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Israeli Strikes Kill 4 Civilians in Syria

Four civilians, including two children, were killed by Israeli strikes on the Syrian province of Hama at dawn on Friday, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported.

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10 More Bodies Found in Libya Mass Grave

Forensics teams in war-shattered Libya have discovered 10 more bodies in mass graves in a once militia-controlled town outside the capital Tripoli, the Government of National Accord said on Thursday.  

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Saudi FM Optimistic Ties with U.S. Will be 'Excellent' under Biden

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan voiced optimism Thursday that relations between Riyadh and Washington will be "excellent" under new U.S. President Joe Biden.

The appointments made by Biden for his new administration "showed (an) understanding of the common issues," Prince Faisal told Al-Arabiya television, without elaborating.

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Tunisia Rights Groups Say 1,000 Arrested in 6 Nights of Riots

Tunisian security forces have arrested at least 1,000 people during six nights of urban unrest between disaffected youths and riot police, human rights and other non-government groups said Thursday.

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Pope Deplores 'Senseless Act of Brutality' after Iraq Attack

Pope Francis, who hopes to visit Iraq in March, on Thursday deplored as a "senseless act of brutality" a suicide bombing in Baghdad that left at least 32 people dead.

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At Packed Hospitals, Iraqis Lament Blast as Bitterly Familiar

Frantically dashing between hospital beds, Baghdad residents tried to track down relatives who may have died Thursday in a twin suicide blast -- the deadliest attack in years.

Grieving mothers, hysterical brothers and wailing children packed the halls at the Sheikh Zayed hospital, less than three kilometers (two miles) away from Tayaran Square.

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Cool Welcome for Biden in Gulf amid Uncertain Iran Policy

Newspapers in Arab states of the Gulf on Thursday gave a cautious welcome to new US President Joe Biden, amid uncertainty over whether he will seek to re-engage with regional rival Iran. 

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Twin Suicide Bombing in Baghdad Kill 32, Wound 110

A rare twin suicide bombing killed 32 people and wounded 110 at a crowded market in central Baghdad on Thursday, Iraq's health ministry said, the city's deadliest attack in three years.

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Arab Spring Lifted, then Crushed Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood

The Arab Spring a decade ago gave Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood a brief shot at power, but today many of its followers are dead, in jail or in exile.

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Dubai Orders Hospitals to Cancel Surgeries amid Virus Surge

The government of Dubai on Wednesday ordered all hospitals to cancel nonessential surgeries for the next month as coronavirus infections surge to unprecedented heights in the United Arab Emirates.

In a circular sent to government-run and private health centers across the emirate, Dubai's Health Authority announced that starting Thursday medical operations "may be allowed to continue only per medical urgency" as the city tries to keep its hospitals from becoming overrun.

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