Italy’s President Giorgio Napolitano has said he will ask a select group of people to offer a policy platform to try to end the impasse in forming a new government.
Giorgio Napolitano said the names would be released later on Saturday.
The president’s announcement ended speculation that he might resign – a day after political parties failed to agree a coalition government following February’s inconclusive election.
Giorgio Napolitano said he would serve out his mandate that ends on May 15.
Italy’s President Giorgio Napolitano has said he will ask a select group of people to offer a policy platform to try to end the impasse in forming a new government
Italy has been governed by a group of technocrats led by Mario Monti since late 2011 – when centre-right leader Silvio Berlusconi resigned in the middle of an acute economic crisis.
President Napolitano said that Mario Monti’s caretaker cabinet was still “operational” and “in charge”.
However, the continuing political stalemate is delaying reforms that could help revive Italy’s recession-hit, debt-laden economy.
Giorgio Napolitano finished consultations with Italy’s main political leaders on Friday.
In the absence of agreement, Italian analysts had said Giorgio Napolitano was contemplating quitting to enable a successor to try to form a new cabinet or dissolve parliament and call new elections.
However, Giorgio Napolitano said he planned to stay on “to the end”.
He was, instead, going to ask “two small groups of personalities” to formulate “precise programme proposals” that could be supported by political parties – and serve as a basis for a new cabinet.
“I want to underline one more time the need for all political parties to demonstrate their full awareness of the gravity and urgency of the problems facing the country,” Giorgio Napolitano said.
There has been talk of the possibility of the president ultimately seeking to form a temporary, technocrat-style administration.
Italy’s parliament is currently split in three main blocs – each without enough seats to govern alone.
Pier Luigi Bersani’s centre-left coalition won the most votes in the February election, but failed to secure a majority in both houses of parliament.
The bloc has ruled out an alliance with Silvio Berlusconi’s centre-right alliance, which finished a close second.
The protest group Five Stars Movement led by former comedian Beppe Grillo garnered a quarter of the vote, but has refused to support either group.
Lady Gaga has traded in her custom 24-carat-gold Mordekai wheelchair designed by Ken Borochov for a Louis Vuitton creation that she took for a spin through the streets of Chicago on Thursday.
Lady Gaga’s new set of wheels features a seat covered with Louis Vuitton’s iconic brown and tan print.
Lady Gaga has traded in her custom 24-carat-gold Mordekai wheelchair designed by Ken Borochov for a Louis Vuitton creation that she took for a spin through the streets of Chicago on Thursday
Fans and photographers alike spotted Lady Gaga on her midday ride despite her efforts to deflect attention by wearing an understated ensemble of black jeans, a black tank top and oxfords.
Lady Gaga was in Chicago to celebrate her 27th birthday on March 28 with boyfriend Taylor Kinney.
Taylor Kinney currently is in the city filming the NBC drama Chicago Fire.
A source confirmed to the New York Post’s Page Six that Lady Gaga and taylor Kinney kicked off the singer’s birthday celebration on Tuesday evening with an intimate meal at Italian eatery Spiaggia on the city’s famed Michigan Avenue.
Lady Gaga has been confined to a wheelchair since February, when she suffered a labral tear in her hip that caused her to abandon the remaining US dates of her Born This Way Ball tour.
Justin Bieber’s monkey was seized by customs officials after the singer demanded Mally accompany him on a long-haul flight to Germany.
Justin Bieber’s increasingly bizarre behavior is concerning aides after he insisted Mally travelled on his private jet – even though he had no paperwork to show to customs officials in Munich.
According to sources, Justin Bieber, 19, who had travelled from LA to Munich, was “detained for some time” by furious customs officers who demanded to see a health certificate for the monkey – which the teen idol could not provide.
Justin Bieber’s monkey was seized by customs officials after the singer demanded Mally accompany him on a long-haul flight to Germany
Mally is now in quarantine and Justin Bieber could face prosecution from German authorities and a $15,000 fine.
A source told The Sun:“He and Mally go everywhere together. He will be heartbroken.
“Justin has been acting like a right diva. He is out of control and lives in an alternative reality to the rest of us.”
The friend likened capuchin monkey Mally, who was given to Justin Bieber as a birthday present from music producer Jamal Racshid, to Michael Jackson’s beloved pet Bubbles – who accompanied the tragic singer to a number of concerts.
Customs officials in Germany demand to see detailed paperwork from pet owners, especially if the flight originated from outside the EU.
Justin Bieber has been on a hectic schedule, going from Poland to LA on Monday in his luxury Cessna Citation, and then onto Munich on Thursday.
It is thought Justin Bieber travelled on to Austria by bus – but without his beloved pet.
Pope Francis has referred to “so many Muslim brothers and sisters” during a Good Friday procession dedicated to the suffering of Christians from terrorism, war and religious fanaticism in the Middle East.
The newly-elected Pope, who has rankled traditionalists by rejecting many trappings of his office, mostly stuck to the traditional script during the nighttime Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) procession at Rome’s Colosseum, one of the most dramatic rituals of Holy Week.
Pope Francis has referred to “so many Muslim brothers and sisters” during a Good Friday procession dedicated to the suffering of Christians from terrorism, war and religious fanaticism in the Middle East
With torches lighting the way, the faithful carried a cross to different stations, where meditations and prayers were read out recalling the final hours of Jesus’ life and his crucifixion.
This year, the prayers were composed by young Lebanese, and many recalled the plight of minority Christians in the region, where wars have forced thousands to flee their homelands. The meditations called for an end to “violent fundamentalism,” terrorism and the “wars and violence which in our days devastate various countries in the Middle East.”
Pope Francis chose, however, to stress Christians’ positive relations with Muslims in the region in his brief comments at the end of the ceremony.
Standing on a platform overlooking the procession route, Pope Francis recalled Pope Benedict XVI’s 2012 visit to Lebanon when “we saw the beauty and the strong bond of communion joining Christians together in that land and the friendship of our Muslim brothers and sisters and so many others.”
“That occasion was a sign to the Middle East and to the whole world, a sign of hope,” the new Pope said.
Friday’s outreach followed Pope Francis’ eyebrow-raising gesture a day earlier, when he washed and kissed the feet of two women, one a Muslim, in the Maundy Thursday ritual that commemorates Jesus’ washing of his apostles’ feet during the Last Supper before his crucifixion.
Breaking with tradition, Pope Francis performed the ritual on 12 inmates at a juvenile detention center, rather than in Rome’s grand St. John Lateran basilica, where in the past, 12 priests have been chosen to represent Jesus’ disciples.
Before he became pope, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio long cultivated warm relations with Muslim leaders in his native Argentina. In one of his first speeches as pope, he called for the church and the West in general to “intensify” relations with the Muslim world.
The Vatican’s relations with Islam hit several bumps during Benedict XVI’s papacy, when he outraged Muslims with a 2006 speech quoting a Byzantine emperor as saying some of Prophet Muhammad’s teachings were “evil and inhuman”. And in 2011, the pre-eminent institute of Islamic learning in the Sunni Muslim world, Cairo’s Al-Azhar institute, froze dialogue with the Vatican to protest Pope Benedict’s call for greater protection of Christians in Egypt.
However, Pope Francis’ past outreach to the Muslim community in Argentina seems to have changed that. Al-Azhar’s chief imam, Sheik Ahmed el-Tayyib, sent a message of congratulations to Pope Francis on his election and said he hoped for cooperation.
The Vatican’s efforts to reconcile with the Islamic world have not been welcomed by all. Italy’s most famous Muslim convert to Catholicism, Magdi Allam, announced last week he was leaving the church because of its “soft” stance on Islam. Magdi Allam was baptized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008 during the high-profile Easter Vigil service when the pope traditionally baptizes a handful of adults.
Tibetan rescue teams are searching for 83 miners buried in a landslide in Maizhokunggar county on Friday.
The chances of finding survivors at the mine near the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, were slim, Chinese media quoted rescuers as saying.
The miners’ camp, at an altitude of 15,000 ft, 45 miles east of Lhasa, was destroyed by thousands of tonnes of rock.
Tibetan rescue teams are searching for 83 miners buried in a landslide in Maizhokunggar county
Rescuers have been hampered by freezing weather, altitude sickness and risks of further landslides.
Xinhua news agency said that as of 10:00 local time no survivors had been found.
“The miners’ survival chances were slim due to the scale of the landslide,” it quoted one rescue worker as saying.
Some 2,000 police, firefighters and doctors have been sent to the disaster site, setting up temporary accommodation at a safe distance. About 200 bulldozers have been deployed to shift rock.
Xinhua said cracks on nearby mountains suggested there could be further land slips.
“Temperatures as low as -3C have affected the sniffer dogs’ sense of smell,” it added.
More than 300,000 cubic meters of debris had been removed by midday on Saturday.
The Maizhokunggar mine, which produces copper, as well as some silver and gold, is operated by a subsidiary of state-owned China National Gold Group, China’s biggest gold producer.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is said to have ordered authorities to “spare no efforts” in the rescue operation.
Most of the workers were ethnic Han Chinese from Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces, with two reported to be ethnic Tibetans.
Police said the area that collapsed was up to 1.5 sq miles.
Chinese officials believe the Tibetan plateau has huge resources, including millions of tonnes of copper, lead, zinc and iron ore.
Critics claim that Beijing’s interests are driven by a desire to exploit the region’s rich mineral wealth.
The government argues its investment brings modernization and better living standards for local Tibetans.
The landslip came on the same day as a gas explosion at a coal mine in north-eastern Jilin province.
Some 28 people were killed at the Babao mine in the city of Baishan.
Another 13 miners were rescued after the explosion.
BlackBerry announces it has sold one million of its new Z10 smartphones in Q4 2012.
In better than expected results BlackBerry said it made profits of $98 million in the last quarter of 2012, after posting a big loss for the same period last year.
The Z10 handset is seen as crucial to the future of BlackBerry, which has struggled to keep up with new Apple and Android phones.
BlackBerry has sold one million of its new Z10 smartphones in Q4 2012
BlackBerry Z10 has been on sale for a month in the UK, Canada and other markets.
The Z10 went on sale with little fanfare a week ago in the US, BlackBerry’s most important market.
BlackBerry reports 1 million Z10 sales, but the figures do not include US sales.
BlackBerry was previously called Research In Motion (RIM), but changed its name last year.
Analysts greeted the results cautiously, saying that it was too early to judge the success of the Z10 and its sister device the Q10.
Earlier in the week, BlackBerry shares were hit when two major US brokerages expressed disappointment with the US launch of the Z10.
In a note to its clients, Citigroup described BlackBerry launch as “a big disappointment”.
The BlackBerry results also showed the company lost three million users over the year. Its handsets are now used by 76 million people, down from 79 million 12 months ago.
In total, BlackBerry said it shipped a total of around six million handsets in the three months to early March.
Award-winning performer Richard Griffiths, who appeared as Uncle Vernon Dursley in Harry Potter films, was hailed as one of the greatest and most-loved British actors by a string of his co-stars and colleagues.
Richard Griffiths, who had struggled with declining health in recent years, is thought to have been admitted to hospital for a heart bypass.
A friend said: “He had the operation, came out of it and there were massive complications. His heart and body gave way. He had had myriad health problems over the last five years and in the last three to four months he was getting increasingly breathless.”
Richard Griffiths was also best known for his role as inspirational teacher Hector in Alan Bennett’s The History Boys – which earned him a Laurence Olivier award – and for playing Uncle Monty in cult film Withnail & I.
The actor was awarded an OBE for services to drama in 2008. Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, who also performed with Richard Griffiths in the stage play Equus at the age of 17, praised the actor’s “encouragement, tutelage and humor”.
Daniel Radcliff said: “Any room he walked into was made twice as funny and twice as clever just by his presence. I am proud to say I knew him.”
Fellow Withnail & I star Richard E. Grant said: “Chin-Chin my dear friend. I feel too gutted to talk without falling apart. Suffice to say I feel I’ve lost my adored Uncle Monty.”
Richard Griffiths’ family last night refused to comment on whether the University Hospital of Coventry and Warwickshire, renowned for its treatment of heart problems, were at fault.
Richard Griffiths died on Thursday at the age of 65 from complications following heart surgery .
Long-term friend Jane Harrison, 70, said: “Richard was wonderful but he was showing his age towards the end. No one knew just how poorly he really was.”
A spokesman for Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital said: “We are aware of this situation and we have been in touch with our executive. We cannot give out any further information due to patient confidentiality.”
The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Porsha Williams has reportedly submitted her own divorce papers via her attorney.
Porsha Williams was blindsided earlier this week when she discovered her husband, Kordell Stewart, had filed for divorce without her knowledge.
According to TMZ, Porsha Williams, 31, is seeking two major assets: alimony and the use of their Atlanta mansion.
Porsha Williams was blindsided earlier this week when she discovered Kordell Stewart had filed for divorce without her knowledge
In Kordell Stewart’s initial filing, the former NFL star had claimed that his wife did not need spousal support.
Conversely, Porsha Williams’ attorney argued that she paused her own career in order to be the wife and mother to Kordell Stewart’s child from a previous relationship that he needed.
“Mrs. Stewart had held off on filing for a divorce herself and remained committed to the marriage because Mr. Stewart promised to work on the marriage with her,” Porsha Williams’ rep told Us Weekly.
But Kordell Stewart’s decision to file for divorce without his wife’s knowing shows no signs that he was dedicated to working on the marriage.
“[Kordell Stewart] misled her and she found out about the filing in the media,” said Porsha Williams’ rep.
“Mrs. Stewart hopes to resolve these personal issues privately with the support of her family, friends and strong faith,” the spokesperson added.
The former NFL quarterback lodged legal papers at Fulton County Superior Court in Georgia on March 22, reports.
Kordell Stewart, 40, who went by the nickname Slash during his days on the field, and Porsha Williams have no children together, although he does have a child from a previous relationship.
Chris Brown revealed during an interview with Los Angeles hip hop station Power 106 on Friday that he and Rihanna have called it quits.
Chris Brown, 23, made the revelation when the interviewer asked him directly, “Are you still with Rihanna?”
“Uh, no – that’s the short answer,” replied the rapper.
Chris Brown revealed during an interview with Los Angeles hip hop station Power 106 on Friday that he and Rihanna have called it quits
The radio station announced the news with a tweet that stated: “Are you still w/ @Rihanna?” @ChrisBrown: “Uh,no-that’s the short answer” just now to @BigBoy POWER 106 LA @TuneIn http://bit.ly/o1QLJd”
According to Fuse, the radio station plans to post the interview – which was recorded this week in Los Angeles and released in segments – online shortly.
Some fans have questioned whether the statement is true, but Power 106 is standing by the news, stating: “We wouldn’t have tweeted it if it wasn’t true.”
Rihanna, 25, meanwhile, sent out a tweet early Friday morning that may allude to the breakup, stating: “This is terrible.”
But she mysteriously deleted the message a short while later, choosing to rather re-tweet a message about her star sign Pisces: “It’s the heart of a #Pisces that makes us soft mannered BUT is that same heart of a #Pisces that will make us get in your ass if needed.”
The news comes just days after Chris Brown spoke at length with Ryan Seacrest about the pair’s reconciliation after he brutally beat her in a vicious 2009 attack, leaving her severely bruised and battered.
In his most candid interview yet, Chris Brown took full responsibility for the incident, admitting that the attack was completely his fault.
“It’s all about my responsibility,” the rapper told Ryan Seacrest in an interview with KIIS-FM radio on Tuesday.
Chris Brown says that he tried his best to reform himself over the years until the couple recently reconciled and that he was never sure that Rihanna would even speak to him again.
He added that he was “eternally grateful” that in the end Rihanna found it within herself to forgive him, leading to their reconciliation.
“I just tried my best to be the best man I could be over the years and just show her how remorseful and sorry I was for the incident and that time was probably the worst part of my life and being that she has and she’s a wonderful person I’m eternally grateful and thankful,” Chris Brown said.
Reid Flair, son of professional wrestler Ric Flair, has been found dead in a North Carolina hotel room, authorities say.
Reid Flair, 25, was found dead at the SouthPark hotel room in Charlotte on Friday morning.
Police were called to the hotel at 10.30 a.m. and found his body.
Reid Flair, son of professional wrestler Ric Flair, has been found dead in a North Carolina hotel room
Police have not disclosed the cause of death, but they have said that there was no indication of foul play and they are not treating it as a homicide.
The cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner.
Reid Flair had previously been arrested for assault and battery in 2007, driving while impaired in March 2009, and then later crashed his car a month later.
During the investigation into the crash, police found black tar heroin inside the vehicle and he was charged with a felony as a result.
Reid Flair, whose real last name was Fliehr, was also a wrestler and has started his career on the independent circuit.
At the time of his death, Reid Flair had just returned to the U.S. from Japan where he had been wrestling as part of the All Japan Pro Wrestling league.
His father’s agent released a statement Friday describing Reid Flair as “an incredible son, brother, friend, and professional wrestler”.
“No words can describe the grief that Ric and his family are experiencing and they do request privacy during this devastating time.”
Ric Flair’s real name is Richard Morgan Fliehr. The peroxide-blond wrestled for some 40 years and also was known as The Nature Boy.
Ric Flair, 64, won many pro wrestling titles including in the WWE before his 2008 retirement.
North Korea has declared “state of war” against South Korea in its latest escalation of rhetoric against its neighbour and the US.
A statement promised “stern physical actions” against “any provocative act”.
North Korea has threatened attacks almost daily after it was sanctioned for a third nuclear test in February.
North Korea has declared “state of war” against South Korea in its latest escalation of rhetoric against its neighbour and the US
However, few think the North would risk full-blown conflict, and the two sides have technically been at war since 1953 as no peace treaty has been signed.
An armistice at the end of the Korean War was never turned into a full treaty.
North Korea carried out its third nuclear test on February 12, which led to the imposition of fresh sanctions.
The annual US-South Korean military exercises have also taken place, angering Pyongyang further.
Many analysts believe that all-out war with South Korea and its ally the United States would be suicidal for the North, says the BBC’s Lucy Williamson in Seoul.
But with both sides threatening heavy retaliation, there’s a chance of minor incidents escalating, our correspondent adds.
A North Korean statement released on Saturday said: “From this time on, the North-South relations will be entering the state of war and all issues raised between the North and the South will be handled accordingly.
“The long-standing situation of the Korean peninsula being neither at peace nor at war is finally over.”
In Washington, Caitlin Hayden, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, said the US had “seen reports of a new and unconstructive statement from North Korea”.
“We take these threats seriously and remain in close contact with our South Korean allies,” she said.
North Korea has made multiple threats against both the US and South Korea in recent weeks, including warning of a “pre-emptive nuclear strike” on the US and the scrapping of the Korean War armistice.
On Thursday, North Korean state media reported leader Kim Jong-un “judged the time has come to settle accounts with the US imperialists”.
Kim Jong un was said to have condemned US B-2 bomber sorties over South Korea during military exercises as a “reckless phase” that represented an “ultimatum that they will ignite a nuclear war at any cost on the Korean peninsula”.
US mainland and bases in Hawaii, Guam and South Korea were all named as potential targets.
State media in the North showed thousands of soldiers and students at a mass rally in Pyongyang supporting Kim Jong-un’s announcement
North Korea’s most advanced missiles are thought to be able to reach Alaska, but not the rest of the US mainland.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the rhetoric only deepened North Korea’s isolation.
China, North Korea’s biggest trading partner, has reiterated its call for all sides to ease tensions.
Foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a daily news conference that “joint efforts” should be made to turn around a “tense situation”.
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov went further, voicing concern that “we may simply let the situation slip out of our control”.
“We are concerned that… unilateral action is being taken around North Korea that is increasing military activity,” he said.
On March 16, North Korea warned of attacks against South Korea’s border islands, and advised residents to leave the islands.
In 2010, North Korea shelled South Korea’s Yeonpyeong island, causing four deaths.
According to Tanzanian officials, at least 17 people have been killed after a multi-storey building collapsed in the centre of Dar es Salaam on Friday morning.
Commissioner Saidi Meck Sadick said 18 people had survived.
He added that the search for other survivors was continuing.
At least 17 people have been killed after a multi-storey building collapsed in the centre of Dar es Salaam on Friday morning
Earlier reports said some 45 people, including construction workers, residents and children from a Koranic school, were missing.
The high-rise building under construction is now a “huge pile of chaos”.
Trapped victims are said to have been making phone calls to friends and relatives.
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete visited the scene.
The collapsed building was near a mosque, as well as other residential and commercial properties in central Dar es Salaam.
It was supposed to have been at least 12 floors high when finished.
Police say they are questioning four people linked to the construction company, while work on a nearby site undertaken by the same company has been suspended.
Tanzania’s growing economy has prompted a construction boom in Dar es Salaam in recent years, as in many African cities.
But correspondents say the speed of construction and lack of safety standards sometimes put at risk both the buildings and those living and working in them.
Every year, on Good Friday, thousands of pilgrims go to the Colosseum to take part in the “Via Crucis” (the Way of the Cross) to honor and remember the Passion of Jesus.
As Pope Francis overlooked the crowds of faithful, the 14 stations of the Cross were carried out by priests, friars, sisters and laypeople from different parts of the world.
The ceremony included a series of prayers to reflect on Jesus’ Passion and his message.
Leading his first Way of the Cross as Pontiff, Pope Francis said only a few words are necessary to understand God’s message
“Lord, we too carry a cross of suffering and illnesses, but we accept it because You are with us.”
Leading his first Way of the Cross as Pontiff, Pope Francis said only a few words are necessary to understand God’s message.
“Sometimes it may seem as though God does not react to evil, as if he is silent. And yet, God has spoken, he has replied, and his answer is the Cross of Christ: a word which is love, mercy, forgiveness.”
The Cross was carried by families from India and another from Italy. There was an ill person on a wheelchair and also people from countries were Christians are often persecuted.
A group of Catholics from Lebanon helped organize the reflections and meditations that were read during the ceremony. They made reference to the daily challenges Christians face in some regions, especially in the Middle East, for practicing their faith.
The Central Bank of Cyprus has decided to ease some of the restrictions imposed as the country’s banks reopened, following the bailout deal.
Debit and credit cards can be used normally for domestic payments.
Cyprus’ central bank said it would review the curbs on a daily basis and try to “refine or relax” them when possible.
A 5,000-euro monthly limit per person remains in place for card purchases abroad, to stop the flight of capital from the country.
The Central Bank of Cyprus has decided to ease some of the restrictions imposed as the country’s banks reopened
The central bank said in a statement on Friday: “Each day, we will measure and look to refine or relax these controls with the overriding goal of safeguarding and stabilizing the Cypriot financial system.”
The move appears to be an attempt to make life as easy as possible for the domestic economy, while preventing the outflow of funds from the island, correspondents say.
Cyprus needs to raise 5.8 billion euros ($7.4 billion) to qualify for the bailout, and has become the first eurozone member country to bring in capital controls to prevent a torrent of money leaving the island and credit institutions collapsing.
As well as a daily withdrawal limit of 300 euros, Cypriots may not cash cheques and those leaving the country will only be allowed to take 1,000 euros with them.
Depositors with more than 100,000 euros will see some of their savings exchanged for bank shares.
Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides said on Thursday that such controls could gradually be lifted over the course of the month. But many economists predict the controls could be in place for much longer.
Earlier on Friday, President Nicos Anastasiade said Cyprus had “averted the risk of bankruptcy” following the 10bn-euro bailout deal with the EU and IMF.
“The situation, despite the tragedy of it all, is contained,” the president said.
He accused other members of the eurozone of making “unprecedented demands that forced Cyprus to become an experiment”.
Also on Friday, Greek media published a list of Cypriot politicians who allegedly had loans written off by banks at the heart of the island’s financial crisis.
The Bank of Cyprus, Laiki and Hellenic Bank apparently forgave loans of millions of euros to companies, local authorities, and politicians from some of the island’s biggest parties.
The list has been handed to the ethics committee of the Cypriot parliament and an investigation is said to be under way.
Banks opened on Thursday for the first time in nearly two weeks amid severe new rules imposed as part of the bailout deal.
Queues formed of people trying to access their money, but the mood was generally calm.
By Friday, banks had returned to their normal working hours and there were no longer reports of big queues.
Pope Francis was pictured lying on the floor during Good Friday service in Saint Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.
Presiding over his first Easter week as pope, Pope Francis lay prostrate, praying to God before the famous church’s alter atop a rug with his arms resting on a pillow.
The position of worship was adopted as he led the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion in Saint Peter’s Basilica.
Pope Francis will later lead a candlelit procession around the Colosseum as part of the Way of the Cross ceremony.
The symbolic walk around one of Rome’s most well-known landmarks, commemorates Jesus’s final walk through the streets of Jerusalem while carrying the cross.
After being elected as pontiff following a secret conclave in the Vatican City earlier this month, Pope Francis has garnered attention for his humility and willingness to break from tradition.
Yesterday, on Maundy Thursday, the Pope visited a prison to wash and kiss the feet of convicted criminals.
The pontiff held a major Easter Week service at Casal del Marmo young offenders’ prison in Rome – the first Holy Thursday service outside St Peter’s Basilica or the Basilica of Saint John Lateran.
Speaking to 50 inmates, he said: ‘I’m happy to be with you. Don’t give up hope.’
The foot washing on Maundy Thursday echoes a New Testament passage in which Jesus honors his 12 disciples before his Crucifixion.
Pope Francis has carried out similar ceremonies in Argentinean jails.
In a first for a Pope, he also attended to the feet of two woman prisoners. Several of the 12 were also Muslim.
Pope Francis already has officials on the back foot with his lack of regard for protocol.
He has insisted he will not live in the lavish Papal apartment, a 12-room property on the top floor of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace.
On seeing the apartment, Pope Francis said: “But there is room for 300 people in here.”
Instead, Pope Francis has chosen a modest two-bedroom hotel-style residence at the Domus Santa Marta building.
The newly-elected Pope has also signaled that he wants to lead the church in a direction that priorizes care for the most disadvantaged in society.
At a mass in St Peter’s Basilica on Maundy Thursday, Pope Francis told priests: “We need to go out… to the outskirts where there is suffering, bloodshed, blindness that longs for sight, and prisoners in thrall to many evil masters.”
Those who do not, the Pope said, “become merely dealers in antiques and collectibles, instead of pastors, ending up dissatisfied and sad”.
His first papal Holy Week will culminate with an Easter Sunday “Urbi et Orbi” – an address to the City of Rome and the world.
Thousands of Catholics are expected to flock to St. Peter’s Square for the first Jesuit and South American pope’s address.
Troubled actress Lindsay Lohan was seen sporting a brightly colored bracelet, allegedly taken from the set of Anger Management, as she jetted from LA to Sao Paulo on Wednesday.
Today it has emerged that Lindsay Lohan apparently “stole” more items from the set of Charlie Sheen’s hit show.
According to TMZ, Lindsay Lohan, 26, took the bracelet, a necklace, earrings, trousers and shoes from show’s wardrobe department and went clubbing wearing the items.
It is alleged that she never returned the articles.
Lindsay Lohan allegedly took a bracelet, a necklace, earrings, trousers and shoes from Anger Management set
According to E!, Lindsay Lohan’s brightly colored bracelet came straight from the set of Anger Management after producers said she could wear it out after filming.
Allegedly she kept the bracelet, along with other items, after the show finished filming on Wednesday and the star was spotted wearing it as she landed in Brazil.
According the website, Lindsay Lohan claimed that the producers would deduct the value of the jewellery and other pieces from her pay, but according to sources the deal was never made.
The wardrobe supervisor also reportedly asked Lindsay Lohan to write a check to pay for the goods, but the actress refused, saying that she was allowed to have the price of the goods taken out of her paycheck.
But according to TMZ, Lindsay Lohan took off with the clothing and jewels before any kind of deal was agreed on.
Lindsay Lohan told friends she took two bracelets, a necklace, sunglasses, a pair of shoes, gold earrings, a silk bathrobe, lingerie and tap shorts.
But she is adamant that the wardrobe supervisor gave her the green light to leave with the items.
According to TMZ, Lindsay Lohan told her pals she would not be returning the clothing and accessories because in her mind “she has already paid for them”.
It wouldn’t be the first time Lindsay Lohan has waltzed away with jewellery – the star swiped a $2500 necklace from Kamofie & Co in California.
And despite previous reports that Lindsay Lohan was on time to the Anger Management set and extremely polite to fellow cast and crew members, insiders say her good behavior didn’t last for long.
They claim that Lindsay Lohan was “the biggest prima donna ever”, rocking up two hours late for her second day of filming.
Upon her arrival, Lindsay Lohan also refused to come out of her trailer for a further two hours.
The actress then later hit the nightclubs that evening and her bizarre behavior continued when she said that she would not be returning to the set the following day.
When Lindsay Lohan finally left the set Wednesday on completion of her filming, the crew allegedly broke out in a round of applause, pleased that she was off set.
Keith Urban went straight to LAX following his stint on American Idol on Thursday night.
Keith Urban, 45, who is married to Nicole Kidman, was accompanied by his daughters, 4-year-old Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret,2.
Keith Urban is a judge on American Idol and last night showed the hopefuls how things were done as he took to the stage for a performance of his own.
Both Faith and Sunday were clutching on to cosy cuddle blankets, no doubt ready to put to use for their long haul flight to London.
Last weekend Nicole Kidman revealed that she encourages her children to daydream.
Nicole Kidman, 45, has always enjoyed indulging her imagination and in the busy world we now live in, Nicole thinks it’s important for her children – to have time to just relax and have “creative time”.
New Zealand country singer Keith Urban is a judge on American Idol and last night showed the hopefuls how things were done as he took to the stage for a performance of his own.
Honey Boo Boo was determined to track down some chocolate at an Easter egg hunt on Friday in McIntyre, Georgia as she came prepared with a flashlight and an empty basket.
Honey Boo Boo, 8, patiently waited for the hunt to start, looking more subdued than usual as she chose to keep to herself rather than interact with those around her.
The hunt appeared to be another Girl Scout event, as Honey Boo Boo and other attendees wore neon green T-shirts printed with the group’s logo.
Honey Boo Boo had on black sequined UGG-style boots and tied her blonde hair into a cute ponytail using orange ribbon.
As always, Honey Boo Boo was supported by her family members, including her Mama June and sister Lauryn Shannon.
Kourtney Kardashian is considering being surrogate for her younger sister Khloe, who has made no secret of her heartbreaking struggle to fall pregnant.
Khloe Kardashian, 28, has tried conceiving naturally and also with fertility treatments since marrying Lamar Odom in 2009.
Kourtney Kardashian, 33, has two children Mason and Penelope with her partner Scott Disick while sister Kim, 32, is pregnant with her first child with Kanye West.
Kourtney Kardashian is considering being surrogate for her younger sister Khloe, who has made no secret of her heartbreaking struggle to fall pregnant
In a preview for the upcoming episode of Kourtney and Kim Take Miami, Kourtney Kardashian raises the possibility of “being a surrogate for Khloe”, in a conversation with Scott Disick.
In another preview clip, Khloe Kardashian is seen talking to her stepbrother Brandon Jenner and his wife, Leah Felder, about her infertility.
Khloe said: “About a year ago, we were like, <<Let’s just see what happens>>. And then when it didn’t happen, Kim was like, <<Let’s go to the doctor>>.
“I found out I don’t ovulate, and now my uterus lining isn’t thick enough and I have to take pills to make my uterus lining thicker. If that doesn’t get thicker, then I cannot carry a baby.”
Kourtney Kardashian, who was present but silent during the exchange, later said: “I overhear Khloe talking about her pregnancy drama, and she never really talks to me about it anymore.
“I kind of don’t really ask her, because I don’t want to always bother her. It just makes me sad that she has to struggle with getting pregnant.”
Kourtney and Kim Take Miami airs on E! Sunday, March 31st.
A new chart shows the average body mass index (BMI) values for adults around the globe revealing the countries which contain the heaviest and lightest citizens.
With its wealthy society and love of fast food outlets, many would place the United States at the top of the list.
However, the US is piped to first place in the BMI chart by Kuwait.
The Arab state has an average BMI of 27.5 for men and 31.4 for women.
Kuwait beats the US in second place which averages 26.5 for men and 29 for women.
Adults who have an average body weight of between 18.5 and 24.9 are generally considered to have the ideal body weight for their height.
Other countries which appear to be heavy include UK, Germany, Greece and Argentina.
Despite its reputation as a sport-crazy outdoor country, Australia features 11th on the list, which was compiled by Visual.ly.
It is unsurprising that some of the world’s poorest countries in Asia and Africa feature as the countries with the lowest BMI.
People from Bangladesh have the lowest BMI – with men at 20.5 and women at 19.8.
Other countries close to the bottom include some which have been riven by war and famine – including Ethiopia, Rwanda, Kenya and Eritrea.
Some countries also have wide discrepancies between men and women.
In Jamaica, the average BMI for a man is 24.8 while for women it is 29.8. Similar trends are also noticeable in Lesotho, Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti.
Amanda Bynes posted a series of self-portraits wearing unusual blue lipstick on Wednesday.
Amanda Bynes, 26, who claims she is working on a fashion line and perfume, pouted and posed in pictures taken on her iPhone, with her cheek piercings clearly on show.
The actress experimented with other make-up looks and posted the photographs on her Twitter page.
Amanda Bynes, who claims she is working on a fashion line and perfume, pouted and posed in pictures taken on her iPhone
Earlier Amanda Bynes posted a nonsensical message on the social networking site which read: “When I stop loving you…I’ll never love you again, but you won’t stop loving me now matter what I do. Story of my life.”
Amanda Bynes, who was recently forced to move out of her New York apartment, after being threatened with eviction, has raised concern with her strange behavior in recent months.
She has also had a series of legal troubles in the past few months and in December settled two hit-and-run cases after reaching a civil compromise with her victims, saving herself from a potential 12 months in jail.
Lindsay Lohan was snapped sitting on a dirty floor under a table at a nightclub later in Sao Paulo with her hand resting on her forehead.
Earlier on Thursday, Lindsay Lohan posed at the opening of a clothing store in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The nightclub picture was tweeted by a Brazilian who had attended the party, and according to the caption, Lindsay Lohan had climbed under the table to avoid taking pictures with fans.
“Bafão! In party in Sao Paulo, Lindsay Lohan refuses to take pictures and hides under the DJ table.”
Lindsay Lohan, who will enter a 90-day rehab in May, can be seen half reclining under the table, her skirt hiked up and her bare legs stretched out in front of her.
The trouble actress is leaning her head against the side of the table as she puts her head in her hand, flashing a smile for the camera.
A half drunk drink sits next to her on the floor, which is covered with dirt and cigarette ash.
A man can be seen crouching down to either look or talk to the star as he holds a cigarette in one hand.
Lindsay Lohan is in Sao Paulo to attend the opening of John John Denim’s flagship store.
The star was rumored to have been paid a six figure sum to open the new retail location.
Former prime minister and centre-right leader Silvio Berlusconi says he is against the idea of a new technocratic government for Italy like that led by Mario Monti.
Instead, Silvio Berlusconi said he was ready to back a coalition with centre-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani, to end the deadlock since the February election.
However, Pier Luigi Bersani, whose bloc won a narrow lead in the polls, has ruled out a coalition with the right.
If no government is formed, new elections may be called.
The stalemate is delaying reforms which could help revive Italy’s recession-hit, debt-laden economy, which is the third-biggest in the eurozone.
Italy’s political establishment was rocked by the electoral success of a protest movement, Five Star, which won a quarter of the vote on a platform attacking the parties of both right and left.
Mario Monti’s technocratic government, formed in November 2011, remains in office until a new elected government is formed. He has said he “can’t wait” to leave office.
Speaking after talks with President Giorgio Napolitano, Silvio Berlusconi said he believed there was scope for agreement on action to address the economic crisis.
Silvio Berlusconi said he would back a coalition made up of the left, right and centre.
Any new government must be made up of political parties, “given the tragic experience” of the Monti government, the People of Freedom party leader said.
Silvio Berlusconi’s ally Roberto Maroni, leader of the right-wing Northern League, also rejected another technocratic government, saying it would be better to hold another election.
Recent opinion polls suggest Silvio Berlusconi and Roberto Maroni have, between them, a narrow lead over the centre-left.
Pier Luigi Bersani has already tried and failed to form a new government, whether as a coalition or as a minority government.
“Only a mentally ill person could have a burning desire to govern right now,” he said on Wednesday at a meeting with Five Star politicians.
Five Star, led by former comedian Beppe Grillo, has made clear it will not back any government led by either the centre-left or centre-right.
Beppe Grillo posted an entry on his blog this week in which he called mainstream politicians including Silvio Berlusconi and Pier Luigi Bersani “old whoremongers”.
Abba The Museum, the first permanent exhibition to celebrate Sweden’s most successful band, will open to the public in May.
The museum site is located 25 miles from Arlanda airport on the island of Djurgarden in eastern Stockholm.
Each fan will be able to view Abba performance online and upload it to social networking sites to share with friends and family.
They will also have the chance to virtually try on Abba’s trademark sparkly dresses and flared trousers with the help of green screen technology.
Abba The Museum, the first permanent exhibition to celebrate Sweden’s most successful band, will open to the public in May
Abba has sold almost 400 million albums around the world and a film featuring their hits, Mamma Mia!, is the most successful musical movie of all time.
Almost 50 million people have seen the stage version of the production.
Stockholm has long considered building a museum to celebrate Abba, its most popular music export, but the band was initially hesitant about the idea, with Bjorn Ulvaeus saying he did not want to become “a museum artefact before I’m dead”.
Previous plans for a permanent exhibition in a disused customs warehouse in Stockholm harbor collapsed in 2008.
The new museum has Abba’s full support, with Bjorn Ulvaeus offering daily direction to some of the 50 staff involved with the final preparations. He is busy promoting the project in Germany, where Abba has a loyal fan base.
The museum’s curator, Ingmarie Halling, is the band’s former stylist and says her work remains an emotional experience.
“It is a scary feeling because it feels like I am doing a giant loop. In the 80s and 90s I had my children and worked in the film industry. So it is a bit strange to be back working with Abba, but at the same it is really fun to do this job and tell this story.”
Ingmarie Halling says she did not just want to “put labels on glass cabinets” and instead has combined her favorite Abba memorabilia to create sets where visitors can follow in the band’s footsteps.
These include Abba’s song-writing cottage on the island of Viggso, where the group were inspired to write many of their hits, surrounded by seagulls and boats.
“Bjorn told me that when he heard Benny playing the piano in the morning, he knew that they would be composing that day!” Ingmarie Halling said.
The hut is her favourite section of the museum, both because she has fond memories of midsummer parties with the band there and as a lifelong fan of Sweden’s archipelagos.
Her other sets include the legendary Polar Music Studio, where Abba recorded some of their biggest hits, and Edmonton Ice Hockey Arena, where they performed in 1979 as part of their final world tour.
“Visitors will come into the dressing room there and Abba have just left, so there are empty champagne glasses and you can hear that they are on stage,” Ingmarie Halling explained.
Some of the exhibits were included in the Abbaworld show that toured Australia and parts of Europe between 2009 and 2011.
The band members have also donated clothes and memorabilia from their private collections.
Ring Ring, the group’s first major hit in 1973, will be celebrated with the red telephone Agnetha Faltskog posed with in publicity shots. It has been connected to an outside line and only four people in the entire world know the phone number.
A sister exhibition, The Swedish Music Hall of Fame, is also being built on the same site.
There, visitors will be able to learn about the country’s more recent global success stories including Roxette, Europe and Swedish House Mafia.
Abba museum is hoping to attract several hundred-thousand visitors in its first year, half of them foreigners.
Eva Camel from Visit Stockholm, the city’s tourist board, believes the museum will become its most popular tourist destination.
By 2020 she hopes there will be 15 million commercial overnight stays a year in Stockholm – compared with around 11 million in 2012 – with the Abba museum “a very important piece in the plan to help reach that goal”.
The Polar Music Studio was turned into a gym in 2006.
The Hotel Rival, which is owned by Benny Andersson from Abba, is said to attract some so-called “Abba tourists”, although on our visit its red-cushioned chairs appear to be full of Swedes holding business meetings.
Abba have not performed together in public since 1986, and last appeared as a group in 2008 to attend the Swedish premiere of the Mamma Mia! film.
Organizers say they are unsure whether the band will reunite again to attend the museum’s official opening in May.
Agnetha Faltskog is busy promoting her first album in nine years around Europe, and Frida Lyngstad now lives in Mallorca.
Abba:
Formed in 1972 and broke up in 1982
Won the Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton in 1974 with Waterloo
378 million global album sales
Gold: Greatest Hits is the third biggest selling album of all time in the UK
Almost 50 million people have seen the stage version of Mamma Mia!
The movie, Mamma Mia!, is the highest grossing musical film worldwide
Richard Griffiths, who starred in the Harry Potter films and Withnail and I, has died at the age of 65 after complications following heart surgery.
Richard Griffiths enjoyed a long career of success on film and on TV, but also on the stage where he was a Tony-winning character actor.
TV roles included a cookery-loving detective in Pie in the Sky.
Richard Griffiths was best known for playing Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter films and Uncle Monty in Withnail and I.
On stage, Richard Griffiths’ most acclaimed performance was as the charismatic teacher Hector in Alan Bennett’s The History Boys.
After achieving a rare double of winning a Tony Award in New York and an Olivier Award in London, he recreated the role in a 2006 film version.
But it was his role as the predatory Uncle Monty in Withnail And I – which has become of one of the biggest cult classics in British cinema history – that made him a fan favorite.
Richard Griffiths was born in Thornaby-on-Tees, North Yorkshire, UK, and left school at 15 but later returned to education to study drama, before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company.
The actor married Heather Gibson in 1980 after they met during a production of Lady Windermere’s Fan in 1973.
Richard Griffiths’ TV career saw him land bit parts in series such as Minder, The Sweeney and Bergerac, while he also played small parts in major movies such as Chariots of Fire, Superman II and Gandhi.
Well respected by his peers, Richard Griffiths was appointed an OBE in the 2008 New Year Honours for his services to drama.
In 2012 Richard Griffiths appeared alongside Danny Devito in Neil Simon’s The Sunshine Boys at London’s Savoy Theatre.
One of his most recent roles was in the drama Private Peaceful where he played The Colonel alongside Frances de la Tour and Maxine Peake.
