Turkey's ruling AK party has submitted to parliament proposals aimed at transforming the powers to the president. Under the existing constitution, the president has a largely
ceremonial
role. The current Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he intends to run for the role of the president when the elections are held in 2014. Here is Tom Esslemont.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dominated Turkish politics for ten years. As Prime Minister, he's restored economic stability to a country once steeped in crisis. He's brought to heel Turkey's powerful military diminishing its ability to intervene in politics. To him it must feel as though there is little
standing in his way
to become a president and doing so obtaining more power. If successful he would continue to appoint ministers and under his party's plans make decisions without being
hamstrung
by parliamentary bureaucracy.
Canada and India have reached a deal that would allow Canadian companies to export uranium and nuclear reactors to India. The announcement was made in Delhi by the visiting Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh.
Police in Venezuela have seized a stash of more than two and a half ton of Marijuana in the state of Tachira. The drug was hidden in a container which police said had come from neighbouring Colombia. One Venezuelan man was arrested. Police say they are working with their counterparts in Colombia to track down the smuggling ring which sent the consignment.