Lebanon's caretaker PM says lifting subsidies would cause 'social explosion'
Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab said on Friday any step to lift subsidies now on vital goods would be unacceptable and would cause a "social explosion".
Middle East and North Africa
Iranian diplomat warned of retaliation over Belgian bomb plot trial - document
An Iranian diplomat charged in Belgium with planning to bomb a meeting of an exiled Iranian opposition group in France warned authorities of possible retaliation by unidentified groups if he is found guilty, according to a police document.
Iranian hospitals battling coronavirus to stop non-emergency treatment
Iran said on Friday large numbers of coronavirus infections meant its hospitals would not treat non-emergency patients and extended a lockdown in the capital, which has been the hardest hit, for a second week.
Turkey: Nagorno-Karabakh truce efforts bound to fail unless Armenia withdraws
Turkey said on Friday efforts by France, the United States and Russia to end violence between Azeri and Armenian forces over Nagorno-Karabakh were bound to fail unless they ensured a withdrawal of Armenian forces from the enclave.
Lebanon's Sunni leader Hariri urges revival of French plan
Lebanon's leading Sunni Muslim politician, former premier Saad al-Hariri, called for the restoration of a French plan to lift the nation out of its worst financial crisis since its 1975-1990 civil war.
Iranian composer and opposition beacon Shajarian dies at 80
Mohammad Reza Shajarian, who revived Iranian classical music and became a symbol for the opposition after a wave of unrest in 2009, has died in a Tehran hospital at the age of 80, state television said on Thursday.
Iran says new U.S. sanctions target 'remaining channels to pay for food, medicine'
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused the United States of targeting Iran's "remaining channels to pay for food and medicine" in the midst of the pandemic through new sanctions announced on Thursday.
U.S. imposes new Iran sanctions that may spook European banks
The United States on Thursday slapped fresh sanctions on Iran's financial sector, targeting 18 banks in an effort to further choke off Iranian revenues as Washington ramps up pressure on Tehran weeks ahead of the U.S. election.
Oil jumps on supply cuts in U.S. Gulf, wariness about North Sea, OPEC
Oil settled above $43 a barrel on Thursday on support from output shutdowns ahead of a storm in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and the possibility of supply cuts from Saudi Arabia and Norway.
Trump unchained? Afghan troop surprise shows pre-election impulse to upend policy
Less than a month before the election, U.S. President Donald Trump's abrupt vow to bring home troops from Afghanistan by year-end is a sign of how he may feel increasingly unchained to push through a foreign policy "wish list" he hopes could appeal to voters, current and former officials say.
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North Korea unveils 'monster' new intercontinental ballistic missile at parade
North Korea unveiled previously unseen intercontinental ballistic missiles at an unprecedented predawn military parade on Saturday that showcased the country's long-range weapons for the first time in two years.