Italy’s centre-left Democratic Party elects first woman leader

ITALY’S Democratic Party (PD) elected its first woman leader at the weekend, charged with re-energizing the centre-left party to counter a recent surge in popularity of the right.  

Parliamentarian Elly Schlein, 37, defeated frontrunner Stefano Bonaccini, president of the Emilia-Romagna region, by 53.8% to 46.2% yesterday, in an election that saw most left-leaning voters stay at home.  

IRB expects some 50,000 participants in tax disclosure programme

SOME 50,000 new and existing taxpayers with a total assessment value of RM1 billion are expected to participate in the Inland Revenue Board’s (IRB) Special Voluntary Disclosure Programme beginning June 1 until May 2024.

Deputy Finance Minister Ahmad Maslan said the programme, which was first implemented in 2019, will be reintroduced to encourage taxpayers to voluntarily file their income statements without being penalised, or be penalised at a 0% rate.

Greta Thunberg and Sami activists protest ‘illegal’ wind turbines in Norway

CLIMATE activist Greta Thunberg and dozens of Sami activists blocked the entrance to Norway’s energy ministry today to protest against wind turbines still in place on reindeer herding land despite a court ruling.  

“We can’t use the so-called climate transition as a cover for colonialism,” Thunberg told broadcaster TV2 as she blocked the doors of the ministry in Oslo.  

Merdeka Center