  Senate panel approves Kerry's Secretary of State nomination January 29, 2013 - 20:53 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The U.S. Senate foreign relations committee has unanimously approved Senator John Kerry's nomination to be secretary of state, BBC News reported. The full Senate is expected to confirm his nomination later on Tuesday, January 29. President Barack Obama chose the Massachusetts Democrat to succeed Hillary Clinton, who is stepping down after four years, as his top diplomat. A Vietnam veteran and senator since 1985, Sen Kerry was the Democratic presidential candidate in 2004. He first came to national attention as part of his involvement with Vietnam Veterans Against the War. Sen Kerry's nomination is part of Mr Obama's second-term cabinet reshuffle. Former Senator Chuck Hagel, Mr Obama's pick for secretary of defense, will face a confirmation hearing later this week. Partner news  Top stories Among its provisions are bans on child marriage and the traditional practice of selling and buying women to settle disputes. Jorge Rafael Videla, an austere former army commander, led Argentina during the bloodiest days of its Dirty War dictatorship. According to the United Nations, April was Iraq's bloodiest month for almost five years, with 712 people killed. Reports suggest the rebel fighters may have tried to blow up the walls of the prison, which holds some 4,000 inmates.   Partner news |  Latest news Brad Pitt’s “World War Z” to open Moscow Film Fest  The fest will feature retrospectives of films by Bernardo Bertolucci and Costa Gavras, as well as a program devoted to Dutch cinema.Wrekin Hill picks up John Malkovich’s “Siberian Education” Based on the novel by Nicolai Lilin, the film is set in the ghetto of Soviet Russia and follows 2 boys who are members of a gang of exiled Siberians.EU says concerned over human rights record in Russia The European Union said it would closely watch developments affecting non-governmental organizations in Russia.John Lennon’s guitar auctioned for $408,000 The custom-made instrument, built in 1966 by the VOX company, was bought by an unidentified U.S. buyer in New York. |
