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Trade deal resumed between EU and US

The EU and US have begun a second round of negotiations towards creating the world’s biggest free-trade deal.

Talks on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) had been set for October, but were postponed because of the US government shutdown.

Relations have become strained after claims that the US listened to German leader Angela Merkel’s mobile calls.

US Secretary of State John Kerry last week urged European leaders not to allow the row to disrupt the talks.

Together the US and EU account for about $30 trillion (£18.7tn) of annual output – almost half the world’s total.

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Russia jails four over Domodedovo airport bombing of 2011

A Moscow court has given life sentences to three men for a suicide bombing at the Russian capital’s Domodedovo international airport, which killed 37 people in January 2011.

The men will be sent to labour camps. A fourth man was jailed for 10 years.

They helped the bomber get to Moscow from the North Caucasus, housed him and gave him explosives, the court ruled.

Chechen warlord Doku Umarov said he had ordered the bombing, carried out by a 20-year-old man from Ingushetia.

Doku Umarov – a fugitive wanted by Russia – runs an Islamist group called the Caucasus Emirate movement.

At least seven foreigners were among those killed on 24 January 2011 when bomber Magomed Yevloyev struck and 172 people were injured. The arrivals hall was full of people.

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French MP is stabbed at Armistice Day event in Provence

An unknown attacker has stabbed a member of France’s parliament in a small town near Marseille at an Armistice Day event, French media say.

Bernard Reynes, an MP in the Bouches-de-Rhone region, was attacked in front of the town cemetery in Chateaurenard, of which he is mayor.

Two other politicians were also hurt before the attacker was detained.

Neither the UMP conservative opposition MP nor the others are believed to have life-threatening injuries.

Like other countries, France marked the 95th anniversary of the end of World War One on Monday with solemn commemorations of its war dead.

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Mexico mayor killed for standing up to drugs cartel

Mexico’s local authorities’ association say a mayor allegedly threatened by drug gangs in the western state of Michoacan has been killed.

Ygnacio Lopez Mendoza, who headed the small town of Santa Ana Maya, was found dead in his car on Thursday.

He had been speaking out about the Knights Templar cartel and had recently ended an 18-day hunger strike demanding more funds for his municipality.

On Twitter, the former President Felipe Calderon demanded a full investigation.

Mr Calderon also linked the crime to the Knights Templar drug cartel, publishing a quote allegedly by Mr Lopez Mendoza, who was a qualified doctor.

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Syrian National Coalition agrees position on Geneva talks

Syria’s main opposition alliance says it will attend planned peace talks, if a number of conditions are met.

After a vote early on Monday, the National Coalition reiterated that President Bashar al-Assad would “have no role in the transitional period”.

Before any meeting, relief agencies had to be given access to besieged areas and all detainees, particularly women and children, had to be freed, it said.

The Syrian government has rejected any preconditions for the Geneva talks.

The UN, US and Russia had been trying to convene the meeting by the end of November.

But UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said last week that the conference would be delayed, although he was still “striving” for a summit by the end of the year.

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