In brief: Gunmen attack hotel used by CIA

KABUL, Afghanistan – A building used by the CIA in Kabul came under attack Sunday, U.S. and Afghan officials said, the latest in a series of attacks in the Afghan capital.

Afghan authorities said gunfire was heard in the evening near the Ariana Hotel, a building that former U.S. intelligence officials said was the CIA station in Kabul. The CIA occupied the heavily secured building just blocks from the Afghan presidential palace in late 2001 after the U.S.-led invasion that toppled the Taliban.

There was no immediate word on casualties.

Blasts kill 10 in Iraq holy city

BAGHDAD – Back-to-back bomb blasts ripped through one of the holiest cities in Shiite Islam on Sunday, killing at least 10 people in a community still reeling from a deadly bus hijacking earlier this month.

Four explosions struck the city of Karbala over a five-minute period, government officials said, sending thick black smoke over the city. Two of the bombs targeted an Interior Ministry office that issues ID cards. Another struck near a house, shredding its walls and ceiling.

French left wins control of Senate

PARIS – France’s left wrested the Senate from the right in indirect elections Sunday, taking the majority of seats in the upper house of parliament for the first time in more than 50 years – a blow to conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Seven months before presidential elections, Sarkozy’s party downplayed what it said was a narrow win – up to three seats, according to various officials of the president’s party.

Final results of the voting to fill half the seats in the 348-seat house were not in, but the Socialist’s leader in the Senate, Jean-Pierre Bel, announced the victory.

He estimated the left won 24 to 26 new seats. It needed 23 seats to gain a majority.

Americans among victims of crash

KATMANDU, Nepal – Two Americans were among 19 people killed Sunday in Nepal when a small plane carrying tourists around Mount Everest crashed as it tried to land in rain and dense fog, police said.

Buddha Air said the names of the two Americans killed were Andrew Wade and Natalie Neilan. No other details were immediately available.