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 ...
Barely half a year into her second term at the head of Europe’s biggest economy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has found herself under fire at home and abroad over a whole range of issues, with the Greek debt crisis top of the list. But her actions are largely explained by severe political pressure at home, commentators say. With Greece teetering on the edge of financial meltdown a few weeks ago, Merkel was accused of foot-dragging... [more]
European stock markets rose Friday after big gains on Wall Street as China’s expression of confidence in Europe’s ability to restore its financial stability eased worries about the region’s government debt crisis. Britain’s FTSE 100 was up 0.41 percent at 5,216.32, Germany’s DAX rose 0.63 percent to 6,137.47 and France’s CAC-40 was up 0.38 percent at 3,538.72 “Equity markets are pointing higher... [more]
A nationwide strike in the public sector was avoided, when the two sides on Thursday reached agreement on an average 3.3 per cent wage increase for state employees, including an extra NOK 200 million earmarked for women’s groups. - For the Government it has been imortant to level off differences in pay between men and women, and a good low-wage profile within a defendable framework, said Minister of Government Administration, Rigmor... [more]
The strike among workers in the cleaning industry is over, and they are back at work on Friday morning. The two sides reached agreement on a four per cent wage increase, without the help of the national arbitrator. Meanwhile, the strike in the transport industry continued, and and there is now noticeable shortages on some retailers’ shelves, including the state wine and liquor stores. Share this: {lang:... [more]
A nationwide strike by 17,000 municipal employees began Friday morning, after arbitration in the conflict broke down Thursday, several hours on overtime. The strike will close down schools and day-care centers, as well as some hospital services. More workers may be called out on strike in a few days, NRK reports. However, fear for the lives of patients at hospitals and nursing homes may force the Government to call for the use of a state... [more]
Spanish financial institutions are having increasing problems in borrowing from foreign banks because of concerns about Spanish sovereign debt, the Expansion daily reported on Thursday. The newspaper based its report on unnamed sources in several Spanish financial institutions to the effect that foreign banks were increasingly reluctant to lend to Spanish banks. Local press also followed up a report in The Wall Street Journal that one of... [more]
Unions and employer organisations are close to reaching agreement on how they would like to see an increase in the pension age implemented, various papers report on Thursday. The deal, which has not been finalised, involves an increase in the pension age from 65 to 66 in 2020 and possibly to 67 in 2025, depending on life expectancy developments. Both state pensions (AOW) and corporate pension schemes would be affected. An agreement between... [more]
European regulators announced on Thursday they are to shake up the auto services sector, slashing through agreements that tie dealers, repairers and parts providers to manufacturers. New European Commission rules to open up competition will begin to be applied next week for car maintenance and repairs, and in three years time for car dealerships. “I strongly believe the new framework will bring tangible benefits for consumers by bringing... [more]
The State Conciliator of Norway’s offices are still the scene of tariff negotiations between the state and its public employees. The deadline went out at midnight, and the arbitration is now on overtime. According to NRK’s source, a strike among the LO, YS and Unio members is becoming less likely, while Akademikerne still are an uncertain bet. More than 600.000 public employees will be impacted if the arbitration breaks down,... [more]
Shanghai has Wall Street-size ambitions for its financial markets, and this month, it got a charging bronze bull to match those aspirations. Symbolically, the timing was a tad off. After two years of more or less standing firm while markets elsewhere floundered, China’s share markets are feeling some pain of their own, as investors react to policies aimed at cooling surging housing prices — and to growing uncertainties over how... [more]
