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A fatal shooting and a separate stabbing at unsanctioned parties celebrating Sunday's BET Awards cast a shadow over the event, where top superstars like Lil Wayne, Chris Rock and others were set to mark the best in black entertainment.

One person was killed and five injured in two separate incidents ahead of the show at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, Los Angeles police said. The events were "unauthorized and unaffiliated with the BET Awards," BET said in a statement.

"The network and all organizers will continue to maintain a safe environment for all planned activities," the statement said.

The death and four of the injuries followed gunfire early Sunday at a restaurant, Officer Drake Madison said. Separately, a man was stabbed in the stomach Saturday night at a nightclub.

The violence could change the mood at the ceremony.

Rapper Nelly said on the red carpet that "you can't place (the blame) on BET."

R&B singer Ne-Yo had not heard about the incidents until arriving at the show, but he said he doesn't fear for his safety at industry parties and events.

"I feel like the energy I give off is the energy I get back, and I don't give off that kind of energy," he said.

Stars arrived for the show where Pharrell, John Legend and Nicki Minaj will perform, among others. Top nominees are Drake, Beyonce and Jay Z, with five each.

Drake, who was originally set to perform, will not attend, BET said Sunday. A representative for Beyonce also said the singer wouldn't attend, and her husband's rep wouldn't divulge if Jay Z would be there or not. Their attendance had nothing to do with the violence at the weekend parties.

Drake didn't attend last year's show, where he won video of the year. This year, the 27-year-old rapper's "Worst Behavior" is nominated for the top prize, competing with Beyonce's "Drunk in Love" and "Partition," as well as Pharrell's "Happy" and Chris Brown's "Fine China."

Beyonce and Jay Z launched a co-headlining stadium tour days ago. She is nominated for best female R&B/pop artist, with little competition aside from Rihanna, while her husband will battle Drake, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole and Future for best male hip-hop artist.

Pharrell scored four nominations, including best male R&B/pop artist, best collaboration for Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" and the viewer's choice award. Beyonce, Drake and rising newcomers August Alsina and Jhene Aiko are also up for the fan-voted award.

Thicke, who is set to release his new album, "Paula" — an ode to his wife, Paula Patton, whom he is separated from — on Tuesday, will perform Sunday. Usher, Mary J. Blige and Iggy Azalea will also take the stage.

Minaj and Azalea — whose anthemic "Fancy" has spent its fifth week on top of the Billboard charts — will compete for best female hip-hop artist, an award Minaj has won consecutively for four years.

Lionel Richie will be honored with a lifetime achievement award at the show, where presenters include Kerry Washington, Kevin Hart and Gabrielle Union.

The BET Awards will air live at 8 p.m. EDT.

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Online:

http://www.bet.com/shows/bet-awards.html

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AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen and AP Entertainment Producer Marcela Isaza in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

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Follow Mesfin Fekadu at twitter.com/MusicMesfin

WASHINGTON (AP) — The first prosecution arising from the Benghazi attacks is playing out in the federal courthouse blocks from both the White House and Capitol Hill, an appropriate setting for a case that has drawn stark lines between President Barack Obama and Republicans in Congress.

The criminal proceedings could provide new insights into the 2012 attacks that killed four Americans and will serve as the latest test of the U.S. legal system's ability to handle terrorism suspects captured overseas.

Unfolding during an election year, the case against alleged mastermind Ahmed Abu Khattala could help shape the legacies of Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder, and spill over into the potential 2016 presidential candidacy of Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Untangling the law from the politics may prove especially challenging for the public, given how prominent the attacks on the diplomatic compound in the eastern Libyan city have become in U.S. political discourse.

"What's going to matter to the public more than anything else is the result, and I think it's going to only diffuse some of the ongoing Benghazi conspiracy theories if the Obama administration is going to be able to successfully obtain a conviction in this case," said American University law professor Stephen Vladeck, a national security law expert.

Still, he said the case raises the same legal issues as past terrorism prosecutions and should not by itself be viewed as a referendum on the Obama administration.

"The story of this case is not the story of the Obama administration's reaction to Benghazi," he added. "The story of this case is those who were responsible for Benghazi and those who need to be held accountable for the four deaths that resulted."

A 10-minute court appearance amid tight security Saturday was the American public's first concrete sense of Abu Khatalla, the Libyan militant accused by the U.S. government of being a ringleader of attacks on Sept. 11, 2012.

U.S. special forces captured him in Libya during a nighttime raid two weeks ago, and he was transported to the U.S. aboard a Navy ship, where he was interrogated by federal agents. He was flown by military helicopter to Washington.

Prosecutors have yet to reveal details about their case, although the broad outlines are in a two-page indictment unsealed Saturday.

He pleaded not guilty to a single conspiracy charge punishable by up to life in prison, but the Justice Department expects to bring additional charges soon that could be more substantial and carry more dire consequences.

For instance, a three-count criminal complaint filed last year and unsealed after his capture charged Abu Khattala with killing a person during an attack on a federal facility — a crime that carries the death penalty.

His capture revived a debate on how to treat suspected terrorists from foreign countries, as criminal defendants with the protections of the U.S. legal system or as enemy combatants who should be interrogated for intelligence purposes and put through the military tribunal process at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

"If we're doing to do this for everybody engaged in terrorism around the world, we'd better start building prisons by the dozens," Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union."

He questioned the "sheer expense, the manpower, the planning" in preparing this criminal case.

The Justice Department considers that discussion moot.

Though a 2009 plan to prosecute several Guantanamo Bay detainees in New York City was aborted because of political opposition, Holder has said successful terrorism cases in U.S. courts — most recently the March conviction in New York of Osama bin Laden's son-in-law — shows the civilian justice system's capability to handle such defendants.

Experts say the Justice Department would not have embarked on Abu Khattala's capture and prosecution if it didn't feel comfortable after the case. Even so, cases like these are never easy.

Witnesses and evidence must be gathered from a hostile foreign country, and some of the evidence may be derived from classified information.

Any trial that occurs would take place years after the attack, raising concerns of foggy memories.

The case is being handled in Washington, where there's less established case law on terrorism prosecutions than in New York, which more regularly has handled this kind of case.

Also, defense lawyers invariably will raise questions about Abu Khattala's handling, including his interrogation aboard the ship and the point at which he was advised of his Miranda rights.

A U.S. official has said Abu Khatalla was read his Miranda rights at some point during the trip and continued talking. Rogers described him as "compliant but not cooperative."

"There's a whole host of challenges the government faces in this case," said David Laufman, a Washington attorney and former Justice Department national security lawyer. "We don't have transparency into how they are grappling with them or how they have or overcome some or all of them. This will not be an easy case to present."

No matter how the case proceeds, the political backdrop will be unavoidable.

The rampage in Benghazi on the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks has long been a politically divisive issue, fueled by dueling and bipartisan accusations.

Republicans have criticized the response by Clinton, then the secretary of state, to the attacks. The GOP has accused the White House of misleading the American public and playing down a terrorist attack in the weeks before the 2012 presidential election. The White House has accused Republicans of politicizing the violence.

Multiple investigations and the release of tens of thousands of pages of documents have done little to quell the dispute.

It's not clear whether the court case will resolve those questions. But, said Laufman, the legal issues alone will make it "fascinating to watch the case unfold."

RECIFE, Brazil (AP) — Ben Williams sacrificed his salary as a teacher for six months so he could prepare for the World Cup. On Sunday, it paid off. Williams became the first Australian referee to control a second-round match at a World Cup during the game between Costa Rica and Greece.

So the match provided a first for three countries — Costa Rica and Greece had never previously qualified for the knockout stages at the sport's marquee tournament.

The 37-year-old Williams is usually a teacher at a government school in Canberra, the national capital. He handled two group matches in Brazil.

Before the tournament, he told the domestic media that he didn't mind taking unpaid leave from his day job to chase a dream.

"It's a bit strange to see the fortnightly pay slip come through with all zeroes, but it's a sacrifice that's definitely worth it for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Williams told reporters.

He had a busy day Sunday, sending off Costa Rica's Oscar Duarte in the 66th minute, along with seven yellow cards.

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WINNING TRADITION

SAO PAULO (AP) — Sao Paulo Futebol Clube players run onto the field to AC/DC's "Hell's Bells." It's apparently a favorite of longtime captain Rogerio Ceni.

This team has a storied history in its sprawling city and an entire room filled with trophies to show for it.

Players stop to pray beneath a crucifix in their warmup area at Cicero Pompeu de Toledo Stadium, more commonly called Morumbi after its surrounding neighborhood.

A wall of accomplished Sao Paulo FC players from the Selecao's past World Cup winners is adjacent to a statue of the team's bearded, halo-wearing uniformed mascot, Saint Paul.

There's little chance of players losing their lockers: Each space has a giant poster of its occupant with his name.

And it's only fitting that on one side of the 67,000-seat stadium, the street is called Avenida Jules Rimet after the president of FIFA from 1921-54 whose name was on the original World Cup trophy. The trophy was used through 1970, when it was retired after Brazil's third win, and later disappeared.

— By Janie McCauley — www.twitter.com/JanieMcCAP

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MARKING HISTORY

RECIFE, Brazil (AP) — A short walk from the World Cup Fan Fest site in a neighborhood known as "Recife Antiga," or "Old Recife," is a cobblestone street called Rua do Bom Jesus.

In the middle of the block is a two-story, tan-painted stucco building with arched windows and doors that has been an attraction for those interested in religious history — Jewish history, in particular.

The building sits upon the ruins of what is widely accepted to have been the first synagogue built in the Americas.

In fact, the first Jewish community in New York was comprised of the same people who prayed at Kahal Zur Israel, near the port of Recife, in the first half of the 1600s, but who were forced out when Portuguese colonists retook power in the area from the Dutch (and changed the name of the street once called Roa dos Judeus.)

The building is now a Jewish memorial and cultural center. It was restored to look much as the synagogue would have when it was the center of Jewish life in Recife. The restoration also includes viewing areas of ruins discovered below ground level, including a ritual bath called a mikvah.

Recife was initially settled by the Portuguese in the 1530s, but the Dutch invaded in 1630 and ruled the region for 24 years. It was during this period that Jews who had previously settled in Amsterdam, many of them of Portuguese descent, began moving to Recife for business and religious purposes.

— By Brett Martel — www.twitter.com/brettmartel

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CELEBRATION TO SADNESS

SAO PAULO (AP) — Mario Alejandro Barrientos hid his hurt over Mexico's World Cup elimination beneath the brim of a humongous sombrero.

Barrientos, a 28-year-old from Guanajuato, had planned on spending Sunday night celebrating a Mexico win with friend Moses Villaba. The Netherlands changed his fortunes with a 2-1 comeback victory.

"I feel terrible right now. My heart hurts. Too close, too close," Barrientos said in English, then added in Spanish, "Muy triste," or so sad.

Fighting tears, he added, "Ten minutes earlier I was almost celebrating for Mexico to move on. Now, no," while giving a thumbs down sign.

Barrientos and Villaba watched the last moments of the heartbreaker in a taxi before checking in to their Sao Paulo hotel.

"We were going to go out and celebrate," said Villaba, from Tijuana. "Now it's going to be sad."

— By Janie McCauley and Aron Heller — www.twitter.com/JanieMcCAP — www.twitter.com/aronhellerap

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VIEWING PARTY

RECIFE, Brazil (AP) — A gas station in rural northeastern Brazil turned into an impromptu World Cup viewing party.

Fans headed to the match between Costa Rica and Greece had to leave early: Arena Pernambuco is more than 15 kilometers from the tourist beach of Boa Viagem. The trip can take a good hour-and-a-half on public transportation.

The problem is fans wanted to watch Sunday's early match between the Netherlands and Mexico, which determined the next opponent for the winner of the game in Recife. So many arrived early and walked a mile to the nearest highway to find a gas station with a 42-inch TV.

Quickly, some 200 people had gathered there— Mexicans, Brazilians, Costa Ricans, Dutch. Locals began grilling hot dogs and chicken for the fans, and the gas station closed service for cars and instead set out picnic tables for the foreign visitors.

— By Adriana Gomez Licon — www.twitter.com/agomezlicon

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SIZZLING SUN

FORTALEZA, Brazil (AP) — As the shadows shifted across the Arena Castelao, sections of stands emptied and filled during Sunday's round of 16 match between the Netherlands and Mexico. With an early afternoon start on a hot, muggy day in northeastern Brazil, many fans abandoned their seats when the sun beat down on them in an otherwise full stadium.

Referee Pedro Proenca briefly halted play just after the 30-minute mark for a cooling break, allowing both teams to rehydrate.

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DOGGY SUPPORT

SAO PAULO (AP) — With Sao Paulo gripped in World Cup fever, all sorts of people are adorned in yellow and green Brazil team gear. But dogs?

At Parque Trainon, dog owners appear to have imposed their loyalties on their four-legged friends. Dogs of all shapes and sizes have been spotted with Brazilian flags around their collars, capes over the shoulders, even hats wrapped around their floppy ears.

One canine, 4-year-old Nino, had a blue Brazil outfit wrapped around his small body. His owner said it was to protect against a rash. But she had no medical excuse for the baseball cap over his head. It was her son's idea of showing support after Brazil won a penalty shootout with Chile.

Nino's Sunday morning playmate, a 6-year-old mutt named Nina, had more straightforward attire: a plain yellow jumper featuring Neymar's No. 10.

"I think it's cute," said her owner, Luiza Jatoba, 54. "It's in honor of the World Cup. These days it's the only thing we think about."

— By Aron Heller — www.twitter.com/aronhellerap

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Associated Press reporters will be filing dispatches about happenings in and around Brazil during the 2014 World Cup. Follow AP journalists covering the World Cup on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Sports/world-cup-2014

India's new prime minister, Narendra Modi, says he has been denied the "honeymoon" period that new governments traditionally enjoy. Just one month after taking office, he has also asserted that he has defied expectations and secured a firm grip on India's sprawling government.

Given the groundswell of expectation and anxiety surrounding Modi's ascent, there's been unusual attention given to his first 30 days. His decisive victory came despite controversial allegations that he stood by as Hindu-Muslim riots engulfed parts of the western state of Gujarat in 2002, when he was chief minister.

"Forget [a] hundred days; the series of allegations began in less than a hundred hours," Modi rued in his blog marking his first four weeks.

Indian Express opinion editor Vandita Mishra says Modi's no-honeymoon lament suggests he's carried over "a sense of siege and conspiracies" nurtured in his 12 years as Gujarat chief minister. Mishra says, "Antagonistic relations between Modi and the media are still a work in progress."

However, there is no disputing that Modi has taken the reins of power with gusto, in sharp contrast to his predecessor, Manmohan Singh, who was thought to have suffered from acute indecisiveness.

Modi has issued a 10-point agenda to improve everything from the economy, transparency and confidence in India's ordinarily truculent bureaucracy. The proposed changes have been cheered by the Indian public tired of a rudderless government and yearning for "Acche Din," or the "Good Days," which Modi promised to bring about in his campaign.

Modi began with housekeeping — literally. The prime minister, as fastidious in his dress as his daily regimen, targeted slovenliness in government offices.

Flea-ridden monkeys frequently grace the windowsills and staircases of ministry buildings. Discarded furniture, rotting files and dirty bathrooms often line the corridors. Complying with Modi's orders to clean up, bureaucrats have snapped to, with old computers, broken chairs and steel cabinets piled high and hauled off to the junk yard.

Surveying a table stacked with files, one reluctant senior bureaucrat said, "There is a fear that I may lose a document, which could prove fatal."

Modi's blistering pace also has ministerial secretaries — the top-ranking civil servants — rushing to keep up. His preference for using Hindi has some bureaucrats burning the midnight oil to please the boss and perfect the language. While English remains well-entrenched in Indian officialdom, many Hindu nationalists have a visceral loathing of English and identify it with India's colonial past.

But mandating Hindi is emotionally charged in India, and Modi's government has touched off a furor in a country where 22 languages are recognized in the constitution. The government has beaten a diplomatic retreat.

With neighboring Pakistan, Modi and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif bonded on day one over their mothers. The two men exchanged a shawl and a sari for their mothers to the delight of Twitter-sphere that gushed about the "sari diplomacy" between the two nuclear-armed rivals in the hopes it would reset relations.

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