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Aso, Taro

(Encyclopedia)Aso, Taro täˈrō äˈsō [key], 1940–, Japanese politician, prime minister of Japan (2008–9). Grandson of Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida and son of a successful industrialist, he attended Gakush...

Çiller, Tansu

(Encyclopedia)Çiller, Tansu tänˈso͞o chēlĕrˈ [key], 1946–, Turkish politician, first woman prime minister of Turkey (1993–96). She studied at the Univ. of the Bosporus, İstanbul (B.A.), Univ. of Connect...

Dung, Nguyen Tan

(Encyclopedia)Dung, Nguyen Tan nəwēˈĭn tän dŭng [key], 1949–, Vietnamese political leader. Educated in Vietnam, he received a bachelor's degree in law. A career security officer, Dung joined the Vietnamese ...

Reynolds, Albert

(Encyclopedia)Reynolds, Albert, 1935–2014, Irish political leader. A successful business executive, Reynolds won (1977) a seat in the Irish parliament as a member of the Fianna Fáil party. He was minister of pos...

Verhofstadt, Guy Maurice Marie-Louise

(Encyclopedia)Verhofstadt, Guy Maurice Marie-Louise, 1953–, Belgian political leader, prime minister of Belgium (1999–2008). A lawyer and member of the Flemish Party for Freedom and Progress (PVV; from 1991 the...

Marape, James

(Encyclopedia)Marape, James, 1971–, Papua New Guinea political leader. First elected to parliament in 2007 as a member of the National Alliance party, he served as education minister (2008–11) under Prime Minis...

Briceño, Juan Antonio

(Encyclopedia)Briceño, Juan Antonio, 1960–, Belizean political leader, known as Johnny Briceño. A member of the People's United party (PUP), he was first elected to the national assembly in 1993. He served as c...

Peres, Shimon

(Encyclopedia)Peres, Shimon shēˈmōn pârˈĕs [key], 1923–2016, Israeli politician, b. Wiszniew, Poland (now Vishnyeva, Belarus) as Shimon Perski. His family immigrated to Palestine in 1934; his grandparents, ...

Hariri, Rafik

(Encyclopedia)Hariri, Rafik or Rafiq räfēkˈ härēˈrē [key], 1944–2005, Lebanese tycoon and political leader, b. Sidon. The son of a poor Sunni Muslim farmer, he moved to Saudi Arabia in 1965. After teaching...

Ohira, Masayoshi

(Encyclopedia)Ohira, Masayoshi, 1910–80, Japanese political leader, prime minister (1978–80) of Japan. After serving in the house of representatives, he became foreign minister (1962–64, 1972–74) and minist...