Rome

Berlusconi as Superman is his Christmas gift to grandchildren

Berlusconi as Superman is his Christmas gift to grandchildren Rome - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi says he has surprised his grandchildren with an early Christmas present: a Superman-like doll with facial features resembling his own.

"My grandchildren now really feel like the descendants of a super- hero," Berlusconi was quoted as saying Thursday by the online site, Tgcom.

Pope concerned over Luxembourg's "wicked" euthanasia bill

Pope Benedict xviVatican City - Pope Benedict XVI appealed Thursday to lawmakers in Luxembourg not to pass legislation legalizing euthanasia, or doctor-assisted suicide.

Political representatives need to remember that a "deliberate decision to deprive innocent humans of their lives is always wicked from a moral point of view," Benedict said.

The pontiff made the remarks during a speech in which he accepted the credentials of Luxembourg's new ambassador to the Vatican, Paul Duehr.

AC Milan to introduce Beckham at weekend

AC Milan to introduce Beckham at weekendRome  - Serie A giants AC Milan announced Wednesday that they will officially introduce English star David Beckham Saturday evening at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium.

Beckham is to remain at Milan until March, on loan from US club Los Angeles Galaxy.

The 33-year-old midfielder is expected to undergo medical tests over the weekend and watch Milan's home game Sunday against Udinese ahead of the Serie A winter break.

Pope urges faithful to build Nativity scenes for Christmas

Pope Benedict xviVatican City - Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday said people should build Nativity scenes for Christmas to help recreate the "mystery" of Jesus' birth on earth.

Benedict, speaking during his weekly general audience, was referring to the practice of using statuettes or carvings to represent the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem as celebrated by Christians at Christmas.

The Nativity scene or crib "is an important element, not only of our faith but also of Christian art and culture," Benedict said.

Wave of arrests and probes hit Italy's centre-left opposition

Rome - Italy's main opposition centre-left Democratic Party was reeling Wednesday following the arrest of several prominent local politicians linked to alleged cases of corruption.

The Corriere della Sera daily reported that police in Naples served house arrest orders to Ferdinando Di Mezza and Felice Laudadio, two councillors in the city's centre-left local government. They are respectively responsible for urban heritage and housing in the southern city's municipality.

The orders stem from a probe into the awarding of a 400 million euro (548 million dollars) maintenance and catering contract to a local firm, Global Services.

World Food Programme appeals for 5.2-billion-dollar aid package

United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)Rome - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said Tuesday it needs some 5.2 billion dollars in donor funding to provide aid to some 98 million hungry people in 2009.

"As we take care of Wall Street and Main Street, we can't forget the places that have no streets," WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran said in a statement from the Rome-based agency.

She was referring to the appeal which WFP says is a "fraction" of what is being proposed in financial rescue packages to address the global economic downturn.

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