The State Department on Monday is expected to announce the appointment of Washington lawyer Cliff Sloan to oversee the closure of the controversial Guantanamo detention camp.

Sporadic clashes between police and protesters flared up in Istanbul overnight after a weekend in which Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan sought to steal back the agenda.

Former US Vice President Dick Cheney has defended the electronic surveillance programs that were recently unmasked by whistleblower Edward Snowden.