Middle East
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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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Iran slams US regional air defense plan ahead of Biden trip

Iran has described as a "threat" the United States' plans for enhancing air defence cooperation with its Middle East allies, due to be discussed during President Joe Biden's upcoming regional trip.

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Israeli PM says countering Iran will top Biden visit agenda

Expanding joint action to counter Iran will top the agenda during U.S. President Joe Biden's upcoming visit to Israel, Prime Minister Yair Lapid said Sunday, urging a "decisive" response to Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Addressing his second cabinet meeting since taking office on July 1, Lapid called Biden -- who is due in Jerusalem on Wednesday -- "one of the closest friends that Israel has ever had in American politics."

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Syria's Assad attends Eid prayers in former rebel bastion

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Saturday took part in Eid al-Adha prayers on the second day of his first visit to ex-rebel-stronghold Aleppo in over a decade, state media reported.

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