BAQUBA — As the death squads’ grim threats began to mount against Shiite families in the Mafraq neighbourhood of Baqouba, north of Baghdad, fewer and fewer people attended their local prayer hall. Soon, the only members of the embattled Shiite community to brave the narrow streets of this religiously-mixed quarter …

BAGHDAD (AP) — The leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq called Thursday for explosives experts and nuclear scientists to join his group’s holy war and help attack US bases around the country. The audio message posted on the Internet came as at least 23 people were killed primarily in and …

BERLIN (Reuters) — European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on Thursday he had failed to reach a deal with the chief Iranian negotiator on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, but said they would hold another round of talks soon. Several Western diplomats who were briefed on Solana’s talks with Larijani …