Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said on Tuesday he is resolved to settle a longstanding territorial dispute with Russia at an annual rally calling for the return of all four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido in northern Japan, the Kyodo news agency reported. "We'll continue to make steady and determined efforts to move ahead with negotiations," Noda said, stressing the need to sign a peace treaty with Russia. The four islands - which Russia calls the Southern Kurils and Japan calls the Northern Territories - has been the subject of a territorial dispute between the two nations since the end of World War ...
Amanda Knox's Italian lawyer has filed an appeal of her slander conviction in Italy, a Knox family spokesman inSeattle said Monday. In October, an Italian appeals court overturned the young Seattle woman's murder conviction in the 2007 death of her British roommate in Perugia. But the same court upheld Knox's conviction for slander — for falsely accusing bar owner Diya "Patrick" Lumumba of involvement in the slaying. Lumumba was freed after two weeks in prison for lack of evidence. Knox later said she was "manipulated" during her lengthy police interrogation. An appeal of the slander conviction was filed Monday, Knox family spokesman Dave Marriott confirmed. He doesn't know when the Italian ...
The Dutch railway will remain 'vulnerable' during wintry weather but Dutch Rail (NS) and track operator ProRail did not help matters during the current cold snap by the late introduction of schedule adjustments to cope with the conditions, transport minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen told parliament in a briefing on Tuesday. The NS and ProRail assumed on Thursday of last week that there would be three to five centimetres of snow. When the forecast was increased on Friday morning to between 10 and 15 centimetres, it was too late to change the timetables automatically, Schultz van Haegen told parliament. Drivers and conductors ...
Greece can leave the eurozone without damaging monetary union, European digital affairs commissioner Neelie Kroes says in an interview with the Volkskrant on Tuesday. Kroes, a member of the Dutch ruling right-wing Liberal party VVD, is not a supporter of Greece exchanging the euro for the drachma, but says: 'It is absolutely not a case of man overboard if someone leaves the eurozone.' The commissioner is very critical of the new Greek government and says they are not fulfilling their promises. 'Too few spending cuts, too little restructuring,' she says. She says the Greeks should follow the example of Italy where the new ...
Mitt Romney hopes his presidential campaign hasn't ignored Rick Santorum's aggressive attacks for too long, as caucuses in Colorado and Minnesota on Tuesday could reshuffle the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Santorum largely bypassed Florida and Nevada to blanket the two caucus states with criticism of Romney and lay the groundwork among conservatives who have great sway in the process. RivalNewt Gingrich praised Santorum's strategy as shrewd even as he signaled he had no interest in exiting the four-way race, which also includes Ron Paul. "I think that Santorum's going to have a pretty good day," Gingrich told reporters on the eve of the caucuses. "He targeted differently than I ...
Glencore and Xstrata agreed an all-share merger worth $90 billion (56 billion pounds) on Tuesday in the industry's largest ever deal, creating a commodities powerhouse spanning mining, agriculture and trading. Glencore, the world's largest diversified commodities tradinghouse, will issue 2.8 new shares for each Xstrata share in a deal they said was a "merger of equals." The ratio is a 15.2 percent premium to Xstrata shareholders compared with its share price last Wednesday before word leaked out about the merger talks, a joint statement said. "A merger between Glencore and Xstrata offers a unique opportunity to create a new business model in our industry to respond to ...
US White House hopeful Mitt Romney aims for another big caucus win in Colorado on Tuesday, as his well-oiled campaign machine works to cement his position as the Republican front runner in the US presidential race. Polls suggest he should triumph easily in the western US state -- where he scored 60 percent in 2008 -- although there is a tighter race in Minnesota, where last-placed Rick Santorum is hoping to snatch a win. Romney's main rival, former House speaker Newt Gingrich, is battling to stay in the race after two heavy losses in a row to the former Massachusetts governor, who ...
As President Christian Wulff remains mired in allegations of impropriety, anti-corruption group Transparency International (TI) has called for politicians to use the case as a chance to open up German politics. “We are very concerned that people seem to be starting to think that all politicians behave like Wulff, and that would be fatal,” Christian Humborg, TI Germany’s managing director told The Local. “I think the Wulff affair is a wonderful opportunity for German politicians to react to the cynical attitude that this is normal, and improve things,” he said. He said the fact that the authorities were investigating whether Wulff and his ...
German Chancellor Angela Merkel threw her weight behind French President Nicolas Sarkozy in his tough re-election battle on Monday, saying the two right-wingers were from the same "political family". Despite accusations in both countries of interference, Merkel used a visit to Paris for a joint Franco-German cabinet session to make clear her support for Sarkozy, who has increasingly cited Germany as a model for France. "We belong to the same political family. He supported me and it is natural that I support him in his campaign," Merkel said during a joint television interview with Sarkozy to be broadcast later on French and ...
Swedish prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt thinks that Swedes need to be prepared to work a lot longer than they do today in order to keep the same living standard as when they were working. “The pensions scheme isn’t based on magic. It is a welfare ambition based on large-scale re-distribution and citizens’ own work. If people think that we can live longer and shorten our work life, then pensions will get lower,” Reinfeldt said in interview with daily Dagens Nyheter (DN). According to Reinfeldt, the expectation to retire at 65 is a problem in Sweden today. He thinks that Swedes may have to ...
Israeli forces wounded at least four Palestinians on Saturday in a firefight in the southern Gaza Strip and two more in the West Bank as they tried to cross into Israel, Palestinian medics said. The condition of two of the wounded in Gaza was described as “serious.” The clash took place in the eastern town of Khan Yunis, according to witnesses. Two of those hurt were said to be members of the Popular Front for the Liberation... [more]
Britain has won its first solo Winter Olympics gold medal for 30 years as Amy Williams secured victory in the women’s skeleton. The 27-year-old broke her personal track record to win Britain’s first medal in the Vancouver Games, scoring a cool 35.64 seconds. Williams pipped the German silver medal winner Kerstin Szymkowiak by 0.56 seconds and her team-mate Anja Huber who took bronze. Britain’s Shelley Rudman came in at... [more]
Toyota president Akio Toyoda, under fire for his handling of massive safety recalls, was to leave Saturday for the United States to testify in Congress where he expects a harsh grilling, a local paper said. The head of the embattled Japanese automaker has bowed to calls to appear before Congress following an invitation by Representative Edolphus Towns to testify next Wednesday. Toyoda, expected to come under attack by US lawmakers, was... [more]
The countries using the euro currency will together provide aid worth between 20 billion and 25 billion euros ($27.2 billion and $34 billion ) for Greece, according to Germany’s Finance Ministry, a magazine reported on Saturday. Citing “initial considerations” by the ministry, German weekly Der Spiegel said the share of financial aid for Greece would be calculated according to the proportion of capital each country... [more]
The Dutch coalition government collapsed Saturday over whether to extend the country’s military mission in Afghanistan, leaving uncertain the future of its 1,600 soldiers fighting there. Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende announced that the second largest party in his three-party alliance is quitting, in a breakdown of trust in what had always been an uneasy partnership. Balkenende made no mention of elections as he spoke to reporters... [more]
Country Gold Silver Bronze 1 UNITED STATES 6 6 8 20 2 GERMANY 4 5 4 13 3 NORWAY 5 3 2 10 4 CANADA 4 3 1 8 5 FRANCE 2 1 4 7 6 KOREA 3 2 0 5 6 AUSTRIA 1 2 2 5 6 RUSSIAN FEDERATION 1 2 2 5 9 SWITZERLAND 3 0 1 4 9 CHINA 2 1 1 4 9 SWEDEN 2 1 1 4 9 ITALY 0 1 3 4 13 NETHERLAND 1 1 1 3 13 POLAND 0 2 1 3 13 JAPAN 0 1 2 3 16 AUSTRALIA 1 1 0 2 16 SLOVAKIA 1 1 0 2 16 CZECH REPUBLIC 1 0 1 2 16 LATVIA 0 2 0 2 16 BELARUS 0 1 1 2 21 GREAT... [more]
Ministers were locked in talks with their own senior advisers after midnight following a marathon cabinet meeting earlier in the day over the future Dutch role in Afghanistan. Commentators said earlier in the evening there are signs that a decision on whether or not to stay in Afghanistan may be delayed. However, as the evening progressed, the less likely it seemed ministers would reach an agreement. Junior defence minister Jack de Vries... [more]
Emilio and Gloria Estefan and other celebrities gathered to record a Spanish-language version of “We are the World” on Friday to raise money for Haiti earthquake victims. Emilio Estefan said he was talking with Quincy Jones about the importance of the Spanish market when the idea developed. “You know, Latinos always want to do things in a positive way, to show the world that even we come from different places, we... [more]
Finance Minister Wouter Bos is said to be willing to soften conditions for Iceland to repay the Netherlands 1.3 billion euros after the collapse of internet bank Icesave last year. Reports say Mr Bos and his British counterpart Alistair Darling are willing to change the interest rate on the principal due. An initial rate of 5.5 percent would be replaced by a variable rate, which is expected to be cheaper for Iceland. Last month Icelandic... [more]
North Korea has vowed to bolster its nuclear force unless the United States drops its hostile policy and removes nuclear threats to the North, adding that its nuclear program could not be traded for economic aid. The reclusive communist nation also designated eight new naval firing zones near its eastern and western sea borders with South Korea in a move that could raise tensions. North Korea quit the disarmament-for-aid negotiations... [more]
