Jeb: 'Don't be afraid to shake things up'

• Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush delivered the University of South Carolina's commencement speech on Monday


• The speech came as Bush considers a bid for the Republican 2016 presidential nomination


• Bush didn't address his political future during the speech, but encouraged students not to "be afraid to shake things up"

Washington (CNN) -- Jeb Bush name-checked Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein and Mark Zuckerberg on Monday while telling University of South Carolina graduates that "young people and newcomers are often the great discoverers."

The former Florida Republican governor's commencement speech -- short, optimistic and apolitical -- came the day after he'd said he planned to release 250,000 emails from his days in office. He will also write an accompanying eBook that he'll release next year.

Bush's preemptive approach is one of the clearest signs yet of how seriously he is considering a run for president and allows him to address potential areas of criticism before opposition researchers dig in.

READ: Jeb Bush email release stokes 2016 talk

On Monday, Bush made no references to his own political future, but did sound a number of optimistic notes -- and he told the new graduates not to fear failure.

He said graduates shouldn't "be afraid to shake things up," and that they should embrace a rapidly changing economy even when doing so is daunting.

Jeb Bush's new hints about 2016

"Most of America feels that way -- you're not alone. And in many ways, that's OK. Because that anxiety can be positive," he said. "When you're thrown into new situations, you don't just challenge yourself. You see things that other people might not see."

Hillary and Bush on 2016 pros and cons

The point of his speech, Bush said, was to tell graduates to "dream big, don't be afraid of change and find joy everywhere you can."

Pres. Bush: Jeb not rushing to decide

And they shouldn't see their ages as impediments, he said.

"Darwin was 29 when he developed the theory of natural selection. Einstein was 26 when he developed the theory of relativity. And Mark Zuckerberg, for crying out loud, was 19 years old when he developed Facebook," Bush said.

"They were young. They didn't have assumptions about things. They just wanted to have an impact," he said. "And that's what happens when you're a newcomer -- you make an impact."

Bush said he'd asked his mother, former first lady Barbara Bush, for advice on what to say. Her response: "Jeb, speak about 10 minutes and then sit down and shut up."

And he did -- tapping his watch as he sat down, as if to note that he'd landed almost exactly on the 10-minute mark.

He also made reference to his father, President George H.W. Bush, telling graduates they should try to match the 90-year-old's zeal for life -- from wearing colorful socks to parachuting out of airplanes to "judging cheerleader competitions for the Houston Texans -- I think that's on his highlight reel for sure."

"No matter how many challenges you face, no matter how old you get, remember to have fun in life. Be like my dad, who turned 90 years old this year, and here's a guy who's lived a full, active life, he was shot out of the sky in World War II, he built a business, he served a generation of time in many different positions in public service, and he's had some incredibly painful losses in his life, but he has never stopped having fun," Bush said. "That's why he's my favorite person in the world of all time, and I suspect it's why many others respect and admire him as well."

Courtney Battle contributed to this report

10 best destinations in 2015

Italy's fashion capital will focus on the future of food for Expo 2015, when an estimated 20 million visitors will hit Milan.

"The Passengers," an installation by artist Arne Quinze, is one of more than 1,000 cultural events in Mons in 2015. As the European Capital of Culture 2015, the Belgian city is expecting 2 million visitors.

On Nassau, Bahamas', Cable Beach, Baha Mar includes four hotels, a golf course, 30 restaurants and bars, 14 pools and a casino large enough to rival any in Macau.

Quickly becoming the Middle East's cultural center, the Louvre will open in Abu Dhabi next year. Zayed National Museum will open in 2016.

New hotels, shops and restaurants are reinvigorating downtown LA. In 2015, The Broad's honeycomb-like museum will open.

On March 20, 2015, Faroe Islands will be one of two places in the world to see a total solar eclipse. Tours and cruises are filling up.

Despite colorful colonial towns and great wineries, Salta, Argentina, is ignored by foreign tourists. That'll change in 2015 with a $160 million plan to turn this local secret into an international hotspot.

The Mekong and Irrawaddy will welcome more than a dozen new boat cruises in 2015. The rivers are main arteries through Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.

Singapore's 50th birthday will be celebrated in 2015 with fireworks and shows. The National Gallery will finally open, diversifying cultural offerings.

Australia's "underground town" of Coober Pedy will celebrate it's centenary in 2015 with an opal festival, gem show, marathon and street parties, during which you can see the locals' famed dugout homes.

• As the European Capital of Culture, Mons, Belgium, will host more than 1,000 cultural and artistic events in 2015


• The Broad Museum's honeycomb-encased gallery will be the crowning jewel of downtown LA's ongoing revival


• Singapore will celebrate its Golden Jubilee with parades, fireworks and the unveiling of its National Gallery

(CNN) -- Not sure where to go on vacation next year?

To help get you motivated, we've identified 10 destinations that are sure to make headlines in 2015.

Some will host major global events, while others will celebrate anniversaries, unveil new attractions or stand in Mother Nature's spotlight.

The Bahamian Riviera

With four hotels, 200,000 square feet of convention space, a 2,000-seat performing arts center, 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course, 30 restaurants and bars, 14 distinct pools and a 100,000-square-foot casino large enough to rival any in Las Vegas or Macau, the $3.5 billion development known as Baha Mar is kind of a big deal.

In fact, the so-called "Bahamian Riviera" is the largest single-phase luxury resort project in the history of the Caribbean and the most substantial currently in development in the Western Hemisphere.

Located along Nassau's famed Cable Beach, Baha Mar is expected to send ripples across the Caribbean when it opens to the public in late spring 2015 with a grand gala produced by music and entertainment legends Jamie King and Emilio Estefan.

The event is meant to herald the arrival of a new Riviera -- one full of 21st-century entertainment located right in Florida's backyard.

MORE: 10 most affordable Caribbean hot spots

Van Gogh's "The Diggers" will be part of Mons' new exhibit.

Mons, Belgium

Mons, Belgium, has a population of just 93,072 people, but the small city expects 2 million visitors to ply its medieval streets when it hosts more than 1,000 cultural and artistic events in 2015 as the offical European Capital of Culture.

Highlights of the yearlong celebration include an illuminating new Van Gogh exhibit, three multidisciplinary arts festivals, numerous public installations and art-infused parties.

Moreover, Mons will unveil not one, not two, but an astounding five new museums in April, including The Artotheque (art library) and Mons Memorial Museum.

Think of 2015 as a coming out party for this former mining and industrial center that's completely reinventing itself.

Downtown Los Angeles

A decade ago, you'd have struggled to find life on the streets of downtown Los Angeles after the office lights went dim for the night.

But what was once the city's dark center has rapidly transformed into one of its most exciting neighborhoods, with more than 500 shops, restaurants, bars and clubs opening their doors in the past five years alone.

Exciting new hotels like the Ace, stores like Acne Studios and food venues like the revamped Grand Central Market -- in addition to the recently completed $3 billion sports and entertainment complex known as L.A. Live -- have injected downtown with a jolt of energy that's helped lure visitors and residents away from LA's sunny perimeter and into its urban core.

The downtown scene is expected to heat up in 2015 when billionaire art collector Eli Broad's $140 million vanity project, the Broad Museum, opens to the public in the fall.

The honeycomb-encased gallery has been heralded as the crowning jewel of downtown LA's revival, and will house works by some of the most prominent artists of recent decades, including Jeff Koons, Roy Lichtenstein and Cindy Sherman.

MORE: Insider Guide to the best of Los Angeles

Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands have never really had their moment in the spotlight, but a dance with darkness in 2015 may finally put the remote archipelago between Norway and Iceland on travelers' radars.

This self-governing country within the Danish Realm is one of just two places in the world that will witness a total solar eclipse on March 20, 2015, when the moon passes between the earth and sun, plunging daylight into darkness.

Several travel agencies are already filling up tours and cruises to the storybook isles for this once in a lifetime astronomical event.

Though it'll last just 2 minutes and 47 seconds, Europeans won't see anything like it again until 2026.

Coober Pedy has bargain basement deals on dazzling opals.

Coober Pedy, Australia

Alice Springs and Uluru (Ayer's Rock) have long served as the two pinnacles of Outback Australia's tourism duopoly, but an increasing number of visitors are venturing further south along the Stuart Highway to explore the "underground town" of Coober Pedy, where 80% of the world's opal comes from.

Coober Pedy will celebrate its Centenary in 2015 with a year's worth of events, including an opal festival, gem show, marathon, dances and street parties.

Tourists heading into town for the celebrations will have the opportunity to sleep as the locals do in subterranean dugouts that promise a consistent temperature of 25 C (77 F).

There will, perhaps, be nowhere else on earth in 2015 where you can shop for bargain-basement gems, march in a street parade and retire to your underground hotel room ... all in one day.

Singapore

Singapore has a reputation for being pretty and dull in equal measure.

However, the undeniably attractive isle of Singapore will be anything but boring in 2015 as it celebrates 50 years of independence with fireworks, parades, shows, youth rallies and a new walkway from the Civic District to Marina Bay.

Yet, Singapore's Golden Jubilee isn't the only reason to visit in 2015.

The long-awaited National Gallery will finally open to the public in November and join recently unveiled attractions like River Safari and the massive Singapore Sports Hub in diversifying the city's offerings.

MORE: Insider Guide to the best of Singapore

Salta, Argentina

What if you could visit the Grand Canyon and Napa Valley within the course of one afternoon?

That, in essence, is what's on offer in Salta Province, a dusty patch of Andean Argentina where the country bumps up against Bolivia, Chile and Paraguay.

Salta is home to colorful colonial towns, gnarled mountainscapes and the highest altitude wineries in the world.

With a $160 million plan underway to turn this largely domestic destination into the eco-tourism capital of Latin America, this is a cat that's about to be let out of the bag.

If you like your wine with a side of adventure -- and want to take advantage of Argentina's exceedingly favorable "blue dollar" exchange rate -- Salta will be ready and waiting in 2015.

With spectacular pavilions like this, architecture will dominate Milan's Expo.

Milan

The World's Fair has left the planet with many icons -- the Eiffel Tower, the Space Needle, the first Ferris wheel -- but the legacy of Expo Milano 2015 will likely be in the ideas it generates, rather than any architectural marvels.

Travelers from around the world are expected to converge on Italy's second-largest city between May and October to ruminate on the future of food within a 1.1 million-square-meter fairgrounds plotted out like a classical Roman metropolis.

The event promises to put participants from more than 140 counties in touch with an estimated 20 million visitors across 60 pavilions, a record number exceeding even the 2010 World's Fair in Shanghai.

Expect exotic food tastings, educational lectures and rich, multi-sensory experiences.

Mekong and Irrawaddy rivers

Small cruise vessels have long been a staple of European rivers, but with river cruising ballooning into the fastest-growing segment of the travel industry (according to industry reports), many boats will find new homes in 2015 along two of Southeast Asia's most important waterways: the Mekong and Irrawaddy rivers.

More than a dozen new ships from a half-dozen companies (including Viking, Haimark and Avalon Waterways) will set sail in 2015 on journeys through Myanmar or across the Vietnam-Cambodia border from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap.

For those who always wanted to see Southeast Asia, but didn't want to deal with the hassle of tuk-tuks and touts, there's never been an easier (or more comfortable) way.

Abu Dhabi

Dubai may have exploded into a theme park of superlatives, but its oil-rich neighbor Abu Dhabi has steered a different course in a multibillion-dollar bid to become the cultural capital of the Middle East.

At the heart of Abu Dhabi's reinvention is the 24,000-square-meter Saadiyat Island Cultural District.

This intellectual playground is set to house the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi in 2017, the Zayed National Museum in 2016 and, if all goes according to plan, the first Louvre Museum outside Paris by the end of next year.

Add to the mix a performing arts center designed by Zaha Hadid, and it's clear that both the skyline and city below are about to get a lot more inspiring.

MORE: Building the new Louvre: Turning the desert into a cultural jewel

Mark Johanson is a freelance travel and culture writer based in Santiago, Chile. You can follow his adventures at markjohanson.com.

U.S. Marine charged with murder

• Scott Pemberton is charged in the death of Jeffrey Laude, 26, also known as Jennifer


• Laude's body showed signs of strangulation


• Her body was found with her head in a toilet

Manila, Philippines (CNN) -- A U.S. Marine has been charged with murder in the death of a transgender woman who was found strangled in a Philippines hotel room in October, a prosecutor said.

Pfc. Scott Pemberton is accused of killing Jeffrey Laude, who was also known as Jennifer, according to prosecutor Emily de los Santos.

Laude's naked body was found with her head in a toilet in an Olongapo hotel room shortly after midnight on October 12, police said.

Brisbane transgender murder-suicide shocks residents

Witnesses told police that Pemberton was with Laude at a local disco before the two checked into a hotel on the night of October 11, according to documents seen by CNN.

"We will not accept anything less than justice," the victim's sister, Marilou Laude, said.

Marine held in transgender woman's death

Pemberton was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Prior to news of the charge, the Marine Corps said it was "working closely and cooperating fully with the Philippine National Police to ensure a thorough investigation is completed and due process of law is followed."

Three other Marines from the same unit have been identified as potential witnesses, the Marine Corps Times reported, citing an internal Navy memo on the case.

Business exec's guide to HK

Magnificent Hong Kong often leaves business travelers begging for a flight cancellation. Until that happens, here's how to squeeze in all the fun.

Efficiency is Hong Kong transit's expertise. The Airport Express gets you from airport to Central in 24 minutes flat. And with free Wi-Fi.

Luk Yu Teahouse serves dim sum that you won't find anywhere else. For traditional faves, such as duck and chestnut pastry, you'll have to pop in before morning meetings.

The Upper House occupies the top 13 floors of a 50-story building in the heart of Hong Kong's business district. Rooms offer views across the harbor and city.

K11 mall houses local designer brands. Its own curated selection of designer products can be found at the K11 Design Store.

Victoria Peak views are sublime, but local hikers head to Lion Rock peak for stunning panoramas that few out-of-towners get to see.

Soho has been the king of the bar and restaurant scene for more than a decade. With more tourists heading to the area, hip locals are heading down Hollywood Road.

In Poho, colonial-era buildings and decades-old shops can be found alongside hole-in-the-wall eateries and unpretentious boutiques.

You can take home local flavor in a jar of XO sauce. Every restaurant has its own recipe, but you can't go wrong with the one from the Mandarin Oriental Cake Shop.

• Hong Kong's Airport Express gets you to the city center in 24 minutes


• The hike to Lion Rock peak offers stunning panoramas of Kowloon and across to the island


• Some of Hong Kong's oldest buildings and colonial-era structures can be found in Central and Sheung Wan districts

(CNN) -- As one of the world's leading financial capitals, Hong Kong is a dream destination for business travelers.

With more skyscrapers than any other city in the world and some of the finest dining on the planet, the city might well leave you begging for a flight cancellation so you can squeeze in an extra day.

To help you enjoy a few of the city's highlights, here's a guide to getting into town, eating/sleeping well, buying the best souvenirs and leaving with an expense account you'll be proud of.

Easiest, most comfortable airport transfer

Forget everything you know about subways -- Hong Kong's Airport Express train service blows away even the most jaded commuter.

Trains are clean, comfortable, spacious, always on time and get you to the city in 24 minutes flat, faster than any car service can ever aspire to.

Better still, the trains are easy to walk to and the procedure simple to figure out upon arrival -- there's virtually no stress about how to get tickets or where to get the trains as you exit the arrival terminal.

At HK$100 per ride, trains depart at 10-minute intervals from 5:54 a.m. to 11:28 p.m. and 12-minute intervals from 11:28 p.m. to 12:48 a.m. daily.

MORE: 10 things Hong Kong does better than anywhere else

Luk Yu Teahouse: Dim sum and chatty locals.

Memorable meals

There's no shortage of Michelin-starred restaurants in Hong Kong.

But finding a memorable local meal you'll be thinking about for months is far more challenging.

Luk Yu Teahouse has it all: a historic art deco-inspired feel, waiters that have stuck by the place through decades, killer Cantonese food not found anywhere else, a glamorous clientele and a storied past that includes a mob hit in the dining room.

You'll have to get here early for a breakfast of old fashioned dim sum, such as duck and chestnut pastry.

Luk Yu Teahouse, Luk Yu Building, 24-26 Stanley St. Central; +852 2523 1970

MORE: Hong Kong's best 'no reservations' eats

Centrally located room with a view

For a true home-away-from-home feel, the penthouse suites at The Upper House are a good call.

With more than 180 square meters of understated elegance, wraparound views of Hong Kong and a spa-inspired bathroom, this is the ultimate city stay.

Bonus feature: the chance of bumping into a celebrity in the elevators.

The Upper House , Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty; +852 2918 1838

Where to get a unique addition to your wardrobe

Hong Kong's fashion design scene is young, eclectic and fun.

A place to get a taste of it is K11 Mall, dubbed an "Art Mall" for its support of Chinese contemporary art and reputable gallery in the basement.

The mall houses local designer brands, and offers its own curated selection of designer products at the K11 Design Store.

K11 , 18 Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon; +852 3118 8070

Where to take a killer photo

Sure, you could ride the historic Peak Tram with the tourists and snap a great photo of Hong Kong at the top of Victoria Peak -- it's foolproof.

But you could also join local hikers (of which there are many) to walk up Lion Rock Peak for the most incredible sweeping panorama of Kowloon, all surrounded by pristine nature.

MORE: The better side of Hong Kong: Top 10 nature reserves

Soho: The shops and restaurants may be new, but the Chinese walk-ups are old.

Experience the heart of the city

To see Hong Kong, past and present, in a walkable nutshell, head to the Central and Sheung Wan Districts.

Some of the oldest parts of the city, with crumbling colonial-era tenement buildings and decades-old shops, can be found in these areas.

Gentrifying comfortably, Soho and "Poho" (the neighborhood between Po Hing Fong and Hollywood Road) areas offer thoughtful eateries and unpretentious boutiques.

General directions: Keep walking west on Queen's Road Central, or the parallel Hollywood Road.

Graham Street is where things start to get interesting.

MORE: Ultimate Hong Kong kung fu tour

Classy, easy-to-pack souvenir

Some of the best memories visitors take away from Hong Kong are centered on food.

To take a little bit of local flavor home, you can pick up a couple jars of XO sauce.

Every restaurant worth its reputation will have its own secret recipe for the mildly spicy local condiment made from dried and often precious seafood, as well as Chinese ham.

We love the one at the Mandarin Oriental Cake Shop ($35/small, $45/large jar).

Mandarin Oriental Cake Shop , M/F, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, 5 Connaught Road, Central, +852 2825 4008

MORE: Hong Kong's best new bars

Powerful lawmakers say farewell

Washington (CNN) -- Several congressional giants, who are retiring or were voted out of office, said their public goodbyes during the first half of December.

Amid debate over government funding and controversy over the Senate's torture report, some of Capitol Hill's most vocal and longest-serving members took to the floors of both chambers for their farewell speeches.

Among them was Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa, who is retiring after serving in Congress for 40 years. Republican firebrand Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota also bid adieu. She used her final speech to compare Congress to Moses.

Several members were overcome with emotion. Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Arkansas) -- who lost his seat to Republican Rep. Tom Cotton in November's election -- accidentally called his staff "awful" before quickly correcting himself.

More than 60 new members will join the 114th Congress when it convenes in January.

Warren 'not running for president'

• Sen. Elizabeth Warren was interviewed Monday morning by NPR


• She repeatedly said she was not running for president


• Warren has emerged as powerful figure in the Senate as a voice for the left

(CNN) -- She's said it once, and she'll say it four times: Sen. Elizabeth Warren is not running for president.

Asked four times by NPR's Steve Inskeep on Monday morning whether she was running for president, Warren held her ground, repeating each time: "I am not running for president."

"That's not what we're doing. We had a really important fight in the United States Congress just this past week, and I'm putting all my energy into that fight, into what happens after this," the Massachusetts Democrat said.

Inskeep pointed out that she was speaking in the present tense, and that she hadn't said she would "never" run, but Warren didn't change her tune, eventually becoming so exasperated she demanded, "do you want me to put an exclamation point at the end?"

The questions came in the context of a growing movement to draft Warren into the presidential race, launched by a handful of progressive groups that see her as a transformative figure on the left.

And they follow a weekend in which she emerged as a powerful figure on the left as the leader of Democratic opposition to a must-pass government spending bill that included policy riders that progressives found unpalatable.

One rider rolled back a key provision of the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill, a pet priority of Warren's. And defections from both Democrats and Republicans in the House threatened passage of the bill and brought Congress to the brink of another shutdown this week.

It eventually passed both the House and the Senate, however, and Warren said Monday morning that "we don't want to shut down the government," suggesting she has no plans to take Congress past the brink to defend her priorities.

But the newly-minted member of Senate Democratic leadership hinted she'd continue to stoke controversy within the party.

"I am grateful to have a place at the table, but my priorities haven't changed," she said. "I'm gonna stand up and fight for what I believe in."

Hundreds of Obama alums urge Warren to run

Al-Shabaab blamed for beheadings

• Officials say Al-Shabaab is responsible for five beheadings


• The latest was a Quran teacher


• The terrorist group had demanded people to leave a village

Mogadishu, Somalia (CNN) -- A Quran teacher in central Somalia was the fifth beheading victim in one week at the hands of Al-Shabaab, the al Qaeda-linked militant group based in Somalia.

"The Quran teacher was snatched from his house in Qandho by Al-Shabaab militants on Friday and they dumped his headless, beheaded body near his home town on Saturday morning," local town spokesman Abdiaziz Durow told CNN.

The teacher was identified as Mohamed Hussein, 45, a resident of the Qandho near the besieged town of Bulo Burde, 217 miles north of Mogadishu in central Somalia.

"The reason the Quran teacher was murdered is that he was one of the few residents that refused orders from Al-Shabaab to leave his village that was recently seized by Somali and AU troops," Durow said.

Al-Shabaab had warned local residents to leave their houses in the towns they have seized, according to Durow.

Last week, the militant group abducted and beheaded two Somali policewomen in the city of Teyeglow, located in the southwest region. The beheadings prompted a government soldier whose wife was among the victims to kill five Al-Shabaab wives in retaliation.

Al-Shabaab also beheaded two government soldiers near the town of Bur Hakaba in the Bay region in south Somalia.

Al-Shabaab is a Somali group that was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government in March 2008. It is seeking to turn Somalia into a fundamentalist Islamic state.

The group is believed to be responsible for attacks in Somalia that have killed international aid workers, journalists, civilian leaders and African Union peacekeepers.

D'Angelo's first album in 14 years

D'Angelo performs onstage during the 2012 BET Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on July 1, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.

• D'Angelo released "Black Messiah" on Monday


• The R&B singer hit it big in 2000 with "(Untitled) How does it feel?"


• Fans eagerly awaited a followup to 2000's "Voodoo" but were left wanting

(CNN) -- How does it feel?

It's the subtitle of D'Angelo's biggest hit song and a question many are sure to ask the R&B singer after the release of his first album in 14 years.

"Black Messiah" follows belatedly on the heels of "Voodoo," the album that launched D'Angelo to superstardom in 2000.

What took so long for "Black Messiah" to take shape?

D'Angelo offered a glimpse into the cause of the delays and his legendary reclusiveness in a 2012 GQ magazine profile.

The singer, whose full name is Michael "D'Angelo" Archer, opened up about substance abuse, weight gain and a car crash that kept him out of the public eye and his fans craving new music for years.

Perfectionism in the studio stalled the new project even after the singer was able to put his demons in check. But with club appearances over the last few years, a performance at the BET Awards and a cover set at the Bonnaroo music festival in 2012, D'Angelo has eased back into the spotlight.

"Black Messiah" was released at midnight on Monday morning, causing fans who never thought they'd see the day to praise the R&B gods.

I thought this day would never come. @TheDangelo releases third album since 2000. I'm freaking out! http://t.co/3EZw1U9kaE #BlackMessiah

— Jane Kim (@SupeJaneKim) December 15, 2014

"Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" bandleader Questlove, who collaborated with D'Angelo and his band The Vanguard on "Messiah," deejayed a listening party Sunday evening.

"It's a passion project, and it's everything," Questlove told the audience, according to Rolling Stone. "I don't really want to give a hyperbolic or grandiose statement, but it's everything. It's beautiful, it's ugly, it's truth, it's lies. It's everything."

D'Angelo has announced a 2015 European tour dubbed "The Second Coming."

"Black Messiah" is D'Angelo's third album in a career that has spanned more than 20 years. His 1995 debut album, "Brown Sugar," featured the hit "Lady," which put him on the R&B map. With "Voodoo," his popularity expanded beyond the R&B genre.

The video for Voodoo's "(Untitled) How Does It Feel" helped transform the singer into a sex symbol and a highly sought after performer. It featured the singer on a stripped down set, bare from the waist up, singing directly to the camera. Fans were hooked, and the song netted D'Angelo a Grammy for best male R&B vocal performance.

D'Angelo sliding into your year-end lists like http://ift.tt/1qS7aHd

— Steve McPherson (@steventurous) December 15, 2014

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U.S. reign as superpower ending?

Andreas Krieg: Barack Obama does not want to be remembered as the President who embarked on a third Mideast adventure.

• The U.S. strategy towards the Mideast has been disengaging, writes Andreas Krieg


• President Barack Obama increasingly appears to be the lame-duck, he writes


• Krieg: Good cooperation with Tehran allows the U.S. to put pressure on its Arab partners


• America's credibility as a superpower is in doubt, he says

Editor's note: Andreas Krieg is an assistant professor at the Defence Studies Department of King's College London. He currently works as an advisor to the Qatari Armed Forces in Doha. Follow him on Twitter. The views expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

(CNN) -- The Pentagon's recent statement that Iran may have conducted air strikes against ISIS targets in Iraq's Diyala Province is tantamount to a U.S. tacit approval of Iran's growing military footprint in Iraq.

No military operation of such scale evades detection from U.S. radars. Even if not pre-approved or coordinated, Iran's air and ground operations against the murderous thugs of self-proclaimed caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi make the Islamic Republic effectively a U.S. partner in the fight against America's greatest enemy: Islamist fundamentalism.

The U.S. strategy towards the Middle East since the Arab Spring has been defined by proactive disengagement and hesitance.

Haunted by the legacy of Iraq and Afghanistan, the American public has no stomach to get bogged down in lengthy ground-intense military operations -- particularly not to fight a fight that at least in Washington is perceived to be primarily a matter of regional concern.

Source: Obama writes to Iran about ISIS

Is Obama's ISIS strategy working?

Carter: Americans 'losing confidence'

Asia trip tests Obama's influence

And it seems as if apart from a general war fatigue and casualty aversion back home, U.S. President Barack Obama does not want to be remembered as the President who embarked on a third Middle East adventure. As a hostage of public opinion, Obama in his second term increasingly appears to be the lame-duck choosing a path of minimal resistance overseas, making decisions not based on long-term strategic considerations but based on a short-term approach of damage control.

In Libya, Syria and Iraq the U.S. has taken a backseat calling on local partners and proxies to take over. Any ex-ante foreclosure of boots on the ground means that the U.S. will not bring its military might to bear to deal with those threatening to tear the Middle East apart.

In Syria the U.S. ignored the problem of Bashar al-Assad, in Iraq it turned a blind eye to Nouri al-Maliki's policies of exclusion while allowing Libya to degenerate into a state of anarchy. Without a sustainable proactive strategy towards the Middle East, the U.S. policy towards the region was more often than not shaped in reaction to quickly escalating events on the ground.

As a result, the U.S. today looks at a region where the states of Libya, Syria and Iraq have effectively ceased to exist. The socio-political vacuum has been filled by transnational non-state actors of whom many subscribe to the black banners of jihadism -- something that leaves the American public deeply unsettled.

The broadcasted images of U.S. citizens being brutally beheaded in front of a global audience shook America to its core. After years of relative disengagement and idleness, Obama is now forced to do something in Syria and Iraq at last. Thereby, the overriding principle seems to be to keep the military footprint as small as possible.

The major burden of intervention has to be borne by force multipliers who operationally as well as strategically substitute U.S. willingness and capability -- all this in a war that is no longer about protecting the revolutionary achievements of the Arab Spring but about primarily containing the threat of Islamist fundamentalism.

The overriding principle seems to be to keep the military footprint as small as possible

Andreas Krieg

In this war, Libyan renegade general General Khalifa Haftar, al-Assad and Iran are the lesser of two evils. The unlikely coalition formed the multilateral response of the U.S. administration to the dilemma of reconciling public security concerns with public war fatigue. Everyone seems welcome. Yet, Iran appears the more reliable partner: a regional superpower with the necessary capability, strategic will and input on the ground.

Good cooperation with Tehran, even if indirect, allows the U.S. to put pressure on its Arab partners in the Gulf to step up their game against Islamist fundamentalism in the region.

At the same time the U.S. wants the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf to constructively commit to providing the options on the ground, the U.S. is no longer able or willing to provide. Not to forget, the rapprochement with Iran also allows Obama to put a final end to Netanyahu's saber rattling vis-à-vis Tehran. The U.S., although committed to Israel's security, will not be available for a military solution to the Iranian nuclear question.

The American-Iranian rapprochement on the region's most sensitive battlefield of all things, further undermines America's position in the Middle East.

Apart from losing the hearts and minds of the region, America's credibility as a superpower is in doubt as long as capability is constrained by the political unwillingness to use it.

Without the American willpower to take a more long-term strategic approach to tackling the socio-political root causes of regional upheaval, regional players, including al-Assad, will step in to develop their own strategy independently. The result will be a gradual intensification of regional confrontation along sectarian and ideological fault lines -- a confrontation to which the U.S. will be a mere onlooker.