Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi Italian prosecutors have demanded a court in Milan to give a five-year-long jail term to the country’s former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi for bribery. They have accused Berlusconi of paying British lawyer, David Mills, USD 600,000 in bribe to lie about the ex-premier’s business interests. “It is certain, beyond any reasonable doubt,... 

David Cameron has said he would consider further powers for Scotland, but only after a referendum. David Cameron made his boldest move yet in the campaign to stop Scotland voting for independence by offering the country more freedom from Westminster if it votes no in the coming referendum. Speaking to business leaders in the capital, Edinburgh, the prime minister said the referendum did not have to... 

Russia's Chief of Staff General Nikolai Makarov Moscow is making preparations to respond to a possible Israeli or US military strike against Iran in 2012, report says. According to World Tribune, the Kremlin has ordered the military to draft options for a Russian response to any foreign attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The report added that the Russian Defense Ministry has set up a facility... 

Members of Ruch Palikota Party wear masks during a vote of no confidence for Health Minister Bartosz Arlukowicz in Poland's parliament in Warsaw January 26, 2012 More European parliaments are refusing to ratify the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, claiming it violates human rights. Now, some are asking: “why it was signed in the first place?” It looks like some of the countries who signed... 

Greek pensioners protesting in Athens. In Greece, angry pensioners have once again taken to the streets in the capital Athens to protest against the government’s tough spending cuts. The pensioners gathered to express opposition with lawmakers’ decision to slash another 325 million euros in wages, pensions, and jobs, as demanded by the European Union and International Monetary Fund (IMF) in order... 

Oil refinery of Swiss firm Petroplus in Petit-Couronne, near Rouen, northwestern France. A senior Iranian lawmaker says a number of Eastern European countries have called on the Islamic Republic not to approve a bill which will stop the country’s oil exports to the European Union member states. Member of Iran Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Mohammad-Karim Abedi said on Tuesday... 

Notorious hate preacher Abu Qatada was released from Worcestershire’s maximum security jail, Long Lartin, last night, after spending six-and-a-half years in detention. The radical cleric, once dubbed “Osama bin Laden’s right-hand man in Europe,” left under the cover of darkness at 9.15pm, accompanied by four minders. His departure, shrouded in secrecy, saw Qatada cover his face... 

The long-range missile for Russia’s state-of-the-art S-400 Triumf (Triumph) anti-aircraft complex is to be created this year. “As a matter of fact, we are at the stage when the development of the missile is about to be completed. I believe that the task will be accomplished in 2012,” Alexander Zelin, the commander of Russia’s Air Force said. “The S-400 is a new system,... 

Soyuz-5 rocket at vehicle assembly building of Plesetsk space center A former chief test engineer of Russia’s Plesetsk Cosmodrome, who was exposed as a CIA agent, has been sentenced to 13-year prison term. He admitted selling top secret data on Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles to the US. Ex-Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Nesterets was found guilty of treason by a closed military court, the... 

Protestors, some wearing Guy Fawkes masks, take part in a demonstration in Stockholm. Germany has delayed signing the ACTA treaty on intellectual property theft after its Justice Ministry voiced its concerns about the legislation. It is the fifth EU country to challenge approval of the debated treaty. ­The Justice Ministry said that the European Parliament should vote on ACTA before it is considered... 

According to a 2009 Wikileaks cable, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano asserted that "he was solidly in the US court on every key strategic decision, from high-level personnel appointments to the handling of Iran's alleged nuclear weapons program." The UN nuclear agency is expected to publish a report “harsher” than its November edition on Iran next month, possibly triggering a military... 

The ocean is believed to have been temporary and its water would have frozen and preserved underground or turned into vapor and lifted gradually into the atmosphere. The MARSIS radar on board the European Space Agency (ESA) Mars Express spacecraft has found evidence of a large body of water that once covered part of Mars. The study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters indicates that... 

Today, Nokia announced that it’s going to cut 4,000 more jobs at its factories in Hungary, Mexico and Finland in an effort to improve the production efficiency of said plants. The company plans on moving a larger part of the production of its smartphones to Asia, which it says will help reduce the time it takes for its products to reach the market. As Nokia continues to suffer the effect of... 

In the fourth part of his pre-election manifesto published in Kommersant daily on Monday, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin touts the internet as an electronic means for making democracy more responsive to the people. The premier is running for president in next month’s election. Expressing the importance of “indispensable” democratic principles, Putin stresses at the same time that democracy-building... 

Long-term risks: Researchers found that smoking in men appears to be associated with more rapid cognitive decline Those searching for another reason to stick to their resolution to give up cigarettes need look no further. A new study has warned that men who smoke are more likely to suffer dementia in later life. Researchers found that smoking in men appears to be associated with a greater and more...