Russia’s gas export monopoly Gazprom threatened on Tuesday to cut gas supplies to Ukraine by 25 percent from March 3 over arrears, two weeks after the two ex-Soviet states agreed on how to settle the problem.

BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) – British forces set up a checkpoint at a bridge outside Basra on Sunday, witnesses said, but a spokesman said they had no plans yet to retake Iraq’s second city, scene of a government crackdown on Shi’ite fighters.

 TEHRAN (FNA)- Five Iranian police officers were killed on Friday in a helicopter crash while monitoring holiday traffic flows in northwest Iran.