BAGHDAD — The second bombing at the Samarra shrine will test Moqtada Sadr’s political skills and clarify what control he has over his feared Mehdi Army militia.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) — A former UN Middle East envoy quit his job last month making bitter allegations that UN policy in the region had failed because it was subservient to US and Israeli interests, according to a leaked document.

VIENNA (AFP) — Iran threatened Thursday to further reduce cooperation with the UN atomic agency if new sanctions are ordered and insisted its uranium enrichment programme had gone too far to turn back.