EU-US data-sharing deals reviewed amid Prism scandal

A European Union team will arrive in Washington, D.C. on Monday to assess how the U.S. is using data it receives from the E.U.

As part of a scheduled review, experts from the European Commission's home affairs department will conduct an examination of the Passenger Name Record (PNR) deal and the Terrorist Finance Tracking Programme (TFTP).

The European Parliament gave its consent Thursday to the possibility of suspending the two data-sharing deals following allegations that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) bugged E.U. offices in New York and Washington. The NSA's activities have come under the spotlight following revelations about its collection of telecommunications metadata and its Prism program to collect data from a broad range of Internet services.

Parliament's resolution, which was approved by 483 votes to 98 with 65 abstentions, said that the European Commission, the Council of Ministers, and E.U. member states should consider "all levers at their disposal" in negotiations with the U.S., including suspending the current PNR and TFTP arrangements.

But on Friday, Commission Home Affairs spokesman Michele Cercone was keen to underline that the two reviews had been planned long before the current spying allegations associated with the Prism data collection system. The PNR deal entered into force on July 1, 2012, he said, and this review was scheduled.

The bilateral agreement allows U.S. authorities to use PNR data collected by airlines about passengers traveling between Europe and the U.S. to target, identify potential terrorists and terrorist weapons and prevent them from entering the country.

A similar scheme for passengers traveling within the E.U. has been proposed, but was sent back by Parliament in June due to concerns about its disproportionate and far-reaching nature.

Next week's review of the TFTP will be the third such report and all the other reports have been carried out in the same way, said Cercone on Friday. The TFTP provides the U.S. Treasury with data stored in Europe on international financial transfers.

Some members of the European Parliament (MEPs) had called for a halt of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) talks, which are also due to start on Monday, but this measure was rejected.

Meanwhile German MEP Jan Philipp Albrecht said that the current Safe Harbor Agreement between the E.U. and the U.S. should also be reviewed in light of the Prism scandal.

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'Scandal' Star Kerry Washington Secretly Weds NFL Player Nnamdi Asomugha

Kerry Washington is a new bride.

The Scandal star, 36, secretly wed her San Francisco 49ers cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, 31, on June 24 in Hailey, Idaho, according to People, which obtained a copy of their marriage license.

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The news of the wedding -- and even the relationship itself -- came as a big surprise to fans of the actress, who doesn't talk about her personal life.

According to People, the couple listed the witnesses as her parents.

A rep for Washington declined comment.

Sports gossip site Terez Owens first reported the unconfirmed news of the nuptials, claiming the couple began dating last summer. E! News was the first outlet to report it had confirmation of the wedding.

This is the first marriage for Washington, who was previously engaged to actor David Moscow. Her recent film credits include Peeples and Django Unchained.

Asomugha has appeared in such TV shows as The Game, Friday Night Lights and Leverage.

Gabrielle Union Starring in BET's Being Mary Jane After Losing Scandal Role to Kerry Wa

BET is giving Gabrielle Union her very own Scandal. The 40-year-old actress is starring in the new movie/TV series Being Mary Jane, which is set to premiere as a two-hour special on Tuesday, July 2 on BET -- and become a series in January 2014.

For Union, landing the lead role in the new BET show is a big career win. In an interview with The Associated Press, the Deliver Us From Eva actress revealed that she lost the lead role on ABC's Scandal to Kerry Washington.

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"I said to myself, 'Oh my God, these roles are out there.' It showed me that you don't have to settle. Luckily, the success of her and the show bred more work," she explained. "Just from the audition process, I knew that I couldn't go backward."

"I didn't get Scandal, but I got something better -- which is my own show," Union added. "It's all about building a legacy. This new opportunity is something I feel that can grow."

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In her new show, Union plays Mary Jane Paul, a successful TV news anchor balancing work and relationships. "If you loved me for one thing and may not have liked me in something else, this role gives the audience a chance to see that I can do more than one thing," the Think Like a Man star said.

And Union hopes that her fans will support her by watching the premiere. "It's finally here! Do. Not. Miss," she tweeted. "Being Mary Jane TONIGHT on BET at 10:30 p.m.!"

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Watch the preview for Union's Being Mary Jane above and tell Us: Will you be watching?