Key Washington state gay marriage vote Wednesday

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Washington state Senate is set to take a crucial vote Wednesday on a proposal to legalize same-sex marriage.

The bill has narrow support in the Senate, but is expected to pass because supporters have secured 25 "yes" votes — the minimum required for approval. Five senators, two Democrats and three Republicans, have not indicated how they will vote.

If passed by the Senate, the measure moves to the House, which has enough votes to pass the bill by a more comfortable margin. Also, Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire supports the measure and said she will sign it into law, which would make Washington state the seventh state to approve gay marriage.

The bill's sponsor, Democratic Sen. Ed Murray of Seattle, still cautioned, "Nothing is done until it is actually voted on."

The Senate vote Wednesday is expected to come in the late afternoon or early evening.

The Senate Rules Committee voted Tuesday to advance the measure for a vote by the full chamber with Lt. Gov. Brad Owen, president of the Senate, saying that he has emphasized tolerance and diversity at state schools for decades, which would make it "hypocritical for me to not support this bill."

"For me, this is not a religious question," said Owen, a Democrat. "It's a legal question."

The committee advanced the bill on a 14-7 vote, with seven of the eight Republicans on the committee in opposition. Sen. Cheryl Pflug, R-Maple Valley, voted to advance it. She is one of two Republican senators who have said they will support the measure.

Opponents of same-sex marriage have already promised a referendum battle at the ballot if the measure becomes law.

Same-sex marriage is legal in New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia.

Lawmakers in New Jersey and Maryland are expected to debate gay marriage this year, and Maine is likely to see a gay marriage proposal on the November ballot.

A referendum can't be filed until after the bill is passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gregoire. Opponents then must turn in 120,577 signatures by June 6.

Washington state has had a domestic partnership law since 2007 and an "everything but marriage" expansion of the domestic partnership law since 2009. Gay marriage bills were introduced in both the House and the Senate this year, and received their first public hearings this month.

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The gay marriage bills are Senate Bill 6239 and House Bill 2516.

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Follow Rachel La Corte on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/RachelAPOly

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Online:

http://www.leg.wa.gov

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Gay marriage seen a step closer in Washington state

OLYMPIA, Washington (Reuters) - A bill to legalize gay marriage in Washington state now has enough votes to pass, a state senator who sponsored the legislation said on Monday, which would put it a major step closer to becoming the seventh state to fully recognize same-sex unions.

Democratic Sen. Ed Murray said supporters had secured the 25 votes needed to pass the bipartisan measure, which is in committee and will likely come to a final vote next month.

Governor Chris Gregoire, a Democrat, announced earlier this month that she would support the legislation, while the state House version, HB 2516, already has enough votes to pass.

Opponents of same-sex marriage have said that if the bill passes they will put the issue before voters on a ballot initiative in November.

"It will be difficult there's no doubt about it but I'm confident that the state is now with us on this issue, that on the issue of marriage equality we are now the mainstream," Murray said.

More than 40 U.S. states have outlawed same-sex marriages, while six states explicitly allow it: New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Iowa.

Gay marriage is also legal in the District of Columbia

Polls show sharp national division on same-sex marriage, and the issue is still divisive in Washington state, which tends to be split between a liberal coast, including Seattle, and a more conservative inland

Six prominent Pacific Northwest companies, including Microsoft and Nike, have officially endorsed the legislation.

"We believe that passing this bill would be good for our business and good for the state's economy," Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith wrote in a blog post last week.

On the other side, religious conservatives are amassing thousands of Washingtonians against the legislation, including voters who supported the state's expansion of domestic partnership benefits in recent years but draw the line at marriage.

The Catholic bishops of Washington issued a statement calling on "the citizens of this state to maintain the legal definition of marriage" and urging them to contact their state representatives to "request that they defend the current legal definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman."

(Reporting by Nicole Neroulias, Writing by Dan Whitcomb, Editing by Daniel Trotta and Paul Thomasch)

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Bashir says army to continue campaign in oil state (Reuters)

KHARTOUM (Reuters) – Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir said the army would continue its campaign in the flashpoint of South Korfodan, state news agency SUNA said on Friday, dashing hope of a ceasefire ahead of southern secession.

In his first comments since returning from a visit to China, Bashir seemed to contradict comments by a northern official this week that north and south had agreed "in principle" on a ceasefire in the northern oil state.

Fighting between the northern military and southern-aligned armed groups broke out in Southern Kordofan on June 5 and has escalated to include artillery and warplanes. More than 60,000 people are believed to have fled the fighting, the United Nations said.

Both U.S. President Barack Obama and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon have urged a ceasefire in the state to defuse tensions before the south becomes independent on July 9.

"He directed the armed forces to continue their military operations in South Kordofan until a cleasening of the region is over," SUNA quoted Bashir as telling worshippers during Friday prayers.

The military campaign would only stop with the arrest of Abdelaziz el-Helu, the candidate of the southern ruling party Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) in the governorship vote there in May.

Helu had accused Khartoum of rigging the vote he had lost. Khartoum denied the charges, and the biggest international observer group called the outcome of the vote "credible."

Bashir called Helu an outlaw that needed to be brought to justice for committing crimes such as killing innocent people, SUNA said.

North and south had agreed during Bashir's absence in China on a demilitarized buffer zone at the joint 2,000 kilometer long border, raising hopes of a ceasefire in South Kordofan.

On Wednesday, a northern state minister said both sides had agreed "in principle" at talks in Ethiopia to hold a ceasefire in South Kordofan pending details that needed to be worked out.

Southern Kordofan is important to the north because it has the most productive oil fields that will remain under Khartoum's control after the split. The south could take as much as 75 percent of Sudan's 500,000 barrels per day of oil output.

Southern Kordofan also borders the disputed Abyei territory and Darfur, a western region that is the scene of another insurgency.

The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a U.S.-drafted resolution authorizing deployment of 4,200 Ethiopian troops to the Abyei region for a six-month period.

South Sudan voted for independence under a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of civil war but both sides have yet to solve many issues such as sharing oil revenues or assets.

(Reporting by Khaled Abdelaziz and Ulf Laessing, Editing by Matthew Jones)

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Libyan state media says NATO airstrike kills 15 (AP)

TRIPOLI, Libya – Libyan authorities accused NATO of killing 15 people in an airstrike Saturday that they said hit a restaurant and bakery in the east, though the alliance denied the report.

It was the latest outcry from Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's government blaming NATO for killing civilians amid a four-month uprising that has sparked a civil war. NATO insists it does all it can to avoid such casualties.

Meanwhile, rebel representatives said their fighters were coordinating around the country for the "zero hour" when their forces would reach the capital of Tripoli.

The rebels said they have been working to cut fuel supplies from the Tunisian border in an attempt to paralyze Gadhafi's forces. Rebels also are making homemade bombs and trying to ferry other weapons to their comrades in Tripoli, a spokesman for an underground guerrilla group there said.

Libya's state news agency quoted a military official in Gadhafi's forces as saying that NATO warplanes hit a number of civilian sites Saturday in the oil town of Brega, including a restaurant and a bakery.

The official said 15 civilians were killed and 20 wounded in the strike. The JANA news agency also claimed five civilians were killed Friday in Brega as well.

NATO said it did not carry out any strikes in the area on Saturday.

A NATO official said alliance warplanes did hit several targets in the vicinity of Brega on Friday but that there was no evidence civilians had been killed or wounded.

"We have no indications of any civilian casualties in connection with these strikes," said the official, who spoke on condition on anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media on the record. "What we know is that the buildings we hit were occupied and used by pro-Gadhafi forces to direct attacks against civilians around Ajdabiya."

Ajdabiya is a city between Brega and the rebel stronghold of Benghazi to the northeast.

NATO said it hit multiple military command sites Friday near Brega, which has been a frequent flashpoint between rebels and Gadhafi's forces.

The alliance said government forces had moved into buildings in an abandoned area of Brega and started using them as military compounds to launch strikes on civilians, putting rebel-held cities such as Ajdabiya and Benghazi at risk.

Reports of civilian casualties in NATO strikes have provoked intense anger among many Libyans in the west of the country under Gadhafi's control.

Images of dead civilians, including young children, described by the government as "martyrs," can be seen frequently at pro-government rallies and on state-controlled television.

NATO is investigating whether one of its airstrikes may have slammed into a civilian neighborhood in Tripoli on June 19, killing several civilians.

A day later, alliance warplanes struck a family compound belonging to a close Gadhafi aide, killing what the Libyan government says was 19 people, including at least three children. NATO called the site was a "command and control" center, and said it regrets any civilian deaths that resulted from the strike.

Rebel spokesman Abdel-Hafidh Ghoga in Benghazi said Gadhafi was to blame for civilian casualties in the fighting because "he keeps his weapons in highly populated civilian areas."

At least two explosions could be heard in the capital of Tripoli on Saturday, though it was not immediately clear what the NATO airstrikes may have hit.

The Libyan rebels began their uprising in February against Gadhafi, who has been in power since 1969. The conflict has turned into a civil war, and Gadhafi's forces are accused of orchestrating deadly attacks on civilians.

The rebels have taken over much of the eastern half of Libya. They also control pockets in the west, including the vital port city of Misrata, about 125 miles (200 kilometers) from the capital.

A coalition including France, Britain and the United States began striking Gadhafi's forces under a United Nations resolution to protect civilians on March 19. NATO assumed control of the air campaign over Libya on March 31 and is joined by a number of Arab allies.

In Benghazi, Ghoga, the spokesman for the rebels' National Transitional Council, said 38 of Gadhafi's military officers — six of them high-ranking — defected to the rebel side and fled to Tunisia Friday.

"This will lead to the further isolation of the Gadhafi regime," he said.

Ghoga said the rebels have been informed that Gadhafi is in contact with leaders in South Africa and France in an attempt to find a possible home in exile. Such claims have been filtering out for weeks, but there is no evidence that the Libyan leader is seeking a way out.

On Saturday, a spokesman for the rebels' western mountain military council confirmed that rebels are coordinating with individual cells and with an underground rebel guerrilla group known as the Tripoli Council. The main goals are to cut the fuel from Gadhafi forces, Gomaa Ibrahim said.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Tripoli Council said that their fighters have been carrying out selective attacks on Gadhafi forces in the capital.

The spokesman, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals, said that the rebels are coordinating for "the zero hour, when rebels from liberated cities enter Tripoli."

"It will be a tremendous mission. The city is now besieged by 13 different security brigades, well armed and well equipped. Gadhafi has always said that his loyalists will sabotage the city if he falls. So this will be our mission: to mob it and clean it of mercenaries."

In Benghazi, Ghoga said there are constant contacts between rebels in different parts of the country, but he did not elaborate.

The rebels got a boost Saturday from several players from Libya's national soccer team who announced their support for the fight to end Gadhafi's rule.

Seventeen players from the team defected while they were in the West African nation of Mali for a match and later traveled to Tunisia, Ghoga said.

The players crossed into rebel-held territory in Libya's western mountains, and visited with residents in the town of Zintan on Saturday, said Gomaa Ibrahim, a spokesman for rebel fighters in that area.

Four of the players are from Tripoli's most popular team, al-Ahly, where one of Gadhafi's sons, al-Saadi, once played, said Ghoga. Al-Saadi now heads Libya's Football Federation.

In a video posted Saturday on a rebel Facebook page under the title "the national team announces its defection," one man said: "God willing, Tripoli will be liberated by this mountain. This is a message to the agents to abandon their weapons because Libya will be free, sooner or later."

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Associated Press writers Maggie Michael in Cairo, Rami al-Shaheibi in Benghazi, Libya, and Slobodan Lekic in Brussels contributed to this report.

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Greece prepares to sell state assets

NEW: European Council president says a national consensus is neededAirports, highways, banks and more are for sale as Greece tries to raise billions of eurosEuro zone ministers say new loans are contingent on Greece raising money through privatizationTalks on a second bailout package follow three weeks of street protests and political upheaval

Athens, Greece (CNN) -- Greece is preparing to sell off billions of dollars worth of state assets including airports, highways and state-owned companies, as well as banks, real estate and gaming licenses, to meet international lenders' demands that it raise funds.

European finance ministers said Sunday that they were on track to give Greece a second huge bailout to keep the government afloat, but reiterated that Athens had to take tough measures to get it.

Greece has to raise 50 billion euros ($71 billion) through privatization by 2015, Eurogroup members said.

It also has to push through tough budget-cutting measures, they said, despite widespread protests in the country that forced a government reshuffle last week.

Prime Minister George Papandreou faces a vote of confidence in his new ministers this week as his party clings onto a wafer-thin majority in parliament.

Meanwhile, the country's economic crisis raises concerns for Europe's currency, the euro. A default on its debts by Greece, or other struggling nations such as Portugal or Ireland, could adversely affect the world economy.

European stocks fell in afternoon trading Monday as investors worried the Greek debt crisis could spread to other countries.

After meeting with Papandreou, European Council President Herman van Rompuy expressed his "strong support" for the Greek prime minister's economic reforms and said he had underlined the need for further efforts.

The package of reforms put forward by the government "needs to be supported by the Greek Parliament," he said in a statement, to pave the way for the release of fresh loans by mid-July.

"Given the length, magnitude and nature of required reforms in Greece, national consensus is a prerequisite for success," Van Rompuy said.

European finance ministers Sunday made an understated reference to the weeks of protests on the streets of Athens and the political upheaval that ensued.

"Ministers recognized the considerable progress achieved by the Greek authorities over the last year (and) are also conscious of the serious challenges that Greek citizens are facing in these difficult times," said members of the group, which consists of officials from countries in the Euro economic zone.

European ministers aim to keep Greece solvent -- and prevent its economic crisis from worsening and spreading through Europe and beyond.

The ministers' statement came a day after Papandreou called for lawmakers to back his latest round of budget-cutting measures, telling them, "The government must stop spending more than it takes in."

The harsh reforms designed to help reduce Greece's enormous budget deficit have so far led to tax hikes and public-sector job losses alongside already record-high unemployment.

There are fears that efforts to restructure Greece's debt could send shock waves through Europe's banking sector and spark investor panic similar to that in the 2008 collapse of Lehman Brothers, the U.S.-based global investment bank.

Papandreou faces opposition from his party over the austerity measures needed to secure an additional bailout package.

The Greek government's popularity has plunged recently, and anti-government protests turned violent Wednesday, as demonstrators threw gasoline bombs at the Finance Ministry and police fired tear gas at protesters, police said.

On June 9, the Cabinet approved a tough five-year plan for 2011-15 and introduced a bill in Parliament to put austerity measures into effect.

The latest measures include further cuts in public spending and more tax increases.

The government proposes reducing the public-sector workforce by 150,000; workers will also face changes in working hours, practices and wages. The plan also sets out changes to social benefits, including pensions and unemployment aid.

According to the Finance Ministry, these measures will help achieve 28.3 billion euros ($40.5 billion) in cuts from 2012 to 2015, and shrink Greece's public deficit to less than 3% of gross domestic product, in accordance with the EU target.

The government has said the passage of these additional measures is essential to Greece's securing the fifth portion of the original 110 billion euro ($158 billion) bailout package that Greece signed with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund last year to prevent the country from defaulting on its debts.

CNN's Diana Magnay and journalist Elinda Labropoulou contributed to this report.

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UN reinforcements head to Sudan conflict state (AFP)

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) – The United Nations is sending peacekeeper reinforcements to the strife-torn Sudanese state of South Kordofan and has turned its main base there into a safe haven for refugees, UN officials said.

More than 120 Bangladeshi troops will lead reinforcements sent to the state's main city, Kadugli, where Khartoum government troops are battling forces loyal to southern Sudan which is on the verge of forming a breakaway nation.

Heavy fighting in the state on the border between north and south Sudan has raged since June 5. Khartoum forces are battling militia aligned to the south's Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA).

France's UN ambassador Gerard Araud said a Security Council meeting had been told how Kadugli Cathedral had been razed and other churches burned during fighting and that the area around the main base of the UN mission, UNMIS, has become a "focus" of the fighting.

"It's important that the compound of UNMIS can become a sort of safe area where civilians are effectively protected. We have been reassured that instructions have been sent to UNMIS to do their job," Araud told reporters after the meeting.

A UN peacekeeping spokesman said the company of Bangladesh troops had been sent to Kadugli and that the area around the UN compound had become a safe haven to protect civilians.

UN peacekeeping chief Alain Le Roy told the Security Council that up to 6,000 people were camped out around the base. The United Nations estimates that 60,000 have been displaced by the fighting in South Kordofan alone, including about 70 percent of the population of Kadugli.

Le Roy said tensions have been heightened by "an overall escalation of political rhetoric by both parties."

The Security Council is to get a briefing on Monday from former South African president Thabo Mbeki and UN envoy Haile Menkerios on attempts to seal a peace deal between the north and south governments.

Araud said that if there was no agreement by Monday the Security Council would have to "express itself in very strong terms to call for an end to the violence."

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Sudan border state foes agree to talks: Mbeki (Reuters)

ADDIS ABABA/KHARTOUM (Reuters) – The warring parties in Sudan's Southern Kordofan border state have agreed hostilities should cease and that talks should start, former South African President Thabo Mbeki said on Thursday.

Fighting between the northern military and southern-aligned armed groups broke out in Southern Kordofan on June 5 and has escalated to include artillery and warplanes. Over 60,000 people are believed to have fled the fighting, the United Nations said.

Both President Barack Obama and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon have called for an immediate ceasefire in the north-run oil state, where humanitarian groups fear a mounting death toll.

The south due to become a separate country on July 9 and a raft of issues remain unresolved between the two sides, including where to draw the common boundary.

"Both sides have agreed that there should be a cessation of hostilities, and that negotiations should begin immediately. They've said they will discuss on certain modalities. The details can only be done within those negotiations," Mbeki told reporters in Addis Ababa after visiting Southern Kordofan.

Mbeki, who has been helping guide talks between north and south ahead of secession, said he and other officials would begin planning "full-fledged negotiations" between the Sudanese government and representatives of Southern Kordofan.

He did not give a time frame for when any ceasefire would go into effect. Earlier on Thursday Sudan's army said it would continue fighting against southern-aligned groups in Southern Kordofan to end what it calls an armed rebellion.

"We are continuing our military operations in the mountains around Kadugli up to this moment, until the rebellion stops," northern military spokesman Al-Sawarmi Khaled told reporters in Khartoum.

AIRSPACE CLOSED

The United Nations urged north Sudan's military to open up airspace over Southern Kordofan, saying a six-day closure was endangering its aid operations there.

"The ongoing closure of the airspace in Southern Kordofan by SAF (Sudanese Armed Forces) is dangerously hampering our humanitarian operations as thousands of internally displaced persons are in urgent need of emergency assistance," U.N. Mission in Sudan spokesman Kouider Zerrouk said.

"It is vital that the government of Sudan acts immediately to ensure access to all airspace by U.N. flights to alleviate the growing suffering of those most affected by conflict."

The London-based group Save the Children said in a statement 30,000 of the displaced were children "at risk of being separated from their families, traumatized and abused."

Northern spokesman Khaled dismissed charges the army was putting civilians in danger, saying its role was to help them.

Southerners voted to secede in a January referendum that was promised in a deal in 2005 that ended decades of civil war.

Many of the fighters in Southern Kordofan are still referred to as part of the south's army as a legacy of that conflict, though the southern military says they are no longer part of its forces.

Officials in the south's dominant party have said the fighting erupted after the northern army tried to disarm fighters there, while northern officials have accused southern-aligned groups of starting the fighting.

The government in Khartoum stands to lose around a third of its territory and up to three quarters of its oil reserves when Africa's largest country becomes two states, but most of the terminals, pipelines and refineries are in the north.

The northern government's oil minister said earlier that north Sudan have agreed to accept transit fees from the south to export southern oil after July 9 but the two sides had yet to agree a price.

(Additional reporting by Khaled Abdelaziz; Writing by Alex Dziadosz; editing by Tim Pearce)

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Turkey's state TV: Ruling party wins election (AP)

ISTANBUL – Turkey's state-run television says the ruling party of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won a third term in parliamentary elections.

The website of the television station, TRT, is carrying a headline that says: "Turkey decides to continue with AK Party."

AKP is the Turkish acronym of the ruling Justice and Development Party.

State TV says that with 98 percent of the results counted Sunday, the ruling party has 50 percent of the votes. The Republican People's Party, the main opposition group, has 26 percent and another opposition party, the Nationalist Action Party, has 13 percent.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey's ruling party led by a wide margin in nearly complete returns from parliamentary elections on Sunday, state-run television reported, setting the stage for a third term in which the government is expected to seek an overhaul of the military-era constitution.

However, results indicated that the Justice and Development Party of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was not heading for a two-thirds majority in parliament, a shortcoming that would force it to seek support for constitutional change from other political groups.

With 97 percent of votes counted, Erdogan's party had won 50 percent of the votes, TRT reported. It said the Republican People's Party, the main opposition group, had 26 percent of the vote.

TRT said another opposition party, the Nationalist Action Party, had 13 percent of the vote, signaling it could stay in parliament by crossing a 10 percent vote threshold designed to keep out smaller parties.

According to the tally, the ruling party stood to win 327 seats in the 550-seat parliament, a comfortable majority that would ensure the continuation of its single-party rule. It had 331 seats in the outgoing parliament. Lawmakers serve four-year terms.

Several thousand supporters gathered Sunday night outside the ruling party headquarters in Ankara, chanting pro-government slogans and waving Turkish flags as they awaited Erdogan, who has made it a tradition to deliver a victory speech from the building's balcony.

About 50 million Turks, or two-thirds of the population, were eligible to vote.

For the first time, voters cast ballots in transparent plastic boxes in which the yellow envelopes could be seen piling up. The measure was designed to prevent any allegations of fraud. In past elections, wooden boxes were used.

"We have spoken, and now it is time for the people to speak," Erdogan said at a polling station Sunday morning in Istanbul. "For us, this will be the most honorable decision and one that we will have to respect. As far as I know, the election process is continuing through the country without any problems."

The Anatolia news agency reported later that police detained 34 people in the southeast province of Batman for allegedly trying to coerce people into voting for the Peace and Democracy Party, a Kurdish party accused by officials of links to Kurdish rebels.

The party is fielding independent candidates in order to work around the 10 percent vote threshold for Turkey's parliament. It seeks more rights and autonomy in the southeastern strongholds of the ethnic minority, which makes up about 20 percent of Turkey's 74 million people.

Turkey, a NATO ally with a mostly Muslim population, stands out in a region buffeted by popular uprisings as a rising power with traditional Western alliances as well as growing ties in the east and elsewhere. In the past decade, the government has sharply reduced the political clout of the military, and taken some steps to ease restrictions on minorities, though reforms have slowed in recent years.

Despite its successes, Turkey's government faces opposition accusations that it seeks to consolidate power at the expense of consensus-building.

Erdogan has promised that a new constitution would include "basic rights and freedoms," replacing a constitution implemented under the tutelage of the military in 1982. However, he has provided relatively few details on a possible new draft.

The government has Islamic roots, long a source of suspicion among secular circles that once dominated Turkey and fear that Erdogan seeks to impose religion on society.

Turkey's leaders, however, describe themselves as moderates and "conservative democrats" who are committed to the ideals of Western-style democracy. After winning election in 2002, they implemented economic reforms that pulled the country out of crisis. The growth rate last year was nearly 9 percent, the second highest among G-20 nations after China.

Still, political reforms faltered in the ruling party's second term. Turkey's bid to join the European Union has stalled, partly because of opposition in key EU nations such as Germany and France. Critics point to concerns about media freedom and the Turkish government's plans for Internet filters as signs of intolerance toward views that don't conform to those of Turkey's leadership.

Four people were detained Sunday in the southeast province of Sanliurfa for allegedly voting more than once with other people's ballot papers. In the capital, Ankara, police fired in the air and used pepper spray to break up scuffles at a polling station where a group of voters wrongly accused another group of having fake ballot papers, the Anatolia agency said.

But for all of Turkey's challenges, Sunday's vote was an indicator of stability in a country that suffered fractious coalition politics and military coups in past decades. Most voting was peaceful and orderly, with large crowds gathering early to cast ballots.

"We have come to the end of a long marathon," Kemal Kilicdaroglu, head of the opposition Republican People's Party, said after arriving at a polling station with his wife and son. "Today is the time for a decision by the people. We will respect their decision. There is a good mood. There is a democracy feast."

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Suzan Fraser and Gulden Alp contributed from Ankara, Turkey.

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Over 10,000 flee clashes in Sudan border state: U.N. (Reuters)

KHARTOUM (Reuters) – More than 10,000 people displaced by fighting in Sudan's Southern Kordofan were staying near a U.N. compound on Thursday, the country mission spokesman said, after nearly a week of clashes in the tense border state.

Fighting between government forces and armed groups erupted in the state capital of Kadugli and elsewhere after a police station was attacked on Saturday, adding to tensions as the country's south prepares to secede in about a month.

Southern Kordofan, an oil-producing state which lies in northern territory, has long been seen as a flashpoint because it is home to thousands of fighters who fought alongside the south against Khartoum during the last civil war.

In statements carried by the state news agency SUNA, Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir said north Sudan's armed forces were in control of Southern Kordofan on Thursday and were combing it for "remnants of the rebellion."

Southern Kordofan is important to the north because it has the most productive oil fields that will remain under Khartoum's control after the split. The south could take as much as 75 percent of Sudan's 500,000 barrels per day of oil output.

It also borders the disputed Abyei territory and Darfur, a western region that is the scene of a separate insurgency.

Analysts have predicted fighting could break out in Southern Kordofan ahead of the split, especially after an official of the ruling northern party was named the winner in a gubernatorial election last month.

The south said the vote was rigged, which Khartoum denied.

Southern Sudan voted to secede in a January referendum, the culmination of a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of civil war between the north and south. The split is scheduled for July 9.

CLASHES CONTINUE

The number of people staying near the local U.N. Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) compound after fleeing the state capital of Kadugli and nearby villages had risen to an estimated 10,000 by Thursday, UNMIS spokesman Kouider Zerrouk said.

Clashes took place in Kadugli and other areas into Thursday, he added.

Bashir's ruling National Congress Party had earlier accused southern-aligned armed groups in Southern Kordofan of fighting with the support of "foreign powers" and some domestic opposition.

"The armed forces will carry out their national duty and deal with all rebel forces," the statement cited presidential assistant Nafie Ali Nafie as saying.

Officials with the south's dominant party, the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement, have said the clashes started when the north tried to disarm armed groups in the area.

The northern army has blamed the southern-aligned groups for starting the fighting.

The militias are still referred to as members of the Southern Peoples' Liberation Army -- the southern military -- although Juba says they are no longer part of their army and cannot ask them to withdraw south because they are northern.

(Reporting by Alexander Dziadosz; Editing by Jon Loades-Carter)

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Obama to hold state dinner for Merkel

President Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel greeted reporters after dining at a restaurant Monday night.Angela Merkel will receive the nation's highest civilian honorThe trip comes despite policy differences between the two countriesMerkel and Obama dined privately Monday night

Washington (CNN) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a state dinner on Tuesday, a big honor for a U.S. ally who differs at times with the Obama administration.

Merkel, 56, dined privately with President Barack Obama at a Georgetown restaurant on Monday night before a day of official business that culminates with the evening of White House pomp and ceremony, including her getting the nation's highest civilian honor.

If Obama has any hard feelings over Germany's abstention on the U.N. Security Council vote for establishing a no-fly zone over Libya, they appear to be buried, at least for now.

"I'm sure they will discuss the range of foreign policy issues that are out there that are of common interest to both countries," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters Monday. "I think, again, the relationship is important. The cooperation is excellent."

The tone was different in April, when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared in a speech in Germany that "the world did not wait for another Srebrenica in a place called Benghazi," referring to the site of a Bosnian massacre and the Libyan rebel stronghold that was under siege by forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.

Carney said Monday that he also expected the two leaders to discuss efforts to bolster recovery from the global recession, noting "it is an issue that both are addressing in different ways."

Germany continues to expand its trade surplus with record exports, causing critics to complain it should boost domestic consumption to ease the imbalance as part of global efforts to quicken recovery from the recession.

Merkel advocates tough austerity measures for European Union colleagues, and recently decided to close all of Germany's nuclear power plants in coming years in the wake of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami that caused reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

Obama, facing a tough political fight over Republican demands to shrink the government to reduce the federal deficit and national debt, calls for continued investment in education, infrastructure and clean energy while cutting wasteful spending and raising taxes on the wealthy.

His administration proposes a broad energy policy that increases domestic oil production as well as nuclear power while pushing to develop solar and wind energy production to compete in a growing global market.

Carney was able to clear up one question about Merkel's trip. Because Merkel is a head of government, rather than a head of state, the trip is labeled an official visit, though the Tuesday night gathering is a state dinner, Carney explained.

CNN

Former Sec. of State Eagleburger dies

Lawrence Eagleburger's assignments included the first Gulf War and Yugoslavia. He died at age 80.NEW: Obama lauds Eagleburger's breadth of serviceLawrence S. Eagleburger served as secretary of stateFormer President George H.W. Bush calls diplomat's work "heroic"Eagleburger held federal positions dating back to Nixon administration

Washington (CNN) -- Lawrence S. Eagleburger, the only career foreign service officer to rise to the position of secretary of state, was remembered Saturday for strengthening ties with allies and dealing with despots.

The diplomat died at 80, according to a statement from former President George H.W. Bush, who was Eagleburger's boss in late 1992 and January 1993.

Details of Eagleburger's death were not immediately available.

Eagleburger's historic assignments over a long career included the first Gulf War, bloody strife in the Balkans and the collapse of the Soviet empire.

Bush called him a tireless and dedicated patriot.

"Larry Eagleburger was one of the most capable and respected diplomats our foreign service ever produced, and I will be ever grateful for his wise, no-nonsense counsel during those four years of historic change in our world," Bush said in a statement.

"During one of the tensest moments of the Gulf War, when Saddam Hussein began attacking Israel with scud missiles, trying cynically and cruelly to bait them into the conflict, we sent Larry to Israel to preserve our coalition. It was an inordinately complex and sensitive task, and his performance was nothing short of heroic."

President Barack Obama, in a statement, said the United States "has lost a distinguished diplomat and public servant."

"He helped our nation navigate the pivotal days during the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War," Obama said of Eagleburger.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lauded the outspoken Eagleburger's stand against communism during the height of the Cold War.

Eagleburger was an executive assistant to Henry Kissinger during the Nixon administration and helped improve relations with China.

During the Carter administration, he was ambassador to Yugoslavia, and he served as undersecretary of state for political affairs during the Reagan administration.

The diplomat, a native of Wisconsin, was Secretary of State James Baker's deputy during the Bush administration.

Eagleburger, a former Army officer, succeeded his boss after Baker stepped down in 1992 and served as secretary of state for the last months of Bush's term.

In 2001, Eagleburger told CNN that not removing Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein from power was "probably a mistake."

Eagleburger served on several corporate and policy boards after he left government.

In 1991, President George H.W. Bush awarded Eagleburger the Presidential Citizens Medal. In 1992, he received the Department of State's Distinguished Service Award, the department's highest honor. In 1994, the statesman received an honorary knighthood from Britain's Queen Elizabeth II.

CNN

Bahrain's king to lift state of emergency

King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa of Bahrain, pictured at Safriyah Palace in Bahrain on March 12, 2011.NEW: State media: Trial begins for 21 suspects accused of "attempts to topple the regime"A state of emergency that has been in place since March will be lifted June 1, the king saysWitnesses say it allowed a government crackdown on protestersDemonstrators in Bahrain have complained about unemployment and corruption

(CNN) -- The king of Bahrain has decreed that the country's state of emergency will end June 1, state media reported Sunday.

Massive anti-government protests prompted King Hamad al-Khalifa's March 15 declaration of a three-month state of emergency in Bahrain, a strategically important kingdom and U.S. ally.

Witnesses reported violent crackdowns on protesters after the state of emergency was imposed.

Meanwhile, a trial has started for 21 suspects accused of fostering the unrest, the official Bahrain News Agency reported Sunday. A hard-line Shiite opposition group and a leading human rights activist were among those on trial.

The suspects face accusations of "terrorist attempts to topple the regime forcibly in collaboration with a terrorist organization working for a foreign country," the government-run news agency said.

Human rights groups said forces have raided hospitals, targeting doctors and patients, during the state of emergency.

More than 40 doctors and nurses faced prosecution last week on charges that included having supported "the saboteurs and the calls to bring down the political regime," the news agency said.

Government officials in Bahrain denied targeting hospitals.

The protests started in February, when young members of the country's Shiite Muslim majority staged protests to complain about discrimination, unemployment and corruption -- issues they say the country's Sunni rulers have done little to address.

Bahrain's ruling Khalifa family is Sunni Muslim, but about two-thirds of the country's people are Shiite.

Hard-line protesters have called for the abolition of the country's royal family altogether.

Bahrain is home to the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, the naval arm of American power in the region.

In a speech last month, the country's crown prince defended the government's actions.

"We were immensely concerned that some of our youth were pushed towards a destructive path and that the nation was drawn along with them," Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifasaid, according to an official transcript.

"We took necessary action to preserve lives and the livelihood and interests of all the people, based on our commitment to Islamic and Arab values," he said.

CNN's Jennifer Fenton contributed to this report.

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Wayne State grad, Nigerian mom reunite after years apart

DETROIT — As her son was introduced to those attending Wayne State University's graduation, Mary Chukwueke wore a broad, proud smile across her face.

Victor Chukwueke of Oak Park, Mich., participates in a fundraiser to bring his mother and sister from Nigeria to his college graduation.

It was a picture she couldn't have imagined a decade ago, when she sent him away in search of a medical miracle for him.

As he stood at the podium Thursday, Victor Chukwueke, 25, stood still, gathering himself. "My presence here shows anything is possible," he said. After a 4-minute speech, the large crowd stood and clapped for 30 seconds, the only standing ovation of the evening.

In the past 10 years, Chukwueke has overcome obstacles to achieve at a high level.

He underwent six surgeries to remove large tumors on his head and face. But he also earned his GED and then a college degree in chemistry. He graduated with honors Thursday. He's now headed for medical school.

But the most emotional moment came hours before the ceremony, when his mother walked off a plane here, and they saw each other for the first time in a decade.

"I wasn't sure if I was going to see her ever again," he said. "Words cannot express how I feel."

They hugged for 5 minutes in the baggage claim area , trying to erase a decade of separation in the emotional moment.

"Don't cry," she told him in their native Nigerian tribal language, said a nun translating for the news media. "I am your mother, and you are my son."

The reunion came years after his mother agreed to send him away with missionary nuns.

Then 15, he had large tumors growing on the top of his head and side of his face. A nun arranged for a Southfield, Mich., surgeon to operate for free.

Victor Chukwueke's journey and educational achievements inspired those around him so much, he was asked to speak at his Wayne State University commencement Thursday evening. His mother was sitting in the audience for the speech, after clearing last-minute financial and visa hurdles with help from the school, a U.S. senator and a millionaire businessman. She'll stay for 11 days to visit with her son.

Chukwueke told the graduates Thursday night that they could overcome any challenges in their lives if they just have the right attitude. He said he faced the question of how he could move forward before the surgeries.

"Should I call myself a victim, or should I press forward to my dreams?" he said, interrupted once with a loud ovation. "Strive to be all you can be. ? My presence here shows anything is possible."

He also took time to thank those who helped him. "Only in this country could something this wonderful happen to someone like me," he said.

Chukwueke has neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder that causes tumor growth in the nervous system. Experts say they believe mutations in genes that suppress cell growth are to blame. An estimated 100,000 people in the U.S. have it, according to the National Institutes of Heath.

His case is extreme. Doctors in Nigeria told the family, impoverished and living in a rural village, that there was nothing that could be done for him. He was ashamed to show his face outside, fearing the taunts that always followed. Missionary nuns offered hope and arranged for him to come to America.

Over time, Chukwueke underwent six major surgeries to remove the tumors -- a process that still isn't complete. He's facing another surgery this summer . While recovering in the Detroit area in a house with nuns, he worked to get his GED. He attended community college, transferred to Wayne State and worked on his degree in chemistry. Those who know him credit him for hard work.

"He is someone who overcame so much," said Kenneth Hohn, a professor of pathology who nominated him to speak at the commencement. Chukwueke works in Hohn's lab.

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Alabama governor to address state on storm damage

(CNN) -- Less than a week after an epic outbreak of violent weather ripped across the South, officials in Alabama are still tallying the dead and trying to restore power.

The expanding scale of devastation wreaked by tornadoes that swept across the region has prompted Gov. Robert Bentley to deliver a live, statewide address on the impact of the storms Tuesday night. He is scheduled to make the speech during a joint session of the Alabama Legislature, according to a statement released Monday by the governor's office.

Precisely what the governor will say is unknown, however officials expect Bentley's speech will contain details about recovery efforts and damage estimates from recent status reports by the Alabama Emergency Management Agency (AEMA).

Since Saturday, the number of Alabama counties declared disaster areas by the federal government has more than doubled, from 17 to 36, according to AEMA. Search and rescue operations continue for missing victims and fatalities.

However, because of fluctuations in death tolls and injuries reported by counties across the state, the agency says it will no longer release them until all of the missing can be accounted for, and final totals of the dead and injured can be confirmed.

Storm recovery: How you can help

The agency's latest death toll from the storms, released Saturday, was 250. AEMA reported 2,219 injuries. The total number of people killed in five other states -- Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia and Virginia -- during Wednesday's storms was 89.

The latest death toll for all weather-related fatalities, including flash floods, in the past week in those states is 356, according to the most recent emergency management reports.

Meanwhile, the number of customers that remain without power in Alabama has been cut by nearly two-thirds, from 1.1 million to around 407,000, according to an AEMA reported released Monday. It could be another week for power to be restored in some places such as Cullman County in north central Alabama.

There are currently 17 shelters serving 419 displaced people around the state. However, emergency responders say the actual number of people rendered homeless by the storms is certain to be much higher because that total does not reflect the number of people who've been taken in by family and friends.

Alabama poultry producers claim to have lost more than 2 million birds because of the storms, according to emergency management officials.

CNN

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CDC predicts smoking bans in every state by 2020

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Public health officials and others are putting tremendous pressure on bars and businesses to stamp out smoking.

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Public health officials and others are putting tremendous pressure on bars and businesses to stamp out smoking.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that's a possibility, if state and local bans continue to be enacted at the rate they have been. A CDC report released Thursday said the number of states with comprehensive indoor smoking bans went from zero in 2000 to 26 in 2010.

Another 10 states have laws than ban smoking in workplaces, bars or restaurants, but not in all three.

Gary Nolan, director of a smokers' rights group, said he wouldn't be surprised if the prediction came true. He said public health officials and others are putting tremendous pressure on bars and businesses to stamp out smoking.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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The state of Neuroticism

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Neuroticism is a very basic personality trait that has been the focus of study in the field of psychology for many years now. It is actually an individuals tendency to experience negative emotional states for long periods of time. It can be related to pessimism but pessimism would be a very small term for this condition. Individuals who are highly neurotic tend to experience extreme anxiety, intense anger, severe guilt, long periods of depression and a lot of mood swings. They respond very poorly to any kind of stress whether it be light or extreme. They ussually interpret ordinary situations as very threatening, and consider small frustrations  equivalent to  hopelessly difficult life threatening situations. Usually they tend to be very self-conscious and shy, not talking too much around people. They have extreme trouble in controlling their urges of bursting out anger and often they delay the gratification and happy moments of their lives. This condition has been associated with an extremely low emotional intelligence and very poor interpersonal skills. There are always underlying reasons for this condition including mental disorders, depression, panic disorder, and other anxiety disorders and every thing that comes under the umbrella of neuroses. This condition has been most extensively studied in the United States of America.

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Obama to Be First Head of State to Tour Facebook Headquarters

Associated Press

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SAN FRANCISCO -- When President Barack Obama arrives at Facebook headquarters this week, he will be the first sitting head of state to visit the brick-and-mortar home of the social media powerhouse.

He will also be partaking in a unique pilgrimage to this area in Northern California that has become a cradle for social media, a trip that is all but obligatory for politicians like presidential hopefuls, celebrities like Lady Gaga and dignitaries from around the world like Russian president Dmitry Medvedev.

Such visits to the hottest tech companies in Northern California's Silicon Valley offer a traditional chance to connect face-to-face with new-media users, voters, fans and potential donors. But the A-listers of entertainment and government also gain important cachet that comes from fusing their personal images with the technology brands the world sees as the future.

For politicians especially, this moment in the history of technology must feel like it did for their counterparts a half-century ago, when leaders knew they had to get wise to this new thing called television.

And as the 1960 televised presidential debate between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy showed, some politicians turn out to be better than others at commanding a new mass medium.

Obama was the first president to take office after social media became commonplace. His campaign earned praise for its skill at using the Web to organize grass-roots fundraising and voting efforts.

Today, the president's official Facebook page has more than 19 million fans and his Twitter account nearly 7.5 million followers (still fewer than Lady Gaga, who has nearly 9.5 million followers). During his visit to Facebook, Obama's appearance will be broadcast live online as he takes questions from among the site's 500 million users worldwide.

Andrew Noyes, a public policy communications manager for Facebook, confirmed Tuesday that Obama's stop there would be the first time a sitting head of state takes questions at its headquarters.

These new versions of the traditional town hall give politicians the opportunity to appear as if they are interacting with the public in a more unfiltered way. But staffers are often behind the online profiles, composing Twitter and Facebook posts for their busy bosses.

As a result, the value of genuine face time still holds sway.

Obama's embrace of technology has coincided with his embrace of the tech industry, which in the liberal San Francisco Bay area tends to lean Democratic.

In February, the president came to Silicon Valley for dinner with the tech industry's biggest stars, raising a glass at venture capitalist John Doerr's Woodside home with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Apple's Steve Jobs, Google's then-chief executive Eric Schmidt and Twitter CEO Dick Costolo.

The event was closed to the press, but publicity photos handed out afterward showed the president mingling with the industry leaders whose faces have become nearly as famous as those of the celebrities whose attention they command.

Obama praised the tech industry at the time as an economic bright spot and a jobs engine for the country. Employment will also be the topic of the Facebook town hall, even as the president's own job and those of his Democratic colleagues will be on his mind when he lands in San Francisco.

Obama will host four fundraising events while in the Bay Area, including a private dinner for 60 at the home of Salesforce.com chief executive Marc Benioff, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The event has sold out at $35,800 a seat, the newspaper reported.

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Washington State Online Election Doesn't Click

FoxNews.com

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The largest e-vote ever held in the United States for public office can boast a turnout of 0.23 percent.

The race for conservation district supervisor in King County, Wash., was conducted almost entirely online, with votes able to be cast from Feb. 15 to March 15. With 1 million registered voters eligible to cast a ballot, 2,299 did.

"I think it was a raging success," said Sara Hemphill of the King Conservation District, "even though we had fewer voters than we did last year."

Voting in America has traditionally been a very public show of democracy from the lines at polling places to the poring over ballots in front of campaign observers and the media. Who can forget Florida's hanging chads in the 2000 presidential race between George W. Bush and Al Gore or Sen. Lisa Murkowski's write-in spelling bee in Alaska last year?

Election officials are always looking for something better, cheaper and able to create more voter participation. So even though the numbers were down in King County, the convenience factor is way up. 

"Last year I had to drive (to the polls) and probably wait about 40 minutes because there was a line out the library," said voter Cory Huskinson, "This year I just quickly did it online."

Three supervisors serving three year terms means the conservation district race is conducted every year. This year's 2,299 electronic ballots are roughly half as many as were cast the old-fashioned way in person at the polls last year for the same office. The winning candidate, Eric Nelson, earned 1,292 votes. 

One selling point for online elections is that they are much less expensive to conduct than either voting at polls or voting by mail. The King Conservation District, however, spent the same on the online election as their traditional elections.

There were also some security hoops to jump through. Voters had to use security codes which were emailed to them after they signed up to vote online. They also were required to mail, fax, scan and email signatures to Election Trust, the private company paid to conducted the election.

The purpose was to allow workers to compare their signature to their voter registration signature.

John Bodin from Election Trust says the system worked. 

"With the proper due diligence on the front end and eyeballs on the servers during the election," Bodin said. "You can ensure that the data transaction will be secure end to end."

Not everyone is convinced. Computer security experts say the biggest threat of fraud is not from hackers, but an inside job. 

"If I compromise a computer, I control all the activities that go on in a computer," said Samuel Bucholtz of Casaba Security. "So it doesn't matter what you're doing or how you're trying to vote."

Election Trust officials insist there is proper oversight. The government agency overseeing the election has full access to their programs and codes and can be watching as the votes come in.

Interestingly, those charged by the government to monitor the election are required to sign non-disclosure agreements with the company hired to run the election because the programs are patented and keeping them from competitors is paramount for Election Trust and others.

That worries Bev Harris who started BlackBox Voting.Org when electronic voting machines started to be used. 

"The public must be able to see and authenticate (elections) without the need for special expertise," Harris said. "The minute you say, 'Well, you have to have a special expertise,' you transfer control from the many to the few."

Despite the concerns, Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed sees plenty of potential. He says online elections can be done securely and he has supported bills that would make it possible for military personnel who are overseas to vote that way. The bills died in the Legislature.

Europe is actually ahead of the U.S. on online voting. Estonia has been using it for public office elections for years. In France, then-presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy was nominated by his party in a partially online vote. He went on to win the general election. 

Other countries, however, are slamming on the breaks. A German court ruled online elections still have too many security questions and not enough public oversight to be allowed.

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Arizona State University Has Changed The Look Of Sun Devils

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You will wonder on knowing the events of today at Arizona State. Public had come to Memorial Union around 1320hrs. They had picked up their seats for the unveiling ceremony of Sun Devils. Administration of ASU brought media inside the ballroom. After this, remaining seats of ball room were occupied by the fans of ASU. Dark was dominating the lights of room. Smoke was covering the areas around the stage. The platform where unveiling of Sun Devils happened later, this platform was in centre of big-screen televisions. All this was done because Arizona State University knew it had gotten your attention. They had built up the event for unveiling of the new look of Sun Devils; they were not going to do it without attention of media. I am sure they were very smart for it.

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Olympian Carl Lewis to Run for New Jersey State Senate

Associated Press

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TRENTON, N.J. -- Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis is planning to run for New Jersey Senate.

A state Democratic Party official says Lewis will announce his candidacy on Monday.

Lewis has called a 2 p.m. news conference in Burlington County to announce his "political plans."

His advisory, issued Sunday night, contained no specific details.

However, a party official speaking on condition of anonymity so as not to upstage the 49-year-old Lewis, says the civic activist and four-time medalist plans to run in the 8th legislative district.

The seat is now held by Republican Dawn Addiego.

Monday is the filing deadline for anyone who wants to run for the New Jersey Legislature.

All 120 seats of the Senate and Assembly will be on November's ballot.

Both houses are controlled by Democrats.

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