Politics by country

Greece holds a general election Sunday, called three months early by left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras after he suffered a stinging defeat in European Parliament elections in May to conservative rivals who appear to be strengthening their position according to recent opinion polls.

As polls opened for Greece's general elections on Sunday, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras urged people to vote, saying today's result will "determine our lives."

"The ballot boxes are empty and all possibilities are open. It is the decision of each and every one [of you] that will decide the outcome," he said in a comment on his Twitter account.

Greeks are heading to the polls on Sunday to elect their first post-bailout government and the 19th since the restoration of democracy in 1974.

The snap elections were called by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras after his SYRIZA party suffered a significant defeat in the European and local elections held in the country last month.

Bucharest, July 6 /Agerpres/ - Mayor of Cluj Napoca Emil Boc stated on Saturday, at the National Liberal Party headquarters, that the new Administrative Code should have been passed through Parliament and not through a Government Emergency Ordinance (OUG. "I did not have the time to read it.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on July 6 expressed condolences to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin over this week's deadly submarine fire that killed 14 crew members.

A top advisor to Iran's supreme leader has hinted Tehran could boost its uranium enrichment to five percent for "peaceful" aims, ahead of deadline it set for world powers to save a landmark 2015 nuclear deal.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on July 5 warned that the country risks a return to the "dark days" of austerity if his party loses a snap election on July 7.

The Turkish parliament approved an expanded code against violence in sports late on July 4.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated his support on July 5 for Libya's U.N.-recognized government, said presidential sources.

Alexis Tsipras's argument was most enlightening. Describing as "unjust and expedient" the criticism leveled at his government for the new penal code which allows terrorist killers to apply for conditional release earlier than before, he chose to "disarm" the journalist who raised the subject. "What you are doing now is very annoying… You are reproducing fake news," he declared.