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 ...
Amanda Knox was back before an Italian court Saturday in her bid to overturn a conviction for the murder of British student Meredith Kercher with new experts reviewing key forensic evidence. Lawyers for the 23-year-old American have described the appeal as a “key moment” in the case, saying it provides the first opportunity for independent experts to review the evidence which convicted her. Knox came into court with her head... [more]
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi charged Wednesday that an enquiry launched by Milan magistrates into his relationship with an underage girl was politically motivated. “There’s been no graft, no incitement to prostitution, not even of a minor,” Berlusconi said in a television address on SKY Italia. The prime minister’s comments came as Milan magistrates launched an enquiry into allegations Berlusconi hooked... [more]
The head of Brazil’s Supreme Court has said that convicted fugitive Cesare Battisti may be extradited if he is found to be in the country illegally, in a reversal from the Lula government’s position. “If the Supreme Court decides that is not within the terms of the (bilateral extradition treaty), he will have to be extradited,” said Judge Cezar Peluso told reporters about the Italian former leftwing militant’s... [more]
The Milan prosecutor’s office has evidence that Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi hooked up with prostitutes he kept in rent-free luxury apartments, according to a document made public Monday. Italian magistrates on Friday announced an enquiry into the relationship between Berlusconi and an underage girl, known as Ruby, as the prime minister was still reeling from a court ruling partially stripping him of political immunity. “A... [more]
Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi said he has been in a steady relationship since separating from his wife – as he stepped up efforts to defend claims he paid for sex with a teenage prostitute. The surprise announcement from the self-confessed lover of beautiful women comes as Mr Berlusconi faces growing pressure over a prostitution probe in which he is suspected of paying to sleep with 17-year-old Karima El Mahroug at his private... [more]
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he has been in a steady relationship since separating from his wife – as he stepped up efforts to beat back allegations that he paid for sex with a teenage prostitute. The surprise announcement from the self-confessed lover of beautiful women comes as Mr Berlusconi faces growing pressure over a prostitution probe in which he is suspected of paying to sleep with 17-year-old Karima El Mahroug... [more]
ROME will hold a special public mass to pray for flood victims across Australia, our ambassador to the Holy See says. The Caravita Oratory in Rome was also the place where priests held a similar mass in 2009 for the Black Saturday fire victims of Victoria. Brisbane-born Canon David Richardson, the director of the Anglican Centre, will join several Caravita community Catholic priests to concelebrate and pray for the flood victims. “There... [more]
Courts in Italy have begun proceedings that could decide whether Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will face trial over corruption and fraud charges relating to his Mediaset business empire. The hearing has been set up to reconsider a ‘legitimate impediment’ law passed in March 2010 that shields Berlusconi from prosecution. Cries of “shame” were heard in parliament when the law was passed. Critics have argued that... [more]
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has rebuffed a peace offering from a party rival, potentially bringing forward a final showdown in his strife-torn centre-right government. Berlusconi has been locked for months in open conflict with Gianfranco Fini, the lower house speaker and co-founder of his People of Freedom party, prompting growing speculation that his government could fall well before its term ends in 2013. The prime minister... [more]
Italy have often played with fire in the past and not least at Spain 1982, when they squeezed through their section with three draws before going on to lift the Trophy thanks to Paolo Rossi’s sudden scoring streak. Their 2010 counterparts may appreciate that omen after kicking off with a pair of draws, but that is where the comparisons end. Marcello Lippi’s side lack the defensive authority of years gone by, with captain Fabio... [more]
