Italy's Berlusconi vows to run for prime minister again

Rumors about the 76-year-old Berlusconi's intention to run again for office have been floating around for months. Silvio Berlusconi says he intends to run for prime minister when elections are called "I return to politics with despair and out of a sense of responsibility," he says The 76-year-old insists he is entering the race to win He resigned in November 2011 amid a national economic crisis Rome (CNN) -- Italy's former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said Saturday he would run again as his country's leader, signaling a return to the limelight for the nation's most flamboyant politician. The billionaire resigned as prime minister just over a year ago at the height of his country's debt crisis, bringing to an end an 18-year era in which he dominated Italian politics. Profile: Italy's most colorful political figure Since then, Italy has been run by an unelected, technocratic government headed by economist Mario Monti. In a message posted on his website and Facebook page Saturday, Berlusconi said: "I'm besieged by my people that are requesting that I get back in the battlefield leading the People of Freedom, PDL party." He said the center right coalition had searched for a new leader, but there was no one to replace him. "I return to politics with despair and out of a sense of responsibility," he said. But, he added, "I enter the race to win." Berlusconi's scandal-filled career When he resigned in November 2011, Berlusconi said he did not intend to run for office when elections were held again. But the 76-year-old's intention to return to frontline politics has been rumored in the months since. In October, a Milan court sentenced Berlusconi to four years in prison for tax evasion. However, under the Italian legal system, he and his fellow defendants have the right to appeal their sentence twice, in the appeals court and a higher court. Also, because the case dates to July 2006, the statute of limitations will expire next year, meaning there is a good chance none of the defendants will serve any prison time. Through the years, Berlusconi has been accused of embezzlement, fraud and bribery, but the tax evasion case marked the first time he had been convicted of an offense. Berlusconi also faces trial on charges that he hired an underage prostitute and later tried to pull strings to get her out of jail when she was accused of theft. The woman involved in the long-running case is Moroccan dancer Karima el Mahroug, nicknamed "Ruby the Heart-stealer." CNN's Livia Borghese reported from Rome, and Laura Smith-Spark wrote from London.

Italy's most colorful public figure

Three-time former PM Berlusconi to stand for fourth term Berlusconi appealing four year prison sentence for tax evasion Until recently he appeared to be leading a charmed life He has been dogged by many scandals since he entered politics two decades ago (CNN) -- In further proof that seemingly nothing can bring Silvio Berlusconi down -- not even a potential jail sentence -- Italy's most colorful public figure has announced he could lead his country for a fourth time. Another run at Italy's highest office would be just the latest chapter in the life of the charming, billionaire three-time former prime minister. In October Berlusconi was sentenced to four years in prison for tax evasion, but has since appealed the verdict. Until recently, Berlusconi appeared to be leading a charmed life. His vast business empire spanned media, construction and football, making him the 118th-richest person in the world, according to Forbes, with a net worth of $6.2 billion, and he was Italy's longest-serving post-war prime minister before quitting in 2011. But last year he became embroiled in charges that he had paid for sex with a 17-year-old girl; his coalition government became ever more fragile; and Berlusconi resigned his premiership as Europe's financial crisis threatened to embroil Italy. Read more: The Berlusconi sex scandal explained Despite the many scandals that have dogged Berlusconi since he entered politics nearly two decades ago, the 75-year-old is indisputably one of life's survivors. In Parliament, opponents tabled 51 confidence votes in him in the past three years alone, but Italians have thrice elected him as prime minister. Born in Milan in 1936, Berlusconi gave notice early on of his showman side by working as a lounge room crooner aboard a cruise ship to help fund his university tuition -- he studied law. Various low-level commercial enterprises followed before the fledgling entrepreneur enjoyed his first real success in property development in the late 1960s when he was involved in a project to build Milano Two -- nearly 4,000 flats -- outside Milan. Italy's ex-PM Berlusconi convicted of tax evasion After amassing a fortune from his property portfolio in the 1970s, he diversified his interests by setting up a TV cable company, Telemilano, and buying two other cable channels in an effort to break the national TV monopoly in Italy. In 1978, these channels were incorporated into his newly formed Fininvest group, which included department stores, insurance companies and even AC Milan -- one of the world's biggest football clubs. Berlusconi turned his attention to politics in 1993 when he formed the center-right Forza Italia Party and the following year, in a snap election, he won the post of prime minister. However, a dispute with his right-wing coalition partners from the Northern League Party, as well as an indictment for alleged tax fraud, ended Berlusconi's tenure in the job after barely seven months. He was acquitted on appeal in 2000 after the statute of limitations had expired. Politics, power and players: Berlusconi's AC Milan election engine After defeat in the 1996 election to his political nemesis, Romano Prodi, he became embroiled in other financial scandals, including a charge of bribing tax inspectors. He denied any wrongdoing and was cleared again on appeal in 2000. His fortunes turned again in 2001 when he was sworn in as prime minister for a second time. But Prodi -- a former European Commission president -- ended Berlusconi's more successful reign with his center-left Union coalition victory in 2006. At that time, the tycoon had presided over the longest-serving post-war Italian government. Despite having a pacemaker implanted to regulate his heartbeat after he collapsed during a political rally, he refused to slow down. Sporting a hair transplant, cosmetic surgery and a tan, Berlusconi returned to power for a third time in 2008 under the banner of the newly created People of Freedom party. The next year proved to be one of extremes for the veteran politician. He was praised for his handling of the devastating earthquake that struck the Italian town of L'Aquila in April 2009, and survived criticism after urging survivors to see their plight like "a weekend of camping." Read more: Italians split on accusations against prime minister But the following month, Berlusconi's second wife, Veronica Lario, filed for divorce -- alleging Berlusconi had an inappropriate relationship with an 18-year-old aspiring model whose birthday party he had attended. Berlusconi said she was the daughter of a friend and that he had done nothing wrong. In December that year, a man with a history of mental illness hit Berlusconi in the face with a replica of Milan's cathedral at a campaign rally, breaking several of his teeth and fracturing his nose. Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that the irrepressible Berlusconi continued to shake hands with supporters for "a couple of minutes" after being hit. Read more: Italy a nation unable to unleash its talent With the country's economy reeling amid the financial crisis, pressure on Berlusconi grew. Gianfranco Fini -- a former party ally -- lashed out, accusing him of a lack of attention to the economy and structural reforms that Italy needs. The prime minister survived three votes of confidence in Parliament during 2010 and 2011, winning one by just three votes, but his authority continued to ebb. Economists said Berlusconi commanded neither sufficient political authority to push through spending cuts nor the moral high ground to squeeze more taxes out of Italians while he faced trial on various charges. Other European leaders criticized him for failing to implement economic reform with sufficient urgency. Meanwhile, Berlusconi faced a serious personal challenge with charges of sex with an underage nightclub dancer and abuse of power. Q&A: Silvio Berlusconi's legal woes Berlusconi had sex 13 times with underage dancer Karima el Mahroug, nicknamed "Ruby the heart-stealer," say prosecutors who allege the prime minister abused his position when he intervened in May 2010 to get her released from the jail where she was being held on charges of theft. El Mahroug has said she never had sex with Berlusconi and that she lied to him about her age, telling him she was 24. In September 2011, prosecutors submitted transcripts of approximately 100,000 pages of wiretaps -- from 2008 and 2009 -- to a court in Bari. The prosecutors have accused eight people of paying young women to attend so-called "bunga bunga" parties at Berlusconi's home. Read more: Out of power, Berlusconi finds 'True Love' Berlusconi denied the charges and accused prosecutors of conspiring against him in a left-wing plot. "Communism never changes in Italy. There are still people who use the penal code as a weapon in their ideological battles," he said earlier this year. But, according to the transcripts of the calls, Berlusconi made several controversial remarks, vowing at one point to leave Italy, which he described as a "shitty country" that "sickened" him. When confronted with these remarks, Berlusconi laughed off this and other gaffes.

Mandela in hospital for tests

Nelson Mandela is visited by former U.S. President Bill Clinton on the eve of Mandela's 94th birthday in July in Qunu, South Africa. Nelson Mandela is undergoing tests in a hospital in Pretoria, President Jacob Zuma says Mandela, 94, is doing well and there is no cause for alarm, Zuma says The former president is a Nobel laureate who fought against racial segregation Johannesburg, South Africa (CNN) -- South Africa's former leader Nelson Mandela has been admitted to a hospital in Pretoria for tests, but there is "no cause for alarm," President Jacob Zuma said Saturday. Mandela "is doing well," Zuma said in a statement. "The medical team is assured of our support as they look after and ensure the comfort of our beloved founding president of a free and democratic South Africa." Mandela, 94, will receive medical attention "from time to time, which is consistent with his age," Zuma said. Mandela, a Nobel laureate, spent 27 years in prison for fighting against racial segregation in South Africa. He was elected president in 1994, four years after he was freed from prison.

Belcher quizzed by cops before killing, video shows

"We're trying to cut you a break here," police told Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher just hours before he killed his girlfriend. NBC's Michelle Franzen reports. By The Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Police released video Friday night that shows officers finding Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher asleep in his car just hours before he killed his girlfriend and later shot himself. The recording was among two dashboard videos made available by police nearly a week after the murder-suicide. The second video shows an officer responding to Arrowhead Stadium, where Belcher shot himself in front of team officials shortly after killing Kasandra Perkins at their home on Dec. 1. The first video shows officers finding Belcher asleep in his parked car around 3 a.m. that day outside an apartment complex. Officers talk to him, and he identifies himself as a Chiefs player. Police said he was cooperative and told officers he was there to visit a woman he described as his girlfriend but that she wasn't home. The video shows Belcher later stepping out of his car and thanking officers, saying he's going to go upstairs. Police have said a woman allowed Belcher into the building, though she wasn't identified. The second video begins around 8 a.m. from the dashboard of a patrol car speeding to the stadium. Officers can be heard over the police radio confirming there had been a shooting connected to Belcher, and later that there was an armed suspect at the stadium. The video shows the police vehicle arriving at a stadium parking lot and the officer stepping out, asking over his radio that other responding officers cut off their sirens, which can be heard in the distance. "I've got a sighting from afar, it looks like they're in a negotiation ... I need a rifle asap," the officer says as he walks toward the parking lot. "I'm at the south side. I'm at the main entrance, trying to sneak up on foot." The video cuts off seconds later. Police have said officers were called to Belcher's home around 7:50 a.m., after he fatally shot Perkins, whose body was found on the floor of the master bathroom with multiple gunshot wounds. Belcher and Perkins had a 3-month-old daughter, Zoey. Belcher then drove about five miles to the stadium, where he was met by general manager Scott Pioli and coach Romeo Crennel, whom Belcher thanked for all they had done for him. When police arrived at the stadium, Belcher moved behind a vehicle, out of clear view of officers, knelt down and shot himself once in the head, according to police spokesman Darin Snapp. More content from NBCNews.com: US Supreme Court to take up same-sex marriage issue Obama seeking $60.4 billion for post-Sandy recovery Advocates on both sides hope for Supreme Court clarity on same-sex marriage Woman survives six days in snow eating tomatoes 'My puppy saved my life': SUV rams into man's jewelry store, which he had just left Shark bait? Rotting whale on Malibu beach raises fear Mormon church website: 'Sexuality is not a choice' Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook © 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

On gay marriage, Supreme Court could rule small, or big

The Supreme Court will take its first serious look at same-sex marriages. NBC's Pete Williams reports. By Pete Williams, NBC News chief justice correspondent WASHINGTON -- The marriage cases the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear will test an axiom about the court, one that says it prefers to move in small increments rather than big leaps. By next June, the justices could rule narrowly on the constitutionality of allowing same-sex couples to get married. Or they could announce a sweeping ruling that would apply nationwide and remain the law of the land for years to come. "We have no idea if they will ultimately reach the broader issues about gay people and the fundamental right to marry," says Mary Bonauto of Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, a veteran of the legal battles over gay rights. It's possible the court will find a way to avoid the central issue both cases raise: Does the Constitution's guarantee of equal protection allow the state and federal governments to make legal distinctions between same-sex couples and those of the opposite sex? The court agreed Friday to consider challenges to a law that bars the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages in the states where they are legal and to California's Proposition 8, the voter-approved initiative that put a stop to marriage in that state for gay couples. Both cases invite the potential for far-reaching decisions, says Tom Goldstein, a Washington, D.C., lawyer who argues before the court and publishes the SCOTUSblog website. "This is a monumental action by the Supreme Court, because we know they're going to say something about gay marriage for the first time ever. They may not decide there's a constitutional right to it, but this will be the building block, in one direction or the other, for recognizing or rejecting that right," Goldstein says. The greatest potential for a ruling with nationwide implications comes in the California case.  Proposition 8, approved by 52 percent of California voters in 2008, amended the state constitution to ban same-sex marriages. It went into effect after 18,000 couples had been legally married there. A federal judge in San Francisco declared the ban unconstitutional, and the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld the ruling. But it based its decision on narrower grounds that apply only to California.  Once a state grants a fundamental right like marriage, the appeals court said, it cannot later take it away.  "The people of California may not, consistent with the federal Constitution, add to their state constitution a provision that has no more practical effect than to strip gays and lesbians of their right to use the official designation that the state and society give to committed relationships, thereby adversely affecting the status and dignity of the members of a disfavored class," wrote Judge Stephen Reinhardt. If the Supreme Court affirms that decision, the ruling would affect only California, permitting marriage for same-sex couples to resume.  No other state has granted and then withdrawn the marriage right for gay couples. But the justices could go further and decide whether any state can refuse to permit same-sex couples to get married.  "The question whether the states may discriminate against gay men and lesbians in the provision of marriage licenses is the defining civil rights issue of our time," argues Ted Olson, the Washington, D.C., lawyer representing two gay couples who challenged the California measure. The Supreme Court could also reverse the lower courts and uphold Proposition 8 as a legitimate exercise of the people's right to amend their state constitution, an outcome urged by the ballot measure's backers. The appeals court decision, they argue, "threatens to short-circuit further democratic deliberations regarding official recognition of same-sex relationships." The Supreme Court also gave itself a way out of reaching the merits of the California case.  It directed lawyers for both sides to address an unusual aspect of the controversy. After voters approved the initiative, which became part of the state constitution, California officials declined to defend it and the legal battle was picked up by Prop 8's backers.  The Supreme Court wants to know if they had the legal authority to stand in for the state and carry on that battle. The second case the Supreme Court agreed on Friday to hear is a challenge to a federal law passed in 1996 and signed by President Clinton.  The Defense of Marriage Act, known as DOMA, bars federal agencies from recognizing same-sex marriages in the states where they are legal under state law. The court took up a lawsuit filed by a New York woman, Edie Windsor, who lived for more than 40 years with her partner, Thea Spyer, marrying her in Canada in 2007. But when Spyer died two years later, leaving Windsor the estate, the IRS sent a tax bill for $363,000, because the federal government did not recognize their marriage.  The surviving spouse of a traditional marriage is generally not required to pay federal estate taxes. "It was the injustice, I think, ultimately," Windsor says.  "I couldn't believe that they were making a stranger of this person I lived with and loved for 43-something years." A decision striking down DOMA would not, by itself, require states to allow same-sex marriages.  But the federal government would be required to recognize those marriages in the states where they are legal. In that case, too, the court provided itself an off-ramp.  After first defending the law, the Obama administration concluded last year that DOMA was unconstitutional.  House Republicans picked up the legal defense. The Supreme Court asked lawyers for both sides to address whether the House Republicans have the legal right to carry on the appeal. Both cases will be argued in March, and a decision probably will not come before late in June. More content from NBCNews.com: US Supreme Court to take up same-sex marriage issue Obama seeking $60.4 billion for post-Sandy recovery Advocates on both sides hope for Supreme Court clarity on same-sex marriage Woman survives six days in snow eating tomatoes 'My puppy saved my life': SUV rams into man's jewelry store, which he had just left Shark bait? Rotting whale on Malibu beach raises fear Mormon church website: 'Sexuality is not a choice' Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

Arrested man escapes cop car, then steals it

View more videos at: http://nbcdfw.com. By Mark Schnyder, NBCDFW.com A man suspected of burglarizing an antique store escaped the back of a police cruiser and then stole it, police in Texas said. Police in the city of White Settlement said they caught 41-year-old Darren Douglas Porter burglarizing the shop in the 800 block of South Cherry Lane at about 7:20 a.m. Friday. Officers detained Porter and cuffed him. They placed him in the back of the police car, shut the door and stepped away to talk to the store owner. But Porter somehow got his cuffed hands in front of him and rolled down the window -- even though the back windows are not supposed to roll down. "Unknown to us the back windows were still active so the suspect was able to hit the back window release to roll down the window and reach around and unlock the door from the outside," Lt. J.P. Bevering said. "We believe they came from the dealership with those disconnected, but they were not." Read more from NBCDFW.com Police said Porter tiptoed to the driver's seat, got in and took off. White Settlement police received two 911 calls about a police car that was driving erratically. He abandoned the police car at an apartment complex off Shenandoah Road and Calmont Avenue in West Fort Worth. Police said their chances of finding Porter are "very good." "We know who he is. We've dealt with him previously," Bevering said. "We know his associates, so now we're in the process of contacting them and keeping an eye out for him." Porter will face additional charges of felony theft and escape in addition to charges related to the burglary. Bevering said the police department would check its nine other patrol cars to make sure the windows can't be rolled down. It had never happened before, he said.

Disabled man: Teen stole phone that gave me voice

View more videos at: http://nbcnewyork.com. By Jonathan Vigliotti, NBCNewYork.com A phone that enabled a quadriplegic man with cerebral palsy to speak was stolen from his wheelchair by a teenager, he said. William Washington, 38, is unable to walk, use his hands or talk, and he could only watch as the phone was taken right off the tray of his wheelchair in the lobby of his Staten Island apartment building Nov. 8. Washington was on the iPhone at the time using a special pointer to type a message that would be spoken with voice technology. According to police, a teenager grabbed it and ran. Washington described feeling helpless and "scarred." 'Really disheartening' Without his iPhone, Washington is now limited to using a clunky computer which he used to communicate during an interview with NBCNewYork.com. "You shouldn't steal from a disabled person who relies on a special device to reach out to the world," he typed into his computer Friday, which was then read with the help of a computerized voice. Read more from NBCNewYork.com His assistant at Staten Island's Hungerford School, where Washington works with children facing similar hurdles, said the theft was infuriating. "How could someone prey on a person in a wheelchair? It's really disheartening," Robert Smith said. While the thief made off with the phone, it didn't stop Washington from getting a hold of police. Unable to call 911, Washington drafted an email to the NYPD. After looking at surveillance video, police made an arrest. The 18-year-old alleged thief no longer had Washington's phone, but Washington said that was OK. While his phone was stolen, he said he realized he had not lost his voice. And thanks to his friends, a new iPhone is on the way.