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UK spy agencies defended over drummer soldier murder

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:52:28 -0400

LONDON - The British government has defended its spy agencies for failing to prevent murder of a soldier in London despite signs and revelations that the two suspects were well known to MI5. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said it was impossible to control everyone all the time. "Peers and MPs will do a thorough investigation in terms of what the security forces knew but I've seen ...

Another jewellery heist hits Cannes as $2.6 mn necklace stolen

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:52:38 -0400

CANNES - A second suspected jewellery heist was reported at the Cannes Film Festival, with a single necklace by Swiss jeweller De Grisogono worth nearly $2.6 million reported missing. In the case of the first gem loot at the Cannes Film Festival, thieves literally tore out a safe filled with roughly $1 million-worth of jewels from a hotel room. The second time around the event took place at ...

Amnesty laments lack of support for refugees globally

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:46:37 -0400

LONDON - Global rights body Amnesty International has said that the world is "increasingly" becoming "dangerous place" for refugees due to inaction on human rights. The London-based group in its annual report cited the increasing number of refugees around the world, and highlighted the lack of support for them, as the key human rights issue for the past year. It said that the number of ...

Black Widow Suicide Bomber Wounds 12 in Russia

Sat, 25 May 2013 18:15:15 -0400

A female suicide bomber blew herself up in southern Russia's restive Dagestan Saturday, wounding at least 12 people. Police say the bomber detonated her explosives in the central square in Makhachkala, Dagestan's capital. At least two of the wounded are in critical condition. Police reportedly have identified the bomber as 25-year-old Madina Alieva, a widow of two slain Islamists. ...

Russia Cracks Down on Gay Activism

Sat, 25 May 2013 18:15:07 -0400

Russian police arrested at least 30 gay rights activists and their opponents in the capital, Moscow, Saturday, enforcing the city's ban on gay rights demonstrations. The arrests coincided with the first-ever gay rights rally in neighboring Ukraine, which was allowed by authorities and protected by police. The demonstrators in Russia gathered in front of the nation's lower house of ...

UEFA head warns players to stop walking off pitch despite racial abuse

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:20:02 -0400

The head of European football has told players not to walk off the pitch if they are racially abused, saying that any decision to stop a match should be left to the referee. The comments of UEFA president Michel Platini came after AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli, who was subjected to 'monkey chants' in a recent match against Roma, had vowed that he would leave the pitch if he was abused in ...

Russia plans four spacecraft launches in 2014

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:00:01 -0400

Russia's Energia Rocket and Space Corporation will make four launches next year from the Pacific Ocean-based Odyssey platform under the Sea Launch programme, an official said. Corporation president Vitaly Lopota said that after 2014, Energia will be able to make five or more launches a year. Next year's launches will be the first since one of Sea Launch's Zenit vehicles carrying an Intelsat-27 ...

Facebook Phones poor U.S. sales feedback delays Europe launch

Sat, 25 May 2013 02:50:02 -0400

Facebook Phone's disappointingly poor customer feedback in the United States has resulted in the delay of its launch in Europe. The HTC handsets, which run Facebook's enhanced Home software, designed to replace the phone's home screen with FB feed and chat options, has flopped with users. EE, a UK mobile operator, confirmed that poor customer feedback is the reason why the phone's Europe launch ...

Kaia Kanepi beats Peng Shuai in WTA Brussels Open final

Sat, 25 May 2013 18:43:13 -0400

Belgium Estonian qualifier Kaia Kanepi upset eighth seed Peng Shuai to win her fourth career WTA title at the Brussels Open on Saturday.The 27-year-old Kanepi prevailed in straight sets 6-2, 7-5 to take a confidence-boosting win into the French Open, which starts on Sunday night (AEST).Inclement weather in the Belgian capital meant the tournament had suffered scheduling issues, and the ...

Uniformed soldier stabbed in Paris

Sat, 25 May 2013 18:42:39 -0400

Francois Hollande said. The soldier was patrolling in uniform with two other men as part of France's Vigipirate anti-terrorist surveillance plan when he was approached from behind around 6pm and stabbed in the neck with a knife or a box-cutter. Hollande, in the Ethiopian city of Addis Ababa, commented on the stabbing to say that the man was still on the run and police were exploring all ...

1976 Apple model sells for $668000

Sat, 25 May 2013 18:42:38 -0400

BERLIN: An auctioneer says one of Apple's first computers - a functioning 1976 model - has been sold for a record 516,000 ($668,000). The computer, with a wooden keyboard, is being offered for sale along with a batch of ancient typewriters and a 1905 toy battleship. German auction house Breker said on Saturday an Asian client, who asked not to be named, bought the so-called Apple 1, which ...

Suicide bomber struck in Russia 18 wounded

Sat, 25 May 2013 18:36:06 -0400

A suicide bomber blew himself up in front of police officers in Dagestan in Russia on Saturday wounding 18 people, five of them including two police officers critically, news agency STT reported quoting AFP and ...

EU threatens France over economic failings

Sat, 25 May 2013 17:55:35 -0400

The European Commission will use sweeping new powers backed by sanctions to impose controversial social and economic reforms on European countries later this week. France, Spain and Slovenia are set to be criticised in a major commission report on Wednesday as countries that have failed, amid recession and the financial crisis, to cut public debt and to implement structural reforms of their ...

Million doses of fake aspirin from China seized in France

Sat, 25 May 2013 17:45:55 -0400

RENNES, France (AFP) - French customs officers have seized 1.2 million doses of counterfeit aspirin from China, the biggest haul of fake medicines ever in France and the EU, the economy ministry announced Saturday.The goods, seized May 17 in the northwestern port of Le Havre, were hidden in a cargo of tea that arrived from China, the ministry said in a statement. The powder was mostly glucose and ...

Late Robben goal sees Bayern rule Europe

Sat, 25 May 2013 17:21:45 -0400

Borussia Dortmund on Saturday after a thrilling UEFA Champions League final at Wembley Stadium. With extra time beckoning, Robben collected a back-heel ...

French Soldier Stabbed in the Throat While on Patrol Outside Paris

Sat, 25 May 2013 17:16:36 -0400

A French soldier was stabbed by a robed assailant while he was on an antiterrorism patrol in a busy commercial district on the western outskirts of Paris. The 23-year-old soldier lost a lot of blood but he was quickly taken to the hospital and his wounds are not life-threatening. Still, the attack "sent a shudder through the French capital" considering it comes mere days after the ...

Soccer-List of European CupChampions League winners

Sat, 25 May 2013 17:12:40 -0400

LONDON, May 25 (Reuters) - European Cup/Champions League final results since the competition began in 1955-56: Date Venue Winners Runners-up 1956 ...

Erdogan visits Turkish town hit by bombings

Sat, 25 May 2013 16:58:54 -0400

Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Reyhanli on the Syrian border Saturday and met with families of those killed in recent bombings. Erdogan first addressed local residents at a mass ...

Verdicts Expected for Heads of Milosevics Secret Police

Sat, 25 May 2013 16:29:57 -0400

THE HAGUE ...

Germanys Greens probe 1980s paedophilia link

Sat, 25 May 2013 16:23:49 -0400

14/04/2013 19:09 CET With federal elections in Germany less than four months away, the Greens hoping to gain more seats in the Bundestag by getting to grips with a controversial issues that has plagued the party. The Greens have asked a prominent political scientist to investigate accusations that party members wanted to legalise paedophilia in the 1980s. Some argue the party’s image of ...

Russia The Day the Inspectors Came

Sat, 25 May 2013 16:14:53 -0400

This is how it is in today's Russia, one year since Vladimir Putin returned to the presidency. Over the last twelve months, the authorities have introduced a sweeping set of restrictive new laws. In addition to raids on nongovernmental groups, they are harassing, intimidating and imprisoning political activists. Government critics and even charities that can in no way be thought of as ...

Rome March for Life Marks 35 Years of Legal Abortion in Italy

Sat, 25 May 2013 16:13:54 -0400

When We Lose Right to Life, We Lose All Rights, Says March SpokespersonBy Ann SchneibleROME, May 10, 2013 (Zenit.org) - "We have to stand up for our next generation," said Rome's March for Life spokesperson, Virginia Nunziante, in an interview with ZENIT.Thirty-five years after the legalization of abortion in Italy, thousands of pro-life advocates are expected to gather in Rome ...

BRUSSELS Belgium — The European Union has approved restrictions on three pesticides to better protect dwindling bee ...

Sat, 25 May 2013 15:47:22 -0400

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The European Union has approved restrictions on three pesticides to better protect dwindling bee populations, to enter into force by December. EU Health Commissioner Tonio Borg called Friday's decision a "milestone ...

Turkish Minister of Youth and Sports Kilic gives unity message at Anitkabir…

Sat, 25 May 2013 15:35:27 -0400

Turkish Minister of Youth and Sports Kilic gives unity message at Anitkabir ANKARA - Turkish Minister of Youth and Sports Suat Kilic visited the Founder of the Republic of Turkey Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's Mausoleum-Anitkabir on the occasion of May 19 Commemoration of Ataturk,Youth and Sports Day.Kilic laid a wreath on Ataturk's Mausoleum, and observed a minute of silence in his ...

Turkish parade in New York is a show of power Turkish Minister

Sat, 25 May 2013 15:35:27 -0400

Turkey's EU Minister Egemen Bagis said Turkish parade was a cultural show of power NEW YORK - Turkey's EU Minister and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis said, " Turkish Day Parade is a signal of Turkey's power, a cultural show of power." Federation of Turkish American Associations (FTAA) organized the 32thTurkish Day Parade in New York.Addressing the crowd after the parade, ...

32nd Turkish Day Parade and Festival

Sat, 25 May 2013 15:35:27 -0400

Annual Turkish Day Parade and Festival organized in New York NEW YORK - Turkish flag was raised at Wall Street in New York within the scope of annual Turkish Day organized by Federation of Turkish American Associations (FTAA).Turkey's United Nations (UN) Permanent Representative Halit Cevik, Turkish Consul General in New York Levent Bilgen, FTAA Director Ali Cinar, as well as politicians ...

France begins next stage of troop withdrawal from Mali

Sat, 25 May 2013 15:11:46 -0400

French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (R) climbs aboard his plane, on April 26, 2013 in Bamako. Le Drian's visit came shortly after the beginning of a phased withdrawal of the 4,500-strong French contingency which will see just 1,000 troops left in Mali by the end of the year. (Martin Bureau /AFP/Getty ...

Turkish couples kiss in subway in protest

Sat, 25 May 2013 15:10:39 -0400

Dozens of couples have locked lips at a subway stop in Turkey's capital, Ankara, to protest subway authorities' admonishment of a couple that kissed in ...

France says hed like fall race stay in Charlotte

Sat, 25 May 2013 15:10:37 -0400

CONCORD, N.C. — NASCAR chairman Brian France says Charlotte track owner Bruton Smith has not asked NASCAR to move the Bank of America 500. But he left the door open to such a move. France said his preference would be to keep the race in Charlotte, but added "for one reason or another, (if) a certain market is not performing as well, it may be a better opportunity. We've seen ...

Key step cleared to Switzerland-China free trade deal

Sat, 25 May 2013 15:09:35 -0400

BERNE, Switzerland -- Switzerland and China cleared the final hurdle Friday towards a landmark free-trade agreement, as Beijing seeks to underscore its growing global ties via deals with European ...

Russias Putin Hails Ties With African Union As It Turns 50

Sat, 25 May 2013 15:04:43 -0400

MOSCOW, May 25 (RIA Novosti) – Russian President Vladimir Putin called for closer cooperation with the African Union on Saturday, marking the organization's 50th anniversary. In his congratulating letter Putin praised the 53-member union’s role in a wide range of international and regional issues, including its peacekeeping efforts and economic development, the Kremlin said. ...

Russias birth rate rose 5.6 percent in 2012

Sat, 25 May 2013 14:48:26 -0400

The Russian government said the country's birth rate in 2012 was 5.6 percent above the previous year. Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova said Friday the national birth rate rose from 12.6 per 1,000 people in 2011 to 13.3. Skvortsova said the abortion rate in Russia was down 5.5 percent last year, a total decline of nearly 54,000 procedures. She credited increased government support for ...

Pope Francis Changes Tone at the Vatican

Sat, 25 May 2013 14:32:59 -0400

VATICAN CITY ...

France Tracks shy away from Air Titan due to cost

Sat, 25 May 2013 14:26:26 -0400

CONCORD, N.C. — NASCAR chairman Brian France says he believes the Air Titan drying system is great for the sport. That doesn't mean it's for everyone. France said Air Titan, which uses compressed air to move water off the track and then dry the surface, is available to all tracks. But he said not all tracks are taking advantage of the system due to the "cost issue." ...

France NASCAR not talking to IndyCar about double

Sat, 25 May 2013 14:26:10 -0400

NASCAR chairman Brian France says the organization is not talking with IndyCar about making it easier for drivers who want to try racing in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same ...

Breaking French soldier stabbed in the neck in Paris

Sat, 25 May 2013 14:20:20 -0400

The soldier was injured but will survive the attack, according to a police source who spoke to Reuters.The soldier was patrolling western Paris' business area as part of France's Vigipirate anti-terrorist surveillance scheme.French ...

Turkish Premier visits Silicon Valley

Sat, 25 May 2013 14:06:10 -0400

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Silicon Valley to see latest informatics developments SAN FRANCISCO - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, "We wanted to see the latest developments in informatics sector by visiting the Silicon Valley before we hold a bid for FATIH project because we plan to realize a similar project in Istanbul." Turkish Prime Minister ...

Spains Catholic Archdiocese to Hire More Exorcists to Fight Devil

Sat, 25 May 2013 13:40:09 -0400

Days after Pope Francis laid his hands on a young man in a wheelchair in the Vatican and fueled suspicion that he performed an exorcism, the Catholic archdiocese in Madrid is reportedly considering hiring at least eight more trained clergy to help some of the faithful deal with ...

Female Suicide Bomber Attacks Police in Russias Dagestan

Sat, 25 May 2013 13:35:17 -0400

MAKHACHKALA, May 25 (RIA Novosti) – A female suicide bomber in Russia’s turbulent region of Dagestan blew herself up on Saturday killing one and injuring at least 14 others, including police officers, officials said. The attacker, later identified as a 25-year-old widow of two Islamic militants killed by security forces, attempted to target regional police headquarters in the ...

Sweden cleans up after another night of riots

Sat, 25 May 2013 13:34:13 -0400

Riots were sparked by the police killing of a knife-wielding man who had locked himself in his apartment in one of Stockholm's neighborhoods where most residents are immigrants. (Fredrik ...

Hotel rates in Europe soar with more travellers booking mini-breaks

Sat, 25 May 2013 13:34:02 -0400

In Europe, the end of winter and an increasing number of spring vacations and mini-breaks have led to rising hotel rates in several cities for the month of May, according to the Trivago-Relaxnews report. Compared with April, rates are going up in Venice (+38%) ahead of the Art Biennale (June 1-November 24), Prague (+35%), Istanbul (+29%) and Barcelona (+22%). Compared to May last year, however, ...

Why Europe Really Has To Drill For Shale And Quickly

Sat, 25 May 2013 13:32:47 -0400

here about the effects of shale gas on the European energy market. The conclusion to be drawn from it is that Europe really does need to be drilling for shale gas and quickly. The reason for this though is that the US has already decided to do so: and it's the effects of the US shale revolution that mean that Europe's got to follow. We could start by saying that well, no, we want to ...

Kanepi wins Brussels title

Sat, 25 May 2013 13:31:37 -0400

Kanepi won the fourth tournament in her WTA career by racing out to build a big lead before surviving some late jitters and clinching a big boost ahead of the French Open which starts on ...

Champions League the day London became just a small town in Germany

Sat, 25 May 2013 13:27:21 -0400

For one day only, the Wembley Tavern was a sea of garish yellow and black on Saturday as it played host to chanting Borussia Dortmund fans, while Thirsty Eddie's on the High Road was reserved for Bayern Munich supporters.Amid a surge of support ...

Russia warns Germany for possible terror attack

Sat, 25 May 2013 13:26:07 -0400

Russia's KGB had warned German authorities about a possible terror attack by a single individual. Radical Islamist terror groups could use new, computer-based technology or even drones, the office, known in Germany as the Bundeskriminalamt (Germany Federal Police) or BKA, said. "For western countries airlines and airports there is a credible threat that can manifest itself at any time ...

Black widow bomber kills one wounds 14 in Russia

Sat, 25 May 2013 13:18:21 -0400

By Arsen Mollayev, The Associated Press A female suicide bomber blew herself up in the southern Russian region of Dagestan on Saturday, killing one person and wounding a dozen, including children and police officers, authorities said.The attacker was later identified as a widow of two Islamic radicals killed by security forces.It was the first suicide bombing in Dagestan since the Boston Marathon ...

China Switzerland sign free-trade pact

Sat, 25 May 2013 13:18:02 -0400

Switzerland and China have signed a free-trade agreement leaders of both nations called a historic achievement. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, in Switzerland to sign the accord, said the trade pact "has huge meaning for global free-trade." "This free-trade deal is the first between China and a continental European economy, and the first with one of the 20 leading economies of the ...

Black widow suicide bomber injures 18 in Russias Dagestan region

Sat, 25 May 2013 13:15:39 -0400

A female suicide bomber blew herself up in the southern Russian region of Dagestan on Saturday, injuring at least 18, including two children and five police officers, authorities said. The attacker was later identified as a widow of two Islamic radicals killed by security ...

France’s Alize Cornet claims Strasbourg International title

Sat, 25 May 2013 12:47:31 -0400

France's Alize Cornet defeated Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 7-6 (4), 6-0 in the Stragbourg International final on Saturday. (file photo) (PHILIPPE ...

Syria Britain in last ditch bid to persuade EU to relax arms embargo to rebels

Sat, 25 May 2013 12:47:11 -0400

Britain will on Sunday make a fresh attempt to persuade the European Union to relax its arms embargo on Syrian rebels, after President Bashar al-Assad's forces looked set for a key battlefield victory that could turn the war in their ...

China premier criticises EU for telecom probe solar panel tax

Sat, 25 May 2013 12:36:29 -0400

China'sPremierLi Keqiang has slammed the European Union for plans to probe the country's telecom products and impose taxes on its solar panels, Chinese state media reported on ...

Anti-Muslim Threats Rise in Britain After Soldiers Killing

Sat, 25 May 2013 12:30:11 -0400

LONDON ...

Earthquake Triggers Aftershocks in Russian Far East

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:43:48 -0400

Moscow, May 25 (Prensa Latina) Countless seismic tremor was triggered in the territory of the Far East by the earthquake yesterday in Ojots sea, off the coast of Sakhalin peninsula, confirmed today the Emergency Situations Ministry. The earthquake was located at 10:00 local time about 372 miles deep in the sea, with a magnitude of 7.7 to 8.2 degrees, according to various sources. No casualties or ...

France rules out Iran joining in Syria peace talks

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:40:34 -0400

ABU DHABI - France's foreign minister on Saturday ruled out Iran taking part in a proposed Syria peace conference, saying Tehran was involved in the conflict and had no desire for peace.Laurent Fabius will host Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry at a dinner on Monday to discuss how to nudge Syrian President Bashar Assad and the Syrian opposition ...

Football quiz Champions League and European Cup finals

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:39:12 -0400

Borussia Dortmund prepared for Champions League final without Mario Gtze - video Borussia Dortmund manager Jrgen Klopp says his team will not suffer the loss of playmaker Mario Gtze as they have been preparing for him not being able to ...

Europes clubs face the final push for Champions League places

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:29:09 -0400

Champions League could feature some fascinating new or nearly forgotten faces. There will also be a couple of notable absences from the starting line-up, most obviously Internazionale, the 2010 winners, who will be exiled from Europe after finishing ninth in Serie A, far behind the top four of Juventus, Napoli, Milan and Fiorentina. The final will be held in Lisbon's Stadium of Light but the ...

Riots spread outside Stockholm Sweden in sixth night of violence

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:14:53 -0400

Rioting spread beyond the Swedish capital Stockholm, with youths torching vehicles and buildings on the sixth straight night of street violence, officials said. Specially trained police from Gothenburg and Malmo backed up local officers in Stockholm, the BBC reported Saturday. The disturbances began Sunday in Stockholm, but spread Friday to Orebro, where about 25 masked youths set fire to three ...

Three killed in Spain plane crash

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:14:53 -0400

An investigation was under way Saturday into the crash of a small plane in Spain that killed three of the four people aboard, authorities said. The pilot of the single-engine plane was seriously injured and taken to a hospital in Palma. A firefighter and a bystander suffered minor burns while trying to get the victims out of the flaming wreckage, ThinkSpain said Saturday. The crash occurred in ...

Priest killed by Mafia one step closer to sainthood

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:14:52 -0400

A priest killed by the Mafia in 1993 has been beatified in a ceremony in Italy attended by more than 50,000 people, Catholic Church officials said. The Rev. Giuseppe Puglisi is the first victim of organized crime to be declared a martyr, the BBC reported Saturday. A cardinal representing Pope Francis, 40 bishops and government ministers were present at the ceremony in Palermo, which is the ...

Georgia will cooperate on Sochi Olympics security

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:14:49 -0400

The prime minister of Georgia said his country is willing to "provide maximum assistance" with security during the 2014 Winter Olympics in neighboring Russia. Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili told reporters Friday Georgia would do its part to ensure the safety of the games, which will be held in the resort city of Sochi, a few miles from the border between Russia and the disputed ...

Putin Business amnesty bill needs changes

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:14:48 -0400

Russian President Vladimir Putin said a bill that would free thousands of jailed businessmen required revisions. RIA Novosti reported Saturday the office of Russia's business ombudsman Boris Titov estimates 110,000 businessmen could be directly affected by the bill. Andrei Nazarov, who co-authored the bill with Titov, said it would be ready for consideration by lawmakers "within three ...

Russia 8.2 earthquake is big but no deaths

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:12:22 -0400

Russia 8.2 earthquake: The USGS says it was even bigger, an 8.3 earthquake, and felt as far away as Moscow. But the Russia earthquake caused no ...

Clashes at Moscow gay rally 30 arrested

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:10:44 -0400

MOSCOW: Gay-rights campaigners and their opponents clashed at an unsanctioned rally in the Russian capital on Saturday, but a heavy police presence in Ukraine kept the two sides apart at that country's first-ever gay pride march. Russian police said they arrested at least 30 gay rights campaigners and Christian Orthodox vigilantes in Moscow. The campaigners tried to unfurl banners denouncing ...

Shurat HaDin Arrest France 2 bureau chief in wake of al-Dura report

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:09:17 -0400

[Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA: In response to question from IMRA if Nitsana Darshan-Leitner plans to file a complaint herself with the police, Shurat HaDin responded that: "There are many victims of the second Intifada who would be willing to file a complaint against him, and indeed this may prove to be the case as a result of this development." ] Shurat HaDin - Israel Law Center ...

UK zookeeper dies from tiger attack injuries

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:46:01 -0400

"For some unknown reason, an inexplicable reason, because there is no reason for why she did it, she opened the door and went into the tiger enclosure and straight into the tigers, and now we'll never know why," Gill ...

Russian police detain activists foes at gay rally

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:45:44 -0400

Police detain a gay rights supporter, left, and an opponent, right, who scuffle during an unsanctioned gay rally near the City Hall in Moscow, Saturday, May 25, 2013. The Kremlin initiated a bill banning "propaganda of homosexuality" and routinely banned gay rallies and parade. Russian police say they detained at least 30 gay rights campaigners and their opponents at an unsanctioned ...

Putin Warns Obama on Missile Shield

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:44:39 -0400

Moscow, May 25 (Prensa Latina) The secretary of the Russian Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, said today that a message from President Vladimir Putin to his U.S. counterpart, Barack Obama, pays special attention to the missile defense system (DAM) of the Pentagon in Europe. Another issue particularly focused on the president's letter is arms control, told to Interfax the expert on ...

Another Attack in Dagestan Injures More than a Dozen

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:44:39 -0400

Moscow, May 25 (Prensa Latina) A suicide bomber activated a bomb outside the headquarters of the Interior Ministry of Dagestan in the North Caucasus, injuring at least 11, among thme policemen and civilians, government sources corroborated today. Two policemen were reported in serious condition, while the Emergency Situations Ministry gets a plane ready to move to Majashkal, capital of Dagestan, ...

Champions League Terror Attack Alarm in Germany Downplayed

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:43:30 -0400

German police have sought to mitigate earlier reports that there is an increased risk of terrorist attacks in public areas during Saturday's UEFA Champions League final. "Germany has stood in the cross hairs of international terrorism for a long time. At this time, there are no indications of plans to attack or targets within Germany," said German Interior Minister Hans-Peter ...

Russia Gay Rights Activists Arrested At Rally

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:35:04 -0400

Dozens of activists at a gay pride march in Moscow have been arrested by Russian police. Authorities said at ...

Sweden Riots Unrest Spreads Beyond Stockholm

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:30:39 -0400

Rioting in Sweden spread to towns outside Stockholm as youths took to the streets for a sixth successive night. A car and school were set on fire and a police station attacked in the central town of Orebro, about 100 miles (160km) from the Swedish capital on Friday night and early Saturday morning. And in the southwest town of Linkoping, groups of youths clashed with police. Meanwhile, ...

Sweden unrest Stockholm police ask for reinforcements to quell ongoing riots

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:29:19 -0400

Police in Sweden have appealed to residents to photograph and film people they see rioting in the streets, as they struggle to bring under control the violent unrest that has spread throughout the capital city of Stockholm for more than a ...

Board of Italys ILVA steel group quits after asset seizure

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:27:13 -0400

ROME (Reuters) - The management board of Italian steel group ILVA has resigned, the company said on Saturday, following the seizure of 8 billion euros of assets from its controlling company in connection with allegations of ...

Terror warning in Germany ahead of tonights soccer match

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:23:16 -0400

Radical Islamist terror groups could use new, computer-based technology or even drones, the office, known in Germany as the Bundeskriminalamt (Germany Federal Police) or BKA, said. "For western countries airlines and airports there is a credible threat that can manifest itself at any time in an attack," the BKA said in a confidential reported entitled "The situation in aviation ...

Pirates release German ships 4 crew members

Sat, 25 May 2013 09:46:01 -0400

BERLIN -; A German shipping company says four crew members from one of its vessels have been released a month after being kidnapped by pirates off Equatorial Guinea's ...

Syria fight rages amid pressure for talks

Sat, 25 May 2013 09:45:52 -0400

The Syrian rebels are in a crucial fight for the city of Qusayr as pressure mounts on the opposition to form a united front and accede to peace ...

Murphy sails to gold in Netherlands

Sat, 25 May 2013 09:45:24 -0400

Annalise Murphy won gold today at the Delta Lloyd Regatta in Medemblik, Netherlands. She led the medal race from the first mark finishing with almost a one minute advantage. This victory is the second for Annalise this month, having also won gold on 12 May at Italian Olympic Week. Murphy went in to the medal race in third place, two points behind Alison Young (GBR) and the London 2012 silver ...

Ukraines gay rights activists hold countrys first gay rally

Sat, 25 May 2013 09:40:39 -0400

25 May 2013 ABOUT 100 Ukrainian gay rights activists held the country's first gay rally today helped by police who arrested 13 people for trying to break up the ...

China Switzerland sign MOU on concluding FTA talks

Sat, 25 May 2013 09:39:45 -0400

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L, back) and Swiss President Ueli Maurer (R, back) attend a signing ceremony after their talks in Bern, Switzerland, May 24, 2013. Photo: Xinhua China and Switzerland here on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on concluding negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA).The MOU was signed during a meeting between visiting Chinese Premier Li ...

Turkish PM blames Syria over twin bombings

Sat, 25 May 2013 09:38:12 -0400

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan greets his supporters as he visits the town of Reyhanli in Hatay province near the Turkish-Syrian border May 25, 2013. REUTERS/Umit ...

Meqdad ends Russia visit returns to Syria

Sat, 25 May 2013 09:38:09 -0400

United States are seeking to broker an international peace conference on Syria in an effort to end the more than two-year-old crisis that has claimed at least 94,000 lives. No date has been set for the conference to be held ...

China-Switzerland FTA to benefit both sides

Sat, 25 May 2013 09:37:43 -0400

/enpproperty--> BEIJING - China and Switzerland on Friday announced the completion of talks concerning a new free trade agreement (FTA), the first to be signed between Beijing and continental Europe. A memorandum of understanding was signed during a meeting between visiting Premier Li Keqiang and Swiss President Ueli Maurer. The two sides also announced the establishment of a financial ...

China-Germany ties play leading role in China-EU ties

Sat, 25 May 2013 09:37:42 -0400

/enpproperty--> BERLIN - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is scheduled to start a visit to Germany on Saturday, the last stop of his first overseas trip after he took office. The fact that Germany is the the only European Union (EU) member included in Li's ongoing four-nation trip evinces the importance of China-Germany ties in the China-EU relationship, said Shi Mingde, China's ...

EUROPE MARKETS Europe Stocks Head For 1.8 Weekly Loss

Sat, 25 May 2013 09:29:30 -0400

LONDON – European stock markets added to the prior day's sharp losses on Friday, tracking stock futures lower in the U.S,. where investors grew cautious ahead of the long weekend, offsetting better-than-expected economic data.The Stoxx Europe 600 index lost 0.3% to 303.18, on track to close out the week 1.8% lower.Shares of BT Group PLC dropped 1.7%, after J.P. Morgan Cazenove cut the ...

Aid groups urge EU to fulfil commitments to Palestinians

Sat, 25 May 2013 09:22:48 -0400

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - A group of 80 international aid agencies urged the European Union on Saturday to follow through on pledges it made last year to back Palestinian communities seen as vulnerable to Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West ...

Marrying a white man to elevate status is risky Swedish man wants his Kenyan ex-wife deported from Sweden without their baby

Sat, 25 May 2013 09:17:02 -0400

Sweden and the baby's Kenyan mother should be deported. He will take good care of the baby in Sweden, adding that the woman has been very cruel to him during their short-term ...

Kerry US Working with AU to Reduce SudanSouth Sudan Violence

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:47:16 -0400

ADDIS ABABA -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says he is working with the African Union to end violence along the border between Sudan and South Sudan. America’s top diplomat met separately with Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Karti on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Ethiopia. Kerry says Sudan and South Sudan "are in a very delicate place right now" and it ...

Obama Calls on Americans to Remember Military Families

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:47:15 -0400

As Americans observe Memorial Day weekend, U.S. President Barack Obama is calling on his fellow citizens to remember the men and women who have given their lives in service to the country, and to remember the military families who make sacrifices of their own. In his weekly address Saturday, Obama noted that members of the U.S. military often risk their lives without seeking the limelight or ...

European media review ahead of Wembley final

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:45:37 -0400

UEFA.com correspondents Andy James and Andy Brassell wade through the European media at the UEFA Champions Festival in Stratford, building up to the final at Wembley ...

Germanys Kion ready for IPO but not in a rush - report

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:45:36 -0400

, the world's second biggest maker of fork lift trucks, would be ready for an initial public offering but is not in a rush, German paper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported, citing Kion's chief executive.Kion, together with its owners Goldman ...

Interpol rejects Russias political case against fund manager Browder

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:45:32 -0400

By Jason BushMOSCOW - Interpol has refused to include UK-based fund manager William Browder on its international search list after deciding that Russia's tax evasion case against him is "of a predominantly political nature".The decision is the latest twist in a long-running battle between the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Browder, whose investment company ...

Europe must get its head down

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:45:19 -0400

Panels are installed at a solar park in Waldpolenz, Germany. The EU is urging its members to reinforce efforts to meet targets of a 20 per cent share of energy from renewables by 2020. Waltraud Grubitzsch / picture-alliance / dpa / AP ...

British counter-terror police arrest man at BBC headquarters

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:37:33 -0400

Peter Griffiths - 25 May 2013 British counter-terrorism police arrested a man at the BBC's headquarters after an interviewee said that security services tried to recruit one of the two suspects in the murder of a soldier in ...

Pope says Church should keep open door for sinners

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:31:22 -0400

Catholic Church should not be closed off to sinners like a "pastoral customs house", giving as an example baptisms for the children of unmarried mothers. "We are often controllers of the faith instead of facilitators," the pope said at a mass in ...

Neymar listening to offers from European clubs

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:25:36 -0400

Rio de Janerio – Brazil's Neymar is on the verge of choosing one of two offers from unnamed clubs, reported to be Spanish suitors Barcelona and Real Madrid, after Santos agreed on Friday to transfer ...

Tornado rips through central Russia - video

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:21:10 -0400

Amateur footage captures a tornado ripping through residential areas 110km southwest of Moscow on Thursday. This is the second twister to hit Russia in a week, destroying vehicles and leaving houses and business properties damaged. Trees and electricity poles were ripped up, leaving local residents without power. There have been no reports of serious injuries as a result of the ...

Suicide car bombing in Russias Dagestan injures 11

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:20:25 -0400

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A suicide bomber blew herself up in car near a police building in Russia's Dagestan region on Saturday, injuring 11 policemen and passers-by, Russian media ...

Europe Weekly EU vows to take on tax evasion

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:19:51 -0400

European current affairs this week were dominated by an EU summit dedicated to tackling tax evasion. Leaders all agreed that something needs to be done on tax evasion and tax avoidance, but couldn’t agree on the details at last Wednesday’s meeting. The rocky Franco-German relationship also continued to make headlines, given the different visions that French President Franois ...

France begins withdrawing from Mali

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:12:26 -0400

France began the first stage of a withdrawal from Mali Saturday in what it says is a plan to pull out most of its troops and equipment by the end of the year. A convoy carrying unneeded equipment and vehicles left a French base outside the capital, Bamako, headed for Abidjan ...

Mayotte issue to split or join Comoros France

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:09:13 -0400

Despite heavy protests from Comoros, the Comoran island Mayotte soon will become a department and an integrated part of France. The move could further divide France and Comoros, or bring them closer ...

Ghaddafi thanks Germany Russia and China

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:08:19 -0400

Colonel Ghaddafi today in an interview thanked the governments of Germany, Russia and China for opposing a no-fly zone over Libya, promising new oil ...

Priest who defied Mafia is beatified in Sicily

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:06:30 -0400

ROME (AP) -- An Italian priest who stirred consciences with his anti-Mafia preaching and was gunned down by mobsters has been honored by the Vatican as a ...

A ‘widow suicide bomber’ attacks Russia police

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:43:47 -0400

A suicide bomber has blown herself up in the capital of the troubled southern republic of Dagestan, Makhachkala, officials say. At least 11 people, including five policemen, were wounded in the ...

Andrew Luck previews UEFA Champions League final

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:42:13 -0400

Andrew Luck was the number one pick in the 2012 NFL draft but American football isn't his only passion. The Indianapolis Colts quarter-back travelled to London for the 2013 UEFA Champions League Final at Wembley Stadium, and told UEFA.com ...

Breitner on the final and his best Bayern moments

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:42:13 -0400

In London for the UEFA Champions League final, FC Bayern Mnchen favourite Paul Breitner discusses the club's chances, his greatest goal and his best moment in an FCB ...

Why Jorn Weisbrodt thinks Germany has better drivers

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:41:59 -0400

***** Jorn Weisbrodt has worked at some of the most prestigious organizations around the world including LaScala di Milano, the Bolshoi Theatre, the Lincoln Centre Festival and the Manchester International Festival. Now, he's the artistic director of the Luminato Festival in Toronto.The annual arts and culture festival runs from June 14 to 23 this year.Weisbrodt divides his time between ...

The business model that propelled Germany to top of the Champions League

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:41:46 -0400

Borussia Dortmund's players celebrate at the end of the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid. Dortmund reached the final after winning 4-3 on aggregate. Pierre-Philippe Marcou / ...

Artist creates his own Japan in Switzerland

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:39:56 -0400

Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang says a free trade accord with Switzerland should serve as an example for closer relations with other European countries. He believes a deal with the Swiss finance industry will also boost the economy in ...

Swedish riots spread beyond capital

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:38:51 -0400

Immigration is in the spotlight after a sixth night of unrest where rioting spread beyond the Swedish capital of Stockholm which is relatively ...

Russia ready to organize new meetings in settlement of Karabakh conflict

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:36:46 -0400

Russia is ready to organize new meetings between the sides in the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict. "Russia is ready to continue organizing new meetings for bringing closer the positions of the sides in the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict", said the Russian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Vladimir ...

Sweden Riots Spread beyond Stockholm

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:36:34 -0400

There rioting in Stockholm has spread outside Sweden's capital for the first time Friday, with youths torching vehicles and buildings in at least two towns. The rioting in the capital continued for the sixth night where cars were set on fire in poor suburbs inhabited largely by immigrants, despite police reinforcements of specially trained officers from the cities of Gothenburg and Malmo ...

Astellas Receives Marketing Authorisation For Vesomnitm From The Netherlands Medicines Evaluation Board

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:35:21 -0400

Netherlands first to approve new fixed-dose combination treatment for men with lower urinary tract symptoms associated with BPH ASTELLAS PHARMA EUROPE B.V., the European subsidiary of Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma Inc.(Tokyo:4503), have announced the Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board (MEB) has granted marketing authorisation for VESOMNI in the Netherlands. The market authorisation granted for ...

Gas transport consortium with Russia to be beneficial for Ukraine - opinion

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:33:53 -0400

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30 cars torched during sixth night of rioting in Stockholm

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:33:18 -0400

Stockholm overnight but 20 to 30 cars were still torched in poor immigrant suburbs and serious incidents were reported outside the capital for the first ...

Heathrow reopens runways after plane ‘on fire’ makes emergency landing

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:33:16 -0400

Heathrow airport have confirmed that both runways had been closed as a result of an incident, which happened around 9am. Both the north and south runway have now reopened.Amateur video footage of the incident shows smoke coming from one of the aircraft engines.There was speculation that the aircraft had run into a flock of birds. The incident is not thought to be terror related.BA said the ...

Top Chinese political advisor to visit Finland Sweden and Denmark

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:32:27 -0400

Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), will visit Finland, Sweden and Denmark from May 30 to June 7.Yu is visiting at the invitation of the three countries' parliaments, according to a CPPCC statement ...

EU disallows Chinese from exploiting Myanmar GSP

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:21:23 -0400

Yangon (Eleven Media/ANN) - The European Union (EU) will strictly regulate the rule of origins for imports from Myanmar so that Chinese abusers, also called "grasshoppers", are not able to take undue advantage of EU's Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) which offers tax advantage to Myanmar products, EU representative said. Atty Stefan F. Moser from EU's International ...

Europes hollow efforts to save a lost generation

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:21:22 -0400

Europe is failing in the fight against youth unemployment. While the German government's efforts remain largely symbolic, Southern European leaders pander to older voters by defending the status quo, reports DIE SPIEGEL ...

Belgium to be rapped by EU over budget but not fined

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:21:05 -0400

(BRUSSELS) - The European Commission is set to rap Belgium this week for failing to do enough to trim its budget deficit but is unlikely to go as far as imposing a fine, according to a press report Saturday."Belgium can breath easy," said business daily L'Echo ahead of the release Wednesday of the European Commission's recommendations to EU countries on how to remain on track ...

Yugonostalgia as Croatia prepares to join EU

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:19:12 -0400

KUMROVEC, Croatia (AP) -- Croatia may be on the doorstep of the European Union, but in this tiny village another union of nations was getting all the ...

Seen and heard at the Cannes Film Festival

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:18:58 -0400

Director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun stirred up some emotion and national pride when he premiered his new movie "Grigris," at the Cannes Film Festival this ...

Greece modifies DEPA privatisation terms to accommodate Gazprom source

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:18:08 -0400

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece agreed to change some terms in the planned privatisation of natural gas distributor DEPA, opening the way for Russian energy giant Gazprom (GAZP.MM) to bid for the firm, a senior official directly involved in the sale ...

Riots prompt focus on Swedens poor immigrant suburbs

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:46:23 -0400

Almost a week of rioting in parts of Stockholm has highlighted social problems among the mainly immigrant communities in poor areas of Swedish cities. Heavy police reinforcements meant Friday night was relatively calm, but there was still some violence for the sixth night running. For the first time there was also trouble, notably arson attacks, outside the capital. The rioting is not on the ...

Survey reveals parents pay €15k to child minders

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:45:25 -0400

According to a new survey parents are paying as much as EUR15,000 a year to child minders.A report complied by the Irish Independent reveals the extent of the burden on Irish families to meet childcare costs.The findings shows the cost of childcare is forcing many women to give up their jobs or work part-time.The survey outlines the wide variation in fees charged across the country with parents ...

Russia wants US to pay for astronaut flights to Space Station

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:39:37 -0400

Russia will ask the United States to contribute more toward the costs of flying US astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), a spokesman for the Russian space agency said Thursday.Roskomos spokesman Vyacheslav Davydenko told AFP that since the US space shuttles stopped supplying the jointly manned station in the wake of the February 2003 Columbia disaster Russia had been shouldering ...

Experts predict next European pensions market trends

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:35:51 -0400

Realistically, it is unlikely that Europe will see the evolution of a pan-European pensions market within the next ten years, say leading pension experts in a survey by Allianz Global Investors AG (AllianzGI). With the vast majority of European pension schemes shifting towards defined contribution (DC), cost calculability has been at the forefront of these amendments, said AllianzGI. ...

Mercer expands its services to wealth managers across Europe

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:35:50 -0400

European wealth managers can now benefit from Mercer’s expertise with the launch of a new service aimed specifically at private banks, family offices, fund platforms and insurance ...

Europe’s retirement provisions insufficient to serve ageing populations

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:35:48 -0400

Long-term savings provisions in Europe are flawed and are no longer able to meet the needs of ageing populations, finds the Janus Capital European Consumer Finance Survey. The study, which is the first of its kind into the European household balance sheet, shows that there are alarming deficits in levels of personal savings and retirement provision across Europe. While consumer hopes and ...

Aviva sets out plans for European business

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:35:47 -0400

Aviva is set to transform its European business by taking full advantage of the growth opportunities presented in the area, and will be integrating its businesses across Europe. In a review of its current presence in Europe, Aviva recognised that the European market offers strong growth potential, with the region’s personal financial assets standing at €40trn, and an anticipated ...

UCITS funds back in European investors’ favour

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:35:45 -0400

Investors across Europe are moving back into UCITS funds, said the European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA) at its Annual Conference. UCITS sales, which hit €92bn between January and July 2009, have continued to show positive results across 26 European countries. The conference also saw the launch of EFAMA’s seventh edition of ...

Pension funds add €25bn to portfolios

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:35:43 -0400

Positive revaluation of investments and favourable price movements of financial assets have added €25bn in value to Dutch pension funds’ investment portfolios in the second quarter of 2009, according to De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB). The investment portfolios now stand at €560bn in value. Shares recorded the highest price gains, at €16bn, and revaluations of bonds and ...

HSBC expands into European ETF sector

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:35:39 -0400

HSBC has announced that it is to break into the European exchange traded funds (ETF) market with the launch of a suite of ETFs, beginning with the HSBC FTSE 100 ETF, tomorrow (25 August 2009). The new ETF, listed on the London Stock Exchange, will track the performance of the FTSE 100 index, domiciled in Ireland, and is registered for sale in the UK and a number of additional registrations ...

EC alternatives directive could land funds with €25million bill

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:35:36 -0400

The European Commission’s draft directive on Alternative Investment Fund Managers could cost the pension fund industry up to €25bn a year if it is put into place in its current form, warns the Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA). Europe’s pension funds would be landed with the bill if the alternative assets they have increasingly invested in over the last ...

European investors remain cautious over equities

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:35:34 -0400

The financial crisis has changed the attitudes and practices of European institutional investors with a notable shift away from equities and towards fixed income and cash, according to a survey supported by Invesco. The 2009 European Institutional Asset Management ...

EC chooses Hewitt to carry out pan-European pension fund study

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:35:33 -0400

The European Commission has selected Hewitt Associates to conduct a feasibility study and advise on the establishment of a pan-European pension fund for researchers. The project will see Hewitt analysing the legal, technical and financial terms and requirements that must be considered when setting up pan-European arrangements for occupational pensions, which must also take EU ...

Italy edges China 10-9 to get quarterfinal berth at FINA worlds

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:31:40 -0400

A slim lead over host China 10-9 ensured Italy a quarterfinal berth at Swimming Worlds women's water polo here on Thursday. China trailed 7-3 after first half and almost completed a fully comeback, which being held off by Italy at the crunch time in the final period. In Group B, Canada trounced New Zealand 11-4 to claim first after taking all three matches. Australia was second with 4 points ...

Lithuanian closes her grip on European women chess championship title

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:31:31 -0400

Three-time European runner-up Viktorija Cmilyte on Monday moved a step closer toward the highest of the medal podium at the 2011 European Individual Women Chess Championship by winning one more of her games.The ninth-seeded Lithuanian beat twice and defending champion from Sweden, Pia Cramling, to claim the full point for 7.5 points out of nine games so far.On Tuesday Cmilyte plays black with ...

Solar Decathlon Europe exhibits of 20 participants in 2012 edition

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:31:27 -0400

This Monday saw models of the 20 houses that will compete for the Solar Decathlon Europe competition exhibited in Barcelona.As many as 20 universities from 15 countries, including Germany, Spain, China, Egypt, Norway, the United Kingdom and Japan are competing in the event, which will conclude in Madrid in the summer of 2012.It will be the most international edition of the event ever to be held ...

Netherlands to keep producing top players

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:31:19 -0400

Dutch specialists believed that the Netherlands will keep producing top soccer players in the foreseeable future, based on the country's efficient youth training system. Just one year ago the Netherlands advanced to the FIFA World Cup final in South Africa. Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie are the names of the current stars of the national team. They are the successors of ...

Female suicide bomber wounds 11 in Russia

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:27:15 -0400

ELEVEN people have been wounded in an apparent suicide bombing in Russia's restive Dagestan region, a spokeswoman for the regional interior ministry says. The bomber, believed to be a woman, blew herself up on Saturday not far from the interior ministry building in the centre of the provincial capital Makhachkala, spokeswoman Fatina Ubaidatova told AFP. The latest attack in the troubled ...

Sixth night of violence in Sweden but police say capital calmer

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:21:40 -0400

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Community patrols and a beefed-up police presence helped to calm violence around Stockholm overnight on Saturday but 20 to 30 cars were still torched in poor immigrant suburbs and serious incidents were reported outside the capital for the first time. The rioting in Stockholm abated after a week of masked youths vandalizing schools and police stations, setting cars alight ...

EU steps up quest to solve youth unemployment

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:10:14 -0400

By Barbara Lewis BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European leaders have decided youth unemployment and the risk of social breakdown are among the toughest challenges they face and finding solutions will be a top priority for the coming months. In a ...

Thousands at mass for Italys mafia martyr

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:53:22 -0400

TENS of thousands of Catholic faithful have attended a ceremony in Sicily putting on the path to sainthood a priest shot dead by the mafia 20 years ago for preaching against organised crime. The killing of Father Pino Puglisi, a parish priest working in a crime-heavy neighbourhood of the regional capital Palermo, shocked the nation and helped turn public opinion against the mafia. The cardinal ...

France We can start bombing Libya tonight

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:47:29 -0400

The French Defence Minister has confirmed that military action against the Ghaddafi regime can start only hours after the UN Security Council approves of ...

Africa Europe set out cooperation priorities

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:47:03 -0400

The Action Plan 2011-2013 was adopted at the recent Africa-EU Summit held in Tripoli, Libya. It replaces the First Action Plan 2008-2010 that was approved at the last summit three years ago. Both plans of action are based on eight partnerships defined as "strategic". These focus on energy, climate change, peace and security, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), trade and infrastructure, ...

British Villagers Fearing Fracking Protest Plan for Drilling

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:34:50 -0400

BALCOMBE, England ...

European reform frozen as result of economic turmoil

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:01:38 -0400

Pension reform will remain in limbo if the economic crisis continues, warns Allianz Global Investors AG (AllianzGI). The asset management company has produced a paper examining the effects of the crisis, and found that government budget deficits could widen further and increase debt burdens, which in turn will increase the need for pension reforms. AllianzGI says some governments are ...

New platform launch brings pan-European provision one step closer

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:01:37 -0400

IThe first multi-client cross-border asset pooling platform has been launched by AEGON and Citi, developed with TKP investments, with total assets invested of more than €9bn. The asset pooling platform uses tax transparent investment funds under a European passport (UCITS) to enable AEGON Global Pensions’ multinational clients to consolidate the management, investment and ...

SEI launches engagement service for European clients

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:01:36 -0400

UK and European clients will now benefit from new corporate governance, social and environmental engagement service from fiduciary management provider SEI, in association with F&C Management Limited, for its Dublin-registered equity funds. The service, SEI said, highlights the organisation’s position as the only fiduciary manager in Europe to incorporate engagement for ...

Significant variations in European countries’ reactions to global downturn

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:01:34 -0400

European countries’ pension markets have experienced mixed reactions to the global crisis, although UK businesses are at a ‘severe competitive disadvantage’ in Europe due to weaknesses in private and state pension systems, says Aon Consulting. The employee risk and benefits management firm has produced a report detailing the state of the pensions markets in individual ...

Dividend forecasts should lead to recovery in Continental Europe

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:01:33 -0400

Continental Europe is showing signs of a recovery with increases in European stocks dividend forecasts and robust corporate balance sheets, says Ignis Asset Management. Olly Russ, manager of the top-quartile Ignis Argonaut European Income Fund, is confident that current conditions are favouring Continental European equity income stocks, but warned that dividends will remain under pressure ...

Aviva strengthens Europe position

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:01:30 -0400

ING Group’s holding company in Russia and non-state pension fund business, which had assets under management of £30.4million at 31 December 2008, have been acquired by Aviva plc. The pension fund provides pensions to large multi-national corporate clients, and has 17,000 members. The holding company had £0.8million in AUM at 31 December 2008. The acquisition places ...

BNY Mellon expands across Europe

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:01:27 -0400

BNY Mellon Asset Management has opened an office in Paris as part of its plans to branch out within Europe. The global asset management arm of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation will be led by Anne-Laure Frischlander, managing director and head of BNY Mellon Asset Management’s French operations, with a five-strong sales team. The new venture will service current clients in ...

iShares fixed income fund hits €2bn

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:01:22 -0400

iShares has announced that investor demand for its iShares € Corporate Bond fund has surpassed €2bn in assets under management (AUM). The fund, a fixed income fund which provides exposure to Euro denominated investment grade corporate bonds, aims to track the Markit iBoxx Euro Liquid Corporates index, which has exposure to industries and a market capitalisation of over ...

Standard Life’s Europe results drop

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:01:20 -0400

Standard Life plc’s new business results for 2008 show a drop in worldwide life and pensions sales of six per cent to £15.6bn. Total net flows across the worldwide life and pensions operations were down from £2.8bn in 2007 to £2.4bn in 2008. However, in Europe, net flows were 13 per cent higher at £620million in 2008 than in 2007, at £548million. German ...

European Research Strategy launched into market

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:01:18 -0400

A European Research Strategy for professional investors has been launched by Janus Capital International Limited, the international arm of Janus Capital Group Inc. The Strategy will be managed by the Janus research team, and will be overseen by director of research Jim Goff. The Strategy, which sis global, is an analyst-driven, team refined strategy with holdings and weightings in each ...

iShares Europe enjoys record 2008 inflows

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:01:18 -0400

iShares Europe has reported a record year of net inflows into its European Exchange Traded Funds (ETF), securing €17.7bn in net new ETF assets at the end of 2008. AT the end of 2007, this figure stood at €5.8bn, and therefore iShares has seen a threefold increase in new money flowing into their ETFs. Globally, the business has had a record year, with net inflows of $89bn in ...

European Commission closes Solvency II consultation

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:01:12 -0400

The European Commission’s (EC) consultation on its document on Solvency II rules for pension schemes has closed. There had been fears that the consultations could be cause for serious concerns in the UK, but consulting actuaries Punter Southall says that the scope of the consultation shows that the EC is taking a pragmatic and cautious approach. ';We welcome the fact that the ...

Spain Princess Cristina faces new tax probe

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:43:58 -0400

Spanish Princess Cristina is facing a new probe over suspected fraud. The daughter of King Juan Carlos had been named as suspected in a case of embezzlement against her husband, Iaki Urdangarn, earlier this month, but the decision was overturned. However, judge Jose Castro ordered a new investigation into her financial affairs after examining 10 years worth of tax returns submitted to the court ...

Europe to become main driver in RI market

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:34:59 -0400

Responsible Investment (RI) will become ‘mainstream’ by 2015 with 20 per cent of pension funds’ assets under management invested in this way, according to a report published jointly by Dutch asset manager Robeco and global consulting firm Booz & Company. The companies predict total revenue of approximately US$50bn by 2015. ';We expect the RI market to become ...

Standard Life paves way to Southern Europe

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:34:54 -0400

Standard Life Investments (SLI) has reinforced its interest in expanding into Spain, Portugal and Italy by appointing Will Pawson as investment director of Southern Europe. Pawson will be based in Edinburgh and will report to head of European Business Development, Phil Barker. He will take responsibility for the wholesale and institutional marketing of SLI’s products in Spain, ...

Hurdles still hamper Pan-European pensions development

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:34:54 -0400

Complex EU legislation, taxation issues and perceived lack of products are among the hurdles slowing down the development of Pan-European pensions arrangements, according to a recent study carried out by ...

Dutch pension funds receive €4.9bn in dividends over 11 months

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:34:46 -0400

Between April 2007 and March 2008, Dutch pension funds are reported as having received €4.9bn in dividends on quoted shares, according to De Nederlandsche Bank. Pension fund holdings of these quoted shares averaged at €195bn in that period, which excluded quoted shares held through mutual funds. The Bank said that dividend income is used for two things, either as a major funding ...

Netherlands streets ahead in use of Liability Driven Investment

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:34:45 -0400

Sixty-one per cent of Dutch pension funds are currently employing a Liability Driven Investment (LDI) strategy, an increase of 18 per cent on last year’s figures. Fiduciary manager SEI revealed the results of a Global Quick Poll of the global pension fund space, surveying executives overseeing pensions in the US, UK, Hong Kong, Canada and the Netherlands. There was also an ...

Watson Wyatt releases Western Europe updates

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:34:44 -0400

Financial consultant Watson Wyatt has published the latest editions of its employee benefits and employment terms and conditions for Western Europe. The annual reports are in their 35th and 34th editions, and are references for executives with management responsibility for European or global operations. Covering 19 countries – Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, ...

Borsa Italiana and London Stock Exchange leader in Europe for ETF trades

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:34:41 -0400

Aggregated figures show that July 2008 set a record in trading of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) on Borsa Italiana and London Stock Exchange markets, with 140,452 trades amounting to a highest ever total of €8.8bn (£7.0bn). The average daily value traded was €383.2 million, an increase of 141 per cent year on year, and the total amount traded was an increase of 152 per cent. ...

European solvency hit by crashing markets

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:34:38 -0400

Funding levels have been affected by falling markets, according to Lehman Brothers’ latest Pension Fund Solvency Indicators released in its ...

Citi launches pan-European service

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:34:37 -0400

Citi has announced a new service which will allow clients direct access to European markets on a direct basis and benefit from the consolidation of securities and cash accounts, through its Global Transaction Services business. The pan-European solution has been developed in anticipation of the changes that are expected to occur as a result of continued consolidation of the European ...

AEGON releases €315million in securitisation transaction

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:34:36 -0400

AEGON has completed a €315million securitisation transaction to improve capital efficiency and optimise their capital structure as part of the group’s new strategy. The transaction adds the equivalent of around £250million of core capital, enhancing the financial flexibility of the group and improving the return on capital deployed in the UK. The move forms part of ...

AEGON moves further into Eastern Europe

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:34:34 -0400

AEGON has further cemented its presence in Central and Eastern Europe with the acquisition of the Turkish life insurance and pension provider Ankara Emeklilik. The acquisition marks AEGON’s first step into the Turkish market, and is marketed as part of a broader strategy to build scale in emerging markets. The firm agreed to buy Ankara Emeklilik in February 2008, and AEGON also has ...

AEGON expands on Eastern European presence

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:34:31 -0400

AEGON Hungary Pension Fund is set to merge with UNIQA and Public Service Pension Fund in an attempt to further strengthen AEGON’s presence in the ever-developing pensions market across Central and Eastern ...

Europe ETFs overtake US market

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:34:26 -0400

The assets under management (AUM) in European Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) are predicted to exceed the AUM of American ETFs in the next few months. Since the beginning of 2006, the AUM of fixed income ETFs have grown from £4.4bn to £16.7bn at the end of May 2008, equating to a return of 73.5 per cent. AUM in US fixed income ETFs are currently at £21.8bn, and in Europe ...

Pensions innovation rife in Eastern Europe

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:34:25 -0400

10.6.08 Creative thinking when it comes to pensions and benefit provision is rife in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) among employers keen to attract and retain an evermore demanding workforce. The latest editions of Watson Wyatt’s annual reports on employee benefits and employment terms and conditions for CEE reveal that companies are having to differentiate themselves by ...