SYRIA
U.N. aid convoy attacked
A U.N. humanitarian aid convoy inside Syria was hit by airstrikes Monday, U.N. officials said, as the Syrian military declared that the weeklong U.S.-Russian brokered cease-fire had failed. With the truce apparently teetering, the U.S. brushed off Damascus’ assertions and said it’s prepared to extend the agreement, while Russia — after blaming rebels for the violations — suggested it could still be salvaged. U.N. officials said the U.N. and Red Crescent convoy was delivering assistance for 78,000 people in the town of Uram al-Kubra, west of Aleppo city. Initial estimates indicate that at least 18 of the 31 trucks in the convoy were hit, as well as the Red Crescent warehouse in the area. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 12 were killed in the attack, mostly truck drivers and Red Crescent workers.
MEXICO
Two priests are found dead
Two priests were found dead Monday, hours after they were abducted in Mexico’s Gulf coast state of Veracruz. The Veracruz state prosecutors’ office said the two men were kidnapped Sunday in the northern Veracruz city of Poza Rica. Their bodies were found dumped in a field by a roadside Monday. A third man who was abducted with them, identified as the priests’ driver, was later found alive and put under protection, officials said. The area around Poza Rica has been the scene of drug gang violence for years, though it is not clear why the priests were targeted.
IRAN
U.S. resident is sentenced
A U.S. permanent resident detained for a year in Iran over spying allegations has been sentenced to 10 years in prison and a $4.2 million fine, his supporters said Tuesday, part of a wide crackdown on those with foreign ties that followed the nuclear deal. Nizar Zakka is a Lebanese citizen who advocates for Internet freedom and whose nonprofit group did work for the U.S. government.
RUSSIA
Putin’s party gains ground
President Vladimir Putin sees the governing party’s huge gain in parliamentary elections as a vote of confidence in his government, despite a low voter turnout which suggests broad public apathy and dismay with the political process. United Russia, the main party supporting Putin, expanded its grip on parliament, winning three-quarters of the seats, the Central Elections Commission said Monday.
Compiled from wire reports