Chinese politician Bo Xilai is appealing against his life imprisonment sentence, reports say.
The former party chief of Chongqing was sentenced to life imprisonment on Sunday. He was found guilty of bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power.
Bo Xilai was removed from office last year amid a scandal which saw his wife Gu Kailai convicted for the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood.
He denied all charges in a vigorous defense at his trial.
The downfall of Bo Xilai – who had been seen as a candidate for promotion to the Politburo Standing Committee, China’s top decision-making body – was the biggest political shake-up to hit China’s ruling elite in decades.
Bo Xilai is appealing against his life imprisonment sentence
“He informed the court yesterday of his request for an appeal following the verdict,” AFP news agency quoted a lawyer with “direct knowledge” of the case as saying.
Another unnamed source quoted by the news agency said Bo Xilai would appeal against the “entire verdict”.
Earlier, the ruling Communist Party said the life sentence given to Bo showed that no one was above the law.
“The resolute punishment of Bo Xilai according to law has fully shown that there are no exceptions in the face of party discipline and state laws,” a commentary in the party-run People’s Daily said.
Many analysts say the case was simply a legal way of getting rid of one of China’s most popular politicians.
Bo Xilai is reported to have erupted in anger as he was sentenced.
Bo Xilai was expected to lodge an appeal but correspondents say few think it will be successful.
Nine million iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C have been sold in three days, according to Apple.
Apple said that sales of the iPhone 5S and 5C had beaten previous launches of new phones.
Apple said demand for the iPhone 5S had outstripped supply and Apple shares rose almost 6% on the news before falling back to trade 4% higher.
The 5S has a fingerprint sensor built into the phone’s main button. The cheaper 5C comes with a plastic back in a choice of colors.
In a statement, Apple CEO Tim Cook said: “The demand for the new iPhones has been incredible, and while we’ve sold out of our initial supply of iPhone 5S, stores continue to receive new iPhone shipments regularly.
Apple said that sales of the iPhone 5S and 5C had beaten previous launches of new phones.
“We appreciate everyone’s patience and are working hard to build enough new iPhones for everyone.”
Analysts said that while the sales were strong, Apple had made an effort to ensure that the opening weekend was a success.
“Apple was concerned about the public relations angle of a soft first weekend, so they took some steps to strengthen the numbers,” telecom analyst Jeff Kagan said in an email.
“Traditionally users could pre-order devices. Not this year.
“This year anyone who wanted a new iPhone must get into line. That bolstered the lines and strengthened [the] opening weekend from a PR perspective. This upset users, but made for great numbers,” he said.
In a notification to market regulators Apple said it expected sales in its fourth quarter to be at the higher end of its previous announced range of between $34 billion and $37 billion.
Apple also forecast that its gross profit margin would be near the high end of the previously provided range of 36-37%.
Barack Obama has reiterated calls for changes to US gun laws at a memorial service for the victims of last week’s shooting at the Washington Navy Yard.
President Barack Obama said tears were “not enough”.
He told mourners Americans must insist that “there is nothing normal about innocent men and women being gunned down where they work”.
Barack Obama has reiterated calls for changes to US gun laws at a memorial service for the victims of last week’s shooting at the Washington Navy Yard
Twelve people were killed last Monday by contractor Aaron Alexis, who was himself shot dead by police.
Aaron Alexis, 34, reportedly had untreated mental health difficulties.
Barack Obama called on Americans to abandon their “creeping resignation” to mass shootings.
Acknowledging that “the politics are difficult” – a reference to his failure to get measures through Congress earlier this year – the president said change would not come from Washington.
“Change will come the only way it ever has come, and that’s from the American people,” Barack Obama told the crowd.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama met privately with victims’ relatives ahead of the shooting, the White House said.
At least 25 people died after Typhoon Usagi has hit Guangdong province of south China, the government has said.
Winds of up to 110 mph were recorded in some areas, toppling trees and blowing cars off roads. Its victims drowned or were hit by debris.
Typhoon Usagi has affected 3.5 million people on the Chinese mainland.
Trains from Guangzhou to Beijing have been suspended and hundreds of flights from Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong have been cancelled.
However, Hong Kong has escaped the worst of the storm.
Weather officials say that the ferocity of the storm has abated as it progressed into southern China, but financial markets in Hong Kong were closed for part of Monday morning.
More than 80,000 people were moved to safety in Fujian province and the authorities have deployed at least 50,000 relief workers, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Power supplies in many parts of the province and in Guangdong have been cut off.
The typhoon caused 7,100 homes to collapse and led to direct economic losses of 3.24 billion yuan ($526 million), Xinhua added.
At least 25 people died after Typhoon Usagi has hit Guangdong province of south China
“It is the strongest typhoon I have ever encountered,” Xinhua quoted Luo Hailing, a petrol station attendant in Shanwei – in the eastern part of Guangdong province – as saying.
“[It was] so terrible, lucky we made preparations.”
Hong Kong’s port – one of the world’s busiest – shut down as the densely populated territory braced itself for the storm – the most powerful of this year.
Although officials say that Hong Kong escaped the worst ravages of the weather, the South China Morning Post said that Usagi still caused disruption and disarray, bringing flooding to some areas.
More than 400 flights were cancelled or delayed, Hong Kong’s Airport Authority said.
On Sunday evening the Post reported that Usagi’s designation had been reduced from Severe Typhoon to Typhoon and it was moving away from Hong Kong.
On Monday, classes were suspended in Hong Kong, Macau and 14 cities in Guangdong province, Xinhua reported.
Typhoon Usagi – which means rabbit in Japanese – had produced winds of 103 mph as it closed in on China’s densely populated Pearl River Delta.
China’s National Meteorological Centre warned that Typhoon Usagi would bring gales and downpours to parts of the southern coast.
People living in southern China are used to typhoons, but Usagi hit the region with unusual force.
The storm hit just as millions were travelling for China’s mid-Autumn festival – a national, three day holiday when many visit family – leading to flight and high speed train cancellations.
The storm killed two people on Friday as it crossed the Luzon Strait between Taiwan and the Philippines.
Parts of the Philippines were badly hit by floods caused by the typhoon on Monday.
“The flood water is chest-deep in many areas,” Kay Khonghun, mayor of Subic, a town northwest of Philippine capital Manila, told AFP news agency.
“The rain is pounding and the water keeps on rising,” he said.
Typhoons are common during the summer in parts of East Asia, where the warm moist air and low pressure conditions enable tropical cyclones to form.
Behind the Candelabra has topped this year’s Emmy awards, held in Los Angeles on Sunday.
The Liberace biopic, shown on the cable network HBO in the US, won three awards including best TV movie and a best actor award for Michael Douglas.
Breaking Bad was named best drama, while Modern Family took the leading comedy award for the fourth time.
Claire Danes took the best actress prize for her role in Homeland.
Accepting his first ever Emmy award, Michael Douglas thanked his family and his wife, Catherine Zeta Jones.
Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas, who have been married for 13 years, announced last month that they were “taking time apart”.
Michael Douglas also thanked his co-star, fellow nominee Matt Damon.
“You’re magnificent,” he said.
The actor added: “The only reason I’m standing here is because of you.”
It was the second consecutive Primetime Emmy award win for Claire Danes in the leading actress category for her portrayal of troubled CIA officer Carrie Mathison in Homeland.
Claire Danes paid tribute to Henry Brommell, one of the writers of the critically acclaimed series, who died in March and received a writing award posthumously during the ceremony.
Behind The Candelabra won three Emmy awards including best TV movie and a best actor award for Michael Douglas
Her co-star, British actor Damian Lewis lost out in the lead actor category to Jeff Daniels, who was the surprise winner for his role in The Newsroom.
It was the first ever Emmy nomination and win for Jeff Daniels, who plays self-righteous news anchor Will McAvoy.
Jeff Daniels beat stiff competition from Kevin Spacey, nominated for House of Cards, Mad Men‘s Jon Hamm and Breaking Bad actor Bryan Cranston, who was widely tipped to take the coveted accolade.
As well as taking the top honor of best drama series, Breaking Bad was also successful in the supporting actress category, with Anna Gunn winning ahead of Downton Abbey‘s Maggie Smith and Mad Men‘s Elisabeth Moss.
Anna Gunn, who plays Skyler White in the hit show, dedicated the win to her daughters.
Best supporting actor in a drama series went to Bobby Cannavale for Boardwalk Empire.
British screenwriter Abi Morgan had success with newsroom drama The Hour, claiming the award for best writer in the mini-series or movie category.
In the best comedy actress category, Julia Louis-Dreyfus won her fourth Emmy for her role as the US vice-president in Veep, from The Thick Of It creator Armando Iannucci. She also won an Emmy for Veep last year.
“This is so much good fortune it’s almost too much to bear,” said Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
“I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to make people laugh. It’s a joyful way to make a living.”
Jim Parsons of The Big Bang Theory won his third Emmy for best actor in a comedy.
Jim Parsons, who plays Sheldon Cooper in the CBS comedy, scored the hat trick after previous wins in 2010 and 2011.
Toby Jones and Imelda Staunton had each been up for best actor and supporting actress for Hitchcock drama The Girl while Charlotte Rampling had been nominated for Restless for best supporting actress in a TV movie.
The glittering ceremony included a performance by Elton John, who paid tribute to the late pianist Liberace.
Elton John, who performed Home Again, said he was “honored” to have been asked to take part in the ceremony for the first time in its 64-year history.
Among those to receive a special posthumous tribute was 31-year-old Cory Monteith, who died in July of a drug and alcohol overdose.
His Glee co-star Jane Lynch described him as a “beautiful soul”.
“He was not perfect, which so many of us here tonight can relate to. His death is a tragic reminder of the rapacious, senseless destruction that is brought on by addiction,” she said.
The Sopranos star James Gandolfini was also honored during the ceremony.
James Gandolfini, who won three Emmys for his role as a therapy-seeking mob boss in the show, died in June following a heart attack.
Tributes were also paid to producer Gary David Goldberg, Jean Stapleton and Jonathan Winters.
Despite being nominated for 17 awards, American Horror Story: Asylum won just one accolade, while the hotly tipped Netflix drama, House of Cards, also took one award for best directing in a drama series for David Fincher.
US cable and satellite television network HBO led this year’s awards, winning seven Emmys, followed by Showtime with four, ABC and NBC with three each and AMC and Comedy Central with two each.
Fresh gunfire and explosions have been heard at Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi where militants are said to be holding a number of hostages.
Sixty-eight people have been killed and more than 170 injured since the attack began in Kenya’s capital on Saturday.
Between 10 and 15 attackers – thought to be militants from the Somali al-Shabab movement – are still inside the Westgate shopping centre.
Reporters at the scene said there had been heavy and rapid bursts of fire.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on Monday morning it was adjourning the trial of Kenya’s Deputy President William Ruto on charges relating to violence following elections in 2007.
The court said William Ruto would be excused for a week to return to Nairobi to help deal with the crisis.
The battle to end the long stand-off is continuing in earnest as conditions for those trapped inside the complex deteriorate.
An unnamed Kenyan security source told the AFP news agency that an army assault was underway.
An AFP correspondent at the scene said he heard about 15 minutes of fierce gunfire which then subsided.
A photographer accompanying the correspondent said troops deployed around the mall were forced to duck for cover.
The photographer said it “sounded as if the shots were coming from somewhere around the mall, or were being fired from a vantage point in the mall”.
Sixty-eight people have been killed and more than 170 injured since the attack began in Kenya’s capital on Saturday
The defence forces said on Twitter several hours ago: “All efforts are under way to bring this matter to a speedy conclusion.”
Authorities have emphasised that it is a delicate operation as the safe rescue of the hostages is their top priority, says our correspondent.
Four soldiers had been injured in the attack by Sunday evening.
Kenyan military vehicles have been seen entering and leaving the area throughout Monday morning.
A Kenyan security official said that their forces were receiving foreign assistance, namely from Americans and Israelis.
Overnight reports said that the gunmen were holed up in a supermarket.
Earlier, defense spokesman Col. Cyrus Oguna said only a small number of hostages were still being held and most had been rescued.
As troops continued to clear the building, it was possible they would come across more bodies, Col Oguna warned on Sunday.
In a news conference on Sunday, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said the country was united and strong in adversity.
“The criminals are now located in one place within the building,” he said.
“With the professionals on site, we have as good a chance to neutralise the terrorists as we could hope for.”
Uhuru Kenyatta said his nephew and the man’s fiancée were among the dead.
President Barack Obama called President Uhuru Kenyatta on Sunday to express condolences and reiterate “US support for Kenya’s efforts to bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice”.
The wife of an American working for the US Agency for International Development was killed, US officials said.
Prominent Ghanaian poet Kofi Awoonor – who was attending a literary festival in Nairobi – also died, as did a Chinese woman.
French, Dutch, South African, Indian and Canadian nationals are also among the foreigners confirmed killed, along with a dual Australian-British national.
Thousands of Kenyans responded on Sunday to appeals for blood donations.
Al-Shabab says it carried out the attack in response to Kenyan military operations in Somalia.
The group, which is part of the al-Qaeda network, has repeatedly threatened attacks on Kenyan soil if Nairobi did not pull its troops out of Somalia.
There are about 4,000 Kenyan troops in the south of Somalia, where they have been fighting the militants since 2011.
George Soros tied the knot with 42-year-old Japanese-American Tamiko Bolton, a health care consultant, in a small, but lavish, wedding at his Caramoor estate in Bedford, an hour away from New York City.
Billionaire investor George Soros got married for the third time.
Tamiko Bolton’s wedding dress was designed by U.S.-based, Lebanon-born Reem Acra, whose gowns have been worn on the red carpet by many stars, including Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Lopez.
George Soros, 83, put a Graff wedding band on Tamiko Bolton’s finger during the half-hour ceremony, according to a source.
Federal judge Kimba Wood officiated at the non-denominational wedding, which was attended only by family members, including George Soros’ five children from his two previous marriages.
The wedding ceremony was followed by a reception on Saturday evening with more than 500 guests at an arts center in nearby Katonah.
Chef Bo Bech of the Geist Restaurant in Copenhagen prepared the food.
George Soros and Tamiko Bolton first dined at Geist when visiting Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2009.
George Soros got married for the third time to his fiancée Tamiko Bolton
It comes as little surprise that the occasion would be marked with a bit of fanfare.
The three-day celebration already began on Friday with a dinner followed by a reception at the Museum of Modern Art with a special preview of the new Rene Magritte exhibit.
The estate in Bedford itself has its own grandiose history as George Soros bought it a decade ago from Michael Crichton, the author of Jurassic Park.
The reception featured Hungarian composer and conductor Iván Fischer, a family friend, who created a new arrangement for the occasion, which was presented with the Budapest Festival Orchestra.
Cape Verdean singer Mayra Andrade performed with the Harris Lane Orchestra.
The reception was festooned with lavish floral centerpieces including a huge hot-air balloon made of flowers.
Mayra Andrade and Roma ensemble Via Romen performed at Sunday brunch.
Guests at the various events included World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and some foreign leaders, including Hendrik Toomas Ilves, president of Estonia; Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, president of Liberia; and Edi Rama, prime minister of Albania.
Also expected to have attended were fellow titans of the hedge fund world, Paul Tudor Jones and Julian Robertson.
From the political realm those invited included Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi of California and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, both Democrats.
George Soros, who established one of the first hedge funds in 1969 and is probably best known for his big bet against the British pound in 1992, met Tamiko Bolton at a dinner party in 2008.
Their engagement was announced in August 2012.
Tamiko Bolton, who was raised in California, is the daughter of a nurse and a retired naval officer. She graduated from the University of Utah and holds an MBA from the University of Miami. Tamiko Bolton has been a consultant and entrepreneur working in the fields of health and education.
For George Soros, who has a net worth of $20 billion, according to Forbes, this will be his third marriage. It will be the second for Tamiko Bolton.
In the past three decades, Hungarian-born George Soros has given away more than $7 billion to promote democracy, foster free speech, improve education and fight poverty around the world, according to his foundation’s website on www.opensocietyfoundations.org.
George Soros was divorced from Annaliese Witschak in 1983 and Susan Weber Soros in 2005.
George Soros got married for the third time on Saturday to his fiancée Tamiko Bolton.
But who is Tamiko Bolton?
Tamiko Bolton, who was raised in California, is the daughter of a Japanese-American nurse and a retired naval officer. She graduated from the University of Utah and holds an MBA from the University of Miami.
George Soros got married for the third time on Saturday to his fiancée Tamiko Bolton
Tamiko Bolton, 42, is a licensed pharmacist and has been a consultant and entrepreneur working in the fields of health and education.
She’s frequent travel companion with George Soros and attended a UN summit on climate change with him.
Tamiko Bolton started an Internet vitamin/dietary supplement sales company and now runs a web-based yoga education business, DealBook reported.
Her Upper East Side apartment was the center of a bunch of drama last year between George Soros and his ex-lover, Brazilian soap opera star Adriana Ferreyr, who sued the billionaire claiming he reneged on his promise to give her the apartment.
Miley Cyrus has all but confirmed her romance with Mike WiLL Made It.
Following her return to the stage at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas on Saturday, Miley Cyrus, 20, was spotted in the arms of music producer Mike WiLL Make It, 24.
Miley Cyrus and Mike WiLL Made It were first linked last week, while a series of personal photographs from their respective social media accounts, as well as a suggestive photo shoot with famed photographer Terry Richardson, have since added fuel to the rumors.
The singer was greeted by her beau who was waiting patiently for her outside her trailer, and the touchy-feely twosome shared a sweet embrace.
Miley Cyrus and Mike WiLL Made It were first linked last week, while a series of personal photographs from their respective social media accounts
Mike WiLL Made It appears to have been given the seal of approval from mom Tish, who happily chatted with her daughter’s rumored new squeeze while they waited for Miley Cyrus to return.
Miley Cyrus’ single status was officially confirmed earlier this week following her split from fiancé Liam Hemsworth as controversy continues to rage around her twerking antics with Robin Thicke at the VMAs.
But it was another performance that had fans raising their eyebrows, when she appeared to choke up while singing the final lines of new single Wrecking Ball at the Vegas music festival.
A rare moment of emotional honesty appeared to undermine Miley Cyrus’ vocals during a performance of the track, her second release from forthcoming album Bangerz.
Duck Dynasty’s Jep Robertsonis Willie’s youngest brother and son of Phil and Miss Kay.
Jep Robertson was born on May 28th, 1978.
He is the “baby” of the family, according to Miss Kay.
Jep Robertson has been married to his wife Jessica since October 7th, 2001 and they have 4 children together: Lily, 10; Merrit, 8; Priscilla, 6; and River, 4.
Jep Robertson has been married to Jessica since October 7th, 2001 and they have four children together
He didn’t appear as much in the earlier seasons of the show, but has started to change that in the 3rd and 4th seasons.
This was mostly because Jep Robertson helped film certain parts of episodes when the guys ventured into the swampy areas.
Filming and editing seems to be one of Jep Robertson’s big passions along with photography.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged her party to celebrate “a super result” after exit polls suggested CDU was set to win a third term.
Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats took about 42% of the vote, according to exit polls.
But Angela Merkel’s preferred coalition is at risk, as her Free Democrat partners appear not have secured the 5% needed to enter parliament.
She may, therefore, be forced to seek a grand coalition with the Social Democrats (SPD) – estimated to have won 26%.
Exit polls for ARD public television put the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) on 4.7%, which if confirmed would be a disaster for the junior coalition partner, leaving it with no national representation in parliament.
Senior party member Christian Lindner called it “the bitterest hour”.
Angela Merkel has urged her party to celebrate “a super result” after exit polls suggested CDU was set to win a third term
The FDP was beaten by the Green Party (8%) and the former communist Left Party (8.5%), and even, according to exit polls, the new Alternative fuer Deutschland, which advocates withdrawal from the euro currency and took 4.9%, just short of the parliamentary threshold.
There was some speculation on German television that the Christian Democrats (CDU) might even win enough seats for an absolute majority – the first in half a century – if both the FDP and AfD fail to make it into parliament.
Angela Merkel addressed jubilant supporters at CDU headquarters, telling them: “This is a super result.”
“We can celebrate tonight because we have done something fantastic.”
In a reference to coalition building, Angela Merkel said it was “too early to say exactly what we’ll do”.
“We have a clear mandate from voters to form a government,” said Volker Kauder, leader of the CDU’s parliamentary group. The outcome showed that “voters want Angela Merkel to remain chancellor” for a third term, he said.
Angela Merkel has made clear she would be prepared to work with the SPD in a grand coalition, as she did in 2005-2009.
The SPD has been more reluctant to consider linking up with the CDU again. The party leader, Peer Steinbrueck, was finance minister in the previous grand coalition, but has said he would not serve in such a government again.
After the exit polls were released, but before official results were confirmed, Peer Steinbrueck conceded that it would be up to Angela Merkel to decide how to proceed saying: “The ball is in Mrs. Merkel’s court. She has to get herself a majority.”
The SPD would have preferred to enter a coalition with the Green Party, but does not appear to have the votes to do so, and has ruled out a three-way alliance including the Left Party (Die Linke).
Analysts think the SPD will probably agree to a coalition with the CDU.
Turnout appeared to be higher than at the last federal election. At 14:00 it measured 41.4% of eligible voters, compared to 36.1% at the same point in 2009.
Hong Kong is preparing for the arrival of typhoon Usagi, which is expected to be the strongest storm to hit the city in more than 30 years.
Officials have suspended activity at the port – one of the world’s busiest – and cancelled most flights.
In mainland China thousands of boats in the Pearl River Delta have been taken inland due to fears of high tides.
At least two people were killed by the storm as it crossed the Luzon Strait between Taiwan and the Philippines.
Typhoo Usagi – which means rabbit in Japanese – packed winds of 103 mph as it closed in on China’s densely populated Pearl River Delta.
China’s National Meteorological Centre has issued its highest alert, warning that Typhoon Usagi would bring gales and downpours to parts of the southern coast, according to Xinhua news agency.
More than 80,000 people have moved to safer ground in Fujian province, Xinhua said, and the authorities in Guangdong have asked more than 44,000 fishing boats to return to port.
Hong Kong is preparing for the arrival of typhoon Usagi, which is expected to be the strongest storm to hit the city in more than 30 years
Technicians at the Guangdong nuclear plant have been trying to ensure the installation is secure ahead of the typhoon.
Many airlines have cancelled flights to cities in Guangdong and Fujian, and shipping has been suspended between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, Xinhua reported.
In Hong Kong, meteorologists are warning of severe floods due to powerful winds and exceptionally high tides.
The Hong Kong Observatory warned of “severe” disruption to the city.
If the situation does not improve soon, many businesses including the stock exchange will be shut on Monday.
En route to Hong Kong and southern China, Typhoon Usagi forced the evacuation of more than 3,000 people in southern Taiwan.
It also hit the northernmost islands of the Philippines, where it cut communication and power lines and triggered landslides.
Typhoons are common during the summer in parts of East Asia, where the warm moist air and low pressure conditions enable tropical cyclones to form.
Line a 12-hole mini-muffin tin with pretty paper or foil cases, then start by preparing the peanut butter filling. Tip the white chocolate pieces into a small heatproof bowl and melt over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Remove from the heat, stir the chocolate until smooth and add the peanut butter and vanilla extract. Mix to combine and set aside.
Meanwhile, place the milk and the dark chocolate pieces in a heatproof bowl and melt over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring frequently until it is silky smooth. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Spoon one teaspoon of the melted chocolate into each of the paper cases, followed by one level teaspoon of the peanut butter and white chocolate mixture, flattening the mixture slightly with the back of the spoon.
Now cover the peanut butter with another teaspoon of the melted chocolate and tap the tin gently on the work surface, so that the chocolate covers the peanut butter in a smooth layer. Finally, scatter the finely chopped peanuts over the top of each chocolate cup and leave to cool until they are completely firm before serving. The crunchy peanut butter cups will keep for about a week in an airtight container in a cool place
Tamil party has won Sri Lanka’s first elections for a semi-autonomous council in the island’s north after decades of ethnic war, official results show.
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) won 30 seats in the 38-member council following Saturday’s Northern Provincial Council elections.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s coalition won seven of the other seats.
The vote took place four years after the army defeated Tamil Tiger rebels.
The TNA will now form the first functioning provincial government in the northern Tamil heartland.
The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress won one seat.
Tamil party has won Sri Lanka’s first elections for a semi-autonomous council in the island’s north after decades of ethnic war
The result is a sign that the mainly Tamil population of the north is looking for a high degree of self-government – but there will now have to be intense bargaining with the central government on what that will entail.
The Tamil-majority Northern Province, which was first promised such a body decades ago, is the only region that has never had its own council.
The run-up to the election was marred by allegations of army intimidation that were firmly denied by the authorities.
Vast swathes of the region were once strongholds of Tamil Tiger rebels, who fought against the mainly Sinhalese army for a separate homeland as Sri Lanka was plunged into a bitter and bloody civil war for 26 years.
The rebels were defeated in May 2009 but the final phase of that war remains dogged by war crimes allegations, and the government’s rights record since then has come in for trenchant criticism.
The elections have been seen by the UN and the world community as an important gauge as to the level of reconciliation between the Tamils and the majority ethnic Sinhalese, who mostly control Sri Lanka’s government and military.
The vote went to the heart of how the country should accommodate its ethnic minority who complain of being second class citizens without a say in their own affairs.
Rihanna has been enjoying a stay in Thailand as a break from her Diamonds World Tour.
Wearing swimming suit, Rihanna, 25, is seen in a variety of poses and scenarios where she is clearly at home in the Asian country.
In one she can be seen posing on a boat with an impressive skyline behind her. In another, she is seen looking backwards, over her shoulder, as a breeze makes her hair momentarily defy gravity.
Rihanna can then be seen receiving a hand-made flower bracelet from a local vendor, who then kisses her.
Rihanna has been enjoying a stay in Thailand as a break from her Diamonds World Tour
In typical Rihanna style, she also uploaded a more suggestive picture of her wearing a leather-effect wetsuit.
The chart-topping singer is obviously happy to share her experiences. She has been uploading a number of photographs of her travels in recent days.
Yesterday Rihanna published a number of fun pictures from a night out in Phuket, where she was greeted by several species of native animals – including tame elephants.
She also posted a funny shot with her alongside a scantily-clad woman and a leotard-wearing man – both of whom appear to be yelling at the singer.
“She was either tryna get married to me, or asking for the rest of my crop over costume! #Thailand #$treetLife,” Rihanna explained of the scene.
Rihanna flew into Thailand from Manila on Thursday, following her first gig in the Philippines for five years.
Her tour has so far played in more than 60 countries, with another 19 stops to go before it wraps on November 15.
Rihanna’s next gig is scheduled for Singapore this Sunday.
Prince Felix of Luxembourg has married his long-time love Claire Lademacher in south eastern France.
Grand dukes and duchesses, princes and princesses and a smattering of arch dukes lined up at the Basilique Sainte Marie-Madeleine in Saint-Maximin-La-Sainte-Baume to greet the couple.
On Wednesday, Prince Felix, 29, and Claire Lademacher, 28, wed in a civil ceremony in her hometown of Frankfurt, Germany. The bride opted for an understated look – choosing a simple white peplum sheath dress, aquamarine drop earrings, and Ferragamo bow heels.
The ceremony was an intimate affair which included Prince Felix’s parents – the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg – as well as his four siblings and their respective families.
The bride wore a traditional wedding dress as she married the second-in-line to the Luxembourg throne in front of 350 guests.
The groom’s proud parents Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Theresa beamed as Prince Felix arrived for the ceremony.
His mother posed with her son wearing a matching fuchsia coat, hat and shoes as she arrived to see the third of her five children marry.
Prince Felix of Luxembourg has married his long-time love Claire Lademacher in south eastern France
Both of them waved to the crowds who had gathered in the Provencal town of Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume.
Prince Guilaume, Princess Stephanie, Prince Louis, Princess Tessy, sister Princess Alexandra and Prince Sébastien of Luxembourg made up the large party of Félix’s family on his big day.
Hello magazine reported that Princess Alexandra took her style inspiration from fellow European Kate Middleton.
She wore a sky blue version of the teal Jenny Packham dress that the Duchess of Cambridge sported at an Olympics gala ball in 2012.
Felix’s brother Prince Guillaume arrived with his wife Prince Stephanie, 11 months after their own lavish wedding at the Cathederal of Our Lady of Luxembourg.
Leading the other European royal guests was Prince Albert of Monaco’s nephew Pierre Casiraghi and his girlfriend Beatrice Borromeo. They were joined by Archduke Christoph and Archduchess Adelaide and Princess Margaretha and Prince Nikolaus Of Liechtenstein.
After the ceremony, the newlyweds were expected to set off on honeymoon reportedly still a secret from Claire Lademacher.
“The day after our wedding we will depart on our honeymoon, and I will personally take care of the organization,” Prince Felix told a local newspaper according to Hello magazine.
“It is tradition in our family that the destination of the honeymoon is a surprise for the bride, that is only revealed at the last minute before departure…”
Claire and Prince Felix reportedly met while studying at the Collège Alpin International Beau Soleil in Switzerland. The couple announced their engagement in December.
The Kremlin was forced to deny claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin has married former Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva.
Rumors that the recently divorced Vladimir Putin was marrying in the town of Valdai swept the internet.
Alexei Navalny, Vladimir Putin’s most charismatic political rival, tweeted: “I’m told that Putin and Kabaeva are marrying today at the Iver Monastery. All of Valdai sealed off.”
However, Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, later dismissed the claims as “an internet exercise to relieve boredom”.
Valdai is in the Novgorod region, where Vladimir Putin, 60, was based last week for an international conference involving politicians and journalists.
The president’s aides have repeatedly denied he is involved in a relationship with gold medal-winning gymnast Alina Kabaeva, 30.
The Kremlin was forced to deny claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin has married former Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva
Claims that Vladimir Putin and Alina Kabaeva have children together have also been dismissed.
This week Vladimir Putin indicated he may stand for office again in 2018.
Vladimir Putin was first elected in 2000 and served two four year terms until he handed control of the country to puppet president Dmitry Medvedev who served until 2012 when Putin was reelected, this time for a six-year term.
If reelected, Vladimir Putin will have been in power for nearly a quarter of a century which will make him the nation’s longest-serving leader since Joseph Stalin.
Vladimir Putin, who served two consecutive four-year terms starting in 2000, stepped out of the presidential limelight and became prime minister in 2008 to observe a limit of two consecutive terms.
However, Vladimir Putin maintained his grip on power from the shadows with his longtime ally, Dmitry Medvedev, serving as a placeholder.
Amanda Knox says she will not travel to Italy for the appeals trial over the 2007 murder of British student Meredith Kercher.
“I was already imprisoned as innocent person in Italy,” Amanda Knox said told NBC.
“I just can’t relive that.”
Amanda Knox and her Italian ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were found guilty in 2009, but acquitted on appeal in 2011.
In March, Italy’s highest court overturned both acquittals, ordering a fresh appeals process.
Amanda Knox spent four years in prison before her acquittal.
Amanda Knox says she will not travel to Italy for the appeals trial over the 2007 murder of British student Meredith Kercher
She said she expected to win another acquittal, but that “common sense” told her not to return to Italy.
“I thought about what it would be like to live my entire life in prison and to lose everything, to lose what I’ve been able to come back to and rebuild,” she said.
“I think about it all the time. It’s so scary. Everything is at stake.”
Amanda Knox is not required to be present in Italy for the new appeal, due to start in Florence on September 30.
However, if her previous conviction is confirmed, Italy would be expected to request her extradition.
Meredith Kercher, from Coulsdon, south London, was found dead in a flat she shared in Perugia with Amanda Knox, a fellow exchange student.
Both Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito maintain their innocence.
Amanda Knox insists that on the night of Meredith Kercher’s death she was at Raffaele Sollecito’s flat, smoking marijuana and watching a film.
Another man – Rudy Guede from Ivory Coast – was convicted in a separate trial and sentenced to 16 years for the killing.
An unknown number of hostages are still inside Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi, Kenya, after a deadly assault by al-Shabab militants, officials say.
At least 39 people died when members of the Somali Islamist group stormed the Westgate centre on Saturday.
Officials say the gunmen have been cornered but that people are trapped in a number of locations.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta earlier vowed to “hunt down the perpetrators wherever they run to”.
Al-Shabab said it carried out the attack on the upmarket mall in response to Kenyan military operations in Somalia.
There are about 4,000 Kenyan troops in the south of Somalia, where they have been fighting the militants since 2011.
On its Twitter feed, al-Shabab – which has links to al-Qaeda – said it was behind what it called the “Westgate spectacle”.
Kenyan officials said “major operations” were under way with police and soldiers preparing an apparent bid to bring an end to the stand-off.
They said the security forces had finally “pinned down” the surviving gunmen.
“The work is continuing, but you cannot rush these things,” an army officer posted on the perimeter cordon set up around the mall told the AFP news agency.
“Our teams are there, we are watching and monitoring, we will finish this as soon as we can.”
The authorities have asked journalists to exercise caution when reporting military developments because the gunmen might be monitoring the media.
“Hostiles suspected to have access to the internet,” the Disaster Operation Centre in Nairobi posted on Twitter.
“Reports on personnel movement and progress will not be posted for fear of compromising strategy.”
An unknown number of hostages are still inside Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi
The officials said the number of hostages was “still unknown, but they are in several locations”.
“The gunmen have been contained in one location, but there are hostages elsewhere in the vicinity who cannot access the exit.”
Upper levels of the mall had been secured, it said.
The attack began at about 12:00 local time, when the attackers entered the Westgate centre throwing grenades and firing automatic weapons. A children’s day event was being held at the time – children are among those reported killed.
Some witnesses said the militants told Muslims to leave and said non-Muslims would be targeted.
“They came and said: <<If you are Muslim, stand up. We’ve come to rescue you>>,” said Elijah Lamau.
He said the Muslims left with their hands up, and then the gunmen shot two people.
Scores of people fled or were evacuated while police and armed security guards fought running gun battles with the militants throughout the mall for hours.
As night fell in Nairobi, two contingents of army special forces troops were reported to have moved inside the mall.
Reports say at least one of the attackers was a woman who appeared to have some kind of leadership role.
One gunman was arrested and died of his wounds, Kenyan officials said. Four other gunmen were arrested.
In a televised address on Saturday evening, President Uhuru Kenyatta said security forces were “in the process of neutralizing the attackers and securing the mall”.
He went on: “We shall hunt down the perpetrators wherever they run to. We shall get to them and we shall punish them for this heinous crime.”
He said he had “personally lost family members in the Westgate attack”.
Security experts are reported to have long warned that the complex, which is part Israeli-owned, was in danger of being subjected to a terror attack.
Al-Shabab says the African Union forces are invaders stopping their legitimate vision of creating an Islamic state and respond by mounting hit-and-run attacks.
The US State Department said it had reports that American citizens were injured in what it called “a senseless act of violence”.
Two French citizens and two Canadians, including a diplomat, are also among the dead.
Nairobi’s mortuary superintendent, Sammy Nyongesa Jacob, told Reuters that Africans, Asians and Caucasians were among the bodies brought to the mortuary.
This is one of the worst incidents in Kenya since the attack on the US embassy in August 1998.
Polls have opened in Germany with Chancellor Angela Merkel vying for a third term in charge of Europe’s most powerful economy.
Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats may take the largest number of seats in parliament, or Bundestag, according to latest polls.
But Angela Merkel’s coalition partners, the Free Democrats, may not gain the 5% vote share required to win any seats.
If so, Angela Merkel may have to consider a coalition with her main rival Peer Steinbrueck’s Social Democrats.
A coalition of Centre-Left, Left and Green parties is also a possibility.
Voting opened at 08:00 local time and is due to close at 16:00.
Elections in Germany are often followed by a period of several weeks of coalition talks before the final shape of the government emerges.
On Saturday, the main parties concluded their campaigns with large rallies.
Polls have opened in Germany with Chancellor Angela Merkel vying for a third term in charge of Europe’s most powerful economy
In Berlin, Angela Merkel asked for votes to continue with her government’s policies into 2017.
“I ask the people in Germany to give me a strong mandate so that I can continue to serve Germany for another four years, for a stronger Germany, a country which is well respected in Europe, which defends its interests but is also a friend of a lot of countries.”
In Frankfurt, Peer Steinbrueck – who leads the opposition SDP, told his supporters to believe in the possibility of victory.
“The voters decide, not commentary beforehand,” he said.
“It’s not a game. Don’t believe it’s decided yet – it isn’t. I would ask for the voters’ decision to be respected, because it’s them, not political polls or certain observers, who decide an election.”
The Green Party – who may play some part in an eventual governing coalition – has criticized Angela Merkel’s government for raising taxes.
The Free Democrats (FDP), whose best-known member is Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, has seen its fortunes decline sharply since the last election in 2009, when it won nearly 15% of the vote.
Analysts say the party, traditionally more liberal than the CDU/CSU, has struggled to stand out from its more powerful coalition partner on economic policy.
If the FDP do badly, as expected, the CDU/CSU may find themselves looking to other small parties to form a broader, more fragile coalition.
The election is one of the most important in years because of Germany’s dominant role in the eurozone.
With the biggest population of any EU state, Germany enjoys a GDP that far outstrips the economies of its partners and is crucial to decisions on tackling the eurozone’s debt crisis.
Chinese politician Bo Xilai has been found guilty of bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power and sentenced to life imprisonment having the right to appeal.
Bo Xilai had denied all the charges against him in a fiery defense at his trial.
The former party chief of Chongqing was removed from office last year amid a scandal which saw his wife Gu Kailai convicted for the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood.
The verdict was handed down by the Intermediate People’s Court in Jinan, Shandong province.
Passing sentence the judge told Bo Xilai that he had damaged China’s national interests and the interests of its people, wrongfully using his position in power to receive bribes totalling 20 million Chinese Yuan ($3.2 million).
The judge rejected Bo Xilai’s claims that his confession to the crimes was acquired through illegal means such as torture and interrogation, and said it therefore stood.
During Bo Xilai’s trial last month the court took the unprecedented step of releasing details about proceedings on its Weibo microblog.
Bo Xilai was sentenced to life in prison on the bribery charges, 15 years for embezzlement and seven years for abuse of power. In addition all his personal wealth has been confiscated.
He has 10 days to appeal against his sentence and conviction, but correspondents say that any such move is highly unlikely to be successful.
Bo Xilai has been found guilty of bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power and sentenced to life imprisonment
Although his trial was conducted under an unprecedented degree of openness for China, many analysts say that the guilty verdict was always a foregone conclusion – and many see the process against him as having a very strong political dimension.
Prosecutors had said that Bo Xilai accepted the bribes and embezzled public funds from Dalian, where he used to be mayor.
Bo Xilai was also accused of abusing his office by using his position to cover up for his wife Gu Kailai, convicted last year of murdering Neil Heywood in 2011.
In lengthy comments in court, he said he did not illegally obtain millions of dollars or cover up Neil Heywood’s killing.
He also dismissed the testimony of two key witnesses, describing his wife’s statement as “ridiculous” and his former police chief Wang Lijun’s testimony as “full of lies and fraud”.
Bo Xilai’s fall from power was triggered when Wang sought refuge in the US consulate in Chengdu in February 2012.
The incident prompted an investigation into the death of Neil Heywood. Wang Lijun has since been jailed for 15 years for helping Gu Kailai cover up the murder.
The Bo Xilai scandal triggered a crisis in the Communist Party, which was about to hold its once-in-a-decade leadership handover, and revealed divisions at the top of the party over how Bo should be handled.
Two years ago Bo Xilai was seen as a candidate for promotion to the Politburo Standing Committee, China’s top decision-making body.
His downfall was seen as the biggest political shake-up to hit China’s ruling elite in decades.
Bo Xilai’s trial also offered the public a rare glimpse into the life of China’s rich and powerful, with lurid details emerging of lavish vacations and luxury villas.
Earlier this week, an overseas-based dissident Chinese news website published a letter allegedly written by Bo Xilai in prison on September 12.
Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post said that unidentified insiders with close ties to Bo Xilai had confirmed that the letter, addressed to Bo’s family, was genuine.
“I am an innocent victim and I feel wronged,” the letter read.
“But I believe one day truth will prevail…I will wait quietly in jail for that day to come.”
