Turkey plans tax amnesty ahead of presidential polls
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AK Party is planning a tax amnesty that could see billions of lira worth of unpaid taxes pardoned in the run-up to an August presidential election he is expected to contest.
Inspectors press Syria on chemical arms ‘discrepancies’: envoys
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Inspectors overseeing the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal have asked President Bashar al-Assad’s government to clarify disparities in its original declaration on its cache of toxic gas, U.N. diplomats said on …
U.S. criticizes Rwanda over disappearances, press freedom
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States expressed deep concern on Wednesday over the arrest and disappearance of dozens of Rwandans over the last two months, including people held up to two months without being charged or allowed to communicate with t…
German prosecutor to probe U.S. spies for bugging Merkel’s phone
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s top public prosecutor has launched an investigation into the bugging of Angela Merkel’s mobile phone by U.S. intelligence in the light of revelations by former spy agency contractor Edward Snowden, authorities said on Wedne…
Hamas begins handover of Palestinian government offices in Gaza
GAZA (Reuters) – Islamist Hamas handed control of two government ministries in Gaza to members of the new Palestinian unity government on Wednesday, a further sign of reconciliation between the rival factions after the collapse of peace talks with Isra…
Hong Kong recalls Tiananmen killings, China muffles dissent
BEIJING (Reuters) – Tens of thousands of people held a candlelight vigil in Hong Kong on Wednesday to mark the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters 25 years ago in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, while mainland China authorities sought to whitewash…
Italy to grant citizenship to children born to asylum holders
ROME (Reuters) – Italy announced plans to give citizenship to children born of refugees who have been granted asylum, as the government faced growing anti-immigrant sentiment over an influx of migrant arrivals by sea.
Thai junta claims support from China, Vietnam amid Western unease
BANGKOK (Reuters) – China and Vietnam have expressed support for Thailand’s new military government, an army spokesman said on Wednesday, as pro-army supporters held a small gathering at the Australian Embassy in protest against downgrading of relation…
Jailed Greek far-right leader appears in parliament, hurls abuse
ATHENS (Reuters) – The leader of Greece’s far-right Golden Dawn party made a brief appearance in parliament on Wednesday for the first time since he was jailed eight months ago, hurling abuse at lawmakers before they voted to strip him of immunity from…
New ceasefire in northern Yemen after fresh air strikes
SANAA (Reuters) – A ceasefire between Shi’ite Muslim rebels and government forces went into effect on Wednesday, the Yemeni Defence Ministry said, after fresh fighting and air strikes killed a total of 19 people from both sides.
