BAGHDAD — A suicide bomber attacked a funeral Saturday in northern Iraq attended by members of an ethnic minority, part of a series of assaults that killed at least 25 across the country, officials said. The blast in the village of Arto Kharab killed 20 people and wounded 35. The funeral was for a member of the Shabak minority who had died of natural causes. Iraq is facing its deadliest bout of violence in half a decade, raising fears the country is returning to a period of widespread sectarian killing. (AP)
POLAND
Union members protest wage policy
WARSAW — Threatening a general strike, throwing smoke grenades, and blowing whistles, about 100,000 Polish union members marched across Warsaw on Saturday to vent their anger against the government’s labor and wage policies. Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government is losing popularity after raising the retirement age, revising the pension system, and relaxing labor code provisions that allow for longer daily and weekly working hours. (AP)
SPAIN
4 Hells Angels held in smuggling case
MADRID — Four members of the Hells Angels were arrested in northwest Spain for allegedly smuggling 1,100 pounds of cocaine into the county with the aim of distributing it, the Interior Ministry said Saturday. Officials said the men, all Canadians, were arrested near a coastal city, where one arrived by yacht, allegedly having sailed from Colombia with the drugs. (AP)
AFGHANISTAN
3 civilians killed in anti-NATO plot
KANDAHAR — A suicide car bomber apparently aiming to hit a NATO-Afghan convoy near the southern city of Kandahar blew up early, killing at least three civilians. Saturday’s explosion occurred along a highway near the Kandahar airport. (AP)