Two Western hostages of the Taliban, who are expected to be freed in a prisoner swap for three militants, will be released only when the insurgents "reach their destination", a spokesman for the Islamist group said Wednesday. The fate of the American and Australian hostages -- both...

Schools in Tehran were ordered to be closed on Wednesday after the Iranian capital was cloaked in dangerously high levels of air pollution, authorities said. Governor Anoushiravan Mohseni-Bandpey said kindergartens, preschools and primary schools would be shut in the city and the counties...

Exchanges of fire triggered by Israel's targeted killing of a top militant in Gaza raged for a second day Wednesday and showed little sign of easing, with 22 Palestinians killed. Fresh rocket barrages were fired at Israel, which responded with strikes on what it said were Islamic Jihad...

An activist was killed Tuesday in the capital Beirut when soldiers attempted to drive down a road closed by protesters. The soldiers fired on the crowd, which were preventing their vehicle from passing, hitting activist Ala Abu Fahr. He was taken to a nearby hospital but died despite...