Italy prosecutor asks top court to reduce Berlusconi ban
ROME (Reuters) – An Italian public prosecutor on Tuesday asked the country’s top court to reduce former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s ban from public office for tax fraud to 3 years from 5, but to confirm a one year prison term.
Serbian PM moves to oust finance minister, risking election
BELGRADE (Reuters) – Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic moved to oust his finance minister on Tuesday, rattling the year-old coalition and risking a snap election that would almost certainly delay talks on joining the European Union.
Union, rather than army, may be Tunisia opposition’s decisive ally
TUNIS (Reuters) – More than any threat of military force, the power of Tunisia’s main trade union may be what pushes the Islamist-led government to accept opposition demands for it to quit.
Portugal PM wins confidence vote, vows to meet bailout goals
LISBON (Reuters) – Portugal’s prime minister ruled out any backtracking on its bailout terms on Tuesday as his revamped government easily won a confidence vote intended to show it has repaired an internal rift over austerity.
‘Boxing’ Mugabe lays down the gloves on Zimbabwe election eve
HARARE (Reuters) – Setting aside weeks of campaign trail acrimony, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe buried the hatchet with political rival Morgan Tsvangirai on Tuesday, the eve of a hotly contested election that remains too close to call.
Security headaches dampen investor enthusiasm in Libya
TRIPOLI (Reuters) – The men, some of them armed, arrived at the gates of the Al Hani General Construction Company compound on the outskirts of the Libyan capital and forced their way into the site.
Turkish troops use teargas to stop smugglers entering from Syria
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish soldiers shot into the air and fired teargas this week to prevent hundreds of people described by the military as smugglers from trying to cross into Turkey from Syria.
Colombia’s FARC wants leftist involved in freeing U.S. captive
BOGOTA/HAVANA (Reuters) – Colombia’s FARC rebels said on Tuesday they are waiting for the government to allow a leftist politician to be involved in coordinating the release of a former U.S. marine kidnapped last month before setting him free.
Quartet urges Israelis, Palestinians to avoid undermining talks
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The Quartet of Middle East peace mediators urged Israelis and Palestinians on Tuesday to avoid actions that undermine new peace negotiations.
Tunisia’s biggest union tells Islamist-led government to quit
TUNIS (Reuters) – Tunisia’s largest labor union called on Tuesday for the dissolution of the Islamist-led government and the interior minister offered to resign as a political crisis deepened.
