Shakira on Immigrant 'Justice'

Shakira at the Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg July 10, 2010. (Reuters)

Colombian singer Shakira was honored Saturday by Harvard University for her artistic and humanitarian work. She later said some U.S. states' proposed anti-immigrant legislation goes against her foundation's efforts to provide education to poor people around the world.

The Grammy Award-winning singer, however, said Latino immigrants in the U.S. facing various anti-immigrant bills will have "justice" as public awareness about their plight grows.

"Justice will come. I'm sure," Shakira told The Associated Press after the award ceremony. "Wherever there is ... a kid, who could be the son or the daughter of a Latino immigrant, who cannot attend a school in the United States of America, that kid should be a concern to all of us and our responsibility."

Shakira made the comments in an interview when asked about proposed measures in Arizona and elsewhere targeting illegal immigrants. A bill in Arizona, for example, would bar illegal immigrants from attending public schools, living in public housing or driving. Another bill seeks to deny citizenship to children born in the U.S. if their parents are illegal immigrants.

"I believe we should never think less of the Latino community because it's a productive force in this country," Shakira told the AP.

The singer, born Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, was awarded the "2011 Artist of the Year" from the Harvard Foundation, the university's center for intercultural arts and science initiatives.

Foundation director S. Allen Counter said Shakira, who has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, was honored for her "distinguished history of creativity," as well as for her charitable contributions.

Previous winners of the Harvard award include Sharon Stone, Will Smith, Jackie Chan and Herbie Hancock.

Shakira said she was humbled by the award and the student performances at the ceremony. "As I entered the premises today, I had to call my mom and say, 'Hey mom. Guess what? I got into Harvard'," said Shakira, who took a history class in 2008 at UCLA.

After accepting the award, she challenged Harvard students to do more to improve education in developing countries. "Not everyone can study at Harvard University," she said. "But everyone, wherever they live, whatever their background, deserves a chance to make the most of his or her potential" through education.

She said that applied to poor children in Bangladesh or immigrants in the United States. "And as a child of the developing world, it is my duty to use this voice in every way I can to promote the message about the power of education to change lives," she said.

Shakira founded the Barefoot Foundation at the age of 18 to provide education and nutrition to children in impoverished areas of Colombia. She also is a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador.
Howard Buffett, 56, son of billionaire investor Warren Buffett and board member of the Barefoot Foundation, said he and Shakira have plans to work on educational projects in parts of the world ravaged by war and natural disasters.

"I think she brings credibility, particularly because of her background," Buffett said. "She's pretty focused on education."

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Ariz. State Senator Given Immunity, Girlfriend Arrested

MyFoxPhoenix

Arizona state Sen. Scott Bundgaard says he got a black eye in a domestic dispute with his girlfriend, who was arrested Friday night.

PHOENIX -- An Arizona state senator says he was acting in self defense before the arrest of his girlfriend Friday night on one count of assault that allegedly was the byproduct of a jealous rage.

Police arrested Sen. Scott Bundgaard's girlfriend Aubry Ballard after the two attended a "Dancing With the Stars" charity event that apparently included a saucy rhumba dance. 

Bundgaard told MyFoxPhoenix that he acted in self defense when Ballard began throwing his things out of the car, punching him and trying to get into the driver's seat when he stopped alongside a state road.

Police said when they showed up, Bundgaard was pulling Ballard out of the car.

She released a statement Saturday calling the episode the "absolute worst night of my life."

"I'm still trying to get my mind around a few things: Scott's actions; the 17 hours I spent in jail awaiting processing; my bruises, scrapes and soreness; and his statements to the media.

115 Die in Government Offensive on Somali Militants

Associated Press

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MOGADISHU, Somalia –  A government offensive against al-Qaida-linked militants largely subsided Sunday as officials said that at least 115 people had been killed since the violence started several days ago.

Ali Muse, the chief of the Mogadishu ambulance service, said that 49 civilians had died and 157 had been wounded since the government launched the operation Wednesday.

In addition, at least 60 militants have been killed along with six peacekeepers, according to Biyereke Floribert, a spokesman for the Burundian peacekeepers who are serving in the African Union force backing the Somali government.

Muse said heavy fighting had subsided but sporadic gunfire still could be heard. The militants were regrouping to plan retaliatory attacks but "we are ready for them," Floribert said.

Al-Shabab has pledged allegiance to al-Qaida and controls much of the capital, and southern and central Somalia.

On Sunday, al-Shabab spokesman Sheik Ali Mohammed Rage also threatened neighboring Kenya for allegedly helping Somali government troops and their allies attack the militants' bases.

The militant group includes veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts who have trained Somalis in tactics like suicide bombs and sniper fire. The group carried out a double suicide bombing in Uganda in July that killed 76 people.

Somali civilians have borne the brunt of two decades of conflict in their country. In November, the ambulance service said that more than 4,200 bystanders have died in warfare over the last two years.

The country's weak U.N.-backed government has long promised a full-scale war against militants, but coordination among its poorly trained government forces has held up that push.

Somalia's Defense Minister Abdihakim Fiqi said late Saturday that government forces and their allies are making progress in the offensive.

"The operations we started will continue until we defeat the enemy and we will not repeat the past mistakes in which territories reclaimed by our armed forces were abandoned," he said.

Abdirizak Qeylow, spokesman for Somalia's Ministry of Information, said that government troops already have captured several rebel-held positions.

The Somali government said earlier in the week that 17,000 African Union and Somali troops are involved in the assault to reclaim territories held by al-Shabab starting with the capital, Mogadishu.

Meanwhile, relative calm had returned to the northern Kenyan town of Mandera, which borders the Somali town of Belet Hawo, after stray bullets and artillery fire had crossed to the Kenyan side.

Earlier in the week, one woman died and 17 other Kenya-Somalis in Mandera were wounded after they were hit by stray bullets from the fighting in Belet Hawo between militia and government troops, according to Kenya Red Cross spokesman Titus Mungou.

Mungou said the ominous calm has allowed Red Cross officials to start the registration of refugees fleeing Somalia.

___

Associated Press Writer Tom Odula in Nairobi, Kenya contributed to this report.

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Tunisia's Prime Minister Resigns

"Feb. 27, 2011: Tunisian Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi gestures as he announces his resignation during a press conference in Tunis. Tunisia's embattled prime minister said Sunday that he will resign, bowing to a key demand of protesters after at least five people died in a groundswell of new unrest in this North African country." /

GOP Officials: Gingrich to Make Move Toward 2012 Bid

AP

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington Feb. 10.

WASHINGTON -- Republican officials say former House Speaker Newt Gingrich intends to take a formal step in the next two weeks toward a run for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

He would be the first of many potential contenders to make the move to challenge President Barack Obama.

The former Georgia congressman has been travelling to key primary and caucus states in recent months in the run-up to a campaign for the White House.

The officials say an announcement is likely in the first half of March. It is not clear what type of declaration he intends to make. Some White House hopefuls set up exploratory committees, while others simply announce their candidacy.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to disclose Gingrich's plans.

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Latest Politics Videos February 27, 2011Sun, 27 Feb 2011 21:30:23 GMT4:02 PM EST

McCain, Lieberman Joke About Being 'Brainwashed'

Fox News

FILE: Afghan Ministry of Interior Security Forces are surveying the scene during a training exercise for military officials just outside of Kabul.

WASHINGTON -- Two senators said to be targeted by U.S. military seeking to use "psychological operations" to convince them to support the war effort in Afghanistan say they're fine with an investigation though they don't believe there's much to the story.

Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., who've been traveling in the Middle East for the past week, joked Sunday about a Rolling Stone article released last week that alleged that three-star Gen. William Caldwell ordered his staff to use military techniques to persuade them to back more money for training Afghan forces. 

"Actually, I'm sure they succeeded with Senator Lieberman. There's no doubt about that,"  McCain laughed before adding that he and Lieberman supported the effort in Afghanistan all along. 

"It's a weird story, honestly," added Lieberman. 

"I don't think there's much to the story contrary to what Senator McCain just said about my state of mind," Lieberman laughed as he nudged McCain. "I don't believe I was brainwashed."

Lieberman added that before he and McCain ever were briefed by Caldwell's staff, they supported the training of the Afghan military so that U.S. troops could get out sooner. 

McCain said it's also not "psy ops" for the general's staff to be given information about lawmakers' positions and issues and to try to address them in briefings. 

"I think that's natural," McCain said. 

The two lawmakers appeared from Cairo on CNN's "State of the Union."

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Latest Politics Videos February 27, 2011Sun, 27 Feb 2011 21:30:23 GMT4:02 PM EST