Gates of Vienna News Feed 9/19/2011

Italian magistrates investigating an alleged prostitution ring have published a series of government wiretaps targeting the man suspected of being the primary procurer for the ring. A number of these wiretaps include conversations with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who is revealed as having had a, well, lusty disposition towards dozens and dozens of well-paid young women. One report says that two women were flown to Italy from the UK, at a cost of tens of thousands of euros, just to service the prime minister. The Italian papers are full of the scandalous news, and Mr. Berlusconi’s popularity in the polls has fallen to a new low.

In other news, a phone manufacturer in India is marketing a new Islamic mobile phone, which comes with special software that remembers prayer times, calculates zakat, and performs a host of other important Islamic functions. The company says the device has earned the approval of leading Islamic scholars.

To see the headlines and the articles, open the full news post.

Thanks to C. Cantoni, Diana West, Insubria, JP, KGS, Kitman, McR, Rembrandt, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

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Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. We check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.