Turkey and Iraq have agreed to sign a counterterrorism deal cracking down on separatist Kurdish rebels holed up in bases in northern Iraq, officials said Wednesday.    

Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared Tuesday that Iran’s disputed nuclear program is “closed” as a political issue and said Tehran will ignore U.N. Security Council demands and sanctions imposed by “arrogant powers” to curb its nuclear program.

  With the governments in Turkey and Greece receiving new mandates in elections the two countries agreed in New York over the weekend to “further enhance” their relations.