PHOTOS: Brave Afghan soldier defused suicide vest while hog-tied terrorist was STILL WEARING IT

Covered from head to foot in padded protective gear, but with his extremities still dangerously exposed, this Afghan bomb disposal expert took his life in his hands to defuse this suicide bomber's explosive vest. Security forces captured the would-be martyr before he blew himself up in Jalalabad earlier today, hog-tying the man to stop him detonating the device. But before the suspected terrorist could be taken in for interrogation, the bomb squad had to be called in for the risky job of disarming the bomb strapped across his chest.

 

Dangerous work: A member of the Afghan bomb disposal unit approaches a suicide attacker to defuse his explosive vest after he was captured before detonating it in Jalalabad province earlier today

The would-be martyr lies on the ground after his vest was defused: Before the suspected terrorist could be taken in for interrogation, the experts had to be called in for the risky job of disarming the bomb

#huffingtonpost

Police Shoots Naked Man Wielding Knife At Landmark Fountain In Berlin

BERLIN — Police fatally shot a naked man who brandished a knife at officers in a landmark Berlin fountain on Friday, officials said.

Passers-by reported in the morning that a man was behaving strangely and carrying a long knife in the Neptune fountain, near Berlin's city hall, police spokesman Stefan Redlich said.

CLICK BELOW TO WATCH VIDEO:

Officers tried to persuade the man to put the knife away, but instead he started cutting himself. A policeman climbed into the water to try to stop him, whereupon the man advanced on the officer with the knife.

The man was shot by that officer after he ignored calls to back off. He died in an ambulance shortly afterward.

An autopsy determined that the man died as a result of being shot through the lung, Martin Steltner, a spokesman for local prosecutors, told the dpa news agency.

Police said the man was believed to be a 31-year-old Berlin resident, but didn't release his identity.





#huffingtonpost

7 Surprising Health Benefits of Drinking Coffee

Are you a coffee lover? Do you wake up in the morning craving the smell of coffee? You have probably heard many negative things said about coffee and made up your mind to quit taking it.  But do you know there are other benefits of taking coffee that you didn’t know about? Here are 7 benefits of drinking coffee:

It helps in the prevention of diseases

A study done by researchers from Harvard showed that taking 1 to 3 cups of coffee each day can be a health benefit; it reduces the risk of diabetes significantly. Additionally taking 6 or more cups each day will even reduce the risk further. This study revealed that the formation of the Parkinson’s disease can be decreased by up to 80% and the risk of cancer of the colon can be reduced by 25%. The study also revealed that women who take 4 or more cups can decrease chances of getting breast cancer by up to 40%.

 

It gives you a better performing work out

Before any exercises at home or at the gym, you can drink a cup of coffee. This coffee will release endorphins in the body in a few minutes. The releases of these endorphins enable your body to be in a better mood and give you the urge to work out. They will increase the performance and help you work out longer and harder altogether. For better performances in you exercises, a cup of coffee will definitely take you there.

 

It gives you better Health

A cup of coffee has more than one thousand anti oxidants. These antioxidants are important for your health in many ways. They can lower the inflammation that is caused by arthritis and get rid of toxins which cause specific types of cancers. They also neutralize free radicals which can lead to the gaining of weight. More anti oxidants in the body make the body feel and look better both in the inside and out.

 

It gives you a longer life span

A study carried out by the National Cancer Institute revealed that people who take coffee often are more likely to have longer lives than those who do not. As much as the reasoning behind this theory is not clear, many scientists claim it’s because f the antioxidants found naturally in coffee.

Secondly, coffee can lower unhealthy snacking and improve exercises for its drinkers. Drinking coffee could replace smoking of cigarettes too. These things contribute to a longer life span.

 

It can make you smarter

Coffee does not only keep you awake, it can make you smart too. Caffeine, which is the main ingredient in coffee, is a stimulant. It is the most consumed psychoactive component in today’s world. Caffeine blocks the effects of the inhibitory neurotransmitter which is called adenosine. This blockage increases neuronal firing inside the brain and causes the release of other types of neurotransmitters. This leads to a net stimulant effect and improves the brain and mood.

Consumption of coffee on regular basis can also help you get over mental problems and better cognitive abilities. Studies show that coffee improves the thinking ability and gives better problem solving skills.

 

It is good for the liver

Studies show that the caffeine present in coffee aids the liver to regulate itself. Regular consumption of coffee can reduce the risk of getting liver cirrhosis, liver cancer or even liver failure. It also reduces the risk of alcoholic cirrhosis. These benefits do not extend to the other caffeinated drinks and tea.

 

It reduces the risk of gout

Gout is a very painful; condition that can occur to anyone at any age. It affects the joints and results to immobility for a long period of time. Consumption of coffee can reduce the pain felt and soothe this condition. Studies show that women who take coffee regularly decrease the risk of developing gout. This is because of the anti oxidants in the coffee which reduce the insulin in the body reduction of insulin bring down high uric acid levels which are the cause of gout.

 

 

 

#fitnea

5 Healthy Foods That Are Still Making You Fat

Here are a list of the food culprits…and exactly how people are eating them the wrong way. It’s important to note that all of the foods on the list are essential for a healthy body, and should most certainly NOT be avoided, just eaten the right way:


 
1. Protein. Steak houses and other restaurants typically serve meats that are easily three times the size of a healthy portion. Instead, make sure that your healthy protein, including lean beef, chicken or fish, only takes up one quarter of your dinner plate…about the size of your palm.



2. Salad Dressing. In general, your dressing serving should be no more than two tablespoons. An even better idea is to opt for a tablespoon of olive oil and vinegar.



3. Red Wine. A 5-ounce glass of wine contains an average of 125 calories. Don’t think that just because it’s a beverage, those calories don’t count.  Be aware of how much you’re drinking, and consider drinking sparkling water with lemon or lime between glasses of wine to make you feel more satiated.



4. Oil. Oils, particularly olive oil, can be healthy for your heart, but using too much will equal excess calories and weight gain. Always measure oil so that you’re always aware of just how much you’re using.



5. Low-Fat…Anything. People typically see words like “low-fat” and “fat-free” and assume that the food is much lower in calories…and then proceed to eat much more than just one serving, often consuming as many calories as, or even more than, the regular version. Remember: one serving is one serving, no matter what. Or, you may save calories by just sticking to the regular version and eating one portion of that.




#blackdoctor.org

Chinese Couple Fall To Death While Having Sex Against A Window

A Chinese couple have fallen to their deaths after a window they were leaning against shattered. The man and woman were believed to have been having sex at the time. Witnesses say the two had their hands wrapped tightly around each other as they fell to the pavement below.

The incident happened in Wuhan, a city in central China. However, it is unclear which floor the couple fell from. Local news reports have blamed the poor quality of windows and the glass used. A photo of the accident scene shows the couple on the ground, with their bodies covered by white sheets.

A report in the New York Daily News suggests the couple perhaps moved closer to the window to keep cool; temperatures in Wuhan are in excess of 30C.

It should be noted that although local news sites' reports and the accompanying photograph have gone viral, there has been no confirmation of the fatalities from local authorities.

Sex in Weird Places Can be Dangerous!

Nollywood actress,Tonto Dikeh risks a minimum of 15 years in jail for encouraging the consumption of hemp - NDLEA

 

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on Friday said controversial Nigerian actress, Tonto Dikeh, risks a minimum of 15 years in jail for encouraging the consumption of hemp.

Dikeh had on Friday posted photographs of a wrap of hemp and grains of the weed formed into the letters, ‘Happy birthday POKO.’

She also posted a photograph of herself and added the inscription, ‘Mi smoke ganja mi smoke weed while my hatez smoke ma gossip.’

Her picture is a close-up of her face that seemed to depict her in a high state.

When Saturday PUNCH contacted NDLEA for comments, its spokesman, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, said the matter would be investigated.

He said the matter had been referred to the appropriate department of the agency.

Ofoyeju said, “Our attention has been drawn to the post quite frankly and I can tell you that action will be taken on it. The law is clear and NDLEA has been very clear on the issue. No one is permitted to sell, use, cultivate or encourage the use of Indian hemp in Nigeria. The weed is one of the banned narcotics in the country.

“NDLEA Act Section 14 (b) states that any person who conspires with, aids, abets, counsels, attempts to commit or is an accessory to any act or offence referred to in this act shall be guilty of an offence under this act and liable on conviction to be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not less than 15 years and not exceeding 25 years.

“Investigation has not started as of now but definitely, a step has to be taken on the matter. Ignorance of the law is not an excuse; so, it is obvious that the actress stands the risk of 15 years jail term. The appropriate department is meeting on the issue for necessary action.”

The NDLEA spokesman, however, declined to give any hint on particular steps the agency would take in its investigation, citing reasons bearing on ethics.

Dikeh’s post has expectedly drawn mixed reactions from readers, with many of them voicing concern for the way she is living her life.

#punch

OAU Student who was allegedly caught trying to flush baby in the toilet narrates how it actually happened

News was all over the campus and the internet about a 22-year-old undergraduate who allegedly tried to flush away her baby in one of the toilets in Moremi Hall, her hall of residence at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State.

The traumatised young mother, Miss Oyinlola Rotimi, a 400-Level student of Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology at OAU, was hurriedly taken to the institution’s Health Centre by two cleaners, Mrs. Shipebi Grace and Mrs. Cecilia Ologbenla and  was delivered of a baby boy on Wednesday. The social media was further flooded with stories that Oyinlola wanted to kill her baby. The OAU management investigated the matter and found out it was not true. Rotimi,  who was discharged from the hospital on Friday,  has also narrated her own side of the story.

 In spite of the trauma she had passed through since last Wednesday, the student, a native of Ijabe,  a border town between Osun and Kwara states, says she is happy that the embarrassment she received from the controversy that surrounded the birth of her baby has turned into a blessing for her.

She says the baby’s birth has made her more popular and important in the society.

 

‘God has the best plan for me’

“Why would I flush or kill my baby after going through the pains of carrying him for about good nine months? I am not heartless and I thank God for my life and the safe delivery. I know God has the best plan for me and my baby. I seriously appreciate the cleaners for their assistance because I got here (health centre) before I understood everything that happened to me. I am happy that I am alive and my baby is alive too. I’m also using this opportunity to thank the VC, the doctors and nurses, my lecturers and everybody because they all stood by me. They all became my father, my mother and everything to me.

“Right now, I can call myself a celebrity and definitely I’m going to be greater than a celebrity. My baby too is going to be great. Look at the circumstance that surrounds his birth, just some days old, he is already all over in the news around the world and everybody is happy to see him or hear about his story.  He will surely go beyond where I am now. He has turned me into a kind of celebrity. ”

 

Circumstances surrounding the baby’s birth

“I was purging all through the night and I had no idea of what labour pain was all about. Actually, I was feeling pressed, I can’t call it a labour pain because I was visiting the toilet all through the night till that morning. I just went to the toilet to go and purge when I noticed something just came out of me which I found out was the baby. The baby entered  the closet. I was just there shouting, bleeding and people who saw the blood came out to help me  alongside the baby.

“I was really scared! I was not expecting a baby. I went to the toilet but seeing a baby was terrifying because I was not expecting him or her to come out yet. It is absolutely not true that I took to my heels when people came to help me. It happened in Moremi Hall toilet and the toilet is a public one where everybody takes their bath, fetch water and clean up. So, some people were around fetching water, having their bath as usual, while I was in the toilet planning to defecate. My friend called the cleaner for help because she was an elderly woman. I was very scared and people around too couldn’t help because we are all young female students. The cleaner later helped to carry the baby out and brought it to the Health Centre along with me.”

 

Her plan for the baby

“I will continue to keep him more handsome, healthier and nurture him to attain greater height in life. But what he will become later in life is not for me to decide but he will definitely become what God wants him to become. I will just try to train him in God’s way and I am sure His (God) plan for his life will be realised.”

 

The bean cake she ate deceived her – CSO

According to the institution’s Chief Security Officer, Mr. Paul Ogidi, Rotimi thought she had stomach upset instead of labour pains because of the bean cake she took before going to bed.

“She got to campus late at night on Tuesday and  it was learnt that she could not immediately get herself something to eat but later resolved to buy beans cake within the campus. After eating the snack, she complained severely of running stomach, urinated and defecated at regular intervals.

“She felt her stomach disorder was caused by the bean cake that she took the previous night – not knowing it was labour pains.”

 

Varsity law does not forbid pregnancy - OAU

Authorities of OAU have blamed the improper use of the social media for the allegation that Oyinlola attempted to flush her baby away.

The Head of Public Relations, Mr. Biodun Olarenwaju, who spoke on behalf of the management, described the incident as a “social media rumour.”

He said, “Social media is designed primarily to disseminate information. But in the Nigerian context, many people disseminate rumours. The only information that should be seen there should be those persons who have the authority to speak concerning that particular incident.

“The only truth in the social media episode is that a bouncing baby boy was delivered in the toilet of the female hostel in our university. Other tales on the social media were totally incorrect. Students should not encourage rumour mongering because of the image of the person involved. They have to be careful not to make rumour the news.”

He explained that it was legal for the student to have delivered the baby in the school, stating that universities are institutions for adults.

“It is not a crime for a student to be pregnant. There is no law or decree that states that a student should be punished, an adult for that matter,  for getting pregnant. And there is no law in this university that states that an undergraduate cannot become pregnant,” he added.

‘My friend didn’t plan to kill her baby’

Rotimi’s friend, Oluwayemisi Satope, who was in Room 103, Block B of Moremi Hall, together with the undergraduate mother, the night before the incident, said Oyinlola was willing to have the baby.

She explained that there was no attempt by them to kill the boy.

She added, “The truth of the matter is that we don’t know how to go about it when we saw the baby. It was our first time and we didn’t want to make a mistake. I had to call Mama Cleaner to assist us. Immediately it happened, I was the first person to shout for help and two cleaners appeared to assist.

“Diana (Rotimi) had to spend the night on campus to enable her to prepare for her 8:00 am examination the next day,  because she stays off-campus. That mid-night, she started complaining of stomach upset and was visiting toilet regularly. A  few minutes to 7:00am,  she went to the toilet to defecate but delivered a baby.”

 

Students name baby after VC

And as soon as the birth and survival of the baby became known on campus, students in their characteristic manner, launched into an unsolicited naming feast for the baby. Before the official naming ceremony scheduled to hold on Wednesday (tomorrow), OAU students have named him after the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bamitale Omole.

At the Anglo-Moz Car Park of the university,  they gathered and named the baby Moremigbemi (Moremi-blesses-me), Oriyomi (My-head-saves-me), Oluwadayisi (God-protects-this), Eniolorunopa (He-who-God-does-not-kill), Bamitale (Be-with-me-permanently) Omole.

Others at the Moremi Hall named the baby Orisamoremi (Deity Moremi), Moremidayisi (Moremi-protects-this), Omomoremi (Child-of-Moremi), Olorunwa (God-exists), Oniyapupo (One-with-many-mothers) Moremioku (Moremi-is-alive), Iyabo (Mother-Moremi-is-Back), among others.

Moremi is a mythical legend of the Yoruba race.

 

We forced the door open to rescue Oyinlola, baby – Cleaners

Also, the two cleaners, Mrs. Shipebi Grace and Mrs. Cecilia Ologbenla,  in a chat with our correspondents,  said there was no evidence to prove that Oyinlola wanted to kill her baby.

The cleaners noted that they had to force the door open when they were called to ensure the safety of Oyinlola and her baby who was crying.

According to them, the baby was in the water closet when they entered the toilet.

“She would not have wanted to attempt to kill the baby the way we saw her. She only panicked when we forced the door in. We had to force the door in because of the cry of the baby. In fact, it was one of them that came to call us, but you know some students are impatient. They didn’t confirm what happened before they started spreading rumour.”

 

Undergraduate father keeps silent

Meanwhile, efforts made by our correspondents to speak with the baby’s father proved abortive. He is a 400 Level student of Mechanical Engineering, and is sitting for the second semester examination currently on at the institution.

One of his friends who spoke on the condition of anonymity explained that the young father is very sober about the development. The friend alleged that the young man and Rotimi had been friends for some time. Along the line,  Oyinlola got pregnant and they decided not to abort it in order not to compound their ‘sin’.

Omotola Jalade Ekeinde Makes Her US TV Debut Today In ‘Hit The Floor’

  


Glamorous Nollywood A-list actress and Time Icon, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde will be featured VH1′s Hit the floor show alongside International music superstar, Akon.
The programme ‘Hit the floor’ is a U.S drama TV series which spins around Aisha and her follows around her travails in becoming an NBA cheerleader unaware of the treacherous and tempting world that follows.

The show will be on VH1, today by 9pm

Tweets

Omotola. j .Ekeinde @Realomosexy

Yes it's Tonight! @hitthefloor my US Tv Debut 24/06/13 9pm! #despisenotthedaysoflittlebeginnings love to @ikimberlyelise watch @akon @vh1

about 7 hours ago

  

Kim Kardashian & Kanye West: Why They Named Their Baby North West and not Kaidence Donda as we thought

 

Kim and Kanye shocked the world when they revealed they named their baby girl North West, but an insider tells HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY why the couple chose this particular unique name.

Kanye West brought his clever way with words to his own baby girl’s name, and chose the moniker North West. So why did he and girlfriend Kim Kardashian decide on such an unconventional name, and not a “K” name, or the name Donda in honor of his mom, Donda West?

North West — Why Kim & Kanye Chose The Moniker
Kanye is known for his witty rhymes and love of art, so it’s no surprise he wanted to bring his creativity to his own baby’s name. A source close to the rapper tells HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY:

It’s what Kanye wanted to name his child, no matter if it was a boy or a girl. Kim thought it was an interesting name too, and they went with it. They didn’t want their child to have a name everybody else already has; they wanted something creative and fun, and North it is!

The Black Skinhead rapper also has a reputation of being egocentric, so did he name his baby girl North to imply the North Star? Because her parents are such superstars? Not exactly. The insider says:

Kanye doesn’t think he’s a star, but he thinks his little girl is — and her name, North, points in that direction.”

The source also adds that Kanye will explain the meaning behind the name in his own time.
Kim Kardashian & Kanye West’s Birth Certificate Revealed

Kim and Kanye’s baby name was officially revealed when their baby’s birth certificate was released on June 21. The document says that the baby girl’s name is North West, with no middle name. Baby North’s birth certificate confirms that she was born at 5:34 A.M. on June 15, and was signed just by mom Kim.

At least she will go by the nickname Nori, which doesn’t have such an odd connotation.

What do you think of the name?

Abandoning babies becoming a worldwide trend....Newborn dumped in a drain in Alicante

A 26-year-old mother has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after her newborn baby was found abandoned in a drain under a block of flats in Alicante.
The two-day-old boy was found wrapped in plastic bags with his umbilical cord still intact. He had been left for up to 40 hours in a manhole where the building’s drains converged.
The baby was found alive by a neighbour who alerted firefighters to what he thought was a meowing cat trapped inside the drains at around 2am on Sunday, according to the Interior Ministry.
The baby, who weighed 4.6lbs, suffered a broken arm and some other injuries and is said to be in a serious but not life-threatening condition in a hospital.

 According to police investigation, the young woman whom lived in the block of flats, had been admitted to Alicante’s General Hospital on June 21 where she told medical staff she had suffered a 'miscarriage'.
When police arrived at the hospital to question her, the mother told officers that she had tried to get rid of the baby but had not had enough money to pay for an abortion.
A police statement said the mother was under arrest and that an investigation was under way to try and discover whether she acted alone, or if a third party could have been involved.

Discovery: The baby was found in drains under this building in Alicante

South Yorkshire - 'Noisy white-robed religious sect' keeps residents awake with prayers and chanting at 5.30am in the woods

The Barnsley housing estate community of South Yorkshire has been left tired and stressed after being woken at 5.30am by a white robed religious sect praying and chanting in woodland behind their homes.



Loud: Residents on a Barnsley housing estate have complained about the early-morning noise made by a white robed religious sect Friday Apostles

The robed individuals are Learnard Radzokota and his Christian group the Friday Apostles, and they regularly go into the trees to pray and chant at 5.30am.

Now some residents of New Lodge estate have written to Yorkshire Housing, Mr Radzokota's landlord, to complain about the disturbance.

Mr Radzokota, 54, who lives on the estate, said most people wanted to understand more about the Friday Apostles when they were revealed as the mystery worshippers.

But, he added: 'However others just wrote letters to Yorkshire Housing saying because of the praying in the wood, and at our house, we need to be removed from our accommodation.'




Early risers: Friday Apostles worshipers led by Learnard Radzokota known as Father Isaiah, far left, pray in woodland behind a Barnsley estate

Mr Radzokota, known as Father Isaiah, said the group didn’t really have a choice but to pray outdoors, because they have no building to worship in.

'As we do no not have a permanent place to worship in Barnsley, we sometimes carry our our early morning prayers in the wilderness.

'In Africa, all out church members carry out their services in the open space, commonly called wilderness, because by praying in the wilderness we are close to nature and God,' he said.

Celia Casham, of Yorkshire Housing, said it firmly supports the right of people to worship the way they choose.

She said: 'However, it was brought to our attention that religious meetings hosted by Mr Radzokota, at his home, had been causing a level of noise which has affected his neighbours at various times of the day.

'We are keen to work with Mr Radzokota and his neighbours to find a compromise which suits both parties.

'We have been trying to help Mr Radzokota find a more suitable venue for his religious meetings such as a local community centre or church hall.'
 #dailymail#

Mother is found guilty of torturing her toddler son, who was discovered with 37 separate injuries, to death

Rebecca Shuttleworth, 25, subjected son Keanu Williams to horrific abuse and left him to die before calling emergency services 48 hours later, Birmingham Crown Court heard.
At the start of the trial, prosecutor Christopher Hotten QC told the jury Keanu's injuries, catalogued for the jury in harrowing detail in a set of body diagrams, were not an 'isolated event' but had been the culmination of a long period of abuse. Shuttleworth faces a mandatory life sentence after being convicted of murder and will be sentenced tomorrow.

Former Italian PM Berlusconi sentenced to 7 years in jail and banned from politics for life after being found guilty of paying underage teenager for sex

• Berlusconi found guilty of paying a teenager for sex at 'bunga bunga' parties
• He was sentenced to seven in prison and given lifetime ban from politics
• But he may never serve any jail time if he gets verdict overturned on appeal 
• Ex-premier recently found guilty of tax fraud which his lawyers are appealing

 

By Associated Press

Former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi was today sentenced to seven years in prison and banned from public office for life after being found guilty of paying a teenager for sex.

Berlusconi, 76, paid an underage Moroccan teenager for sex and then tried to cover it up with phone calls to police when she was arrested for alleged theft. Berlusconi and the woman had denied having had sex.

Prosecutors were seeking a six-year jail term for underage sex and abuse of power but a Milan court today handed him a longer sentence of seven years.

Berlusconi was also given a lifetime ban from politics after the former Prime Minister was found guilty today.

But the verdict can be appealed twice before the sentence becomes final, which could take months, or even years.

This means the former Premier will not have to spend any time in jail unless he loses his court appeals.

Berlusconi holds no official post in the current Italian government, but remains influential in the uneasy cross-party coalition that emerged after inconclusive February elections.

The charges against the billionaire media mogul stem from his infamous 'bunga bunga' parties in 2010 at his mansion near Milan, where he wined and dined beautiful young women while he was premier.

He says the dinner parties were elegant soirees; prosecutors say they were sex-fuelled parties that women were paid to attend.

Neither Berlusconi nor the woman at the centre of the case, Karima el-Mahroug, better known by her nickname Ruby the Heart Breaker, have given evidence.

Ms El-Mahroug was called by the defence but failed to show on a couple of occasions, delaying the trial. Berlusconi's team eventually dropped her from the witness list.



Questioned: Karima El Mahrough appeared in court in a previous trial in Milan. But Berlusconi's team eventually dropped her from the witness list after she failed to show on a couple of occasions in the current trial

She did appear in the separate trial of three Berlusconi aides charged with procuring prostitutes for the parties.

She told that court that Berlusconi's disco featured aspiring showgirls dressed as sexy nuns and nurses performing striptease acts, and that one woman even dressed up as president Barack Obama.

Berlusconi was not in court as the three female judges began deliberating his fate - or today when the final verdict was delivered.

Asked if Berlusconi was optimistic, defence lawyer Piero Longo previously said outside the court that he was a 'realist'.

Berlusconi frequently has railed against Milan prosecutors and judges, accusing them of mounting politically motivated cases against him.



Karima el-Mahroug took the witness stand in the trial of three former Berlusconi aides charged with recruiting her and other women for prostitution

Ms El-Mahroug, now 20, said in the earlier trial that she attended about a half-dozen parties at Berlusconi's villa, and that after each, Berlusconi handed her an envelope with up to 3,000 euros (£2,560).

She said she later received 30,000 euros cash from the then-premier paid through an intermediary - money that she told Berlusconi she wanted to use to open a beauty salon, despite having no formal training.

She was 17 at the time of the alleged encounters but passed herself off as being 24. She also claimed she was related to then-Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Berlusconi's lawyers argued that he - thinking she was Mubarak's niece - called police after she was detained in a bid to avoid a diplomatic incident.

Ms El-Mahroug denied that Berlusconi had ever given her 5 million euros.

She said she told acquaintances and even her father that she was going to receive such a large sum 'as a boast,' but that it was a lie to make her seem more important.

The verdict comes on the heels of Berlusconi's tax-fraud conviction, which along with a four-year prison sentence and five-year ban on public office, have been upheld on a first appeal.

The tax-fraud case is heading to Italy's highest court for a final appeal after Berlusconi's defence failed to derail it last week at the constitutional court.

Berlusconi, who has been tried numerous times relating to his business dealings, has been convicted in other cases at the trial level.

But those convictions have always either been overturned on appeal or the statute of limitations ran out before Italy's high court could have its say.

The sex-for-hire case is the first involving his personal conduct.



Hearing: From right are Judges Carmen D'Elia, Giulia Turri, and Orsolina De Cristofaro who today told a Milan court the verdict against Silvio Berlusconi


 

25 Of Summer’s Sexiest Sandals

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