The Islamic State group on Thursday claimed a twin bomb blast that killed 41 people in a southern Beirut stronghold of the Shiite Hezbollah movement, in a statement posted online. The claim, which followed the usual format of IS official statements, said the first blast was caused by...

The nuclear deal reached between world powers and Iran could lead to better relations between Tehran and Washington if the United States apologized for past behavior, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was quoted as saying on Thursday. The pragmatist president, who championed the July 14...

Days before he shot dead five people in a canteen during his lunch break, Jordanian police officer Anwar Abu Zeid sent a message to friends saying he was going on a journey to "paradise or hell", friends and security sources said. The message, on the WhatsApp mobile messaging...

(Reuters)- The head of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) air force on Wednesday dismissed charges that Arab coalition air power caused regular civilian casualties in Yemen's war, saying warplanes used precision weapons and raids needed multiple approvals. Amnesty International has...

A leaks scandal rocking the papacy widened on Wednesday as the Vatican put two Italian journalists under investigation and said it suspected other Holy See officials had helped two arrested for stealing documents. The latest twist in the scandal came in a statement about the two...

Libya's self-declared government in Tripoli has arrested a United Arab Emirates soldier and placed him under investigation for spying after finding evidence among his documents and on his computer, authorities said on Wednesday. The soldier, identified as Yousef Saqer Ahmad Mubarak, was...

Washington (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on a visit to Washington, voiced pessimism about the prospect of peace with the Palestinians, suggesting the current stalemate was likely to remain in place. A peace process to end nearly 70 years of conflict between Israel...

At least 16 people have been killed in heavy fighting in the Libyan city of Benghazi between forces allied with the official government and Islamic State fighters, a military commander said on Wednesday. Benghazi, caught up in fighting for more than a year, is just one front in Libya's...

Washington (AFP) - An early interest rate hike by the US Federal Reserve would involve higher risks than would waiting a bit longer, the chief economist of the International Monetary Fund told AFP. "I'm not sure that the risks of acting are gigantic, but they're certainly higher,"...

(Reuters)- Secretary of State John Kerry will deliver a speech on U.S. policy toward Syria this week at the congressionally funded U.S. Institute of Peace think tank, the State Department said Tuesday. The speech, which will take place at 2 p.m. on Thursday, comes as the United States, Russia...

Iran has arrested more than 40 suspected militants around the country, half of whom were planning to reach Iraq and Syria, Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi was quoted as saying by state media on Tuesday. The militant groups fighting in Iraq and Syria, such as Islamic State, are...

Baseball is known as the national pastime of the United States. The same cannot be said in Israel, but a new program enlisting American Jewish ballplayers is aimed at honing the skills of Israeli hopefuls and elevating the game there. The Israel Association of Baseball (IAB) is...

Germany's foreign minister said Tuesday that Vienna talks on Syria are a first "serious attempt to break the spiral of increasing violence and chaos", but dampened hopes for quick solutions. "In Syria, after five years of civil war and more than 250,000 dead, there are finally first steps in...

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has spoken with U.S. President Barack Obama over the phone, which included talks over the ongoing Syrian stalemate, Turkey's presidential press office said Tuesday. Erdogan and Obama discussed the importance of making joint efforts to empower the moderate...

Turkey's prime minister said Monday that the fight against Daesh terrorist group requires an "integrated strategy" that will end the power vacuum in Syria. Ahmet Davutoglu’s remarks during a sit-down with CNN International came in his first television interview since his Justice and...

Myanmar's ruling party conceded defeat on Monday in a general election as the opposition led by democracy figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi appeared on course for a landslide victory that could ensure it forms the next government. "We lost," Union Solidarity and Development Party...

Thirty two Tunisian lawmakers accused President Beji Caid Essebsi's son of meddling and resigned from the ruling party bloc in parliament Monday, allowing Islamist rivals to become the largest party. Tunisia has enjoyed a period of political stability following its transition to democracy...

 Two American military personnel and one South African were killed when a Jordanian officer went on a shooting spree Monday at a U.S.-funded security training facility near Amman, Jordan's government spokesman said. Mohammad Momani told Reuters the attacker also wounded six people,...

Egyptian police said Monday they killed a top ISIS operative in the capital implicated in a string of attacks including the murders of a Croat and an American. An interior ministry statement said Ashraf Ali Ali Hassanein al-Gharabli was shot dead in an exchange of fire after police tried to...

A 400-strong Sudanese force arrived in Yemen's port city Aden Monday in support of pro-government forces preparing to confront a possible new offensive by rebels on the country's south. Yemen's loyalist forces, backed by Saudi-led coalition strikes, supplies and troops, pushed the rebels out...