NEW YORK (AP) - Turkey’s foreign minister warned that a federal system in Iraq that could lead to autonomous Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish regions breaking up the country and threatening the stability of the region. “The core of the problem is that if Iraq is divided, definitely there will be civil war and definitely neighboring countries will be involved in this,” Abdullah Gul said. “The Middle East can’t shoulder this. It’s too much.” Iraqi Shiite, Kurdish and Sunni Arab leaders met Monday to discuss a federalism bill submitted to Parliament earlier this month by the largest Shiite bloc, the United Iraqi Alliance.

LONDON (Reuters) - Romanians and Bulgarians may face restrictions on entering Britain if their countries join the EU next year, Home Secretary John Reid said yesterday. Reid said immigration from the two countries would need to be carefully managed and that the planned expansion of the EU would have an impact on policing and crime. “As global migration increases and the EU continues to expand, we need to be ready for fresh challenges - including in the field of law enforcement,” Reid told the Police Superintendents’ Association annual conference.

Kosovo’s prime minister said yesterday he expects a new report by the chief UN envoy to pave the way for the Serbian province’s independence by the end of this year. “We expect Martti Ahtisaari to present a report that Kosovo has made progress in the implementation of international standards and minority rights, and that we have enough substance to declare the independence of Kosovo,” PM Agim Ceku said. Ahtisaari, a former Finnish prime minister, is due to brief the UN Security Council on Friday. (AP)

Bosnian police said yesterday they had discovered two large caches of illegal weapons and explosives left over from the country’s 1992-1995 war. The first cache with 202 mines and two mortars was found in northern Kozarska Dubica, a police statement said without specifying the type of the mines. Meanwhile, some 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) of explosives and 10 anti-tank mines, hidden in five bunkers, were discovered near the northwestern town of Bosanski Samac yesterday. (AFP)