2014 news

Monday, 27 January 2014

5 things we loved about the Grammys

Nine Inch Nails is joined by Dave Grohl, Lindsey Buckingham and members of Queens of the Stone Age to close out the 56th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, January 26.

Miranda Lambert and Billie Joe Armstrong perform "When Will I Be Loved," a classic song written by Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers. The show took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

From right, Queen Latifah, Ryan Lewis, Madonna, Mary Lambert and Macklemore share the stage. Madonna sang her classic "Open Your Heart."

Audience members participate in a mass wedding during the Macklemore and Lewis song "Same Love," which advocates legalizing same-sex marriage.

Mary Lambert joins Macklemore for the performance of "Same Love." Earlier in the night, Macklemore and Lewis won the Grammy for best new artist.

Concert pianist Lang Lang joins Metallica for a rendition of the rock band's song "One."

Veteran singer-songwriter Carole King, left, does a duet with Sara Bareilles.

From left, Nile Rodgers, Pharrell Williams, Daft Punk and Stevie Wonder rock the crowd with several hit songs from over the years, including the 2013 single "Get Lucky." "Get Lucky" won record of the year. Daft Punk also won album of the year for "Random Access Memories."

Country legend Willie Nelson takes the stage. He was joined by Kris Kristofferson, Blake Shelton and Merle Haggard.

Former Beatle Paul McCartney performs his song "Queenie Eye" with Ringo Starr, not pictured.

Country singer Kacey Musgraves lights up the stage with her hit song "Follow Your Arrow."

Rapper Kendrick Lamar and the band Imagine Dragons perform a medley of their songs "Radioactive" and "M.A.A.D City."

Starr sings "Photograph," a song he co-wrote with George Harrison of the Beatles in the early '70s.

Pink shows off her aerial acrobatics while performing "Just Give Me a Reason." She opened her set with the song "Try."

Taylor Swift delivers an emotional performance of her song "All Too Well."

John Legend takes center stage to perform his ballad "All of Me."

Country star Keith Urban, left, and Gary Clark Jr. perform "Cop Car."

Robin Thicke performs a medley of hits with Chicago, one of the best-selling bands of the '70s.

Katy Perry performs her single "Dark Horse," a collaboration with rapper Juicy J.

Hunter Hayes debuts his new song, "Invisible."

Lorde performs her hit "Royals," which won song of the year.

To start the show, Jay-Z joins his wife, Beyonce, for a rendition of her song "Drunk in Love."

2014 Grammy Awards were filled with notable moments and performances

Stevie Wonder lit up Daft Punk's "Get Lucky"

The Beatles were frequent mentions at 56th annual show

And what was with Pharrell's hat?

(CNN) -- The 2014 Grammy Awards are in the books, and in typical fashion, there were some notable moments.

These five were among the best:

1. Daft Punk and their dancin' friends perform "Get Lucky."

The recorded version of "Get Lucky" -- which went on to win record of the year -- already featured Pharrell's vocals and Nile Rodgers' distinctive guitar. But the Grammys' added attraction was Stevie Wonder, who dominated the awards in the mid-'70s (he has three album of the year honors).

Wonder can still bring out the best in his collaborators -- including the robot-headed Daft Punk, who played from the "control room" of the recording studio set and moved like, well, robots. Still, the group would make for a great tour.

Record of the year: "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers. The song also won best pop duo/group performance.

Album of the year: "Random Access Memories" by Daft Punk. It also won best dance/electronica album.

Song of the year: "Royals" by Lorde. The song also won best pop solo performance.

Best new artist: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. The duo also won best rap album for "The Heist" and best rap song and best rap performance for "Thrift Shop."

Best rap/sung collaboration: "Holy Grail" by Jay-Z featuring Justin Timberlake

Best pop vocal album: "Unorthodox Jukebox" by Bruno Mars

Best rock song: "Cut Me Some Slack" by Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear

Best country album: "Same Trailer Different Park" by Kacey Musgraves. She also won best country song for "Merry Go 'Round."

Grammys 2014: Winners

Smokey Robinson and Steven Tyler

Robin Thicke and his wife, Paula Patton

Taylor Swift

Cyndi Lauper

Daft Punk

Macklemore, second from right, and Ryan Lewis with their guests

Rita Ora

From left, Charlotte Kemp Muhl, Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon

Ringo Starr

Ciara

Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton

Madonna

Pharrell Williams

Kacey Musgraves

Pink

Wiz Khalifa and his wife, Amber Rose

From left, Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath

John Legend and his wife, Chrissy Teigen

Brooklyn Haley

Willie Nelson

Katy Perry

Bobby Rush

Colbie Caillat

Cara Quici

Nile Rodgers

Paris Hilton and Birdman

Adrienne Lau

Kelly Osbourne

Tamar Braxton

Bonnie McKee

From left, Oona Laurence, Milly Shapiro, Bailey Ryon and Sophia Gennusa

Shawn Crahan of Slipknot with his wife, Chantel, and one of his daughters

Neil Young and his wife, Pegi

Skylar Grey

Louise Roe

Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea

PJ Morton and Faith Evans

Keltie Knight

Billy Crystal

Erica Campbell and one of her daughters

Skrillex

Jennifer Gasoi

Snarky Puppy with Lalah Hathaway

Kym Warner and Carol Young of The Greencards

Kitaro

Andy Caldwell and Esme Bianco

The members of Della Mae

Jamie Moore

Katie Peterson

Trevor Guthrie

Nancy O'Dell

LaShawn Daniels and his wife, April

Zedd

Grammys 2014: Red carpet

2. Old royalty, new royalty

The Beatles' Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were in the audience and earned frequent shout outs from such presenters as host LL Cool J, Dave Grohl and Jamie Foxx. (You'd think there was some kind of Beatles' anniversary coming up.)

But there was also plenty of deference to Jay Z and Beyonce. The pair led off the show with a rousing version of "Drunk in Love," and Jay Z later won a Grammy for rap/sung collaboration. Jay Z mentioned his child-in-waiting, baby Blue, in his acceptance speech.

3. Nifty performances, as usual

The Grammys always try hard to match known names with rising stars, and this year, the pairings paid off with several performances.

There was the Daft Punk melange, of course, but also the combination of Imagine Dragons and Kendrick Lamar (with an electric "Radioactive") and the duet of classical pianist Lang Lang and metal stars Metallica.

4. The new faces did well

Early on, it looked like it was going to be a huge night for Macklemore & Ryan Lewis -- especially after they won three of the rap categories over competition that included Jay Z and Kanye West. The duo also won best new artist.

Later in the show, it was Lorde who shined, picking up song of the year for "Royals." The 17-year-old New Zealander seemed particularly taken aback by her win, letting co-writer Joel Little give his speech first.

5. Pharrell's hat

What can be said about the chapeau that launched at least four Twitter accounts with a combined 10,000-plus followers? It looked like something Smokey the Bear might wear. Or maybe Dudley Do-Right.

Either way, it became a source of fun for Grammy watchers throughout the evening. Watch out: Given the way things work these days, it could get a show of its own by March.

The winners list: Did you pick 'em?

Relive the show on CNN's blog

Mall shooter's motive still a mystery

The gunman was known as a tall, quiet skateboarder

Police uncovered a journal at his home in College Park, Maryland

Darion Aguilar legally bought the 12-gauge shotgun in December

The mall opens at 1 p.m. ET Monday; two memorial sites are planned

(CNN) -- A journal discovered at Darion Marcus Aguilar's home may explain why the 19-year-old walked into a busy mall in Columbia, Maryland, on Saturday and killed two employees of a skateboard apparel shop before turning the shotgun on himself.

So far, law enforcement officials haven't determined a motive and aren't giving many details about the journal's contents. That's something people certainly will be talking about when the mall reopens for business at 1 p.m. ET Monday.

Police said Aguilar showed up at The Mall in Columbia in a taxi Saturday morning and stayed in a "generally confined area" before going to Zumiez, a shop that caters to skaters, on the second floor. There he fired six to nine shots, killing 21-year-old Brianna Benlolo and 25-year-old Tyler Johnson before shooting himself.

Police are trying to find out more about Aguilar. CNN affiliate WBAL reported he was a quiet, tall, skinny skateboard enthusiast who graduated last year from Blake High School in Silver Spring. He had no criminal record and purchased the shotgun legally, WBAL said.

Aguilar had a backpack that contained two homemade bombs, police said. Both were disabled.

Howard County Police Chief Bill McMahon told reporters Sunday that in the journal, Aguilar "does express some general unhappiness with his life, but I really don't have any other information about that now."

But the journal had enough disturbing information to worry a Prince George's County police officer who saw it Saturday afternoon -- before he knew Aguilar was the mall shooter, CNN affiliate WJLA said.

According to WJLA, the officer went to Aguilar's home in College Park to speak with his mother after a missing person report was filed. The officer read parts of the journal and was concerned for Aguilar's safety, the affiliate said.

The investigator traced his phone and discovered it was pinging at the Mall in Columbia, which had become a crime scene by that time, WJLA said. When the Prince George's officer delivered the information to the mall, Howard County police were able to identify Aguilar.

Aguilar also had a backpack that contained two homemade bombs, police said. Both were disabled.

McMahon said there was no known relationship between Aguilar and Benlolo, WBAL reported.

"I know there's a lot of interest in the motive for this, and I have as much interest in that as anybody," McMahon said Sunday.

McMahon identified Aguilar as the shooter on Sunday.

Police patrol outside a Sears store at Columbia Mall in Columbia, Maryland, after a fatal shooting on January 25. Police urged people inside the mall to stay in place.

Police secure an entrance to a Sears store at the mall.

Two shoppers leave the mall after the shooting.

Maryland State Police patrol outside the mall.

Police enter the Sears department store.

Authorities and emergency vehicles gather outside the mall.

Police and FBI agents meet outside the mall.

Maryland State Police officers gear up as civilians depart Columbia Mall after the shooting.

Police said at least three people were killed in the shooting.

Photos: Shooting at Columbia Mall in Maryland

Police identify Maryland mall shooter

Mall employee: I think shooter had rifle

Aguilar purchased the 12-gauge Mossberg shotgun in December, the chief said.

He added that police served a search-and-seizure warrant at the shooter's house and retrieved documents, computers and other potential evidence, including the journal.

On Saturday, a federal official briefed on the shooting told CNN that preliminary information suggested the gunman aimed only at the two victims, perhaps indicating it was a isolated situation and not a wider shooting spree.

Benlolo was an assistant manager at the store and had worked there since November 2012, according to her Facebook page.

Evelyn McDonald, her close friend, called the shooting shocking and a "complete tragedy."

"She was just full of energy. She was so nice and just an amazing artist and just an amazing person inside and out," McDonald told CNN.

Benlolo was the mother of a small boy.

"She loved her son. She loved being a mother," McDonald said.

Johnson had worked at the store for about three months, according to his Facebook page.

Thousands in mall at time of shooting

The first 911 call about the shooting came at about 11:15 a.m. Saturday, and officers were in the mall within two minutes, police said.

Investigators said there were thousands of people in the mall at the time, with many hiding in fear behind store counters, in restrooms or in fitting rooms for hours after the shooting stopped.

"Think about this, on a Saturday afternoon at the mall, how many people may be in there," McMahon said Saturday. "Something like this happens and people run in many directions, and they also do what we train them to do -- to shelter in place."

Five people were taken to Howard County General Hospital, a hospital spokeswoman said in a statement. All were treated and later released.

One person found dead near guns, ammo

Deadly shooting at suburban mall

Mall shooting happened in one store

Four of them suffered injuries related to the chaotic scene after the shots rang out, including one with a seizure and at least one with a sprained ankle, McMahon said.

The other injured victim suffered a gunshot wound to the foot. Police said the woman wasn't in Zumiez; rather, she was on the first floor when she was struck.

It started out as a routine day in busy mall

Worker at mall: 'It was just crazy'

The gunfire sent shoppers and workers running for cover, witnesses told CNN.

"It's a mall shooting," one mall worker, identified only as K.T., told CNN. "No one knows what's going on. In today's world, you hear gunshots and you run."

The staccato of gunfire was followed by the cries and screams of children and adults running or ducking for cover, the employee said.

"A lot of kids were crying, and mothers were holding onto them," K.T. said. "I wasn't worried about me. I was just making sure everybody was OK."

Once the shooting stopped, SWAT team members moved from store to store.

Man with 'crude' explosives, ammo kills 2 at mall, then self

Police said Sunday that 20 K-9 units checked the mall and found no more devices.

"We are deeply saddened by the violence that has occurred this morning within our store in Maryland at The Mall in Columbia," Zumiez CEO Rick Brooks said. "We're making arrangements for counseling to be made available to Zumiez employees in the area."

Though the mall reopens at 1 p.m. ET Monday, the Zumiez store will be closed indefinitely, the Baltimore Sun reported.

Memorial sites will be set up outside the mall and in the food court, WBAL reported.

University shootings earlier last week

The mall shooting was the latest instance last week of gun violence or threats of it in ordinary places across the country.

A student was shot dead Friday afternoon at South Carolina State University, prompting a manhunt for several suspects that extended beyond the school's Orangeburg campus.

On Wednesday, the University of Oklahoma in Norman briefly shut down after a report of a possible shooting that apparently turned out to be a false alarm, the university's president said.

On Tuesday, a gunman shot and killed another student inside Purdue University's electrical engineering building. Police said Cody Cousins, 23, an engineering student, killed Andrew Boldt, 21, of West Bend, Wisconsin. Cousins was charged with murder.

Last Monday, a student was shot and critically injured near a gym at Widener University near Philadelphia. Police were looking for a suspect.

The simple thing your mall can do to protect you

CNN's Ray Sanchez, Joe Sutton, Evan Perez, Greg Botelho, Adam Shivers and AnneClaire Stapleton contributed to this report.

Marbella Club suffers another fire in less than a week

A FIRE outside the exclusive Marbella Club this morning has affected some shops and offices in the area, but guests remained undisturbed by the incident.

The fire began shortly before 10.30 this morning in a warehouse situated close to the Club. The warehouse was on the first floor of the Escada shop near the Marbella Club. The fire was caused by an electrical fault.

Fire services attended immediately and soon had the fire under control. There were no injuries or serious incidents.

A few days ago the Marbella Club group suffered a devastating fire in their Sierra Nevada hotel, El Lodge; a luxury hotel made of wood, is the only one in their chain not situated on the Costa del Sol. Plans are in hand to rebuild El Lodge.

Marbella Club suffers another fire in less than a week

Five children saved from house blaze

POLICE called to a house fire had to rescue five youngsters after their childminder had got drunk, apparently caused a fire, then refused to leave.

The Bolivian man has been detained under suspicion of causing the house fire and abandoning five minors in the flat which later had to be evacuated.

Whilst the minors, aged between four and 18, were being attended to by medical services the police found the man inside the flat apparently under the influence of alcohol and refusing to be evacuated. The individual, who has a history of ill treatment, came home and tried to cook something in the microwave which caused the fire. The minors are now being looked after by their families and the man has been taken into custody.

Meanwhile National Police in Malaga detained a 44-year- old man in connection with bin fires in the local area.

The police detained the man thanks to a description given by a witness who saw the man leaving the area after they were alerted by council workers to a bin blaze.

Purchena's traditional moorish games under threat

THE Cultural Association, Juegos Moriscos de Purchena (Moorish Games of Purchena) has started an Internet petition to gather support and prevent the disappearance of this sporting and cultural event.

Among the people to which the petition on Change.org is directed are the president of the Junta de Andalucia, Susana Diaz, and the president of the Council of Almeria, Gabriel Amat. The Moorish Games of Aben Humeya is a tradition recovered in the town of Purchena. For a few days the town is transformed into a meeting of Arab and Christian cultures through sport, and a set of tests that have their origin in Moorish times. However, the lack of support for the event has led to suggestions that it may disappear.

"It deserves to be preserved as a unique cultural and sporting legacy as it respects all cultures and religions," said the association in its proposal, adding that the loss of the games would be "the loss of the only historical and sporting event with Moorish origins held in Andalucia and Spain."

Costa Blanca copper theft arrests

FOUR people have been arrested for copper theft across the Vega Baja.

Police launched an investigation after being made aware of a plot to steal the copper from a warehouse in Dolores. As a result, three men were caught red handed with the fourth being arrested for allegedly buying and re-selling the cable through the construction company he managed.

The group is believed to be the authors of 11 burglaries including telephone cable thefts in Guardamar del Segura and San Fulgencio, stealing a total of 300m of cabling.

Sunday, 26 January 2014

Lisbon: Coolest city in Europe?

Think they stay out late in Madrid? In nightlife areas such as Bairro Alto, Lisbonites stay out until dawn -- then keep going.

Lisbon has some of the world's most fascinating cobbles, a "street art" obsession shown off here in the city's giant mapa mundi.

Portuguese writer Fernando Pessoa eloquently summed up the prevailing national outlook: "I'd woken up early, and took a long time getting ready to exist."

Portuguese custard tarts have conquered the world. You can try the original version (pictured) at the Antiga Confeitaria de Belem café.

Few European capitals have such easy access to great beaches, like this one at Sintra.

Lisbonites have a sharp eye for design, fashion and architecture, such as the Gare do Oriente station.

The city is bursting with world-class galleries, including the Oriental and Western collections of the Gulbenkian Foundation.

Lisbon was the first global city -- it still feels like it

Its inhabitants are experts at irony and creativity

They challenge Madrileños for nightlife stamina

They make the best custard tarts on the planet

(CNN) -- What makes a city "cool"?

If it means being loaded with atmosphere, charm, great food and nightlife, yet ignored by the bulk of travelers, then Lisbon deserves consideration as Europe's coolest capital.

Here's why.

1. Nightlife that can outlast Madrid's

If you think Madrid stays out late, try a night out in Lisbon.

Lisbon: color equals cool.

The city is less about heaving clubs and more about a roving nocturnal flow that ends (maybe) when dawn rises over the Tagus River.

The main action is in the Bairro Alto, where more than 250 appealing bars line a web of streets between graffiti-plastered walls.

Next is the riverfront, in the hip neighborhood around Cais do Sodré railway station.

Typical of the offbeat flavor here is the converted brothel Pensão Amor (Rua do Alecrim 19, +351 21 314 3399) where ace cocktails accompany erotica and DJ sets.

Capping a Lisbon night are pre-dawn traffic jams at Santa Apolonia docks -- they're created by the popularity of Lux, the king of Lisbon superclubs (Cais da Pedra +351 21 882 0890).

2. Experimental cuisine

Once known largely for bacalhau (dried cod), quaint old coffee houses and louche taverns, the Portuguese capital now claims a range of restaurants.

Seafood remains a staple, but the trend is for modern, sophisticated and affordable.

MORE: Portugal's Algarve -- Not just for golf-mad pensioners

A high bar is set by wunderkind chef José Avillez at his Michelin-starred Belcanto (Largo de Sao Carlos 10, +351 21 342 0607) or his more casual bistro Cantinho (Rua dos Duques de Bragança 7, +351 211 992369).

Avant-garde European and Portuguese cuisine describes Avillez's menu, which stretches from sea bass with seaweed to lamb with vegetable puree.

Further down the scale, Lisbonites love juicy bifanas (pork buns) in backstreet eateries.

No traveler to Lisbon should miss the famed egg tarts (pasteis de nata).

The little bundles of caramel-y custard in chewy pastry are eaten in style at the original tiled café, Antiga Confeitaria de Belem (Rua Belém 84-92, +351 21 363 7423).

Lisbonites are born ironic. Yeah, right.

3. Irony

You'd think Lisbonites would brag about their achievements -- first global empire, world's best custard tarts, sea bass with seaweed that actually tastes great.

On the contrary, along with the rest of the nation, they excel in that ages old literary device/defense mechanism: irony.

As Portuguese writer Fernando Pessoa once eloquently summed up the prevailing national outlook: "I'd woken up early, and took a long time getting ready to exist."

That old entertaining melancholy has resurfaced with the austerity of recent years, helping Lisbonites remain (almost) content and always witty, even in tough times.

4. Beaches and castles

Lisbon is a place to inhale salty Atlantic air, sunbathe and hit the waves.

Dolphins surf and ferries ply the River Tagus.

READ: 10 of Madrid's best tapas bars

Half an hour away by train are the beaches and ornate casino of Estoril.

A bit further, Cascais is for eaters -- lots of grilled fish and seafood stews served in domed cataplana dishes.

The other big day trip is to Sintra. Forty minutes from Lisbon's main station (Rossio), it's a time-warp town, located in lush, wooded hills peppered with whimsical palaces and mansions that epitomize centuries of aristocratic opulence.

Bairro Alto: Graffiti with your nightlife, and lots of it.

5. Fabulous design

Wherever you look in Lisbon, sharp contemporary design is a hallmark.

Stylish leather goods, bold wine labels, interiors combining vintage with the latest designer pieces, spectacular buildings -- this is a city that loves to look good.

Pritzker-prize winning architect Alvaro Siza Vieira set the modernist tone with his gravity-defying pavilion for Expo 98.

MORE: 10 things to know before visiting Copenhagen

Lisbonites gather to appreciate good design at MUDE (Rua Augusta 24, +351 21 888 6117), their mutant fashion and design museum, where austere low-tech blends with baroque flounces.

Lisbonites have a sharp eye for design.

6. Big art

Large European capitals such as London, Paris, Berlin and Madrid may have blockbuster art collections, but Lisbon's half million inhabitants have access to their own rare panoply.

The classic is the Gulbenkian Foundation (Av. de Berna 45A, +351 21 782 3000), where superlative Oriental and Western art occupies an airy 1960s building and landscaped gardens.

In Bélem, the Museu Berardo (Praça do Império, +351 21 361 2878) focuses on big names of 20th- and 21st-century art, from Picasso to Jeff Koons.

Museu de Arte Antiga (Portuguese site only; Rua Janelas Verdes, +351 21 391 2800) is a 17th-century mansion packed with 500 years of artwork that reflects Portugal's globetrotting history.

Lisbon's latest exclusive is the impressive Museu do Oriente (Avenida de Brasília, Doca de Alcântara, +351 21 358 5244), a superbly converted salt cod warehouse full of Asian exhibits where you can book a nighttime visit followed by dinner in the riverfront restaurant.

7. Fascinating streets

There's no getting bored wandering in Lisbon, thanks to the intricately patterned cobblestones under your feet -- a civic point of pride that blossomed after Lisbon's 1755 earthquake and continues today.

Even Lisbon's walls demand attention, thanks to an obsession with azulejos (ceramic tiles).

Top examples are found at the Museu Nacional do Azulejo (Rua da Madre de Deus 4, +351 218 100 340), while the peeling façades of the Alfama and Mouraria districts show dozens of variations.

READ: Dream destinations for 2014