Italy's foreign ministry said Sunday that seven foreign hostages kidnapped in northern Nigeria had been killed as claimed by Islamic extremists, the worst such foreign abduction violence to hit the turbulent West African nation in decades. Greece also confirmed one of its citizens had been killed by Ansaru, the radical group that claimed responsibility for abducting the foreigners from northern Bauchi state in February 16. ...
08:41 PM, Mar 10, 2013
Former Indian Air Force (IAF) chief SP Tyagi has named former Special Protection Group (SPG) chief Bharat Vir Wanchoo as being one of the men responsible for making alterations to the terms of the AgustaWestland deal. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is likely to question Wanchoo who enjoys constitutional immunity, as the current Goa Governor. ...
07:21 AM, Mar 09, 2013
An Italian court on Thursday sentenced former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi to a one-year jail term for making public the taped contents of a confidential phone call in a case related to a 2005 banking scandal. The sentence, which was read in court by the judge, came as Berlusconi is facing two other trials for alleged tax fraud and paying for sex with an underage prostitute. ...
05:55 PM, Mar 07, 2013
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will question Air Force former chief SP Tyagi and his cousins for a second day on Thursday in connection with the Agustawestland chopper scandal. A preliminary inquiry report was filed last week which named 12 people. ...
07:29 AM, Mar 07, 2013
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday questioned cousins of former Air Chief SP Tyagi in connection with alleged kickbacks in VVIP helicopter deal. ...
03:06 PM, Mar 06, 2013
Cardinals have gathered in Vatican City to work on a timetable to choose the next pope amidst sex abuse scandals that have resurfaced to haunt the church. ...
09:10 AM, Mar 05, 2013
Pope Benedict left the Vatican on Thursday and headed to the papal summer residence where he will become the first pontiff in six centuries to resign instead of ruling for life. A white Italian air force helicopter lifted off from the Vatican's heliport to fly the 85-year-old pope to Castel Gandolfo, just south of Rome, where at 8 pm (1900 GMT) he will resign and leave the papacy vacant. ...
10:45 PM, Feb 28, 2013
FIFA has banned 74 more officials and players from world soccer for helping fix matches, this time in Italy and South Korea. ...
09:17 PM, Feb 27, 2013
The Central Bureau of Investigation has sought from the Defence Ministry documents related to the AgustaWestland helicopter deal as it prepares to question suspected beneficiaries about alleged kickbacks received in the Rs 3600 crore deal. The agency has also sought the reply given by Italian firm Finmeccanica to the questions raised by the Ministry, CBI sources said. ...
08:24 PM, Feb 27, 2013
The BJP on Wednesday rejected the government's proposal for setting up a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the AgustaWestland chopper deal, saying the move was aimed at scuttling the probe as current Lok Sabha's term will end in 2014. ...
12:47 PM, Feb 27, 2013
A center-left group of parties appears to have the best shot at forming a coalition government in Italy after an inconclusive national election, but the challenge is steep and comes amid public anger over austerity measures. If Italian parties fail to form a governing coalition, new elections would be required, causing more uncertainty and a leadership vacuum, and that possibility has rattled financial markets across Europe. ...
11:50 AM, Feb 27, 2013
Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Tuesday indicated he was open to an alliance between his center-right coalition and the center-left group that won most seats in Italy's parliamentary election. ...
03:25 PM, Feb 26, 2013
Italy faced political deadlock on Tuesday after a stunning election that saw the anti-establishment Five-Star Movement of comic Beppe Grillo become the strongest party in the country but left no group with a clear majority in parliament. "The winner is: Ingovernability" was the headline in Rome newspaper Il Messaggero, reflecting the stalemate the country would have to confront in the next few weeks as sworn enemies would be forced to...
02:28 PM, Feb 26, 2013
Asian shares took their lead from overnight plunges in global equities to fall on Tuesday as an apparently inconclusive election outcome in Italy raised fears of a resurgent euro zone debt crisis. Italy's centre-left coalition will win a majority in the lower house of parliament but the upper house will be deadlocked, the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday after almost all votes were counted. No party or coalition won a...
09:27 AM, Feb 26, 2013
Stocks on Monday suffered their biggest drop since November after a strong showing in Italian elections by groups opposed to the country's economic reforms triggered worry that Europe's debt problems could once again destabilize the global economy. The decline marks the biggest percentage drop for the benchmark Standard & Poor's 500 Index since November 7, and drove the S&P down to its lowest close since January 18. The CBOE Volatility...
09:14 AM, Feb 26, 2013
Projections have suggested that Grillo's Five Star Movement could get more votes than any other party. ...
09:05 AM, Feb 26, 2013
The voting in Italian elections finished on Monday. As counting is on, indications are that none of the two alliances will be able to form a government. While sources say that this is normal in Italy, the deadlock could mean that the fate of AgustaWestland hangs in balance. AgustaWestland is at the centre of the chopper deal controversy involving Indian defence officers. ...
07:47 AM, Feb 26, 2013
Sweden's IKEA stopped nearly all sales of meatballs at its furniture store cafeterias across Europe after tests in the Czech Republic on Monday showed some contained horsemeat. ...
06:21 AM, Feb 26, 2013
A preliminary enquiry (PE) has been registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland 101 helicopter deal. Sources say that former Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal (retd) SP Tyagi and his cousins Julie Tyagi and Dosca Tyagi have been named in the CBI PE. ...
02:05 PM, Feb 25, 2013
Italians finish voting in one of the most closely watched and unpredictable elections in years on Monday with a surge in protest votes fuelling concern that the ballot may not produce a government strong enough to pull Italy from its economic slump. ...
10:32 AM, Feb 25, 2013
