Four Katyusha rockets hit a military base used by U.S.-led coalition troops south of Baghdad on Friday and caused some material damage but no casualties, the Iraqi military said in a statement. The rockets hit Besmaya base, where Spanish troops have been based as part of the fight directed...

A German arts curator who was kidnapped earlier this week was freed Friday by Iraqi security forces, security and government officials said. Hella Mewis was freed at 6:25 a.m. local time (0325 GMT) in an operation outside the capital Baghdad in which security forces raided a location based...

Shares worldwide skidded further Friday as a pick-up in US and European business activity did little to ease investors' jitters surrounding Sino-US tensions, while gold kept marching toward a record high as it broke above $1,9000 an ounce. The mood darkened after Beijing ordered Washington...

Iran protested Friday to the United Nations of a "flagrant violation" of international law after nearby US fighter jets sparked panic on an Iranian passenger plane over war-torn Syria. The incident on Thursday was the latest between arch-foes Tehran and Washington since US President Donald...

The Grands Prix in the United States, Mexico, Brazil and Canada have been scrapped this year but three races in Europe have been added to the coronavirus-affected season, Formula One said Friday. There will be an F1 debut for Portugal's Portimao track and a return for Germany's Nurburgring...

Russia continues to supply a broad range of arms to Libyan rebels including fighter jets, air defense missiles, land mines, and armored vehicles through the state-backed mercenary Wagner Group, the US Defense Department said Friday. The Pentagon released satellite photographs that it said...

US air safety regulators Friday ordered plane operators to inspect some 2,000 Boeing jets that have been dormant due to weak flying demand amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency airworthiness directive for Boeing 737 NG and Classic aircraft to...

Iran on Friday dismissed a U.S. explanation that a U.S. jet was conducting a visual inspection when it “harassed” an Iranian civilian airliner, saying the plane was forced to rapidly change altitude to avoid collision, injuring and panicking passengers. State TV video footage of the inside...

Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan joined thousands of worshippers at Hagia Sophia on Friday for the first prayers there since he declared the monument, revered by Christians and Muslims for almost 1,500 years, a mosque once again. Erdogan and his top ministers, wearing white facemasks as a...

Warfare has stopped - for now - in the Libyan capital, but long power blackouts caused by years of poor maintenance still cause misery in the scorching summer weather. The blackouts have led to protests, and armed men storming electricity facilities to demand engineers bring back power,...

 Israel's largely ceremonial president lashed out Thursday at squabbling members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's so-called unity government, beseeching them to quit bickering at a time of national emergency and stop floating the prospect of yet another "terrible" election campaign....

The two facades of the National Museum in the Yemeni city of Taez bear testament to the ravages of a war that has consumed the Arabian Peninsula country. One side has been beautifully restored to its former grandeur, recalling a traditional palace from earlier eras. The other is pocked...

US police and security forces must not use disproportionate force against protesters and journalists in US cities including Portland or detain them unlawfully, the United Nations human rights office said Friday. Law enforcement officers and federal forces must be clearly identifiable so...

Every chapter of Iraq’s modern history can be seen in the sprawling cemetery of Wadi al-Salam outside the holy city of Najaf. Its sandy expanse is growing, this time with coronavirus victims. A special burial ground near the cemetery has been created specifically for COVID-19 victims...

The Taliban say they are ready for talks with Afghanistan's political leadership after the Muslim holiday of Eid ul Adha at the end of July, offering to hand over the last of the government prisoners in a week's time, providing the government frees the last of its Taliban prisoners. The...

Oil prices slipped on Friday, shrugging off a weaker U.S. dollar, as tensions between the United States and China rose against a backdrop of rising coronavirus cases. Brent crude LCOc1 fell 25 cents to $43.06 a barrel by 0713 GMT, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 eased 28...

 Thousands of Turks gathered near Hagia Sophia early on Friday for the first prayers there since President Tayyip Erdogan declared the monument, revered by Christians and Muslims for almost 1,500 years, a mosque once again. Crowds formed at checkpoints surrounding the historic heart of...

US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and "re-energizing global economies" during a telephone call Thursday, the White House said. The two leaders also discussed regional and bilateral issues and the...

The US said Thursday it had intercepted an Iranian passenger plane as it flew over Syria, after Iranian state television accused Israel of being behind the encounter. US Central Command, which oversees US operations in the Middle East, said an "F-15 on a routine air mission... conducted a...

The Kurdish self-administration on Thursday has recorded four coronavirus cases in northern Hasaka province, local official said. During a press conference in Qamishli city, co-hair of the Kurdish health board, Jwan Mustafa, confirmed that 3 women from Qamishli and a young man from...