Iraq's most senior Shiite cleric urged political leaders Friday to find a way out of the current cycle of anti-government protests and a subsequent security crackdown that has left more than 250 people dead, saying the country faces "great risks" if it continues. The protests continued...

Five civilians were killed in Russian airstrikes on residential areas of Syria's Idlib de-escalation zone, the Syrian civil defense agency, White Helmets, said on Friday. Three were killed in Rami village and another two in Maarshimshan, according to the agency. According to...

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck northwestern Iran early Friday, killing at least five people and injuring over 300 others, officials said. The temblor struck Tark county in Iran's Eastern Azerbaijan province at 2:17 a.m., Iran's seismological center said. The area is...

As U.S. troops beef up in eastern Syria to protect oil fields, residents hope their mission will bring stability and prosperity to the remote and resource-rich region —and keep the Syrian government out. Their hopes reflect the expectations being piled onto the operation, even as...