Chance's Encounter with Gadhafi's Son

CNN's Matthew Chance talks about his recent encounter with Saif al-Islam Gadhafi outside the Rixos hotel.


He tweeted "Here's the picture I took sitting next to Saif Gadafi"


And he filed this report:

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Educating the Future

Cal Perry had a piece on this morning about a mentoring program for young girls who have been displaced due to the fighting in the Swat Valley region of Pakistan. A group of college-age women of Pakistani descent have spent the summer in a makeshift school for some of these girls:

Also this morning, Atia Abawi gave the latest update on the results from the Afghan election:

Here's something to make your blood boil... an update on the PR firm that recommends to the Pentagon whether reporters should get an embed with American troops based on how many "good news" stories they have produced in the past. Jeeze, I thought that mindset went out the door with the previous administration. Kyra Phillips made it her "What the...?" report:

Matthew Chance reported Tuesday on the serious alcoholism problem in Russia. Really startling stuff, even if you think you already knew about it:

Finally, Richard Quest from the Brooklyn promenade. He senses a scintilla of hope returning to our economic mindset:

That's it for me this week. Next week I will be coming to you from sunny Los Angeles, moving back 'home' after a four-year absence! Must get back to packing boxes -- the movers will be here in the morning!!

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The economy is tough all over...

As you can imagine, not a lot of international news during the "Road to Rescue" week, but there were a couple glimpses of how the world economy is faring. In this first one (which aired Thursday) we have Paula Hancocks reporting from Galilee about employment problems, Stan Grant from Abu Dhabi about the still-strong tourism industry, and Al Goodman from Madrid on the drop in divorce rates and increase in traffic accidents:

Friday we got this one, which has Matthew Chance reporting from Moscow about the expected drop in birthrate and rise in abortions, and Jim Boulden from London on the rise in internet dating:

Thursday also gave us this report from Barbara Starr that focuses on the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan:

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BookAsylum posted that wonderful interview about Jack Cafferty's new book yesterday, and last Monday Wolf Blitzer spoke to Jack about the book during TheSitRoom. It is heartbreaking to watch Jack's face as Wolf reads the excerpt about his late wife Carol. She sounds like an extraordinary woman, and it is easy to understand why he misses her so much:

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Where in the World...?

SATURDAY: Susan Roesgen was in the NewsRoom for Betty Nguyen.

SUNDAY: Stan Grant was in Islamabad reporting on the riots in Lahore, Pakistan; John Zarella was at the Kennedy Space Center to cover the launch of Discovery. Susan was in for Betty.

MONDAY: Rick Sanchez hosted his hour of NewsRoom from the campus of Georgia State University; Anderson Cooper hosted AC360 from outside the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

TUESDAY: Anderson hosted from New Orleans.

WEDNESDAY: Ali Velshi was in The Situation Room as he prepared to interview SecTreas Tim Geithner; Anderson was in Warren, Michigan. Don Lemon was in for Tony Harris.

THURSDAY: Recorded reports from Paula Hancocks in Galilee, Stan Grant in Abu Dhabi (above), and Al Goodman from Madrid; Ed Henry was in Los Angeles with President Obama; Anderson Cooper hosted from the campus of Hofstra University. Christine Romans was in for John Roberts (who was in Orlando for the Student Television Network Conference); Don was in for Tony; Lisa Sylvester was in for Lou Dobbs.

FRIDAY: Recorded reports from Matthew Chance in Moscow and Jim Boulden in London; Candy Crowley was in Trenton, NJ to look at how stimulus money is being spent; Rick hosted from the campus of Morehouse College; Anderson was back in the NY studio. Christine was in for John; TJ Holmes was in for Tony; Fredericka Whitfield was in for Kyra Phillips; Lisa was in for Lou.

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Mullah Matchmaker

Reza Sayah is still reporting from Tehran, and on Friday did a piece about a mullah who has set up a matchmaking service so that young Iranians can find a mate while still observing Islamic law:

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Zain Verjee reported on the auction for some items that belonged to Mahatma Gandhi. The auction was controversial because the Indian government felt the items should rightly belong to the people of India:

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A look at how the economic crisis is affecting the global economy, specifically unemployment. First, Ben Wedeman in Jerusalem, Anjali Rao in Mumbai (and the graphics department REALLY wants us to know where Mumbai is!), and Dan Rivers in Bangkok:

Matthew Chance in Moscow, Jim Boulden in London, and Emily Chang in Beijing:

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Where in the World...?

SATURDAY: Randi Kaye was in the NewsRoom for Fredricka Whitfield.

SUNDAY: Randi was in for Fredricka again.

MONDAY: Jill Dougherty was in Jerusalem with SecState Clinton. Roland Martin was in for Campbell Brown.

TUESDAY: Paula Newton reported from Kabul; Stan Grant was in Lahore to report on the attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team; Jeffrey Toobin was in San Francisco.

WEDNESDAY: Fredricka was in for Tony Harris.

THURSDAY: Sanjay Gupta was in Los Angeles; Kitty Pilgrim was in for Lou Dobbs.

FRIDAY: Jill was in Geneva; Kitty was in for Lou; Anderson Cooper was off and Ali Velshi hosted a "Money Summit" program in place of AC360.

That's all for me today... if you're in the US, don't forget to "spring forward" tonight!

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A Few Strands of Tinsel

This was one of those weeks when not a lot caught my eye to clip (could be because I was preoccupied with the holidays and the crazy weather outside my window!) ... and half of what I did clip was already posted!

But I did get this piece by Zain Verjee, talking about the "bling" given to SecState Rice (which she can't keep):

Gary Tuchman fixes our Little Red Wagon (okay, not really, but how could I resist a line like that?):

This is the newest incarnation of the "Let's Go" promo:

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Two special year-end reviews air Sunday:

Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer: Best of 2008 will examine a remarkable year in news and look ahead at what is in store for 2009. CNN lead political anchor Wolf Blitzer will be joined by members of the “Best Political Team on Television” to look back at newsmaker interviews during the year of a historic election and a global economic crisis. Interviews with key political and business leaders including New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Sen. Hillary Clinton, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Sen. John McCain, President-elect Barack Obama, Gov. Sarah Palin and CNN founder Ted Turner. Airing Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (ET), Blitzer and the panel will look ahead at the incoming Obama administration and discuss the future of the GOP.  [This will also be Wolf's final Late Edition.]

Howard Kurtz hosts Reliable Sources: A Year in Review to examine coverage of the 2008 presidential campaign and changes in the news business. Kurtz will be joined by Amy Holmes, CNN political contributor; Bill Press, radio talk show host; Terence Smith, former PBS media correspondent; and Jessica Yellin, CNN national political correspondent. The one-hour program will air in its usual time slot, Sunday at 10 a.m. (ET). 

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Where in the World...?

SATURDAY: Randi Kaye was in Atlanta to host two hours of NewsRoom both days this weekend.

SUNDAY: Ed Henry was in Honolulu covering Obama; Bill Schneider was in Los Angeles; Jessica Yellin was in Washington; Susan Roesgen was in Denver to cover the plane that caught fire during takeoff; Arwa Damon was in New York.

MONDAY: Matthew Chance was in the Kaluga Region of Russia (south of Moscow); Carol Costello was in for John Roberts; Betty Nguyen was in for Kyra Phillips; TJ Holmes was in for Rick Sanchez; Suzanne Malveaux was in for Wolf Blitzer; Lisa Sylvester was in for Lou Dobbs; Erica Hill was in for Campbell Brown.

TUESDAY: Carol was in for Kiran Chetry; TJ was in for Rick; Suzanne was in for Wolf; Lisa was in for Lou; Erica was in for Campbell and for Anderson Cooper.

WEDNESDAY: Carol was in for Kiran; Betty was in for Heidi Collins; Richard Liu in for Kyra; TJ was in for Rick.

CHRISTMAS DAY: Joe Johns was in for John; Carol was in for Kiran; Alina Cho was in for Heidi; Richard was in for Tony Harris; from 1pmET on, all repeats (with the exception of Larry King Live, which was new but pre-recorded.) Zain Verjee was in the studio for news breaks.

FRIDAY: Nic Robertson was in London to report on the Pakistani troop movements; Peter Bergen was in New Orleans and also discussed the situation; Joe = John; Carol = Kiran; Alina = Heidi; TJ = Tony; Richard = Kyra; TJ = Rick; Suzanne = Wolf; Lisa = Lou; Campbell aired a pre-recorded special; Larry = himself; Erica = Anderson.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas week... now let's make plans for New Year's!

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International news

I didn't plan on another Michael Ware-centered post today, but...uh...I forgot it was Saturday and had to scramble a bit! I hope you can forgive me!

First up is a recap of the final chapter in the new Status of Forces Agreement:

Then on Thursday, Michael did a report on more than 1,000 contract workers who have been held as virtual prisoners in Baghdad. It is an appalling story, and one the world needed to see:

Friday morning, Michael was on briefly to update the story:

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I thought I'd share a couple of clips from BackStory, the International program that gives viewers a look behind the scenes of news gathering.

Arwa Damon is currently in Mecca to cover the Hajj, and yesterday Isha Sesay spoke with her as well as Mohammad Jamjoom (who covered the Hajj last year with Isha):

And here's something I bet you never expected to see: Nic Robertson attends a Jethro Yull concert in Mumbai:

Many thanks to Délie for uploading these clips so that those of us who can't get the International feed can keep up with the program. If you would like to see more, be sure to check out her site!

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Where in the World...?

SATURDAY: Matthew Chance and Nic Robertson were still in Mumbai; Ed Henry in Chicago covering the Obama transition.

SUNDAY: Dan Rivers reported from Bangkok on the airport protests.

MONDAY: Suzanne Malveaux was in Washington; Candy Crowley was in Chicago; Peter Bergen was in New York; Michael Ware in Baghdad; Gary Tuchman was in Duluth, Georgia to cover an appearance by Sarah Palin at a rally for Saxby Chambliss; Joe Johns was in for John Roberts (and would be Tuesday as well); Betty Nguyen was in for Kyra Phillips.

TUESDAY: Suzanne was in Philadelphia to cover the meeting between P-E Obama with the governors; Dana Bash was in Atlanta to cover the Chambliss vote; Peter was in Quebec (above); TJ Holmes was in for Heidi Collins (Wednesday as well).

WEDNESDAY: Suzanne and Dana were in Washington; Sanjay Gupta was in New York.

THURSDAY: Anderson Cooper was off so that Christiane Amanpour's Scream Bloody Murder could air in that timeslot.

FRIDAY: Lisa Sylvester was in for Lou Dobbs.

That's it for me, have a great weekend!

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International Relations

Last Saturday I mentioned some clips I would be posting on Monday, and of course those plans got washed away by Hurricane Gustav, so I have some catching up to do!

First up are the interviews Matthew Chance did in Sochi, Russia. The first one is with President Medvedev:

The second interview was with Prime Minister Putin:

(Matthew also wrote a blog post about how the interviews were set up.)

Yesterday, an interview Matthew did in Moscow with the Russian Foreign Minister also aired:

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Last week, Michael Ware was in New York City and spoke to Kiran Chetry about VP nominee Joe Biden's plan (as he stated during the debates at the beginning of the year) to divide Iraq into three countries. Hopefully he's evolved by now!

(Sadly, we didn't get equal-time commentary from Michael on McCain's Iraq plans... I was looking forward to that!)

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Wednesday, Christiane Amanpour appeared on American Morning to discuss the latest twists and turns on the North Korean nuke saga:

Later in the morning, Soledad O'Brien had a discussion with Christiane's husband, James Rubin, about current foreign-policy issues:

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Where in the World...?

Well, this was a week that was supposed to be all about the Republican National Convention in St. Paul -- until Hurricane Gustav took aim at the Gulf Coast. It's a bit of a mess trying to keep track of everyone here, so for one week only, a special color-coded WitW: red for convention coverage, blue for hurricane reporting.

SATURDAY: John Roberts, Wolf Blitzer and Campbell Brown were in St. Paul, Minnesota; Dana Bash was in Washington, Pennsylvania with the McCain campaign; Susan Roesgen and Don Lemon were in New Orleans; Chris Lawrence was in Belle Chasse, Louisiana; Ali Velshi was in Grand Isle, Louisiana (where he would ride out the storm.)

SUNDAY: John King, Gloria Borger, Joe Johns, Ed Henry, Jessica Yellin and Dana join the party in St. Paul; Gary Tuchman and Sanjay Gupta are in New Orleans. Rick Sanchez goes on the air several hours earlier than normal.

MONDAY: TJ Holmes anchored from Atlanta overnight; adding to the Gulf Coast coverage: Anderson Cooper (NOLA, French Quarter) (above), Rob Marciano (NOLA, roof of the Omni Hotel in the FQ), NOLA Bureau Chief Sean Callebs (Harahan, LA), Susan Candiotti (Gulfport, MS), Ed Lavendera (Lafayette, LA), Jeanne Meserve (Baton Rouge, LA), Christine Romans (Alexandria, LA), Brian Todd (Baton Rouge, LA), John Zarella (Lafayette, LA), Kathleen Koch (Pass Christian, MS), Randi Kaye (Baton Rouge, LA), and Drew Griffin (Plaquemines Parish, LA). Kyra Phillips was in Anchorage, Alaska to check out Republican VP nom Sarah Palin.

TUESDAY: Suzanne Malveaux was in Chicago with the Obama campaign; Anderson arrived in St. Paul.

WEDNESDAY: Suzanne was in Dillonvale, Ohio with the Obama campaign; Christiane Amanpour was in New York; Nic Robertson was in Islamabad, Pakistan, where he reported on an assassination attempt on the Prime Minister (that clip and last week's interview re Darfur in the Monday post -- Hanna, Ike, and Josephine willing!)

THURSDAY: Suzanne was in Pittsburgh with the Obama campaign.

FRIDAY: Wolf was in New York; Dana was in Sterling Heights, Michigan with the McCain campaign; Zane Verjee was in Tripoli, Libya with SecState Rice; Suzanne was in Philadelphia with the McCain campaign; Cal Perry was in Damascus (clip coming on Monday); Drew and Randi were in Anchorage; Kathleen was in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, awaiting the arrival of Hurricane Hanna.

Here's hoping the hurricanes die down quickly -- in size and in numbers!

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and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.