The EU and Russia fail to reach an agreement on Syria. Nigeria mourns the dead in a tragic plane crash. I’m David DeForest reporting from Washington.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says dozens of people were killed in recent days in battles between Syrian government forces and (rebels). The human rights group says more than 75 government soldiers were killed over the weekend as rebels intensified attacks on government checkpoints. State media has not acknowledged the casualties and there is no independent confirmation. European Union officials met with President Vladimir Putin of Russia today, they failed to resolve differences in how to deal with the Syrian conflict.

Iraqi officials say a (car bomb attack) in central Baghdad has killed at least 23 people and wounded more than 65. Today’s blast in the Baab al-Muadham neighborhood damaged the office of a Shi’ite foundation that manages religious and cultural sites. It was the deadliest single attack in months in the Iraqi capital.

South Korea’s government is chiding the North for a specific threat made by its military against some of the media in Seoul. Steve Herman has more.

North Korea’s military threatened South Korea’s major conservative media outlets, saying its soldiers had entered the (latitude and longitude) coordinates of their Seoul headquarters for possible attack. South Korean reports say it is unprecedented for North Korea to publicly speak of map coordinates for specific targets. This came in an “open ultimatum” by the general command staff of the North Korean People’s Army. The message read by an announcer on Pyongyang radio and attributed to the North Korean army general staff, targets South Korean media for critical reports about recent children’s festivals hailing new leader Kim Jong Un. Steve Herman, VOA News, Seoul.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda reshuffled his Cabinet today, replacing five ministers who was in an attempt to gain opposition support for a plan to double the (sales tax).

China’s foreign ministry is expressing strong dissatisfaction with a U.S. call for China to (free) all of those still imprisoned for the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations. A foreign ministry spokesman told reporters the American call was an (intervention) in China’s internal affairs and a groundless accusation of the Chinese government. State Department spokesman says the United States also wants China to provide a full accounting of all of those killed, detained or missing during the violence.

Cambodia’s ruling party won the majority of seats in nationwide local elections on Sunday, but observers say the vote was not without some problems. Irwin Loy takes a look.

Even going into Sunday’s election, there was little doubt as to which party would come out on top. But critics say the (dominance) of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party or CPP has been aided by irregularities at the polling booth. This year was no different. Mu Sochua is a lawmaker with the opposition Sam Rainsy Party or SRP. Early results suggest the SRP lost ground this election, even in its traditional strongholds like the capital, Phnom Penh. Speaking by phone, Sochua said she witnessed subtle attempts at voter intimidation on Sunday. Observers say the CPP benefits from a long-entrenched system of patronage, which rewards its supporters while shutting out its opponents. Irwin Loy for VOA News, Phnom Penh.

Nigeria began three days of mourning today after a (plane crash) in Lagos Sunday, killing all (153) people on board. The ruins of the commercial airliner smolder today as emergency workers carried bodies and debris from the crash site.

Pakistani officials say a U.S. drone strike today killed at least 15 people in the country’s northwest. Security officials say (missiles) hit a compound in the North Waziristan tribal agency. There were no reports and there were reports rather the foreigners were among the dead.

A Danish court today convicted four men of planning to attack the office of a newspaper that had published cartoons of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. The men of North African and Middle East (background) were found guilty of planning to kill people of the office of the newspaper, Jyllands-Posten.

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano says he will meet Friday with Iranian officials. The talks will be aimed at reaching an agreement to restart an investigation into suspected Iranian nuclear weapons research.

On Wall Street, U.S. stock indexes are mixed at this hour.

I’m David DeForest, more news on the Internet at voanews.com.