Ukraine PM cuts short Rome trip 'because of the situation'

VATICAN CITY: Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk will cut short his trip to Rome and miss the canonisation of John Paul II and John XXIII because of growing tensions with Russia, his spokeswoman told on Saturday.

"He can´t stay because of the situation", Olga Lappo said as the prime minister met with Pope Francis, amid rising tensions between pro-Russian protesters and Ukrainian authorities in the eastern part of the ex-Soviet country.

The Group of Seven rich countries have agreed to slap sanctions on Moscow as early as Monday over the soaring Ukraine crisis amid fears in the West that Russia could be about to invade.

Nerves frayed after pro-Russian rebels holding a group of international OSCE observers in the area earlier Saturday accused them of being "NATO spies" and vowed to continue detaining them.

Obama opens four-country, Asia-Pacific trip in Tokyo

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  AP U.S. President Barack Obama steps down the ramp upon his arrival at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo on Wednesday.
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  AP U.S. President Barack Obama is being welcomed by U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy upon his arrival at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo on Wednesday.

US President Barack Obama is opening a four-country visit to the Asia-Pacific region in Japan, but the West’s dispute with Russia over Ukraine is looming.

Mr. Obama arrived in Tokyo on Wednesday night on an official state visit. He was headed straight for a private dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe before bilateral talks on Thursday. Mr. Obama also will be the honoured guest at a state dinner.

The situation in Eastern Europe remains tense days after the U.S., Russia, Ukraine and the European Union signed an agreement calling on Moscow to use its influence to get pro-Russian forces to leave government buildings they have occupied in eastern Ukraine.

The West promises additional sanctions against Russia if that does not happen.

Mr. Obama will also visit South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines.

President Barack Obama confirmed on Wednesday that America’s mutual security treaty with Japan applies to the islands at the centre of a territorial dispute between China and Japan.

“The policy of the United States is clear,” he said in a written response to questions published in Japan’s Yomiuri newspaper before his arrival in Tokyo at the start of a four-country, Asia-Pacific region tour.

“The Senkaku islands are administered by Japan” and therefore fall under the U.S.-Japan treaty, he wrote. “And we oppose any unilateral attempts to undermine Japan’s administration of these islands.”

A Chinese government spokesman responded that China has “indisputable sovereignty” over the islands, and said “the so-called Japan-U.S. alliance” should not harm China’s territorial rights.

“We firmly oppose applying the Japan-U.S. security treaty in the issue of the Diaoyu islands,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said at a regular briefing. “The U.S. should respect facts, take a responsible attitude, remain committed to not taking sides on territory and sovereignty issues, speak and act cautiously, and earnestly play a constructive role in regional peace and stability.”

Mr. Obama told Yomiuri that the United States is deepening its ties with China, but “our engagement with China does not and will not come at the expense of Japan or any other ally.”

Tanishaa plans a surprise trip for Armaan to Dubai

 

            On March 3, Mirror brought you the news that Tanishaa Mukerji and Armaan Kohli had visited Vaishno Devi temple to seek blessings, along with Tanishaa's mother Tanuja and Armaan's father Rajkumar Kohli. Now the couple has been spotted in Dubai, painting the town red.

Early on Saturday, Tanishaa landed up at Armaan's place and told him to pack for Dubai. Initially he thought it was a joke but she had come armed with two tickets to the most expensive city in the Middle East. She had planned the trip to coincide with Armaan's birthday.

When the lovestruck duo landed in Dubai on Saturday, a limousine took them to Faysal Ali Zarooni's palatial mansion. Faysal, who is a family friend of Tanishaa's, owns many luxury properties in Dubai.

During the drive, Tanishaa refused to disclose the final destination to Armaan and he was dumbfounded when the car finally pulled into Faysal's bungalow.

When Mirror contacted Armaan yesterday afternoon, he gushed, "I am not over the surprise that Tanishaa planned for me. I'm floored. This holiday is like a dream. We are in Dubai and will be back in a couple of days."

Cate Blanchett almost missed Oscar due to bar trip with Julia Roberts

Cate Blanchett revealed that she lost a track of time while chatting with Julia Roberts.

Cate Blanchett, who won the best actress award at the Oscars for ‘Blue Jasmine’, almost missed her big moment as she was drinking at the bar with fellow nominee Julia Roberts.
Blanchett revealed that she lost a track of time while chatting to ‘Pretty Woman’ star, reported Daily Express.
Blanchett said, “the blessing and the curse of this (best Actress award) is it happens at the… end of the eveningand so you watch so many other extraordinary people get up there and you lose track of the fact that you’re even nominated.
“And then you get taken by surprise, ‘It’s my turn’, and I was with Julia Roberts in the bar for rather too long and just got back to my seat in time.”