the northwestern roadway.

Outside Zawiya, the western coastal city that is said to remain partly under rebel control, army checkpoints also were in place.

Witnesses said there have been significant increases in the number of government checkpoints, soldiers and weaponry along the highway since Saturday, when journalists were taken to Zawiya by government minders.

On Thursday, a diplomat counted 50 checkpoints between the capital and the Tunisian border.

It was impossible to tell during the tour whether rebels had given up their positions without a fight. There was little evidence of gunfire or destruction, except for the numerous burned and damaged billboards that had once displayed Kadafi's portraits, and whitewashed walls that had been blanketed with graffiti.

"That's what we are here to see," said a volunteer interpreter. "That things are going back to normal.

"You see how it is with the ordinary people living their lives."

To emphasize how little the uprising had disrupted life in this key area, minders took reporters to an oil refinery in Zawiya province that usually processes 120,000 barrels of oil a day into gasoline, diesel and kerosene for domestic use and export.

Soldiers were stationed at a military base across from the 2,000-employee refinery's entrance. According to board Chairman Nasir Sharif, the state-owned Zawiya Oil Co., one of the nation's largest, is operating at 80% to 90% of capacity despite the absence of some workers due to the unrest.

Sharif said plant managers had reinforced fire prevention operations since the troubles began, but had implemented no major new security measures.

"We are oil," he told reporters. "We deal with products of a flammable nature, [so] we [always] have to be concerned."

All along the route, the signs of the recent unrest remained visible. In the city of Surman, a large building described as a government administrative headquarters had been shorn of flags and portraits of Kadafi. Not a single portrait was left in the city center.

In Sobrata, the scene of reported seesawing struggles between government and opposition forces, pro-government forces were firmly in charge of the city center on Thursday. But the front hood of a military vehicle was covered with white tape to hide graffiti.

Along the stretch of roadway between Zawiya and Bukamash, not a single portrait of Kadafi appeared on billboards or government buildings.

At the Ras Ajdir crossing into Tunisia, soldiers were in firm control and government supporters staged a rally when the journalists arrived. Yet here, the customs terminal was empty, evidence of the reported defection of Libyan customs officials to Tunisia. Also missing was a huge poster of Kadafi that had greeted visitors less than a week ago.

daragahi@latimes.com

Copyright © 2011, Los Angeles Times

this articel from:http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-libya-west-20110304,0,2475506.story

 

Soldier in WikiLeaks case charged with aiding the enemy

The Army files 22 new counts against Pfc. Bradley Manning, suspected of giving information to WikiLeaks. The development comes amid an expanding U.S. investigation that could lead to charges against website founder Julian Assange and others.

Reporting from Washington — 

The Army has charged Pfc. Bradley Manning, the soldier suspected of leaking thousands of documents published by WikiLeaks, with aiding and giving intelligence to the enemy, a significant escalation of the government's prosecution of the junior intelligence analyst.

As part of 22 additional counts filed against Manning, Army prosecutors said he "wrongfully and wantonly" caused intelligence to be published on the Internet, with the knowledge that it would be "accessible to the enemy."

Aiding the enemy is a capital offense, under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, but the Army said in a statement Wednesday that prosecutors did not intend to recommend that Manning receive the death penalty if convicted. Even so, he could face life in prison.

The new charges reflect the expanding U.S. investigation into the disclosures, which U.S. officials say is aimed at punishing not only those who provided the information to Wikileaks, but also members of the secretive organization, including its founder, Julian Assange. Manning remains the only person charged in the case, but U.S. officials say the Justice Department is examining possible charges in civilian courts in connection with the disclosures.

Manning is being held at a Marine base in Virginia while the investigation continues into the disclosure by WikiLeaks of thousands of classified U.S. military and State Departmentdocuments related to Iraq, Afghanistan and U.S. relations with dozens of other countries.

Jon Shelburne, a professor at Roger Williams UniversitySchool of Law in Rhode Island, said he viewed the new charges as an effort by prosecutors to pressure Manning and his lawyers into reaching a plea deal to avoid what could be a long and difficult court-martial.

Shelburne, who is also a lawyer with the Marine Corps Reserve, noted that the charging documents did not specify what enemy Manning was alleged to have aided. If the case goes to trial, Manning's lawyers will probably try to force prosecutors to show what specific benefit U.S. enemies derived from the disclosure of the documents, which could be difficult, he said.

The Army accused Manning of loading unauthorized software onto government computers to extract classified information and then improperly transmitting the data. It has provided no details about who he sent the files to or whether he was in direct contact with WikiLeaks.

To violate the military statute against aiding the enemy, a defendant must knowingly harbor, give intelligence to or communicate with the enemy, "either directly or indirectly." The charges against Manning allege that he did so "through indirect means," apparently a reference to the fact that information was made public on the Internet, making it available to anyone.

Manning's lawyer, David Coombs, said in a statement that the defense team "had been anticipating the possibility of additional charges in this case." He did not comment on the allegation that Manning had aided the enemy.

Court-martial proceedings have been delayed until completion of an inquiry into Manning's mental state, a process that his defense team said would probably take two to six more weeks. The final decision about what Manning will be charged with will be up to Maj. Gen. Karl R. Horst, commander of the Military District of Washington. Pentagon officials say his decision is probably months away.

Other charges against Manning announced Wednesday included theft of public property or records; transmitting Defense Department information; and fraud in connection with computers.

After being taken into custody at a U.S. base in Iraq, he was initially charged in July with delivering defense information to an unauthorized source and exceeding authorized computer access to obtain classified information.

this articel from:http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-a-wikileaks-manning-20110303,0,3798837.story