Australian Leader Pledges to Abandon Unpopular Policies
SYDNEY, Australia — Less than two years into Australia’s top job, Prime Minister Tony Abbott is struggling to hold on to his office amid growing speculation that his colleagues may…
Tag: government
For Greece, Bank Trouble Looms Again as New Government Takes Shape
It was not the E.C.B.’s job to “fund the gap of any bank runs,” Mr. Weidmann told the central bank’s governing council, according to confidential minutes of the meeting, citing…
Asians Have Been Slower To Sign Up For Obama’s Immigration Reprieve
Asians have been slower to sign up for President Barack Obama’s reprieve for young immigrants in the country illegally, and community advocates are ramping up efforts to reach thousands more…
France Offers Support For Greece Amid Bailout Tensions
France’s Socialist government offered support Sunday for Greece’s efforts to renegotiate debt for its huge bailout plan, amid renewed fears about Europe’s economic stability. The backing was a victory for…
Kurdish People Fast Facts
Population: approximately 25-30 million (some Kurds reside outside of Kurdistan) Religion: Most are Sunni Muslims; some practice Sufism, a type of mystic Islam Other Facts:Kurds have never achieved nation-state status,…
Obama Said To Seek 19% Global Minimum Tax In Bid For Road Money
President Barack Obama will propose that U.S.-based companies pay a minimum 19 percent tax on their future foreign earnings, capturing profits that are now often beyond the government’s reach. Read…
Taliban Justice Gains Favor as Official Afghan Courts Fail
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Matiullah Khan and Muhammad Aywaz were each dug in, their property dispute in southern Afghanistan at an impasse. Despite paying more than $1,000 apiece in lawyers’ fees,…
A Silver Lining Coated in Coal Dust in Eastern Ukraine
In a region beset by upheaval and misfortune, coal miners who take pride in their grit and self-reliance have found at least one silver lining in changes sweeping over their…
At least 13 charred beyond recognition in Bangladesh factory fire
A short time earlier, Dhaka police chief Asaduzzaman Mia told reporters about the efforts to find others who were in the five-story building. “The rescuers were still searching for bodies…
Ukraine peace talks begin in Minsk as fighting continues
At the meeting are representatives of the Ukrainian government, Russian government and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, as well as representatives of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic…
Civilians Flee East Ukraine Town Debaltseve As Fighting Intensifies
Outgoing heavy-caliber fire boomed incessantly, shaking the ground and rattling windows around the besieged town. Residents of Debaltseve, seemingly inured to the racket, listened impassively as they mustered at the…
Argentinian Prosecutor Feared Pro-Government Fanatics, Says Employee
The Argentinian prosecutor who was found dead after accusing the country’s president of conspiring to cover up the country’s deadliest terror attack was more afraid of fanatical government sympathisers than…
China Nears Peak Coal, But Its Rustbelt Pays the Price
China’s great coal boom is grinding to a halt, and the consequences for both the global climate and hundreds of millions of Chinese factory workers could be dramatic. Three trends…
New Greek Government Refuses To Extend Bailout Program
By Lefteris Papadimas and Angeliki Koutantou ATHENS, Jan 30 (Reuters) – Greece’s new leftist government opened talks on its bailout with European partners on Friday by flatly refusing to extend…
Benjamin Netanyahu Accused Of Election Ploy In Backlash Over New Settlements
WASHINGTON — Political observers to the left of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are calling a release of bids for the construction of new housing units in West Bank settlements an…
Ukraine Fast Facts
Population: 44,291,413 (July 2014 est.) Median age: 40.6 years Capital: Kiev (Kyiv) Ethnic Groups: Ukrainian 77.8%, Russian 17.3%, Belarusian 0.6%, Moldovan 0.5%, Crimean Tatar 0.5%, Bulgarian 0.4%, Hungarian 0.3%, Romanian…
Israel Takes New Step to Expand West Bank Housing
JERUSALEM — Israel on Friday published bids for the construction of 450 new housing units in West Bank settlements, a move denounced by the Palestinians and by Israeli critics who…
HUFFPOLLSTER: Scientists’ Opinions Are Very Different From Most Americans’
Pew Research finds the public at odds with science on a list of key issues. Desire for a decrease in immigration is lower than it was during the Bush years….
Oil Cash Waning, Venezuelan Shelves Lie Bare
The Venezuelan government has sent troops to patrol huge lines snaking for blocks outside state-run stores in the center of Caracas, the capital. Some states have barred people from waiting…
Saudi King Hands Out Pink Slips and Bonuses
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Less than a week after ascending the throne, King Salman of Saudi Arabia issued an array of royal decrees on Thursday — abolishing government bodies, changing…
W.H.: No, Castro, you can’t have Guantanamo back
Among them, Castro asked for the return of the Guantanamo Naval Base to Cuba, an end to the five decades-old trade embargo, a ceasing of U.S.-run television and radio broadcasts…
What to do about drones
Last year, for example, the Federal Aviation Administration fined a man for crashing a drone in Manhattan, narrowly missing pedestrians. Also in 2014, the National Park Service banned the use…
HUFFPOLLSTER: Economic Recovery Seen As Mostly Helping The Rich
Americans see the economy looking up, but mostly for the wealthy. Many think government action could help improve the middle class, but few expect Obama’s proposals to pass. And data…
Greek Bailout In Focus As EU Parliament Head Visits Athens
The European Parliament’s president arrived in Athens Thursday for a visit closely watched for signs of a potential clash between Greece’s new left-wing government and its bailout lenders. Martin Schulz…
The cost of doing business in China: Spying
By giving up source code to the Chinese government, companies like Apple (AAPL, Tech30) and Microsoft give up their highly guarded blueprints, revealing weaknesses that could give hackers a road…
Former U.S. nuclear scientist gets 5 year sentence for spying
During a March 30, 2008, meeting with an undercover agent posing as Venezuelan operative who called himself “Luis Jimenez,” Pedro Mascheroni said his proposed program included a laser “capable of…
Kendrick Johnson’s parents convicted but not jailed for protest
Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson and five family members were convicted of interference with government property for blocking the entrance to the Lowndes County Courthouse in Valdosta, Georgia, and blocking access…
Perry pledges to keep up fight against indictment
Perry’s attorneys had sought to have the two criminal charges — coercion of a public official and abuse of official capacity — against him thrown out on constitutional grounds, their second failed…
France launches website to counter jihadist propaganda
The target audience is families and friends of young people at risk of radicalization, young people themselves, and the wider public, according to a government news release. Entitled “Stop jihadism,”…
Jewish Groups Boycott Argentina’s Holocaust Commemoration
Jewish groups boycotted the Argentine government’s Holocaust Day commemoration Tuesday in protest over the mysterious death of prosecutor Alberto Nisman, while skepticism grew over President Cristina Fernandez’s plan to reform…