Israel backs off plan to tax church
JERUSALEM— Days after Christian leaders in the Holy Land bolted shut the doors to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in protest of attempts by the Jerusalem municipality to impose taxation on church properties, Israeli authorities backtracked on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wading into the dispute.
A statement from Mr. Netanyahu’s office said that in coordination with Jerusalem’s mayor, Nir Barkat, a professional team would be established, led by a senior government minister and representatives of the foreign and finance ministries, to “formulate a solution to the issue of municipal taxes on buildings belonging to the churches that are not houses of worship.”
But the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which draws thousands of pilgrims daily to the place where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and later resurrected, remained shuttered Tuesday. Church leaders said they had received Mr. Netanyahu’s statement and were still contemplating reopening the church.
Korean ex-president trial
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean prosecutors requested on Tuesday a 30year prison sentence for disgraced former South Korean president Park Geun-hye, who was impeached last year in a sensational corruption scandal.
The requested term, if granted, would be tantamount to a life sentence for Ms. Park, who is 66. Prosecutors also asked the Seoul Central District Court to fine her $110 million for her alleged crimes.
The court is expected to deliver its verdict and impose a sentence in late March or early April.
Ms. Park is facing 18 charges including bribery, coercion and abuse of power for her role in a plan to extort millions of dollars from South Korea’s biggest businesses for her personal gain. Her confidante Choi Soonsil, the woman who carried out their extortion plans, was found guilty earlier this month and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Ms. Park has vigorously maintained her innocence throughout the case and has been refusing to attend her trial, saying she is the victim of “political revenge.” She did not appear in court when the prosecutors argued for the 30-year sentence.
Trump Panama hotel woes
PANAMACITY — Panamanian police on Tuesday handcuffed a security guard working for President Donald Trump’s hotel here, in the midst of a dispute in which the hotel’s majority owner has tried to fire the Trump Organization — and Trump employees have refused to leave.
The security guard was brought down an elevator by a contingent of police who arrived at the luxury hotel on Monday morning. The police then drove him away in a patrol car.
A police commander at the scene said the guard had been detained for denying officers access to an area of the hotel. It was unclear whether he had been formally arrested. The commander declined to be identified.
The detention marked the latest escalation in a standoff that began Thursday. That afternoon, the hotel’s majority owner, Orestes Fintiklis, made a sudden attempt to terminate the Trump Organization’s contract to manage the facility. Mr. Fintiklis blames the organization — and the U.S. president’s polarizing brand — for the hotel’s declining revenue.
Since that first confrontation, there been yelling matches, barricaded offices and some shoving in a hotel backroom.