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| Donald Sterling agrees to allow wife to sell Clippers - USA TODAY Posted: 23 May 2014 10:13 AM PDT Donald Sterling has authorized his wife Shelly to sell the Los Angeles Clippers, and she will try to sell the team voluntarily, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports Friday on condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the talks. RECORDING: V. Stiviano explains why she taped Sterling TAX ISSUES: Questions about Sterling's boyhood home The person declined to say why Shelly Sterling decided to change her mind after previously saying she would fight to keep her 50% ownership share of the team. There are contingencies in the agreement, a second person with direct knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports. Shelly Sterling has agreed to sell the team as long as she retains a minority interest in the Clippers, according to the second person, who also requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the negotiations. It was not immediately clear whether the NBA will agree to Shelly Sterling's terms. The NBA, which banned Sterling for life on April 29, has said its move to terminate Donald Sterling's ownership would also terminate any other ownership interest in the team. A person with knowledge of her interest told USA TODAY Sports that Oprah Winfrey is still interested in putting together a bid with David Geffen and Larry Ellison. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no other announcement was being made. VIDEO: FIVE BEST CANDIDATES TO BUY CLIPPERS For The Win's Nate Scott has a list that includes Oprah and Floyd Mayweather. On Tuesday at a press conference before the draft lottery, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he was open to the idea of the Sterlings selling the team without conducting the special hearing on June 3 to terminate their ownership. "I'll only say that Mr. Sterling still owns the Los Angeles Clippers. Mrs. Sterling as I understand it through a trust owns 50% of the team, as well," Silver said. "It is their team to sell, and so he knows what the league's point of view is, and so I'm sure if he wanted to sell the team on some reasonable timetable, I'd prefer he sell it than we go through this process. … I'm open to that." The Clippers are owned by the Sterling Family Trust, in the names of Donald and Shelly Sterling. The trust will be bequeathed to their children upon death. Shelly Sterling's attorney, Pierce O'Donnell, has been in ongoing talks with the NBA as she tried to keep her stake in the team. The NBA charged Sterling with damaging the league and its teams with his racist comments and said he engaged in other conduct that hurt its relationship with fans and merchandising partners. Sterling was banned for life and fined $2.5 million by Commissioner Adam Silver after the release of a recording in which he made racist remarks. His attorney had said last week that Sterling would not pay the fine and did not warrant any punishment. PHOTOS: DONALD STERLING THROUGH THE YEARS |
| Putin: Russia will respect Ukrainians' will in presidential election - CNN Posted: 23 May 2014 10:26 AM PDT STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Kiev, Ukraine (CNN) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Russia would respect the will of the Ukrainian people when the country votes in key presidential elections this weekend. But he said Russia would be watching closely what happened as violence continues to roil the east of the country. Putin, addressing an international economic forum in St. Petersburg, also warned of a "dangerous civil war" in Ukraine. This, he said, was the result of a "state coup" carried out "with support of the West, the United States." His remarks come as the interim government in Kiev prepares to hold presidential elections Sunday to choose a successor for ousted pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych.   A man looks at a bullet shell next to a destroyed car after a gunfight between pro-Russian militiamen and Ukrainian forces in Karlivka, Ukraine, on Friday, May 23. Tensions remain high across the country's east, where pro-Russian separatists staged referendums on independence earlier this month. Crisis in Ukraine HIDE CAPTION While saying he would respect the Ukrainians' choice, Putin reiterated Russia's assertion that according to Ukraine's Constitution, Yanukovych remains the legitimate president. He also questioned whether the election should be held now given the current violence in eastern regions of the country. Russian state media cited Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov as saying Friday that Russia would decide whether or not to recognize the polls only after the vote takes place. "Let's wait for the elections first. Naturally, when Russia considers this issue (on legitimacy) we will take into account all factors," official news agency ITAR-Tass quotes Meshkov as saying. Unpaid gas bills Addressing business leaders, Putin said Russia had tried to help Ukraine in its difficult economic situation. But he said Ukraine must pay off the hefty arrears owed to Russian energy giant Gazprom for natural gas. "The risks today of delivery of the gas supply are not our fault but quite honestly, everyone understands that this is because of the transit country Ukraine, which has abused its situation," he said. "We provided Ukraine with 10 billion cubic meters of gas for free," he added. "This is not sensible; this is really stupid, and we must have limits." Asked if he could work with a Ukrainian government led by Petro Poroshenko, a billionaire businessman and seasoned politician seen as a front-runner in Sunday's election, Putin joked that he could -- if Ukraine pays the $3.5 billion it owes. Kiev and European Union leaders have urged Russia not to use the energy supply as a weapon. Putin also called for dialogue between Russia and the United States over the crisis in Ukraine, suggesting Washington had not taken Russia's interests into account until now. He was critical of the sanctions imposed on Russia by the West, warning that they would have a "boomerang" effect and hurt the United States and EU. The Russian President also suggested the U.S. sanctions could be a ploy to give American companies a competitive advantage in Europe. At the same time, Putin said he was "optimistic" the crisis in Ukraine could be resolved. And he said Russia was continuing to cooperate with the United States in areas such as anti-piracy efforts and access to Afghanistan. Putin also defended Moscow's recent disputed annexation of Crimea, saying its action had prevented violence there and ensured the "possibility of free will for the people" who chose to join Russia in a democratic referendum. Separatists, right-wing militants clash Clashes between separatists and pro-Ukrainian militants, the latter from the so-called "Donbass battalion" and far-right group Right Sector, were reported Friday morning near the town of Karlivka. According to the Donetsk state administration, one person died and nine were wounded there. The chief of staff for Right Sector, Andriy Denysenko, earlier told CNN that the pro-Ukrainian forces wanted to take down a separatist checkpoint in the area but were "attacked" by about 100 separatists. After a battle lasting about two hours, he said, most of the pro-Ukrainian forces were able to pull back to a Ukrainian military checkpoint near Krasnoarmiysk, but four remained trapped in a cafe. Pro-Ukrainian forces said they were either killed or taken hostage, Denysenko said. But he denied reports that 10 Right Sector members had been killed. Disturbances were also reported Friday in Slovyansk, a stronghold for the separatists in the eastern Donetsk region. A CNN team in Slovyansk heard about 10 explosions in what sounded like the outskirts of the town, following shelling overnight around a militant barricade. The self-declared mayor of Slovyansk, Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, has said that anyone who tries to vote in the presidential election will be arrested. Speaking with CNN, Ponomaryov also suggested that a gap had opened up between his group and fellow separatist leader Denis Pushilin in the regional capital, Donetsk. Divisions within the separatist movement are likely to make future political negotiations more difficult. In another indication of the heightened tensions, Ukraine's Border Service said Friday that its guards had thwarted another attempt by armed men illegally to bring weapons and ammunition over the border from Russia. Some Russian troops at Ukraine border may be 'packing up' Prince Charles draws fire for reportedly comparing Putin to Hitler Journalist Victoria Butenko reported from Kiev, and CNN's Laura Smith-Spark reported and wrote from London. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh and Ben Brumfield contributed to this report. |
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