Middle-East
Iranian media say injuries jump to 520 in Friday quake
Iran's state TV is saying the number of injured people from a magnitude 5.9 earthquake on Friday has jumped to 520 from more than 300.
Hopes of young Lebanese to escape sectarianism put to test
Singer Tania Saleh grew up amid a civil war that robbed her of her childhood, of her friends and neighbors and of the Lebanon she so loved. For years, she has sung the pains of sectarian schisms.
Iran says case open on ex-FBI agent missing there on CIA job
Iran is acknowledging for the first time it has an open case before its Revolutionary Court over the 2007 disappearance of a former FBI agent on an unauthorized CIA mission to the country, renewing questions over what happened to him.
Iraqi forces capture major Baghdad bridge from protesters
Iraqi medical officials say security forces have cleared a flashpoint bridge in Baghdad of anti-government protesters using stun grenades and tear gas, in clashes that are among the heaviest since the unrest began last month.
Iran defends its decision to block UN atomic inspector
Iran is defending its decision to block an U.N. inspector from a nuclear site last week.
Turkish patrol kills protester amid shaky truce in NE Syria
A Syrian protester was killed after he was run over by a Turkish military vehicle during a joint Turkish-Russian patrol in northeastern Syria on Friday, Kurdish forces and a Syria war monitoring group said.
Iraq's spiritual leader calls for road map out of impasse
Iraq's most senior Shiite spiritual leader called Friday for a road map out of the impasse, saying the country's political class has a "unique opportunity" to meet the demands of protesters who have taken to the streets for weeks, demanding change — only to have their rallies met with a deadly crackdown.
Iran's army says targets "unknown" drone in south
The air defense forces of Iran's army targeted an "unknown" drone over the sky of southern port city of Mahshahr on Friday, Tasnim news agency reported.
Iran says cut of nuke commitments "wake-up call" for related parties
Iran's cut of commitments pertaining to the 2015 nuclear deal is a "wake-up call" for the remaining parties of the deal to protect Iran's interests, Iran's Ambassador to Britain Hamid Baeidinejad was quoted as saying by Press TV Friday.
6 killed, hundreds injured in 5.9-magnitude earthquake in NW Iran
At least six people were killed in a 5.9-magnitude earthquake that hit Tark region in Iran's northwestern East Azerbaijan province on Friday morning, Iranian Student News Agency reported.