Obama administration knew since June 2012 about an investigation into complaints from conservative tea party groups that they were being harassed by IRS, and the probe was ongoing at the height of the presidential race, a Treasury inspector general revealed Friday. J. Russell George, the Treasury inspector general for tax administration, testified alongside ousted IRS [...]
Senior Pakistani politician Zahra Shahid Hussain has been shot dead in the southern port city of Karachi. Zahra Shahid Hussain was the senior vice-president of Pakistan’s Movement for Justice party (PTI), led by former international cricketer Imran Khan. She was killed by gunmen on a motorcycle outside her home in the city’s upmarket Defence neighborhood. [...]
Thousands of protesters, led by trade unionists, have rallied in Rome against the policies of Italy’s new coalition government. Wielding red flags and placards, they urged the centre-left prime minister, Enrico Letta, to scrap austerity measures and focus on job creation. Public trust in his fragile coalition with the centre-right is dropping, opinion polls suggest. [...]
In his first major speech on the financial crisis, Pope Francis has called on world leaders to end the “cult of money” and to do more for the poor. Free market economics had created a tyranny, in which people were valued only by their ability to consume, the pontiff told diplomats in the Vatican. “Money [...]
Acting head of the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Steven T. Miller has quit after it emerged his staff singled out conservative groups for extra scrutiny, President Barack Obama has announced. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew had asked for and accepted the resignation of IRS Acting Commissioner Steven Miller, he said. “I will do everything in my [...]
France has entered its second recession in four years after the economy shrank by 0.2% in the first quarter of 2013, according to official figures. The country’s economy shrank by the same amount in the last quarter of 2012. A recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth. France has record unemployment and [...]
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is celebrating with his supporters, amid early signs that his party will be the largest after parliamentary elections. Media projections based on partial results suggest a big lead for Nawaz Sharif’s Muslim League, and he has already claimed victory. The election should lead to the country’s first transition from [...]
Parliamentary elections are under way in Bulgaria with opinion polls predicting no outright winner. Mass protests against low living standards and widespread corruption forced the government of the centre-right Gerb party to resign in February. However, the run-up to Sunday’s election has been marked by voter apathy and claims of fraud. On Saturday prosecutors said [...]
Pakistan votes in landmark national and provincial elections. The vote marks Pakistan’s first transition from one civilian government to another in its 66-year history. However, the run-up to the election has been marred by violence in which more than 100 people have been killed. A bomb blast in the port city of Karachi on Saturday [...]
Former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi’s conviction for tax fraud has been upheld by an appeals court in Milan. The court also reinstated a four-year prison sentence and five-year ban from public office Silvio Berlusconi was handed in October. Silvio Berlusconi was convicted of artificially inflating prices of film distribution rights bought by his company, Mediaset, [...]
Former cricketer and leading Pakistani politician Imran Khan is recuperating in hospital after falling off a makeshift lift that was taking him onto a stage at an election rally in Lahore. Doctors say that Imran Khan received stitches in the head and treatment for injuries to his spine. But they say that his spinal cord [...]
Former cricketer and leading Pakistani politician Imran Khan has been injured after falling off a makeshift lift that was taking him onto a stage at an election rally in Lahore. It is unclear how badly Imran Khan was hurt, but he suffered visible head injuries in the fall. Imran Khan was taken to hospital for [...]
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) report has revealed today that debt-laden Greece has made progress in improving its finances, but the country must do more to fight tax evasion. In a report, the IMF said Greece had made “exceptional” progress on reducing its budget deficit since 2010. But the IMF, one of the lenders that [...]
Former Italian PM Giulio Andreotti, one of the most prominent political figures of post-war Italy, has died aged 94. Giulio Andreotti was prime minister seven times between 1972 and 1992. He led the Christian Democrat party, which dominated Italian politics for decades. He was dogged in later years by allegations of corruption and Mafia links. [...]
Malaysia’s ruling National Front coalition has won a simple majority in the country’s parliamentary election, extending its 56-year rule, with two-thirds of seats confirmed. PM Najib Razak’s Barisan Nasional coalition had passed the threshold of 112 seats in the 222-seat parliament, the Election Commission said. Defeated opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim accused the party of widespread [...]
Malaysia is voting in what is widely expected to be the most closely contested general election in the country’s history. PM Najib Razak’s Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition is up against Pakatan Rakyat, a three-party alliance headed by Anwar Ibrahim. Voters are faced with returning the ruling party, in power for 56 years, or choosing [...]
Michaela Biancofiore, an Italian junior equal opportunities minister, has resigned the day after being sworn in to new coalition, having said gay people invited discrimination by “ghettoizing” themselves. Michaela Biancofiore was defending herself against accusations of homophobia made by human rights groups. But she invoked more wrath with Saturday’s comments to Italian media. The sacking [...]
Portugal plans to cut 30,000 civil service jobs and to raise the retirement age by one year to 66 as it tries to meet the terms of a bailout. PM Pedro Passos Coelho said civil servants would also be required to work 40 hours a week instead of 35. The proposals, which would be applied [...]
The European Central Bank (ECB) has decided to cut its benchmark interest rate to a new record low amid ongoing worries about the eurozone’s economy. The widely-expected cut to 0.50% from 0.75% is the first in 10 months. Worries about eurozone economies were underlined on Thursday with data showing manufacturing activity across the 17-nation bloc [...]
Several opposition MP’s are reportedly being injured during a brawl that have broken out in Venezuela’s parliament over the recent disputed presidential election. Several legislators were left bloodied and bruised, with both opposition and pro-government lawmakers accusing each other of starting the fight. A measure was earlier passed denying MPs the right to speak until they recognized Nicolas Maduro [...]
Venezuela’s electoral council has amended the final result of the April 14 presidential election for Hugo Chavez’s successor after finishing counting votes cast abroad. The council said that according to its latest figures, Nicolas Maduro won the election by 1.49 percentage points, or fewer than 225,000 votes. Earlier official figures had suggested Nicolas Maduro won [...]
Botswana President Ian Khama needed stitches on his face after being scratched by a cheetah, officials say. The animal was reportedly being fed in its enclosure at an army barracks when it jumped up and scratched Ian Khama, who was standing nearby. The incident was “a freak accident, but not an attack”, government spokesman Jeff Ramsay told local [...]
A man has been arrested in Italy after he shot two police officers outside the PM’s office in Rome during new government swearing-in ceremony. One of the officers was shot in the neck and is said to be in a serious condition. The incident was around a kilometre away from the swearing-in ceremony at the [...]
Iceland’s centre-right opposition parties are set for a return to power with nearly all votes counted after Saturday’s parliamentary election. The Independence party has 26% and the Progressive party 24%, putting them on track to win nearly 40 of the 63 seats. The ruling Social Democrats are trailing with around 13%. It is a dramatic [...]
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has suffered a mini-stroke and has been flown to hospital in Paris, the state news agency said. Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 76, had a “transient ischemia” – a temporary blockage of a blood vessel often called a mini-stroke – an official told the APS news agency. But he said there was “no reason [...]
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Obama administration knew IRS was targeting conservative groups since June 2012
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Obama administration knew IRS was targeting conservative groups since June 2012Obama administration knew since June 2012 about an investigation into complaints from conservative tea party groups that they were being harassed by IRS, and the probe was…
Zahra Shahid Hussain shot dead in KarachiSenior Pakistani politician Zahra Shahid Hussain has been shot dead in the southern port city of Karachi. Zahra Shahid Hussain was the senior vice-president of Pakistan's…
Phil Robertson, Miss Kay and Uncle Si do commercials for Clayton HomesDuck Commander Phil Robertson and his wife Miss Kay, the stars of Duck Dynasty, sliced some sweet potato pie and filled their audience in about Clayton Homes. “What do I…
Rome: Thousands rally to oppose Italy's austerity measuresThousands of protesters, led by trade unionists, have rallied in Rome against the policies of Italy’s new coalition government. Wielding red flags and placards, they urged…
Fast Food: Advertisements vs. RealityPhotographer Dario D was fed up with his fast food order not looking quite as appetizing as it did on the advert and decided to see how the food sold over the counter matched…
Dell reports 79% fall in profits as more consumers shift to smartphones and tabletsDell has reported a 79% slide in net profit, underlining a fall in personal computers sales as more consumers shift to smartphones and tablets. The PC maker's net profit…