Reuters

The violence in Iraq is part of a broader Sunni Arab revolt that could lead to a holy war in the country, and is not just a rampage by Islamist militants from an al-Qaeda splinter group, fugitive vice president Tarek al-Hashemi told Reuters on June 16.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on June 16 telephoned Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and said he expected him to help ensure the safe return of three kidnapped teenagers, a statement said.

Abbas's office also issued a statement condemning both the kidnapping of the three youths and the results of a massive Israeli crackdown to find the perpetrators.

The court in Zagreb on Friday confirmed that Sanader would go to jail but reduced the sentence from ten years to eight and a half.

Sanader, who was the country's premier from 2003 to 2009, was convicted of taking bribes from Hungarian oil group MOL in exchange for allowing it to take a dominant position in Croatian oil firm INA.

U.S. wants "direct dialogue" with Iran on Iraq situation

NEW YORK -- The U.S. is preparing to launch direct dialogue with their long-time opponent Iran, focusing on security in Iraq, the Wall Street Journal has reported.

Citing unnamed U.S. officials, the newspaper stated that it is expected that the dialogue will begin this week, Reuters said.

Eleven people, including election workers, were killed in Afghanistan when a roadside bomb blew up their bus, the governor of the northern province of Samangan said on June 15.

Afghans headed back to the polls on Saturday for a second round of voting to elect a successor to President Hamid Karzai in a decisive test of Afghanistan's ambitions to transfer power democratically for the first time in its tumultuous history. 

European Central Bank funding to Greek banks fell in May by 8.18 billion euros, while emergency liquidity assistance (ELA) from the country’s central bank decreased by 3.12 billion euros down to zero, Bank of Greece data showed on Thursday.

By Martin Santa

Eurozone employment rose for the second consecutive quarter in the first three months of the year in a sign the recovery was finally helping the labor market and a widening trade surplus signaled a further positive contribution to growth in April.

Eurobank, Greece's third-largest lender by assets, said on Friday it had hired five investment banks to arrange a possible bond sale.

"Eurobank... has mandated Credit Suisse, HSBC, JP Morgan, Mediobanca and Nomura to arrange a series of fixed-income investor meetings in Europe starting from June 16," the bank said in a statement.

Alpha Bank, Greece's fourth-biggest lender by assets, said on Friday it agreed to acquire Citibank's retail banking operations in Greece at a price of 2 million euros ($2.72 million).