In brief: Iran sets rule on talks

AMMAN, Jordan – Iran agreed to talks with the United States and other world powers on the Islamic republic’s nuclear program, provided negotiations take place in neighboring Turkey, officials said Sunday. The offer likely was meant to put diplomatic pressure on the U.S. and its allies.

There was no word on whether the U.S. or other world powers approved of the proposal. European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton had previously proposed Vienna, Austria, home to the International Atomic Energy Agency and many diplomats familiar with the Iranian nuclear program, as the venue for talks.

But Turkey’s semiofficial Anatolia news agency quoted Foreign Ministry officials as saying “parties had agreed in principle to hold the talks in Turkey,” though no date or specific site has been set.

U.S. drone strikes kill 14

PESHAWAR, Pakistan – A pair of American drone strikes killed 14 suspected militants in northwestern Pakistan on Sunday, local intelligence officials said, in the latest attacks against al-Qaida and Taliban militants seeking sanctuary in the region.

In the first strike, one American missile slammed into a house and another hit a vehicle in the town of Ghulam Khan just north of Miran Shah, the main town in North Waziristan, the two officials said. Nine insurgents were killed.

An hour later, another pair of missiles struck a vehicle in the nearby town of Datta Khel, killing five suspected militants, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to talk to the media. They said all five killed were foreigners.

Qantas finds oil leaks

SYDNEY, Australia – Tests have uncovered oil leaks in three Rolls-Royce engines on Qantas’ grounded Airbus A380s, the airline’s CEO said today, as engineers tried to zero in on the cause of an engine failure on board one of its planes last week.

Australia’s national carrier grounded its six double-decker A380s, the world’s newest and largest airliner, after an engine burst minutes into a flight from Singapore to Sydney last week, scattering debris over Indonesia’s Batam island. The plane made a safe emergency landing in Singapore.

CEO Alan Joyce said engineers have discovered oil leaks in the turbine area of three engines on three different A380s.

He said all of the airline’s A380s will be grounded for an additional 72 hours.

Queen joins Facebook

LONDON – Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II has joined Facebook, launching a series of official pages offering the website’s 500 million users daily updates on her engagements, the royal household said Sunday.

The 84-year-old British monarch will be featured in videos, photos and news items on the site, which will be available today, alongside other members of the country’s royal family, including Princes William and Harry.

Users will be able leave messages or comments for Buckingham Palace on the site and find details of royal events close to their homes.

However, because the pages will be corporate – not a personal account – people won’t be able to request to become friends with the queen.