Middle East

By Agencies

Moderate cleric Hassan Rouhani has called his defeat of conservative hardliners a victory of moderation over extremism and pledged a new tone of respect in international affairs.

Read more: Iran celebrates Rouhani's presidential win

By Agencies

Kuwait’s top court has dissolved parliament and called for new elections after an opposition challenge to the voting system was thrown out.

Read more: Kuwait court dissolves parliament

By Agencies

Mohamed Morsi, Egypt's president, has announced that Egypt is cutting off diplomatic relations with Syria and has ordered that Damascus Embassy in Cairo to be closed.

Read more: Egypt cuts diplomatic ties with Syria

By Agencies

Al-Qaeda's leader in Iraq has rejected orders from Ayman al-Zawahiri, the group's global chief, to break up his group's claimed union with the Jabhat al-Nusra, an armed Islamist group in Syria, according to a new audio message.

Read more: Iraqi al-Qaeda chief rejects Zawahiri orders

By Agencies

Moderate cleric Hassan Rouhani has secured just more than 50 percent of the Iran presidential ballot to win the election, the Interior minister has said.

Read more: Rouhani wins Iran's presidential election

By Agencies

Syrian artillery and warplanes have hit rebel-held areas of Damascus, as Russia has warned against any attempt to establish a no-fly zone over the country.

Read more: Syrian warplanes hit Damascus suburbs

By Agencies

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has declared the Lebanese armed group will keep fighting for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad after it spearheaded the recapture of the strategic city of Qusayr last week.

Read more: Hezbollah leader vows to keep fight in Syria

By Agencies

Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, has termed Israeli plans to press ahead with the construction of more than 1,000 homes in two occupied West Bank settlements "a violation of international law", according to his spokesperson.

Read more: Ban terms Israeli settlement push illegal

By Agencies

Syria and Russia have both slammed US allegations that Syrian government forces have used chemical weapons against opposition fighters in the country's civil war, with the Syrian government terming the charge "full of lies".

Read more: Syria and Russia slam US over weapons charge

By Agencies

Millions of voters across Iran are continuing to cast their ballots in the country's presidential elections, after the interior ministry extended polling for two hours to allow more people to vote.

Read more: Voting extended in Iran presidential election