PARIS / AP The most unpopular president in France’s modern history, Francois Hollande, is preparing the ground for a potential re-election bid. His leftist base is in open revolt, protesting youth are clashing with police nearly every night, and France is in a six-month state of emergency — yet he is on a new mission to convince the French …

  Aleppo / AFP Displaced families returned home and schools reopened in rebel-held districts of Syria’s Aleppo on Saturday after a temporary truce was extended for 72 hours in the battleground northern city. Residents trickled back into eastern areas of Aleppo, encouraged by a halt in the deadly violence that hit last month, an AFP reporter said. More than 300 civilians …

  Kathmandu / AFP Nepal has recalled its ambassador to India and cancelled an upcoming visit by its president to New Delhi, officials said on Saturday, further straining ties between the two neighbours after months of tension. Deep Kumar Upadhyay was recalled to Kathmandu late Friday after allegedly siding with the Nepali Congress opposition in supporting a threat by the Maoist …