European Union leaders are ready to slap more sanctions on Syria failing a halt in the regime's violence against dissenters, EU president Herman Van Rompuy said at the close of a summit Sunday.

EU leaders "expressed grave concern over continued brutality against the population in Syria," Van Rompuy said, adding that if the violence did not stop the bloc "will impose restrictive measures against the regime."

Israel said Sunday it had offered its assistance to Turkey after a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck the eastern part of the country, despite ongoing tensions between the formerly close allies.

But Turkey had said that for the time being, they would not need it.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Iran on Sunday not to "miscalculate" in Iraq, saying the U.S. military presence in the region would remain strong after the withdrawal of all American combat forces at the end of the year.

"No one, most particularly Iran, should miscalculate about our continuing commitment to and with the Iraqis going forward," she said in an interview with CNN from Uzbekistan.

Syrian security forces reportedly killed three more civilians on Sunday as troops raided villages in the southern province of Daraa, cradle of the pro-democracy protests.

Activists had called for fresh protests on Sunday under the slogan: "It's your turn" -- a reference to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad -- hoping to force him out of power in the way Libyans ended the rule of Moammar Gadhafi.

A suicide bomber launched Sunday a failed assassination attempt on Afghan Interior Minister Bismullah Khan in Parwan, north of Kabul, a spokesman for the ministry told Agence France Presse.

"I can confirm a failed assassination attempt on the minister, a suicide bomber was involved, no casualties," Siddiq Siddiqui said, giving no further details.

Tunisians formed snaking queues in the sun to vote in their first free election Sunday, basking in their status as democratic trail-blazers nine months after ousting a dictator and giving birth to the Arab Spring.

The Islamist Ennahda party was predicted to win the most votes but fall short of a majority in a new 217-member assembly that will rewrite the constitution and appoint a president to form a caretaker government.

An earthquake of 7.3 magnitude rocked eastern Turkey on Sunday, killing more than 70 people, with a seismological institute saying up to 1,000 people could lie dead under the rubble of dozens of collapsed buildings.

Turkey's strongest earthquake in years struck Van, a large eastern city populated mainly by Kurds.

Libya's interim government will hand the body of slain despot Moammar Gadhafi to his relatives after consulting with them on the location of his burial, a senior government advisor said on Sunday.

"The decision has been taken to hand him over to his extended family, because none of his immediate family are present at this moment," Ahmed Jibril told Agence France Presse.

The British embassy in Kuwait reopened its doors to the public Sunday following a temporary suspension of services in the wake of a heightened security threat, a mission spokeswoman said.

"The embassy has resumed all its public services," the spokeswoman told Agence France Presse. "(But) we still have increased security for precautionary measures."

Syria's under-fire president Sunday appointed two new governors in flashpoint provinces that have seen staunch protests against his regime, as security forces reportedly killed two more civilians.

State television said President Bashar al-Assad named new governors for the northwestern province of Idlib and for the Damascus governorate, both of which have seen massive anti-regime demonstrations over the past seven months.