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Syria Regime Forces on Edge of Key Rebel-Held Town

Syrian regime forces have reached the outskirts of a key city on the edge of the country's last rebel-held stronghold, a monitor and a pro-government newspaper said Sunday.

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Yemen Rebels Advance as Loyalists Beat 'Tactical' Retreat

Huthi rebels have gained ground east of the Yemeni capital Sanaa, in what the defence minister acknowledged as a "tactical withdrawal" by government loyalists. 

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Iraq Protest Tents Set Ablaze after Cleric Withdraws Support

Iraq's anti-government protests were dealt a blow after a powerful Shiite cleric withdrew his support from the movement, leading security forces to set fire to protesters' tents overnight Saturday in the country's south, as well as re-open key public squares in Baghdad that had been occupied by the demonstrators.

The presence of Muqtada al-Sadr's followers and his militia group had shielded the protesters from security forces and unknown groups looking to harm and suppress them, activists said. With that cover gone, many in the four-month-old movement feared the worst.

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French Jihadist Recruiter Handed Long Jail Term

A Frenchman has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for seeking to recruit dozens of youths to fight as jihadists in Syria and for leading a brigade of French-speaking Islamists in the war-torn country.

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34 US Troops Injured in Recent Iranian Strike, Says Pentagon

Nearly three dozen US troops suffered traumatic brain injuries or concussion in this month's Iranian air strike on a military base in Iraq, the Pentagon said on Friday.

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Four Employees of French Christian NGO Missing in Baghdad

Four employees of a French Christian NGO, three French nationals and one Iraqi, have been missing in Baghdad since Monday, the charity announced Friday.

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Germany and Turkey Call for Lasting Libya Ceasefire

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Friday for the fragile truce in Libya to be turned into a lasting ceasefire, during a visit by the German leader to Istanbul.

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Suspected Arson at East Jerusalem Mosque

Israeli police launched a manhunt Friday after an apparent arson attack, accompanied by Hebrew-language graffiti, on a mosque in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.

"Police were summoned to a mosque in Beit Safafa, in Jerusalem, following a report of arson in one of the building's rooms and spraying of graffiti on a nearby wall outside the building," a police statement said.

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Erdogan Warns Libya 'Chaos' Could Spread

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned on Friday of chaos in Libya unless peace is quickly established, as he hosted German Chancellor Angela Merkel. 

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Hundreds Gather for Baghdad Rally to Demand US Troops Leave

Hundreds of supporters of an influential, radical Shiite cleric gathered Friday in central Baghdad for a rally to demand that American troops leave the country amid heightened tensions after a U.S. drone strike earlier this month killed a top Iranian general in the Iraqi capital.

Since mid-morning on the Muslim day of prayers, loudspeakers blasted "No, no America!" at a central square in the Iraqi capital. A child held up a poster reading, "Death to America. Death to Israel."

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