Rome, March 19 (IANS) Italy’s highest court Tuesday upheld a ban for former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi from holding public offices for two years, media reports said. The ruling had been made by an appeals court in Milan last October after the highest court upheld a conviction for tax fraud of Berlusconi’s television network in August, […]
Washington, March 19 (IANS) Indian ambassador S. Jaishankar has welcomed US lawmakers plea to end US defence department’s presumptive ban on Sikh Americans serving in the US military with their beards and turbans. Over 100 members of Congress from both Democratic and Republican parties made the plea in a March 10 letter to the US Defence […]
Moscow, March 19 (IANS) Former Chelsea and Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas has been named Russian side Zenit St Petersburg’s new manager. The 36-year-old Portuguese will officially sign for Zenit March 20, reported Xinhua. “Zenit has agreed terms on a contract with new head coach Andre Villas-Boas,” said the club in a statement Tuesday. “The contract will […]
Vienna, March 19 (IANS) The talks between Iran and six world powers in Vienna is “substantive and useful”, a spokesperson for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said Tuesday. The comment was made after Tuesday’s talks between Iran and the P5+1 group, namely Britain, China, France, Russia, the US plus Germany, heading to a comprehensive deal […]
Tallinn, March 19 (IANS) Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet Tuesday called on the European Union (EU) to further sanctions against Russia, saying an arms embargo should be one of the first issues on the agenda. After Sunday’s referendum in Crimea, the EU decided Monday to impose sanctions, including visa bans and freezing assets, against 21 Russian […]
New York, March 19 (IANS) Actor Aaron Paul is completely devoted to wife Lauren Parsekian and says he “doesn’t deserve” her. The “Breaking Bad” actor says he is a “good guy” who would never do anything to hurt his spouse, reports contactmusic.com. Speaking at the Cinema Society’s “Need for Speed” screening last week, asked if he […]
Islamabad, March 19 (IANS) Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Tuesday approved the establishment of anti-terror rapid-response forces at the federal and provincial levels with quality and trained manpower, a leading Pakistani daily reported. Sharif also issued directions to immediately establish a National Intelligence Directorate under National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Nacta) in a bid to strengthen coordination between military […]
Kabul, March 18 (IANS) The Afghanistan government Tuesday appointed Mohammad Younus Qanooni as vice president of the country. Qanooni replaces Marshal Mohammad Qasim Fahim, who died earlier this month after prolonged illness, Xinhua reported citing a statement issued by the Afghan Presidential Palace. A consultative meeting chaired by Afghan President Hamid Karzai unanimously appointed Qanooni as […]
United Nations, March 18 (IANS/WAM) UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was deeply concerned and disappointed with Crimea’s secession referendum Sunday and said it would only exacerbate an already complex and tense situation. “The secretary-general continues to closely follow the situation in Ukraine,” Ban’s spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, told reporters in New York Monday, adding that since the beginning […]
Washington, March 18 (IANS) Seeking to distance itself from US prosecutor Preet Bharara securing a re-indictment of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade, the US state department says it’s “very hopeful about what the future holds” for India-US relationship. “Obviously, this is in the hands of the Department of Justice,” spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters Monday via teleconference […]