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Marzouki Guarantees Ben Ali Security, Fair Trial

Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki vowed on Tuesday to guarantee ex-strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali security and a fair trial as he visited France in a bid to restore strained ties.

At a joint press conference with French President Francois Hollande, Marzouki said he could guarantee "physical security" and "a fair trial" for Ben Ali, who is in exile in Saudi Arabia after he was toppled in a popular uprising last year.

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Hollande Presses Russia over Syria Stance

French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday pressed Russia over its stance on the conflict in Syria and described the continued bloodshed there as "unacceptable and intolerable."

The daily killings are creating "instability in the region that is detrimental to all," Hollande said at a press conference with visiting Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki.

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Yemen Militants Cut Off Soldier's Fingers

Gunmen in south Yemen, where troops are hunting down militants linked to al-Qaida, abducted a soldier and cut off three of his fingers, the defense ministry's website said on Tuesday.

The site, 26sep.net, named the soldier as Mohammed al-Jaradi, and said he was abducted late on Monday in Daleh, the capital of the province of the same name, and taken him to a village.

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Syria Defector Tlass Urges Transition, Slams Army Attacks

General Manaf Tlass, a key military defector and ex-ally of Bashar Assad, called Tuesday for a political transition in Syria and condemned military attacks on civilians in a statement sent to Agence France Presse.

In his first statement to the media since his defection was announced on July 6, Tlass said the regime held "the majority of responsibility" for the crisis and confirmed he was in Paris.

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Ban Urges Russia to Step Up Pressure on Assad

U.N. leader Ban Ki-moon urged Russia to step up pressure on Syria's President Bashar Assad during talks with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, a U.N. spokesman said Tuesday.

"He called on Russia to use its influence to ensure the full and immediate implementation" of the peace plan of U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, said U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky.

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Kadima Quits Israel Government, Coalition Holds

Members of Israel's center-right Kadima party decided on Tuesday to leave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition after the sides failed to agree on a new universal draft law.

A vast majority of the party led by Shaul Mofaz was in favor of leaving the coalition after only joining it in May, reducing the governing coalition by 28 members but still leaving it with a majority.

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Report: U.S. Building Missile Defense Station in Qatar

The Pentagon is building a missile defense radar station at a covert location in Qatar, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

The site will be part of a system intended to defend the interests of the United States and its allies against Iranian rockets, unnamed U.S. officials told the newspaper.

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Four Injured in Egypt Train Crash

A train crashed and derailed south of Cairo on Tuesday, leaving four people injured, the Egyptian health ministry said.

The train, heading for the town of Sohag 500 kilometers (300 miles) south of the capital, crashed near Badrashin station near Cairo, a security source said. Five of its 15 carriages overturned.

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Israel: Assad Moving Troops from Golan to Damascus

Syrian President Bashar Assad has moved army forces from the Golan Heights area next to Israel toward Damascus and other internal conflict zones, the Israeli army intelligence chief said on Tuesday.

As fighting rages between Assad's forces and rebels trying to oust his government, he has moved troops from the Syrian side of the disengagement line that divides the Golan Heights between Syria and Israeli-held territory, he said.

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Putin Vows to Back Annan's Syria Peace Efforts

Russian President Vladimir Putin told visiting Syria peace mediator Kofi Annan on Tuesday that he would "do everything" to support the U.N.-Arab League envoy's plan to end the conflict.

"From the very start, from the first steps, we supported and continue to support your efforts aimed at restoring civil peace," Putin told Annan at the start of their Kremlin meeting.

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