Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Tunisia: “A moderate Islamic party appeared to emerge as the big winner in Tunisia on Monday as preliminary results leaked out in the voting for an assembly to draft a constitution and shape a new government in this small North African country, where a revolution in January inspired uprisings across the Arab world.”
* Libya: “Libya’s interim government, under mounting international pressure, said Monday it would investigate the death of Moammar Gaddafi, but authorities remained divided over what to do with the former leader’s decomposing corpse after four days of public viewing.”
* Syria: “Robert S. Ford, the American ambassador to Damascus who has emerged as an outspoken critic of Syria’s crackdown on a seven-month uprising, has left the country after receiving what American officials called threats to his safety.”
* Europe: “As European officials worked Monday to iron out details of a plan to save the euro, fears were growing that the end result might be another example of European leaders doing as little as they think they can get away with.”
* Deadly 7.2-magnitude earthquake devastates eastern Turkey. “The death toll has risen to 279, with another 1,300 injured, Turkey’s semi-official Anatolian news agency reported, citing the country’s disaster management authority. Some 970 buildings are demolished.”
* OWS faces an attack in Portland, Maine: “Occupy Maine protesters say Sunday morning’s attack with a chemical explosive has left them with a mixture of anxiety and resolve.”
* Sgt. 1st Class Kristoffer Domeij, a U.S. Army Ranger, was killed in combat in Afghanistan over the weekend. Domeij was serving in his 14th combat deployment. That’s not a typo.
* Bad move: “NPR will no longer distribute the member station-produced program “World of Opera” to about 60 stations across the country because the show host helped organize an ongoing Washington protest, a network official said Friday evening.”
* Jillian Rayfield reports on the most offensive highlights — or lowlights, as the case may be — of Pat Buchanan’s new book, “Suicide Of A Superpower.” Spoiler Alert: Buchanan prefers an America in which white Christian men control everything.
* And President Obama’s practice of reading 10 letters a day sent to the White House is a pretty fascinating habit. One thing I didn’t know: the president has occasionally written personal checks to correspondents who are facing dire financial straits.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
