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Khamenei: Iran Will 'Annihilate' Cities if Israel Attacks

Iran will "annihilate" the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa if it comes under attack by the Jewish state, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Thursday.

"Every now and then the leaders of the Zionist regime threaten Iran with a military attack," Khamenei said in a live televised speech from the northeastern holy city of Mashhad, referring to Israel.

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U.N. to Launch Syria Chemical Weapons Inquiry

The United Nations will launch an independent investigation into a Syrian government allegation that opposition rebels staged a chemical weapons this week, U.N. leader Ban Ki-Moon said Thursday.

"I intend for this investigation to start as soon as practically possible," Ban told reporters.

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Iraq Oil Exports Rebound after Two-Month Lull

Iraq's oil exports, which account for the lion's share of government income, rebounded in February after a two-month lull, figures published by the oil ministry showed on Thursday.

Iraq exported 71 million barrels of oil in February, or about 2.54 million barrels per day (bpd), up from around 2.36 million bpd the previous month, according to data published on the website of Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organisation on Wednesday.

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Simon Cowell Debuts YouTube Talent Hunt

British pop mogul Simon Cowell launched an innovative online talent contest Wednesday, inviting wannabee stars from around the world to post clips of their skills on YouTube.

"The X Factor" and "Got Talent" guru Cowell joined forces with the video sharing platform to run 26 biweekly contests, called "The You Generation", for hopefuls in 26 countries over the next 12 months.

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France Appoints New Envoy to Conflict-Torn Mali

France on Thursday appointed a new ambassador to Mali, the foreign ministry said, amid a French-backed military intervention against Islamist rebels in the west African nation.

Gilles Huberson will replace Christian Rouyer, foreign ministry spokesman Philippe Lalliot said, adding that it was in the framework of a routine reshuffle of French diplomatic posts in Africa.

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Karzai Claims Victory over U.S. 'Abuse' Claims

Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday claimed victory in his latest dispute with the U.S. after accusing its special forces of abusing civilians in the key strategic province of Wardak.

Karzai had demanded that the elite U.S. units leave the province, just outside Kabul. On Wednesday, a deal was stuck in which Afghan forces will take responsibility for security in Nerkh, one of Wardak's eight districts.

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Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood Warns ahead of March

Egypt's ruling Muslim Brotherhood warned on Thursday that it will defend its headquarters as hundreds of its members gathered outside the building ahead of an opposition protest.

The Islamists were bussed in to stand guard outside the building in Cairo, where opposition activists who plan to hold a protest on Friday had previously clashed with Brotherhood members.

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Bangladesh in Mourning after President's Death

Hundreds of thousands of people flocked to Bangladesh's presidential palace Thursday to pay their last respects to president Zillur Rahman after he died in a Singapore hospital.

Carrying flowers and wreaths, people from all walks of life, including women and children, filed past his open coffin on display at Dhaka's Bangabhaban palace, saluting a leader who had one of the nation's most illustrious political careers.

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Thousand Mourners Attend KRouge Leader's Cremation

About 1,000 mourners massed Thursday for the cremation of a co-founder of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge, highlighting the stark divide between supporters and victims of the brutal communist regime.

Former Khmer Rouge foreign minister Ieng Sary, 87, died last week while on trial for war crimes and genocide, cheating Cambodians of a verdict over his role in the regime's 1975-1979 reign of terror.

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PKK Leader Ocalan Calls for Ceasefire

Jailed Kurdish rebel chief Abdullah Ocalan called Thursday for a ceasefire, telling his fighters to lay down their arms and withdraw from Turkey, raising hopes for an end to a three-decade conflict that has cost tens of thousands of lives.

"We are at a stage where guns should be silenced," Ocalan said in a letter written from his isolated island prison cell and read out by a pro-Kurdish lawmaker to vast crowds in the mainly Kurdish southeastern city of Diyarbakir.

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