Large crowds of pro-EU demonstrators rallying against new laws which aim to curb public protests in Ukraine have clashed with police in Kiev.
Stun grenades and flares were thrown as groups of people headed for parliament, which was cordoned off by rows of police and buses.
Opposition politician Vitali Klitschko tried to stop attacks on police.
The laws were passed with a quick show of hands on Thursday by MPs loyal to President Viktor Yanukovych.
The opposition accused the ruling party of a coup.
US and EU officials have expressed deep concern at the new legislation.
Ukraine’s current anti-government movement began in protest at Viktor Yanukovych’s decision in late November to pull out of a landmark treaty with the EU, but has expanded to demand his resignation.
Large crowds of pro-EU demonstrators rallying against new laws which aim to curb public protests in Ukraine have clashed with police in Kiev
Sunday’s rally in Kiev, attended by tens of thousands, heard calls from opposition politicians to disregard the new laws curbing protests that pro-EU demonstrators have been staging for the past two months.
Clashes erupted as some people headed away from the main square towards parliament, encountering cordons set up by police. Live TV pictures showed them attempting to overturn a bus used by police. The bus was set on fire after petrol bombs were thrown.
Interior Ministry spokesman Serhiy Burlakov blamed “provocateurs and extremists” for the confrontations and urged people not to follow their lead.
Police were filming everything and had opened criminal proceedings under Article 294 (organization of mass riots), the Interior Ministry said.
Earlier the rally on the main square heard a call from a former Ukrainian navy chief for members of the armed forces to defy “illegal” orders from those in power, Unian news agency reported.
Rear Adm Ihor Tenyukh, who was sacked by President Yanukovych in 2010, warned of the dangers posed by the “coup d’etat planned by the current authorities”.
“Tomorrow the regime will enslave you too. Therefore we are calling on you to fulfill your military oath of loyalty to the Ukrainian people and not to the authorities who have gone off the rails,” he was quoted as saying.
Opposition leaders are under huge pressure to come up with an action plan, amid criticism from many activists that their campaign has been too passive.
The new curbs on protests, which have been signed into law by the president, include:
A ban on the unauthorized installation of tents, stages or amplifiers in public places
Provision to arrest protesters wearing masks or helmets
A ban on protests involving more than five vehicles in convoy
Hefty fines or jail for breaches of law
The protesters have been camping out behind extensive barricades on the Euromaidan, as Independence Square has been dubbed, for nearly two months.
During an interview with a German television, President Barack Obama has said he will not let controversial NSA surveillance undermine Washington’s ties with Germany.
Speaking to Germany’s ZDF TV, Barack Obama indicated that US bugging of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s mobile phone had been a mistake and would not happen again.
After the row broke out last year, Angela Merkel accused the US of an unacceptable breach of trust.
On Friday, Barack Obama ordered curbs on how intelligence was being collected.
On Saturday, he told ZDF: “I don’t need and don’t want to harm that (US-German) relationship by a surveillance mechanism that somehow would impede the kind of communication and trust that we have.”
Speaking to Germany’s ZDF TV, Barack Obama indicated that US bugging of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s mobile phone had been a mistake and would not happen again
“As long as I’m president of the United States, the chancellor of Germany will not have to worry about this.”
Barack Obama added the US intelligence services, like all others, would continue to be interested in what world governments’ intentions were.
“There is no point in having an intelligence service if you are restricted to the things that you can read in the New York Times or Der Spiegel,” he said.
“The truth of the matter is that by definition the job of intelligence is to find out: Well, what are folks thinking? What are they doing?”
Barack Obama said he and Chancellor Angela Merkel might not always be of the same opinion but that was not a “reason to wiretap”.
The interview was broadcast a day after Barack Obama ordered restrictions on the use of bulk data collected by US intelligence agencies, saying civil liberties must be respected.
A Pakistani bomb blast that struck an army convoy in north-western part of the country has killed at least 20 soldiers, sources in the security forces say.
At least 24 others were injured in the explosion near the town of Bannu, with fears the death toll will rise.
The source of the explosion is still being investigated.
Pakistan’s Taliban said they had carried out the attack as part of a “fight against a secular system” and promised “many more such attacks”.
At least 20 soldiers have been killed in north-western Pakistan in a bomb blast that struck an army convoy
Soldiers and paramilitary Frontier Corps were preparing to leave Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, for Razmak in North Waziristan when their convoy was rocked by the blast.
“The explosion took place in one of the vehicles of the convoy,” an unnamed senior security official told AFP.
“We are trying to ascertain the exact nature of the explosion, whether it was a planted device or a suicide attack.”
A military source told Reuters news agency the soldiers had been travelling in a hired civilian vehicle.
Speaking to Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location, Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said: “With the help of God we claim responsibility for this.
“The army is our enemy. We will carry out many more attacks like this again.”
Last week, a senior police officer known for campaigning against the militants was killed in a bomb blast in Karachi.
Hundreds of people have been evacuated from historic village of Laerdalsoyri in southern Norway as a raging fire threatens its unique wooden buildings.
Flames spread rapidly after the fire began overnight in a house in Laerdalsoyri, a village of 1,150 people in Laerdal, on Sognefjord fjord.
At least 52 people received hospital treatment but no deaths were reported.
Hundreds of people have been evacuated from historic village of Laerdalsoyri in southern Norway as a raging fire threatens its unique wooden buildings
Flames have spread to at least 23 buildings, fanned by strong winds, Norwegian broadcaster NRK reports.
Emergency services are counting on the arrival of a firefighting helicopter on Sunday to help contain the blaze, while local farmers are helping the firefighters.
The Laerdal district contains a stave church and many other historic wooden buildings, hundreds of years old, much visited by tourists.
“Holy Grail” — Shawn Carter, Terius Nash, J. Harmon, Timothy Mosley, Justin Timberlake & Ernest Wilson, songwriters (Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl & Krist Novoselic, songwriters) (Jay Z Featuring Justin Timberlake)
“New Slaves” — Christopher Breaux, Ben Bronfman, Mike Dean, Louis Johnson, Malik Jones, Elon Rutberg, Sakiya Sandifer, Che Smith, Kanye West & Cydell Young, songwriters (Anna Adamis & Gabor Presser, songwriters) (Kanye West)
“Started From The Bottom” — W. Coleman, Aubrey Graham & Noah Shebib, songwriters (Bruno Sanfilippo, songwriter) (Drake)
“Thrift Shop” — Ben Haggerty & Ryan Lewis, songwriters (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz)
COUNTRY MUSIC
Best Country Solo Performance
“I Drive Your Truck” — Lee Brice
“I Want Crazy” — Hunter Hayes
“Mama’s Broken Heart” — Miranda Lambert
“Wagon Wheel” — Darius Rucker
“Mine Would Be You” — Blake Shelton
Best Country Album
Night Train — Jason Aldean
Two Lanes Of Freedom — Tim McGraw
Same Trailer Different Park — Kacey Musgraves
Based On A True Story — Blake Shelton
Red — Taylor Swift
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“From This Valley”— The Civil Wars
“Don’t Rush” — Kelly Clarkson Featuring Vince Gill
“Your Side Of The Bed” — Little Big Town
“Highway Don’t Care” — Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift & Keith Urban
“You Can’t Make Old Friends” — Kenny Rogers With Dolly Parton
Best Country Song (A Songwriters Award)
“Begin Again” — Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift)
“I Drive Your Truck” — Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington & Jimmy Yeary, songwriters (Lee Brice)
“What A Wonderful World” — Shelly Berg, arranger (Gloria Estefan)
CRAFTS
Best Recording Package
Automatic Music Can Be Fun — Mike Brown, Zac Decamp, Brian Grunert & Annie Stoll, art directors (Geneseo)
Long Night Moon — Sarah Dodds & Shauna Dodds, art directors (Reckless Kelly)
Magna Carta… Holy Grail — Brian Roettinger, art director (Jay-Z)
Metallica Through The Never (Music From The Motion Picture) — Bruce Duckworth, Sarah Moffat & David Turner, art directors (Metallica)
The Next Day — Jonathan Barnbrook, art director (David Bowie)
Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package
The Brussels Affair — Charles Dooher & Scott Sandler, art directors (The Rolling Stones)
How Do You Do (Limited Edition Box Set) — Mayer Hawthorne, art director (Mayer Hawthorne)
The Road To Red Rocks (Special Edition) — Ross Stirling, art director (Mumford & Sons)
The Smith Tapes — Masaki Koike, art director (Various Artists)
Wings Over America (Deluxe Edition) — Simon Earith & James Musgrave, art directors (Paul McCartney and Wings)
Best Album Notes
Afro Blue Impressions (Remastered & Expanded) — Neil Tesser, album notes writer (John Coltrane)
Call It Art 1964–1965 — Ben Young, album notes writer (New York Art Quartet)
Electric Music for the Mind and Body — Alec Palao, album notes writer (Country Joe and the Fish)
Stravinsky: Le Sacre Du Printemps — Jonathan Cott, album notes writer (Leonard Bernstein & New York Philharmonic)
360 Sound: The Columbia Records Story — Sean Wilentz, album notes writer (various artists)
Work Hard, Play Hard, Pray Hard: Hard Time, Good Time & End Time Music, 1923–1936 — Nathan Salsburg, album notes writer (various artists)
PRODUCTION
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
Annie Up — Chuck Ainlay, engineer; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Pistol Annies)
The Blue Room — Helik Hadar & Leslie Ann Jones, engineers; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer (Madeleine Peyroux)
The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here — Paul Figueroa & Randy Staub, engineers; Ted Jensen, mastering engineer (Alice in Chains)
…Like Clockwork — Joe Barresi & Mark Rankin, engineers; Gavin Lurssen, mastering engineer (Queens of the Stone Age)
The Moorings — Trina Shoemaker, engineer; Eric Conn, mastering engineer (Andrew Duhon)
Random Access Memories — Peter Franco, Mick Guzauski, Florian Lagatta & Daniel Lerner, engineers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Daft Punk)
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Rob Cavallo — “All That Echoes” (Josh Groban), “Bright Lights” (Gary Clark Jr.). “¡Dos!” (Green Day), “If I Loved You” (Delta Rae featuring Lindsey Buckingham), “Love They Say” (Tegan and Sara), “Things Are Changin'” (Gary Clark Jr.), “¡Tré!” (Green Day), “When My Train Pulls In” (Gary Clark Jr.), “You’ve Got Time” (Regina Spektor)
Dr. Luke — “Bounce It” (Juicy J Featuring Wale & Trey Songz), “Crazy Kids” (Kesha), “Fall Down (will.i.am featuring Miley Cyrus), “Give It 2 U” (Robin Thicke featuring Kendrick Lamar), “Like Nobody´s Around” (Big Time Rush) , “Roar” (Katy Perry), “Rock Me” (One Direction), “Wrecking Ball” (Miley Cyrus)
Ariel Rechtshaid — “Days Are Gone” (Haim), “Everything Is Embarrassing” (Sky Ferreira), “Lost in My Bedroom” (Sky Ferreira), “Modern Vampires of the City” (Vampire Weekend), “Reincarnated” (Snoop Lion), “True Romance” (Charli XCX), “You’re No Good” (Major Lazer featuring Santigold, Vybz Kartel, Danielle Haim and Yasmin)
Jeff Tweedy — “The Invisible Way” (Low), “One True Vine” (Mavis Staples), “Wassaic Way” (Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion)
Pharrell Williams — “BBC” (Jay-Z), “Blurred Lines” (Robin Thicke featuring T.I. & Pharrell), “Happy” (Pharrell Williams), “I Can’t Describe (The Way I Feel)” (Jennifer Hudson featuring T.I.), “Nuclear” (Destiny’s Child), “Oceans” (Jay-Z featuring Frank Ocean), “Reach Out Richard” (Mayer Hawthorne), “The Stars Are Ours” (Mayer Hawthorne)
Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical
“Days Turn Into Nights” (Andy Caldwell Remix) — Andy Caldwell, remixer (Delerium featuring Michael Logen)
“If I Lose Myself” (Alesso Vs. OneRepublic) — Alesso, remixer (OneRepublic)
“Locked Out of Heaven” (Sultan + Ned Shepard Remix) — Sultan & Ned Shepard, remixers (Bruno Mars)
“One Love/People Get Ready” (Photek Remix) — Rupert Parkes, remixer (Bob Marley and the Wailers)
Live Kisses — Al Schmitt, surround mix engineer; Tommy LiPuma, surround producer (Paul McCartney)
Sailing the Seas of Cheese (Deluxe Edition) — Les Claypool & Jason Mills, surround mix engineers; Stephen Marcussen, surround mastering engineer; Les Claypool & Jeff Fura, surround producers (Primus)
Signature Sound Opus One — Leslie Ann Jones, surround mix engineer; Michael Romanowski, surround mastering engineer; Herbert Waltl, surround producer (various artists)
Sixteen Sunsets — Jim Anderson, surround mix engineer; Darcy Proper, surround mastering engineer; Jim Anderson & Jane Ira Bloom, surround producers (Jane Ira Bloom)
Sprung Rhythm — Daniel Shores, surround mix engineer; Daniel Shores, surround mastering engineer; Dan Merceruio, surround producer (Richard Scerbo & Inscape)
PRODUCTION, CLASSICAL
Best Engineered Album, Classical
Hymn to the Virgin — Morten Lindberg, engineer (Tone Bianca, Sparre Dahl, & Schola Cantorum)
La Voie Triomphale — Morten Lindberg, engineer (Ole Kristian Ruud & Staff Band of the Norwegian Armed Forces)
Roomful of Teeth — Mark Donahue & Jesse Lewis, engineers (Brad Wells & Roomful of Teeth)
Vinci: Artaserse — Hans-Martin Renz, Wolfgang Rixius & Ulrich Ruscher, engineers (Diego Fasolis, Philippe Jaroussky, Max Emanuel Cenčić, Daniel Behle, Franco Fagioli, Valer Barna-Sabadus, Yuriy Mynenko & Concerto Köln)
Winter Morning Walks — David Frost, Brian Losch & Tim Martyn, engineers; Tim Martyn, mastering engineer (Dawn Upshaw, Maria Schneider, Australian Chamber Orchestra & Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra)
Producer of the Year, Classical
Manfred Eicher — Beethoven: Diabelli-Variationen (András Schiff), Canto Oscuro (Anna Gourari), Pärt: Adam’s Lament (Tõnu Kaljuste, Latvian Radio Choir, Vox Clamantis, Sinfonietta Riga, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir & Tallinn Chamber Orchestra), Tabakova: String Paths (Maxim Rysanov)
David Frost — Andres: Home Stretch (Timo Andres, Andrew Cyr & Metropolis Ensemble) — Angel Heart, A Music Storybook (Matt Haimovitz & Uccello), Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 2 (Jonathan Biss) — Ben-Haim: Chamber Works (ARC Ensemble), Celebrating The American Spirit (Judith Clurman & Essential Voices USA), Elgar: Enigma Variations; Vaughan Williams: The Wasps; Greensleeves (Michael Stern & Kansas City Symphony), Guilty Pleasures (Renée Fleming, Sebastian Lang-Lessing & Philharmonia Orchestra), Verdi: Otello (Riccardo Muti, Aleksandrs Antonenko, Krassimira Stoyanova, Carlo Guelfi, Chicago Symphony Chorus & Chicago Symphony Orchestra), Winter Morning Walks (Dawn Upshaw, Maria Schneider, Australian Chamber Orchestra & St. Paul Chamber Orchestra)
Marina A. Ledin, Victor Ledin — Bizet: Symphony In C; Jeux D’Enfants; Variations Chromatiques (Martin West & San Francisco Ballet Orchestra), Traveling Sonata – European Music For Flute & Guitar (Viviana Guzmán & Jérémy Jouve), Voyages (Conrad Tao), Zia (Del Sol String Quartet)
James Mallinson — Berlioz: Grande Messe Des Morts (Colin Davis, London Symphony Chorus, London Philharmonic Choir & London Symphony Orchestra), Bloch: Symphony In C-Sharp Minor & Poems Of The Sea (Dalia Atlas & London Symphony Orchestra), Fauré: Requiem; Bach: Partita, Chorales & Ciaccona (Nigel Short, Tenebrae & London Symphony Orchestra Chamber Ensemble), Nielsen: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3 (Colin Davis & London Symphony Orchestra), Wagner: Das Rheingold (Valery Gergiev, René Pape, Stephan Rügamer, Nikolai Putilin & Mariinsky Orchestra), Wagner: Die Walküre (Valery Gergiev, Anja Kampe, Jonas Kaufmann, René Pape, Nina Stemme & Mariinsky Orchestra), Weber: Der Freischütz (Colin Davis, Christine Brewer, Sally Matthews, Simon O’Neill, London Symphony Chorus & London Symphony Orchestra)
Jay David Saks — Adams: Nixon In China (John Adams, Russell Braun, Ginger Costa-Jackson, James Maddalena, Janis Kelly, Richard Paul Fink, Robert Brubaker, Kathleen Kim, The Metropolitan Opera Chorus & Orchestra), Adès: The Tempest (Thomas Adès, Audrey Luna, Isabel Leonard, Alan Oke, Simon Keenlyside, Metropolitan Opera Chorus & Orchestra), The Enchanted Island (William Christie, Joyce DiDonato, David Daniels, Danielle De Niese, Luca Pisaroni, Lisette Oropesa, Plácido Domingo, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus), Handel: Rodelinda (Harry Bicket, Renée Fleming, Andreas Scholl, Joseph Kaiser, Stephanie Blythe, Iestyn Davies, Shenyang & The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra) Live At Carnegie Hall (James Levine, Evgeny Kissin & The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra), Verdi: Rigoletto (Michele Mariotti, Željko Lu_i_, Diana Damrau, Piotr Beczala, Oksana Volkova, Štefan Kocán, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus)
CLASSICAL
Best Orchestral Performance
Atterberg: Orchestral Works Vol. 1 — Neeme Järvi (conductor), Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
Lutoslawski: Symphony No. 1 — Esa-Pekka Salonen (conductor), Los Angeles Philharmonic
Stravinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps — Simon Rattle (conductor), Berliner Philharmoniker
Best Opera Recording
Adès: The Tempest — Thomas Adès (conductor); Simon Keenlyside, Isabel Leonard, Audrey Luna, Alan Oke (soloists); Luisa Bricetti and Victoria Warivonchick (producers)
Britten: The Rape of Lucretia — Oliver Knussen (conductor); Ian Bostridge, Peter Coleman-Wright, Susan Gritton, Angelika Kirchschlager (soloists); John Fraser (producer)
Kleiberg: David and Bathsheba — Tönu Kaljuste (conductor); Anna Eimarsson and Johannes Weisser (soloists); Morten Lindberg (producer)
Vinci: Artaserse — Diego Fasolis (conductor); Valer Barna-Sabadus, Daniel Behle, Max Emanuel Cenčić, Franco Fagioli, Philippe Jaroussky (soloists); Ulrich Russcher (producer)
Wager: Der Ring des Nibelungen — Christian Thielemann (conductor); Katarina Dalayman, Albert Dohmen, Stephen Gould, Eric Halfvarson, Linda Watson (soloists); Ohmar Eichinger (producer)
Best Choral Performance
Performers who are not eligible for an award (such as orchestras, soloists or choirs) are mentioned in parentheses
Berlioz: Grande Messe de Morts — Colin Davis (conductor) (with Barry Banks, London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Choir and London Symphony Chorus)
Parry: Works for Chorus & Orchestra — Neeme Järvi (conductor), Adrian Partington (chorus master) (with Amanda Roocroft, BBC National Orchestra of Wales and BBC National Chorus of Wales)
Pärt: Adam’s Lament — Tõnu Kaljuste (conductor) (with Tui Hirv & Rainer Vilu; Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir; Sinfonietta Riga & Tallinn Chamber Orchestra; Latvian Radio Choir & Vox Clamantis)
Whitbourn: Annelies — James Jordan (conductor) (conductor) (with Arianna Zukerman, The Lincoln Trio and the Westminster Williamson Voices)
Palestrina: Volume 3 — Harry Christophers (conductor) (with The Sixteen)
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
Beethoven: Violin Sonatas — Leonidas Kavakos & Enrico Pace
Cage: The 10,000 Things — Vicki Ray, William Winant, Aron Kallay & Tom Peters
Duo — Hélène Grimaud & Sol Gabetta
Roomful of Teeth — Brad Wells & Roomful of Teeth
Times Go By Turns — New York Polyphony
Best Classical Instrumental Solo
Bartók, Eötvös & Ligeti — Patricia Kopatchinskaja (soloist), Peter Eötvös (conductor)
Corigliano: Conjurer – Concerto for Percussionist & String Orchestra — Evelyn Glennie (soloist), David Alan Miller (conductor)
The Edge of Light — Gloria Cheng
Lindberg: Piano Concerto No. 2 — Yefim Bronfman (soloist), Alan Gilbert (conductor)
“Safe and Sound” – Capital Cities — Grady Hall, video director; Buddy Enright, video producer
“Picasso Baby: A Performance Art Film” – Jay-Z — Mark Romanek, video director; Shawn Carter & Aristides McGarry, video producers
“Can’t Hold Us” – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Ray Dalton — Jon Jon Augustavo, Jason Koenig & Ryan Lewis, video directors; Tricia Davis, Honna Kimmerer & Jenny Koenig, video producers
“Suit & Tie” – Justin Timberlake featuring Jay-Z — David Fincher, video director; Timory King, video producer
“I’m Shakin'” – Jack White — Dori Oskowitz, video director; Raquel Costello, video producer
Best Music Film
Live 2012 – Coldplay — Paul Dugdale, video director; Jim Parsons, video producer
¡Cuatro! – Green Day — Tim Wheeler, video director; Tim Lynch, video producer
I’m in I’m out and I’m Gone: The Making of Get Up! – Ben Harper with Charlie Musselwhite — Danny Clinch, video director; Ben Harper, video producer
Live Kisses – Paul McCartney — Jonas Akerlund, video director; Violaine Etienne, Aron Levine & Scott Rodger, video producers
The Road to Red Rocks – Mumford & Sons — Nicolas Jack Davies & Frederick Scott, video directors; Dan Bowen, video producer
Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor) statue has been damaged by a lightning strike.
The thumb on the right hand of the 125ft-statue was hit during a storm on Thursday night, officials said.
Officials from the Archdiocese of Rio, which manages the statue, told Brazilian media that repairs will be made to the statue soon.
Christ the Redeemer statue is visited by nearly two million people ever year.
Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Christ the Redeemer statue has been damaged by a lightning strike
In 2010, the statue underwent a $4 million restoration.
Thursday’s storm had one of the highest numbers of lightning strikes recorded in Brazil since the country began monitoring storms in 1999.
The National Institute for Space Research (INPE) told O Globo that the statue is struck by lightning on average between three and five times a year.
Christ the Redeemer was inaugurated on October 12, 1931, on top of Rio’s Mt Corcovado and is considered the largest Art Deco-style sculpture in the world.
Madonna has caused a stir after using a racial slur on her Instagram page.
The singer uploaded a snap of her son Rocco fighting in the boxing ring on Instagram on Friday alongside the caption: “No one messes with Dirty Soap! Mama said knock you out! #disn—–.”
After she was bombarded with complaints about use of the N-word from fans, Madonna deleted the image, only to re-upload it with another comment: “Ok let me start this again. #get off of my d— haters!”
Madonna uploaded a snap of her son Rocco fighting in the boxing ring on Instagram
Madonna later apologized in a statement, saying: “I am sorry if I offended anyone with my use of the N-word on Instagram. It was not meant as a racial slur…I am not a racist.”
The singer added: “There’s no way to defend the use of the word. It was all about intention…It was used as a term of endearment toward my son who is white. I appreciate that it’s a provocative word and I apologize if it gave people the wrong impression. Forgive me.”
Rocco is Madonna’s only child with ex-husband Guy Ritchie. She is also mum to teenage daughter Lourdes, from a previous relationship, and adopted kids Mercy and David.
Former NBA star Dennis Rodman has checked into a rehabilitation center to treat his long-time struggle with alcoholism, his agent Darren Prince announced.
Darren Prince declined on Saturday to say which facility will treat Dennis Rodman and how long he will be there.
Dennis Rodman, 52, recently returned to the US from his latest trip to North Korea.
He later apologized for comments he made in North Korea about detained American missionary Kenneth Bae, saying he had been drinking and was under pressure as he organized an exhibition game there.
Dennis Rodman sang Happy Birthday to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the start of the exhibition game.
Dennis Rodman has checked into a rehabilitation center to treat his long-time struggle with alcoholism
“What was potentially a historic and monumental event turned into a nightmare for everyone concerned,” Darren Prince said.
“Dennis Rodman came back from North Korea in pretty rough shape emotionally. The pressure that was put on him to be a combination <<super human>> political figure and <<fixer>> got the better of him.
“He is embarrassed, saddened and remorseful for the anger and hurt his words have caused.”
Dennis Rodman won five NBA championships with the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls and was one of the NBA’s fiercest rebounders and most colorful personalities.
The results of a two-day referendum showed that the proposed new Egyptian constitution has been backed by 98.1% of people, officials say.
Turnout was 38.6% of the 53 million eligible voters, the election committee said.
The draft constitution replaces one introduced by Islamist President Mohamed Morsi before he was ousted.
The referendum is being seen as a vote on the legitimacy of Mohamed Morsi’s removal and of the army, which toppled him in July last year.
The vote, which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday but was boycotted by members of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist movement from which Mohamed Morsi comes and which wants to see him returned to office.
Several people died in violence involving Mohamed Morsi’s supporters on the first day of voting.
Egypt’s draft constitution replaces one introduced by Islamist President Mohamed Morsi before he was ousted
There were further clashes with the security forces on Friday in which four people died, the Health Ministry said.
Election Commission head Nabil Salib called the vote an “unrivalled success” with “unprecedented turnout”, AP news agency reported.
A constitutional referendum held in 2012 while Mohamed Morsi was in power but boycotted by secularists saw a turnout of 33%, with 64% of voters approving the document.
The new proposed constitution was drafted by a 50-member committee that included only two representatives of Islamist parties.
Critics say the document favors the army at the expense of the people, and fails to deliver on the 2011 revolution that led to the fall of Hosni Mubarak.
Under the draft:
The president may serve two four-year terms and can be impeached by parliament
Islam remains the state religion – but freedom of belief is absolute, giving some protection to minorities
The state guarantees “equality between men and women”
Parties may not be formed based on “religion, race, gender or geography”
Military to appoint defense minister for next eight years [youtube 4QHb1D3zQHI 650]
Valerie Trierweiler has left the Paris hospital where she was admitted a week ago after reports emerged of an affair between President Francois Hollande and actress Julie Gayet.
France’s first lady left the Pitie Salpetriere hospital for a presidential residence at La Lanterne in Versailles, the magazine Paris Match said.
Valerie Trierweiler was admitted to hospital apparently in shock after learning of Closer magazine reports.
It said that the affair had begun during the 2012 presidential race.
Valerie Trierweiler left the Pitie Salpetriere hospital for a presidential residence at La Lanterne in Versailles
Valerie Trierweiler, 48, works for Paris Match, which said she was planning to rest at the residence.
Francois Hollande has not commented on the latest news.
However, a source at the presidential office told AFP that Valerie Trierweiler would rest at La Lanterne “for a few days”.
Valerie Trierweiler was admitted to hospital on January 10.
Francois Hollande visited her for the first time on Thursday evening.
French media have claimed that Valerie Trierweiler suffered an anxiety attack last week, but her friends have played down her condition.
President Francois Hollande would clarify whether Valerie Trierweiler was still first lady before a trip to the US on February 9.
Sunanda Pushkar – the wife of Indian Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development Shahsi Tharoor who was found dead yesterday in a Delhi hotel – was an Indo-Canadian entrepreneur and businesswoman.
She was a sales manager in the Dubai-based TECOM Investments and co-owner of the India-based Rendezvous Sports World.
Sunanda Pushkar was born on January 1st, 1962, in a Kashmiri family of landlords and Indian Army officers native to Bomai. She was the only daughter of Lt. Col. Poshkar Nath Dass and Jaya Dass. Her father PN Dass retired from the army in 1983.
A born rebel, Sunanda Pushkar broke the age-old tradition of Kashmiri Pandits when she attained the first name of her father as her surname albeit with some modification. Poshkar became Pushkar and Sunanda Dass became Sunanda Pushkar.
Sunanda Pushkar was a sales manager in the Dubai-based TECOM Investments and co-owner of the India-based Rendezvous Sports World
Sunanda Pushkar graduated from the Government College for Women in Srinagar, where she studied between 1986 and 1988.
Before marrying Shashi Tharoor, Sunanda Pushkar had been married twice. Her first marriage to fellow Kashmir Pandit and hotel management graduate Sanjay Raina of Srinagar ended in a divorce in 1988. Sanjay Raina’s website describes him as “one of India’s leading stage performers and pop” and who spearheads an entertainment management company.
Later Sunanda Pushkar married a Kerala businessman, Sujith Menon, who was dealing with firefighting equipment. Sujith Menon later went to Dubai where he organized some events of south Indian film stars which however flopped. He returned and later died in an accident in Delhi. Their son Shiv was born in November 1992.
Sunanda Pushkar married Shashi Tharoor in 2010, after he was elected to the Indian Parliament. The couple had a Malayali wedding ceremony in Shashi Tharoor’s ancestral home at Elavanchery in Kerala. This was the third marriage for both of them.
Sunanda Pushkar, who was found dead in a Delhi hotel on Friday, was seriously ill, according to a former diplomat and close friend of her husband, Indian Minister Shashi Tharoor.
TP Sreenivasan, who hails from New Delhi and has been a diplomat for more than three decades, told reporters that Shashi Tharoor had informed him of his wife’s illness.
“She had undergone treatment in France recently and after check-ups it was found that she had some serious health issues and he was a worried man. I pacified him after hearing it,” said TP Sreenivasan.
Reports said Sunanda Pushkar and Shashi Tharoor had visited a leading private hospital recently and certain tests were conducted on Pushkar.
Sunanda Pushkar had visited a leading private hospital recently and certain tests were conducted on her
It appears that Sunanda Pushkar was identified with suspected systemic lupus erythematosus (connective tissue disorder) and this is a disease which has no definite treatment.
Sunanda Pushkar had also undergone colonoscopy.
A doctor at the same hospital said he saw the couple quarrelling playfully.
Reports also said Sunanda Pushkar had an appointment at the hospital January 20.
Sunanda Pushkar and Shashi Tharoor were married at Tharoor’s 200-year-old ancestral home in Palakkad in August 2010.
Si Robertson’s wife, Christine, was finally mentioned by name on Duck Dynasty Season 5 premiere.
Few details were known about Si Robertson’s wife, but, on the season premiere, there was a scene where Miss Kay asked Uncle Si where Christine was. He responded that she was out of town with friends.
Although Christine Robertson had chosen not to participate in the filming of the reality series about the Robertsons, fans have made every attempt to find out what they can about her and the rest of Uncle Si’s family.
Christine and Si Robertson are married for 43 years and they have two children
Christine and Si Robertson are married for 43 years and they have together a son, Scott, and a daughter, Trasa Cobern, who are not featured on Duck Dynasty.
It is not known whether this casual introduction of Christine Robertson to the audience is an indicator she may be featured in Duck Dynasty’s future episodes.
Last week, Honey Boo Boo’s family suffered numerous injuries following a car crash that ended with three being hospitalized with illnesses.
The car accident happened just days after their returning from a turbulent trip to Disneyland.
Following the investigation, the cops are saying that Sugar Bear (Mike Thompson) was at fault in the crash.
Sugar Bear was at fault in the Honey Boo Boo clan’s car crash
According to Milledgeville Police, authorities have determined that Sugar Bear was the cause of the collision, as he made an unsafe left turn in the intersection, cutting off the truck that ultimately plowed into them. At first, there was word that the other vehicle didn’t have their lights on, but now Mike Thompson has admitted that the other car was visible, making him the responsible party for making a safe turn.
However, no charges will be filed against Sugar Bear, and the matter will be handled between insurance companies. In addition, though Pumpkin was back in the hospital earlier this week with a concussion and post-traumatic stress from the accident, she’s now been released and the family is recovering well.
Here Comes Honey Boo Boo returned for its third season Thursday night with two episodes featuring somewhat less flatulence and more conflict.
The reality show ended last season with June Shannon and Sugar Bear’s lavish commitment ceremony.
The first episode kicks off with a flashback to the ceremony “one month ago,” and flashes forward to present day with a trailerful of noise involving everyone being out of pads at the same time.
Honey Boo Boo’s father, Sugar Bear, won’t be moved to get some, saying that, as he lives with six females: “I know more about feminine hygiene products than any man should.”
That’s when it occurs to him that even though he loves his family more than anything, he needs to get away from them sometimes and he sets up his “manper” in the front yard – a rickety camper decked out with a deer skull, hula-girl figurine, Nerf basketball hoop and cuckoo clock. Mamma June’s not happy about it, but Sugar Bear is a happy hibernator.
Here Comes Honey Boo Boo returned for its third season
Pumpkin tries out her wanna-be beauty school tricks on her family in the living room, transformed into Poot-Poot’s Salon. Chubbs screams when her mustache gets waxed, and Mama June looks like the Cesar Romero vintage of the Joker when her face and neck are covered in avocado mask, which Honey Boo Boo says makes her look “like Beetlejuice”. Sugar Bear luxuriates in the manper, cutting up a watermelon while explaining that it’s “a freakin’ estrogen fest in there”.
Then the family takes off for the Redneck Games, an annual fest involving lots of mud, lots of rolling around in said mud and Cornbread, the redneck of the year in 2012 (it was left unclear whether he kept his title). Baby Kaitlyn wins cutest redneck and Honey Boo Boo sulks because she doesn’t take home any prizes.
The second episode opens with Honey Boo Boo, home for the summer, shunted aside by her sisters, who have boyfriends, or, in Pumpkin’s case: “I don’t need a boyfriend. I have way more important things to do. He’d just slow me down anyway.”
After Honey Boo Boo said she doesn’t want to turn out like Pumpkin, but not before a prolonged staring contest with the camera, June Shannon enrolls her in cheerleading camp for the summer.
Anna and Jessica belch with their boyfriends, and Mama June knows it’s time for the talk.
“Boys try to get in girls’ Froot Loops,” she tells them, before the discussion devolves into talk of biscuits, motorboats.
And Sugar Bear gives the boys the talk, covering all the bases. It’s important because “you guys are getting close to my girls like two roaches on a bacon bit,” and “these girls can be nuttier than a port-a-potty at a peanut festival.” Sugar Bear ends it up by urging them to “treat ‘em with respect – don’t make ‘em cry,” which is advice we could all use once in a while, especially the good folks at TLC.
The episode ends with Alana Thompson at her cheerleading performance, where she says she wants to make her family proud.
Four UN employees and a senior IMF official were among 21 people killed in a suicide bomb and gun attack on Taverna du Liban restaurant in Kabul, officials say.
Wabel Abdallah, the head of the IMF’s Afghanistan office, and the UN civilian staff died in what UN chief Ban Ki-moon said was a “horrific attack”.
Canadians, Lebanese, Britons and Americans were among the 13 foreign victims; the other eight were Afghans.
The Taliban said they carried out the attack late on Friday.
Five women were among the dead at the city’s popular Taverna du Liban, and at least five were injured, police say.
The restaurant in Kabul’s Wazir Akbar Khan area is popular with foreign nationals, diplomats and aid workers, and was busy with diners at the time of the attack.
A suicide attacker detonated his explosives outside the gate of the heavily fortified restaurant, Deputy Interior Minister Mohammad Ayoub Salangi said.
Mohammad Ayoub Salangi said two gunmen then entered the restaurant and started “indiscriminately killing” people inside.
Four UN employees and a senior IMF official were among 21 people killed in a suicide bomb and gun attack on Taverna du Liban restaurant in Kabul
IMF chief Christine Lagarde later confirmed that Wabel Abdallah, 60, a Lebanese national, was among those who died.
“This is tragic news, and we at the fund are all devastated,” Christine Lagarde said in a statement.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned “in the strongest terms the horrific attack”, his spokesman said.
“Such targeted attacks against civilians are completely unacceptable and are in flagrant breach of international humanitarian law. They must stop immediately,” Ban ki-moon was quoted as saying.
At least two US citizens died in the attack, the US embassy in Kabul said.
Kamal Hamade, the well-known Lebanese owner of the restaurant, and five women were among the dead. A number of people were injured.
“I was sitting with my friends in the kitchen when an explosion happened and smoke filled the kitchen,” Abdul Majid, a chef at the restaurant, told AFP news agency.
“A man came inside shouting and he started shooting. One of my colleagues was shot and fell down. I ran to the roof and threw myself to the neighboring property.”
The attackers were eventually shot dead by the security forces when they arrived at the scene.
California’s Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state-wide drought, urging residents to conserve water in what could be the state’s driest year on record.
The declaration also means farmers will receive aid and more firefighters will be employed.
Jerry Brown faced pressure to declare the drought as the state’s largest reservoirs are at record low levels.
The dry conditions have been blamed for a wildfire that destroyed five homes north-east of Los Angeles on Thursday.
California’s Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state-wide drought, urging residents to conserve water in what could be the state’s driest year on record
In a press conference on Friday, Jerry Brown called on residents to cut back “at least 20%” on their water usage but said the move was voluntary.
“We can’t make it rain, but we can be much better prepared for the terrible consequences that California’s drought now threatens,” Jerry Brown said in a statement.
He added the declaration was a way to focus Californians on how serious the drought conditions were.
“We are in an unprecedented, very serious situation that people should pause and reflect on how dependent we are on the rain, nature and one other,” he said on CNN.
Previous extremely dry years led to catastrophic wildfire seasons in California in 2003 and 2007.
China protest singer Cui Jian, one of whose songs became an anthem of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, has pulled out of a major show on state TV.
Cui Jian had been due to play at China’s Spring Festival Gala, which draws a TV audience of hundreds of millions.
His manager You You said that Cui Jian withdrew after organizers tried to censor his performance.
In 1989, Cui Jian had performed to protesting students in Tiananmen Square, who took up his song Nothing to My Name.
Cui Jian had wanted to sing the song during the gala, but the organizers said he would have to choose another, You You told AP.
“It is not only our regret, but also the gala’s,” she said.
One of Cui Jian’s songs became an anthem of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests
The Chinese New Year TV gala show is one of the most watched programs anywhere on the planet and is best known for its patriotic songs, comedy sketches, and dance routines.
With the 25th anniversary of Tiananmen Square just a few months away, Cui Jian had appeared to be a risky, political choice for such a primetime performance, correspondents say.
During the protests, he performed in the square to thousands of students. But on 4 June 1989, China’s Communist party ordered the military to end the demonstrations – hundreds, if not, thousands were killed.
Following the protests, Cui Jian was barred from playing large venues. But in recent years the musician – who has sold millions of records – has once again been playing in front of big crowds.
He is still a household name in China.
Cui Jian’s manager says that he has been asked to perform on national TV before. But she adds these events sometimes fall through because Cui Jian refuses to lip sync.
Shashi Tharoor’s wife, Sunanda Pushkar, who was found dead in a Delhi hotel room on Friday, died a “sudden and unnatural death”, an autopsy has found.
Shashi Tharoor, who was earlier admitted to hospital with chest pains, took his wife’s body away for cremation.
Sunanda Pushkar and Shashi Tharoor caused a media stir on Twitter on Wednesday with a series of messages appearing to reveal he was having an affair with Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar.
Sunanda Pushkar and Shashi Tharoor caused a media stir on Twitter on Wednesday with a series of messages appearing to reveal he was having an affair
They later insisted they were happily married, blaming “unauthorized tweets”.
The full results of the post-mortem examination are due to be released in the next two days.
Shashi Tharoor’s aide, Abhinav Kumar, had earlier told reporters that Sunanda Pushkar had appeared to be asleep.
“There were no signs of any foul play or any struggle. She had no sign of poisoning or anything,” he said.
Shashi Tharoor, a former UN diplomat, was forced to resign from his first ministerial position in 2010 amid controversy over his involvement in bidding for a cricket team.
Sunanda Pushkar had allegedly received a free stake in the Indian Premier League franchise he was bidding for.
Shashi Tharoor was appointed minister of state for human resource development in 2012.
