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UN Security Council passes 6-month extension of cross-border Syria aid

The U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution Tuesday extending a system for cross-border aid to Syria by six months, the duration demanded by Russia while other members had sought a full year.

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US drone strike kills Islamic State group's Syria chief

The leader of the Islamic State militant group in Syria was killed Tuesday in a U.S. drone strike, the Pentagon said.

Maher al-Agal was killed while riding a motorcycle near Jindayris in Syria, and one of his top aides was seriously injured, Pentagon Central Command spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Dave Eastburn told AFP.

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UN envoy to seek longer, expanded truce in Yemen civil war

The U.N. special envoy for Yemen said Monday he plans to explore the possibility of a longer and expanded truce with the country's warring parties in the coming weeks.

Hans Grundberg said an extension could be a good step in moving toward a cease-fire in the country's eight-year civil war. He didn't provide details of the length or expansion he is seeking ahead of the Aug. 2 expiration of the current two-month truce extension.

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Russia wins fight to limit aid to Syrian rebels to 6 months

The Security Council headed toward approval of a U.N. resolution Tuesday to extend humanitarian aid deliveries to 4.1 million people in Syria's rebel-held northwest, after Russia won its demand for only a six-month mandate.

Ireland and Norway, which had sponsored a resolution calling for a yearlong extension that was vetoed Friday by Russia, circulated a new draft Monday that provides for a six-month extension of deliveries through the Bab al-Hawa crossing until Jan. 10, 2023.

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Putin to hold Syria summit in Iran with Raisi and Erdogan

Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to Tehran on July 19 for a Syria summit with his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Kremlin announced Tuesday. 

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Abe, Gadhafi and other political assassinations this century

Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated Friday by a gunman who opened fire on him as he delivered a campaign speech on a street in western Japan.

Here's a global look at other high-profile assassinations in the 21st century:

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Parents of slain Israeli-American girl seek Biden meeting

The family of an Israel-American girl killed in a 2001 Palestinian suicide bombing in Jerusalem is seeking a meeting with President Joe Biden in hopes of forcing Jordan to extradite a woman convicted in the deadly attack.

The parents of Malki Roth turned to Biden on Sunday asking to meet with the president when he comes to Jerusalem this week. They want the president to put pressure on Jordan, a close American ally, to send Ahlam Tamimi to the U.S. for trial.

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With Biden, Palestinians seeking freedom get permits instead

For more than two years, the Biden administration has said that Palestinians are entitled to the same measure of "freedom, security and prosperity" enjoyed by Israelis. Instead, they've gotten U.S. aid and permits to work inside Israel and its Jewish settlements.

The inconsistency is likely to come up when President Joe Biden visits Israel and the occupied West Bank this week for the first time since assuming office.

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In Mideast, Biden struggling to shift policy after Trump

Joe Biden took office looking to reshape U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, putting a premium on promoting democracy and human rights. In reality, he has struggled on several fronts to meaningfully separate his approach from former President Donald Trump's.

Biden's visit to the region this week includes a meeting with Saudi Arabia's King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the oil-rich kingdom's de facto leader who U.S. intelligence officials determined approved the 2018 killing of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey.

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Israeli PM calls for Saudi relations ahead of Biden visit

Israel's prime minister has expressed hope that his country will establish formal diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia, days before President Joe Biden visits the two countries as part of a regional trip.

Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have official diplomatic relations, but have shared clandestine security ties over a mutual enmity of regional arch-rival Iran. The kingdom is widely believed to be among a handful of Arab states weighing open ties with Israel.

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