Just like magic! Amber Rose's tattoo sleeves vanish beneath thick makeup as she shows off post-baby body at the Grammys

She was all glammed up ready to show off her hard-won post-baby body.

And Amber Rose obviously decided that her heavily tattooed arms were not part of her red carpet look.

Having slimmed down following the birth of her son Sebastian almost one year ago, the new mother obscured her inked arms beneath a thick layer of make-up as she graced the Grammys red carpet to support her music maker husband Wiz Khalifa on Sunday.

Scroll down for video

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Stunning: Amber Rose gushed that her baby weight 'finally came off' after a year of trying when she spoke with Giuliana Rancic on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards alongside husband Wiz Khalifa

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Ruto jets out to Hague as his trial resumes

Majority Leader in the National Assembly Aden Duale sent a message to the Press indicating that Ruto was scheduled to leave for the ICC where he is facing charges of crimes against humanity. On December 16, last year, Ruto’s lawyers made a formal application under Article 63 (1) of the rules of procedure and evidence seeking to excuse their client from continuous attendance.

 The trial of the Deputy President at the ICC continues this week as Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda remains undecided whether to appeal the court’s decision to conditionally excuse Ruto from continuous presence.

 In a brief statement, the Office of the Prosecutor has said that it is still studying the decision of the Trial Chamber and will decide in the fullness of time whether or not to petition. Ms Bensouda has also asked for the postponement of the trial against President Uhuru Kenyatta to allow her seek more evidence.

 It is now clear that Ruto will attend his trial, even though the ICC Trial Chamber V (a), which is hearing his case, had not yet communicated the change of the date when he was required in person. His trip to The Hague ends the speculation around his attendance.

20 troops die in Pakistan bombing

The blast is a major setback for the Pakistani military, which has been fighting a stubborn insurgency in the country's north-west.

Bombings and shootings have killed thousands of security forces personnel and left thousands more wounded and maimed.

The vehicle was hired by the paramilitary Frontier Corps, said police official Inyat Ali Khan from the Bannu region where the explosion occurred.

It was part of a convoy that was about to leave the military base in the town of Bannu and drive west to the North Waziristan tribal area, he said.

Not dope and not fresh. Will.i.am obviously wouldn't press his buzzer and turn round for The Voice, by Jim Shelley

The Voice’s flaws have become so glaring, even Will.i.am made it obvious how useless he thought the the performances were – both by the contestants and his fellow mentors.

While Tom Jones, Ricky Wilson and Kylie Minogue were scrambling to build their teams by raining praise on the most mediocre singers, Will.i.am didn’t bothering buzzing for any of the first five contenders.

‘Does he just instinctively know something that the rest of us just don’t know?!’ gasped Kylie, still not getting the message. Yes, that most of the acts were terrible !

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Kylie Minogue, Tom Jones and Ricky Wilson wonder when Will.i.am is actually going to like one of the contestants on The Voice - the answer being when one of them was any good

Then, when two clearly promising young singers finally DID appear, even Will was astonished to find that he was the only one of the judges to recognise their talent.

T-Pain Sings Without Auto Tune + Talks Group Sex W/ Wife (VIDEO)

T-Pain’s unorthodox ways led him to reimagining autotune, but also to keeping his marriage fun. During his recent interview on The Arsenio Hall Show T-Pain shed the autotune and demonstrated his natural singing voice as well as shed a little light on the private relationship of him and his wife.

T-Pain did not invent or introduce autotune to the world and he even reveals he used the software “incorrectly” but claims that mistake became “a new era of music.” Pain points out that musicians such as legendary Roger Troutman used a vocoder which requires one to have a connected tube in their mouth while playing their instrument. Later he put to rest all doubts of his singing ability and sang a bit of “Buy You A Drink” live.

'He's exhausted and overwhelmed': Dennis Rodman 'enters rehab for alcohol addiction treatment' following drunken TV appearance in North Korea

He caused outrage after claiming an American citizen deserved a sentence to hard labour in a drunken television appearance during his recent visit to North Korea.

So perhaps it should be no surprise Dennis Rodman has subsequently checked himself into rehab.

The controversial former basketball player is now staying at a treatment centre in New Jersey to try and curb his long-standing addiction to alcohol.

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Rant: Dennis Rodman has entered rehab following his controversial CNN interview during his North Korea visit

A source told TMZ he entered the facility a few days ago after returning from his much criticized trip to the insular communist country.

The insider added the former Chicago Bulls star is 'beyond exhausted and overwhelmed' and will receive care for 30 days.

It comes hot on the heels of his infamous interview on CNN's New Day show, on which he said Kenneth Bae may have done something to deserve his sentence of 15 years of hard labour.

Bikini wars! Karrueche Tran posts sexy swimwear snap at the same time as Rihanna... as Chris Brown stays in rehab

After their moist, confronting tongue-to-tongue selfie on New Years Day, it seems Karrueche Tran has still got Chris Brown's heart.

However, when both she and Rihanna uploaded sexy bikini snaps to Instagram within mere minutes of one another on Saturday, it seemed plausible that the pair's subtle jousting for the troubled singer's attention may still be alive and kicking.

The thinly veiled social media competition came just one day after Karrueche enjoyed a boisterous girls night out at Hollywood's Laugh Factory comedy venue with a gaggle of her famous girlfriends, including Christina Milian, Amber Rose and Priscilla Ono... while Chris presumably remained in his rehab facility.

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Showing off for anyone in particular? While her boyfriend Chris Brown is presumably still in rehab, Karrueche Tran posted a bikini shot just minutes after Rihanna posted one of her own on Saturday

Erdogan backtracks in Turkey judicial row but remains defiant

Ankara (AFP) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday he was ready to withdraw a contentious bill aimed at curbing the powers of the judiciary as he battled to contain the worst crisis of his 11 years in office.

"If you take pity, you’ll become pitiable," the defiant Turkish leader thundered.But he vowed he would show no mercy in the bitter power struggle pitting his beleaguereed government against supporters of an influential exiled cleric.

"Our democracy escaped the largest, heaviest and wickedest coup attempt ever," he told lawmakers from his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), referring to a corruption probe launched in December that has targeted his inner circle.

Okla. gay marriage ban struck down; ruling on hold

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — For the second time in a month, a federal judge has set aside a deeply conservative state's limits on same-sex marriage, this time in Oklahoma.

Like the federal judge who reversed Utah's gay marriage ban in December, Kern determined that Oklahoma's constitutional amendment violated the U.S. Constitution's equal protection clause. His ruling was littered with references to both the Utah ruling and those issued by the U.S. Supreme Court last summer.U.S. District Judge Terence Kern on Tuesday struck down Oklahoma's voter-approved ban, but headed off any rush to the altar by putting the effects of his ruling on hold while state and local officials complete an appeal.

Drake’s OVO Jordans Sneaks Selling On Ebay For $100,000

 If you happen to have an extra 100 grand at your disposal you may be able to cop a pair of Drake’s limited edition Jordan brand sneakers. The Canadian performer announced he was partnering with Nike to release his own limited edition shoes in December, and some of the unreleased OVO sneaks have now made their way onto to Ebay. One pair is going for $100,000.

Wiz Khalifa Among Panelists For BMI’s “How I Wrote That Song” Event

Taylor Gang leader Wiz Khalifa will be among a list of celebrated songwriters present for Broadcast Music, Inc’s “How I Wrote That Song” panel sponsored by Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. Wiz will be joined by Charlie Wilson (The Gap Band, Kanye West), Alex Da Kid (Dr. Dre, Nicki Minaj), Linda Perry (Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys), and Dallas Davidson (Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan).

Rick Ross Reveals Release Date For Mastermind

Rick Ross has a new released date for his upcoming, oft-delayed album Mastermind.

The album makes its splash on March 4.

The release was promoted in a new Hype Williams-produced viral video, that offers cryptic messages within it.

The full video is below.

Trae The Truth’s Gets On Houston Radio Once Again

In 2009, the popular Houston rapper and philanthropist was the center of controversy after one of his events ended in gunfire. Houston Hip Hop station 97.9 The Boxx blamed the rapper’s music as a reason for the violence.

After a publicized feud, the artist was officially banned not only from 97.9, but all Radio One stations; which specifically targets urban markets at 69 radio stations in 22 cities throughout the nation, including his hometown of Houston.

Tara Of Love & Hip Hop Explains Her Quick Experience Losing Virginity (VIDEO)

A woman’s first time having sex is a sacred moment they remember forever, even if the experience itself does not last that long. Peter Gunz’ ex-girlfriend and Love & Hip Hop star Tara Wallace explained how

According to Tara, she lost her virginity to a crush in high school under a grand piano. The improvisers at Cipha Sounds’ Take It Personal transformed this story into a hilarious sketch.

Check out Tara’s story and the accompanying sketch below:

Sh

Ciara Confirms Pregnancy (Video)

Ciara has confirmed that she is pregnant with Future child.

The singer made the revelation, which was widely speculated, on “The View,” a popular daytime talk show.

She and Future are engaged to be married.

They expect tie the knot later this year.

She can't be a fan! Rihanna 'refused to let hit show Girls use her song' reveals programme's music supervisor

It appears Rihanna is no fan of HBO's hit show Girls.

For it has emerged that the singer refused to allow one of her songs to feature on the series.

The show's music producer Manish Raval revealed that they were snubbed by the Barbadian beauty after they sought permission to use her tune Talk That Talk.

It had been chosen to feature in a drug addled scene starring Lena Dunham in a nightclub in the programme's second series.

No chance: Rihanna was not interested in boosting her feminist credentials by having a song featured in Girls

However he insisted it was a blessing in disguise as they ended up with an even better number by Swedish electro group Icona Pop, which he thought was one of the best uses of sound in the whole of the second series.

He told Radio.com: 'You know, honestly, I don’t know. The scene that she denied it for was the Icona Pop scene. 

'They didn’t give a reason, we didn’t ask for a reason. So I can’t speculate as to why, but you know, it’s a happy accident.

'She said no and we happened to find the Icona Pop song.'

PENNY: THAMANI YA DIAMOND IKO PALEPALE

MTANGAZAJI wa Kituo cha Televisheni cha DTV, Peniel Mungilwa ambaye ni zilipendwa wa mwanamuziki wa Bongo Fleva, Nasibu Abdul ‘Diamond Platnum’ amesema katika maisha yake haitatokea akamdharau kwa kumkashifu hata kama si wake tena.

Penny akiwa na Diamond enzi za penzi lao.

Akipiga stori na paparazi wetu, mwanadada huyo alisema japo kwa sasa ametofautiana na Diamond aliyeweka wazi kwamba yupo na Wema Sepetu hawezi kuwa na chuki dhidi yao.

“Naapa kwa Mungu wangu katika maisha yangu haitatokea kamwe nikamdharau Diamond, haijalishi yupo na nani kwa sasa, thamani yake kwangu itabaki palepale hamuwezi jua namheshimu kiasi gani yule mtu,” alisema Penny.

South African hostage freed in Yemen

Militants linked to al-Qaeda have freed a South African woman kidnapped in Yemen, but mediators are still struggling to have her husband released.

Militants linked to al-Qaeda have freed a South African woman kidnapped in the Yemeni city of Taiz in May and mediators are trying to secure the release of her husband, a Yemeni security official and South African negotiators said on Friday.

Accounts of the case were confused, after local officials and tribal sources said earlier in the day that both Pierre and Yolande Korkie had been released. Later they said only the woman had been set free. Both were in good health, the sources said.

The Yemeni security source said Yolande had been released after tribal mediation efforts and her husband was expected to be freed "within days".

They have been held in a mountain area under the control of militants in the southern Abyan province, the source said.

Porsha Williams’ New Boo to be Featured on RHOA?

Real Housewives of Atlanta star Porsha Williams (née Stewart) has moved into the world of dating and officially put her past with Kordell Stewart to rest. We first watched Porsha get started back on the dating scene on the Steven Harvey Show.

These days, Porsha says she has been hanging out with a few prospects but she has narrowed her choices down to someone really special.

“There’s someone that I think is very special. He’s kind of standing out of the pack right now, so we’ll see how that turns out,” she told Radar Online.

She added that we might know who he is.

“He’s well known and I’m just a little cautious this go around so I’m just kind of waiting for the time to be right before I make the next move,” Porsha said.

She also said that we’ll likely get the big reveal of who this man is on Real Housewives of Atlanta. That is, unless the rumor mill figures out who he is via Instagram first. That or provided that RHOA producers actually capture footage and show it.

I’m willing to bet that it’s a music producer or and athlete.

#BBCtrending: The false rumour of President Kagame's death

For several hours on Friday morning, a false rumour that the Rwandan President Paul Kagame had died spread like wildfire in the city of Goma, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo - prompting scenes of celebration. It appears to have been triggered by a fake post on Facebook.

There is no love lost between the DR Congo and Rwanda - especially in the east of the DR Congo where Rwanda has been accused of meddling. So when rumours started that President Kagame had died, they met a receptive audience.

Hundreds of people marched down the main street in Goma towards the Rwandan border to celebrate what was later confirmed to be entirely false rumours of his death. They even carried a fake coffin and a cross. Smaller scenes and cases of people honking their horns were reported in a number of cities across DR Congo.

Defection: Senate disowns threat to declare seats vacant

Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enang, has come under criticism  of some of his colleagues for saying that any serving legislator, who defected from the party on which platform he or she was elected into the Senate would  have his or her seat declared vacant.

Enang, on the heel of the proposed defection of some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators to the All Progressives  Congress (APC) had, on Thursday, addressed a press conference in Abuja, where he said such lawmakers risked  losing their seats if they eventually defected from the party.

French President Francois Hollande accused of having affair with actress Julie Gayet

Francois Hollande, centre, with the Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius, left, and Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian at the Elysee Palace in Paris this week. Photo: Reuters
Francois Hollande, the French president, is facing a private and political crisis after a celebrity magazine published photographs alleging a "secret love affair" with a film actress almost 20 years his junior.
Closer magazine released pictures it says show the 59-year-old socialist leader entering an apartment block near the Elysee Palace with Julie Gayet, 41.
Valerie Trierweiler, the "official" first lady to whom the president is not married, recently took up residence in one of the wings of the palace.

US Evaluating Ways to Maintain Pressure on Warring S. Sudan Parties

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield, right, accompanied by USAID Assistant Administrator for Bureau for Democracy Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance Nancy Lindborg, testifies on Capitol Hill, Jan. 9, 2014, before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on situation in South Sudan.

WHITE HOUSE — The White House Friday declined to confirm a report that the United States is considering imposing targeted sanctions against the government of South Sudan. Washington, however, continues to evaluate ways it can maintain pressure on warring South Sudan parties to bring an end to fighting.

White House spokesman Jay Carney was asked by VOA about a Reuters news report from the United Nations that the United States is weighing imposing targeted sanctions in a move to increase pressure on warring parties. Reuters quoted what it called a source briefed on U.S. discussions. Reuters said this was confirmed by another source, but both provided no details on precise measures being considered.

Carney said he could not respond to the Reuters report. But Jonathan Lalley, Assistant Press Secretary for National Security, said the U.S. is "continually evaluating what more we might do to keep up the pressure on the parties to make progress on negotiations."

Hungarian sex gang turned university halls of residence into a brothel and trafficked women into Britain to work as prostitutes

Prostitutes were working from University of Sussex accommodation

Girls were blackmailed into working in brothels across the UK

Four Hungarians and a British woman found guilty at Hove Crown Court

Gang jailed for a total of 25 years, but two of them remain on the run

An organised crime gang was jailed today after they trafficked dozens of women from Hungary to the UK to work in brothels, including one on a university campus.

Almost 50 women were brought to Britain in two years and forced to work as prostitutes, including inside a University of Sussex halls of residence.

The sex ring also set up brothels in hotels and flats and uploaded their victims' profiles on to a website advertising sexual services for sale, Hove Crown Court heard.

Hungarians nationals Mate Puskas, Zoltan Mohacsi, Istvan Toth and Peter Toth, and Puskas’s former girlfriend Victoria Brown were all jailed for 25 years in total for running the operation. The Toth brothers remain at large after breaking bail.

At least 26 killed in attack on Congo’s mining hub

Katanga, home to some of the world's largest cobalt deposits and the second biggest African provider of copper, has seen periodic violence over the past two years.

At least 26 people were killed Tuesday in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as Congolese soldiers tried containing a rebels’ attack to the city of Lubumbashi, located in the copper-rich southeast province of Katanga.

Police told Press TV a separatist militia known as the Mai Mai Kata Katanga (meaning “cut out Katanga” in the Swahili language) launched the assault that cost the life of government soldiers and insurgents alike.

Although the mineral rich province has been spared most of the rebellions that have simmered in the DRC over the last decade, the area, home to some of the world's largest cobalt deposits and the second biggest African provider of copper, has seen periodic violence.

Several died in March last year in a similar outbreak, considered one of the largest ever registered in Lubumbash. A total of 245 rebels armed with bows, arrows and machetes fought with the army and police before forcing their way into a UN compound and surrendering.

In June, the United Nations peacekeeping mission based in the country, known as Monusco, decided to deploy Special Forces in Katanga to support the peacekeeping forces already in the province.

Major miners, such as giant commodities trader and miner Glencore Xstrata (LON:GLEN) and Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX), have operations in the area, which exports about half a million tonnes of copper a year.

Obama didn't believe his own war strategy: Gates

Washington (AFP) - Former defense secretary Robert Gates has delivered a scathing critique of President Barack Obama's handling of the war in Afghanistan in a revealing new memoir, US media reported.

In "Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary of War," Gates recounts how Obama appeared to lack faith in a war strategy he had approved and in the commander he named to lead it, according to The New York Times and The Washington Post. He said the president also did not like Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

"As I sat there, I thought: the president doesn't trust his commander, can't stand Karzai, doesn't believe in his own strategy and doesn't consider the war to be his," Gates writes of a March 2011 meeting in the White House.

Half Of Central African Republic Needs Aid, On Brink Of Catastrophe: UN

NITED NATIONS (AP) — U.N. officials are warning the Security Council that Central African Republic is on the brink of a catastrophe, with half the population made homeless since ethnic warfare broke out.

U.N. political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman told the council Monday that about 2.2 million people throughout Central African Republic need assistance, about half the total population.

About half the people of Bangui have been driven from their homes, a total of about 513,000, he said. About 100,000 are jamming a makeshift camp at the airport near the capitol.

Worried US warns North Korea, boosts troops to South

Washington (AFP) - The United States said Tuesday it would send another 800 troops to South Korea as the allies warned North Korea against any provocation, amid deepening worries over the regime's stability.

"We will not accept North Korea as a nuclear state," Kerry said at a joint press appearance with Yun, rejecting a top demand of the communist dynasty.Amid concern after North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un executed his uncle, Secretary of State John Kerry met in Washington with South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-Se and said there was "not a sliver of daylight" between the two countries.

"We remain fully committed to the defense of the Republic of Korea, including through extended deterrence and putting the full range of US military capabilities in place," Kerry said, referring to the South by its formal name.

'Murderers!' Violence breaks out in court as Mark Duggan supporters react to lawful killing verdict and police prepare for disorder not have a gun in his hand at the time

A discarded firearm was found six metres away from the spot where he died and it is thought he threw it away.

Police shooting: Mark Duggan is treated by paramedics moments after being shot by police marksmen after he was apparently seen holding a gun

Mark Duggan was unarmed when he was shot dead by a police marksman but he was lawfully killed, a jury ruled today.

The father-of-six, whose death sparked protests that exploded into riots and looting across the country, was gunned down when officers stopped the taxi in which he was travelling in Tottenham, north London, in August 2011.

Following the jury's verdict, Scotland Yard has been placed at a 'heightened state of readiness' for fresh disorder tonight.

There were angry cries of 'murderers!' from the public gallery after the verdict was returned.

Trapped Chinese icebreaker to attempt breakout

Beijing:  A Chinese ship that helped rescue passengers from a Russian vessel stranded in Antarctica only to get stuck in the ice itself may soon have a shot at breaking free, state media reported on Tuesday.

A westerly wind expected to pick up before Wednesday could give the Xue Long, or Snow Dragon, its best chance of escaping the heavy ice in which it has been trapped since last Friday, the China Daily newspaper reported.

"The window for the vessel to sail out is quite small, which means Xue Long needs to be ready at any moment before Wednesday," Zhang Lin, a Beijing-based meteorologist involved in the rescue effort, told the newspaper.

The westerly wind is expected to help push away some of the heavy ice surrounding the Chinese research vessel, according to the official Xinhua news agency, which noted that the floes are three times thicker than the ship's ice-breaking capacity.

The Xue Long's helicopter last Thursday ferried 52 passengers on the stranded Russian ship Akademik Shokalskiy, which had been trapped for 10 days, to the safety of an Australian vessel.

"Its performance, especially the success in rescuing all the passengers, has been given the thumbs up by global public opinion," the Global Times said in an editorial. "China should be proud of it."

"Xue Long's mission is an epitome of China's attitude toward its international obligations," it added.

But the Chinese ship then became surrounded by ice itself, and an effort to break free early Saturday was unsuccessful.

It has 101 people on board, while 22 crew members remain on the trapped Shokalskiy.

The Chinese ship - which includes a gym, movie theatre and ping-pong tables among its facilities - has enough food supplies to last until April and enough fresh water for the next month, Xinhua reported.

An American vessel Polar Star, a US Coast Guard icebreaker, has been dispatched to come to the aid of the two trapped ships and is expected to arrive on Sunday.

Kigamboni bridge ready in July 2015 - Works PS

Expectations that the much awaited Kigamboni Bridge in Dar es Salaam would be ready for use by January next year have been dashed after the government granted a six-month extension to the firm executing the project.

The government said it granted the extension after the firm encountered technical hurdles in installing pillars to support the bridge.

The firm was supposed to complete the bridge in January 2015 but with the extension it means the bridge shall be ready in July 2015.

Works Permanent Secretary Mussa Iyombe, granted the extension after inspecting the project whose implementation officially started in February 2013.

“Due to the challenges the construction firm has faced - which I regard as genuine - the government has thought it wise to grant a six months extension. This is a big project which thousands of people depend on, but it cannot materialise unless the pillars to support the bridge are installed,” he explained.

RIP Run Run Shaw, godfather of kung-fu film

The man who brought kung-fu to mainstream cinema and co-produced the iconic sci-fi classic Blade Runner, has died aged 107.

A media mogul and renowned philanthropist, Sir Run Run Shaw passed away at home on Tuesday morning.

In his lifetime he co-founded a television company, ran the prolific and influential Shaw Brothers company that dominated Chinese and south east Asian cinema, and went on to become one of mainland China's most loved philanthropists, donating $774m to education and schools.

Shaw's studio produced over 1,000 titles and pioneered the kung-fu films that helped to redefine and popularise the genre in the west.

He influenced Ang Lee's Oscar-winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Quentin Tarantino has credited Shaw Brothers films as a major influence, especially on Kill Bill.

In 2003, he told the Los Angeles Daily News: "For a year, I'd watch one old Shaw Brothers movie a day – if not three."

Turkey Dismisses More Than 350 Police Officers In Ankara Amid Corruption Probe

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey's state-run news agency says some 350 police officers have been removed from posts in the capital Ankara, as the government continues to battle a corruption scandal that has ensnared former Cabinet ministers.

Claiming that it is the target of a conspiracy, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government has dismissed hundreds of police chiefs and officers since police launched raids targeting close Erdogan allies on Dec. 17. He has alleged that followers of an Islamic movement led by U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen have infiltrated the judiciary and police and are using their powers to attack the government.

The Anadolu Agency said the 350 were removed from posts Tuesday.

The private Dogan news agency said they were reassigned to traffic departments or police stations outside the city.

Princess Cristina of Spain receives court summons

Princess Cristina of Spain was named as a formal suspect in long-running corruption investigation on Tuesday in the latest blow to the reputation of the royal family.

The 48-year-old was summoned to testify in court in Palma de Mallorca on March 8 on allegations of tax evasion and money laundering offences by a judge investigation a far reaching embezzlement case centering on her husband Inaki Urdangarin.

It will be the first time that a royal-born member of Spain’s ruling Bourbons is called to testify in court and promises further strife for a monarchy struggling against a tide of unpopularity.

King Juan Carlos, who has been weakened by ill heath and appeared in public for the first time on Monday since undergoing hip surgery two months ago, has seen his popularity plummet in the polls.

A survey published at the weekend by El Mundo showed 62 per cent of respondents thought the monarch, who turned 76 on Sunday, should abdicate in favour of his son, Crown Price Felipe.

Princess Cristina’s husband is a former Olympic handball champion who was given the title of the Duke of Palma upon his marriage to the King’s youngest daughter in 1997.

Afghanistan says 88 prisoners to be freed, despite U.S. concern

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan will release 88 prisoners as planned even though the United States considers them dangerous and wants them to remain in detention, the board reviewing their cases told Reuters.

The prisoners are being held at a jail at the Bagram air base north of Kabul. The United States only recently transferred the prison to Afghan control after it had become a serious source of tension with the Afghan government.

President Hamid Karzai instructed Afghan intelligence officials to provide the review board with more evidence against the prisoners, after the United States said there was proof of their involvement in the killing of foreign troops and they posed a serious threat to security.

Ex-Rwandan spy chief killing alights allegations

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — The killing of Rwanda's former spy chief in South Africa has critics revisiting serious allegations against Western-backed President Paul Kagame that go back to the Central African nation's 1994 genocide.

Former Col. Patrick Karegeya, a wartime ally from Kagame's days as a rebel leader, was found dead last week in a bed in Johannesburg's prestigious Michelangelo Towers hotel. Police said he was possibly strangled.

Karegeya's friends and fellow dissidents accused Kagame of ordering the assassination, pointing to a pattern of alleged killings of his opponents at home and abroad. Karegeya fled to South Africa in 2007.

Officials in Kigali, the Rwandan capital, have not responded to requests for comment. But the Rwandan high commissioner in South Africa, Vincent Karega, told local broadcaster eNCA that talk of assassination is an "emotional reaction and opportunistic way of playing politics."

South African police say they are investigating the case but no arrests have been made.

The killing comes five months after Karegeya claimed to have incriminating evidence that would prove Kagame, who is lauded by Western leaders for ending Rwanda's genocide, actually provided the catalyst for the mass killings.

In a July interview with Radio France International, Karegeya charged that Kagame ordered the downing of a jet that killed the Hutu presidents of Rwanda and neighboring Burundi, the event that triggered the genocide in which some 800,000 Tutsis and some moderate Hutus were killed over three months.

African asylum seekers in Israel lobby foreign embassies

 

The migrants, primarily from Eritrea and Sudan, marched from downtown Tel Aviv to the embassies, calling for help in the face of Israel's refusal to give them refugee status and its detention without trial of hundreds of asylum seekers.

A police spokesman said the march by some 10,000 migrants was coordinated with police and there were no disturbances.

Under legislation passed on December 10, authorities can detain illegal immigrants entering Israel for up to a year without trial.

A sprawling detention facility has been opened in the Negev desert to house both them and immigrants already in the country deemed to have disturbed public order.