CAIRO, Egypt - “Pop singer brutally murdered by a paid assassin.”
 
A headline that can cause a media frenzy — and that’s exactly what happened in Egypt and throughout the Middle East.

Egyptians have been captivated with the murder of singer Suzanne Tamim, pictured here in a photoshoot.

 
Egyptians are captivated with the murder of Lebanese singer Suzanne Tamim. And the fascination grew when Egyptian billionaire businessman Hisham Talaat Mustafa was accused of paying a former police officer, Mohsen Al-Sukkary, to kill her.  
 
In our own Cairo offices we would dissect the details with CNN’s office manager, Housam Ahmed, who could read the Arabic papers and share the sordid details.  
 
The rumors were flying from publication to publication: “She dumped him;”  ”He paid for her plastic surgery;”  ”He was angry she fell in love with another.”
 
And it was hard not to speculate over the various theories of what really may have happened.
 
Housam told us that his wife and her friends can’t get enough of the story and that it is the topic of conversation among many housewives and dinner tables throughout the country.  
 
But now, they are cut off from their media fix.
 
The head judge in the trial has placed a gag order on any reporting of the trial, stating that the sensationalism of some media organizations were affecting the proceedings, but yet he still considers the trial “open”?
 
Mohammed Radwan, the managing editor of the Independent newspaper Al-Masri Al-Youm told us that his reporters are still allowed to attend the trial but can’t report anything until a verdict is reached.
 
“We’re not allowed to publish any of the testimonies of the witnesses,” Radwan said, “I think this is something very negative for the reader in general.”
 
But what really concerns some is the belief that the order was placed to help Mustafa’s case and his friendship with the son of President Hosni Mubarak played a role.  
 
“He is considered one of the most prominent businessmen in the country.  So we believe that the gag order was to protect him and not for the trial itself,” Rawda Ahmed, a lawyer who is appealing the media blackout, told us.
 
Others in the country say that it is impossible that cronyism will factor into the case and that the ruling family can’t save him now.
 
“What we have on hand here is someone who murdered a woman because she dumped him.  It’s as simple as that.  So this is not something that the regime can easily defend,” media analyst Hisham Kassem told CNN.
 
The trial will resume later this month with journalists forced to bite their tongue or risk jail time — another step back for the media in a country where press freedom often depends on the government’s mood.

Sandra Samuel and Moshe Holtzberg were the only ones to survive a siege on Mumbai's Chabad House last week.

It is hard to believe this little boy lost his mother and father in the attack on Mumbai’s Chabad House Jewish Center last week — his parents, the center’s directors Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife, Rivka, were among six people who perished — but the hope is that he is too young to remember too much.

We keep out of sight. Strangers, understandably, upset him.

Only our Israeli cameraman Avi is allowed up close. He has a baby almost the same age as Moshe, and after handing him back his errant balloon he becomes accepted in the circle of trust.

His nanny Sandra Samuel is only told of our interview 10 minutes before we arrive. Those protecting her didn’t want her worrying about it on top of the incredibly traumatic experience she has already been through.

As she walks into the room, I am struck by how petite and how poised she is.

Within minutes you feel this woman’s inner strength and her utter devotion to the two-year-old whose life she saved.

During the height of the attacks that killed 179 people across Mumbai, Samuel spent 12 hours locked in a storeroom after being shot at by one of the gunmen. As the siege continued, she left this relative safe place, not knowing where the gunmen were, the second she heard the baby calling her name.

She denies she is brave, saying simply this baby is very precious to her and no one thinks of dying with a small precious baby in your arms.

She even feels guilt that she didn’t also save the rabbi and his wife, both shot by the gunmen. When I ask her how she is coping, she laughs at the thought of worrying about herself or even talking about herself saying simply: “Baby’s there, Sandra’s there, that’s it.”

One thing that clearly disturbs her is that she knows Moshe was asleep on the fifth floor of the Jewish Center when the gunmen entered. She found him on the second floor and with a perfect handprint mark on his back. The thought of a gunman carrying him down the stairs and hitting him is too much for her.

We keep the interview fairly short — Moshe becomes inconsolable if he’s parted from Sandra for too long. She is the one constant in his young life at the moment that he can cling to, and he is not letting go.

The second he is back in her arms, he smiles.

Moshe is surrounded by a lot of people who adore him, he will never want for help, financial or emotional. But the worry is he will never know his parents. Those close to him are torn between hoping he remembers nothing of the attack but hoping he will remember something of his parents who adored him.

For the first few days, he constantly cried for his mother and was inconsolable. He cries less now he has the distraction of a garden filled with toys, but Sandra knows the difficult and heart-breaking questions are still to come.

A family is destroyed; a little boy orphaned. The utter waste is heart-breaking.

Bill Clinton this week presided over the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) summit in Asia, the first such meeting overseas. “We decided to come to Hong Kong because of the region’s leadership and capacity to make a difference on major issues of our time,” he told an audience of 400 elite politicians, business leaders and celebrities like Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh.

Clinton with Singapore's elder statesman Lee Kuan Yew.

Discussions during the two-day meeting revolved around today’s headlines (global financial meltdown, economic recession) and long-term problems (climate change, energy, public health and education.)

Yet another exercise in empty talk? The former U.S. president disagrees. “This meeting needs to be viewed as a verb, not a noun,” he boomed, echoing the conference consensus. He praised the “new philanthropy in this part of the world” and called for “genuine partnership among the government, business and civil society”. He urged people to open their hearts and wallets. “The current economic crisis is not an excuse to give less,” he said.

At the end of the meeting, Clinton reported scores of charitable pledges in Asia worth $185 million going to manifod projects that will impact lives of 10 million people.

Up close, the former U.S. president remains a formidable politician and motivational speaker. He enthralled the audience with charisma, gravitas and gift of the gab, offering “tour d’horizon” ruminations on wide-ranging topics. On stage in Day 1, he exchanged witty remarks with Singapore’s elder statesman Lee Kuan Yew conversing on climate change, the financial crisis, the role of governments and civil society and the status of women.

When Lee noted that many Asian women are now “refusing to be slaves of their husbands or in-laws”, Clinton chuckled and mumbled, “God, if I could say that…” The audience applauded when the 85-yead-old Lee batted for women’s rights. “It does not work if you educate the women and you don’t give them equal job opportunities,” he said. Nodding, Clinton surmised that the next day’s headline will read: Lee Kuan Yew issues his “feminist manifesto”.

Other consensus came out of panel discussions. I served as moderator of two panels. In one panel, we discussed how to respond to natural disasters and do a better job at relief and reconstruction. Panelists agreed on the importance of quick response, openness and transparency, and close cooperation between governments and civil society.

Hollywood kung-fu star Jet Li, who leads one of the first NGOs to help out when earthquake hit Sichuan last May, talked about philanthropy. Li leverages his star power to solicit donation. His formula: 1 person + 1 yuan/month = One Family, his charity group’s name.

Why the altruism? “We are born naked and will die naked”, Li explained in accented, rapid-fire English. “We need help to be born and will need help to die. Between birth and death, I want to help, give back. I am grateful to the guy who will push the button to start my cremation.” Michelle Yeoh put it simply: “I do it because I could, and because I should.”

Another consensus was, talk the talk and walk the walk. In the other panel I facilitated, a group of eco-warriors, NGO activists and business leaders passionately talked about how pollution and environmental degradation are posing health hazards to people across the region. Their prescription: Turn ideas into action.

Some addressed big issues, others specifics. Before you get into your car, advised a speaker from Shell, think twice if you really need to make the trip. While brushing teeth, counseled an eco-warrior, don’t let the water tap running. Some delegates thumbed down the freezing temperature in the venue. Others frowned that participants are served bottled instead of dispensed drinking water.

Organizers did try to walk the walk. Timberland, a CGI in-kind donor, offered delegates a pair of eco-friendly boots made from recycled materials as corporate giveaways.

When not speaking on stage, the former president works the crowd, shaking hands, patting shoulders and posing for pictures.

“He looks at you in the eye as if you were the most important person in the room,” gushes a local business executive. On the sidelines of the panel discussions, he met government officials, corporate CEOs and philanthropists, as he usually does. Now that president-elect Barack Obama has appointed Hillary Clinton as secretary of state, the ex-president may have to curtail such activities overseas to avoid potential conflicts of interest.

“For example,” he explained in an exclusive interview with CNN’s Anjali Rao, “if she is going to be secretary of state and I operate globally and I have people who contribute to these efforts globally, I think that it’s important to make it totally transparent.” Clinton has agreed to publicize the list of donors to his foundation and to CGI. To avoid even just the appearance of conflict of interest, conference participants think this could be the last CGI gathering overseas, at least as long as Hillary remains in charge of America’s foreign affairs.

MUMBAI, India — This morning in Mumbai everyone was talking about the protest rally that was going to take place at the Gateway of India, right next to the Taj Mahal hotel, one of the sites of the terror attacks that began on November 26th. There was a sense of solidarity among people.

There was also concern among others about how a large gathering is probably not safe at this time. Rallies like these are not typical to India and we expected a moderate crowd. But, we were in for a surprise! 

Our correspondent Mallika Kapur, along with cameraman Sanjiv Talreja, producer Ravi Agarwal and myself, head to the rally in the evening. 

As we close in, we see thousands of people making their way slowly into the street to the ‘Gateway of India.’ People carrying candles, placards, flowers and many even serving the crowd cups of tea. However what was most visible among the people today was not the candles or the flowers.

The people of Mumbai are angry and today that anger spilled out onto the street. A majority of the rally comprised of the youth population and their fury was loud and clear in the chants of slogans that roared through the evening sky of Mumbai. With fervor, nationalistic, political and anti-Pakistan slogans were chanted through the evening. One of the placards read, “I am ready for war against terror.” 

As the four of us thread through the crowd we are separated. Sanjiv and I lose sight of Mallika and Ravi. Our cell phones don’t work and my blackberry doesn’t seem to catch signal. After much painstaking searching we reunite. 

The security today was lax and there was no organized exit for the thousands of people who came in. Buses and taxis drove past milling crowds. Being caught in the throng would be nightmarish for anyone and everyone. 

It is a rally like none other that has been held in India.  It is a rally that is in many ways a testament to the spirit of the city and its people. As the candles are lighted and the people who have lost their lives are remembered, I can only wonder if these terrorist attacks will bring about a change in the security situation of India.

BANGKOK, Thailand — Well it’s over. Finally the yellow-shirted PAD protesters are packing up and going home. They’ve been on the streets of Bangkok in various locations for 192 days.Now they are claiming victory — but I think it’s important to remember they didn’t actually bring down this government — the Constitutional Court did, having decided the People’s Power Party was engaged in vote buying.

Passengers arrive at Bangkok Wednesday on board a Thai Airways jet.

But the PAD was looking increasingly desperate and isolated, with many Thais becoming angered by the airport blockade, so the court ruling provided them with a convenient, face-saving exit route. But don’t be fooled, nothing has really changed. Thaksin’s allies are already regrouping under a different party banner and they are almost certain to get “their man” into the top job perhaps by next week.

This time the new prime minister might actually be able to get into his own office at government house, unlike the hapless Mr. Somchai. But the deep divisions in society here have not been healed. This is merely the interval between acts — the PAD protest show and the Thaksin puppetry are about to start all over again.

In the short term though, there is good news; at least the 350,000 passengers caught up in this crisis can begin to resume their journeys. Many are foreign tourists who don’t understand what’s happening and simply want to get home. What’s a great shame is that many may decide not to to the gamble coming to Thailand again.

Hotels, already reeling from the effects of the credit crunch, are now almost empty, when they should be fully booked. It is a total disaster for the Thai tourist economy. For those of you who’ve emailed the blog, asking whether you should cancel your up-coming holidays to Thailand, I’d say you’d be mad to cancel now.

In fact I’d say ask some friends to come with you. They’ll be some amazingly cheap deals around as desperate resorts scramble to fill their rooms over Christmas. The protests may start up again but I doubt the PAD will blockade the airports for a second time — I think they realise they were beginning to alienate too many Thais who depend on tourism for their livelihoods.

So come to Thailand, it’s a wonderful country, it needs your support and now, more than ever, is a great time to bag a bargain holiday!

 How things change.

It seems like yesterday when the U.S. was certain about winning a military victory over al Qaeda. But lately the Bush administration’s emphasis appears to have shifted away from winning the war by military power alone, especially the war against an unconventional enemy that respects no frontiers and rules of war.

Soft power is back.

Now the incoming president is vowing to make soft power part of his national security strategy.

President elect Barak Obama has selected a mix of people who share the same idea: that America has to invest in soft power if it wants to protect its security.

As future Secretary of State to be Hillary Clinton will be in charge of such a policy but she can’t do it on her own.

The question is, will the Pentagon share its military budget with the foot soldiers of soft power: diplomats and aid workers?

The current and next Defense Secretary Robert Gates, is a strong advocate of soft power.

Gen. James Jones, a former NATO commander and the new president’s national security adviser, has seen it in Afghanistan, the U.S. military gaining ground fighting extremists in Afghanistan, only to lose it for lack of resources to hold it with soft power.

So will we see the softer face of American foreign policy?

A lot depends on the U.S. Congress, which holds the purse strings.

Congressional leaders will be pulled in two directions. Those on the left, who point to the growing number of Americans left jobless by the financial meltdown who, they say, will need help first. And those on the right who have a problem with soft power in the first place.

Lawmakers may not have a choice but to invest in national security. The Mumbai attacks made it all too clear that the war against terrorism is far from over. What’s more, it is becoming more unpredictable, with terrorists using unprecedented tactics and broadening their targets to include American civilians overseas.

BANGKOK, Thailand — I’m racing back to Suvarnabhumi airport after having witnessed the chaos at the U-Tapao Naval airbase, around 100 miles southeast of the capital. Thousands of tourists are jostling for position in the burning sun outside the inadequate military terminal building. This remote airfield is one of the only ways out of Thailand now anti-government protesters have closed down Bangkok’s two airports.

U-Tapao was a curious mix of typically Thai festival atmosphere, with lady-boys singing and dancing for the bored and tired tourists and some enterprising Thais have opened foot-massage parlours for all the aching foreign feet. There are beer tents, food stalls and lots and lots of passengers, in resigned, polite whsipers, waiting, hoping, praying they’ll make it onto one of the few planes leaving this paralyzed country.

It was difficult to get any information, but one Australian official told me they were advising stranded tourists to stay in their hotels, unless they already had been issued boarding passes by their airlines, as the Vietnam War-era airstrip was totally overwhelmed.

At Bangkok’s two main airports, the protesters are refusing to end their sit-in, demanding the resignation of the prime minister before they’ll go. But many seem tired and flagging.

A short time ago a police helicopter dropped thousands of leaflets over the airport — I presume the message warned the People’s Alliance for Democracy to leave or else. But the “or else” seems a long way off. The police remain cautiously positioned on the far outskirts of the airport, having been literally forced back by the apparently better organized and more aggressive protesters.

What is terrible is that as the tourists slowly leave from U-Tapao, none are arriving to replace them. December is normally the high season for visitors — but I’d imagine many people planning of a tropical Christmas break to Thailand are looking at other countries. Those who’ve already booked are probably beginning to look at their holiday insurance. Thailand’s tourism industry is falling apart in front of my eyes and this will only serve to increase the political instability here.

It’s a terrible shame and the timing is awful: all this is happening amid the worst financial crisis for decades. The hotels are emptying and the way things are going, it’ll be a long time before they are full again.

For the first time in three days of covering the horrific events in Mumbai, I finally got carded.

What do I mean by that? I’ll explain.

While terrorists and commandos tried to blow each other away inside the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai, journalists and the general public were able to come and go as we pleased in this hotbed of danger.

We were all standing within 200 yards of the stand-off.  We listened to grenades exploding, bullets whizzing by and massive explosions so loud they rattled our ear drums.

We saw glass exploding out of windows, big flashes of light, fire in three places, police with automatic weapons and in the end, a body being pulled out of a window by the feet.

We were so close to the action that we changed our positions several times. There was nothing between us and the war torn hotel. No barricades, no police tape, no police.

On the second day of the siege I was able to get so close that I could have walked on to the steps of the front lobby of the hotel.

We were being told by authorities it was over. But it was not even close to over. There were still three terrorists inside but you wouldn’t have known it from the lax security outside.

I know it’s a bit late but I’m now well aware we were all simply too close.

Which takes me back to my first sentence: I was carded today by police who wanted to check my ID before I was given access to the same area.

The public is now being held back and a big rope has been put up to keep us back. But all the dangerous action is over.

I guess my question is why now? Maybe you have the answers out there because I’m not getting any here from the authorities.

MUMBAI, India — My heart is pounding. I have some knowlege of what is going on behind me but it doesn’t register with my senses until I hear the sound: Bang. Rata tat tat. Bang, bang.  This is a hostage situation.

Ducking for cover outside the Taj Mahal Hotel.

I am standing just outside of the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai. The fabulous 105-year-old five star hotel has been raided by terrorists who police say have taken hostages, and killed and maimed across 10 sites in Mumbai.

As we go live outside describing the scene, that sound jolts my body forward. Bang. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are from, when you hear a sound like that you do what instinct tells you: Duck and run. In this instance I happened to be on the air.

These moments have a way of reminding those of us who cover stories how terrifying it must be for those who are living it up close and personal. Not talking about what is happening, but experiencing terrorism first hand.  All I can say is my heart goes out to the victims of terrorism around the world.

Watch footage of an explosion at the Taj Mahal Hotel

CHENNAI, India — This was by far one of the most difficult pieces that we have put together.

Caught short: Power supplies in Chennai are causing problems for companies.

For starters, it seemed like a simple task. Chennai, India’s fourth largest city located in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, has been facing a shortage of power for quite some time now.

Yet this bustling city has seen an overflow of investors making a beeline to set up manufacturing units. With companies like Ford, Chevrolet, Hyundai and many more automotive industries setting up shop in this city, it’s no surprise that this place has often been called the Detroit of India. The big question for us was how do these businesses manage to get by with constant power shortage?

Our interest in power shortage was triggered when our Chennai-based correspondent Liz Neisloss was shown a letter addressed to one of the major car companies by the electricity board early last year.
It stated that companies would have to shut down on an assigned weekday “in order to tide over the situation on the temporary shortage of power availability”.

Liz also noticed that fathers were dropping kids to school because they were off from work due to “power holidays.”

What started as a relatively simple story to do turned into quite a challenge! Liz and I called over a dozen big businesses to try and get them to talk to us on camera about the power situation. Some gave us an emphatic no while others came up with a polite excuse. All this after they admitted that power shortage was a problem. It might seem a little wary but it is understood that the electricity board of Chennai is not going to be too happy to hear businesses complain about power cuts.

One of the small scale business managers for an auto parts industry said that one way to function with power cuts is to operate on a 24-hour shift. So when the power goes down, all is quite and you resume work only after the power is back up again. We were told that sometimes businesses are informed beforehand when power cuts are likely to happen.

After much searching we did manage to get a business owner to tell us how he functions with power cuts.
Watch Liz Neisloss’ report.