Switzerland prepares to tighten screws on whistleblowers
GENEVA (Reuters) – Switzerland’s parliament will consider a bill on Monday that critics say will tighten the rules on whistleblowers, shutting the door to what is often a last resort for people trying to stop wrongdoing and corruption.
European Court agrees to hear Berlusconi tax fraud appeal
MILAN (Reuters) – The European Court of Human Rights has agreed to hear an appeal by former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi against his conviction for tax fraud in August 2013, Berlusconi’s lawyer said on Friday.
White House does not expect Obama, Iran’s Rouhani to meet at U.N.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House said on Friday it did not expect President Barack Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani would hold a meeting when they are in New York for the United Nations General Assembly next week.
Kenya detains two Iranians on suspicion of planning attacks
NAIROBI (Reuters) – Kenyan anti-terror police have detained two Iranian men using forged Israeli passports to enter the East African country, on suspicion that they may have been involved in a plan to carry out an attack there, officials said on Friday…
Sarkozy returns to politics, offers France new start
PARIS (Reuters) – Nicolas Sarkozy announced his political comeback on Friday, saying he would seek the leadership of France’s main rightist party, opening the way for a possible return to the Elysee Palace in 2017 elections.
U.S. won’t stand in way of Venezuela’s U.N. Security Council bid
UNITED NATIONS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States will not stand in the way of Venezuela securing a temporary seat on the U.N. Security Council in 2015-16 after Latin American and Caribbean states unanimously endorsed its bid, U.N. diplomats and …
Russia fails to remove Syria nuclear probe from IAEA agenda
VIENNA (Reuters) – Western states defeated a Russian proposal on Friday to remove Syria’s alleged past nuclear activities from the agenda of meetings of the U.N. atomic agency, diplomats said.
Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania form joint military unit
WARSAW (Reuters) – Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania launched a joint military force on Friday that Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski said could start its first exercises in the tense region in the next year.
IMF to halt aid to Bosnia until agreed policies implemented
SARAJEVO (Reuters) – The International Monetary Fund will hold off on disbursing the next tranche of Bosnia’s aid program until the Balkan country implements agreed economic policies, most likely after the October election, a senior IMF official said o…
Catalonia call independence vote despite Scottish ‘no’
BARCELONA (Reuters) – The leader of Spain’s Catalonia region said on Friday he would defy Madrid to hold a non-binding independence vote in less than two months, saying his people deserved the same right to determine their future as Scots who voted to …
