Campaign uses Marley, celebs to aid African crisis (AP)

NEW YORK – A Bob Marley song and the social media power of celebrities like Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Eminem may help the crisis in East Africa.

On Tuesday, the "I'm Gonna Be Your Friend" campaign was launched to raise money and awareness. About 10 million are suffering through a famine in Somalia due to a blistering drought.

A short film about the crisis was set to the Marley & the Wailers song "High Tide or Low Tide." Stars like Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bieber and about 150 others have pledged to promote it and the cause on Facebook and Twitter. The video will be for sale on iTunes, through Bob Marley's Facebook page and the website of the campaign. Funds raised will be donated to Save the Children.

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Online:

http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_en_mu/storytext/us_marley_campaign/42548346/SIG=114mdsd05/*http://www.imgonnabeyourfriend.org

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Music stars campaign to end hunger crisis in Africa (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – A global social media campaign featuring a Bob Marley song was launched by some of the music industry's top stars on Tuesday to help stem the hunger crisis that is increasing in the Horn of Africa.

More than 150 stars including Lady Gaga, U2, Justin Bieber, Jay-Z, The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney are among the well-known figures using their Facebook pages and Twitter feeds to urge fans to donate money to help the numerous families starving in the region.

The campaign, called "I'm Gonna Be Your Friend," can be found at www.imgonnabeyourfriend.org. It shows a video of Bob Marley & The Wailers' 1973 song, 'High Tide or Low Tide," accompanied by footage of malnourished children created by award-winning film director Kevin Macdonald.

About 3.6 million people are at risk of starvation in Somalia and 12 million people across the Horn of Africa, including in Ethiopia and Kenya, the United Nations says.

The drought-hit Horn of Africa urgently needs funds to rebuild agriculture and fight famine. The United Nations food agency has called for a high level meeting to help overcome the worsening crisis.

The "I'm Gonna Be Your Friend," campaign estimated it would reach over a billion people with partners such as Universal Music Group, Yahoo, Facebook, AOL, MSN, YouTube and Twitter and the power of celebrities' reach. The combined power of using Facebook and Twitter pages alone will reach 730 million, the campaign said.

Donations or downloads of "High Tide or Low Tide," for $1.29 will go to the Save the Children appeal for east Africa and used for food, water and medicine.

Other stars participating include Sting, David Beckham, Eminem, Rihanna, Annie Lennox, Bruno Mars, Madonna, Ricky Martin and Lily Allen.

"High Tide or Low Tide" was chosen by the Marley family for the resonance of the single's lyrics, "I'm Gonna Be Your Friend" and can also be found on www.facebook.com/bobmarley.

The video starts with the slogan "The Worst Drought in Decades" and after showing images of starving and thirsty children, ends with a black-and-white image of the late Marley behind the message, "Millions of children are facing starvation."

"We must stand up together as friends to put a stop to this, to feed our children and to save their lives," Rita Marley, Bob Marley's widow, said in a statement.

(Reporting by Christine Kearney, editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Obama's next crisis: a teenage daughter (AFP)

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US President Barack Obama said Friday he's prepared for a potential crisis in the White House next month -- his oldest daughter becoming a teenager.

"I could not ask for better kids. I'm not anticipating complete mayhem for the next four or five years, but I understand teenagehood is complicated," Obama told ABC News when asked about his daughter Malia's 13th birthday.

"I should also point out that I have men with guns that surround them often, and a great incentive for running for re-election is that it means they never get in the car with a boy who had a beer," he added.

In addition to bringing the Secret Service along on dates, any potential suitor might also face the prospect of tough bilateral negotiations with the leader of the free world.

"I might invite him over to the Oval Office, ask him for his GPA (grade point average), find out what his intentions are in terms of career," Obama said.

"Malia, Sasha, if you're watching this, I'm just joking."

Later in the interview, however, Obama revealed that there are still some matters in which he's not the chief executive.

When asked if he and First Lady Michelle Obama had ever considered having more children or trying for a son, he replied: "You act as if this is a decision of mine. It really isn't."

"As Michelle points out, I did not carry 10 pounds in my belly, you know. I think that Michelle's general view is we're done."

Malia will turn 13 on July 4. Her younger sister Sasha celebrated her 10th birthday earlier this month at the Camp David presidential retreat.

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