Berlusconi suffers injuries after attack
ROME (AP):
Premier Silvio Berlusconi is in pain and will remain hospitalised until at least today with a fractured nose and two broken teeth from an attack by a mentally disturbed man who hit him in the face with a statuette on Sunday, doctors and aides said. The attack shocked Italy, already gripped by a tense political climate and highly polarised between Berlusconi's supporters and his critics. It also raised questions about the security surrounding the premier. A government official said he expected the premier's protection to be tightened, as security officials held an emergency meeting.
The 73-year-old Berlusconi was rushed to the San Raffaele hospital in Milan with his face covered in blood after the attack in the northern Italian city. Reports are that the premier lost a lot of blood and was taking antibiotics and drugs for "persistent" pain.
Former president's body still missing
Cyprus (AP)
Cypriot police say that despite a massive search they have not found the body of former president Tassos Papadopoulos, or thieves who took the remains from a grave. Spokesman Michalis Katsounotos says the motive for last week's theft of the former president's body is still a mystery. Grave robbers dug up Papadopoulos' coffin and stole his remains on Friday, on the eve of the first anniversary of his death.
Katsounotos would not comment Monday on local media speculation that opponents of ongoing reunification talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriots could be involved. Cyprus was divided in 1974 when Turkey invaded the island after a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Papadopoulos was president from 2003 to 2008.
Fernandez receives death threats
Argentina (AP)
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez has received death threats over a radio frequency while commuting to work by helicopter and her Cabinet chief said yesterday officials take the threats seriously. Radio communication between her pilot and a control tower was interrupted on Friday by someone saying, "Kill her" and, "Kill the mare," as well as more obscene phrases, according to a recording broadcast yesterday by C5N television. For several seconds, a military march is heard. Cabinet Chief Anibal Fernandez told the Radio 10 station that the threats were "very serious" and are being investigated. He said they were aimed at creating fear, "but they are not going to achieve that". The government suspects supporters of Argentina's 1976-1983 military dictatorship could be behind the threats.
Gov't to relieve debt crisis
Greece (AP)
Greece's new government readied plans yesterday to pull the country out of its worst debt crisis in decades and boost confidence in its shaky finance with measures expected to include a crackdown on rampant tax evasion. Greeks concerned about how spending cuts would affect them were awaiting a speech by Prime Minister George Papandreou outlining the government's efforts. European Union officials have warned that Greece must deal with its problems itself and not expect a bailout.
A delegation from Moody's credit rating agency was in Athens to review the economic situation, which has seen the country's projected deficit swell to more than 12 per cent of economic output this year. That is four times the limit imposed European Union as a condition of using the euro currency, and twice the previous official projection. The country's debt has soared to a staggering €300 billion ($442 billion). According to the draft 2010 budget, the public debt, estimated at 113.4 per cent of GDP in 2009, is forecast to reach 120.8 per cent of total economic output next year.
Text message policy under review
WASHINGTON (AP)
The United States Supreme Court said yesterday, it will decide how much privacy workers have when they send text messages from company accounts. The justices said they will review a federal appeals court ruling that sided with California police officers who complained that the department improperly snooped on their electronic exchanges. The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco also faulted the text-messaging service for turning over transcripts of the messages without the officers' consent. Users of text-messaging services "have a reasonable expectation of privacy" regarding messages stored on the service provider's network, 9th Circuit Judge Kim Wardlaw said. Both the city and USA Mobility Wireless, Inc., which bought the text-messaging service involved in the case, appealed the 9th Circuit ruling. The justices turned down the company's appeal, but said they would hear arguments next year in the city's case.
Canada withdraws diplomat
Tanzania (AP)
Canadian officials say they have withdrawn a diplomat from Tanzania after the government said he spat on a police officer. Canadian High Commissioner Robert Orr said in a statement late Sunday that the Canadian government will return the official because of the December 9 incident. Tanzania's foreign ministry identified him as Jean Touchatte, a private secretary at the Canadian High Commission.
The Tanzanian government said Touchatte spat at a policeman during a traffic jam in Dar es Salaam, the country's commercial capital. He was taken for questioning to a police station but released because of his diplomatic immunity. Media outlets said he also spat on a journalist who had tried to interview him at the police station.