West MTV awards act provokes Obama

Rapper Kanye West apologised personally to teenage country singer Taylor Swift two days after ruining her moment at the MTV Video Music Awards, an indiscretion that provoked President Barack Obama to call him a “jackass”.

Obama’s comment came in the course of apparent banter with John Harwood of television network CNBC and The New York Times as they prepared for a political interview. It would seem Obama assumed what he said was off-the-record, and CNBC did not include it in the transcript of the interview it released.

However, Terry Moran, anchor of Nightline on rival network ABC, tweeted the news to his million-plus followers, and TMZ.com posted an audio copy of the transcript on its site.

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Underlining ‘moral high ground,’ Obama signs Gitmo shutdown

Saying that “our ideals give us the strength and moral high ground” to combat terrorism, US President Barack Obama today signed executive orders effectively ending the Central Intelligence Agency’s secret interrogation program, directing the closing of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp within a year and setting up a sweeping, high-level review of the best way to hold and question terrorist suspects in the future.

The prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba — where prisoners have been detained for years without charge, some subjected to interrogation that human rights groups say amounted to torture — had damaged America’s moral standing in the world.

“We intend to win this fight,” Obama said, “We are going to win it on our own terms.”

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A 10-ball night, but only one couple mattered

In Obama's neighbourhood on Tuesday night, Mary J Blige couldn’t stop the tears up onstage. Stevie Wonder was on the keyboard. And when the new President mixed with the crowd, ABC cut to commercial.

Even with those mystery moments, it was a glittering start to a 10-ball night, a night when it didn’t seem to matter that the temperature was less than 28 degrees and the wind was cutting through the thickest overcoats.

Obama launched it with the Neighborhood Ball at the Walter E Washington Convention Center, a party where the new President and the first lady shared the stage for their first dance with Beyonce. Obama, confronted with one of the entertainment world’s hottest babes, kept his eyes on the first lady, Michelle Obama.

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Obama-Prime Minister call scheduled today, Singh says time restraint earlier

To dispel all speculation over “no phone call” from Barack Obama to India after becoming the US President-elect, the government is firming up arrangements to schedule a call tomorrow between him and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Official sources said there was nothing beyond scheduling issues that had prevented the call from taking place so far. In fact, India was in the first list of countries that Obama wanted to reach out but the proposed time slot was too close to the PM’s departure time for Oman and Qatar on November 8.

Singh too mentioned this to reporters on board the special Air India aircraft last night while flying home from the Gulf. “This is not true (that he chose to ignore India). He wanted to talk to me the day before yesterday (Saturday).

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McCain is smiling as Hillary up but not in, Obama down, not out

Reviving her White House hopes, Hillary Clinton stormed back with primary wins in Ohio, Texas and Rhode Island and chipped away at Barack Obama's delegate lead in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. In the other camp, John McCain clinched the Republican nomination with wins in all four states.

Emboldened by the wins which ended a string of defeats Obama had 11 straight victories - Clinton told supporters in Ohio that "we are going on, we are going strong and we are going all the way."

Tuesday's results have made the fight muddier for the two Democratic contenders, much to the advantage of McCain. Obama said in San Antonio that he was still leading in terms of the number of delegates who will finally choose the Democratic presidential nominee during the August convention. Under the complicated Texas electoral system, super delegates (elected party officials) are now set to swing the balance of power for the two Democratic contenders.

Midway through the counting when Clinton looked set to vindicate her reputation as a "comeback kid", Obama, who won the Vermont primary, congratulated McCain for winning all four states and cementing the Republican nomination. He then walked up to a somewhat sombre crowd outside the municipal auditorium.

As he emerged from the building, wife Michelle's favourite Stevie Wonder number began blaring: "Like a fool I went and stayed too long, now I am wondering if your love is still strong, ooh baby, here I am signed, sealed, delivered."


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