Italy’s PM Silvio Berlusconi has been filmed carrying out his community service at a nursing home near Milan.
The footage shows Silvio Berlusconi dressed in a white lab coat, joking with elderly residents at the hospice.
Silvio Berlusconi, 77, was ordered in May to help out at the Sacra Famiglia center as part of his one year sentence for tax fraud.
Silvio Berlusconi was ordered to help out at the Sacra Famiglia center as part of his one year sentence for tax fraud (photo AFP)
Until now, doctors had imposed a news blackout on how exactly Silvio Berlusconi was getting on after trading his customary late night carousing with young show girls for more sedentary mornings entertaining the elderly.
The video, filmed on a smart phone, shows Silvio Berlusconi sitting in the centre’s recreation room, smiling and joking with a group of elderly residents, some in wheelchairs, before he strolls over the vending machine to chat to two younger women.
As he cracks jokes, some of the patients clap along to an old fashioned Italian accordion record being played.
The video shows Silvio Berlusconi looking relaxed and cheerful.
The French ban on wearing the Muslim full-face veil – the niqab – has been upheld by the European Court of Human Rights.
A case was brought by a 24-year-old French woman, who argued that the ban on wearing the veil in public violated her freedom of religion and expression.
French law says nobody can wear in a public space clothing intended to conceal the face. The penalty for doing so can be a 150-euro fine ($205).
The 2010 law came in under former conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy.
A breach of the ban can also mean a wearer having to undergo citizenship instruction.
France has about five million Muslims – the largest Muslim minority in Western Europe – but it is thought only about 2,000 women wear full veils.
The court ruled that the ban “was not expressly based on the religious connotation of the clothing in question but solely on the fact that it concealed the face”. The Strasbourg judges’ decision is final – there is no appeal against it.
A court statement said the ruling also “took into account the state’s submission that the face played a significant role in social interaction”.
The European Court of Human Rights has upheld the French ban on wearing the Muslim full-face veil (photo Reuters)
“The Court was also able to understand the view that individuals might not wish to see, in places open to all, practices or attitudes which would fundamentally call into question the possibility of open interpersonal relationships, which, by virtue of an established consensus, formed an indispensable element of community life within the society in question.”
Some face coverings, including motorbike helmets, are exempted from the French ban.
The woman, identified only by the initials SAS, took her case to the European Court in 2011. She said she was under no family pressure to wear the niqab, but chose to do so as a matter of religious freedom, as a devout Muslim.
France was the first European country in modern times to ban public wearing of the full-face veil. Belgium adopted a similar ban in 2011.
In Spain, the city of Barcelona and some other towns have brought in similar bans, as have some towns in Italy.
The French government argues that the ban has wide public support. The authorities see the full-face veil not only as an affront to French secular values but also as a potential security risk, as it conceals a person’s identity.
In the past, the European Court has sided with French secularism – it also ruled in favor of the government’s ban on headscarves in schools.
Exemptions from ban on public face covering:
Motorcycle helmets
Face masks for health reasons
Face covering for sporting or professional activities
Sunglasses, hats etc which do not completely hide the face
Masks used in “traditional activities”, such as carnivals or religious processions
Israel is holding the funerals of three teenagers who were abducted and murdered while hitch-hiking in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli has blamed the Palestinian militant group Hamas for the deaths.
Hamas has denied any involvement.
The teenagers’ bodies were found on Monday evening more than two weeks after the youths went missing.
Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu has said Hamas will be made to “pay” a price for the killings.
The abductions of Eyal Yifrach, Gilad Shaar and Naftali Frenkel sparked a massive search operation in Israel
Overnight, Israel launched more than 30 air strikes on facilities linked to militant groups in the Gaza Strip after 18 rockets were fired into Israel since Sunday night, the Israeli military said.
Benjamin Netanyahu, who will attend the joint funeral held for Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaar and Eyal Yifrach, said the teenagers had been “kidnapped and murdered in cold blood by animal”.
The funeral will take place from 17:30 local time at Modiin cemetery in central Israel. Modiin, which is between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, is close to the boys’ family homes.
The teenagers’ bodies were found under a pile of rocks near the Palestinian town of Halhul. An Israeli official said it appeared the youths had been shot soon after their abduction.
Israeli troops flooded into Halhul after the discovery.
Its Shin Bet security agency had named two Hamas members from Hebron – Ayoub al-Kawasma and Abu Aisheh – as suspects. The Israeli military raided the homes of both men, setting off explosives.
Palestinian witnesses said Abu Aisheh’s home was destroyed.
The disappearance of the teenagers on June 12 sparked a huge search operation in Palestinian towns and cities across the West Bank.
More than 400 Palestinians were arrested, while five were killed in fighting with Israeli troops.
Benjamin Netanyahu has said the incident is a consequence of “the partnership” between Hamas, which rejects Israel’s right to exist, and the Fatah movement of Mahmoud Abbas.
Mahmoud Abbas and Benjamin Netanyahu signed a reconciliation deal in April after years of division and formed a unity government last month.
BNP Paribas has agreed to a record $9 billion settlement with US prosecutors over allegations of sanctions violations.
As part of the deal, France’s largest bank will plead guilty to two criminal charges of breaking US sanctions against trade with Sudan, Iran and Cuba.
The bank will also be prevented from clearing certain transactions in US dollars for one year from the start of 2015.
The settlement is the largest for such a case in US history.
“Between 2004 and 2012, BNP engaged in a complex and pervasive scheme to illegally move billions through the US financial system,” said US Attorney General Eric Holder in a press conference.
In doing so, BNP Paribas “deliberately and repeatedly violated longstanding US sanctions”, he said.
Eric Holder added that he hoped the settlement would serve as a warning to other companies that did business with the US that “illegal conduct will simply not be tolerated”.
BNP Paribas has agreed to a record $9 billion settlement with US prosecutors over allegations of sanctions violations (photo Euronews)
As part of its agreement with US authorities, BNP agreed to fire and not re-hire 13 individuals who were associated with the sanctions violations.
BNP said as a result of the fine it would take an “exceptional charge” of 5.8 billion euros ($7.8 billion) in the second quarter of this year.
It said this was on top of the $1.1 billion it had already set aside to cover the cost of the US penalties.
However it said it expected “no impact on its operational or business capabilities”, and said it would post “solid results” for the second quarter.
BNP chief executive Jean-Laurent Bonnafe said resolving the issue was “an important step forward” for the bank.
“We deeply regret the past misconduct that led to this settlement,” he added.
In a conference call on Tuesday morning, Jean-Laurent Bonnafe explained that during the year in which the bank was banned from dollar clearing – converting payments from foreign currencies into US dollars – it would engage a third party to carry out the transactions.
Jean-Laurent Bonnafe added that as part of the settlement BNP Paribas would be able to keep its license to operate in the US.
The Swiss financial regulator, FINMA, also announced that it had closed its investigation into BNP Paribas operations in the country, following the US authorities’ decision.
FINMA said in a statement that BNP Paribas had “persistently and seriously violated its duty to identify, limit and monitor the inherent risks” relating to foreign transactions.
Shares in BNP Paribas rose more than 3% in morning trading, following assurances that the bank could weather the $9 billion fine.
France has been pressing the US over the size of the fine, which almost equals BNP’s entire 2013 pre-tax income of about 8.2 billion euros ($11.2 billion).
General Motors is recalling another 8.4 million cars, including 7.6 million in the US.
The vehicles are mostly cars manufactured between 1997 and 2014 and are being recalled for ignition switch defects.
Among the recalled vehicles, the US car giant says it is aware of seven crashes, eight injuries and three fatalities.
GM said it would take a charge of $1.2 billion for recall-related repairs – up from the $700 million it had previously estimated.
GM is recalling another 8.4 million cars over faulty ignition
However, GM said there was “no conclusive evidence” that the switch defects directly caused the crashes.
GM CEO Mary Barra said in a statement: “We undertook what I believe is the most comprehensive safety review in the history of our company because nothing is more important than the safety of our customers.”
“Our customers deserve more than we delivered in these vehicles.”
The new recalls come on the same day GM announced details of a compensation fund for recall victims.
Kenneth Feinberg – the man GM appointed to deal with compensating those affected by the recalls – has said that the carmaker will not put a cap on the amount it will pay to victims.
Separately, Orange County, California, revealed it had filed a civil lawsuit against GM last Friday.
The Orange County District Attorney alleged that GM “endangered the public through deception regarding vehicle safety and reliability and gained advantage over its competitors by engaging in unfair business practices”.
French cosmetics company L’Oreal has agreed to settle a case with US Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection over charges of deceptive advertising.
A campaign for L’Oreal’s Genifique products claimed its products would lead to “visibly younger skin in just seven days” by targeting the users’ genes.
The US consumer regulator said that the adverts were “false and unsubstantiated”.
L’Oreal’s Genifique campaign claimed its products would lead to visibly younger skin in just seven days by targeting the users’ genes (photo Lancome)
L’Oreal said the claims in question had not been used “for some time now”.
“It would be nice if cosmetics could alter our genes and turn back time,” said Jessica Rich, director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
“But L’Oreal couldn’t support these claims.”
As part of the settlement, L’Oreal USA is barred from making any anti-aging claims unless it has “competent and reliable scientific evidence substantiating such claims”, the FTC said.
The advertising campaigns ran across TV, radio and online and claimed that the Genifique product was “clinically proven” to “boost genes” activity and stimulate the production of youth proteins which would lead to “visibly younger skin in just seven days”.
“The safety, quality and effectiveness of the company’s products were never in question,” said L’Oreal USA spokeswoman Kristina Schake in a statement.
“Going forward, L’Oreal USA will continue to serve its customers through industry-leading research, scientific innovation and responsible advertising,” Kristina Schake added.
Duck Dynasty’s Miss Kay Robertson revealed that her first son, Alan, was born out of wedlock
In a new collector’s issue from Us Weekly, Phil Robertson’s wife of nearly five decades revealed that she and her husband weren’t legally married when they had their first child, Alan.
“Well, this is the first time I’ve shared this, aside from giving my testimony [in church],” Miss Kay Robertson told Us Weekly.
“When I made a vow to God and to [Phil Robertson], it was March 22, 1964.”
Miss Kay Robertson revealed that she and husband Phil weren’t legally married when they had their first child, Alan (photo A&E TV)
Miss Kay Robertson was 16 at the time.
She also revealed that in her mind, that was the day they committed to spending the rest of their lives together.
On paper, however, their wedding day was much later.
“It wasn’t legal,” Miss Kay admits.
“That’s the truth. We didn’t do the legal papers until April 11, 1968, after Alan, my oldest, was born. Alan says, <<Yeah, I would be the B [bastard] in the family>>.”
“But I want to tell you something,” she adds.
“My heart and my vow to God was true from the first day.”
Miss Kay Robertson, 66, and her husband Phil, 68, have three other sons, Jase, Willie, and Jep.
Hillary Clinton criticized the Supreme Court for ruling that an employer can refuse to provide women with contraception on religious grounds.
Hillary Clinton said when asked about the court’s 5-4 decision during the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado: “Well I obviously disagree.”
“I disagree with the reasoning as well as the conclusion. Just think about this for a minute.”
Hillary Clinton criticized the Supreme Court for ruling that an employer can refuse to provide women with contraception on religious grounds
The former secretary of state noted that the ruling could be broadened out to include other medical procedures that other religions object to.
“So does that mean if you have need for a blood transfusion your insurance doesn’t have to cover it?” she asked.
“So I mean this is a really bad slippery slope.”
Hillary Clinton also guessed that some businesses would lie about religion just to avoid higher costs.
“I think there should be a real outcry against this kind of decision,” she said.
“Many more companies will claim religious beliefs and some will be sincere, but others maybe not. And we’re going to see this one insurable service cut out from many, many women.”
Former President Nicolas Sarkozy has been held in France for questioning over alleged influence peddling.
The decision to detain Nicolas Sarkozy at Nanterre, near Paris, is an unprecedented step against a former president.
Nicolas Sarkozy has been held in France for questioning over alleged influence peddling
Nicolas Sarkozy’s lawyer was questioned on Monday on suspicion of seeking inside information about a case against the former leader.
The latest developments are seen as a blow to Nicolas Sarkozy’s attempts to challenge for the presidency in 2017.
Investigators are trying to find out whether Nicolas Sarkozy, who was president from 2007 to 2012, had promised a prestigious role in Monaco to a high-ranking judge in exchange for information.
Gilbert Azibert, one of the most senior judges at the court of appeal, was also called in for questioning on Monday.
Police in the UK is considering fresh allegations against entertainer Rolf Harris after he was convicted of assaulting four girls.
Rolf Harris, 84, was found guilty on June 30 of 12 counts of assault in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
Following the verdict, police said it would look at fresh allegations, which did not form part of his trial.
Dozens more of Rolf Harris’ alleged victims came forward during the trial, some from his native Australia.
Australian PM Tony Abbott said he was “gutted and dismayed” by the conviction of the Perth-born artist and entertainer.
Fresh allegations are considered against Rolf Harris after he was convicted of assaulting four girls
Prosecutors said Harris was a “Jekyll and Hyde” character who took advantage of his fame.
The judge said a custodial term would be “uppermost in the court’s mind” when sentence was delivered on Friday, but he wanted to see a medical report before passing sentence.
Six other women also told the court about assaults Rolf Harris had carried out against them. The entertainer was not prosecuted over those incidents but the evidence was introduced by the prosecution as an added illustration of his behavior.
Speaking after the entertainer was convicted, Detective Chief Inspector Mick Orchard, said: “I want to thank the women who came forward for their bravery, I hope today’s guilty verdict will give them closure and help them to begin to move on with their lives.
“Today’s case and verdict once again shows that we will always listen to, and investigate allegations regardless of the time frame or those involved.”
A police spokesman added the force had “received a number of allegations and these are now being considered”.
Rolf Harris was a mainstay of family entertainment in Britain and his native Australia for more than 50 years. He arrived in London in 1952, becoming a fixture on TV screens as a children’s entertainer and songwriter.
Hong Kong activists are organizing the largest pro-democracy protest in more than a decade.
The annual rally, which marks the day Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997, will focus on pressuring Beijing for full electoral freedom, organizers said.
The rally is organized days after an unofficial referendum on how to choose the chief executive drew close to 800,000 votes.
The Hong Kong government said the 10-day poll had no legal standing.
Organizers expect more than half a million people to join the rally, which will kick off in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park at 03:00 and will head to the Central district.
Several campaign groups have also indicated that they will stage peaceful overnight vigils after the march.
More than half a million people are expected to join Hong Kong pro-democracy rally, which will kick off in Victoria Park
The rally in 2003 drew half a million people, who demonstrated against proposed anti-subversion laws which were later scrapped.
Speaking at a ceremony to mark the 17th anniversary of the former British colony’s return to China, Hong Kong leader CY Leung said that the government was trying hard to forge a consensus on political reform.
“Only by maintaining Hong Kong’s stability can we sustain our economic prosperity. Only by sustaining Hong Kong’s prosperity can we improve people’s livelihood,” CY Leung said.
Beijing has said it will hold elections for the role of chief executive in 2017, but the public will only have a choice of candidates selected by a nominating committee.
Campaigners want the public to be able to elect Hong Kong’s leader directly and believe that Beijing will use the committee to screen out candidates it disapproves of.
The unofficial referendum, organized by campaign group Occupy Central, allowed the public to decide which of three proposals – all of which involved allowing citizens to directly nominate candidates – to present to Beijing.
Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997 following a 1984 agreement between China and Britain.
China agreed to govern Hong Kong under the principle of “one country, two systems”, where the city would enjoy “a high degree of autonomy, except in foreign and defense affairs” for 50 years.
As a result, Hong Kong has its own legal system, and rights including freedom of assembly and free speech are protected.
Indio Downey, Robert Downey Jr.’s son, was arrested in West Hollywood, California, on Sunday afternoon for drug possession, ET reported.
Indio Downey, 20, was arrest occurred after a traffic stop and investigation near the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and La Cienega. He was a passenger in the car.
Robert Downey Jr.’s son, Indio, was arrested in West Hollywood for drug possession (photo Getty Images)
The actor’s son posted bail, which amounted to $10,000, and was released just after 12:30 a.m. on Monday morning.
Indio Downey’s famous 49-year-old father has struggled with drug addiction in the past and has even ended up in prison for his substance abuse.
On Monday, Robert Downey Jr. released the following statement to TMZ: “Unfortunately, there’s a genetic component to addiction and Indio has likely inherited it. Also, there is a lot of family support and understanding, and we’re all determined to rally behind him and help him become the man he’s capable of being. We’re grateful to the Sheriff’s department for their intervention, and believe Indio can be another recovery success story instead of a cautionary tale.”
Kate Middleton’s sister, Pippa, gave her first ever sit-down TV interview with NBC’s morning program Today Show.
In extracts of Matt Lauer’s interview, Pippa Middleton talks about the bridesmaid dress that made her a household name.
The Duchess of Cambridge’s sister has said she considered the Royal Wedding to be a family event and her now-famous dress an “insignificant” part of the proceedings.
Pippa Middleton gave her first ever sit-down TV interview with Today Show’s Matt Lauer (photo NBC)
Pippa Middleton, 30, said the experience of Prince William and her sister’s wedding had been “surreal” and attention focused on her derrière both flattering and embarrassing.
“It was completely unexpected,” Pippa Middleton said of the attention her gown received.
“You know, I think the plan was not really for it to be a significant dress. Really just to sort of blend in with the train.”
Speaking to Today Show’s host Matt Lauer, Pippa Middleton said: “I suppose it’s flattering,” although she admitted she also found it “embarrassing, definitely” because “it wasn’t planned”.
United Airlines flight 1463 from Chicago to Santa Ana, California, made an emergency landing in Wichita, Kansas, after an evacuation slide accidentally inflated mid-flight on Sunday night.
After landing, passenger Sara Schroeder tweeted: “Gentlemen in shiny metallic suits checking out the @united plane.”
Nobody was injured, the airline said.
United Airlines flight 1463 from Chicago to Santa Ana, made an emergency landing in Wichita after an evacuation slide accidentally inflated mid-flight (photo abc7)
Flight 1463 made a rapid descent, according to Flight Aware website, and landed in Wichita at 10:36 p.m. local time (11:36 p.m. ET).
The Boeing 737-700 with 96 aboard took off from Chicago at 8:18 p.m. (9:18 p.m. ET), according to United Airlines spokeswoman Christen David.
Christen David added that the airline was flying in another aircraft to resume the flight “and get our customers to their final destination as quickly as possible.”
The US Supreme Court has ruled Christian-owned company Hobby Lobby can claim a religious exemption to a legal requirement that employers pay for their workers’ contraception.
The owners of Oklahoma-based craft supply shop chain Hobby Lobby argued the mandate in President Barack Obama’s healthcare law violated their religious beliefs.
The 5-4 decision applies only to “closely held” companies.
It does not apply to other healthcare some find morally objectionable.
The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that some corporations can hold religious objections that allow them to opt out of the requirement, written into Barack Obama’s signature 2010 health overhaul, that companies with 50 or more employees offer a health insurance plan that covers contraception.
The case turned in large part on whether the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), which bars the US government from taking action that “substantially burdens the exercise of religion”, applies to for-profit companies.
The Supreme Court has ruled Hobby Lobby can claim a religious exemption to ObamaCare requirement to pay for workers’ contraception
“We reject [the Department of Health and Human Services’] argument that the owners of the companies forfeited all RFRA protection when they decided to organize their businesses as corporations rather than sole proprietorships or general partnerships,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the court.
“The plain terms of RFRA make it perfectly clear that Congress did not discriminate in this way against men and women who wish to run their businesses as for-profit corporations in the manner required by their religious beliefs.”
The decision marks the first time the Supreme Court has found a profit-seeking business can hold religious views under federal law, analysts say.
In a dissenting opinion, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg called the ruling a “decision of startling breadth”.
The ruling is a blow to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which has been beset by legal challenges since it passed in 2010.
However, it is unclear whether any women employees will actually lose birth control coverage, because the Obama administration had already devised a mechanism under which workers of non-profit organizations that object to the contraception mandate could keep coverage without the organization having to pay for it.
In the case decided on Monday, the Supreme Court ruled on challenges by Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp, a wood cabinetmaker owned by Mennonites.
Hobby Lobby, an arts and crafts chain, employs 13,000 full-time employees. Conestoga employs 950 people.
The owners of Hobby Lobby – David Green, Barbara Green and several relatives – had described themselves as “committed evangelical Christians” and said their religious beliefs “forbid them from participating in, providing access to, paying for… or otherwise supporting abortion-causing drugs and devices”.
The Affordable Care Act, known by critics and supporters as ObamaCare, has been subject to countless legal and political challenges from Republicans and conservatives since its passage.
Considered the largest overhaul of the US healthcare system since the 1960s, it aims to extend health insurance coverage to the estimated 15% of the US population who lack it.
The Supreme Court has already ruled on the law. In 2012, the court affirmed the constitutionality of the act’s central provision, a requirement that most individuals who do not receive health insurance from the government or their employers purchase it or face a fine.
China’s top military official, General Xu Caihou, has been accused of accepting bribes and expelled from the Communist Party, state media report.
Gen. Xu Caihou was once a member of China’s elite decision-making body, the Politburo. He will now be handed over to prosecutors for a court martial.
Xu Caihou is believed to have been held under house arrest for several months.
Analysts say this could be the biggest military scandal China has seen for many years.
General Xu Caihou has been accused of accepting bribes and expelled from China’s Communist Party
Xinhua agency reported that China’s President Xi Jinping had presided over a Politburo meeting about military discipline and approved the decision to expel Gen. Xu Caihou and hand him over to military prosecutors.
Rumors about the investigation into Gen. Xu Caihou had circulated for months. Many believed poor health – he is reported to have been treated for cancer – would save him from prosecution.
However, this move is being presented in state media as part of the government’s battle against corruption.
Two other high profile figures were also expelled from the Communist Party for corruption on Monday – Jiang Jiemin, the former head of the state asset regulator, and Wang Yongchun, the deputy head of the state energy giant China National Petroleum Company (CNPC).
The spate of expulsions comes at a time when speculation is rife about the fate of one of China’s most powerful politicians, former Politburo Standing Committee member Zhou Yongkang, who is allegedly being investigated over allegations of corruption and abuse of power.
Tens of thousands of officials have been arrested since President Xi Jinping began an anti-corruption campaign in 2012.
Meshach Taylor died on Saturday, aged 67, at his home near Los Angeles after suffering from colorectal cancer.
Actor Meshach Taylor was best known for the 1980s comedy Mannequin and the show Designing Women.
His agent told Reuters: “He fought valiantly and died surrounded by his loving family.”
Meshach Taylor won praise for Designing Women, which ran from 1986 to 1993, and is fondly remembered as flamboyant window dresser Hollywood in Mannequin.
Meshach Taylor was best known for the 1980s comedy Mannequin and the show Designing Women (photo Newscom)
He was lauded for his comic timing in his portrayal of affable assistant Anthony Bouvier in Designing Women, a show about an outspoken feminist who runs a design company out of her Atlanta home.
The series also starred Dixie Carter, Delta Burke, Annie Potts and Jean Smart.
Over its seven series run, it was nominated for many awards including two Golden Globes.
In 1989, Meshach Taylor was nominated for an Emmy award for best supporting actor in a comedy series.
The 1987 movie Mannequin, about a young artist who creates the “perfect woman” mannequin who miraculously comes to life, has become something of cult classic.
Mannequin starred Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall with Meshach Taylor playing department store window dresser Hollywood Montrose.
Meshach Taylor went on to star in the 1991 Mannequin sequel Mannequin: On The Move. He also had parts in TV shows Dave’s World, The Incredible Hulk and ALF; and enjoyed a successful stage career.
Meshach Taylor was born in Boston on April 11, 1947.
In 1978, he moved to California to pursue an acting career in Hollywood.
Meshach Taylor is survived by his wife Bianca, four children and his 100-year-old mother.
English band Kasabian has closed the 2014 Glastonbury Festival with a powerful, bombastic set that drew tens of thousands to the Pyramid Stage.
Kasabian covered Fatboy Slim’s Praise You and Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy, and paid tribute to soul legend Bobby Womack, who died this weekend.
“Ten years ago, we opened the Other Stage, when I was just 23,” said Tom Meighan.
“Thank you for this, Glastonbury. So much respect.”
The stage was lit in pink as the band took the stage shortly before 22:00 BST, launching into Bumblebee, the first song from their new album 48:13.
It was Kasabian’s first headline slot at Glastonbury, but lead singer Tom Meighan was an effective rabble rouser.
Kasabian, who have never taken themselves too seriously, brought comedian Noel Fielding onstage dressed as Vlad the Impaler during the song of the same name.
Kasabian has closed the 2014 Glastonbury Festival with a powerful, bombastic set that drew tens of thousands to the Pyramid Stage
Tom Meighan also changed the song’s refrain to “Bobby Womack – see you on the other side” in respect of the late soul star, whose hit song Across 110th Street played on the PA before Kasabian took the stage.
Compared to the po-faced Metallica and the self-consciously quirky Arcade Fire, Kasabian appeared to be enjoying their headline slot.
In the event, Kasabian drew a slightly bigger audience (an estimated 100,000) than either of the other headliners – but not as big as Dolly Parton earlier on Sunday.
The final day of the Glastonbury festival opened with a performance from the English National Ballet, who paid tribute to those who died in World War One.
Their performance, Dust, was choreographed by Akram Khan, who helped put together the opening of the London 2012 Olympics with Danny Boyle.
Sombre but powerful, the performance moved some in the early morning audience to tears.
Other acts on the final day included Ed Sheeran, who played the Pyramid Stage unaccompanied, using his acoustic guitar and a series of effects pedals.
Despite breaking several strings along the way, Ed Sheeran was warmly welcomed by the crowd in the mid-afternoon heat.
On The Other Stage, Ellie Goulding delivered an energetic, full-throttle run-through of her biggest dance hits as the sun set, while Disclosure brought several special guest vocalists – including Eliza Doolitle, Sam Smith and Aluna Francis to their headline set at the West Holts stage.
Against the bombast of Kasabian, Glastonbury organizers had programmed some more mellow bands to aid the come-down at the end of the festival.
Massive Attack’s hushed version of Teardrops was a highlight on The Other Stage, while London Grammar’s lush, melancholy album If You Wait drew huge crowds to the John Peel Stage.
However, Dolly Parton was the star turn of the day, if not the festival.
Dolly Parton, 68, charmed the crowd with her ornery banter and diamante-studded hairpiece, and led lusty singalongs to hits such as 9 to 5, Jolene and I Will Always Love You.
The mud will be traded for traffic jams during Monday as the 175,000 revelers leave Worthy Farm and head back home.
Glastonbury festival organizer Michael Eavis has confirmed the event will be back next year, and that he’s already booked all three headliners.
Prince – widely rumored to top the bill this year – is still refusing to come to Somerset, but at least one of the bands will be coming from abroad.
Transformers: Age of Extinction has topped the North American box office, taking $100 million, the biggest opening weekend of the year so far.
The fourth installment in Michael Bay’s franchise also added another $201.3 million from 37 international territories, including $90 million in China alone.
Transformers: Age of Extinction stars Mark Wahlberg as a mechanic who helps the shape-shifting Autobots fight a new enemy.
Made for a reported $200 million, Age of Extinction met industry predictions for its opening weekend.
The new installment topped Dark of the Moon, the third film in the series, which took in $97.9 million in its opening weekend in 2011, but failed to eclipse the $108.9 milion debut of the second film, Revenge of the Fallen.
Transformers: Age of Extinction has scored the biggest opening weekend of the year so far
Transformers: Age of Extinction is expected to secure a strong second week of release, coinciding with the 4th of July weekend.
The three previous Transformer outings starring Shia LeBeouf as a teenager who befriends robot Optimus Prime, generated nearly $2.7 billion worldwide.
Elsewhere on the chart, 22 Jump Street held firm at number two with $15.4 million, with animation How To Train Your Dragon 2 at three with $13.1 million in box office takings.
Last week’s chart topper, Kevin Hart’s comedy Think Like a Man Too, fell to four with $10.4 million.
Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent was at five with $8.2 million, bringing its total domestic US gross to more than $201 million and its international haul to $586 million.
Pakistan’s army has launched a ground offensive against Taliban militants in North Waziristan.
According to a statement issued by the Pakistani army, operations had begun around Miranshah, the main town in the tribal region bordering Afghanistan.
The move follows air strikes which the army says have killed 370 militants. There is no confirmation of the figure.
North Waziristan has long been a sanctuary for militants. Correspondents say many are thought to have left the area before the offensive began.
Pakistan’s army has launched a ground offensive against Taliban militants in North Waziristan (photo AFP)
The assault comes three weeks after militants attacked Pakistan’s largest airport in Karachi, leaving more than 30 people dead.
For the past two weeks, Pakistani forces have been carrying out air strikes against what it says are militant hideouts in North Waziristan.
Among their targets, they say, have been Uzbek militants who claimed responsibility for the Karachi attack and their Pakistani Taliban (TTP) allies.
Monday’s army statement said troops were now conducting a door-to-door search in Miranshah.
“Troops have recovered underground tunnels and IED [improvised explosive device] preparation factories,” the statement said.
The town has been one of the main TTP bases during recent years when militants who had at times been tolerated by the military killed thousands of people in a bombing campaign across Pakistan.
In public statements, Pakistani commanders have said they will not discriminate between so-called good and bad Taliban.
However, there are widespread reports from within North Waziristan that many militants were allowed to escape before the operations began.
Nearly half a million people have left North Waziristan since the offensive was announced following the Karachi airport attack.
