France Strikes Intensify as Anger Mounts Against Raising Retirement Age

By Ellen Francis | The Washington Post (free)

Strikes brought trains in French cities to a halt Thursday and workers blocked the road to a Paris airport terminal after President Emmanuel Macron pledged to implement legislation raising the retirement age.

More from WPR: France Isn’t Buying Macron’s Pension Reform

Leader of Indian Party Opposing Modi Is Sentenced in Defamation Case

By Karan Deep Singh | The New York Times

Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the main party opposing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, was convicted of defamation and sentenced to prison Thursday, the latest blow to the beleaguered opposition party just a year before national elections.

More from WPR: India’s Vanishing Political Opposition

Migration Tops Agenda as Biden Visits Canada

By Ian Austen & Vjosa Isai | The New York Times

As migration has swelled at Canada’s border, the country is seeking a renegotiation of an agreement with the United States that binds it to accept asylum-seekers at unofficial crossing points.

What to Know About Today’s Congressional Hearing on TikTok

By Sapna Maheshwari | The New York Times

Shou Chew, the chief executive of TikTok, will testify before Congress for the first time Thursday, in an appearance that is expected to reflect U.S. lawmakers’ escalating distrust of the short-form video app’s Chinese ownership.

More from WPR: How Much of a Threat Is TikTok?

State Dept. Eases Restrictions on Employees With Foreign Ties

By Missy Ryan & John Hudson | The Washington Post

The State Department has loosened longtime restrictions barring some employees from serving in countries where they have close family or financial ties, ending a practice that critics said amounted to a discriminatory professional setback for Asian Americans and other diplomats with certain backgrounds.

U.S. to Send Aging Attack Planes to Mideast and Shift Newer Jets to Asia, Europe

By Michael R. Gordon | The Wall Street Journal

The U.S. will send aging A-10 attack planes to swap for more advanced combat aircraft in the Middle East as part of a Pentagon effort to shift more modern fighters to the Pacific and Europe to deter China and Russia, U.S. officials said.