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Iraq judiciary dismisses Sadr's demand to dissolve parliament
Iraq judiciary dismisses Sadr's demand to dissolve parliament

Iraq's judiciary said Sunday it lacks the authority to dissolve parliament as demanded by populist Shiite Muslim cleric Moqtada Sadr, who is engaged in an escalating standoff with political rivals. Followers of Sadr, in defiance of his Shiite rivals of the pro-Iran Coordination Framework, have been staging a sit-in protest at Iraq's parliament.

Iran's top automaker sets sights on Russian market
Iran's top automaker sets sights on Russian market

Iran's leading automaker is seeking to prioritise exports to Russia, its CEO said Sunday, as both countries reel under Western economic sanctions. The two countries have responded to the sanctions by boosting cooperation in key areas to help prop up their economies.

Rain brings relief to France fires, but more evacuated in south
Rain brings relief to France fires, but more evacuated in south

A forest fire that flared anew in southern France sent 1,000 more people fleeing while overnight rain brought blazes elsewhere in the country under control, officials said on Sunday. Meanwhile in the southwestern Gironde region around Bordeaux, a huge fire that had flared on Tuesday was under control after rain fell overnight, a senior official said.

Five die in Ecuador blast officials blame on crime gangs
Five die in Ecuador blast officials blame on crime gangs

Five people died and 16 were injured in an explosion Sunday in the Ecuadoran port city of Guayaquil in an attack the government blamed on organized crime, officials said. Interior Minister Patricio Carrillo said "organized-crime mercenaries," long involved in illicit drug traffic, were "now attacking with explosives."