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Man held after three killed in UK's Nottingham
Man held after three killed in UK's Nottingham
Police arrested a man Tuesday after three people were found dead and a van tried to mow down three others in the central English city of Nottingham...
2023-06-13 18:50
What happened in Silvio Berlusconi’s notorious ‘Bunga Bunga’ sex party scandal?
What happened in Silvio Berlusconi’s notorious ‘Bunga Bunga’ sex party scandal?
Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s three-time prime minister, has died in Milan, aged 86. A conservative media impresario, AC Milan owner and sometime cruise ship crooner, Berlusconi dominated Italian politics and public life for almost 20 years as the leader of the centre-right Forza Italia party and its People of Freedom successor organisation, leading four governments over the course of three spells as PM stretching from 1994 to 2011. An obvious forerunner to Donald Trump, Berlusconi was a populist as well known for his outrageous remarks (often about other world leaders like Angela Merkel and Barack Obama) and his womanising as he was for his political leadership, with scandal never far behind him wherever he went. His final years in office in particular were marred by allegations of corruption and sordid tales of so-called “bunga bunga” sex parties being staged at his lavish Villa San Martino in Arcore on the outskirts of Milan. The parties first came to light in October 2010 when Berlusconi personally telephoned a police station to request that one Karima El Mahroug, a 17-year-old nightclub dancer from Morocco also known as “Ruby the Heart Stealer”, be released from custody after she was accused of stealing a 3,000 euro bracelet. Berlusconi incorrectly informed the officers he spoke to that the girl was the niece of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in the hope of winning her freedom and preventing any further inquiry into her recent attendance at one of the decadent gatherings then occurring regularly at his home. Ms El Mahroug was duly released into the care of Berlusconi associate Nicole Minetti but, when prosecutors subsequently learned of his intervention on her behalf, an investigation was launched into their relationship given that she was underage. In an interview with prosecutor Antonio Sangermano soon after the police station episode, Ms El Mahroug claimed Berlusconi had sent a limousine to her home to bring her out to the villa for the first time on 14 February that year. “That evening Berlusconi explained to me that bunga bunga consisted of a harem that he copied from his friend [Libyan dictator Muammar] Gaddafi, in which the girls take their clothes off and have to provide physical pleasures,” she said, introducing the wider world to the phrase for the first time. Despite Berlusconi’s insistence that the events were not Roman orgies but simply “elegant dinners”, prosecutors eventually produced a list of 33 young women, primarily aspiring starlets hoping to exploit his influence and break into television via one of his channels, who said they had attended the gatherings and been paid for sex. Detailed accounts were also collected of the parties themselves, which typically consisted of green, white and red foods being served in honour of Italy’s tricolour flag, followed by a floorshow of costumed stripteases – with participants dressing up as nuns, nurses and policewomen or even public figures like Mr Obama or the Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho – after which Berlusconi would pick one of his guests to spend the night with, for which the woman in question would be amply rewarded with expensive gifts, from cash and jewellery to rent-free apartments. Berlusconi would finally be accused of abuse of office and paying for sex in with a minor over his relationship with Ms El Mahroug. The dancer insisted she had never slept with Berlusconi, telling a court: “It’s the first time in my life that a man has not tried to take me to bed. He behaved like a father, I swear.” He was initially found guilty in June 2013 and sentenced to seven years in jail but the verdict was overturned a year later by an appeals court, which ruled there was no proof he had known she was underage at the time of their encounter. Italy’s highest court confirmed his acquittal in 2015. But the disgraced PM was later returned to the dock in Rome, Siena and Milan after being accused of bribing witnesses to lie about the “bunga bunga” scandal, although he was subsequently cleared in each city, most recently in Milan in February 2023. Berlusconi celebrated that verdict earlier this year on Instagram, writing that it had ended years of “suffering, of mud and of incalculable political damage”. The parties would later be recreated in Italian director Paolo Sorrentino’s highly entertaining satire Loro (2018) in which Toni Servillo played the ageing Silvio Berlusconi. Read More Silvio Berlusconi: Former Italian PM plagued by tax fraud and ‘bunga bunga’ sex scandals dies aged 86 Silvio Berlusconi obituary: The bunga bunga party loving billionaire who was the king of comebacks Putin pays tribute to ‘dear friend’ Berlusconi Italian news presenter holds back tears as she announces Berlusconi’s death Farewell, Berlusconi – you showed Boris and Trump how it’s done Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement
2023-06-13 18:48
NATO to set up liaison office in Tokyo, beef up regional ties -Nikkei
NATO to set up liaison office in Tokyo, beef up regional ties -Nikkei
TOKYO/SYDNEY NATO will set up a liaison office in Tokyo in 2024 and use it as a hub
2023-06-13 18:23
'Breaking Bad' star Mike Batayeh's cause of death revealed after family said he died of a heart attack
'Breaking Bad' star Mike Batayeh's cause of death revealed after family said he died of a heart attack
Mike Batayeh is best known for portraying Markowski on the hit AMC show 'Breaking Bad'
2023-06-13 17:07
China Considers Developing Domestic High-Yield Bond Market
China Considers Developing Domestic High-Yield Bond Market
Chinese regulators are considering promoting the development of the domestic high-yield bond market to expand financing channels for
2023-06-13 17:04
'Please be nice': Hailey Bieber fumes as fans leave 'nasty' comments on Selena Gomez's social media post
'Please be nice': Hailey Bieber fumes as fans leave 'nasty' comments on Selena Gomez's social media post
'If you are participating in that, you are a part of a culture that I want no part of,' Hailey Bieber claimed
2023-06-13 17:04
UK Two-Year Yield Rises to Highest Since 2008 After Jobs Data
UK Two-Year Yield Rises to Highest Since 2008 After Jobs Data
UK government bonds tumbled and traders priced in a more aggressive path of interest-rate hikes by the Bank
2023-06-13 17:02
UK police say 3 found dead in Nottingham, 3 others hit by van in linked incidents; man arrested
UK police say 3 found dead in Nottingham, 3 others hit by van in linked incidents; man arrested
Police say three people have been found dead in the English city of Nottingham, and three others were hit by a van in linked incidents
2023-06-13 16:55
Watch live: Italians pay their respects ahead of former PM Silvio Berlusconi’s funeral
Watch live: Italians pay their respects ahead of former PM Silvio Berlusconi’s funeral
Watch live as Italian people pay their respects at the villa of former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi following his death at the age of 86. Italy's longest-serving premier, who led four governments across three spells as prime minister, died on Monday, 12 June. Local Italian media reported that Mr Berlusconi passed away after being admitted to hospital last Friday. A Downing Street spokesperson paid tribute to the former Italian leader, praising how Mr Berlusconi "made a huge impact on Italian politics over several decades. "Our thoughts are with the Italian people and his family," they added. Mr Berlusconi's last few years in office were tarnished by allegations of corruption and sex scandals. Tales of "bunga bunga" sex parties at his lavish villa outside Milan surrounded the former prime minister, and he was accused of having unlawful sex with a 17-year-old nightclub dancer known as “Ruby the Heartstealer” but was acquitted on appeal. Several women testified that the "bunga bunga" parties were “elegant dinners”. Read More What happened in Silvio Berlusconi’s notorious ‘Bunga Bunga’ sex party scandal? Why was Silvio Berlusconi a controversial figure? Putin pays tribute to ‘dear friend’ Berlusconi
2023-06-13 16:10
South Sudan’s sluggish peace deal and unsteady road to elections
South Sudan’s sluggish peace deal and unsteady road to elections
In 18 months South Sudan is supposed to head to the polls for presidential elections, the culmination of a peace agreement signed nearly five years ago to pull the nation out of fighting that killed some 400,000 people
2023-06-13 15:03
Officials work to identify remains recovered from the wreckage of the I-95 collapse in Philadelphia as demolition work begins
Officials work to identify remains recovered from the wreckage of the I-95 collapse in Philadelphia as demolition work begins
Authorities are working to identify a body recovered from the wreckage of the Interstate 95 collapse in Philadelphia, where crews have started around-the-clock efforts to demolish the crumbled East Coast artery that could take months to rebuild.
2023-06-13 13:05
One of China’s Top Hedge Funds Unwinds Bet on Property Rebound
One of China’s Top Hedge Funds Unwinds Bet on Property Rebound
A top-performing Chinese macro hedge fund has slashed its holdings in property stocks, as their declines hurt returns
2023-06-13 09:30
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