Reuters World News Highlights

TEHRAN – Iran test-fired missiles yesterday which a commander said could reach any regional target, flexing its military muscle before crucial talks this week with major powers worried about Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

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TEHRAN – Iran’s defence minister warned arch-foe Israel against launching any attack on the Islamic Republic, saying it would only speed up the Jewish state’s own demise.

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BERLIN – German Chancellor Angela Merkel signalled she would resist pressure for radical reforms from her likely new coalition partners, the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), and stick to a path of gradual change.

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BRIGHTON, England – Prime Minister Gordon Brown will promise today to clean up British politics, get tough on crime and heal the economy in a blizzard of policy moves aimed at avoiding a crushing election defeat next year.

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SEOUL – China’s prime minister will visit reclusive North Korea early next week for a trip that could help revive talks with global powers stalled for nearly a year on ending Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions.

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BUCHAREST – The leftist grouping in Romania’s two-party ruling coalition threatened to leave the government if the president endorsed the prime minister’s decision to sack a key minister.

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YANGON – Myanmar’s detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has requested a meeting with Western diplomats to discuss sanctions imposed on the country, her party said.