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 ...
Today is Sunday, May 30, the 150th day of 2010. There are 215 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On May 30, 1922, the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in Washington in a ceremony attended by President Warren G. Harding, Chief Justice William Howard Taft and Robert Todd Lincoln. On this date: In 1431, Joan of Arc, condemned as a heretic, was burned at the stake in Rouen (roo-AHN’), France. In 1854, the territories... [more]
Today is Saturday, May 29, the 149th day of 2010. There are 216 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On May 29, 1953, Mount Everest was conquered as Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tensing Norgay of Nepal became the first climbers to reach the summit. On this date: In 1660, England’s King Charles II was restored to the monarchy after an interregnum of 11 years. In 1765, Patrick Henry denounced the Stamp Act... [more]
Today is Friday, May 28, the 148th day of 2010. There are 217 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On May 28, 1863, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, made up of freed blacks, left Boston to fight for the Union in the Civil War. On this date: In 1533, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, declared the marriage of England’s King Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn valid. In 1892, the Sierra Club was... [more]
Today is Thursday, May 27, the 147th day of 2010. There are 218 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On May 27, 1937, the newly completed Golden Gate Bridge connecting San Francisco and Marin County, Calif., was opened to pedestrian traffic (vehicular traffic began crossing the bridge the next day). On this date: In 1860, forces led by Giuseppe Garibaldi took Palermo, Sicily. In 1896, 255 people were killed... [more]
Today is Wednesday, May 26, the 146th day of 2010. There are 219 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On May 26, 1940, the evacuation of more than 338,000 Allied troops from Dunkirk, France, began duringWorld War II. On this date: In 1521, Martin Luther was banned by the Edict of Worms (vohrms) because of his religious beliefs and writings. In 1868, the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson ended with... [more]
Today is Tuesday, May 25, the 145th day of 2010. There are 220 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On May 25th, 1810, Argentina began its revolt against Spanish rule with the forming of the Primera Junta inBuenos Aires. On this date: In 1787, the Constitutional Convention began meeting in Philadelphia after enough delegates had shown up for a quorum. In 1895, playwright Oscar Wilde was convicted of a morals... [more]
Today is Monday, May 24, the 144th day of 2010. There are 221 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On May 24, 1844, Samuel F.B. Morse transmitted the message, “What hath God wrought” from Washington to Baltimore as he formally opened America’s first telegraph line. On this date: In 1819, Queen Victoria was born in London. In 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge, linking Brooklyn and Manhattan, was dedicated... [more]
Today is Sunday, May 23, the 143rd day of 2010. There are 222 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On May 23, 1960, Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion announced the capture of former Nazi official Adolf Eichmann, who’d been hiding in Argentina. (Eichmann was tried in Israel, found guilty of crimes against humanity, and hanged in 1962.) On this date: In 1430, Joan of Arc was captured by the Burgundians,... [more]
Today is Saturday, May 22, the 142nd day of 2010. There are 223 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On May 22, 1960, an earthquake of magnitude 9.5, the strongest on record, struck southern Chile. According to the U.S. Geological Survey website, the quake claimed approximately 1,655 lives, injured 3,000 people, left 2 million homeless and caused $550 million worth of damage. On this date: In 1860, the United States... [more]
Today is Friday, May 21, the 141st day of 2010. There are 224 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On May 21, 1927, Charles A. Lindbergh landed his Spirit of St. Louis near Paris, completing the first solo airplane flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 33 1/2 hours. On this date: In 1542, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto died while searching for gold along the Mississippi River. In 1832, the first Democratic National... [more]
