Civilians take cover, flee Ukrainian city as shells land
SLAVIANSK Ukraine (Reuters) – Dozens of charred bicycles stand upright in the rubble of a burnt-out sports shop in Slaviansk, a strategic stronghold for pro-Russian separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine.
Bulgaria’s ruling party leader calls for July election
SOFIA (Reuters) – Bulgaria should hold an election as early as next month, the head of the ruling Socialist party said on Tuesday, saying the instability caused by having a government on “life support” was bad for the country.
France’s National Front drops Jean-Marie Le Pen blog
PARIS (Reuters) – Marine Le Pen’s National Front party stopped hosting a video blog produced by her father and party founder Jean-Marie Le Pen on Tuesday after a controversial quip he made about a Jewish singer revived accusations of anti-Semitism.
Ukraine says repulses separatist mortar attacks
KIEV (Reuters) – Pro-Russian separatists attacked Ukrainian military checkpoints and other strategic points in eastern Ukraine overnight but they were beaten off with only minor casualties on the Ukrainian side, a government forces spokesman said on Tu…
Ireland to investigate adoptions, baby deaths at church homes
DUBLIN (Reuters) – The Irish government has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the treatment of children at Catholic church homes for unmarried mothers, including accusations of forced adoptions and unusually high mortality rates among children…
Egypt’s Sisi tells Interior Minister to fight sexual harassment
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has ordered the interior minister to fight sexual harassment following the arrest of seven men for attacking women near Cairo’s Tahrir Square during his inauguration celebrations, his office sai…
Right-winger Reuven Rivlin elected Israel’s president
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Reuven Rivlin, a right-wing legislator opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state, was elected Israel’s president on Tuesday to replace the dovish Shimon Peres in the largely ceremonial post. Rivlin, 74, is a member of Prime M…
Turkey needs new coal mining law after disaster: commission head
SOMA Turkey (Reuters) – Turkey needs a new coal mining law to prevent a repeat of its worst ever industrial disaster in which 301 workers were killed, the head of a commission investigating the incident said on Tuesday.
Court allows German president to call far-right NPD ‘nutcases’
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s president did not breach the constitution when he described a far-right party as “nutcases”, the country’s top court ruled on Tuesday.
Egypt’s ultraconservative Islamists back Sisi, seek to eclipse Brotherhood
ABU HOMOS Egypt (Reuters) – Egypt’s ultra-conservative Islamist Al Nour party is voicing interest in joining President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s new government as part of a strategy to replace the banned Moslem Brotherhood as the country’s most influentia…
