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Turkey: Russian Ship Carrying Arms Reached Tartus

A Russian ship, allegedly carrying tons of weapons, made a dash for Syria after Cypriot officials allowed it to leave their waters, Turkish officials said Thursday.

The ship had made an unscheduled stop in Cyprus Tuesday, technically violating an EU embargo on arms shipments to Syria, which has killed thousands in a crackdown on dissent.

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Israeli Tank Fire Wounds Two on Gaza Border

Israelis and Palestinians fought across the Gaza border on Friday, with Israeli tank fire wounding two men at the frontier and Palestinians firing a rocket into southern Israel, medics and the army said.

Israeli tanks fired at a group of Palestinians who appeared to be attempting to plant explosives along the border fence, in the early hours of Friday a military spokeswoman told Agence France Presse.

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Syria NTC, Rebels Form Direct Channel of Communication

The main Syrian civilian opposition umbrella group agreed to work more closely with the armed rebels as activists called for nationwide demonstrations in support of the Free Syrian Army on Friday.

Syrian National Council leader Burhan Ghaliun met with rebel chief Colonel Riad Asaad on Thursday and "extensively discussed the situation on the ground and the organizational capacity of the FSA", an SNC statement said.

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British PM, Saudi King Discuss Syria, Iran, Yemen

British Prime Minister David Cameron held talks with Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud in Riyadh on Friday, as tensions soar between the West and Tehran, the oil-rich kingdom's arch-rival in the Gulf.

The two leaders "discussed the importance of the UK-Saudi bilateral relationship and agreed to strengthen cooperation in a range of areas," Cameron's office said in a statement.

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Activists: Saudi Forces Shoot Dead Shiite Protester

Saudi security forces clashed with Shiite protesters in the kingdom's oil-rich east at dawn on Friday, killing one person and wounding three, witnesses and activists said.

Security forces opened fire with live rounds after protesters hurled stones at one of their vehicles in the Shiite village of al-Awamiya in the Qatif region, witnesses said.

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Russia Refuses to Budge on Syria Sanctions

Russia said on Friday it strongly disagreed with changes to its draft U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria that are being promoted by Western states.

"Unfortunately, the West's approach radically differs from ours," Deputy Foreign Minister Gannady Gatilov was quoted as saying by Interfax.

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Khamenei: CIA, Mossad Behind ‘Cowardly Murder’ of Scientist

Iran's supreme leader has accused the U.S. and Israeli intelligence services of being behind the "abominable" assassination in Tehran this week of a nuclear scientist who was to be buried Friday.

The "cowardly murder" on Wednesday of Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, a deputy director of Iran's main uranium enrichment plant, was committed "with the planning or support of the intelligence services of the CIA and Mossad," said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

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Britain Will Work with Newly-Elected Islamic Governments

British Foreign Secretary William Hague on Friday pledged to support governments elected in the wake of the Arab Spring uprisings, despite "legitimate concerns" over the rise of parties rooted in Islam.

Writing in The Times newspaper, Hague argued that the recent success enjoyed by religious parties did not mean the Arab Spring had turned into a "cold winter", warning that bad governance would again force demonstrators onto the streets.

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Syria Orders Probe into Death of French Reporter

Syria said on Thursday it would set up a commission of inquiry into the death of French journalist Gilles Jacquier, killed by a shell in the flashpoint city of Homs on Wednesday, official media said.

"The governor of Homs, Ghassan Abdul Al, issued a decision to create a commission charged with investigating the circumstances of the terrorist attack that cost the life of the French journalist and eight Syrians," the official SANA news agency said.

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Opposition Activists Carrying Aid Denied Entry to Syria

Authorities prevented a convoy of 200 opposition activists Thursday from entering Syria via Turkey with medical aid for victims of the ongoing uprising, an Agence France Presse reporter at the border said.

Some of the activists said they had traveled from as far afield as the United States and western Europe in order to join the so-called Freedom Convoy which included five buses and several cars.

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