Miley Cyrus has introduced fans her new pet, a piglet named Bubba Sue.
Sharing a host of pictures of the tiny little piggy via Instagram on Sunday, August 10, 21-year-old Miley Cyrus wrote: “Newest member to the fam #bubbasue.”
Miley Cyrus has introduced fans her new pet, a piglet named Bubba Sue (photo Instagram)
“Happiest mommy ever.”
Bubba Sue is actually the second pig in Miley Cyrus’ life, although it’s the first she’s time she’s ever had one living and travelling with her.
In 2012, animal rights charity PETA sponsored a pet pig in honor of Miley Cyrus’ 20th birthday.
“PETA knew that sponsoring a rescued pig was the perfect birthday present for a young woman who spends so much time encouraging others to help animals,” a spokeswoman for the charity said at the time.
Bobbi Kristina Brown marked on August 9 what would have been her late mother Whitney Houston’s 51st birthday.
Bobbi Kristina Brown marked on August 9 what would have been her late mother Whitney Houston’s 51st birthday (photo Twitter)
Bobbi Kristina Brown tweeted along with a photo of a small cake: “#HappyBirthdaymommy ! #HappyBirthdayWhitney ! #AllAugustAllWhitney #iloveyou ! @nickdgordon @mwhitaker10 #Family.”
In addition to the birthday cake, it looks like Bobbi Kristina Brown wants to continue honoring her mother throughout the month.
“GoodmorningAll ! Having a wonderful #AllAugustAllWhitney #WhitneyBirthdayWeekend ! I love you my lady 🙂 #WhitneyWeekend @nickdgordon,” Bobbi Kristina Brown tweeted on August 10.
Beyonce has instagramed a picture of herself wearing a “Carter” jersey in honor of her husband, Jay-Z (aka Shawn Corey Carter), amid rumors of an imminent divorce.
Beyonce has instagramed a picture of herself wearing a “Carter” jersey in honor of her husband, Jay-Z (photo Instagram)
Beyonce, 32, accessorized the look with a thick chain necklace and matching bangles. She donned low pigtail braids and showed off her toned legs by wearing no pants.
According to Us Weekly, Beyonce and Jay Z, 44, avoided each other toward the end of their final On the Run tour date. Their tour wrapped in San Francisco on August 6.
The Kremlin announced it was working with the Red Cross on sending a humanitarian aid convoy to Ukraine and EU Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso has told President Vladimir Putin not to carry out unilateral military action in the region under any pretext.
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has accused Russia of using humanitarian grounds as a pretext for military intervention in eastern Ukraine.
At least 1,500 people have died since Ukraine’s new government sent in troops to put down an insurrection by pro-Russia separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in mid-April.
The fighting has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom have fled to Russia.
Russia is accused of using humanitarian grounds as a pretext for military intervention in eastern Ukraine
Ukrainian forces have now encircled Donetsk, a city of one million people before the unrest began, and residents are struggling without power or reliable sources of food.
In a statement after Vladimir Putin’s conversation with Jose Manuel Barroso, the Kremlin said: “It was noted that the Russian side, in cooperation with representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross, will send to Ukraine a humanitarian convoy.”
It did not say when the aid convoy would leave. The Red Cross acknowledged last week that it had received an offer from the Russian foreign minister about organizing aid convoys to the affected areas in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian government in Kiev and Western powers fear that a Russian humanitarian mission in the east could be used as a pretext to bring Russian military forces across the border.
In a telephone conversation with President Vladimir Putin on Monday, Jose Manuel Barroso “warned against any unilateral military actions in Ukraine, under any pretext, including humanitarian,” an EU commission statement said.
Jose Manuel Barroso made a separate telephone call to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to discuss the situation in Luhansk, it added.
Iraqi President Fuad Masum has asked the deputy speaker of parliament, Haider al-Abadi, to form a new government.
Haider al-Abadi had previously been nominated prime minister by Shia parties, instead of the incumbent Nouri al-Maliki.
However, Nouri al-Maliki’s allies rejected Haidr al-Abadi’s nomination, saying he had no legitimacy. Nouri al-Maliki has made it clear he wants to stand for a third term.
Meanwhile the jihadist insurgency in the north of Iraq continues to cause international concern.
Fighters from the Islamic State (IS) group have made substantial gains in northern Iraq in recent months, forcing tens of thousands of people from religious minorities to flee their homes.
The US has begun supplying weapons to the Kurdish Peshmergas who are fighting the militants, senior US officials have told the Associated Press.
Iraq’s deputy speaker of parliament, Haider al-Abadi, has been asked by President Fuad Masum to form a new government (photo Facebook)
Iraq’s security forces are also supporting the Kurdish fighters, and have already delivered three plane-loads of ammunition.
In Baghdad, Iraqi President Fuad Masum said in a TV address that he hoped Haider al-Abadi would succeed in forming a government that would “protect the Iraqi people”.
“The country is now in your hands,” Fuad Masum told Haider al-Abadi, according to the French news agency AFP.
Analysts say the announcement is a public snub for Nouri al-Maliki, whose State of Law coalition won the most seats in April’s elections.
Now he has lost support from some of his own Shias – with the Shia National Alliance reported to have given Haider al-Abadi 130 votes, compared with just 40 votes for Nouri al-Maliki.
Nouri al-Maliki has been prime minister since 2006, but even though his coalition won the elections in April, parliament has still not agreed to give him a third term. He has also lost the backing of the US.
His popularity has suffered from the growing Islamist insurgency in the north – and even before that his support from Sunnis and Kurds was dwindling.
The White House said Vice-President Joe Biden called President Fuad Masum to discuss the nomination of Haider al-Abadi, and promised US support for the formation of a new government.
Haider al-Abadi’s nomination was welcomed outside Iraq. The presidents of France and Turkey called for him to form a government of national unity, while the UN urged Iraqi militias to keep out of politics.
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan sparked controversy after dancing on stage with a woman officer at a police gala in West Bengal state.
Opposition politicians criticized the performance, saying that allowing the officer to dance in uniform undermined respect for the police.
West Bengal’s leader Mamata Banerjee, who attended the event, was also targeted for allowing it to take place.
Shah Rukh Khan sparked controversy after dancing on stage with a woman officer at a police gala in West Bengal state
The dance took place at an annual state police cultural extravaganza on Saturday. Shah Rukh Khan, one of India’s most popular movie stars, was recently declared brand ambassador for West Bengal by Mamata Banerjee.
The president of the opposition Congress Party in the state, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, accused Mamata Banerjee of defying India’s constitution by allowing the officer to dance in uniform.
“The constitution doesn’t allow any person to dance like that in uniform. It’s a shame that the sanctity of police uniform was allowed to be violated. By allowing the officer to dance like that, she [Mamata Banerjee] violated the constitution of India,” he is quoted as saying.
Media reports also quoted the former city Police Commissioner Nirupam Som as saying: “During my tenure, I would not have allowed any officer to dance like that.”
However, some commentators on social media dismissed the tone of the row as “humorless”.
Racing driver Kevin Ward Jr. has died after being struck by the car of three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart during a local sprint race in New York.
Tony Stewart and Kevin Ward Jr., 20, had collided on the previous lap of the dirt track race on Saturday.
Kevin Ward climbed out of his car and was on the track confronting Tony Stewart when he was struck by his countryman’s car.
“There aren’t words to describe the sadness I feel about the accident,” said Tony Stewart, 43, in a statement.
“It’s a very emotional time for all involved. My thoughts and prayers are with Kevin’s family, friends and everyone affected by this tragedy.”
Tony Stewart is the co-owner of NASCAR team Stewart-Haas Racing, having become driver-owner in 2008.
He cancelled plans to compete in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen.
Kevin Ward Jr. has died after being struck by the car of three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart
“We were talking through the night, and we gave Tony some time to sleep on it,” said team manager Greg Zipadelli.
“He feels strongly that this is the right thing to do. We at Stewart-Haas Racing strongly support it and agree with it.”
Tony Stewart, who frequently competes at local sprint car events, was questioned by police and released.
Ontario County Sheriff Philip Povero said Tony Stewart was “fully co-operative” and appeared “very upset”.
He added: “This is being investigated as an on-track crash and I don’t want to infer that there are criminal charges pending.
“When the investigation is completed, we will sit down with the district attorney and review it.
“But I want to make it very clear – there are no criminal charges pending at this time.”
Philip Povero asked people who have video of the crash to provide copies for investigators to review.
Stewart-Haas Racing said in a statement: “A tragic accident took place last night during a sprint car race in which Tony Stewart was participating.
“Tony was unhurt, but a fellow competitor lost his life. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.
“We’re still attempting to sort through all the details and we appreciate your understanding during this difficult time.”
The track, which hosted the local dirt-track event at Canandaigua Motorsports Park, located 30 miles south-east of Rochester in upstate New York, cancelled the remainder of the race within five minutes of the incident.
Rioting over the killing of Michael Brown – an unarmed black teenager – by a police officer has erupted in Missouri, police say.
People looted shops, vandalized cars and stores, and set a building alight on Sunday as police tried to block off access to several areas of St Louis.
Police say Michael Brown, 18, was shot on Saturday afternoon in Ferguson, a mainly black suburb of the city.
He was shot several times after a struggle in a police car, they said.
The rioting erupted late on Sunday after thousands of people attended a candlelight vigil for Michael Brown.
Rioting over the killing of Michael Brown by a police officer has erupted in Missouri
County Police Chief Jon Belmar said the shooting occurred after the officer encountered two men, including Michael Brown, on a street in Ferguson, the Associated Press news agency reports.
Jon Belmar said one of the men pushed the officer back into his squad car and a struggle began.
At least one shot was fired from the officer’s gun inside the police car, Jon Belmar said.
Authorities say they are still trying to clarify exactly what happened inside the vehicle.
The officer involved has been with the Ferguson police department for six years, and has been placed on paid administrative leave, Jon Belmar said.
Mayor James Knowles said he understood that people “want to vent their frustrations. We understand they want to speak out”, but he added: “We’re going to obviously try to urge calm.”
Michael Brown’s mother, Lesley McSpadden, said her son had graduated from high school and planned to go to a local college.
The killing has drawn comparisons by some civil rights leaders with the 2012 killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by a Florida neighborhood watch organizer who was acquitted of murder charges.
Steven Seagal has played a concert in Crimea on a stage adorned with the flag of pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine.
The actor and his blues band took to the stage at a bikers’ show in the city of Sevastopol, where Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is based.
Fans waved Russian flags as Steven Seagal sang and played his guitar.
The US and EU have imposed sanctions on Russia over its annexation of Crimea in March.
Steven Seagal has played a concert in Crimea on a stage adorned with the flag of pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine
Russia is also alleged to have provided weapons and support to the rebels in eastern Ukraine.
Steven Seagal said he had travelled to Crimea because music unites people, Russia’s RIA-Novosti news agency reported.
The black, blue and red flag of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) hung in the corner of the stage.
Steven Seagal’s pro-Russian views saw him dropped from the line-up of an Estonian blues festival earlier this summer.
The bikers’ show in Sevastopol was organized by a motorcycle group of Russian nationalists known as the Night Wolves.
RIA Novosti reported Steven Seagal was handed a shirt with Vladimir Putin’s face on it, which he held aloft as he thanked the crowd.
Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters last year the Russian president and Steven Seagal had been friends “for a long time” and regularly meet.
The US has begun directly providing weapons to Kurdish forces who have started to make gains against Islamic State (IS) militants in northern Iraq, senior officials say.
Previously, the US had insisted on only selling arms to the Iraqi government in Baghdad, but the Kurdish peshmerga fighters had been losing ground to IS militants in recent weeks.
The US officials wouldn’t say which agency is providing the arms or what weapons are being sent, but one official said it isn’t the Pentagon. The CIA has historically done similar quiet arming operations.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the operation publicly.
The move to directly aid the Kurds underscores the level of US concern about the IS militants’ gains in the north, and reflects the persistent administration view that the Iraqis must take the necessary steps to solve their own security problems.
The US has begun directly providing weapons to Kurdish forces in northern Iraq
At the same time, the administration is watching carefully as a political crisis brews in Baghdad, and Secretary of State John Kerry warned Iraq’s PM Nouri al-Maliki to maintain calm among the upheaval.
“We believe that the government formation process is critical in terms of sustaining the stability and calm in Iraq,” John Kerry said.
“And our hope is that Mr. Maliki will not stir those waters.”
Speaking in Australia on Monday, John Kerry said there should be no use of force by political factions as Iraq struggles form a government. He said the people of Iraq have made clear their desire for change and that the country’s new president is acting appropriately despite claims of malfeasance by Nouri al-Maliki.
Nouri al-Maliki is resisting calls to step down and says he’ll file a complaint against the president for not naming him prime minister.
John Kerry noted that Nouri al-Maliki’s Shia bloc has put forward three other candidates for the prime minister job and says the US stands with the new president, Fouad Massoum.
Nouri al-Maliki has accused Fouad Massoum of violating the constitution because he has not yet named a prime minister from the country’s largest parliamentary faction, missing a Sunday deadline.
Kings of Leon have postponed a New York concert after drummer Nathan Followill was injured in an accident on the band’s tour bus.
Kings of Leon were en route to their hotel after a show in Boston when a pedestrian jumped in front of the vehicle, the group said in a statement.
Kings of Leon have postponed a New York concert after drummer Nathan Followill was injured in an accident on the band’s tour bus (photo Getty Images)
The bus had to “stop short” and Nathan Followill suffered broken ribs.
Refunds were offered for fans who had tickets to Sunday’s show in Saratoga Springs, New York.
The band’s statement said Nathan Followill was being treated for his injuries but “was doing well”.
Kings of Leon are next due to perform on Tuesday on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on the NBC network, followed by another concert in Wentaugh, New York, at the Jones Beach Theatre on Wednesday.
The band’s North American leg of their Mechanical Bull Tour is due to head south in October with dates in Mexico and Brazil.
Kings of Leon that formed in 1999 in Nashville, Tennessee, is made up of brothers, Caleb, Nathan and Jared Followill and their cousin, Cameron Followill.
Twenty four people have been rescued by firefighters after getting stuck at the top of a Six Flags roller coaster in Maryland.
Firefighters were called to the Six Flags theme park after a fault occurred on the Joker’s Jinx (photo AP/Prince George’s County Fire Dept., Marc Bashoor)
AP/Prince George’s County Fire Dept., Marc Bashoor
Firefighters were called to the Six Flags theme park after a fault occurred on the Joker’s Jinx.
The ride ground to a halt leaving the passengers stranded 46ft up in the air at the Six Flags adventure park.
The riders were finally rescued after five hours.
No injuries have been reported but park workers sheltered the riders with umbrellas to give them some relief from the blistering sun.
World number one Rory McIlroy has won this year’s PGA Championship in near darkness at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.
Rory McIlroy has become the first UK player to win back-to-back majors.
Three players were still in contention at the final hole, with heavy rain having earlier led to a two-hour delay.
Rory McIlroy has won this year’s PGA Championship in near darkness at Valhalla Golf Club
Rory McIlroy, 25, had earlier seen his overnight one-shot lead wiped out on the front nine and was three shots behind the leaders at one point before taking control after the turn.
A three-under 68 on the final day saw off Phil Mickelson, with Rickie Fowler and Henrik Stenson a shot further adrift.
Rory McIlroy later credited the “best golf of his life” with producing a summer beyond his “wildest dreams”.
His resurgence on the back nine capped an enthralling final day and saw him become the third youngest player of the modern era – after Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus – to win four of golf’s biggest prizes.
Rory McIlroy also becomes the first man to win back-to-back majors since Ireland’s Padraig Harrington in 2008.
A 72-hour ceasefire has come into effect between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza, after a day of intense diplomacy.
It is hoped the latest truce, which came into effect at 21:00 GMT, will help negotiators agree a longer peace.
Egypt brokered a similar truce last week, but fighting resumed after the three-day window ended.
About 2,000 people have died in the conflict, which began on July 8 when Israel launched an operation to deter militant attacks from Gaza.
Israeli media were reporting warning sirens for rocket attacks right up to the new ceasefire deadline at midnight local time. Israeli air strikes also continued through Sunday evening.
A 72-hour ceasefire has come into effect between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza, after a day of intense diplomacy
However, an hour into the ceasefire there were no reports of attacks from either side.
After tense talks that both sides had threatened to abandon, the surprise announcement of the truce came late on Sunday.
Izzat al-Reshiq, a Hamas negotiator in Cairo, told Reuters news agency: “In light of Israel’s acceptance of the truce and their return without pre-conditions, we will inform the Egyptian brothers of our positive response.”
In a statement, Egypt’s foreign ministry urged both sides to resume indirect negotiations and “work towards a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire agreement”.
Correspondents say Israel is likely to continue to push for Gaza to be demilitarized, and Hamas will continue to demand the blockade of Gaza to be lifted.
However, an unidentified Hamas negotiator said their demands were likely to be “more modest” this time.
Since the last 72-hour truce ended on Friday, there has been regular exchange of fire.
Israeli air strikes have killed at least 20 Palestinians. Two Israelis were injured by mortars.
On the Israeli side, where dozens of communities have been evacuated, residents will also be able to return home.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won Turkey’s first direct presidential election.
With almost all the votes counted, current PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan had won about 52%, against 38% for main rival Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu.
The huge margin of victory means there is no need for a run-off.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has vowed to bolster the power of the president, promised supporters a “social reconciliation period”, saying: “Let’s leave the old discussions in the old Turkey.”
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won Turkey’s first direct presidential election (photo AFP/Getty Images)
He added in the speech in Ankara: “Today, not only those who love us, but also those who don’t have won. Today Turkey has won.”
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has spent three terms as prime minister, is revered by supporters for boosting the economy and giving a voice to conservatives.
His critics lament his authoritarian approach and Islamist leanings in a secular state.
After the provisional results were announced Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, joint candidate for the two main opposition parties, said: “I congratulate the prime minister and wish him success.”
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been prime minister since 2003 and was barred from standing for another term.
He needed more than 50% of the vote for an outright victory, avoiding a second round.
Turnout appears to be much lower than expected – some voters may have been dissuaded by the summer heat and holidays.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s other rival, Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas, took about 9% of the vote.
David and Wendy Farnell, who were accused of abandoning a baby born with Down’s syndrome to a Thai surrogate mother, say they wanted to take him home.
The Australian couple, speaking publicly for the first time, insisted the Thai mother would not hand over Gammy, now seven months old.
David and Wendy Farnell, who took Gammy’s twin sister, say they want to get him back.
The surrogate mother, Pattharamon Chanbua, originally said the couple deliberately left Gammy behind because of his disabilities.
However, in an interview with the Associated Press on Sunday, Pattharamon Chanbua, 21, appeared to backtrack, saying: “I did not allow Gammy to go back with them – that’s the truth. It is because they would have taken Gammy back and put him in an institute.”
In an emotional interview on Australia’s Channel Nine on Sunday, David Farnell said: “We did not abandon our son.
“(Pattharamon Chanbua) said that if we tried to take our little boy, she’s going to get the police and she’s going to try and take our little girl and she’s going to keep both of the babies.”
He added: “The surrogate mother – it is her choice if she wants to give you the baby or not give you the baby. Although you have a surrogacy agreement, it really doesn’t mean anything. It is her decision, and our surrogate mother said that she wanted to keep the baby boy.”
David and Wendy Farnell were accused of abandoning a baby born with Down’s syndrome to a Thai surrogate mother
The case took an even darker twist when it emerged that David Farnell had been convicted in the 1990s of multiple s** offences against young girls.
He insisted on Sunday that his daughter, Pipah, was not at risk of harm from him.
“I will do everything in the world to protect my little girl,” he said.
“I have no inclination of doing anything like this. I don’t have any thoughts about this at all. That is the 100% truth. I cannot do this again.”
Officials say they have contacted the couple, but have no major concerns at present.
Pattharamon Chanbua, who has two other children, said the couple had asked her to have an abortion when she was told of the baby boy’s condition four months after becoming pregnant.
She said she refused, as it was against her Buddhist beliefs. Abortion on the grounds of fetal impairment is illegal in Thailand.
David Farnell denied asking Pattharamon Chanbua to have an abortion but said they were angry that the surrogacy agency had not conducted tests earlier because by the time they found out about the baby’s condition, it was too late in the pregnancy to abort the fetus.
Had they known earlier, he said, they probably would have terminated the pregnancy.
“I don’t think any parent wants a son with a disability,” he said.
“Parents want their children to be healthy and happy.”
David Farnell said that was when Pattharamon Chanbua offered to keep Gammy.
“We were thinking, oh, maybe this might be OK,” he said.
When the babies were born, David Farnell added, he and his wife realized they wanted to keep both.
He said the surrogate mother then insisted she be allowed to keep Gammy, and threatened to keep Pipah as well.
Besides Down’s syndrome, Gammy has a congenital heart condition and a lung infection.
James Barney Jr., a 9-year-old Florida boy who fought off a 9-foot-long and 500 pounds alligator with his bare hands, talked to reporters during a press conference at Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando, Friday, August 8, 2014.
The boy talked about his survival of the dramatic alligator attack while swimming in a lake in Kissimmee, Florida, on Thursday.
“I felt its jaw. I felt its teeth,” James Barney Jr. said.
James Barney Jr. fought off a 9-foot-long and 500 pounds alligator with his bare hands (photo ABC News)
James Barney Junior is in hospital recovering from his injuries. He had been riding his bike with friends when he decided to take a dip in a dangerous lake near Orlando.
The surgeon who treated the boy said the alligator left about 30 marks from both claws and teeth, leaving a tooth embedded in the skin.
James wanted to keep the tooth, but said officials wouldn’t let him.
“The tooth is pretty big. I wanted to keep it but animal control came in and took it so they could find the alligator that attacked me,” he said.
James Barney Jr. said officials estimated the beast to measure about nine-foot long and weigh in at 500 pounds.
Officials have since closed the beach, and brought in trappers to try to catch the animal.
Asked whether he planned to go for a dip in Lake Toho again, James Barney Jr. replied: “Negative.”
Turkish people are voting in the country’s first ever direct presidential election.
Three candidates are vying for the position, including current PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
If none of the candidates gets above 50% of the vote, a second round will be held on August 24.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, 60, says that if he wins he wants to turn the largely ceremonial post of president into the country’s executive powerhouse.
He has been prime minister since 2003 and is barred from standing for that office again.
Polls opened at 08:00 local time and close at 17:00.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s two rivals in Turkey’s presidential election are a little-known diplomat, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, and Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s two rivals are a little-known diplomat, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, and Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas.
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, 71, is the joint candidate of the two main opposition parties in parliament, the centre-left Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
He served as the secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation from 2004 to 2014.
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu has vowed to uphold the president’s traditional role, insisting it is not up to the head of state to be involved in day-to-day running of politics.
Selahattin Demirtas, 41, is a leader of the left-wing People’s Democratic Party (HDP) and a well-known politician from the Kurdish minority.
Correspondents say he has focused his campaign on championing the cause of the oppressed, the poor, the young and the working classes.
In his final rally in the city of Konya on Saturday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to raise Turkey’s democratic standards and economic record to create a “world leader and global power”.
Selahattin Demirtas held his final rally in the city of Izmir.
“We cannot build our union by accusing each other. Let’s show our colors at the ballot box tomorrow with our oppressed identities and faiths,” he said.
The US military has carried out a third round of airstrikes on Sunni Muslim militants to defend civilians in northern Iraq.
US jet fighters and drones destroyed armored carriers and a truck that were firing on members of the Yazidi sect, officials said.
Thousands of civilians fled into the mountains after the Islamic State (IS) overran the town of Sinjar a week ago.
IS has taken control of swathes of Iraq and Syria in the past few months.
IS (formerly known as ISIS) has declared a “caliphate”, or Islamic state, in the region, prompting thousands of religious minorities to flee their homes in northern Iraq.
President Barack Obama authorized the military offensive last week to halt the advance of IS forces threatening the Kurdish city of Irbil.
The series of strikes is the first time US forces have been directly involved in a military operation in Iraq since they withdrew from the country in late 2011.
The US military has carried out a third round of airstrikes on Sunni Muslim militants to defend civilians in northern Iraq (photo AP)
A US military statement said the latest four strikes had been aimed at defending members of the Yazidi religious group who were being “indiscriminately attacked” near Sinjar.
IS has been widely accused of targeting and killing members of other faiths.
The US said a mix of fighter jets and drones destroyed an IS armored personnel carrier (APC) that was firing on civilians.
The statement said US aircraft also attacked other APCs and an armed truck.
The Pentagon also said a third US air-drop of food and water had been made on Saturday night to refugees on Mount Sinjar.
One C-17 and two C-130 cargo aircraft dropped a total of 72 bundles of supplies.
France and Britain have also announced that they will deliver aid consignments.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius is travelling to Baghdad and Irbil for talks on Sunday.
The UN children’s agency, UNICEF, says at least 56 Yazidi children have died of dehydration in the mountains around Sinjar.
Juan Mohammed, a local government spokesman in the Syrian city of Qamishli, told AP news agency that more than 20,000 starving Yazidis had fled across the border.
He said columns of refugees were running a gauntlet of gunfire through a tenuous “safe passage” being defended by forces of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan Region.
Palestinian negotiators at Cairo ceasefire talks said they would leave on Sunday if Israel did not attend without preconditions.
Talks in Cairo aimed at securing a fresh ceasefire in Gaza are under renewed strain, with both sides in the conflict issuing warnings.
Israel insists it will not return until militant rocket fire from Gaza ends.
The UK, France and Germany issued a statement calling on Israel and Hamas to agree a new truce, after last week’s 72-hour ceasefire was not renewed.
That ceasefire ended on Friday morning. At least eight Palestinians were killed on Saturday as Israel launched 50 air strikes, Gaza health officials said.
Israeli authorities said 25 rockets were fired from Gaza towards southern Israel on Saturday. A further two were fired on Sunday morning. The Israeli air force has hit 20 targets in Gaza overnight, Israeli news reports say.
At least 1,960 people have died since violence erupted in Gaza in early July.
According to the UN, more than 1,900 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed.
Talks in Cairo aimed at securing a fresh ceasefire in Gaza are under renewed strain, with both sides in the conflict issuing warnings
Sixty-seven people have died on the Israeli side, including three civilians.
Israeli negotiators have already left Egypt and said they would not return to the indirect negotiations until rocket fire from Gaza stopped.
The Jerusalem Post quoted senior Israeli officials as saying that if rocket fire continued, “all options” were on the table, not just air strikes.
Communications Minister Gilad Erdan told Israel’s Channel 2 that “a wide ground incursion and the toppling of Hamas is being discussed”.
Hamas deputy chief Mussa Abu Marzuq accused Israel of stalling and said the next 24 hours would decide the fate of the Cairo talks.
Earlier, the foreign ministers of France, Laurent Fabius, of the UK, Philip Hammond, and of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said that the only way to resolve the conflict was through talks.
“We call upon all parties immediately to return to a ceasefire. We fully support the ongoing efforts by Egypt to this end,” they said in a joint statement.
“To be sustainable, a ceasefire must envisage steps to address both Israeli security concerns and Palestinian requirements regarding the lifting of restrictions on Gaza,” they added.
Earlier, the US and the United Nations issued a similar call for a ceasefire.
Hamas said Israel had failed to meet its key demands, including the lifting of the Gaza blockade and the release of prisoners. It also rejected Israel’s call for the demilitarisation of Gaza.
On Saturday, tens of thousands of protesters marched through London, Paris and Cape Town in what organisers called a “Day of Rage” against Israeli military action in Gaza.
About 150 protesters also held a demonstration in Tel Aviv despite Israeli authorities banning the gathering.
Palestinian health officials said at least seven people died in several separate air strikes on Saturday.
Israel said it killed four Hamas militants, including one senior leader, and more than 70 rockets had been fired from Gaza since the end of the ceasefire.
Extra-supermoon, the largest and brightest full moon of the year, will be rising on the evening of Sunday, August 10.
The lunar show is the second act in a trio of supermoons that are gracing our skies this summer.
The moon will be at its closest approach to Earth for 2014, at 221,765 miles away, while in its full phase this week it will appear 16% larger and 30% brighter than usual.
Extra-supermoon, the largest and brightest full moon of the year, will be rising on the evening of August 10 (photo Getty Images)
The astronomical community uses the term “perigee full moon,” and point out that they are not all that rare since the alignment between a full moon phase with perigee occurs every year.
In 2014 there are three supermoon: on July 12, August 10, and September 9, when the moon becomes full on the same day as perigee.
The monthly full moon always looks like a big disk, but because its orbit is egg-shaped around the Earth, there are times when the moon is at what astronomers call perigee – its shortest distance from Earth in the roughly month-long lunar cycle – or it can be at apogee, its farthest distance from Earth.
Likewise, because the size of the Moon’s orbit varies slightly, each monthly perigee is not always the same distance away from Earth.
This weekend, perigee will occur only 26 minutes before the moon officially reaches its full phase at 18:10 Universal Time (2:10 p.m. EDT) on August 10.
At that specific time, the moon will be straight overhead in the sky above the Indian Ocean.
Such tight timing won’t occur again until 2034.
For moon-watchers and photo hounds, the best time to catch all the action is just after your local sunset on Sunday, just as the full moon begins to rise.
An optical illusion known as “the Moon Illusion” makes the moon appear larger near the horizon. Because of the Ponzo effect, our brain is tricked into thinking the lunar disk is larger than it is.
The use of a crossing guard is being considered at London’s iconic Abbey Road crossing as tourists flock to create the scene made famous by the Beatles.
Westminster City Council has raised safety fears over the thousands of people who visit the crossing, in St John’s Wood, north London.
Residents have also complained about the increase in traffic at the height of the summer season.
The Abbey Road crossing was made famous after John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr traversed it for Ian Macmillan’s iconic cover shot for the 1969 Abbey Road record (photo PA)
The council said no proposals had been agreed and the review was ongoing.
Councilors have also raised concerns about buses carrying tourists causing traffic congestion by double-parking or parking on yellow lines.
A Westminster City Council spokeswoman said it is discussing options to manage the busy traffic flow, including the possibility of employing a lollipop lady or man.
She added: “Local Abbey Road ward councilors raised their residents’ concerns about the number of tourists spilling into the road and traffic near the crossing at the height of the summer season, and put forward various suggestions, asking the city council to review pedestrian safety and crowd management.
“However, no proposals have been agreed by the council, nor the review completed.”
The Abbey Road crossing was made famous after John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr traversed it for Ian Macmillan’s iconic cover shot for the 1969 Abbey Road record.
President Barack Obama has warned it is “going to take some time” to help Iraqi people overcome the jihadist-led Sunni rebellion and stabilize their country.
It would be a “long-term project” to revamp and resupply the military and build support among Sunnis, he said.
Barack Obama stressed that progress would depend on Iraqis coming together and forming an inclusive government.
The Islamic State (IS), formerly known as Isis, has seized swathes of northern and western Iraq in recent months.
Barack Obama has warned it is going to take some time to help Iraqi people overcome the jihadist-led Sunni rebellion and stabilize their country
Barack Obama said air strikes on Friday – the first time US forces have been directly involved in a military operation in Iraq since they withdrew from the country in late 2011 – had destroyed IS arms and equipment.
They had also prevented attacks by the al-Qaeda breakaway on thousands of members of the Yazidi religious minority group stranded on a mountain in the north-west, the president added.
The Yazidis fled to Mount Sinjar a week ago after IS fighters overran a nearby town where many had been sheltering over the past two months.
Earlier, the UK said it had sent a cargo plane to help with the relief operation that has seen US aircraft drop thousands of bottles of water and ration packs in the area over the past two days.
One C-17 and two C-130 transporters dropped 72 bundles of supplies, according to the Pentagon. They were escorted by F/A-18 Hornet jets launched from the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier in the Gulf.
“We feel confident we can prevent [IS] from going up the mountain and slaughtering the people who are there,” Barack Obama said.
“But the next step, which is going to be complicated logistically, is how do we give safe passage for people down from the mountain and where can we ultimately relocate them so that they are safe.”
France would begin deliveries of first aid equipment to Iraq in the next few hours, President Francois Hollande’s office announced.
IS fighters meanwhile began hoisting their black flags at the Mosul dam, Iraq’s largest, and patrolling its perimeter, days after seizing the facility.
Barack Obama said a long-term strategy was needed to confront the jihadists.
