Hundreds of refugees return to Syria from Lebanon
SHEBAA, Lebanon (Reuters) – Several hundred Syrians who have lived for years as refugees in Lebanon left for their home country on Wednesday in a rare case of a mass return of those who left the country since the Syrian civil war began in 2011.
Turkey’s Erdogan declares early elections on June 24
ANKARA (Reuters) – President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday called snap elections for June 24, saying economic challenges and the war in Syria meant Turkey must switch quickly to the powerful executive presidency that goes into effect after the vote.
U.N. team fired on in Syria while visiting suspected chemical sites
THE HAGUE/BEIRUT (Reuters) – A U.N. security team came under fire in Syria while doing reconnaissance for inspectors to visit sites of a suspected chemical weapons attack, and officials said it was no longer clear when the inspectors would be able to g…
EU lawmakers chide Juncker over aide’s promotion ‘coup’
STRASBOURG (Reuters) – Jean-Claude Juncker mounted what looked like a “coup” in naming his top aide to run the European Union’s civil service, EU lawmakers said on Wednesday in a vote to reprimand Juncker, the Union’s chief executive.
Swedish king to change statutes of Nobel-awarding Academy
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Sweden’s king will change the arcane rules of the Swedish Academy, which picks the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, making it possible to bring in new members after a controversy has seen several members resign.
EU edges closer to new Iran sanctions ahead of Trump deadline, envoys say
BRUSSELS/PARIS (Reuters) – European Union governments are showing more support for the idea of new sanctions on Iran proposed by Britain, France and Germany as a way of dissuading U.S. President Donald Trump from pulling out of the 2015 nuclear deal, d…
French rail workers strike against reform, Macron says no turning back
PARIS (Reuters) – Striking French rail staff halted train services for the seventh day this month on Wednesday in protest over a major shake-up of the state-owned railway company, but President Emmanuel Macron said he would not be cowed into retreat.
Russia’s RT faces seven investigations in Britain over broadcasts since Skripal case
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s media regulator opened seven investigations into Russian news channel RT, saying it had found an increase in programs which may have breached impartiality rules since a nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy last month….
Pompeo visits North Korea, forms ‘good relationship with Kim’, says Trump
WASHINGTON/SEOUL (Reuters) – CIA director Mike Pompeo, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to become the top U.S. diplomat, visited North Korea last week and met leader Kim Jong Un with whom he formed a “good relationship”, Trump said on Wednesday.
Indian Prime Minister Modi confronted by angry protests in London
LONDON (Reuters) – Hundreds of noisy protesters greeted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he arrived in London on Wednesday, demonstrating over a rising tide of sexual violence at home, including two particularly brutal rapes.
