Bombs and battles hit northern Iraq, more than 70 dead
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Insurgents attacked cities across Iraq on Monday with car bombs, suicide blasts and gun battles that killed more than 70 people in unrest that has deepened fears of a return to civil war.
Mali government, Tuaregs reach ceasefire deal ‘in principle’
OUAGADOUGOU (Reuters) – A Malian government delegation and Tuareg separatist rebels have reached an agreement “in principle” that would allow planned elections in July to go ahead in the disputed northern Kidal region, a senior mediator in the talks sa…
Government holds high-level meetings on Syria, including on arming rebels
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States could decide as early as this week whether to arm Syrian rebels, U.S. officials said on Monday, as Secretary of State John Kerry put off a Middle East trip to attend meetings on the subject.
Iranian diplomat detained for 3 months without lawyer: sources
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – A senior Iranian diplomat linked to Iran’s reformists, who has been detained at Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison for three months, has been denied access to his attorney for the entire time, sources familiar with the case told …
Canada to snuff out medical marijuana production in homes
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) – Canada, a pioneer in the use of medical marijuana, will take legal production out of private homes next year as it seeks to address more than a decade of neighborhood spats and criminal activity.
Canada says it monitors foreign phone, internet traffic
OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canada’s government on Monday declined to say whether it was using data gathered by a secret U.S. government eavesdropping program, but confirmed its own secret signals intelligence agency was monitoring foreign phone and internet tr…
Egypt ‘war’ talk raises Ethiopia Nile dam stakes
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt does not want war with Ethiopia but will keep “all options open”, President Mohamed Mursi said on Monday, turning up the heat in a dispute over a giant dam Addis Ababa is building across the Nile.
Polish PM rejects move to Brussels job for now
WARSAW (Reuters) – Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Monday he wanted to fight for another term in office, quashing speculation that he was preparing a bid to take over as the next European Commission President.
Turkish leader Erdogan to meet Istanbul protesters
ANKARA (Reuters) – Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to meet on Wednesday with leaders of the movement whose peaceful protests in Istanbul spiraled into a wave of anti-government demonstrations across Turkey.
Bombs, rockets hit north Iraq’s Mosul police HQ, 24 killed
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Five car bombs, including several detonated by suicide attackers, and rockets hit a police headquarters in the Iraqi city of Mosul on Monday, killing at least 24 people, mostly policemen and soldiers, police and medical sources said…