Paris Hilton Talks Britney Spears And Lindsay Lohan With The King
June 28, 2007
Paris Hilton is a free bird now and Larry King scored the perhaps the biggest interview of June 28, 2007 when she sat down to have a one-on-one with the CNN icon. Naturally, after prison talk, chat turned to fellow celebs Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan.
Speaking on how she believes the media is unfair towards the rich and famous, Paris explained that Britney Spears is “a sweet girl. She’s a good mom. She loves her children.”
“I’ve seen her with her kids. She loves her kids. And I think its hard for anyone when you’re in the spotlight so much. Its very overwhelming at such, like, a young age,” explained Hilton.
“I feel like a lot of these girls, you know, they move out here at a young age. They are given, you know, too much, too soon. And it is hard. And I’m hard that I have my parents who love and support me so much and I don’t know what I’d do without them.”
On the subject of Lindsay Lohan, with whom she has fueded in the past, Hilton said “I wish the best for her.” She acknowledged that, like many other girls, Lindsay does have some problems. “I think, yes, a lot of girls have problems,” she philosophized.
Source: CNN
WWE Vehemently Denies Chris Benoit ‘Roid Rage’ Connection
June 27, 2007
While the world continues to ponder why Chris Benoit murdered both his wife and son followed by the taking of his own life, World Wrestling Entertainment has issued a statement vehemently denying the allegations that steroids played a role.
The statement reads as follows:
World Wrestling Entertainment is stunned and saddened by the details released by local authorities concerning the double homicide-suicide involving Chris Benoit, his wife, Nancy, and his son, Daniel.
However, WWE is concerned with the sensationalistic reporting and speculation being undertaken by some members of the media following the press conference held by the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney. During the press conference, the investigating authorities made the following points, all of which run contrary to the media speculation that “roid rage” was a factor in the senseless murders and suicide:
The authorities stated that all drugs found in the house were believed to be legal prescriptions.
Steroids were not, and could not, be related to the cause of death (asphyxiation). Authorities had no factual basis to speculate as to Benoit’s state of mind, and rightly did not do so.
Toxicology tests have not even been completed, so there is no current evidence that Benoit even had steroids or any other substance in his body. In that regard, on the last test done by WWE’s independently administered drug testing program, done on April 10, 2007, he tested negative.
The physical findings announced by authorities indicate deliberation, not rage. The wife’s feet and hands were bound and she was asphyxiated, not beaten to death. By the account of the authorities, there were substantial periods of time between the death of the wife and the death of the son, again suggesting deliberate thought, not rage. The presence of a Bible by each is also not an act of rage.
WWE strongly suggests that it is entirely wrong for speculators to suggest that steroids had anything to do with these senseless acts, especially when the authorities plainly stated there is no evidence that Benoit had steroids in his body, pending the toxicological reports, and that they had no evidence at this time as to the motive for these acts.
WWE is continuing to monitor the ongoing investigation being conducted by local authorities.
Tony Blair Steps Down, Gordon Brown Takes Over
June 27, 2007
British Prime Minister Tony Blair steps down June 27th after a decade in power during which he re-energized his Labor Party, embarked on an interventionist foreign policy and forged ever-closer ties with the United States. But, as Mr. Blair hands over the reins of power one damaging decision follows him out of office, his unfailing support for the war in Iraq. VOA’s Sonja Pace takes a look at the Blair legacy in this report from London.
He burst onto the political stage - 43 years old - charismatic, smiling, articulate and full of energy to take Britain into the 21st Century.
After a sweeping election victory in 1997, Tony Blair promised a new direction.
“You, the British people have given us the chance to serve you,” said Mr. Blair. “You have put your trust in us and we say to you - we shall repay that trust for you. We govern for you.”
He promised to revitalize the country with a dynamic, efficient approach more in tune with the new global economy. He vowed more effective social programs and brought a new, relaxed style to Number 10 Downing Street.
But, it wasn’t just style and an ability to connect with average people that made Tony Blair popular. Blair biographer Anthony Seldon says it was also plain political skill.
“He won more elections than any other Labor prime minister, he changed the face of the Labor Party, he produced peace in Northern Ireland after many years of fighting,” he noted.
The Northern Ireland peace process of 1998 came to fruition less than two months ago with the formation of a unity Catholic-Protestant government for the province. Mr. Blair was in Belfast to clinch the deal.
“Northern Ireland was synonymous with conflict,” he said. “People felt that it could not be done, indeed sometimes that it should not be done, that the compromises involved were too ugly. Yet in the end, it was done and this holds a lesson for conflict everywhere.”
Dealing with conflicts near and abroad became a cornerstone of Mr. Blair’s interventionist foreign policy. In 1999 - he argued forcefully for the international community to intervene in Kosovo. And, Britain’s military intervention in the West African nation of Sierra Leone in 2000 is credited with helping bring to an end a brutal civil war there.
Mr. Blair won a landslide second term in office in 2001, but then the world changed on September 11.
“The full horror of what has happened in the United States earlier today is now becoming clearer,” he said. “It is hard even to contemplate the utter carnage and terror which has engulfed so many innocent people.”
Mr. Blair stood with U.S. President George Bush, forging ever-closer ties between London and Washington. He was instrumental in making the case for action against al-Qaida in Afghanistan and went along willingly into Iraq.
“Oh, he was completely willing,” added Anthony Seldon. “He was convinced that British interests would best be served by getting right up close to the White House, working very closely with the president, seeing him often, having weekly conferences on video with the president and that this would best exert British influence.”
While Mr. Blair is widely credited with having tempered the Bush administration’s go-it-alone approach in the early preparations for Iraq, he has been harshly criticized for not being able to influence how the war and the aftermath were handled.
Michael Brown, former conservative member of parliament and now political columnist for the Independent newspaper, tells VOA, Iraq was Tony Blair’s biggest mistake.
“His enduring legacy, in terms of British public life, will, I’m afraid be Iraq,” he noted. “Iraq will be engraved on Tony Blair’s political tombstone when the history books of his premiership are written.”
Iraq took its toll on Mr. Blair’s popularity and still - he won a third term in office in 2005, even though the Labor party took a beating. Then in July terrorist attacks on London’s transport system claimed the lives of 52 commuters.
Speculation was rife that Tony Blair would not last to the next election scheduled for 2010. That speculation proved correct.
“Today, I announce my decision to step down from the leadership of the Labor Party,” he said. “Hand on heart, I did what I thought was right. I may have been wrong, but believe one thing if nothing else, I did what I thought was right for our country.”
It is too early to tell how Tony Blair will eventually be remembered, but for now Iraq casts a long shadow over his legacy.
Source: VOA