Masked robbers steal $50M in diamonds at airport

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: Thieves were dressed like police and threatened air crew at gunpoint, prosecutor says


• Team of eight takes only minutes to steal the rough and polished stones from a plane's cargo hold


• They breached the periphery and sped off with their haul in 2 vehicles, the spokesman says


• The stones were en route from Antwerp to Zurich, Switzerland, Antwerp diamond center says

(CNN) -- Night had fallen. Some 20 airplane passengers had taken their seats for the short hop from Brussels, Belgium, to Zurich, Switzerland.

Unknown to them, a precious cargo was being loaded into the airplane hold along with their suitcases: $50 million in rough and polished diamonds.

But the diamonds would never reach their final destination.

Shortly before 8 p.m. Monday, eight masked men in two vehicles burst through the perimeter fence of Brussels Airport and sped toward the aircraft on the tarmac.

The men, who authorities said wore clothing resembling police uniforms, were heavily armed.

While no shots were fired and no one was injured, the pilot, co-pilot and a transport security guard were all threatened at gunpoint, said Ine Van Wymersch, of the Public Prosecutor's Office in Brussels.

Within three minutes, the thieves had snatched the diamonds from the hold, said airport spokesman Jan Van der Cruysse.

Drag queens, fake beards and chocolates: Notable diamond heists

Moments later they left the scene, racing out through the same breach in the airport periphery through which they had entered.

The robbers, four in each car, had broken a hole in the fence where it ran between two construction sites, Van Wymersch told a news conference.

"This was a very precise, almost military-organized and well-executed robbery," Van der Cruysse said.

He said it was a "big surprise" that such a slick heist been possible -- but pointed the finger at organized crime.

"We are an airport that is, as all international airports are, subject to very strict aviation security and safety regulations," he said.

The aircraft targeted was a regular passenger flight operated by Helvetic Airways on behalf of Swiss, Switzerland's national airline.

It's not yet clear how the thieves knew that the diamonds would be on board.

But this was not a chance hold-up, said Van Wymersch, describing the men involved as "professionals."

Antwerp, the city known as the world's diamond-cutting capital, lies only about 25 miles away from Brussels.

The Antwerp World Diamond Centre has on average $200 million in stones coming in and out daily, and it takes security very seriously, a spokesman told CNN.

He was unable to confirm reports that gold and platinum were stolen along with the diamonds.

It's not the first time that Antwerp's centuries-old diamond trade has been targeted.

The city was the scene of a spectacular robbery in 2003 when thieves made off with the contents of more than 100 safes at the diamond center. Those gems were never recovered.

Some 34,000 jobs in the city are connected to the diamond trade, according to the Antwerp World Diamond Centre, from mining company representatives to dealers to the craftsmen who polish the stones.

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Police identify gunman in LA freeway shooting spree

Investigators stand next to a tarp covered body in Orange, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013. Police say a chaotic 25-minute shooting spree through Orange County left a trail of dead and injured victims before the shooter killed himself.

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AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

(CBS/AP) TUSTIN, Calif. - Southern California law enforcement authorities have identified the gunman in an unexplained shooting rampage as a 20-year-old unemployed part-time student named Ali Syed.

Tustin police Chief Scott Jordan says Syed lived at the Ladera Ranch residence where the first victim was slain.

Orange County sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino says that victim is a young woman in her 20s who has not been identified and is not related to the shooter.

The rampage early Tuesday left several wounded and four dead, including the shooter who killed himself.

Police say after killing the first victim in Ladera Ranch, the gunman headed north and within 30 minutes carjacked a Dodge pickup truck in Tustin, about 20 miles away. The driver was uninjured, but a bystander was hit by gunfire and taken to a hospital.

Tustin police Chief Scott Jordan said Syed stated to one carjacking victim: "I don't want to hurt you. I killed somebody. Today is my last day."

The suspect then began firing at vehicles in the area where Interstate 5 and State Route 55 connect.

Three people reported being targeted, including one who suffered a minor injury, Tustin police Lt. Paul Garaven said. Two cars were damaged.

When the truck he was driving got low on gas, the gunman stopped at State Route 55 and McFadden Avenue in Santa Ana, stole a BMW and killed the driver, Bertagna said.

The shooter then drove to a Tustin business called Micro Center and carjacked another small truck, killing one person and wounding another, Garaven said.

Officers trailed the gunman to Orange, a city about five miles away.

As they closed in, Syed got out of the vehicle at a busy intersection and shot himself, police said.

A shotgun was recovered at the scene.

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Report Fingers Chinese Military Unit in US Hacks

A Virginia-based cyber security firm has released a new report alleging a specific Chinese military unit is likely behind one of the largest cyber espionage and attack campaigns aimed at American infrastructure and corporations.

In the report, released today by Mandiant, China's Unit 61398 is blamed for stealing "hundreds of terabytes of data from at least 141 organizations" since 2006, including 115 targets in the U.S. Twenty different industrial sectors were targeted in the attacks, Mandiant said, from energy and aerospace to transportation and financial institutions.

Mandiant believes it has tracked Unit 61398 to a 12-story office building in Shanghai that could employ hundreds of workers.

"Once [Unit 61398] has established access [to a target network], they periodically revisit the victim's network over several months or years and steal broad categories of intellectual property, including technology blueprints, proprietary manufacturing processes, test results, business plans, pricing documents, partnership agreements, and emails and contact lists from victim organizations' leadership," the report says.

The New York Times, which first reported on the Mandiant paper Monday, said digital forensic evidence presented by Mandiant pointing to the 12-story Shangai building as the likely source of the attacks has been confirmed by American intelligence officials. Mandiant was the firm that The Times said helped them investigate and eventually repel cyber attacks on their own systems in China last month.

Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images

The Chinese government has repeatedly denied involvement in cyber intrusions and Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said today that the claims in the Mandiant report were unsupported, according to a report by The Associated Press.

"To make groundless accusations based on some rough material is neither responsible nor professional," he reportedly said.

Mandiant's report was released a week after President Obama said in his State of the Union address that America must "face the rapidly growing threat from cyber attack."

"We know hackers steal people's identities and infiltrate private e-mail. We know foreign countries and companies swipe our corporate secrets. Now our enemies are also seeking the ability to sabotage our power grid, our financial institutions, and our air traffic control systems. We cannot look back years from now and wonder why we did nothing in the face of real threats to our security and our economy," he said.

Though Obama did not reference China or any country specifically, U.S. officials have previously accused the Asian nation of undertaking a widespread cyber espionage campaign.

Referring to alleged Chinese hacking in October 2011, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) said in an open committee meeting that he did not believe "that there is a precedent in history for such a massive and sustained intelligence effort by a government agency to blatantly steal commercial data and intellectual property."

Rogers said that cyber intrusions into American and other Western corporations by hackers working on behalf of Beijing -- allegedly including attacks on corporate giants like Google and Lockheed Martin -- amounted to "brazen and widespread theft."

"The Chinese have proven very, very good at hacking their way into very large American companies that spend a lot of money trying to protect themselves," cyber security expert and ABC News consultant Richard Clarke said in an interview last week.

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Borneo tension linked to rebel deal

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• More than 100 Filipinos arrived by boat on the Malaysian coast last week


• They say they represent a sultanate that once ruled the area


• The move seems to be a response to a recent peace deal in the Philippines


• The leaders of the sultanate appear to have felt left out of the accord, an expert says

(CNN) -- The peculiar standoff on Borneo between Malaysian security forces and a group of men from the southern Philippines has its roots in a recent landmark peace deal between Manila and Muslim rebels, according to an expert on the region.

More than 100 men from the mainly Muslim southern Philippines came ashore in the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo early last week demanding to be recognized as representatives of a sultanate that has historical claims on the area.

Their claims touch on an unresolved territorial question between the Philippines and Malaysia, as well as Manila's efforts to improve relations with Islamic insurgents in the country's south after decades of violence.

Malaysian police and armed forces soon surrounded the village in the eastern Sabah district of Lahad Datu where the men had gathered. Police officials said they were negotiating with the group in an effort to persuade its members to return to their homes in the Philippines peacefully.

The Philippine government also urged them to come back to the country, saying it hadn't authorized their voyage. There was no indication of a resolution to the standoff on Monday.

The men claim to be the Royal Army of the Sultanate of Sulu, which once encompassed Sabah, and say they don't want their people to be sent away from the area, Malaysian authorities said. There are conflicting claims about to what extent the men are armed.

Eroded power

Over the weekend, comments appeared in the news media from representatives of the sultanate, whose power is now largely symbolic, saying that their followers who had gone to Sabah planned to stay where they were.

"Nobody will be sent to the Philippines. Sabah is our home," Jamalul Kiram, a member of the sultanate's ruling family, told reporters in Manila on Sunday, according to Agence France-Presse.

The sultanate's claim to Sabah plays a long-standing and important role in the Philippine government's relationship with the country's Muslim minority and with neighboring Malaysia, said Julkipli Wadi, the dean of the Institute of Islamic Studies at the University of the Philippines.

Established in the 15th century, the Sultanate of Sulu became an Islamic power center in Southeast Asia that at one point ruled Sabah.

But the encroachment of Western colonial powers, followed by the emergence of the Philippines and Malaysia as independent nation states, steadily eroded the sultanate's power, according to Wadi.

It became "a sultanate without a kingdom" to rule over, he said. Sulu is now a province within the Republic of the Philippines.

But the sultanate has nonetheless retained influence over some people in the southern Philippines and Sabah who still identify themselves with it, according to Wadi.

Excluded from a peace deal

The members of the sultanate's royal family, although riven by internal disputes over who the rightful sultan is today, appear to have felt isolated by the provisional accord signed in October by the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which has fought for decades to establish an independent Islamic state in southern Philippines.

Malaysia, a mainly Muslim country, helped facilitate the agreement.

Kiram was cited by AFP as saying that the sultanate's exclusion from the deal, which aims to set up a new autonomous region to be administered by Muslims, prompted the decision to send the men to Sabah this month.

Dispatching the boat loads of followers to Lahad Datu served to make the sultanate's presence felt, according to Wadi.

"The whole aim is not to create conflict or initiate war, it is just to position themselves and make governments like Malaysia and the Philippines recognize them," he said.

Historical ties

The economic, cultural and historical links between Sabah and the nearby Philippines islands, as well as the porous nature of the border between the two, means that many of the Filipino men have friends and relatives in Lahad Datu.

But the historical connection still fuels tensions between Malaysia and the Philippines, with Manila retaining a "dormant claim" to Sabah through the Sultanate of Sulu, according to the CIA World Factbook.

According to the official Philippine News Agency, Manila still claims much of the eastern part of Sabah, which was leased to the British North Borneo Company in 1878 by the Sultanate of Sulu. In 1963, Britain transferred Sabah to Malaysia, a move that the sultanate claimed was a breach of the 1878 deal.

Malaysia still pays a token rent to the sultanate for the lease of Sabah, according to Wadi.

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Football: Nani propels United into FA Cup quarter-finals

MANCHESTER, United Kingdom: Nani scored one and made the other as Manchester United beat Reading 2-1 to book their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals here on Monday.

The Portuguese winger was only brought on as a substitute because of a first-half injury to Phil Jones but he certainly made his mark with a powerful second-half strike before setting up Javier Hernandez with a pinpoint cross.

United will now face the winner of Chelsea and Middlesbrough in the quarter-finals as Alex Ferguson's side continue to challenge for trophies on three fronts despite a late scare when Jobi McAnuff pulled one back for Reading.

"I'm satisfied with the quality of our play," said Ferguson, who made eight changes to the side that drew 1-1 with Real Madrid in last week's Champions League clash.

"We should have punished them better though.

"At 2-0 you are never comfortable. Nani deserved to be man of the match, his contribution was terrific. I had a feeling he would win the match for us. We are at home in the next round and we would take that against anyone."

His Reading counterpart Brian McDermott took solace from the overall performance.

"We came to Manchester United and put on a good performance as well, and we're disappointed not to be coming away with a result," said McDermott, whose side face a crucial Premier League relegation clash with fellow strugglers Wigan next Saturday.

United had come flying out of the blocks and Danny Welbeck gave Reading keeper Adam Federici his first work of the night a minute later with a low strike that was pushed away.

The Reading keeper pulled off a good save in the 22nd minute to deny Tom Cleverley's low shot before getting back on his feet to turn away Ashley Young's timid strike from close range.

Jones, after his impressive man-marking job against Cristiano Ronaldo last week, could be a doubt for the return leg in March after injuring his ankle in a clash with McAnuff and Nani replaced him.

Adam Le Fondre gave United keeper David De Gea his first work of the night with a quick turn and shot that the United keeper saved.

Nani then got straight into the action with a rasping shot that beat Federici before cracking off the post and flying away from danger.

The winger then forced the Royals stopper into a decent save in first-half stoppage time with a long-range effort.

United started the second half like the first with Cleverley trying to drill a low effort through a crowd of players before Reading cleared.

A deflected header from Vidic off Sean Morrison had to be cleared off the line by Reading striker Noel Hunt who was playing with staples in a head wound after a clash with the Serbian defender in the first half.

Reading were being pinned back as van Persie replaced Young before Nani whizzed one by the post in the 65th minute.

The Portuguese winger was certainly out to prove a point after not making the starting line-up and when Antonio Valencia laid the ball to him in the area in the 69th minute, he took a touch before rifling the ball home for just his third of the season.

Le Fondre fired at De Gea within moments but the tie was all but put beyond the visitors in the 72nd minute when Nani crossed for Hernandez who headed in at the front post.

With nine minutes remaining, Chris Smalling failed to clear a cross and McAnuff pounced to pull one back for Reading but they could not get a second to force the replay as Le Fondre headed a corner just over in stoppage time.

-AFP/ac

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Pistorius' girlfriend was alive after shooting, official says

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: Detectives are examining role of a blood-stained cricket bat, newspaper reports


• Runner Oscar Pistorius has been charged with murder in model Reeva Steenkamp's death


• Steenkamp was still alive when Pistorius carried her downstairs, an official says

Pretoria, South Africa (CNN) -- Model Reeva Steenkamp was shot four times through the bathroom door at the home of Olympian Oscar Pistorius, a South African official familiar with the case told CNN on Monday.

She was alive after she was shot and was carried downstairs by Pistorius, said the official, who was not authorized to release details to the media.

A blood-stained cricket bat has also emerged as key evidence in the case, according to the City Press newspaper of Johannesburg.

Detectives are working to determine whether the bat was used to attack Steenkamp or she used it in self-defense, the newspaper reported, citing a source with inside knowledge of the case. Detectives are also looking into the possibility that Pistorius used the bat to break down the bathroom door.

The details are the latest to emerge in the shooting death that has roiled the nation and left South Africans asking what went so terribly wrong inside the upscale Pretoria home of the man nicknamed "Blade Runner" for his lightning-fast prosthetic legs.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there were indications the 29-year-old model intended to stay the night at the house: She had an overnight bag and her iPad.

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Authorities have released little about a possible motive in the Valentine's Day shooting, while local media have reported that Pistorius had mistaken his girlfriend for an intruder. South African authorities have stressed that the scenario did not come from them, and said there was no evidence of forced entry at the home.

Police have charged Pistorius with murder, and he will appear in court Tuesday for a bail hearing. South African prosecutors have said they intend to upgrade the charge to premeditated murder, but have not released further details.

Pistorius, 26, has rejected the murder allegation "in the strongest terms," his agent said in a statement.

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Burial service

The same day Pistorius returns to court, Steenkamp will be buried in a private service in her hometown of Port Elizabeth.

Her burial Tuesday will come two days after South Africa's national broadcaster aired a pre-recorded reality TV show featuring Steenkamp discussing her exit from "Tropika Island of Treasure," on which local celebrities compete for prize money.

The decision to air the program took "much deliberation," and "this week's episode will be dedicated to Reeva's memory," said Samantha Moon, the executive producer.

The shooting has stunned South Africa, where Pistorius is a national hero as the first disabled athlete to compete in the able-bodied Olympic Games. He competed in the London Games as well as winning two gold medals in the Paralympic Games.

Headlines about the case have dominated in the days since Pistorius was arrested, though tight-lipped authorities have revealed little about what, if anything, the track star has said.

Oscar Pistorius with Reeva Steenkamp in January 2013.

Questions swirl

Reports say Pistorius and Steenkamp became an item around November and were popular in South African social circles.

The night before the shooting, Steenkamp appeared to be looking forward to Valentine's Day.

"What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow?" she asked her Twitter followers the day before. "Get excited."

Steenkamp was found in a pool of blood at Pistorius' home Thursday morning. Neighbors alerted authorities to the early morning shooting, saying they had "heard things earlier," police spokeswoman Denise Beukes has said. She did not clarify what the neighbors reported they heard.

Authorities also have not said whether Pistorius called for help.

Pictures of his walk to a police car, his head covered by a sweatshirt, have flashed repeatedly across television screens.

On Sunday, Pistorius canceled his appearances in five upcoming races.

The move is meant to help Pistorius focus on the legal proceedings and "help and support all those involved as they try to come to terms with this very difficult and distressing situation," said Peet Van Zyl of Pistorius' management company, In Site Athlete Management.

CNN's Robyn Curnow reported from South Africa; Chelsea J. Carter and Faith Karimi reported from Atlanta.

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U.S. lawmakers visit Cuba, hope for Gross release

HAVANA A high-level delegation of American lawmakers headed by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., arrived in Havana at midday on a two-day fact-finding mission that includes meetings with Cuban leaders and an expected visit with jailed U.S. contractor Alan Gross.

"We would love him [Gross] to be on the plane with us when we leave" Wednesday, said Leahy.

However, speaking individually with members of the congressional delegation it was clear that they did not expect the Cubans to release Gross during their visit.

"Every one of us has an interest in Cuba and a number of us have been here over the years," said Leahy, who led a smaller delegation here a year ago with a similar purpose.

"I feel the same way I did before," Leahy said, "I would like to see relations improve between our countries. Both countries have to take steps" to make this happen.

Leahy said that the changes in Cuba between his 1999 visit to Cuba and his visit last year showed a "quantum jump" and he is eager to see what has been happening over the last 12 months.

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Pressure builds to bring home an American jailed in Cuba

One step that the U.S. is stressing is the release of Gross who is serving a 15-year-sentence for smuggling illegal communication equipment into Cuba as part of a USAID democracy program. Leahy who met with Gross last year, noted that Gross's congressman, Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., is in the group that flew in on a military plane.

The lawmakers expect to see outgoing National Assembly President and Communist Party Political Bureau member Ricardo Alarcon and Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez. A meeting with President Raul Castro appears likely and there will be meetings with Western diplomats posted here.

The delegation that includes Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz, and Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., both of who have been visited Cuba on numerous occasions and long advocated changing U.S. policy, talked informally with a small group of reporters at the U.S. Interests Section, Washington's lone diplomatic outpost in Havana shortly after arriving.

Flake, a strong believer in free markets, has advocated lifting the U.S. trade embargo and visited the island some dozen times to promote agricultural trade.

Senate Agriculture Committee chairman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., told reporters, "There's a tremendous amount we could do if we could trade back and forth...and it would be of benefit to both countries."

Leahy said the group was not here to negotiate with the Cuban government, "we have trained diplomats here who can do that but to listen and to go back and talk to the State Department" and others in Washington.

The delegation is interesting in seeing the economic changes implemented by Castro and gauging what political changes there might be.

The delegation, the first high-level U.S. visit since President Obama's reelection last November, was asked if they thought his second term presented an opportunity for change.

"There have been opportunities in the past," said Leahy. "[President Bill] Clinton wanted to do something but the shoot down (of an exile group's flight over the island) ended that," he said. "Now I think there is not a Cold War attitude in the U.S.," and that opens the possibility of change, he concluded.

McGovern also stressed it was time for "a new and more mature policy toward Cuba", adding, "I want Alan Gross released. I want Americans to be able to travel here freely."

Some staffers suggested that there might also be steps the U.S. could take to break the 50-plus years impasse in bilateral relations such as removing Cuba from the State Department list of terrorist countries.

Also on the delegation are Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.

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ChristianMingle Date Rape Victims Sought by Cops

A suspected rapist accused of sexually assaulting a woman he met on ChristianMingle.com may have used the dating site to prey on women while he traveled across the country, California police said today.

Sean Patrick Banks, 37, a former Navy sailor, used a fake name to contact a woman who he allegedly raped in November, cops in La Mesa, Calif., said. Investigators believe that he used additional aliases to contact other women on the popular website and police hope that if there are additional victims they will recognize Banks.

Banks lives in Del Mar, Calif., and is currently unemployed but previously "travelled frequently around various spots in the U.S." for work, widening the search for potential victims from Southern California to across the country, said La Mesa Police spokesman Lt. Matt Nicholass.

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"We're looking to see if there are any other victims," Nicholass told ABCNews.com. "We're trying to locate other victims who recognize him by his face, because they may not know his real name is Sean."

Cops accuse Banks of posing on the site as "Rylan Butterwood" and "Rylan Harbough."

His alleged use of fake names complicated police efforts to track him down after a La Mesa woman accused him of rape at her home in November on their first face-to-face date.

"La Mesa police tried to identify him for a couple of months," Nicholass said, adding that a break in the case came after ChristianMingle.com turned over computer records that helped cops identify Banks.

Banks was charged with two counts of rape and pleaded not guilty. He posted bond of $500,000 and was released. Calls to several numbers associated with Banks were not returned. Authorities did not know if he had obtained an attorney.

"We continue to assist the La Mesa police department with its investigation in every way possible. The safety and security of our members is extremely important to us," ChristianMingle.com said in a statement through spokeswoman Arielle Schechtman. "In addition to having experts manually review all profile content and photos, we have developed several proprietary, automated tools to ensure the highest possible level of safety and privacy for our communities."

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Model: Getting what I don't deserve

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Model Cameron Russell's TED Talk has been viewed more than a million times


• She says, as winner of "genetic lottery," she has been able to have a modeling career


• Her looks fit a narrow definition of beauty, she says


• Russell: I work hard but my modeling career gives my views undeserved attention

Editor's note: Cameron Russell has been a model for brands such as Victoria's Secret, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Benetton and has appeared in the pages of Vogue, Harpers Bazaar and W. She spoke at TEDx MidAtlantic in October. TED is a nonprofit dedicated to "ideas worth spreading" which it makes available through talks posted on its website.

(CNN) -- Last month the TEDx talk I gave was posted online. Now it has been viewed over a million times. The talk itself is nothing groundbreaking. It's a couple of stories and observations about working as a model for the last decade.

I gave the talk because I wanted to tell an honest personal narrative of what privilege means.

I wanted to answer questions like how did I become a model. I always just say, " I was scouted," but that means nothing.

The real way that I became a model is that I won a genetic lottery, and I am the recipient of a legacy. What do I mean by legacy? Well, for the past few centuries we have defined beauty not just as health and youth and symmetry that we're biologically programmed to admire, but also as tall, slender figures, and femininity and white skin. And this is a legacy that was built for me, and it's a legacy that I've been cashing in on.

Some fashionistas may think, "Wait. Naomi. Tyra. Joan Smalls. Liu Wen." But the truth is that in 2007 when an inspired NYU Ph.D. student counted all the models on the runway, of the 677 models hired, only 27, or less than four percent, were non-white.

Usually TED only invites the most accomplished and famous people in the world to give talks. I hoped telling a simple story -- where my only qualification was life experience (not a degree, award, successful business or book) -- could encourage those of us who make media to elevate other personal narratives: the stories of someone like Trayvon Martin, the undocumented worker, the candidate without money for press.

Instead my talk reinforced the observations I highlighted in it: that beauty and femininity and race have made me the candy of mass media, the "once you pop you just can't stop" of news.

In particular it is the barrage of media requests I've had that confirm that how I look and what I do for a living attracts enormous undeserved attention.

Do I want a TV show? Do I want to write a book? Do I want to appear in a movie? Do I want to speak to CNN, NBC, NPR, the Times of India, Cosmo, this blogger and that journal? Do I want to speak at this high school, at that college, at Harvard Law School or at other conferences?

TED.com: A teen just trying to figure it out

I am not a uniquely accomplished 25-year-old. I've modeled for 10 years and I took six years to finish my undergraduate degree part-time, graduating this past June with honors from Columbia University. If I ever had needed to put together a CV it would be quite short. Like many young people I'd highlight my desire to work hard.

But hard work is not why I have been successful as a model. I'm not saying I'm lazy. But the most important part of my job is to show up with a 23-inch waist, looking young, feminine and white. This shouldn't really shock anyone. Models are chosen solely based on looks. But what was shocking to me is that when I spoke, the way I look catapulted what I had to say on to the front page.

Even if I did give a good talk, is what I have to say more important and interesting than what Colin Powell said? (He spoke at the same event and his talk has about a quarter of the view count.)

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Like many young people I believe I have potential to make a positive impact in the world. But if I speak from a platform that relies on how I look, I worry that I will not have made room for anyone else to come after me. I will have reinforced that beauty and race and privilege get you a news story. The schoolteacher without adequate support, the domestic worker without rights, they won't be up there with me.

So what do I do? I am being handed press when good press for important issues is hard to come by. These outlets are the same outlets that spent two years not reporting a new drone base in Saudi Arabia while press in the UK covered it.

They are the same organizations that have forgotten New Orleans and forgotten to follow up on contractors who aren't fulfilling their responsibilities there -- important not only for the people of NOLA, but also for setting a precedent for the victims of Sandy, and of the many storms to come whose frequency and severity will rise as our climate changes.

TED. com: Amy Tan on where creativity hides

Should I tell stories like these instead of my own? I don't feel like I have the authority or experience to do so.

How can we change this cycle? The rise of the Internet and the camera phone have started to change what stories are accessible. And we now have the ability to build more participatory media structures. The Internet often comes up with good answers to difficult questions. So I ask: How can we build media platforms accessible to a diversity of content creators?

On a personal note, what should I talk about? Do I refuse these offers outright because of my lack of experience, because I'm not the right person to tell the stories that are missing from the media? Can I figure out a way to leverage my access to bring new voices into the conversation? Right now I'm cautiously accepting a few requests and figuring out what it all means.

I'm listening, tweet me @cameroncrussell

Follow @CNNOpinion on Twitter.

Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Cameron Russell.

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Football: 10-man Real clinch fourth home win in row

MADRID: Real Madrid recorded their fourth consecutive home league victory with a 2-0 win over Rayo Vallecano on Sunday despite playing for 72 minutes with 10 men.

Alvaro Morata and Sergio Ramos got the goals in the opening 12 minutes but Ramos' night took a turn for the worse just six minutes later when he saw two harsh yellow cards in quick succession.

Despite their numerical advantage though Rayo failed to create too many clear-cut chances and their best effort was comically blocked by their own player as Leo Baptistao failed to evade Piti's driven shot towards goal.

Before the game much had been made of the fact that Rayo's Piti and Leo had scored more league goals than Madrid's two leading strikers Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema.

With Higuain suspended, Jose Mourinho choose to start Morata and leave Benzema on the bench.

Three minutes in and the Portuguese was vindicated as Mesut Ozil's cut-back was turned in by the 20-year-old from close range.

Kaka then fired wide with a good opening but Rayo should also have been level inside seven minutes as Chori Dominguez was played in by Roberto Trashorras after Pepe had given the ball away and the Argentine's shot whistled just past Diego Lopez's far post.

Everything seemed to be going to plan for the hosts five minutes later though as Ramos outmuscled his marker to head home Ozil's free-kick.

However, Ramos then saw two yellow cards in barely 30 seconds as he first brought down Trashorras and then was harshly dismissed when a cross from the left struck his trailing arm.

Rayo almost took advantage straight away as Alejandro Galvez headed just over from the resulting free-kick.

Madrid were soon back on the attack and Cristiano Ronaldo uncharacteristically missed a great chance to make it three as he latched onto another fine Ozil through ball but just left himself too tight an angle after rounding Ruben in the Rayo goal and could only find the side-netting.

Rayo had plenty of possession as they tried to make their man advantage count but the best chance they carved out before the break fell to Trashorras and he blasted over from the edge of the area.

Jordi Figueras also fired over from a corner at the start of the second period but the visitors were still struggling to make their possession count and it was Madrid who were next to threaten as Kaka pulled a shot wide and Sami Khedira also saw an effort comfortably held by Ruben.

Lass Bangoura fired into the side-netting as Rayo continued to probe, but their evening in front of goal was summed up when Piti's goal-bound effort was blocked by his own man Leo.

The home fans were then incensed when Lass wasn't shown a second yellow card for handling in a similar manner to Ramos and referee Jose Luis Paradas Romero's decision not to sent the Guinean off nearly became even more controversial as his cross was almost converted by Leo at the back post with 12 minutes remaining.

Try as they might though Rayo couldn't find a way through as Real held on to cut the gap on Atletico Madrid in second to four points with Barcelona a further 12 clear at the top of the table.

Atletico Madrid moved back to within 12 points of Barcelona a comfortable 3-0 win over Valladolid.

Radamel Falcao got the visitors off to the perfect start with his 20th league goal of the season as he pounced from a yard after Dani Hernandez had made a fine save to deny Diego Godin.

Diego Costa then made it 2-0 seven minutes into the second-half as he smashed home Koke's knockdown and Cristian Rodriguez rounded off a first away win in six league games for Diego Simeone's men in stoppage time.

-AFP/ac

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