Turkish minister says abducted drivers in Iraq are safe
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Tuesday a group of Turkish truck drivers being held by suspected militants from an al Qaeda splinter group in Iraq were “safe and sound.”
Palestinian reconciliation pact threatened by disunity
GAZA (Reuters) – A leader from the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas accused President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party on Tuesday of jeopardising a reconciliation deal, just a week after a unity government was formed to end their feuding.
Mali PM warns of Islamist threat within Tuareg rebels
BAMAKO (Reuters) – The international community is underestimating the threat posed by Islamist fighters sheltering in areas of Mali’s far north controlled by Tuareg separatist rebels, Prime Minister Moussa Mara said.
Libyan renegade general agrees to ceasefire during June 25 election
TRIPOLI (Reuters) – A Libyan renegade general has agreed to observe a ceasefire in his declared war on militant Islamists during national elections on June 25, his spokesman said on Tuesday.
Wilders to take Euro Parliament seat despite ‘double mandate’ ban
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The Dutch far-right Eurosceptic Geert Wilders has decided to take up a seat in the European Parliament despite a ban on serving in two parliaments simultaneously, the Dutch electoral commission said on Tuesday.
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…
