Polling booths closed at 6 p.m. (1700 GMT) in Tunisia Sunday after voting in the first round of a presidential election in the young democracy. The head of the electoral commission had earlier called for young voters to head to the polls, with turnout standing at only 27.8 percent by...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government approved a new settlement in the occupied West Bank Sunday, his office said, just two days ahead of closely fought general elections. Netanyahu's cabinet agreed to turn the wildcat settlement of Mevoot Yericho in the Jordan Valley into...

The White House said on Sunday President Donald Trump may still meet his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani, despite the US accusing Iran of masterminding drone attacks on Saudi Arabian oil facilities. White House counselor Kellyanne Conway did not rule out the possibility in a television...

The European Union warned on Sunday of a “real threat to regional security” in the Middle East after attacks on Saudi oil plants that risk disrupting global energy supplies and for which Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group claimed responsibility. “Yesterday’s attack by drones on two Aramco...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday reiterated his pledge to annex Jordan valley in the occupied West Bank. Netanyahu’s comments came during a Cabinet meeting held in the Jordan valley for the first time since Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967. “We will apply...

 Hong Kong police fired water cannon and volleys of tear gas to break up protesters throwing petrol bombs near the Legislative Council building and inside the Central Government Offices on Sunday, the latest in weeks of sometimes violent unrest. Some protesters threw bricks at police...

Iraq denied on Sunday that its territory had been used to carry out attacks on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, referring to an incident that knocked out more that half the Kingdom’s output. A Baghdad government statement denied “media reports that (Iraqi) territory was used to attack Saudi...

Iran’s foreign minister Mohammed Javad Zarif said on Sunday that the United States and its allies were “stuck in Yemen” and that blaming Tehran “won’t end the disaster”. “Having failed at “max pressure”, @SecPompeo’s turning to “max deceit”.. US & its clients are stuck in Yemen because...

The Afghan Taliban rescinded a months-long ban on the International Committee for Red Cross (ICRC) working in areas under their control Sunday and restored security guarantees for those working for the organisation. The militants and the ICRC "consented to following the old agreement on top...

An Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander said on Sunday that U.S. bases and aircraft carriers in the region were within range of Iranian missiles after the U.S. accused Iran of leading attacks on Saudi oil plants, raising tensions in the Middle East. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group said...

In a country splintered by conflict and propaganda wars, Libya's journalists are caught in the crossfire between battle fronts and partisan employers, exposing them to risks on the ground. Fighting that erupted in early April when eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive on...

Rarely has the outcome of an election been so uncertain in Tunisia, the cradle and partial success story of the Arab Spring, as some seven million voters head to the polls Sunday to choose from a crowded field. Key players include media mogul Nabil Karoui -- behind bars due to an ongoing...

Pro-democracy protesters rallied outside Britain's consulate in Hong Kong on Sunday, demanding London do more to protect its former colonial subjects and ramp up pressure on Beijing over sliding freedoms. Hundreds of demonstrators sang "God Save the Queen" and "Rule Britannia" outside the...

Kashmir has seen an average of nearly 20 protests per day against Indian rule over the last six weeks despite a security lockdown to quell unrest, a senior government source told AFP. Tensions remain high in the disputed Himalayan region after New Delhi's controversial decision last month...

Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong said on Saturday he was seeking the support of U.S. lawmakers for the demands of his fellow protesters who have led months of streets demonstrations, including a call for free elections. Wong, who spoke to Reuters in New York ahead of a planned...

Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Saturday allegations of corruption within the army and government were “lies and slander”, in his first public response to graft accusations that have gone viral online. “I swear to God, these are lies and slander,” Sisi told a youth...

The White House said on Saturday that the United States was committed to keeping oil markets well-supplied in the wake of an attack on Saudi Arabian oil plants by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group. “The United States strongly condemns today’s attack on critical energy infrastructure,” White...

Louvre Hotels Group, owned by China's Jin Jiang, has signed an agreement to open two hotels under its own name in Damascus, it said on Saturday, a day after the UN announced an internal investigation into the bombing of hospitals in Syria. The confirmation of the two hotels opening, after...

The ‘Big Three’ of Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic have confirmed they will play in the inaugural ATP Cup in a boost for the nation-based event in the leadup to the Australian Open. The ATP, governing body of the men’s tour, said every member of the top 10 and 27 of the top 30...

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday he is ready to intervene in Quebec’s new ban on religious symbols if a current court challenge fails to strike down the law. “We are not going to close the door on intervening at a later date because I think it would be irresponsible for a federal...