Trapani, March 15 - Nineteen Mafia suspects werearrested Monday in an operation police said had helped themclose the net on fugitive Cosa Nostra No.1 Matteo MessinaDenaro. This is a very heavy blow to the Sicilian Mafia, saidJustice Minister Angelino Alfano.The arrests were made near the western Sicilian city ofTrapani where Messina Denaro, 47, built up his power base beforebeating Palermo chief
Milan, March 15 - David Beckham on Monday left Milanfor Helsinki to have surgery on the Achilles tendon injury thatappears to have wrecked his World Cup dream.Beckham, who ruptured the tendon in AC Milan's 1-0 winagainst Chievo Sunday night, looked grim as he left the downtownhotel he has been staying at since January.The midfielder, wearing a black woolly cap and faded bluejacket, grimaced as he
Rome, March 15 - Milan reopened the title race witha 1-0 win over Chievo Sunday night that put them within a pointof Inter, beaten 3-1 at Catania Friday.But coach Leonardo's joy at Clarence Seedorf's last-minutegoal was tempered by seeing David Beckham hop off with a tornAchilles tendon that appears to have ended his World Cup dreams. It was one of our most exciting and important victories butDav
Rome, March 12 - Four of the 13 regions whereelections will be held later this month are still up for grabswhile six should be won by the center left and three by thecenter right, according to a poll published on Friday.Carried out two weeks before the vote by the ISPO researchagency of pollster Renato Mannheimmer, the survey found that themix-up by Premier Silvio Berlusconi's People of Freedom (
Vatican City, March 12 - Pope Benedict XVI hasapproved measures to tackle the child sex abuse scandal sweepingthe Roman Catholic Church in Germany, the leader of thecountry's bishops said after an audience with the pope Friday.Msgr Robert Zollitsch told a press conference he hadillustrated the moves to the German-born pope. He is favourable to our measures but we do not know whetherthey will be e
Rome, March 12 - Italy coach Nick Mallett on Fridaynamed an unchanged squad to take on Six Nations leader France inParis Sunday.Mallett said he had full confidence in the men who beatScotland 16-12 at the Flaminio two weeks ago, Italy's first winin two years.Against the flying French Italy will be bidding to equaltheir best-ever Six Nations year, 2007, when they won two games- although many pun
Rome, March 12 - It is not OK to criticise women onthe grounds of gender alone, Italy's highest court said Friday.The Cassation Court, Italy's highest court of appeal, uphelda 2009 appeals ruling stemming from a newspaper article saying asouthern jail run by a woman needed a man's hand.The supreme court found a journalist and a trade unionistguilty of gratuitous comments without factual refere
Rome, March 12 - AC Milan is looking to forget its4-0 defeat at Old Trafford Wednesday by keeping up the pressureon Serie A leaders Inter Milan in the title race. I'm sure we'll bounce back like we did in 2004, CEOAdriano Galliani said, referring to another record thumping, atDeportivo La Coruna, from which Milan recovered to win thescudetto. You can't judge this team on one game alone, said co
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