In France, voters defy leaders to back Le Pen’s party
PARIS (Reuters) – A strong showing by Marine Le Pen’s National Front in a by-election run-off in eastern France is the latest sign of the rise of the anti-immigrant party, with voters ignoring calls by mainstream politicians to snub her candidate.
Greece’s Varoufakis becomes unlikely heartthrob in Germany
BERLIN (Reuters) – Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis has become an improbable heartthrob in Germany, where his demands to renegotiate the nation’s debt fell on deaf ears but his charm and masculine appearance have not gone unnoticed.
Obama’s Ukraine policy at crossroads as fighting rages on
(This story filed on February 08, 2015 has been refiled to delete extraneous words in paragraph 29; fixes wording in paragraph 31)
Red Cross saw twice as many dead Afghan fighters in 2014, fears worse to come
KABUL (Reuters) – The International Committee of the Red Cross removed more than twice as many dead combatants from Afghan battlefields in 2014 than in the previous year as fighting intensified, the charity said on Monday.
Germany rejects Greek claim for World War Two reparations
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany said on Monday there was “zero” chance of it paying World War Two reparations to Athens, following a renewed demand from Greece’s new leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
Islamic State pulls forces and hardware from Syria’s Aleppo: rebels
AMMAN (Reuters) – Islamic State has withdrawn some of its insurgents and equipment from areas northeast of the Syrian city of Aleppo, rebels and residents say, adding to signs of strain in the Syrian provinces of its self-declared caliphate.
Senior Afghan militant with suspected IS links ‘killed in drone attack’
LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) – A missile-firing drone killed at least six in Afghanistan on Monday including a veteran militant believed to have defected to Islamic State (IS) from the Taliban, Afghan officials said.
Rape, acid attacks, kidnap: girls face rising violence in fight for education – U.N.
GENEVA (Reuters) – High-profile attacks such as the abduction 300 schoolgirls by Boko Haram in Nigeria and the shooting of Malala Yousafzai in Pakistan are a fraction of what is suffered by girls trying to get an education, the U.N. human rights office…
Bomb explodes in Niger town after Boko Haram attack: sources
NIAMEY (Reuters) – A bomb exploded in Niger’s bordertown of Diffa on Monday hours after Islamic sect Boko Haram attacked a prison there, a military and a local source said.
Haiti faces more anti-government protests as Carnival nears
PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) – Anti-government street protesters plan to shut down Haiti’s capital for two days starting Monday as the country plunges deeper into political and economic crises even as many prepare for the annual Carnival, normally a time o…
