LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The new John Fogerty album features the former Creedence Clearwater Revival singer teaming up with top names in country and rock music, along with some R&B flavor, for a fresh take on his most popular songs.

Fogerty, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with his Creedence band mates in 1993, told Reuters his wife came up with the collaborative concept behind "Wrote a Song for Everyone," which was released Tuesday on Fogerty's 68th birthday.

"She suggested getting all my favorite artists to do various songs, and it seemed like a great idea - to do fresh arrangements and interpretations of them," Fogerty said.

The 14-track album, Fogerty's ninth solo studio album and first since 2009's "The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again," revamps some of his biggest hits from both Creedence Clearwater Revival and his solo work, along with some new tracks.

The album includes collaborations with rockers Foo Fighters, country singers Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert and Brad Paisley and R&B singer Jennifer Hudson, who was accompanied by blues musician Allen Toussaint on one of Fogerty's best known hits, 1969's "Proud Mary."

"Wrote a Song for Everyone" took Fogerty, who also served as producer, two years to complete, and he compared the logistics to lining up so many guests to a "military-style operation."

"It's remarkably hard to get 14 different artists organized, as they're all busy with their own careers, touring and recording," Fogerty said. "Everyone wanted to do it but I had no idea it'd be so difficult."

The hardest artist to pin down was country singer Alan Jackson, who ended up on the 1971 track "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?"

'THE MUSIC STILL SOUNDS GOOD'

"I was very happily surprised when he said yes," Fogerty said. "Some of the artists who I know, like Bob Seger, I could just call up and get an answer right away. But even if you're friends, you don't want to put anyone on the spot. So you put the idea out there and let it simmer for a while."

Fogerty let his guest artists select the song they wanted to record with him and spin their own interpretation of it.

The album was recorded at studios in Los Angeles, New Orleans and Nashville, Tennessee. Creedence's 1969 Vietnam War-era anthem "Fortunate Son" was recorded with Foo Fighters at their 606 studio in Los Angeles, which was the subject of recent documentary, "Sound City."

Along with gearing up for the album's release, Fogerty found time to join the Rolling Stones on a rendition of "It's All Over Now" at their May 8 San Jose show.

Fogerty said he and Stones guitarist Keith Richards had kept in touch over the years and he recently helped Mick Jagger add handclaps to some tracks that were never released from the recording sessions for the 1978 album "Some Girls."

"When they asked me to do the show, I was thrilled - especially as I've always been a huge fan and one of the first times I ever saw them was playing a show in San Jose in 1966," Fogerty said.

Fogerty, who plans to hit the road to promote the new album this year, has an explanation for why his work and that of his contemporaries still resonates.

"I think it's down to the songs," he said. "The music still sounds good today, and my own kids listen to it. It's just never been topped."

(Editing by Eric Kelsey, Piya Sinha-Roy and Bill Trott)

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Knox, 25, spent four years in prison for the murder of Meredith Kercher while they were exchange students in Perugia, a hilltop Italian university town popular with foreigners. Knox, who became a tabloid sensation in Britain and Italy, was acquitted on appeal in 2011. She returned to her Seattle-area home, but Italy's high court last month ordered a retrial.

In the hotly anticipated memoir, published by HarperCollins and in bookstores on Tuesday, Knox maintained her innocence and wrote that she regretted that in prison she had never reached out to Kercher's family to say that the girl's death had been a "heartbreak to so many."

The memoir was released in conjunction with an interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer that is due to air on Tuesday evening.

Knox wrote that she wished she had reached out to Patrick Lumumba, a Congolese bar owner whom Knox falsely accused of the murder. Lumumba, who was briefly jailed and then cleared, said in 2011 that Knox's accusation destroyed his life.

"Naming him was unforgivable, and he didn't deserve it, but I wanted to say that it wasn't about him," Knox wrote. "I was pushed so hard that I'd have named anyone."

Knox penned letters to both, but her lawyers advised against sending them because it would hurt her legal case.

In the 457-page memoir, Knox writes of arriving in Italy at age 20 with "rookie Italian" and a penchant for "immature antics," eager to develop independence and come into her own.

Knox writes that she and Kercher bonded right away: "We did what all girls do: we talked about the guys we liked in Perugia and the ones we'd left behind."

She denies that the relationship soured and describes a friendly final encounter as Knox and her new boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, left the shared apartment hours before the murder.

Knox writes that she did not understand that she was a suspect in Kercher's murder, and believed that she could help investigators find the killer.

"I was too confused to know what the truth was," she writes at one point, after implicating Lumumba and saying she witnessed the murder.

Her "bafflement" at the situation eventually gave way to "quiet indignation and defiance," Knox writes.

"I followed their directions like a lost, pathetic child," she writes of the investigation leading up to her arrest. "I didn't question, I didn't object, I just put my head down when they told me to and trusted that this would all make sense soon."

Knox, dubbed "Foxy Knoxy" in many early media reports, was initially portrayed as promiscuous and dishonest but a lobbying campaign by her family helped change perceptions.

Kercher's half-naked body, with more than 40 wounds and a deep gash in the throat, was found in the apartment she shared with Knox in the town in central Italy. A student at Leeds University, she was 21 when she died.

The Italian high court in March also overturned the acquittal of Sollecito, Knox's former boyfriend, and ordered a new trial on a date still to be set.

The acquittal came after independent forensic experts said the police scientific evidence was deeply flawed and the investigation had been bungled.

An Ivorian drifter named Rudy Guede, was found guilty and sentenced to 16 years in a separate trial. He is now the only person serving time for the murder, although prosecutors say he could not have killed Kercher by himself.

(Reporting by Edith Honan; Editing by Paul Thomasch and Lisa Shumaker)

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bank of America Corp'sproposed $8.5 billion settlement with investors in mortgage securities that went bad during the financial crisis offers billions more than they are likely to get if they go to trial, a lawyer for the trustee who helped negotiate the deal argued Monday.

Matthew Ingber, a lawyer for Bank of New York Mellon, the trustee overseeing the securities, made the case for the deal as a long-awaiting proceeding for approval of the settlement got underway in state court in New York.

Bank of America agreed to the settlement in June 2011 to resolve the claims of investors in bonds issued by mortgage lender Countrywide Financial Corp, which Bank of America bought in 2008.

Twenty-two institutional investors, including BlackRock Inc , MetLife Incand Allianz SE'sPacific Investment Management Co entered into the settlement. American International Group Incand others have objected, saying the settlement offered them only a fraction of the money they lost.

Bank of New York Mellon, as the trustee, is asking a New York state court to approve the settlement and make it binding on all the investors.

In court on Monday, Ingber said Countrywide had a maximum of $4.8 billion in assets to pay a judgment on the claims. If the settlement is not approved, investors probably won't be able to hold Bank of America responsible for misrepresentations made by Countrywide on the quality of the underlying mortgages, he said.

"You may hear a lot from the objectors about what the trustee should have done or could have done or might have done," Ingber told Justice Barbara Kapnick, who must decide whether to approve the deal. "But, your honor, all those coulda, woulda, shoulda are irrelevant if the pot of gold isn't going to be there."

Opening arguments are set to continue on Tuesday, with Texas attorney Kathy Patrick making the case for the institutional investors who support the settlement.

The opponents are expected to argue that losses to the trusts might exceed $100 billion. They claim BNY Mellon placed its interests and those of Bank of America above those of bond holders. And they point out BNY Mellon gets trust business from Bank of America.

Colorado attorney Dan Reilly, who represents AIG, said last week the proposed deal "offers pennies on the dollar" to the bond holders.

A lawyer for the federal home loan banks of Boston, Indianapolis and Chicago is expected to join AIG in an opening statement on behalf of the objectors on Tuesday.

Ingber argued Monday that the trustee did not receive any money or a release of claims in the settlement agreement. He told Kapnick the questions she had to answer were whether the trustee entered into the deal in good faith and whether the settlement was reasonable.

"This was an easy call and it was done for all the right reasons," Ingber said. "Approval of this settlement is a win for all investors."

Kapnick has set aside the first two weeks of June to hear the case. She said that because of other cases, she will then recess until July.

A ruling could take months after the trial is completed.

The case is In re: Bank of New York Mellon, New York State Supreme Court, New York County No. 651786/2011.

(Reporting by Karen Freifeld; Editing by Eddie Evans and Lisa Shumaker)

ST PETERSBURG, Russia, May 29 (Reuters) - Athletics will get a lower share of Olympic revenues in the future after the International Olympic Committee on Wednesday recalculated the federations' revenues according to their contribution to the Games.

The 26 sports federations at the London 2012 Olympics divided up $519 million based on their IOC ranking, with athletics, the flagship sport of the Games, expected to receive around $47 million as the only one in the top earning Group A.

However, the new plan for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 revenue distribution has five categories of sports instead of four, with athletics no longer enjoying all of the Group A pot.

"Athletics will get less money than in the past. Gymnastics and swimming have moved up to Group A," Andrew Ryan, Executive Director of the Association of Summer Olympic international Federations (ASOIF) told reporters.

Under the previous breakdown, Group B sports received about $22 million each, Group C $16 million and sports in Group D about $14 million.

Like athletics, it was bad news for equestrian, handball, hockey and modern pentathlon who dropped a level and will now be getting less.

But table tennis, badminton, boxing, judo, archery, shooting and weightlifting are expected to benefit from the recalculation.

Ryan said it was not clear how much money would be made available to the federations according to their new ranking after Rio but said he did not expect a sharp jump in the overall payment to federations given most broadcast contracts - the biggest source of revenue for the IOC - had already been signed.

Federations saw a 15 percent rise in revenues from $256.1 million after the Athens 2004 Olympics to $296 million following the Beijing 2008 Games.

Far bigger broadcasting contracts mean a 75 percent rise after London.

For international athletics federation (IAAF) chief Lamine Diack, the reduced share did not change his sport's status within the Games.

"We are the only universal sport in the Games," Diack told reporters after the new groups were announced. "I have no problem with that. Gymnastics and swimming are nice sports. But why was there an Olympic stadium in London?"

"For opening and closing ceremony and athletics. We filled it for nine straight days," said Diack. "The sport that will make the Games special is athletics. We will see what will happen with the revenues."

($1 = 0.7779 euros) (Reporting by Karolos Grohmann. Editing by Patrick Johnston)

Harry Black won an incredible $31.7 million in the lottery. But the way he accomplished it is even more amazing.

As the BBC reports, .

"This is a wonderful surprise to all of us," said Kevin Gass of the British Columbia Lottery. "While it's not known how many people buy identical tickets for a draw, it is the first time in the company's recollection that we've had this unique sort of win."

The $63 million jackpot was ultimately split four ways. Meaning that if Black had used his winning numbers on just one ticket, the jackpot would have been split three ways and he would have walked away with a still whopping $20 million.

Black, 66, is not only a huge lottery winner, he's also patient. The Surrey resident has been playing the same lottery numbers since he was 31which means he waited 35 years for his enormous payday.

Black said .

For the record,were 02, 10, 17, 19, 44 and 47.

Black already knew he was holding the winning pair of tickets since April 13, but he didn't step forward to claim the jackpot until the end of May while making plans for how he'd spend the money.

After this is done, Ive got to get out of Dodge and do something I've never done in my entire life: Go on a holiday, he told CTV.

Interestingly, Black said he has no plans to retire on his winnings. Instead, hell use the proceeds from the jackpot to build a home and go on vacation. He also plans to share some of the winnings with friends and family.

"I already got enough toys, he said at the press conference where he was awarded his giant lottery check. I worked hard for them. Maybe Ill have time to play with them.

Black said hed never won more than $10 off a single ticket before. He purchased the two winning tickets at a local Chevron gas station.

(Reuters) - Louisiana's schools chief vowed on Friday to push ahead with a plan to let students take classes from private firms and nonprofits at taxpayers' expense, despite a legal setback and objections from some educators.

The Course Choice plan, which goes far beyond any other U.S. school program in letting families customize a child's education, had been thrown into doubt after the state Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that Louisiana could not divert money meant for public schools to private organizations.

State Superintendent of Education John White said he would fund the program - which was passed by the Republican-dominated legislature in 2012 - from his department's general budget instead, squeezing out an estimated $2 million by cutting back expenses such as staff travel.

Under the program, kindergarten through 12th grade students can sign up for free classes on scores of topics, ranging from remedial reading to heavy equipment operation. The classes, both online and in person, are offered by an eclectic lineup of unions, nonprofits and for-profit companies. The state picks up the tab, which averages $700 per class.

"The purpose of Course Choice is to provide every family in Louisiana with an education that meets the exact needs and interests of their child," White said.

Even for online classes, local schools would have to provide classroom space and proctors to monitor the children. Public schools would remain accountable for students' scores on state tests, even if key subjects like math and reading were taken from private vendors.

Those conditions outraged Janice Williams, superintendent of Claiborne Parish schools, who has directed her principals to try to block children from enrolling. "Course Choice is going to destroy public education as we once knew it," she said.

Officials in other school districts have also rejected many applications for Course Choice enrollments, saying some appear to be fraudulent or wildly inappropriate - a first grader signing up for high school Latin, for instance.

Two of the most aggressive recruiters, FastPath Learning and SmartStart Education LLC, promise students free tablets that they say are necessary to take the courses.

Those companies also charge among the highest tuition fees. Louisiana has agreed to pay them up to $1,370 for each course, half when the student begins work and half at completion.

Under a pilot "pay for results" program, half of the final payment for FastPath is withheld pending state math and reading tests. The company is paid only if its students perform better on state standardized tests than other children on average in the neighborhood.

(Reporting by Stephanie Simon; Editing by Scott Malone and Richard Chang)

Seventh-seeded Detroit, who eliminated No. 2 seeds Anaheim in the first round, can seal the Western semi-final series with a win over the Blackhawks in Game Five on Saturday in Chicago.

After a scoreless first period, Detroit got on the board when Jakub Kindl scored on a power play midway through the second before Daniel Cleary sealed the win with an empty net goal in the final seconds.

Detroit goaltender Jimmy Howard made 28 saves for his second-career playoff shutout.

Chicago captain Jonathan Toews' struggles continued and he took three consecutive penalties in the second period. The Red Wings scored on the second of those power play opportunities.

Toews has not scored a goal in the playoffs this season.

Chicago, who won the President's Trophy for scoring the most points in the regular season, won the opening game against Detroit but have now lost three straight.

(Reporting by Ben Everill in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

U.S. and European shares fell last week for the first time in five weeks, on fears the Federal Reserve would trim its monetary easing programme, boosting the safe-haven appeal of bullion.

Gold marked its biggest weekly percentage gain in a month last week, but is down nearly 17 percent this year, following 12 years of annual gains.

"The price hike of last week suggests that we have formed a base below $1,350," said Tim Riddell, head of ANZ Global Markets Research, Asia.

"As long as gold remains at about $1,370, the chances of a rebound back towards the $1,450 level seem to be in place."

Spot gold was up 0.4 percent at $1,391.01 an ounce by 0240 GMT, not far off its two-year low of $1,321.35 in mid-April. It is headed for its seventh monthly drop in the last eight months.

U.S. gold rose 0.25 percent to $1,390.00.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke raised the possibility of gradually reducing the Fed's bond purchases if the labor market improved in a sustainable way, and warned of risks to holding interest rates too low for too long.

But he also said he needed to see more strength in the economy before making a decision on halting stimulus.

Comments by St. Louis Fed President James Bullard that U.S. inflation would have to pick up before he voted to scale back stimulus have supported gold.

Commodity markets were subdued, with British and U.S. financial markets closed on Monday for public holidays. There is also little in the way of major economic news due out of Asia.

Japan's Nikkei share average fell 3 percent on Monday, and could endure another volatile session as investors remained on edge after last week's turbulent trade that drove the market to its worst one-day loss in two years.

The dollar slipped against the yen after posting on Friday its worst week against the yen in a year.

SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, said its holdings fell 0.24 percent to 1016.16 tonnes on Friday to the lowest in more than four years.

The 24-year-old Crusaders lock injured the ring finger of his right hand in Canterbury's 28-19 Super Rugby loss to the Chiefs at Waikato Stadium on Friday, ruling him out of action for four to six weeks.

"Sam will undergo a follow-up X-ray after which we should have a clearer picture of the injury and what that means for his return to rugby," Hansen said in a statement.

"While this is disappointing for Sam, and for the All Blacks, one man's misfortune is another man's opportunity, so we look forward to seeing that opportunity being realised."

The injury blow means the All Blacks have lost two senior locks in matter of days after Ali Williams announced his retirement on Friday.

The All Blacks host France in the first test at Auckland on June 8, followed by matches in Christchurch (June 15) and New Plymouth (June 22). (Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; Editing by John O'Brien)