Wife of Interpol's Head Reports Him Missing

Meng Hongwei's wife has reported him missing. If that sentence doesn't pack much punch for you, we'll rephrase it: The wife of the president of Interpol has reported him missing. Meng left France on Sept. 29 for a trip to his native China, and sources tell Reuters his wife hasn't heard from him since; the AP reports she contacted authorities in Lyon, where Interpol's HQ is located, on Friday.

Interpol's take on what it refers to as an "alleged disappearance," per a statement: "This is a matter for the relevant authorities in both France and China." A French official confirmed that Meng did arrive in China. Meng is midway through a four-year term as president; Reuters points out he's largely a figurehead, with the agency's secretary general, Juergen Stock, running the show day-to-day. The BBC explains the president helms the Executive Committee, which directs the overall course Interpol takes. (More Interpol stories.)