QUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) – Two suicide bombers attacked a military checkpost in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s Baluchistan province, on Thursday, killing three soldiers and four civilians, the military said.

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Prospects for a free and fair general election in Pakistan next month are poor and a rigged result could lead to more instability and play into the hands of Islamist militants, election watchdog groups said.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – The popularity of Dmitry Medvedev, anointed successor of Russian President Vladimir Putin, soared in an opinion poll released on Thursday. Medvedev was endorsed by Putin as his preferred presidential candidate on December 10 but he was already pulling away from other possible contenders, independent pollsters Levada said …

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanese army investigators searched for clues on Thursday in the assassination of a top general who had been tipped to become the next army chief. Brigadier General Francois al-Hajj, killed by a 77 lb car bomb on Wednesday, was a leading contender to replace army chief General …

(Reuters) – Lebanese army investigators searched for clues on Thursday in the assassination of a top general who had been tipped to become the next army chief. Brigadier General Francois al-Hajj, killed by a 35 kg (77 lb) car bomb on Wednesday, was the first military officer to be killed, …

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin has decreed the newly elected State Duma, or lower house of parliament, will hold its first session on December 24, the official gazette said on Thursday.

SERPUKHOV, Russia (Reuters) – Former world chess champion and Russian opposition leader Garry Kasparov said on Thursday he was dropping plans to run for president next year because obstruction from authorities made it pointless.

KIEV (Reuters) – Ukraine’s parliament reconvened on Thursday a day after the opposition prevented the chamber from sitting, but there was no indication when it would reconsider a proposal to restore Yulia Tymoshenko as prime minister.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov asked Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin on Thursday to account for 1 billion roubles ($41 million) in earthquake relief funds that had gone missing.

SERPUKHOV, Russia (Reuters) – A Russian opposition activist accused the authorities of “cynical and immoral” behavior on Thursday after police briefly held two busloads of activists as they traveled to a colleague’s funeral.