Wave of violence across Iraq kills 24 people
At least 24 people have been killed in 10 blasts across Iraq, Reuters reports. Two people were killed from a blast in the city of Nassiriya, and two others were wounded when a car bomb exploded outside the French consular building in the same city. A blast near the headquarters of an oil company killed seven people in the Iraqi city of Kirkuk, and 11 soldiers were killed in a shooting and bombing at an army checkpoint in the town of Balad.
Indonesian ‘bomb-shop’ explodes, at least 3 injured
An explosion took place in a building on the outskirts of Jakarta thought to house bomb makers on Sunday, with at least three people suffering serious burns, Police said. "The explosion was so loud, it sounded like thunder. People shouted ‘Bomb, bomb!’ and we all ran as fast as we could," one resident told AFP. Police raided another house in Jakarta only days ago, finding bomb materials there as well. Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim country and has been battling a recent rise in violent extremist groups.
Putin urges APEC leaders to work on food security
Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged leaders of APEC nations to tackle the issue of global food security. Speaking at a meeting on the last day of the APEC summit in Vladivostok, Putin estimated that the number of malnourished people worldwide has risen to about 1 billion, stressing that a quarter of those people come from countries within APEC. "Without the effective resolution of these issues, we will not be able to achieve the goal of enhancing the quality of life for people living in the region," Putin said on Sunday.
US and Russia ease visa regulations
An agreement between Russia and the United States on easing visa regulations comes into force Sunday. Under the new rules, citizens of both states will be able to receive 3-year multi-entry visas for tourism and business purposes. Government officials will be able to receive one-year multi-entry visas. The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday that it hopes the new agreement “will not only provide for active development of the whole complex of economic, cultural, scientific and humanitarian relations, but will also form a favorable background for further liberalization of the bilateral visa regime, including its complete lift off.”
Hundreds protest pressure on independent TV channel in Ukraine
About 1,500 people gathered in Ukraine's capital Kiev on Saturday to protest against what they say is a government crackdown on an independent TV channel. TVi's executive director has been accused of tax evasion although he says it is an attack on the channel as a whole, with the aim of closing it down. Many Ukrainian journalists say they have been increasingly censored by the authorities since 2010, when President Viktor Yanukovich came to power.
Nicaragua evacuates 3,000 people as volcano erupts
Some 3,000 people have been evacuated from areas around Nicaragua’s San Cristobal volcano as it spewed out a column of ash and gas high into the air, AP reports. Three powerful explosions emitting from the volcano, were heard by residents in nearby villages on Saturday. "This activity could affect some 500 families totaling 3,000 people, so we decided to evacuate them," said Guillermo Gonzalez, executive director of the government's disaster agency. Nicaragua's geological institute confirmed they’d found "strong activity" coming from the epicenter.
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