Jessica Simpson has debuted her official post-baby beach body via Twitter.
Jessica Simpson, 33, retweeted a picture of herself wearing a one-piece white bathing suit while gearing up to shoot ads for her Jessica Simpson Collection on Friday, November 15.
“Guess which mama I get to play dress up with today?” Jessica Simpson’s stylist Nicole Chavez wrote. Shortly after, Simpson retweeted the photo and added: “;) @JSCollection.”
Jessica Simpson wearing a one-piece white bathing suit while gearing up to shoot ads for her Jessica Simpson Collection
In the hazy photo, Jessica Simpson shows off her svelte physique while sitting outside poolside in a cleavage-baring suit. She’s also seen arching her back while placing her right hand on top of concrete surrounding the water, with her blonde locks down and swept to the right side concealing her face.
The mother of daughter Maxwell, 19 months and son Ace, 5 months, has been working out since giving birth to her baby boy in June.
One week earlier, Jessica Simpson shared a picture of herself while working with Weight Watchers.
Weight Watchers previously helped Jessica Simpson drop 70 pounds after giving birth to Maxwell in May 2012.
A Russian passenger plane has crashed at Kazan airport killing at least 50 people, officials say.
The Tatarstan Airlines Boeing 737 had taken off from Moscow, and was reportedly trying to land but exploded on impact.
Russian officials told local media there were no survivors.
Tatarstan Airlines Boeing 737 had taken off from Moscow, and was reportedly trying to land but exploded on impact
The plane crashed about 7:20 p.m. local time on Sunday, reports said.
The Emergencies Ministry said there were 44 passengers and six crew members on the flight.
There were no immediate indications of what may have led to the crash, but reports said the pilot had already tried to land twice before – and crashed on the third attempt.
The airport in Kazan – the capital of the Russian Republic of Tatarstan – has been closed since the accident.
Doris Lessing has died at her London home this morning at the age of 94.
The Nobel Prize-winning “passed away peacefully at her London home in the early hours of this morning”, a statement from her publisher, Harper Collins, announced.
Doris Lessing best-known works include The Golden Notebook, Memoirs of a Survivor and The Summer Before the Dark.
She became the oldest winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature when in 2007 she won the award for her life’s work aged 88.
Jonathan Clowes, her long-time friend and agent, said she was “a wonderful writer with a fascinating and original mind”.
“It was a privilege to work for her and we shall miss her immensely.”
“Doris Lessing was a one of the great writers of our age,” said Charlie Redmayne, CEO of Harper Collins UK.
“She was a compelling storyteller with a fierce intellect and a warm heart who was not afraid to fight for what she believed in.”
Nobel Prize-winning author Doris Lessing dies at 94
Doris Lessing is survived by her daughter Jean and granddaughters Anna and Susannah
Born in what is now Iran, she moved to Southern Rhodesia – now Zimbabwe – as a child before settling in England in 1949.
Doris Lessing’s debut novel The Grass is Singing was published in 1950 and she made her breakthrough with The Golden Notebook in 1962.
On winning the Nobel Prize, the Swedish Academy described Doris Lessing as an “epicist of the female experience, who with skepticism, fire and visionary power has subjected a divided civilization to scrutiny”.
After learning she had won the award, Doris Lessing said she was “very glad” but recalled that in the 1960s she had been told the Nobel Prize committee did not like her and she would never win one.
“So now they’ve decided they’re going to give it to me. So why? I mean, why do they like me any better now than they did then?” Doris Lessing said.
The Swedish Academy said the Golden Notebook was seen as “a pioneering work” that “belongs to the handful of books that informed the 20th Century view of the male-female relationship”.
As an author, though, Doris Lessing distanced herself from the feminist movement.
The content of her other novels ranged from semi-autobiographical African experiences to social and political struggle, psychological thrillers and science fiction.
Doris Lessing had two children with her first husband, Frank Wisdom, whom she married in 1939. But she left the family home and the couple divorced in 1943.
She then married and had a son with the German communist Gottfried Lessing in 1945.
They divorced in 1949 and she moved to England with her son Peter.
Tributes have been paid to Doris Lessing by her fellow authors, with Professor Lisa Jardine remembering her as “one of our very greatest writers”.
Pakistan’s Supreme Court has been asked by the government to try the former military leader Pervez Musharraf on treason charges.
Pervez Musharraf is accused of treason for declaring a state of emergency in 2007 and suspending the constitution, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said.
The government will send its request in a letter to the court on Monday.
It is the latest legal setback for Pervez Musharraf since he returned to Pakistan earlier this year.
If convicted of treason, he could face the death penalty or life in prison.
The government had announced in June that it wanted the former military ruler to be tried for treason, but had yet to submit a formal complaint.
Pervez Musharraf is accused of treason for declaring a state of emergency in 2007 and suspending Pakistani constitution
Pervez Musharraf already faces charges over an army operation in 2007 to remove militants from the Red Mosque in Islamabad. The incident left more than 100 dead, including a cleric, and helped spark Islamist unrest.
He faces charges of murder in connection with the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and Baloch rebel tribal leader Nawab Akbar Bugti.
Pervez Musharraf has also been charged over his attempts to fire the senior judiciary five years ago.
The government’s request that he be tried for treason comes just over a week after he was released from house arrest following the granting of bail.
Pervez Musharraf, who would be the first former military leader to be tried for treason since the founding of Pakistan, denies all the charges against him and says they are politically motivated.
He came to power in 1999 after ousting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a bloodless coup. Five years after leaving power, he returned from self-imposed exile in March to contest a general election. Nawaz Sharif won that election, giving him a third term as prime minister.
Pervez Musharraf has suffered numerous setbacks since setting foot in his home country. In a very public insult only days after his return, a shoe was thrown at him in a court building in Karachi.
He was also put under house arrest in April and banned from taking part in the election.
Despite the granting of bail, Pervez Musharraf is prohibited from leaving Pakistan, though he has said he does not intend to leave.
Nelson Mandela is still unable to speak but uses facial expressions to communicate, the former South African president’s ex-wife has told a local newspaper.
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela said Nelson Mandela, 95, remained “quite ill” but she dismissed speculation that he was on a life support machine.
In September, Nelson Mandela returned home after nearly three months in hospital with a recurring lung infection.
The government has said his condition is critical and sometimes unstable.
He is no longer talking “because of all the tubes that are in his mouth to clear [fluid from] the lungs”, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela told South Africa’s Sunday Independent newspaper.
Nelson Mandela is still unable to speak but uses facial expressions to communicate
“He can’t actually articulate anything… He communicates with the face, you see. But the doctors have told us they hope to recover his voice.”
“I have heard this nonsense that he is on life support – he is not,” Winnie Madikizela-Mandela added.
“It is difficult for him. He remains very sensitive to any germs, so he has to be kept literally sterile. The bedroom there is like an ICU [intensive care unit] ward.”
Nelson Mandela has been receiving intensive care at his home in a suburb of Johannesburg, which has been specially adapted for his care.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate is revered around the world for leading the fight against white minority rule and preaching reconciliation with the white community despite being imprisoned for 27 years.
Correspondents say the presidency has been keen to reassure not just the Mandela family but the nation that he is no more vulnerable at home than in hospital. It has called for Nelson Mandela’s privacy and dignity to be respected.
Cyprus ex-President Glafcos Clerides, who oversaw his country’s entry into the EU in 2004, has died at the age of 94 in a Nicosia hospital.
Glafcos Clerides’ personal doctor confirmed the news after reports that he was in a critical condition due to his age and past health problems.
He served two terms, from 1993 to 2003, and was briefly acting president during the 1974 Turkish invasion.
President Glafcos Clerides is the man who steered Cyprus into EU
However, his career in Cypriot politics spanned half a century.
Glafcos Clerides was a “great European statesman”, the centre-right European People’s Party group at the European Parliament said in a tweet marking his death.
In an obituary, the Cyprus Mail noted that he “may fondly be remembered by the international community as the sparring partner of long-time nemesis Rauf Denktash, the leader of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus who died last year.
Glafcos Clerides backed a UN reunification plan, which was approved by Turkish Cypriots but rejected by Greek Cypriots in separate votes in 2004.
Glafcos Clerides was also one of the last European leaders who saw active service in World War Two. As a gunner in the Royal Air Force, he was shot down over Germany and captured but tried to escape from captivity at least twice.
A hidden layer of bittersweet chocolate coats the crumb crust, semisweet imparts a silken smoothness to the customary custard, and a drizzle of milk chocolate on top.
Ingredients (12 serves):
2 cups (about 16 crackers) finely ground graham cracker crumbs
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
Triple-Chocolate Pumpkin Pie
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 ounce milk chocolate, melted
1 can (15-ounce) solid-pack pumpkin
1 can (12-ounce) evaporated milk
3 large eggs
Ground cloves
Directions:
Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugars, salt, and cinnamon in bowl. Firmly press mixture into bottom and up sides of a deep, 9 1/2-inch pie dish. Bake until firm, 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove from oven, and sprinkle bittersweet chocolate over bottom of crust. Return to oven to melt chocolate, about 1 minute. Spread chocolate in a thin layer on bottom and up sides. Let cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
Make the filling: In a large heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt semisweet chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.
Mix pumpkin, milk, brown sugar, eggs, cornstarch, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and a pinch of cloves in a medium bowl. Whisk 1/3 pumpkin mixture into chocolate mixture. Whisk in remaining pumpkin mixture until completely incorporated.
Transfer pie dish to a rimmed baking sheet, and pour pumpkin mixture into crust. Bake until center is set but still a bit wobbly, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool in pie dish on a wire rack. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 8 hours (preferably overnight). Before serving, drizzle melted milk chocolate on top. Serve immediately.
Two police officers and nine axe-wielding assailants have been shot dead during an attack on a police station in China’s volatile western Xinjiang province, state media say.
Xinhua news agency reports that the Saturday’s clashes took place in Bachu county’s Serikbuya, near the city of Kashgar.
Another two policemen were injured. Xinhua provided no further details.
Two police officers and nine axe-wielding assailants have been shot dead during an attack on a police station in China’s volatile western Xinjiang province
Xinjiang – where Muslim Uighurs make up a large part of the population – has seen several clashes this year.
Last month, five people died when a car ploughed into a crowd in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square – an attack the authorities blamed on the separatist East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM).
China often blames the ETIM for incidents in Xinjiang.
Uighur groups claim China uses ETIM as an excuse to justify repressive security in Xinjiang.
There are nine million Uighurs living in the province, but they are now a minority in the region, which is now dominated politically and economically by Han Chinese.
There were violent clashes in Xinjiang in April, June and August this year.
At least 28 people were killed, nine are missing and some 80,000 homeless since flooding and landslides hit central Vietnam on Friday.
Lives were lost across five provinces, according to the National Flood and Storm Control Agency, quoted by the Associated Press.
In Quang Ngai province, flood waters reportedly rose above a previous peak recorded in 1999.
A tropical depression has dumped rain on the country.
In Quang Ngai province, flood waters reportedly rose above a previous peak recorded in 1999
Earlier in the week, at least 13 people died and 81 were injured when Tropical Storm Haiyan made landfall in north Vietnam after wreaking havoc in the Philippines.
There has been disruption to the coffee harvest and bean drying in Vietnam’s central highland provinces, Reuters news agency reports.
Vietnam is the world’s top robusta coffee producer, accounting for around 17% of the world’s output.
Flood waters have started to recede in some areas, allowing residents to return and begin digging out their homes, officials said.
Binh Dinh Province reported the highest number of deaths, followed by Quang Ngai, the official Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper reports.
Some 100,000 houses were submerged and roads were closed and some national train services cancelled.
Flood waters rose quickly after 15 hydro power plants opened their sluice gates as a safety measure.
Earlier reports on the flooding gave a slightly higher estimate for deaths.
Melissa Rycroft and her husband Tye Strickland have confirmed their baby No. 2 will be a boy, Us Weekly reported.
The married couple of three years are already parents to a 2-year-old daughter, Ava.
“When I found out [I was having a] boy, I just got really excited! And Tye, he’s such a guy’s guy, so personally I’m really happy he gets to do all his boy stuff,” Melissa Rycroft told Us Weekly.
Melissa Rycroft and her husband Tye Strickland have confirmed their baby No. 2 will be a boy
“It’s so funny the first thing out of his mouth was, <<I feel so much responsibility now!>>” she said of her husband.
“I was like, <<Um have you not felt it the past two and a half years?>> I guess there’s something to be said about the same s** parent taking the bulk of [responsibility].”
Melissa Rycroft, 30, who is 17 week pregnant, announced the baby’s gender to the couple’s parents in a small get together by revealing the color blue inside cupcakes.
“Ava was the one who ate the cupcake to let everyone know,” the Season 13 Bachelor alum said.
Kosovo’s ethnic Serbs northern part of Mitrovica are casting their ballots again, after elections two weeks ago ended in chaos.
Masked men set off tear gas and smashed ballot boxes at the main polling centre of the town on November 3.
Most ethnic Serbs in Mitrovica did not take part in the local elections – unlike ethnic Albanians in the south.
Almost all ethnic Serbs refuse to recognize Kosovo’s independence and also reject Belgrade’s calls to vote.
Two weeks ago, the government in Belgrade for the first time put pressure on Kosovo’s Serbs to cast their ballots.
The change was down to a new agreement between Serbia and Kosovo to normalize relations, as Belgrade seeks membership of the European Union.
The vote centres on three polling stations in northern Mitrovica.
Kosovo’s ethnic Serbs northern part of Mitrovica are casting their ballots again, after elections two weeks ago ended in chaos
NATO-led peacekeepers and EU police promised “robust security measures” to ensure a peaceful vote.
Most people in northern Mitrovica do not really want to vote.
They complain they have been told their Serbian public sectors jobs will be at risk if they do not go to the polls, our correspondent says.
“Those which are receiving the social aid have been called all day by phone and have been ordered – blackmailed – to come and vote,” mayoral candidate Olive Ivanovic said.
“That’s a terrible thing – and I never heard such a thing,” he added.
However, some voters said they would take part.
“I think we should come out and vote, and we should listen to our country which is calling us to do so, because disunity doesn’t lead anywhere,” Milorad Djordjevic said.
Many ethnic Serbs are concerned that if they vote it would legitimize the independent state of Kosovo. Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008.
The move had the support of Kosovo’s majority Albanian population.
Calls for independence from ethnic Albanians in Kosovo after the break-up of the former Yugoslavia led Serbia to stage a violent crackdown in the territory, which was brought to an end by a NATO military intervention in 1999.
Until 2008, Kosovo was administered by the United Nations.
Tens of thousands of Italians have protested in Naples against illegal dumping of toxic waste blamed on the local mafia.
Demonstrators carried photos of relatives who they said had died of cancer as a result of the pollution.
Locals call the area between Naples and Caserta the “Triangle of Death” because of toxic fumes after waste burning.
Some 10 million tonnes of industrial waste has reportedly been dumped in the region over the past 20 years.
Tens of thousands of Italians have protested in Naples against illegal dumping of toxic waste blamed on the local mafia
Environmental group Legambiente, which organized Saturday’s protest, said nearly 440 businesses in central and northern Italy had been taking part in the illegal activity.
“It is essential that in addition to waste we find also the truth about who is responsible,” Legambiente’s director Rossella Muroni was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
The demonstrators also demanded an immediate clean-up of the contaminated land.
As more and more illegal dumps are found, the Italian government says it is starting an extensive project of cleaning the contaminated area.
The local mafia, the Camorra, is suspected of securing lucrative contracts to dispose of waste and then dumping much of it illegally.
Two decades ago doctors noticed that incidences of cancer in towns around Naples were on the rise.
Since then, the number of tumors found in women has risen by 40%, and those in men by 47%.
Khloe Kardashian was in London this week to promote the Kardashian Kollection Lipsy range which the Kardashian sisters are launching in the UK.
Khloe Kardashian, 29, was spotted outside the posh Langham Hotel on Thursday as she arrived with a massive collection of luggage in tow.
Khloe Kardashian was in London this week to promote the Kardashian Kollection Lipsy range which the Kardashian sisters are launching in the UK
Running her fingers all over the keyboard of her snazzy tweet-producing device, Khloe Kardashian wrote: “Launch party time for kardashiankollection for lipsylondon. I am SOOOO excited!!!!”
Khloe, Kourtney and Kim announced they were coming to the UK with the Kardashian Kollection earlier this year.
On the launch, Khloe Kardashian said earlier this year: “We’re so excited to announce the launch of Kardashian Kollection for Lipsy in the UK, Ireland, Russia and the Middle East…
“We’re collaborating with Lipsy to bring a fresh new range of pieces and I can’t wait for the new line to hit stores.”
Miss Kay Robertson presents a Thanksgiving special: Aunt Judy’s Cranberry Salad.
Aunt Judy was Phil Robertson’s older sister. She loved to cook and used it as a way to relax. Aunt Judy was an administrative nurse and passed away in 2006.
Ingredients (8-10 servings):
1 bag (12 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries (3 cups) rinsed and dried
Cranberry Salad
1 cup sugar
1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 container (16 ounces) whipped topping
1 cup chopped pecans
Directions:
In a food processor, pulse de cranberries and sugar together until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a container with a cover and refrigerate overnight. If you don’t have a food processor, use a mallet or fork to crush the cranberries.
The next morning, put the cranberries in a colander and drain off the juice. Transfer the cranberries to a large mixing or serving bowl and add the pineapple, marshmallows, whipped topping, and pecans and mix well.
President Barack Obama will visit JFK’s grave on November 20 in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the former president’s assassination, the White House has announced.
Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will be joined by their predecessors former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton at a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Ceremony Wednesday afternoon, as first reported by the Associated Press.
The actual anniversary falls on Friday.
Barack Obama will also be honoring one of John F. Kennedy’s last initiatives, presenting this year’s awards for the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Wednesday, the highest civilian awarded by the US.
Former prominent recipients of the medal will join the president in a tribute to JFK, who established the modern version of the medal months before his death.
This year also marks the 50th anniversary that President John F. Kennedy signed the Executive Order establishing the medal.
Barack Obama will visit JFK’s grave on November 20 in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the former president’s assassination
JFK was assassinated just two weeks before he could honor the award’s first recipients. Since then, more than 500 people have been given the award, according to the White House.
The medal is presented to those who have made “especially meritorious” contributions to the security or national interests of the US, to world peace, or cultural and other public and private endeavors, according to the White House.
“The Presidential Medal of Freedom goes to men and women who have dedicated their own lives to enriching ours. This year’s honorees have been blessed with extraordinary talent, but what sets them apart is their gift for sharing that talent with the world,” Barack Obama said in a White House statement announcing this year’s recipients in August.
“It will be my honor to present them with a token of our nation’s gratitude.”
This year, Barack Obama named 16 recipients for the award from the worlds of politics and science to the worlds of music and sports. Those to be honored include Bill Clinton, women’s rights activist Gloria Steinem, Oprah Winfrey, the late American female astronaut Sally Ride, country singer Loretta Lynn and Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Ernie Banks.
Barack Obama has planned a speech on JFK’s legacy of service at the Smithsonian American History Museum at a dinner with former medal recipients including astronaut Buzz Aldrin, singer Aretha Franklin and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
He will also meet privately on Friday at the White House with leaders and members of the Peace Corps, another program President John F. Kennedy established.
The Peace Corps dates back to 1960, when JFK, then a senator, called on students at the University of Michigan to serve two years in volunteer service to help people in countries of the developing world, according to the Peace Corps web site.
Within weeks of his inauguration as president, JFK signed an Executive Order to establish the Peace Corps on a temporary pilot basis in March 1961. Since then, more than 210,000 Peace Corps volunteers have served in 139 countries working on issues ranging from health and education to environmental preservation.
Angelina Jolie, Angela Lansbury, Steve Martin and costume designer Piero Tosi will accept Oscar statuettes at the film academy’s Governors Awards ceremony Saturday night in the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center in Los Angeles.
Angelina Jolie, 38, will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, while the others will accept honorary Academy Awards for their distinguished careers.
Angelina Jolie will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
The black-tie dinner ceremony is untelevised to preserve a sense of intimacy and allow for ample tributes to each honoree.
This is the fifth year the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has presented its honorary awards at a separate ceremony. Clips from the event may be included in the March 2 Oscar telecast.
The 2013 Leonid meteor shower will be at its best Saturday (November 16) night,and NASA will have a live webcast of the celestial fireworks.
The annual Leonid meteor shower is made of debris from the Comet Tempel-Tuttle, and peaks every year in November.
It is typically one of the most dependable meteor displays of the year. Astronomers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center will provide a live views of the night sky over Huntsville, Ala., beginning at nightfall.
This year, the bright moon may interfere with the meteor display, scientists say.
“Unfortunately the full moon in the sky will likely wash out all but the very brightest Leonids,” NASA officials explained in a skywatching guide.
“Meteor rates, normally 10-20 per hour, are predicted to be less than 10 per hour. The shower should be visible from any populated area on the planet with clear dark skies, though Northern Hemisphere observers are favored due to the radiant’s location in the constellation Leo.”
The Leonid meteor shower doesn’t require a telescope to view, though a dark sky without city lights will make for better viewing.
The 2013 Leonid meteor shower will be at its best Saturday night
“For optimal viewing, find an open sky because Leonid meteors can appear in any part of it,” NASA added in a statement.
“Lie on the ground and look straight up into the dark sky. Again, it is important to be far away from artificial lights. Your eyes can take up to 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness, so allow plenty of time for your eyes to dark-adapt.”
NASA’s webcast is one of two online Leonid viewing events this weekend. On Sunday, the online community telescope Slooh will host a webcast double feature to stream live views of the Leonids and the potentially dazzling Comet ISON, which is now visible in the pre-dawn sky to the unaided eye.
The Slooh Leonid webcast will begin Sunday night at 8 p.m. EST and last 45 minutes. The Comet ISON webcast will begin at 9 p.m. EST. You can also watch both webcasts via Slooh’s iPad app and at the website Slooh.com.
The Leonid meteor shower, which is made of rocky bits of debris from the Comet Tempel-Tuttle, peaks every year in November. The icy comet is circling the sun and is slowly being melted by the sun’s heat. It reaches the solar system once every 33 years and its long, slow disintegration has left a rocky trail millions of miles wide and hundreds of millions of miles long.
“We can predict when Earth will cross a debris stream with pretty good accuracy,” NASA astronomer Bill Cooke said in a statement.
“The intensity of the display is less certain, though, because we don’t know how much debris is in each stream.”
Some of that rocky trail drifts into Earth’s orbit every November. When the comet debris collides with Earth’s atmosphere, about 50 miles to 80 miles above the planet, the rocks are vaporized in a flash and fireballs seem to be exploding out of the constellation Leo, leaving bluish white, glowing trails in their wake.
Every 33 years, the Leonid shower is truly breathtaking, with more than 1,000 meteors lighting up the sky per hour, NASA officials said. Unfortunately, that display won’t happen again until 2034, they added.
Former PM Silvio Berlusconi has relaunched Forza Italia (Go Italy) party as his People of Freedom (PDL) party split between his supporters.
“I am happy that we have returned to this name, the one we all still have in our hearts: Forza Italia,” Silvio Berlusconi said at a party conference in Rome before hundreds of delegates, who voted unanimously to the name change of the party with the 77-year-old leader again at its helm.
Silvio Berlusconi supporter, Senator Vincenzo Gibiino, said: “Forza Italia is reborn thanks to Berlusconi who has decided to throw himself into the fray for all our sakes.”
At least 250 delegates, however, were not present. This faction, led by former PDL deputy leader Angelino Alfano, previously said they would not attend the PDL party conference, announcing the formation of breakaway party called Nuovo centrodestra (New Centre Right).
Silvio Berlusconi has relaunched Forza Italia party as his People of Freedom party split between his supporters
Composed of between 56 and 60 parliamentarians, the Alfano group would be large enough to ensure the survival of the prime minister‘s government should Berlusconi supporters drop out of the ruling coalition under the leadership of centre-left PM Enrico Letta.
At the centre of PDL split is how the party would react to the possible expulsion of Berlusconi from parliament over a tax fraud conviction.
The possibility of parliamentary expulsion, the decision for which is to take place on November 27, is seen as likely because the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), the PDL‘s main coalition partner, is unwilling to let the scandal-prone politician keep his seat.
On Saturday, Silvio Berlusconi repeated his allegation that it was impossible for his party to remain in parliament with people who wanted the death of the one of the party‘s leaders.
The Alfano group, however, has argued the good of the country necessitated the continuance of the Letta government.
Negotiations within the PDL to prevent a party split continued until the last minute, with Alfano demanding in addition to remaining in the governing coalition an increase of democracy within the party and other issues.
In a 30-minute-long speech, Silvio Berlusconi appeared to signal his readiness to enter the opposition, criticizing the Letta government, accusing it of failed economic policies and lacking political will within Europe.
Silvio Berlusconi thundered against taxes and maintained that when he was head of government, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French former president Nicolas Sarkozy never liked him because he had “the experience and the will to say no to many of their suggestions.”
At least 10 Afghans have been killed and more than 20 injured in a suicide bomb attack in Kabul.
The bomb went off near a compound where tribal elders are expected to gather next week to discuss a security pact with the US.
No group has said it carried out the attack.
The security pact governs the status of US military personnel staying in Afghanistan beyond the withdrawal of most international forces in 2014.
It will be discussed next week by Afghanistan’s Loya Jirga, the traditional council of elders.
Those killed in Saturday’s attack include a police officer. Many of the other casualties appear to have been civilians.
Police say the attacker crashed a vehicle filled with explosives into an Afghan army vehicle when soldiers identified it as a threat and opened fire.
At least 10 Afghans have been killed and more than 20 injured in a suicide bomb attack in Kabul
Although no group has said it was behind the blast, correspondents say suspicion is likely to fall on the Taliban, which opposes the foreign military presence in Afghanistan and has carried out previous attacks in Kabul.
The blast occurred less than 100m from a large tent where more than 2,000 prominent Afghans will gather on Thursday to debate the security pact with the US.
The security agreement must be approved by the Loya Jirga and parliament before it can come into force.
Among other issues, the pact covers the key issue of whether US military personnel will enjoy immunity from prosecution in Afghanistan.
Hours before the blast, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said negotiators had completed a draft of the accord, the Associated Press news agency reports. But he added that there were “still some differences”.
The president also called on the Taliban to attend the Loya Jirga.
“We invite them, please come to this national Jirga of Afghanistan, raise your voice, raise your objection.”
Between 5,000 and 10,000 US military personnel are due to remain in the country beyond the end of 2014, when most of the Nato-led international force is due to have left Afghanistan.
The US is expected to focus on training and mentoring Afghan security forces as well as combating al-Qaeda.
According to near-final results, Abdulla Yameen has won the presidential election run-off vote in the Maldives.
Abdulla Yameen had 51.3% of the vote compared with 48.6% for ex-President Mohamed Nasheed, with 98% of ballots counted, the Election Commission said.
Mohamed Nasheed had won 47% in the first round this month, just short of the 50% needed for outright victory, in an election process mired in controversy.
Abdulla Yameen is half-brother to Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who ruled for 30 years in Maldives
Abdulla Yameen is half-brother to Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who ruled for 30 years.
Imad Masood, a spokesman for outgoing President Mohamed Waheed, told Reuters there were “four more boxes yet to be counted, but they won’t make any difference to the final results”.
There have been months of legal and political wrangling over the election, causing concern among foreign diplomats.
One result was annulled and two votes cancelled by the courts.
Mohamed Nasheed had been seeking to regain power after he was forced to resign in 2012.
Thousands of people in San Francisco have turned out to help 5-year-old Miles Scott recovering from leukaemia fulfill his wish to be Batman for a day.
Miles Scott participated in events across the city including fighting mock crimes and receiving an honor from the mayor.
Make-A-Wish Foundation, which organized the event, received pledges from more than 10,000 people to lend a hand.
Miles Scott, in treatment for several years, is now said to be in remission.
According to local television, Miles Scott thought he was just on his way to get a Batman costume so he could dress like his favorite superhero.
But then he heard a broadcast from San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr appealing for help from “Batkid”.
Next, Batkid saved a “damsel in distress”, tied to cable car tracks along a major urban street.
A San Francisco Chronicle live blog of the day’s events showed hundreds of people cheering Miles Scott on during the “rescue”.
Thousands of people in San Francisco have turned out to help 5-year-old Miles Scott recovering from leukaemia fulfill his wish to be Batman for a day
Miles Scott was ferried from events in one of two “Batmobiles”, or black Lamborghinis with Batman removable stickers, which were escorted by police.
Later, the little boy foiled a faux robbery in the city’s financial district with the help of an adult Batman impersonator.
Authorities who participated in the day’s events pretended to apprehend the villain, the Riddler.
Miles Scott also travelled to AT&T Park to rescue the San Francisco Giants baseball team mascot by disarming a fake bomb planted by another classic Batman baddie, the Penguin.
The US justice department even prepared an indictment for the Riddler and the Penguin.
Towards the end of the day San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee gave Miles a key to the city.
President Barack Obama praised the mini-caped crusader in a video from the White House, saying: “Way to go, Miles! Way to save Gotham.”
An estimated 7,000 people turned up to help make Miles Scott’s wish come true.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation said the event was “on the scale of a military operation”.
In real life, Miles Scott has defeated an enemy even more ruthless than Batman’s nemeses – he is presently recovering from leukaemia, with which he was diagnosed at 18 months old.
Miles Scott’s mother, Natalie, said Friday was a “celebration” of her son’s completion of treatment in June.
“This wish has meant closure for our family and an end to over three years of putting toxic drugs in our son’s body,” Natalie Scott wrote in a statement on the foundation’s website.
Miles’ father, Nick Scott, thanked the charity and everyone else who took part.
“All the doctors, nurses and all the other parents that have to deal with the same thing we’re going through, I hope they get a conclusion to their illnesses like we’re getting,” Nick Scott told KGO-TV.
Spanish professional pianist Laia Martin is on trial in Girona after her family’s downstairs neighbor, Sonia Bosom, accused her of causing psychological harm.
Prosecutors are seeking a 20-month prison sentence for Laia Martin whose former neighbor is suing over alleged noise pollution.
They are also demanding that the 27-year-old be banned from professional piano playing for six months.
A verdict is expected within two weeks.
Prosecutors are seeking a 20-month prison sentence for Laia Martin whose former neighbor is suing over alleged noise pollution
Laia Martin’s parents are also being sued and face a fine if found guilty.
Sonia Bosom alleges that the pianist – a conservatoire student at the time – practiced her piano for eight hours, five days a week from 2003-2007.
The alleged victim said she now has such a horror of pianos, she cannot stand even seeing them in films, reports say.
Sonia Bosom’s lawyer said she had endured “four years of suffering,” the Associated Press news agency reports.
In their defense, the Martin family said they had tried to soundproof the room, and that the practice had not been as constant as claimed.
The public prosecutor had initially sought a jail term of over seven years for Laia Martin.
3 – large eggs, beaten
3/4 – cup granulated sugar
4 – tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 – teaspoon salt
1 – teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 – cup light corn syrup
1/2 – cup honey
1 1/2 – cups chopped pecans
1 – 9 inch store bought deep dish pie crust, unbaked
Miss Kay Robertson shares Thanksgiving recipes from Duck Commander kitchen
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 F. Beat the eggs with an electric mixer until fluffy (about 8 minutes).
In a separate large mixing bowl stir together the sugar, salt, butter, vanilla and syrups. Gently fold in the eggs. Gently fold in the pecans.
Pour filling into the pie crust. Bake for 40-50 minutes , until the filling is almost set (You still want the filling to jiggle just a bit in the center) because the pie will continue to set up as it cools.
Let pie cool completely before cutting. Pecan Pies are best made the morning of or a day before you want to serve them (to give them time to set up completely).
JP Morgan has agreed to pay $4.5 billion to investors who lost money on mortgage-related securities during the financial crisis.
The settlement is with 21 major institutional investors.
Mortgage-related investments were a major factor in the crisis, which began in 2007 with the collapse of the US housing market.
Last month JP Morgan agreed a separate, preliminary $13 billion deal with the US government over mortgage securities.
As part of that deal $5.1 billion would go to settle charges that the bank misled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac during the housing boom. That settlement was the biggest ever by a US bank.
JP Morgan has agreed to pay $4.5 billion to investors who lost money on mortgage-related securities during the financial crisis
Now, 21 institutional investors that put money into more than 300 residential mortgage-backed securities are to be reimbursed by the bank.
The securities in question were issued between 2005 and 2008 by JP Morgan and Bear Stearns – a bank which it took over during the financial crisis.
“This settlement is another important step in JP Morgan’s efforts to resolve legacy related… matters” stemming from mortgage-related securities, JP Morgan spokeswoman Jennifer Zuccarelli said in a statement on Friday.
Friday’s deal still has to be accepted by trustees for the trusts that hold the securities.
A final settlement with the US Justice Department is expected to be announced soon.
Mortgage-backed securities were sophisticated financial products created by many investment banks in the run-up to the financial crisis.
These special bonds contained a mix of investments but at their heart were supposed to be risk-free home loans.
When the housing bubble burst, the value of these assets fell sharply and the credit markets seized up. The balance sheets of many US and European banks, including those in the UK, became toxic and they had to be bailed out by their governments.
What JP Morgan is alleged to have done was sell the mortgage-backed assets knowing full well that many of the home loans were in fact very risky.
