Egypt releases activists amid US concerns over detentions
CAIRO — Egyptian authorities released two activists and a journalist Sunday after months in pre-trial detention, officials and lawyers said, amid concern by President...
Militia officials: US drone destroys militia truck in Syria
BAGHDAD — A U.S. drone attack targeted a truck for an Iran-backed militia in eastern Syria on Sunday, destroying the vehicle without causing any...
Turkey criticizes European court’s ruling on headscarf ban
ISTANBUL — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman on Sunday condemned a European Union court decision to allow employers to ban staff wearing Muslim...
Virus transforms hajj in Mecca and future of the pilgrimage
MECCA, Saudi Arabia — Tens of thousands of vaccinated Muslim pilgrims circled Islam's holiest site in Mecca on Sunday, but remained socially distanced and...
Leaders talk peace as Afghans battle chaos and uncertainty
ISLAMABAD — Senior Afghan leaders are in the Middle Eastern state of Qatar talking peace with the Taliban, whose leader on Sunday issued a...
Syria-based breakaway Palestinian faction elects new leader
DAMASCUS, Syria — A breakaway Palestinian faction that carried out headline-grabbing attacks against Israel in the 1970s and 1980s has named a veteran new...
Moderate earthquake jolts sparsely-populated, southern Iran
TEHRAN, Iran — A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck a sparsely populated area in the southern part of Iran on Sunday, state television reported.
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Hundreds of Jews visit contested holy site in Jerusalem
JERUSALEM — Hundreds of Jewish pilgrims visited a contested Jerusalem holy site under heavy police guard on Sunday, shortly after Muslim worshippers briefly clashed...
Desperate for vaccines amid surge, Iranians flock to Armenia
YEREVAN, Armenia — In Iran, the urgency of getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is growing by the day.
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France, US urge Lebanese politicians to quickly form Cabinet
BEIRUT — Seeking to stabilize Lebanon after a series of crises, France and the U.S. on Friday called on Lebanese politicians to urgently form...