Rochelle Sterling, wife of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, attended the team’s Game 4 match against Golden State on Sunday and she was asked questions about the racist remarks that have been attributed to her husband.
Rochelle Sterling, wife of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, attended the team’s Game 4 match against Golden State on Sunday (photo ABC)
Donald Sterling was not in attendance at his team game.
According to ESPN’s Lisa Salters, Rochelle Sterling was adamant that she does not support the comments that have been attributed to her husband. She said that she is not a racist, never has been and never will be.
When Rochelle Sterling was asked whether it was her husband’s voice on the tapes that were released over the weekend, she said hadn’t heard the entire recording and that she wasn’t sure.
Shortly after arriving in Philippines, President Barack Obama held talks with President Benigno Aquino and was later to attend a state dinner.
Manila is the final stop of the US president’s four-nation Asia tour.
President Barack Obama says that a new US-Philippine military pact will promote stability in the region.
The deal, signed in Manila hours before Barack Obama touched down, allows a bigger US military presence in the country.
Barack Obama arrives in Philippines, the final stop of his four-nation Asia tour
Barack Obama said the deal was not intended to contain China, with whom Manila is embroiled in a bitter territorial row.
But he backed Manila’s move to seek UN arbitration over its maritime dispute with Beijing.
“Our goal is not to counter China. Our goal is not to contain China. Our goal is to make sure international rules and norms are respected and that includes in the area of international disputes,” he said.
The 10-year military deal was signed by Philippine Defense Minister Voltaire Gazmin and US Ambassador Philip Goldberg on Monday morning.
Under the agreement, the US will have better access to military bases, ports and airfields. US troops would rotate through these facilities and engage in joint training, officials said.
Barack Obama said the US was not planning to rebuild old bases or construct new ones under the security pact.
“We’ll work together to build the Philippines’ defense capabilities and work with other nations to promote regional stability such as in the South China Sea,” he said.
In a statement, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario described it as “milestone in our shared history as enduring treaty allies”.
“The EDCA [Enhanced Defense Co-operation Agreement] elevates to a higher plane of engagement our already robust defense alliance,” he said.
However, the presence of foreign troops is a sensitive issue in the Philippines, a former US colony.
Anti-US activists who say the deal will not benefit the Philippines and harms its sovereignty were expected to protest during Barack Obama’s visit.
The US used to have large bases in the Philippines but these were closed in the early 1990s. US troops have also been active in the southern Philippines, where al-Qaeda-linked militants are based.
In recent months, however, Washington and Manila have moved to strengthen ties again, as the Philippine relationship with China has deteriorated amid a more assertive stance from Beijing on its territorial claims.
Pfizer has confirmed it has contacted AstraZeneca over a possible multi-billion dollar takeover.
The pharmaceutical said it made an initial approach in January, but after “limited high-level discussions” AstraZeneca discontinued the talks on January 14.
However, it said recent market developments had prompted it to approach AstraZeneca for a second time.
Pfizer has confirmed it has contacted AstraZeneca over a possible multi-billion dollar takeover
“AstraZeneca again declined to engage. Pfizer is currently considering its options,” Pfizer said in a statement.
Pfizer said its initial offer in January was a combination of cash and shares worth $75 per AstraZeneca share, worth $94 billion in total.
At the time, it represented a 30% premium to AstraZeneca’s share price, although AstraZeneca’s share price has since increased and on Monday morning it jumped nearly 15% .
Pfizer said the deal was “a highly compelling opportunity” for AstraZeneca’s shareholders.
It said if the takeover went through, the combined firm would have management in both the US and the UK, but would list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange.
“We have great respect for AstraZeneca and its proud heritage,” said Pfizer chairman and chief executive Ian Read.
Pfizer said it would only make a firm offer if AstraZeneca directors voted unanimously in favor of the deal.
“The strategic, business and financial rationale for a transaction is compelling,” it added.
Buying AstraZeneca would give Pfizer, which makes Viagra among other drugs, access to a number of cancer and diabetes drugs.
At least 12 people have been killed by tornadoes in Arkansas and Oklahoma as a huge storm system swept across America’s midsection Sunday.
Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe confirmed on Twitter Sunday that there were 11 fatalities in his state.
“There are now 11 confirmed deaths from this storm. 5 in Faulkner County, 5 in Pulaski County, 1 in White County,” Mike Beebe tweeted.
One other person was killed in the town of Quapaw in the north-east of Oklahoma where officials said many buildings were badly damaged.
Tornadoes also struck in Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri.
At least 12 people have been killed by tornadoes in Arkansas and Oklahoma as a huge storm system swept across America’s midsection
President Barack Obama, on a trip to the Philippines, offered his deepest condolences to those affected and said federal emergency officials would be on the ground to help: “Your country will be there to help you recover and rebuild, as long as it takes.”
Matt DeCample, a spokesman for Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe, said eleven people had been killed in several suburbs west and north of Little Rock – five in Faulkner County, five in Pulaski County and one in White County.
Congressman Tim Griffin told Reuters news agency an “entire neighborhood of 50 homes or so” in Faulkner County had been destroyed, with many “completely gone except the foundation”.
First reports from Oklahoma said two people had died in Quapaw but officials later revised the figure down to one. Another six people were injured.
Quapaw, which has a population of about 900, was badly hit by the tornado, Ottawa County Emergency Management director Joe Dan Morgan said.
“Looks like about half of town got extensive damage as well as the fire department,” he said.
The tornado then headed northwards into the state of Kansas where it struck Baxter Springs, injuring several people and causing further damage.
The Arkansas tornado touched down about 10 miles west of the city of Little Rock and left a 40 mile path of destruction.
It is said to have passed through several northern suburbs – including the town of Mayflower where it destroyed several buildings.
A witness in Mayflower reported a tornado half a mile wide crossing Interstate 40 on Sunday evening, the National Weather Service said.
Over the weekend, storms struck the eastern part of the US, killing a child in North Carolina.
Tori Spelling has been hospitalized for undisclosed reasons, E! News and Us Weekly reported.
Recently, Tori Spelling, 40, has been airing her tumultuous private life for the world to see on her Lifetime reality series True Tori.
Tori Spelling has been hospitalized for undisclosed reasons
After Dean McDermott’s affair with 28-year-old Emily Goodhand, Tori Spelling and her husband have worked to salvage their turbulent marriage.
Since Dean McDermott’s betrayal, the couple has been trying to work out their issues with a therapist on the Lifetime show.
It’s unclear if Tori Spelling’s hospitalization was related to stress from filming the show.
E! says the actress was spotted on Saturday “with a pink hospital band still on her wrist as her husband helped her make her way to an awaiting SUV”.
The website also website Dean McDermott stayed by Torri Spelling’s side at the hospital, often visiting for up to 10 hours a day. Tori Spelling was hospitalized for “at least six days.”
The next episode of True Tori airs Tuesday night at 10.
Selena Gomez has hired Bradford Cobb, who manages Katy Perry and Adam Lambert, Us Weekly reported.
The 21-year-old Disney star fired her mother Mandy Teefy and stepfather Brian Teefy, who have managed her since childhood.
Selena Gomez has hired Bradford Cobb, who manages Katy Perry and Adam Lambert (photo Getty Images)
The decision comes after Selena Gomez cancelled her Australian tour in December and secretly entered rehab in January and reconnected with boyfriend Justin Bieber.
Selena Gomez made yet more headlines last week when she palled around with Kendall and Kylie Jenner at the Coachella Music Festival — only to mysteriously unfollow them on Instagram shortly thereafter.
Bradford Cobb, who was listed as one of Billboard’s 40 executives under 40 in July 2013, has spent more than a decade in the industry making a name for himself, and was instrumental in making Katy Perry a pop superstar.
Selena Gomez’s 2013 album Stars Dance was her first number one on the Billboard 200, with hits Come & Get It and Slow Down.
One of a team of eight European monitors seized in eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk has been released by pro-Russian separatists.
The officer, a Swede, was freed on medical grounds, it has been confirmed.
The monitors were shown to the media on Sunday – a move described as “revolting” by Germany, the native country of four of the team.
The remaining seven are still being held and diplomacy continues to try to secure their freedom.
There is no word about a number of Ukrainian military officers who were seized along with the group.
In eastern Ukraine, gunmen continue to occupy official buildings in a dozen cities, defying the government in Kiev.
Meanwhile, the US and EU are preparing to unveil new sanctions against Russia, accusing it of destabilizing Ukraine.
Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have released one of a team of eight European monitors seized in the flashpoint city of Sloviansk (photo Reuters)
The foreign observers – operating under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) are from Germany, Poland, Sweden, Denmark and the Czech Republic.
They were shown to the media on Sunday, led into Sloviansk town hall by masked gunmen.
German monitor Colonel Axel Schneider, who spoke for the group, stressed they were not NATO officers – contrary to claims made by the separatists – nor armed fighters, but diplomats in uniforms.
“We are not prisoners of war. We are the guests of [self-declared Sloviansk] Mayor [Vyacheslav)] Ponomaryov, and being treated as such.”
Reporters later saw one of the group – accompanied by two men – get into an OSCE vehicle which then drove away.
A spokeswoman for Vyacheslav Ponomaryov told Reuters the Swedish national who was freed “has a mild form of diabetes and so we decided to let him go”.
Germany strongly criticized the group’s appearance before the media.
“The public parading of the OSCE observers and Ukrainian security forces as prisoners is revolting and blatantly hurts the dignity of the victims,” said a statement (in German) from Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Frank-Walter Steinmeier added that Russia had a duty to “influence” the separatists” so that the other members of the mission can be freed as soon as possible
The monitors who were captured are not part of the main OSCE mission in Ukraine, which Moscow agreed to.
They are from individual OSCE countries, invited to Ukraine by the Kiev government.
Earlier, Vyacheslav Ponomaryov said there was the possibility of exchanging the monitors for militia members held by the Kiev government.
Russia, an OSCE member, has pledged to “take all possible steps” to secure the observers’ release.
Kiev has accused the militia of using the Europeans as a “human shield”.
The West has blamed Moscow for fomenting a secessionist revolt in eastern Ukraine after it annexed Crimea last month. Moscow denies the claim.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine must end military operations in the east of the country as part of urgent measures to defuse the crisis.
The Los Angeles Clippers have staged a silent protest following reports that their team’s owner Donald Sterling had been secretly recorded making racist remarks.
The Los Angeles Clippers went through a pre-match routine on Sunday with shirts on inside-out to hide the team’s logo.
The NBA is investigating a report on TMZ that Donald Sterling made racist remarks.
Donald Sterling has told TMZ the recording “does not reflect his views”.
The Clippers were playing the Golden State Warriors in Oakland on Sunday in a crucial NBA play-off but the clash was overshadowed by the recorded comments allegedly made by the 80-year-old tycoon.
The players also wore black wristbands or armbands and all wore black socks with their normal jerseys.
The Los Angeles Clippers went through a pre-match routine with shirts on inside-out to hide the team’s logo
Donald Sterling did not attend the game.
In the 10-minute audio recording posted online by TMZ, a man, alleged to be Donald Sterling, can be heard criticizing his girlfriend V. Stiviano for posting photographs of herself with black friends attending Clippers’ matches on a social media site.
“It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you are associating with black people. Do you have to?” the man says.
“The little I ask is not to promote it on that… and not to bring them to my games.”
President Barack Obama, currently on a four-nation tour of South-east Asia, condemned the “ignorant” and “incredibly offensive” remarks.
“When ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance, you don’t really have to do anything, you just let them talk,” he said.
In a joint statement published on TMZ Sports on Saturday, Donald Sterling and the Clippers said: “We have heard the tape on TMZ. We do not know if it is legitimate or it has been altered.”
“We do know that the woman on the tape – who we believe released it to TMZ – is the defendant in a lawsuit brought by the Sterling family.
“Mr. Sterling is emphatic that what is reflected on that recording is not consistent with, nor does it reflect his views, beliefs or feelings. It is the antithesis of who he is, what he believes and how he has lived his life.”
Duck Dynasty’s Uncle Si Robertson is celebrating his 65th birthday today, April 27.
Silas Merritt “Si” Robertsonis Phil’s youngest brother, a Vietnam War veteran, and married to Christine (who isn’t featured on the show).
Uncle Si Robertson celebrates his 65th birthday on April 27
Si Robertson works at Duck Commander, making the reeds that go into every duck call.
America’s favorite uncle is kind of like the Kramer of Duck Dynasty.
He is known for his storytelling, his constant use of the phrase “Hey!” and his ever-present blue plastic cup, which his mother sent him while he was stationed in Vietnam.
Uncle Si is often filmed carrying around a jug of sweet tea and he loves pizza.
Pope Francis has declared Popes John Paul II and John XXIII saints in a ceremony attended by hundreds of thousands of people in St. Peter Square.
Pope Francis praised his two predecessors as “men of courage” at the Vatican service, the first time in history that two popes have been canonized at the same time.
The Mass was attended by Pope Emeritus Benedict, who quit as pope last year, and roughly 100 foreign delegations.
Analysts say Pope Francis is trying to balance the conservative legacy of John Paul with the reforming zeal of John.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Pope Francis during Mass before the canonization ceremony of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II
At the climax of the service, Pope Francis said in Latin: “We declare and define Blessed John XXIII and John Paul II to be saints and we enroll them among the saints, decreeing that they are to be venerated as such by the whole Church.”
Relics of each man – a container of blood from John Paul and a piece of skin from John – were placed near the altar.
Pope Francis paid tribute to the two new saints as “priests, bishops and popes of the 20th Century”.
“They lived through the tragic events of that century, but they were not overwhelmed by them. For them, God was more powerful,” he said.
The Vatican estimated some 800,000 pilgrims had poured into Rome to see the two-hour ceremony first-hand.
For those unable to make it into St Peter’s Square, giant screens were set up in nearby streets and elsewhere in the city.
Chicago juke producer DJ Rashad died this afternoon at the age of 35.
The Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times quoted police as saying he died of a suspected drug overdose.
DJ Rashad’s latest album Double Cup was ranked eighth in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the best dance albums of 2013
Tributes have been paid on Twitter by friends and collaborators including DJ Godfather and Chance The Rapper, who wrote that “music lost a legend today”.
DJ Rashad’s latest album Double Cup was ranked eighth in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the best dance albums of 2013.
Born Rashad Harden, DJ Rashad was at the forefront of juke and its offshoot footwork, ground-breaking sub-genres that evolved from house music.
George Clooney recently popped the question to girlfriend Amal Alamuddin, a source close to the couple has confirmed to People magazine.
“George and Amal are trying to keep things very low-key but they also aren’t really trying to hide this, it doesn’t seem. I think it’s like they want the people they love to know that this is real, that they plan on being together forever,” the source told the publication.
George Clooney recently popped the question to girlfriend Amal Alamuddin
On Thursday, George Clooney, 52, and 36-year-old Amal Alamuddin, a British attorney who specializes in international law and human rights, were spotted dining at trendy eatery Nobu in Malibu, alongside Cindy Crawford and husband Rande Gerber, a longtime friend of Clooney’s. Engagement rumors flew after witnesses at the restaurant noted that Amal Alamaddin was wearing quite the diamond sparkler on her ring finger.
On Friday, a George Clooney rep addressed the rumor mill, saying: “I don’t comment on my client’s personal life.”
George Clooney has had many high-profile romances, including ones with Stacy Keibler, Kelly Preston, Renee Zellwegger and Elisabetta Canalis, during his decades in the limelight. He was also married to actress Talia Balsam from 1989 to1993.
Mila Kunis showed off her baby bump as she attended the Stagecoach Music Festival in Indio, California, with Ashton Kutcher on Friday.
Ashton Kutcher, 36, threw on a cowboy hat and Kunis proudly displayed her baby bump.
Mila Kunis showed off her baby bump as she attended the Stagecoach Music Festival in Indio, California, with Ashton Kutcher (photo Getty Images)
Mila Kunis, 30, and Ashton Kutcher were on hand to watch Eric Church and Lynyrd Skynyrd, but only had eyes for each other.
During the outdoor event, which is considered to be Coachella’s country version, Ashton Kutcher wrapped his arms around Mila Kunis as she held on to his hand.
Mila Kunis wore a black top and pink and purple plaid shirt for the fun day out, while Ashton Kutcher, wore a red Iowa T-shirt, jeans, and boots.
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis are expecting a baby girl.
Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII’s canonization is bringing attention to the complex process of becoming a saint, a highly regulated series of steps that can seem quite mysterious to those who are not devout Roman Catholics.
How many saints are there?
It’s hard to pin down an exact number, but more than you might think. In the old days – as in the first thousand years of the church’s history – saints were created by popular demand.
St. Ulrich of Augsburg was the first to be canonized by a pope, in 993, and the Vatican eventually took over and formalized the process.
The Vatican’s Roman Martyrology says some 7,000 people have been canonized or beatified (an earlier step), but some scholars believe the total number of saints is more like 10,000.
Is it easier or harder to become a saint now?
The raw numbers would suggest it’s easier, though they don’t tell the entire story.
Pope Francis, who has been pontiff for just over a year, has already canonized 817 men and women, but 813 of them were martyrs from a single group of Italians who were beheaded by Ottoman Turks in the 15th Century.
Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII’s canonization is bringing attention to the complex process of becoming a saint
John Paul II canonized 482 during the quarter-century he presided over the church, but more than 400 of those were from groups of martyrs, according to the Catholic World Report.
By contrast, Pope Benedict XVI added 45 saints during his pontificate.
Does every pope become a saint?
Yet, only about a third of all popes are saints, and it’s getting harder to make the leap the from St. Peter’s throne to sainthood, according to the Pew Research Center.
Fifty-two of the first 55 popes got the nod but that pace has slowed dramatically. Only five popes have become saints in the last 1,000 years, although that will now shoot up to seven. Four more popes who died between 1878 and 1978 are in the pipeline – Pius IX, Pius XII, Paul VI, and John Paul I – but John Paul II leapfrogged ahead of them.
Can sainthood be revoked?
Canonization is permanent but some saints have been, for lack of a better term, demoted – by being dropped from the Vatican’s list of official feast days, sometimes because of questions about whether they actually existed.
One notable example is Saint Philomena, who was recognized in 1835 after a tomb with a remains of a teenage girl was found in the Roman catacombs with the inscription “Filumena” and a symbol of martydom, according to the Times of London.
The Vatican suppressed her cult in 1960 after experts decided there was no evidence linking the bones in the tomb to the legend of a martyred Greek princess.
Saint Christopher, the patron of travelers, lost his standing in 1969 – although not his popular cachet if the number of medals hanging from rear-view mirrors in cars is any indication. St. George, the patron of warriors, was also bumped down that year but restored in 2001 without explanation.
Where can I find a list of all the saints?
The compendiums that exist are extensive, but not necessarily exhaustive. And you might want to brush up on your Latin.
The Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the bureaucratic arm of the church that shepherds candidates through the complex steps, published the Index ac Status Causarum in 1998 with the names of the blesseds and saints – but only for the previous 400 years.
An oft-cited reference is Butler’s Lives of the Saints, but that was written in the mid-18th century and only contains 2,500 biographies in its latest revision.
Then there is the Acta Santorum, an index based on feast days that has 68 volumes, the first of which was published in 1643. A cluster of scholarly Jesuit priests in Brussels, the Bollandists, is toiling to complete it in chronological order, using church records and old texts in myriad languages to verify that the saints deserve veneration.
Facebook has acquired ProtoGeo, a Finnish company that makes fitness tracking app Moves.
Helsinki-based ProtoGeo created the Moves app that uses a smartphone’s built-in sensors to track activity and calories burned.
The acquisition offers Facebook an entry into the burgeoning health technology market.
Other recent purchases include mobile messaging firm WhatsApp and virtual headset maker Oculus.
ProtoGeo created the Moves app that uses a smartphone’s built-in sensors to track activity and calories burned
Facebook did not reveal how much it paid for ProtoGeo, which has fewer than 10 employees, but it is believed to be a fraction of the price it has paid for more high-profile firms recently.
The social network paid $2 billion for Oculus VR and spent $19 billion on WhatsApp.
In a blog post, ProtoGeo moved to reassure its users about the purchase.
“For those of you that use the Moves app – the Moves experience will continue to operate as a stand-alone app, and there are no plans to change that or co-mingle data with Facebook.”
Meanwhile Facebook said of the purchase: “The Moves team has built an incredible tool for the millions of people who want to better understand their daily fitness activity, and we’re looking forward to the app continuing to gain momentum.”
The app runs in the background of users’ phones, using location data to monitor activities through the day.
The free app has been downloaded more than four million times for both iPhone and Android phones, according to the firm.
Many of the big technology firms are seeing money to be made from health technology. There is a range of fitness bands and smartwatches on the market already.
Apple is rumored to be on the verge of launching its own smartwatch with fitness features and Google last month launched software for wearables.
But for Facebook, the purchase of a fitness app is likely to be all about new data which will allow it to better target adverts, thinks Alys Woodward, an analyst with research firm IDC.
“They want to know more stuff about what people do and where they are. This is useful information even if they don’t tie it back to the individual,” she said.
A Madrid convent will be searched for the body of the 17th Century author, Miguel de Cervantes, Spanish forensic scientists announced.
Ground-penetrating radar will be used to try to locate the remains of the celebrated author of Don Quixote.
Experts say the work of scanning, exhuming and analyzing any findings is expected to take several months.
Miguel de Cervantes, who died in poverty in 1616, is considered one of Spain’s most important literary figures.
Miguel de Cervantes was recorded as having died on April 22, 1616
He has been dubbed the father of the modern novel for writing The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha, which is reputed to be one of the most widely read and translated books on the planet.
Scientists say they will start searching for the famous author in the Convent of Trinitarians, Madrid, on Monday.
Miguel de Cervantes was recorded as having died on April 22, 1616, and was said to have been buried a day later in the convent’s church.
The precise location of his burial, however, is not known.
Forensic scientists say the ground and walls of the oldest part of the convent would be the focus of the search, using ground-penetrating equipment to map objects under the earth.
“The radar cannot tell you whether it is the body of the writer, but it can indicate the place of burial,” the expert leading the search, Luis Avial, told reporters on Friday.
“The geo-radar can tell us that location… then comes the delicate work,” he added, referring to the exhumation and identification process.
The estimated cost of the operation is 100,000 euros ($138,000).
The last letter to be written on Titanic has sold for £119,000 ($200,000) at an auction in the UK.
The letter was written by survivors Esther Hart and her 7-year-old daughter Eva eight hours before the ship hit an iceberg and sank in 1912.
The letter only survived because it was in the pocket of her husband’s coat which he gave her to keep warm.
The letter was written by Titanic survivors Esther Hart and her 7-year-old daughter Eva eight hours before the ship hit an iceberg and sank in 1912
Meant for her mother in Chadwell Heath, east London, the letter went under the hammer at a Wiltshire auctioneers.
Esther Hart wrote that they were enjoying what she called the “wonderful’ journey”.
She said they were likely to arrive in New York early because of the speed the ship was doing.
Her husband Benjamin died along with more than 1,500 people in the disaster.
The letter was auctioned at Henry Aldridge & Son of Devizes on Saturday.
While the hammer price was £101,000, fees and other charges brought the total to £119,000, which the auctioneers said was a new world record for a Titanic letter.
Silvio Berlusconi has sparked outrage in Germany by saying “for the Germans, concentration camps never existed”.
The former Italian prime minister was referring to a previous gaffe in which he told a German member of European Parliament that he could play a Nazi concentration camp guard in a film.
His latest comments were at a rally in Milan ahead of the European elections.
German Families Minister Manuela Schwesig said Silvio Berlusconi’s “attacks” against Germans were “unspeakable”.
Silvio Berlusconi has sparked outrage in Germany by saying that for the Germans, concentration camps never existed (photo Wikipedia)
Silvio Berlusconi was referring to a 2003 incident involving Martin Schulz, who is now president of the European parliament.
He had said to Martin Schulz: “I know that in Italy there is a man producing a film on Nazi concentration camps – I shall put you forward for the role of Kapo [guard] – you would be perfect.”
The president of Martin Schulz’s Socialists and Democrats (S&D) bloc, Hannes Swoboda, called Silvio Berlusconi’s latest comments “sickening”.
This is the latest in a long line of Silvio Berlusconi comments to have sparked criticism.
Silvio Berlusconi is one of Italy’s richest men and served as prime minister for nine months from May 1994 and then again for two terms from 2001 to 2006 and from 2008 to 2011.
He faced frequent allegations of conflicts of interest but it was Italy’s debt crisis that forced his resignation in 2011.
Silvio Berlusconi is embroiled in several legal cases and in 2012 was convicted of tax fraud, leading to his expulsion from the Italian Senate. His sentence for that conviction was to carry out community service in an old people’s home.
Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII are to be declared saints at an unprecedented open-air ceremony in Rome on Sunday.
A Mass co-celebrated by Pope Francis and his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict, will be witnessed by one million pilgrims and a vast TV and radio audience.
Nearly 100 foreign delegations are due, including royal dignitaries and heads of state and government.
It is the first time two popes have been canonized at the same time.
Correspondents say the move is being seen as an attempt to unite conservative and reformist camps within the Roman Catholic Church.
Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII are to be declared saints at an unprecedented open-air ceremony in Rome
Pilgrims have been pouring into Rome and special bus, train and boat services ferried many more into the city early on Sunday morning for the two-hour ceremony which starts at 10:00 local.
Some had bagged places to sleep overnight as close as possible to St Peter’s Square, hoping to be among the first in when it opens to the public.
Giant screens have also been erected in nearby streets and elsewhere in the city for those unable to get into the square.
The Vatican confirmed on Saturday that 87-year-old Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI would make a rare public appearance alongside his successor, Pope Francis.
“He will co-celebrate, which does not mean he will go to the altar,” a Vatican spokesman said.
“We will all be happy to have him there.”
Benedict XVI became the first pope to resign for 600 years when he quit for health reasons a year ago, sending shock waves around the world.
The process of saint-making is usually long and very costly.
However, John Paul II, whose 26-year reign ended in 2005, has been fast-tracked to sainthood in just nine years.
Many among the huge crowds that gathered as he lay dying cried out “Santo subito!” (Make him a saint immediately!).
By contrast Italian-born John XXIII, known as the Good Pope after his 1958-1963 papacy, had his promotion to full sainthood decided suddenly and very recently by Pope Francis.
By canonizing both John XXIII – the pope who set off the reform movement – and John Paul II – the pope who applied the brakes – Pope Francis has skillfully deflected any possible criticism that he could be taking sides.
South Korea’s PM Chung Hong-won has resigned amid criticism of the government’s handling of the sinking of the Sewol ferry.
In a statement, a sombre Chung Hong-won said the “cries of the families of those missing still keep me up at night”.
The Sewol ferry with 476 people on board – most of them students and teachers – sank off South Korea on April 16.
Officials have confirmed 187 died, but scores are missing presumed drowned.
Furious relatives have repeatedly criticized what they see as the slowness of the recovery operation.
“The right thing for me to do is to take responsibility and resign as a person who is in charge of the cabinet,” Chung Hong-won said in a brief televised statement.
“On behalf of the government, I apologize for many problems from the prevention of the accident to the early handling of the disaster.”
South Korea’s PM Chung Hong-won has resigned amid criticism of the government’s handling of the sinking of the Sewol ferry
He added: “There have been so many varieties of irregularities that have continued in every corner of our society and practices that have gone wrong. I hope these deep-rooted evils get corrected this time and this kind of accident never happens again.”
There was no immediate word from President Park Geun-hye about whether she would accept Chung Hong-won’s resignation.
An opposition party spokesman described it as “thoroughly irresponsible” and a “cowardly evasion” of responsibility.
The day after the disaster, Chung Hong-won was booed and someone threw a water bottle at him when he visited grieving parents.
Divers were battling atrocious weather conditions on Sunday as they tried to retrieve more bodies trapped in the sunken ferry.
A coastguard spokesman said heavy seas whipped up by strong winds were badly complicating recovery efforts.
“The situation is very difficult due to the weather, but we are continuing search efforts, using the occasional calmer periods,” the spokesman said, adding that 93 divers would take part in Sunday’s operation.
All 15 crew members involved in the navigation of the ferry are now in custody, facing criminal negligence charges.
On Friday, divers found 48 bodies of students wearing lifejackets in a single room on the vessel meant to accommodate just over 30 people.
The group was crammed into a dormitory and all were wearing lifejackets, a South Korean Navy officer said.
The presence of so many victims in the cabin suggested many had run into the room when the ship tilted, correspondents said.
The reason for the disaster is still unclear.
But prosecutors are said to be investigating whether modifications made to the ferry made it more unstable.
Factors under consideration include a turn made at about the time the ship began to list, as well as wind, ocean currents and the freight it was carrying.
Zimbabwe’s opposition party – Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) – says it is suspending its leader Morgan Tsvangirai, amid deepening divisions in its ranks.
A statement issued by the party after a meeting in Harare accused Morgan Tsvangirai of a “remarkable failure of leadership”.
It also said Morgan Tsvangirai had deviated from the party’s democratic founding principles.
Morgan Tsvangirai, 62, lost a third election challenge to veteran President Robert Mugabe in 2013 and defied calls to stand down after this defeat.
The MDC leadership is reported to have been riven with in-fighting for months since then.
Morgan Tsvangirai lost a third election challenge to veteran President Robert Mugabe in 2013 and defied calls to stand down after this defeat
Several other senior party figures were also reported to have been suspended at Saturday’s meeting, and some suspended members to have been reinstated.
The MDC statement said the party had been “transformed into a fiefdom of the leader” under Morgan Tsvangirai. It also accused him of sponsoring a culture of violence against MDC members not aligned with him.
MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti, who spoke to journalists after the meeting, said Morgan Tsvangirai and some other senior officials had “betrayed” the MDC’s struggle, AFP reported.
But an MDC spokesperson, Douglas Mwonzora, maintained that Morgan Tsvangirai remained the MDC’s legitimate leader.
“This was not a national council meeting,” he told AFP.
From 2009 to 2013 Morgan Tsvangirai served as prime minister in a fragile power-sharing government, with Robert Mugabe remaining Zimbabwe’s president.
That unity government ended with the elections in July 2013.
Robert Mugabe’s party won a huge majority in the vote, which Morgan Tsvangirai dismissed as fraudulent.
The NBA is investigating a report alleging that Donald Sterling, the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, made racist remarks.
In a recording posted by TMZ, a man it says is Donald Sterling is heard asking his girlfriend V. Stiviano not to broadcast her association with black people nor bring them to games.
The NBA described the remarks as “disturbing and offensive”.
Donald Sterling later told TMZ the recording “does not reflect his views”.
In a recording posted by TMZ, a man it says is Donald Sterling is heard asking his girlfriend V. Stiviano not to broadcast her association with black people nor bring them to games
The celebrity website published the 10-minute audio recording on Friday.
The conversation is alleged to have taken place after V. Stiviano posted a photo of herself online with the basketball legend, Magic Johnson.
The man specifically mentions Magic Johnson on the recording, saying: “Don’t bring him to my games, OK?”
It was not clear how or when the conversation was recorded.
“We are in the process of conducting a full investigation into the audio recording obtained by TMZ,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement.
“The remarks heard on the recording are disturbing and offensive, but at this time we have no further information.”
Magic Johnson later responded on Twitter, saying: “I will never go to a Clippers game again as long as Donald Sterling is the owner.”
He also said the alleged comments were “a black eye for the NBA”.
In a joint statement later published by TMZ, Donald Sterling and the Clippers said: “We have heard the tape on TMZ. We do not know if it is legitimate or it has been altered.”
“We do know that the woman on the tape – who we believe released it to TMZ – is the defendant in a lawsuit brought by the Sterling family.
“Mr. Sterling is emphatic that what is reflected on that recording is not consistent with, nor does it reflect his views, beliefs or feelings. It is the antithesis of who he is, what he believes and how he has lived his life.”
The statement adds: “He feels terrible that such sentiments are being attributed to him and apologises to anyone who might have been hurt by them.”
A new Turkish law gives the secret services greater powers of surveillance and extending immunity for its agents.
The law also provides for prison terms of up to 10 years for journalists who publish leaked information.
It is the latest in a series of measures which critics say are designed to bolster the power of PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He is accused of introducing the measures to stifle corruption scandals.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused police, prosecutors and judges of being behind leaked information implicating him in a corruption scandal
The new law extends the ability of secret service agents to conduct foreign operations, tap phone conversations and to access data held by private and public institutions.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, has said the law has effectively turned Turkey into an “intelligence state”.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused police, prosecutors and judges of being behind leaked information implicating him in a corruption scandal.
Earlier this year, recordings surfaced online purportedly of Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his son Bilal discussing how to hide large sums of money.
Another scandal broke when a video on the YouTube website emerged appearing to reveal top officials discussing how to stage an undercover attack inside Syria.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government tried to ban YouTube and Twitter but the move was overturned in the courts, although a ban remained on a handful of YouTube videos in particular.
He has purged hundreds of people from the judiciary and police since several of his allies were arrested over another corruption scandal in December.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the recordings are fabricated and has railed against “plots” to undermine him.
Despite the various scandals, his AKP party won more than 45% of the vote at local elections in March.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused US-based cleric and former ally Fethullah Gulen of being behind attempt to topple his government, which Gulen denies.
Afghanistan presidential election preliminary results show the poll will go to a second round, after no candidate reached the 50% needed for an outright win.
Former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah won most votes with 44.9%. Former World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani came second with 31.5%.
They are now expected to face a run-off vote on May 28.
Final official results are due to be announced on May 14 after a period for adjudication of complaints.
Full preliminary results were due two days ago.
Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani are now expected to face a run-off vote on May 28 (photo Reuters)
The delay has fuelled allegations on all sides that ballot boxes were stuffed and the count was rigged, our correspondent says.
Power-sharing scotched
Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani could now form a power-sharing deal, or choose to go to a second round.
Before the results were announced, both men promised to fight in a run-off.
“We have not talked or negotiated with anyone about forming a coalition government,” Abdullah Abdullah told reporters on Thursday.
Millions of Afghans defied Taliban threats to take part in the election.
Turnout was double that of the previous presidential election in 2009, despite a number of attacks in the run-up and bad weather on polling day.
Afghanistan’s current President Hamid Karzai was constitutionally barred from standing for a third term.
One Direction band is accused of plagiarism over the video for their latest single You & I.
Australian production company Oh Yeah Wow claims One Direction’s You & I clip is copied from a video it shot for Clubfeet’s Everything You Wanted.
A statement on Oh Yeah Wow’s reads: “It seems that the chaps of One Direction have taken it upon themselves to regurgitate our original concept.
“Don’t get us wrong, we here at Oh Yeah Wow are big One Direction fans.”
Referring to differences between the former X Factor group’s video and their own, it adds: “Yes 1d fans, we are aware ours doesn’t have the creepy facial morph stuff.”
Australian production company Oh Yeah Wow claims One Direction’s You & I clip is copied from a video it shot for Clubfeet’s Everything You Wanted
The post goes on to explain that the production company is not against inspiration helping what it calls “creative evolution”, but says “plagiarism and copycatting is becoming increasingly common and acceptable”.
It adds: “Considering the sleep deprivation one must endure to create an original piece with practically no budget, you can start to understand the annoyance we might feel when some affluent young bucks and a director devoid of creativity, decide to effectively steal (and subsequently dilute) our idea.”
The post then provides the Twitter handles of the band and the video’s director and encourages readers to post the message on social media using #nodirection.
Last year, Uncut published a statement from The Who guitarist Pete Townshend denying rumors that he was taking action over the similarity between his band’s Baba O’Riley and One Direction’s Best Song Ever.
