
When will 'MasterChef' Season 13 Episode 7 air? Contestants give it their all for epic cook-off
After an exciting mystery box, home chefs of 'MasterChef' Season 13 gear up for yet another team challenge on July 19's episode
2023-07-13 08:18

Will Logan Paul and Jake Paul fight as partners for Undisputed WWE Tag Team titles? Here's what to expect
It wouldn't be unexpected if they decide to go after the Undisputed Tag Team Titles together
2023-08-09 18:52

Willie Nelson looks back on 7 decades of songwriting in new book 'Energy Follows Thought'
At age 90, Willie Nelson is looking back on the songs he's written across seven decades
2023-10-30 23:18

Joe Rogan shares his thoughts on Israel-Palestine conflict: 'It scares the s**t out of me'
Joe Rogan had a profound understanding of the harrowing ordeal endured by those who find themselves tragically caught in the midst of the conflict
2023-10-16 15:25

Rio's iconic Christ statue welcomes Taylor Swift with open arms thanks to Swifties and a priest
Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue was illuminated with a welcome to Brazil message for Taylor Swift
2023-11-18 06:20

Adin Ross gets pulled over by police while driving, here's what happened next
Adin Ross was recently pulled over by police while he was driving on stream, sparking arrest speculations
2023-11-13 21:56

‘Bachelor in Paradise’ alum Jade Roper Tolbert says she is ‘forever changed’ as she opens up about missed miscarriage
Prior to Sunday's revelation of the miscarriage, Jade Roper and Tanner Tolbert had not disclosed Jade's pregnancy
2023-08-14 09:57

Silvio Berlusconi obituary: Scandal-ridden Italian billionaire, media mogul and the king of comebacks
Silvio Berlusconi, the boastful billionaire media mogul who was Italy’s longest-serving premier, despite scandals over his sex-fueled parties and allegations of corruption, has died. A one-time cruise ship crooner, Berlusconi used his television networks and immense wealth to launch his long political career, inspiring both loyalty and loathing. To admirers, the multiple-time premier was a capable and charismatic statesman who sought to elevate Italy on the world stage. To critics, he was a populist who threatened to undermine democracy by wielding political power as a tool to enrich himself and his businesses. Born in 1936 in Milan to a bank clerk father and housewife mother, he attended a Catholic college, the start of a complicated relationship with the church, which supported him until the mounting allegations of sleaze “superceded the limits of decency”, in the view of at least one weekly Catholic newspaper. His capacity to entertain emerged early when he worked on cruise ships and played bass with a band, performing George Gershwin hits like “I Got Rhythm” in the dancehalls of Milan before being sacked for devoting more time to flirting with punters (“marketing and PR”, he called it) than playing music. After graduating in law, Berlusconi turned down a job as a cashier at the bank where his father had worked in order to strike out as a property developer. His ambition was notable. To pull off an early make-or-break deal, he persuaded a secretary to tell him when her pension fund director boss would be taking a seven-hour train journey so as to ensure he could secure the seat next to him. Later, when the flight path put off buyers over his Milano 2 residential development, he had alternative routes opened. A modest plan to make his homes more attractive by offering a local cable TV service, Telemilano, which showed light entertainment and reruns of American soap operas such as Dallas, grew into a network of local channels until, by the end of the 1980s, his trash TV empire of game shows and barely-clothed hostesses came to dominate Italian airwaves. As well as hauling in advertising revenue, Berlusconi’s channels allowed him to give favourable coverage towards friendly politicians who helped him protect his commercial interests, which now included publishing houses and the football team AC Milan. When he entered politics himself, these contacts would prove indispensable. The Clean Hands corruption probes that took out a generation of Italian politicians eventually provided the motivation for that move. Power, he reasoned, would not only protect himself from prosecutors but allow him to defend his businesses. Headline-grabbing proposals included a million new jobs and lower taxes. A political outsider positioned as an enemy of the establishment, Berlusconi was in many ways a prototype for Donald Trump. Running a successful Serie A side like the “rossoneri” was one of his main qualifications for high office, he felt. When challenged by an economist over his tax plans, he replied: “How many intercontinental [football cups] have you won?” In 1994, he took 21 per cent of the vote in the general election and found himself prime minister, beginning a two decade-long domination of Italian politics through which he shamelessly advanced his own interests. His personal lawyers, now on the state payroll as MPs, spent their time drawing up laws to get him out of trouble, including immunity from prosecution for the prime minister and a tax amnesty that saved his company 120m euros. His communication minister meanwhile amended competition rules allowing him to retain his media empire. His calling to international relations was evident when he made himself foreign minister as well as prime minister, wooing foreign leaders such as Tony Blair and Putin by inviting them to his James Bond-esque Sardinian villa, complete with fake volcano. Cherie Blair described her evening there as the best of her life. But gaffes such as calling America’s first black president Barack Obama “suntanned” and suggesting a German MEP should play a concentration camp guard made him an international laughing stock. His standing took a further hit in 2009 when his second wife, Veronica Lario, publicly accused him of “frequenting minors”. When a 17-year-old Moroccan nightclub dancer, known as Ruby-the-Heartstealer, who was arrested for a petty crime, told police she knew Berlusconi, the claim set in motion a chain of events that would bring about the mogul’s downfall. Ironically, if Berlusconi had not interceded claiming she was the niece of Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian despot, the case might have ended there. Investigators, their hackles raised by Berlusconi’s meddling, discovered that a harem of showgirls and models regularly visited his villas for sex parties where they received lavish gifts and envelopes of cash. The drip-feed of salacious details appalled even Italy, where mistresses are less taboo for rich men. Thousands took to the streets in protests that expressed women’s frustration at their humiliating role in Berlusconi’s Italy. But, ultimately, it was not the “bunga bunga” parties that undid him, but his inability to cope as Italy’s debt reached unsustainable levels in 2011 and he was forced to resign in favour of technocrats. Out of office, he remained in the spotlight, thanks to his own media empire and as the defendant in dozens of trials, throughout which he claimed he was the victim of a plot by a left-wing judiciary. After years when, Teflon-like, he had wriggled out of every writ, his eventual conviction for tax fraud in 2014 and subsequent sentencing to community service in a home for Alzheimer’s sufferers represented rock bottom, but, as usual, Berlusconi proved irrepressible, entertaining residents with bingo games and singalongs - a revival of his old cruise ship act. His final years went some way towards rehabilitating his image. He became the oldest member of the European Parliament, his centrist pro-European politics far preferable, in the eyes of German chancelleor Angela Merkel, to the dangerous populist ideals that surged in Europe. When, in February 2021, his party joined a government led by that most establishment of figures, former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi, his triumphant comeback was complete. His return to government represented an unlikely final twist in the story of a figure who had risen from selling electric hairbrushes to being the richest and most powerful man in Italy and the object of global fascination as (depending on your point of view): a media mogul, marketing genius, football club owner, political trailblazer, womaniser and showman. For every Italian that hated him for his monopolistic control of the media and abuse of power, there was another who admired his business acumen and was amused by his lowbrow larks. As the writer Curzio Malaparte wrote, Berlusconi’s qualities and defects “are the qualities and defects of all Italians”. Berlusconi is survived by 12 grandchildren and five children: Pier Silvio, Marina, Barbara, Eleonora and Pierluigi. Read More Perhaps the most surprising part of the Italian crisis is that Berlusconi has emerged as a selfless voice of reason Italy’s comeback kid: How Silvio Berlusconi has managed to re-enter politics, despite all the scandals Silvio Berlusconi tells female reporter her handshake is so strong 'no one will want to marry her' Silvio Berlusconi dead: Billionaire former Italian prime minister dies aged 86
2023-06-12 17:21

Timeline Troubles: 'The Walking Dead: Dead City' spin-off complicates franchise's apocalyptic universe
The zombie apocalypse timeline gets even more complicated with the introduction of the new spin off
2023-06-12 18:18

Jamie Dornan says he knew 'Fifty Shades of Grey' movies would come with 'baggage'
Jamie Dornan knew what he was getting tangled up with when he took on the role of Christian Grey in the spicy "Fifty Shades of Grey" franchise films -- and we're not talking about bedsheets.
2023-08-21 04:25

Who is Paul Skenes? Exploring 5 unknown facts about Olivia Dunne's boyfriend
Olivia Dunne and Paul Skenes' relationship has been making waves on the internet ever since the rumor was confirmed
2023-10-15 13:21

Candace Owens says Ariana Grande has 'daddy issues' for dating 'dweeb' Ethan Slater
Candace Owens has candidly dished her opinion on the Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater dating rumours – and she did not hold back. The 'Thank You Next' singer recently parted ways with her husband Dalton Gomez after two years of marriage. Since news broke of their separation, rumours surfaced online about Grande dating her West End co-star Ethan Slater, who is also said to be going through a recent breakup. Lilly Jay, Slater's partner of 10 years and the mother of their one-year-old child, has since broken her silence in an interview with Page Six about the pair's alleged romance. "[Ariana’s] the story really. Not a girl’s girl," Jay told the outlet. "My family is just collateral damage." Now, on an episode of the Candace Owens Podcast, the conservative commentator and author blasted Grande for being a "fake feminist". Owens said the first time she heard the story about the pair dating, she responded that she "obviously has daddy issues." "It's abundantly clear Ariana Grande has daddy issues," she continued. "She likes to pursue men that are in stable relationships, she likes to rip those relationships apart and it feels to me that there's obviously something that is plaguing her from her childhood." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Ariana Grande Is A HOME WRECKER ? www.youtube.com She went on to suggest that young women need father figures, otherwise, they become a "disaster in society." Owens said she is not just attacking Grande – but also "dweeb" Slater. "This is the first time that a girl that he thinks is way above his weight class here, 'oh my god, Ariana Grande is looking at me' and he has completely lost his mind," she said, before calling him a "weak man." "He allowed one girl to take a glance at him and he ruined his entire life," Owens continued. Owens suggested that the pair would not last... "The high for [Grande] is breaking up the relationship. She's not going to stay with him because he's already committed to divorcing his wife, so the game is over for her," she added. Indy100 reached out to Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater's reps for comment. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-08-04 00:24
You Might Like...

'Love Island USA' Season 5: Is Kassy backstabbing Kay Kay? Real estate student dubbed 'fake' for pursuing friend's man

Smash Mouth frontman Steve Harwell, known for the ubiquitous pop-rock hit 'All Star,' dies at 56

How did Park Soo Ryun die? Family of 'Snowdrop' star, 29, to donate her organs

Does Joe Rogan have faith in Hindu Gods? Ganesha idol spotted in podcaster's studio

Daniel Radcliffe shares his 'awesome' journey into fatherhood on 'Today' with Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager

From Karen Allen to Alison Doody: Here's where the legendary leading ladies of 'Indiana Jones' are now

Jay-Z-themed library cards spark increase in Brooklyn Public Library memberships

One image, one face, one American moment: The Donald Trump mug shot