PARIS, June 6 (Xinhua) — French investigators raided headquarter of a medical insurance group in western France as part of an inquiry into allegedly corruption charges against Gerard Ferrand, minister for territorial planning, a regional newspaper reported Tuesday. Last Thursday, police searched offices of Mutuelle de Bretagne that Ferrand has managed for the 1998-2012 period […]

DAVAO CITY, Philippines, June 6 (Xinhua) — Philippine authorities early on Tuesday arrested the parents of Maute brothers, the leaders of an Islamic State-affiliate group who are fighting with government security forces in the southern Philippines. Cayamora Maute, his wife Farhana and two other relatives were apprehended at a military checkpoint in Davao City, said […]

BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) — Saudi Arabia and its allies have severed diplomatic ties with Qatar in an escalation of power struggle in the Middle East which endangers the region’s political balance and hinders global efforts to end conflicts in the region. Observers said cracks in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) that dominates regional affairs […]

BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) — The Islamic State militant group (IS) is fighting on every battlefield against those trying to defeat it, both on the ground and on social media. Its use of social media has drawn world attention after it said “a security unit of Islamic State fighters carried out the London attacks,” on […]

LONDON, June 6 (Xinhua) — The third terrorist involved in the weekend attack on London Bridge was named Tuesday in Italian media. Reports have given his name as Moroccan-born Italian Youssef Zaghba. Media in Italy claim Zaghba was stopped by the authorities in Bologna last year when he was en route to Syria. The Italian […]

KABUL, June 6 (Xinhua) — An international conference titled “Kabul Process” with the participation of 20 countries and international organizations including the United States, Russia, China, United Nations, NATO and European Union opened in Kabul on Tuesday. Aimed at enhancing cooperation in the war on terror and boosting peace and national reconciliation process in Afghanistan, […]

KABUL, June 5 (Xinhua) — Eleven Taliban militants were captured after Afghan Special Operation Forces carried out raids in two provinces within the last 24 hours, said a military statement on Monday. In one operation, 10 militants were arrested as the troops struck their hideout in Maywand District of southern Kandahar province, the command of […]

ISLAMABAD, June 5 (Xinhua) — Pakistani and Indian military officials on Monday established “Special Hotline Contact” against the backdrop of recent cross-border “cease-fire violations,” the Pakistani military said. An army spokesman said Pakistani Director General Military Operations (DGMO) Maj Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza raised issues of “unprovoked firing by Indian troops along the Line of […]

SEOUL, June 5 (Xinhua) — South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday ordered an additional probe into the unreported deployment of four more mobile launchers of the U.S. missile shield to the country. Senior presidential press secretary Yoon Young-chan told a press briefing that President Moon ordered his senior secretary for civil affairs to look […]