Sarkozy denies far-right Le Pen victory in French polls
PARIS (Reuters) – Former President Nicolas Sarkozy’s conservative UMP party and their allies won the first round of French local elections on Sunday, denying Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Front (FN) first place.
Sierra Leone opposition calls for civil disobedience over VP sacking
FREETOWN (Reuters) – Sierra Leone’s main opposition party has called for an indefinite campaign of civil disobedience if the country’s sacked vice president is not reinstated within a week, a party leader said on Sunday.
Syrian Islamist merger in northwest counters al Qaeda’s clout
AMMAN (Reuters) – The powerful Syrian Islamist insurgent group Ahrar al-Sham has merged with a smaller jihadist faction in a move that could thwart the growing influence of al Qaeda’s offshoot in northwestern Syria, jihadists sources said.
Houthis seize strategic Yemeni city, escalating power struggle
ADEN (Reuters) – Houthi fighters opposed to Yemen’s president took over the central city of Taiz in an escalation of a power struggle diplomats say risks drawing in neighboring oil giant Saudi Arabia and its main regional rival Iran.
Japan firms to be a surprise no-show at Australian submarine event
TOKYO (Reuters) – Two Japanese firms that until recently were the frontrunners to win a multi-billion dollar contract to build Australia’s new submarines have rebuffed an invitation to attend a gathering of top Australian naval officials and politician…
Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy seen in vibrant, controlled Singapore
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Lee Kuan Yew, a towering figure in post-colonial Asia, oversaw tiny Singapore’s transformation from British tropical outpost to an affluent, global city in just over a generation, setting the example for developing economies from …
Modern Singapore’s founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, dies at 91: official
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first prime minister and architect of the tiny Southeast Asian city-state’s rapid rise from British tropical outpost to global trade and financial center, died early on Monday, aged 91, the Prime Minister…
Greek leader to face scepticism, criticism on first Berlin visit
BERLIN (Reuters) – Angela Merkel and Alexis Tsipras have sought to play down the drama of the Greek leader’s first official visit to Berlin on Monday, but open scepticism among the Chancellor’s allies has spawned media portrayals of a western-style sho…
Spain’s Socialists wins Andalusia vote, Podemos makes strong headway: poll
SEVILLE (Reuters) – Spain’s Socialists are set to win regional elections in Andalusia, with the People’s Party, in power nationally, coming second and upstart Podemos making a strong headway, an exit poll by a regional public television channel showed …
Sarkozy party leads in French local elections: exit poll
PARIS (Reuters) – Former president Nicolas Sarkozy’s conservative UMP party and their allies led in the first round of French local elections, a TV exit poll showed on Sunday, denying Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Front (FN) first place.
