General Politics

URGENT: House approves US stimulus bill

House approves US stimulus bill Washington  - The US House of Representatives app

Czech president signs controversial law on wiretaps

Czech president signs controversial law on wiretaps Prague  - Czech President Vaclav Klaus Friday signed into law a bill that bans the media from publishing information from leaked police wiretaps, his office said.

The legislation was seen as a breach of media freedom.

The disputed penal code amendment, passed at a time when the Czech Republic chairs the European Union, allows courts to punish publication of information from leaked wiretaps by up to five years in prison.

Wiretap technology allows police to listen in on electronic communications in suspected criminal cases.

Iraq's Sadrists suggest they may rejoin government

Iraq's Sadrists suggest they may rejoin governmentNajaf, Iraq - Followers of firebrand Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Friday suggested that they may be willing to rejoin the largest coalition in the Iraqi parliament, in a possible indication of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's increasingly strong position.

"We support the idea of renewing the former coalition, in what should be called the United Iraqi National Alliance," al-Sadr's office said in a press release Friday.

US concerned over Netanyahu heading right-wing Israeli government

Israel holds municipal elections; Jerusalem elects new mayor Jerusalem, Feb 12 : US officials are publicly taking a wait-and-watch approach to the formation of a new Israeli Government, but privately have expressed concern over Likud Party leader Binyamin Netanyahu heading a right-wing coalition.

There would be great unease at the prospect of such a government; the Jerusalem Post quoted one Capitol Hill source, as saying.

Dutch legislator to travel to Britain despite entry ban

Amsterdam - Dutch legislator Geert Wilders is due to travel to Britain on Thursday despite an entry ban from the British authorities, Dutch media reported.

The leader of the liberal-rightist Freedom Party PVV, which is highly critical of Islam and migrants, was invited to London by a member of the House of Lords for a showing of his controversial political film Fitna.

The British authorities recently decided to refuse Wilders entry because the legislator would allegedly pose a threat to public security.

Repeated requests by the Dutch government to Britain to reconsider the entry ban did not have any effect.

It remains unclear whether Wilders will be allowed to board the British airplane at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport.

New German economics minister sworn in

Berlin - Germany's new economics minister, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, was sworn in to office Thursday, completing the handover after his predecessor Michael Glos had asked Saturday to step down.

Pages