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As its Opponents Clash, Syria Regime Drops Barrel Bombs

Mainstream rebels and al-Qaida-linked jihadists clashed Thursday in northern Syria, as government warplanes battered opposition areas near Damascus with explosives-packed barrel bombs, a monitor said.

"Fierce clashes pitting ISIL against several Islamist and moderate (rebel) groups are raging in Saraqeb, Idlib," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, referring to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

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Qaida Attacks Kill 10 Soldiers in Yemen

Al-Qaida militants killed 10 Yemeni soldiers in three simultaneous attacks Thursday on army positions in the central province of Bayda, a military official said.

Eight extremists were also killed in the assaults, which prompted further clashes with the army, a local official said.

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U.S. Embassy in Riyadh Urges Citizens to Avoid Town of Awamiya

The U.S. embassy in Riyadh has warned its citizens against travelling to the Shiite village of Awamiya in eastern Saudi Arabia, where gunmen this week attacked the car of two German diplomats.

Berlin has said it has no reason to believe the Monday attack in Awamiya, in the Shiite-populated Eastern Province, was politically motivated.

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Saudi Sentences Chadians to Death over Frenchman Murder

A Saudi court has sentenced to death two Chadian Islamists convicted of murdering a French expatriate in the western city of Jeddah, state news agency SPA reported on Thursday.

The two are part of a group of 12 people -- seven Chadians, four Saudis, and a Yemeni -- accused of having formed "a terrorist group to kill non-Muslims" in the kingdom.

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U.N. Says Executions by Syria Rebels 'May Amount to War Crimes'

Recent reported mass executions by Syrian rebel groups, especially by an al-Qaida-linked faction, "may amount to war crimes," U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said Thursday.

"While exact numbers are difficult to verify, reliable eyewitness testimony that we have gathered suggests that many civilians and fighters in the custody of extremist armed opposition groups have been executed since the beginning of this year," she said in a statement.

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Israel's Netanyahu Holds Rare Talks in Jordan with King

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made an unannounced visit to neighboring Jordan on Thursday for talks with King Abdullah II on the Middle East peace process, the royal court said.

The rare meeting in the capital Amman comes as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry presses Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a framework to guide peace talks forward.

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U.N. Chemical Weapons Chief to Detail Plan for Syria Arsenal

The head of the world's chemical weapons watchdog on Thursday prepared to outline plans for the destruction of Syria's arsenal, including a transfer operation in an Italian port that has already sparked controversy.

Ahmet Uzumcu, director general of the Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), will address Italy's parliament to name the port where the chemicals will initially be taken.

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Egypt Awaits Results on Key Post-Morsi Vote

Egypt awaited Thursday results of a referendum on a new constitution that could launch a presidential bid by the army chief, with initial tallies indicating overwhelming support for the charter.

Given a boycott by the Islamist opposition, the result has never been in doubt, but the military-installed government is hoping for a large turnout to bolster its democratic credentials after the overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi.

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Russia Denies 'Hidden Agenda' as it Talks with Iran, Syria FMs

Russia denied Thursday it had a "hidden agenda" on Syria as it launched a fresh round of crisis diplomacy by hosting the Iranian and Syrian foreign ministers ahead of peace talks in Switzerland.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived in the Russian capital late Wednesday on the same jet as Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem.

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Kerry to Lead U.S. Team to Syria Peace Talks

Secretary of State John Kerry will lead the U.S. delegation to key talks next week aimed at bringing together the Syrian regime and the opposition for the first time since the war erupted, a U.S. official said Wednesday.

Intense preparations are under way ahead of the U.N.-led January 22 talks which open in the Swiss city of Montreux, with the Syrian opposition still to decide whether to attend or not.

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