Romania president to approve IMF deal review after government split
BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Romania’s President Traian Basescu said on Wednesday he will ratify a review of the European Union state’s aid deal led by the International Monetary Fund, to send a signal of stability after the ruling alliance split the day befo…
Austria takes harder line on bank secrecy
VIENNA (Reuters) – Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann on Wednesday demanded movement in European Union tax talks with Switzerland and other non-EU countries and linked this to whether Vienna will agree to automatically exchange data on cross-border sav…
Germany’s top court scraps 3 percent vote threshold for EU poll
KARLSRUHE, Germany (Reuters) – Germany’s top court on Wednesday scrapped a rule that political parties need at least three percent of the vote to enter the European Parliament, opening the door to more fringe movements winning seats in a May 25 electio…
Hezbollah says will respond to Israeli air strike
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Hezbollah will respond to an Israeli air strike that hit one of its bases on the border with Syria on Monday night, the Lebanese militant group said on Wednesday.
Uighur professor could face death sentence in China: lawyer
BEIJING (Reuters) – A prominent ethnic Uighur economist is unlikely to receive a fair trial and could face the death penalty after being charged with separatism in China’s far western Xinjiang region, his lawyer said on Wednesday.
Egyptian court sentences 26 people to death for plotting Suez Canal attack
(Reuters) – An Egyptian court sentenced 26 people to death on Wednesday for plotting attacks on ships passing through the Suez Canal, judicial source said.
Britain’s opposition Labour party to pledge EU referendum: report
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s opposition Labour party is preparing to change its policy on the European Union by pledging to hold a referendum on the country’s membership of the bloc at some point if elected in 2015, the Times newspaper reported on Wedn…
Once unthinkable, civil strife stalks tropical Thailand
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand is hurtling towards a dark and unfamiliar place. After almost four months of round-the-clock anti-government protests, institutions that provided a buffer in past conflicts have not stepped in, making the country look incre…
China blames Philippines for latest South China Sea incident
BEIJING (Reuters) – China on Wednesday accused the Philippines of “deliberate provocations” over an incident in disputed waters in the South China Sea that drew a protest from Manila about what it called Chinese ships’ use of a water cannon on Filipino…
Turkey’s president approves law tightening grip on judiciary
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish President Abdullah Gul approved a law boosting government control over the appointment of judges and prosecutors, his office said on Wednesday.
