Iran reported 183 more fatalities from the novel coronavirus on Friday, raising the nationwide death toll to 13,791. A further 2,379 people tested positive for COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, bringing the overall count to 269,440, Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said. She...

Converting the Hagia Sophia into a mosque is a matter of sovereignty, Turkey's president told reporters on Friday. Turkey does not see international reactions on the reopening of the Istanbul landmark to Muslim worship as binding, Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed. The first prayers will be...

In one of the most significant shake-ups in years, the Taliban put the son of the movement's feared founder in charge of its military wing and added powerful figures to its negotiating team ahead of expected talks aimed at ending Afghanistan’s decades of war, Taliban officials say. As...

Thomas Bach said Friday he will stand in 2021 for a second term as president of the International Olympic Committee. The 66-year-old German was elected for an eight-year term as Olympic chief in September 2013, taking over from Belgian Jacques Rogge. Bach will be eligible for a second and...