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UAE Grants Citizenship to 1,117 'Foreign' Children

The president of the United Arab Emirates has issued a decree granting citizenship to more than 1,000 children of Emirati women married to foreigners, the official WAM news agency reported on Sunday.

"President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan has issued decrees granting citizenship to 1,117 children of UAE women married to foreigners who satisfied requirements for citizenship," WAM reported.

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Four Dead in Bomb Attack on Bus in Algeria

A roadside bomb blast killed four people and injured 10 other passengers on a bus east of the Algerian capital on Sunday, local news websites reported.

A security source confirmed the blast to AFP but did not give a toll or say whether the victims were civilians or military.

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Egypt Recalls Ambassador to Syria

Egypt decided on Sunday to recall its ambassador to Syria, the Foreign Ministry announced, as Arab states pile pressure on Damascus over its crackdown on dissent that has left thousands dead.

Foreign Minister Mohammed Amr recalled the Egyptian ambassador to Damascus "and it was decided that the ambassador will remain in Cairo until further notice," ministry spokesman Amr Rushdi said in a statement.

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Israel Arrests 3 Palestinians at al-Aqsa Compound

Israeli police said they arrested three Palestinians in the grounds of the flashpoint al-Aqsa mosque complex in Jerusalem on Sunday after tourists visiting the site as well as police were stoned.

"Stones were thrown at tourists and police officers, police have made three arrests ... three suspects involved in throwing stones," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told Agence France Presse. "The situation is calm at present," he said.

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Prosecutor, Judge Killed in Northwest Syria

Gunmen assassinated a senior prosecutor and a judge in a restive province in northwest Syria on Sunday, the country's state news agency said, while activists reported that security forces shelled rebel-held areas in the besieged city of Homs.

SANA news agency said gunmen opened fire in the morning on a car carrying Idlib provincial state prosecutor Nidal Ghazal and judge Mohammed Ziadeh.

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Syria’s Ancient Desert City Besieged

The Syrian army has been laying siege to the ancient city of Palmyra, a world heritage site, since early February and shooting at anything that moves from a historic citadel, residents say.

"Palmyra is surrounded by the army from all fronts: the Arab citadel, the olive and palm tree groves, the desert, the city," one resident told AFP by telephone, adding that the operation began on February 4.

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Suicide Bomb Kills 15 at Baghdad Police Academy

A suicide bomber blew himself up in front of a Baghdad police academy Sunday, killing 15 people and wounding more than 20 others in the deadliest attack for weeks in the Iraqi capital, security officials said.

At least seven other people were killed in attacks elsewhere in Iraq.

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U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor Meets Yemen VP

U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor John Brennan met with Yemen's vice president on Saturday and expressed Washington's commitment to provide support to the troubled country, official reports said.

"The U.S. will stand side by side with Yemen as it works to emerge from these difficult circumstances," the official SABA news agency quoted Brennan as saying in a meeting with Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi in Sanaa.

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Four Wounded in Israeli Air Strikes on Gaza

Three people were wounded early Sunday morning in an Israeli air strike on Gaza, medical sources said, hours after another strike injured one man.

According to the sources, the latest air strike, which targeted a home in the al-Tufah neighborhood in Gaza City, left the three in moderate condition.

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Abbas Says New Palestinian Government Will Respect PLO Accords

President Mahmoud Abbas said on Saturday that the next Palestinian government will respect agreements signed by the PLO, a reference to the peace accords with Israel.

"The next government will remain committed to the obligations and agreements signed by the Palestine Liberation Organization," Abbas said, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

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