Canadian and Afghan troops pushed into a Taliban heartland in southern Afghanistan, fought off fierce counter-attacks and fortified an outpost on Sunday to stay in the area.

With violence levels dropping across the city, Baghdad’s hard-working ambulance drivers now find time to sit and sip tea instead of each rushing to four or five emergency calls a day.

Jordan holds an election on Tuesday set to keep parliament in the hands of tribal, centrist and pro-government deputies under a system that under-represents the cities where the Islamist and liberal opposition do best.