French police search office, home of National Front founder
PARIS (Reuters) – French police and investigators raided the offices and home of far-right National Front party founder Jean-Marie Le Pen on Wednesday searching for evidence of alleged tax evasion through foreign bank accounts.
Rebels down government air force plane in western Syria: monitor
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Rebels shot down a Syrian government warplane with anti-aircraft fire on Wednesday in the western province of Hama, forcing its pilot to eject, a monitoring group and an insurgent media spokesman said.
Iran’s defense hawks prepare for worst after nuclear deal
DUBAI (Reuters) – As Iran’s government promises a new age of prosperity after sanctions, many Iranians are hoping for the best. But the security establishment, with an eye to its political survival, is very publicly preparing for the worst.
U.S. leads 25 air strikes against Islamic State in Syria, Iraq
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States and its allies targeted Islamic State with 25 air strikes in Iraq and Syria on Tuesday, according to the Combined Joint Task Force leading the operations.
Egyptian flooding drowns Gaza’s tunnel business
GAZA (Reuters) – Mahmoud Bakeer speaks with despair about the night of the flash flood, when he screamed at his wife and five children to flee their home on Gaza’s border with Egypt as the water rushed in.
Rivals China, Taiwan to hold surprise meeting weeks before island’s elections
TAIPEI/BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold talks with the leader of neighboring Taiwan on Saturday, the first such meeting between the two political rivals since the Chinese civil war ended in 1949 and coming weeks ahead of elect…
Tortured by Islamic State, rescued before execution: freed hostages recount ordeal
ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) – The last thing that came to Saad Khalaf Ali’s mind as his Islamic State interrogators smothered him with a plastic bag was his two wives and children. Then everything went dark.
Polish election winner may present new government on Saturday
WARSAW (Reuters) – Poland’s Law and Justice party (PiS), which won an outright majority in parliamentary elections last month, may announce its new government on Saturday, the conservative party’s spokeswoman Elzbieta Witek said.
CEE and Baltics say gravely concerned by Russia’s ‘aggressive’ stance
BUCHAREST/WARSAW (Reuters) – Leaders of nine Central and Eastern European and Baltic states said in a joint statement on Wednesday they were gravely concerned by Russia’s “continuing aggressive posturing” and backed a sustainable NATO military presence…
Myanmar ruling party denies dumping ousted chairman
YANGON (Reuters) – Myanmar’s ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) said on Wednesday it had not expelled ousted party chairman and parliamentary speaker Shwe Mann following reports and social media chatter it had dumped him four days bef…
