Portuguese anti-austerity strike hits mostly transport
LISBON (Reuters) – Portuguese unions halted public transport on Thursday in a peaceful one-day strike against austerity measures that have led to the worst economic slump since the 1970s and sent unemployment to record levels.
Spain ruling party ex-treasurer sent to jail in corruption case
MADRID (Reuters) – A former treasurer for Spain’s ruling People’s Party was sent to jail without bail on Thursday as the High Court continues a pre-trial investigation into corruption charges against him.
Prosecutor says Berlusconi should pay damages in Mondadori case: sources
MILAN (Reuters) – Prosecutors have recommended Italy’s supreme court back a ruling that orders Silvio Berlusconi’s Fininvest to pay more than 500 million euros in damages over the acquisition of a publisher twenty years ago, legal sources said on Thurs…
U.N. chemical weapons team in Turkey to investigate Syria claims
AMSTERDAM/ANKARA (Reuters) – U.N.-appointed inspectors, blocked from entering Syria, are in Turkey to gather information about possible use of chemical weapons in the civil war, officials said on Thursday.
U.S. sanctions North Korea bank as it targets weapons program
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Obama administration said on Thursday it was sanctioning North Korea’s Daedong Credit Bank for its role in supporting Pyongyang’s weapons of mass destruction program.
Spain ruling party ex-treasurer ordered to jail in corruption case
MADRID (Reuters) – A Spanish High Court judge on Thursday ordered Luis Barcenas, former treasurer for the ruling People’s Party, to jail without bail.
New Czech PM starts picking ministers, parties cry foul
PRAGUE (Reuters) – The new Czech prime minister picked ministers for his cabinet on Thursday who are certain to widen a rift between parliament and the executive that could cripple policymaking for months.
Turkey’s Erdogan seeks to further curb army power
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s government, which faced a wave of street protests and riots this month, moved on Thursday to amend an article of the Armed Forces charter cited by generals in the past to justify coups as defen…
Turkey’s Erdogan seeks to further curb army power
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s government, which faced a wave of street protests and riots this month, moved on Thursday to amend an article of the Armed Forces charter cited by generals in the past to justify coups as defen…
In Africa, Obama lauds democracy but urges progress on gay rights
DAKAR (Reuters) – President Barack Obama, kicking off a long-awaited African tour, lauded a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage as a victory for democracy and urged African nations to end discrimination against homosexuals.