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 ...
Pope John Paul’s coffin was exhumed Friday ahead of his beatification as tens of thousands of people began arriving in Rome for one of the biggest events since his funeral in 2005. The Vatican said the coffin was removed from the crypts below St Peter’s Basilica while top Vatican officials and some of the late pope’s closest aides looked on and prayed. Those present at the ceremony included Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, his... [more]
A massive crowd of wellwishers edged up towards Buckingham Palace on Friday to see Prince William and his bride Kate appear on the balcony and seal their royal wedding with a kiss. Tens of thousands of people, waving Union Jacks and taking photographs of a historic moment, walked slowly up The Mall, the wide boulevard leading from Trafalgar Square to the palace as a cordon of police led the way. Thousands of people were already waiting in... [more]
An elegant, tiara-bedecked Kate Middleton swept down the aisle to marry Prince William at Westminster Abbey as fans packed the streets of London, hoping to snatch a glimpse of a historic royal wedding expected to revitalize the British monarchy. Some 2 billion people across the globe were believed to have tuned in as the future king and queen of England started their lives as husband and wife with the two simple words “I will.”... [more]
Victoria and David Beckham and Sir Elton John have turned out for the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Footballer David and his Spice Girl-turned-fashion designer wife, and music legend Elton were among 1,900 guests invited to the Westminster Abbey service. Victoria earlier spoke of her delight at the occasion, writing on Twitter: “London looks beautiful!!! We are so proud to be British!” There were squeals... [more]
Kate Middleton’s ivory and lace wedding dress was designed by Sarah Burton, creative director at the fashion house Alexander McQueen, the palace announced on Friday. As a smiling Kate entered Westminster Abbey to meet Prince William, officials confirmed long speculation that Burton had made her dress. They had previously refused to give even the slightest detail about it. “Miss Middleton wished for her dress to combine tradition... [more]
Prince William and Kate Middleton have been pronounced man and wife as they married in a historic fairytale ceremony at Westminster Abbey. The future king and his beautiful bride, who will now one day be queen, pledged their love for one another in the ancient surroundings, watched by billions across the globe. In a stunning ivory gown with lace applique floral detail designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen, Kate walked up the red... [more]
Anticipation is building inside and outside Westminster Abbey as high-profile guests take their seats for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Sir Elton John, David and Victoria Beckham, Prince William’s uncle Earl Spencer and Prince Harry’s on-off girlfriend Chelsy Davy are among the many famous faces in the congregation. Westminster Abbey has been transformed for the occasion, with a towering avenue of delicate... [more]
Australian pop star Dannii Minogue is recovering after undergoing emergency surgery to remove her appendix. The singer and reality TV personality was admitted to a hospital in West London on Saturday after suffering crippling stomach pains. Doctors diagnosed the 39 year old with acute appendicitis and rushed her to the operating room for an appendectomy. A spokesperson for Minogue says, “Dannii was taken into hospital with stomach... [more]
London ground to a halt on Friday morning as preparations began for Prince William’s wedding to fiancee Kate Middleton with hundreds of thousands of well-wishers descending on the capital. Fans have been camping out along the procession route for days in a bid to glimpse the couple, who will exchange vows in a 60-minute service at Westminster Abbey, due to kick off at 11am local time. The most-dedicated royal watchers began camping... [more]
Twenty suspected anarchists have been banned from getting near the royal wedding as the biggest police security operation in a generation swung into action. The group, arrested as part of a string of raids on squats across London on Thursday, have been ordered not to visit Westminster as part of their bail conditions. With the attention of the world fixed on London, detectives’ multimillion-pound ring of steel around the event got... [more]
