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Iraq
Israeli Airstrikes Kill 10 Lebanese Civilians in 1 Day
BEIRUT — The civilian death toll from two Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon has risen to 10, Lebanese state media reported Thursday, making the previous day the deadliest one in more than four months of cross-border exchanges.
The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate for the strikes, which hit in the city of Nabatiyeh and a village in southern Lebanon, just hours after projectiles from Lebanon killed an Israeli soldier.
In Nabatiyeh, the strike knocked down part of a...
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Blasts Hit Natural Gas Pipeline in Iran That Official Calls Act of Sabotage
dubai, united arab emirates — Explosions struck a natural gas pipeline in Iran early on Wednesday, with an official blaming the blasts on a "sabotage and terrorist action" in the country as tensions remain high in the Middle East amid Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Details were scarce, though the blasts hit a natural gas pipeline running from Iran's western Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province up north to cities on the Caspian Sea. The roughly 1,270-kilometer...
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Istanbul’s Christians in Fear After Islamic State Church Attack
Turkish security forces are detaining hundreds of people in the aftermath of an Islamic State attack on an Istanbul church. Authorities are warning of further attacks against Jews and Christians. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul.
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Leaders of Turkey, Egypt Work to Stop Israel's Looming Offensive in Gaza's Rafah
Cairo — Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Edrogan and his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fatah el-Sissi, united their efforts Wednesday in Cairo, calling for a halt to Israel's looming offensive on a southern Gaza city in its war against Hamas.
Erdogan's visit comes as ties between Ankara and Cairo are back on track after years of tensions and frosty relations. Turkey has long been a backer of the pan-Islamist Muslim Brotherhood group, which has been outlawed as a terrorist...
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Indian PM Modi Opens Hindu Temple in UAE Ahead of Elections
ABU MUREIKHA, United Arab Emirates — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Middle East's first traditional, stone-built Hindu temple on Wednesday, internationalizing his reelection campaign and his effort to push secular India into a Hindu state.
The trip to the BAPS Hindu Mandir just north of the city of Abu Dhabi capped Modi's whistlestop tour of the United Arab Emirates during which the Indian leader embraced the UAE's president, describing him as a brother, and...
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Palestinians Say West Bank Settler Attacks on Rise Since October 7
West Bank Palestinians say that since the October 7 Hamas attack, Israeli settlers have significantly increased acts of violence against them, with the aim of forcing the Palestinians to abandon their homes. A settler council, however, denies these allegations, saying incidents have decreased. For VOA, Linda Gradstein reports from the South Hebron Hills of the West Bank. Camera: Ricki Rosen
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Families of Gaza Hostages Push International Court for Charges Against Hamas Leaders
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UN Seeks Taliban's Presence at Qatar-Hosted Huddle on Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD — The United Nations says it would like to see Taliban representatives attend a two-day international conference on Afghanistan that will take place in Qatar next week.
Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said Wednesday the Taliban would participate in the February 18 meeting, provided they are received as official representatives of Afghanistan.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will host the two-day session, with member states and regional organizations’ special...
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US Senate Passes $95B Foreign Aid Package for Ukraine, Israel, Indo-Pacific
The U.S. Senate approved a $95 billion aid package to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan early Tuesday. But as VOA's Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports, the bill faces a tough path to passage in the Republican-majority U.S. House of Representatives.
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UNRWA Chief: Agency Essential to Respond to Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza
Geneva — The head of the U.N. agency that assists Palestinian refugees has dismissed calls for it to be disbanded and says that UNRWA is the best positioned agency to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“I have talked with the member states about all these calls for UNRWA to be dismantled, to be terminated and I have warned about the impact. I have said that these calls are short-sighted,” said Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general of UNRWA.
Major donors, including the United...
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Gaza Tops Agenda as Erdogan Visits Cairo to Mark Turkey-Egypt Reset
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visits Egypt Wednesday (Feb 14), after more than a decade to mark a reset in ties between the two regional powerhouses. The Israel-Hamas war is expected to top the agenda. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul.
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Landslide Traps Turkish Mine Workers
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Indian PM in UAE to Open Hindu Temple, Deepen Trade Links
Dubai — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi started a visit to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday to inaugurate the Middle East's largest Hindu temple and boost investment and trade links.
The two governments signed deals, including a framework agreement on a major trade and transport route, at the start of Modi's two-day visit, the third in the past eight months.
His trip comes ahead of India's national election which is expected to begin in April.
He was due to...
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BRICS Got Beef: South Africa to Sell Meat to Saudi Arabia
Farmers in South Africa’s red meat industry are excited to resume exporting beef and lamb to Saudi Arabia after a long hiatus. Kate Bartlett reports from a ranch outside Johannesburg that stands to benefit from the new trade partnership. Camera and edit: Zaheer Cassim
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Biden, Jordanian King Express Concerns About Rafah Operation in Gaza
Jordan’s King Abdullah II, the first Arab leader to visit the White House since October 7, met with President Joe Biden to discuss a hostage deal and the future of Gaza as Israel began operations Monday in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Jordan is pushing a cease-fire, while Biden over the weekend appeared to criticize Israel’s strategy. VOA’s Anita Powell reports from the White House.
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Stranded Livestock Land in Australia After Red Sea Turn-Back
Canberra, Australia — Thousands of sheep and cattle stuck on a ship that was forced to abandon a passage through the Red Sea last month have begun disembarking at the same Australian port they left nearly six weeks ago, Australia's agriculture ministry said late Monday.
The MV Bahijah sailed from Fremantle, Western Australia on January 5 for Israel with about 14,000 sheep and 2,000 cattle onboard but diverted from its route due to the threat of attack by Yemen's Houthi militia...
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