prime-minister – Page 10 – 4VF News

Celebrity chef Oliver to cook for G-20 leaders

Budget-conscious celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has been hired to cook for G-20 leaders in London next week, nearly a year after they provoked outrage by eating an eight-course meal while discussing the global food crisis. Oliver’s company will feed the leader’s at Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s residence, 10 Downing Street. Leaders at last July’s G-8 meeting drew heavy criticism for enjoying an eight-course meal featuring 19 dishes while they were meant to be discussing how to ease global food shortages

Brown, bank chiefs thrash out G-20 plans

Top executives of leading international banks were meeting the British prime minister and treasury chief Tuesday to discuss kick-starting the global financial system ahead of next month’s G-20 summit. About a dozen representatives of U.S., Japanese, German and South African banks were at Downing Street to meet with Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Chancellor Alistair Darling, a spokesman for the Treasury said.

Hungarian PM offers to step down

Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany said Saturday he was open to resigning, saying a new government may be needed to address the country’s economic woes.

Israel: Netanyahu gets more time to form government

Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu, running out of time to form a coalition government, was granted a 14-day extension Friday by Israeli President Shimon Peres. Netanyahu has been negotiating with Labour Party leader Ehud Barak to try to broaden what would be a Likud-led coalition. The Labour Party is expected to meet on Tuesday to discuss Netanyahu’s offer and to vote on whether to join his government

A Crisis Averted, but Pakistan Unrest May Not Be Over

The drums have fallen silent, the dancing in the streets has ended and Pakistan’s stock exchange has rebounded, but Monday’s political compromise — which ended a dangerous standoff — has not necessarily ensured stability.

Iraqi Cabinet presses for ‘Chemical Ali’s’ execution

The Iraqi Cabinet pressed the presidential council Tuesday to ratify court-ordered executions for several former Iraqi officials convicted of crimes against humanity, including the ex-general known as "Chemical Ali," a government spokesman said.

Nigerian’s scam nets 19-year sentence

A college student in Nigeria has been sentenced to 19 years in prison for scamming an Australian woman out of $47,000 online by pretending to be a widowed white businessman desperately in love with her.

Hamas hardens position on kidnapped soldier’s release

Israeli negotiators returned to Jerusalem for a Tuesday afternoon Cabinet meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert after Hamas officials "hardened" their position over the release of an abducted soldier. “It became clear during the discussions that Hamas had hardened its position, reneged on understandings that had been formulated over the past year and raised extreme demands,” Olmert’s office said in a statement. Israeli Security Agency Director Yuval Diskin and the prime minister’s special envoy, Ofer Dekel, had been taking part in Egyptian-mediated talks in Cairo regarding the release of Gilad Shalit.

Pakistan to reinstate judges after protests

All judges sacked by Pakistan’s previous president, including Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, will be reinstated, Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani announced Monday after days of massive protests by lawyers demanding government action. “As per my commitment and the commitment of [President] Asif Ali Zardari, I announce the reinstatement of all deposed judges,” Gilani said in his address Monday

Ozawa: The Man Who Wants to Save Japan

Ichiro Ozawa says that he’s fond of working at practical things, that he “doesn’t like to be showy on the stage.” He had better get used to the limelight.